The article that I read was “Twelve Easy Pieces” by Jon Mooallem, and it was basically about the evolution, or possibly the devolution, of apples. When I think of apples, I think of the phrase “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” or a snack that I can have those days that I take the bus home from school. The article starts out talking about how the majority of Americans eat their meals away from home or on the go; I can directly relate. I got home from school today, and rather than wait for my dinner, I picked out a couple of cookies from a bag and a granola bar. Both were unhealthy, but they were faster and easier than turning on the stove or preheating the oven or waiting for my mother to get home. There was a quote about how a bowl of apples was art while a plate of cut up apples was food. My mother tells me all the time to stop snacking, as I take out an instant soup, and to eat a real meal. Of course my retaliation is that I am having a real meal. I see now that I am not. I am part of the fast food epidemic going on right now. Making these fast food health foods makes them incredibly UN-healthy with all of the sugars and preservatives put into them. I laughed reading this, because I love dried apples; they’re one of my favorite snack foods because I thought they were healthy. Reading even further I see that this idea of mobility and easiness are even affecting already convenient items like the Kit Kat. Reading this article, I actually wanted to go cut up an apple because it was making me hungry. But the whole article was relatable, and it made sense. I do these things all the time. I used to take an apple every day at lunch, but it became such a hassle to get the apple across the 12 foot by 12 foot room, get the napkins and the knife to cut the apple, plus get in line and pick out an actual lunch too. It would not be as bad if I didn’t have braces, but I can’t guarantee that. I see people take a little carton of French fries rather than pick out an actual healthy lunch. People are missing out on the really good foods, healthy or unhealthy, simple or made with a complex recipe, because they take more effort to get it on your plate. – Jillian V.

For thanksgiving this year, I went to my Aunt’s house down in New Jersey, the rest of my relatives were there, as you may know, New Jersey is like a refuge for Italians, and us Italians think about nothing but food, so as you would imagine, there was truckloads of it, and good food at that. There was a catering company that brought the food, along with the 50 other people that brought food, so there was definitely a lot, there was 2 turkeys, almost a whole pig (ham), pounds of mashed potatoes, atleast 5 types of stuffing, not to mention the desert buffet, which included apple pie, pumpkin pie, cheesecake, cherry pie, and almost everything else you can imagine. In my opinion, the turkey was extremely sweet, not quite sure why, but everything else was absolutely fantastic, needless to say, I slept and didn’t not move the entire way home, its was so filling. -Rj S

Timothy P Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of all. Because my mom always makes the best food especially sweet potato casserole with marshmallow in it. Its only one time of the year to get that food. For me dark turkey meat is one of second favorite with no gravy on it. Another favorite of my is that all my relatives come over. And say I’m looking forward seeing my uncle James when he comes down from New York City and I only get to see him 2-3times a year. There are about 12 people at my house and always enough food to grub on. There a time spend time with my family and eat great food and no one has to worry about giving gifts or being stress for someone. Even though were all full at the end of this meal we have the best desert tiramisu that my all-time favorite desert out of all other deserts and I only leave room in my tummy belly for this special desert. The fact that my birthday comes around thanksgiving is that makes it even more exciting, this year I’ll be 18. Hopefully I’ll get my license this year

When I go to Florida for spring or summer vacation, I force my dad to take me out to Dominic’s Italian Restaurant. The restaurant makes one of the best pizza’s I have ever had. The serve a pizza called the Grandma’s pizza and it makes you want to cry because it is so good. The pizza is cut into squares but the crust is thick, not thin at all, and they put a very light tomato sauce on the dough. Then on top of the light sauce they put thick slices of mozzarella over the whole entire pizza. After they put a whole slice of tomato on top of the pizza, and then add some oregano seasoning. When you open the box to see the pizza, the mozzarella is melted all over the pizza so when you pick up the slice, the cheese is clinging to everything, which is annoying but worth it. Then when you take the first bite, the pizza basically feels like it explodes in your mouth. The amount of flavor is unbearable and it is so crispy yet juicy at the same time. My dad and I get two pizzas just for the both of us because of how addicting the pizza is. When people think about Florida, they think about Disney, the beaches, and the nice weather, but when I think about Florida, all I think about it Grandma’s Pizza.

