Posted By Hannah Palmer Egan on Tue, Feb 24, 2015 at 2:22 PM

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Hannah Palmer Egan

Cold? This hot cider cocktail is half tea, half juice, with a shot of booze for fun.

Have I mentioned how much I totally adore Dunc's Mill elderflower rum? Well, if I haven't, I am now. It's great stuff, and adds a gentle floral note to whatever you use it in without imparting any extra sweetness.

Here it is, pollinating a spicy cup of hot cider on a Tuesday afternoon. Why? You know why.

Tags: Recipe , Cider , Cocktail , Rum , Ice Cider , Orleans Herbal , Image , Web Only

Posted By Alice Levitt on Tue, Feb 24, 2015 at 12:06 PM

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Alice Levitt

Bender's Burritos

Stowe is a bit of a wasteland when it comes to quick, low-cost meals. Back in 2013, former financial analyst Henry Bender opened a new burrito joint on the Mountain Road. He reasoned, “There wasn’t a place quick enough for your lunch break unless you wanted a reheated piece of pizza. Otherwise, you’d go to Subway at the gas station.”

Cool idea, but when I tried the spot back then, its tasteless tacos and lackluster service made it seem like just that: a good business idea that didn't reach fruition. But updating the listing for Bender's Burritos on our website last week convinced me Bender's was worth another visit. When I arrived about noon on Sunday, the crowd seemed to confirm my suspicion. And eats like the fried chicken burrito made it official.

Tags: bender's burritos , burrito , taco , stowe , Restaurant Reviews , Image , Web Only

Posted By Alice Levitt and Hannah Palmer Egan on Fri, Feb 20, 2015 at 12:00 PM

Because of linguistic differences among East Asian countries, there's some debate regarding whether this is the year of the goat or the sheep. Either way, it's expected to be an auspicious year, prosperous and full of new beginnings. But all this talk of Asian celebration just makes us wish we were full of food. 

There's not much we can predict about this new year, but we can share some of our favorite Asian dishes. If all goes as we predict, we'll be putting the fat back into "gung hay fat choy."

Chicken wings, Dharshan Namaste Asian Deli, Winooski

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Alice Levitt

These wings fly into a new stratosphere of flavor.

Most people I talk to discuss Dharshan Namaste as if it's a Vietnamese restaurant. Yes, co-owner Thanh Pham is Vietnamese. But his wife and business partner, Bishnu Gurung, is from Nepal. Their restaurant is a fusion like no other. And the couple's most beautiful love child is doubtless their one-of-a-kind take on the chicken wing.

Tags: chicken , wings , hot pot , pho , curry , katsu , eel , chow mein , Image , Web Only

Posted By Hannah Palmer Egan on Tue, Feb 17, 2015 at 3:09 PM

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Hannah Palmer Egan

Blending Napa with red cabbage makes for a lighter dish than using red cabbage alone.

Winter in my house is cabbage season — it's a rare form of roughage that keeps well for long periods of time, and this time of year, any means of keeping the scurvy at bay is a win in my book. I've been grabbing Napas and big round red ones from Hinesburg's Full Moon Farm for the last couple months — and they just last and last.

Tags: recipe , cabbage , winter cooking , Image , Web Only

Posted By Alice Levitt on Tue, Feb 17, 2015 at 12:43 PM

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Alice Levitt

Three Hill Farmstead and two Lawson's Finest Liquids brews not enough for you? Blackback's got 17 more taps.

Last May, original Blackback Pub owner Rick Binet sold the business to local couple Lynn and Dave Mason. This was a bummer to drinkers hoping for lawyer Binet's counsel and his fishing stories. But it was an even bigger buzzkill to foodies who flocked to Blackback for spicy snacks from the Mad Taco.

The Mexican fare was replaced by toasted sandwiches and other less-than-ambitious options from Maggie's Kitchen. Late last year, Maggie was replaced by chef Jamie Nelson, previously of Ake's Den in Waitsfield. Before that, he led the fine-dining kitchen at Stowe Mountain Golf Club's the Cottage. With a focus on local ingredients, he's taken to the bar's tiny back kitchen to upgrade the menu.

I stopped in on Sunday afternoon for a dose of ESPN bowling, excellent service from our bartender and a taste of  the new pub grub.

Tags: blackback pub , beer , macaroni and cheese , pot pie , sliders , Restaurant Reviews , Image , Web Only

Posted By Hannah Palmer Egan on Tue, Feb 10, 2015 at 3:56 PM

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Hannah Palmer Egan

Homemade guanciale helps make this dish stand out, but thick-cut or slab bacon works, too.

I bought a pork jowl from Pigasus Meats at the Burlington Farmers Market back around Thanksgiving and it's been curing into guanciale (similar to bacon, but dry-cured instead of smoked) in my pantry ever since. I've also been thinking about eggs a lot, which could really only mean one thing: I was going to make pasta carbonara. 

Tags: Guanciale , recipe , pasta , Image , Web Only

Posted By Alice Levitt on Tue, Feb 10, 2015 at 12:53 PM

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Alice Levitt

Citizen Cider

I spend so much time traveling the state to eat that I sometimes overlook places right in my backyard. This can make me a bad girlfriend. My other half gets to dine with me from Bennington to Newport, but there are times he really just wants some comfort food and cider. In honor of Valentine's Day, this Alice Eats is dedicated to him and his first, sadly belated visit to Citizen Cider.

Tags: citizen cider , fried chicken , brisket , fries , pretzel , cider , Restaurant Reviews , Image , Web Only

Posted By Hannah Palmer Egan on Tue, Feb 3, 2015 at 12:44 PM

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Hannah Palmer Egan

Poutine is better with bacon gravy.

For my feature story this week, I wrote about the troubles egg farmers face in winter. Via conversations with three Vermont eggers, I outlined a few of the myriad reasons why locavores may not see their favorite egg on the shelves every week. Then, last weekend, my mom gave me a dozen of my very favorite eggs — from Meg's Eggs, in Piermont, N.H. Just look at these beauties: Here's a shot on Instagram.

Long story short, I wanted to feature the egg front and center in Farmers Market Kitchen this week. I had some cheese curds from Sweet Rowen Farmstead (I buy these whenever I see them at market — they're springy, salty, squeaky and cheap, and provide a ready excuse to make poutine at home), so I thought a poutine would be in order. With bacon buttermilk gravy, because it was snowing.

Tags: bacon buttermilk gravy , Poutine , recipe , Image , Web Only

Posted By Alice Levitt on Tue, Feb 3, 2015 at 12:31 PM

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Alice Levitt

Soundtrack by Sammy Hagar

What kind of place is Twin City Family Fun Center on the Berlin-Barre border? It's a bowling alley that also plays hair-metal videos on large screens above the pins.

There's also an arcade, but don't look for cabinets or pinball. Twin City is home to big, bright, ticket-spewing, carnival-type games including a wall-sized digital version of Connect 4. In fact, the prize room is almost as big as the arcade itself.

Tags: twin city family fun center , k's korner , blt , bowling , arcade , ribs , reuben , fish and chips , Restaurant Reviews , Image , Web Only