Recently my cousins from Maryland came down, and I tried some things that they like to eat. They are partially Puerto Rican, so they like a lot of spicy foods. One night we got pizza for dinner, and they took out some hot sauce from my fridge, and put it on their pizza. I thought it looked pretty good so I tried it. It was actually very good. Also another night, we had mac and cheese, and once again they put hot sauce on. That also looked pretty good, so once again I tried it. And once again it was very good. It tasted pretty much like regular mac and cheese, but there was a slight spice that my cousins and I love. I have gotten to like hot sauces a lot more, and are regularly trying them on new foods like rice, and mashed or baked potatos. Christian M.

About a week ago I went and visited my sister at her college for her birthday. After school I was going to stop by Andrea’s bakery and pick up a small chocolate mousse cake. I called my mom on the way to my car and told her about my plan; she then informed me that Andrea’s bakery had shut down. To say this was devastation would be an understatement. Chocolate mousse cakes from Andrea’s for birthdays in my family is a long standing tradition. It doesn’t even matter if you don’t like that type of cake, you still eat it. We went up anyways and decided we would just get a normal ice cream cake when we got up there instead. When we got there it turns out that my sisters roommate had made her a homemade ice cream cake. She had used ice cream, m&m's, crushed up oreos, and whipped cream, then froze it all in a cake pan, and tasted delicious! -Emily A.

Last Thanksgiving, I helped my mom make an apple pie for my family. First, we made the crust. We mixed 2 ½ cups of unbleached flour, ¼ sugar, 1 teaspoon of apple pie spice and 1 teaspoon of salt in a processor. I added 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and cut up 1 stick of chilled butter into tiny squares and added it to the mixture. I added 7 tablespoons of sour cream and blended it until the dough formed. We cut all the dough in half, flattened the 2 halves into disks, wrapped them into saran wrap, and put them in the refrigerator for 1 ½ hours. Next, we made the filling for the pie. First, we preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Then, we tossed 2 pounds of golden delicious apples, 2/3 cup sugar, ¼ all purpose flour, 3 tablespoons minced ginger, and 1 teaspoon of apple pie spice in a large bowl and mixed it until all 5 ingredients were fully incorporated. Finally, we had to form the crust. We took the disks and rolled them between plastic wrap with a rolling pin. We placed the dough in a 9 ½ inch pie dish and peeled the plastic off. We fluted the edges of the pie and cut 5 slashes in the top of it so that steam could escape while it cooked. We brushed the top lightly with milk and added a sprinkle of sugar. We baked in the oven for about 1 hour. The crust was light and flaky and it went great with ice cream. I really gave you the feeling of fall. -Justin C.

 I  am making  muffins for thanksgiving but don’t know which ones , I  have three recipes I would make a pie but most of family hates pie. The choate has a sweet favor and  creamy filling. But the blue berry  is  favored by most of grandparents. There is also this Spanish muffin  which makes the most sense to make. It is from Colombia. It this raisin muffin  that  taste like  a fruit muffin it a pasted down it a secret to me because I don’t get it yet . but it arare muffin that is very fruity

 aep

For my older brother Scott's birthday, him and his family came up to visit from their home in New Jersey. His wife Nicole and two daughters, Bailey and Norah, had been staying with us for a day or two when he finally flew in on Saturday night from Paris where he had been on business. His wife was cooking his birthday dinner all evening before he arrived, which I had the pleasure of assisting in cooking. She was making a recipe for enchiladas that she had found online and didn't know how it would turn out because she had never made it before. She had gone to the grocery store earlier that day to gather all the necessary supplies to make them, but as we stood around the kitchen counter, she realized that she had only gotten one bottle of green enchilada sauce instead of the two bottles that the recipe called for. We kind of panicked, but figured that it would taste okay, but that they might be a little dry. We continued to prepare everything, and finally after they were rolled and placed in a glass pan and sprinkled with cheese, they were placed in the oven as Nicole turned it on: or so she thought. The sat in the oven for 40 mins while it wasn't even on, and we waited patiently as nothing happened since we didn't check on them, we just set a timer. So when Nicole finally looked at them and they were exactly the same, she realized her mistake and turned on the unfamiliar oven. Another 30 mins, and finally Scott's birthday meal was ready. She apologized for the delay and the fact that they might be gross and dry from the lack of green sauce. As I prepared for the worst, I put some hot sauce on mine in case it might cover up some of the flavor, but as I took my first bite it was absolutely delicious! I was blown away by how tasty they turned out to be in spite of our setbacks. I ended up having three helpings before dinner was over, and we polished off the night with cupcakes and Ferris Acres ice cream. It was a perfect ending to a nice birthday celebration. --Sam G.

Its thanksgiving time again and you are basically in the kitchen all day. Everyone is helping out… well almost everyone. Sometimes those little guys of ours feel left out not being able to help. But what can they possibly do to help out? So maybe they can’t cook and stuff the turkey, but they can help make the stuffing. They can add in all of the ingredients and mix it all together, the best way using their hands (of course make sure their hands are washed :) ). If there up to it, let them pour in the cream, milk, or other items that are needed for thanksgiving dishes. If measuring is a little difficult tell them to help keep time of the cooking, we can’t let those rolls burn! Have the kids wash the vegetables, though letting them cut may not be the smartest idea. You can also have the kids be test tasters, which are always a yummy job. Have the kids test the macaroni, juice, or even some nice desserts that will be served later. When it comes time to actually cook everything the wait can be quite boring, to past time have kids make thanksgiving decorations. They can do this by making leaves, hand turkeys, Native American hats, wreaths out of leaves, and they can work together and make a huge center piece. Thanksgiving takes a lot of patience from everyone but with some fun things during the wait it can be a great time for the family!!

Haley C.

Throughout this fall, I have been to quite a few pasta parties. I am very pleased to say that each one was not like another. Tonight (or last night, whenever I decide to post this) was very special because it was my first Cross Country Banquet. I was pleasantly surprised when we got up to get our dinner; it was just like the food we had at one of our pasta parties! My favorite thing the entire night was the chicken fingers, the French fries, and the salad. The salad was simple; romaine lettuce with grape tomatoes and cucumbers. The absolute best part about the dinner and every other pasta part was the bread. One of our captains makes these homemade fantastic sweetbread rolls and everyone always takes one. They had larger versions of them at the banquet and everyone at my table was running back, and I am not exaggerating, to the buffet table to get more. They were bargaining with the people sitting next to them to split the rolls. Anyway, they also had rice, other styles of chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, and a kind of fish that I avoided (mostly because I had no idea what I was going to eat and that’s kind of scary). The entire night was so fun and everyone loved the food. So I got to thinking about what makes the food so good. It was nothing fancy, even though we went to some ridiculous country club here in Newtown. Maybe that is what made the food so good. I don’t think so though. I think the fact that everyone was just having so much fun and it the food was just like a normal pasta party so everyone felt at home and that’s what makes good food. I think that if I made a pie (which I plan on doing for Thanksgiving) that, even if I messed up five times, it would still taste really good to everyone around. So it’s the people around you that make a meal. The meal can be super fancy but if you can’t share it with everyone around you there’s really no point. I think that’s why I really like Baking and pastry. I get to make really yummy food with a couple of friends and we share it together! There’s no point in making the food if I couldn't share it with everyone. -Jillian V.

If your favorite food happens to be Greek, I know one of the best places to eat. In Astoria, Queens there is a restaurant called Stamatis. Its located in a greek neighborhood with many greek cafes around every corner. The menu is big and the food is wonderful. My family has friends who live out there and we always meet to go there. Every week I’m craving for some Pastitio. If you don’t know what that is, its somewhat like lasagna. It has a layer of cheese, then a layer of noodles, and then some meat.That is my favorite food of all time, sure you can order it at the diner but its nothing compared to Stamatis. Whenever I go its hard for me to try something knew because this dish is so great. For my appetizer, I always get a lemon soup with chicken and rice. That would have to be the best soup I’ve ever had. They also have this fried cheese called saganaki. Must be really fattening but very good. Everytime my family goes, I always have to try what they order because its so good. The restaurant is clean and they have a patio out back and its so pretty. Everyone is so friendly, too. When you finish your meal and waiting for the check or your change, they give you galaktoboureko. It is a cake with a flaky crust and has a really sweet creamy custard inside. I went to Greece last april and the food from this restaurant tasted just like it did in Greece, and usually when you go to the country the food tastes much better. If you are a fan of greek food, i definitely recommend Stamatis. Its only about an hour away and its totally worth it! -Sam P.

Yesterday my family and I went into down town New Haven for my birthday! We went to this cute little restaurant called the Soul de Cuba Café. It was very small and had a bar that only seated 4. There were 6 of us together and while we were being seated, the table looked like it would only be able to sit 4 at the most but they squeezed us together like sardines. First we started off with appetizers, the empanadas. When you bit into them it was bursting with flavor, a mix of spicy but also hot and warm. The outer shell was a little crispy and so yummy. Then I ordered a steak dish which was a long strip of steak, marinated in a white cream sauce with black beans, white rice with a spicy sauce and fried plantains. I normally would never eat beans but my mom told me to try it and they were almost creamy and so warm and when I ate them with the rice and the spicy sauce it was outstanding. Lastly they brought us dessert. We weren’t sure if we should have any because we were already so full but the menu was too tempting. So I ordered custard that looked like a lemon torte but had a caramel glaze on top with a kiwi. The cakes almost look like a sponge cake but it was creamy and vanilla tasting and made the meal complete. I would recommend this place for anybody who wants to try a new fun place. It was a refreshingly different and definitely made my belly full! -Sydney A.

A few days ago I made banana bread. It was a quick and easy process that was worth the 45 minutes of baking! The first thing I did was blend the butter and sugar in a blender. in a separate bowl you mash 3 bananas with a masher and combine it with cinnamon. In separate bowl I combined flour, baking soda and salt. I mixed the dry ingredients and the bananas in with the creamed mixture. The mixing process took a while until it looked smooth and with no bannana clumps. After I poured the mixture in the hotel pan, I waited 30 minutes for it to bake. The result was delicious and my whole family enjoyed the snack/dessert!

I do gymnastics at the Lakewood Trumbull YMCA and because there is a long standing joke between us that my friends mom makes the best chocolate chip cookies, all the gymnasts decided to have a cookie contest. So because the last time i tried to make cookies i ended up adding about 1 cup more of salt than required, I went with a different approach. i decided to make Blondie's. They would have been fabulous if i had used a smaller pan, instead they spread out and became blackened gross gunk. Not a very delicious pastry. Needless to say, I lost the cookie contest. Meagan F

Every year at the end of November everyone is so excited for thanksgiving. It is literally the only day of the year where you can eat whatever you want and no one will care. Everyone spends their thanksgiving differently but the thing that is always the same is everyone is around people they love and they have amazing food.
  On  thanksgiving day there is just a nonstop amount of food. Usually I go to my grandparents house and although we don’t actually eat the main meal until around three, there is a nonstop flow of appetizers and vegetable platters all around. The universal sign for thanksgiving is having turkey. My favorite part of the turkey is the dark meat usually found around the legs. I also love the mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, cranberry sauce and the bread. So, basically I just love everything about thanksgiving. Normally when my mom or dad makes dinner and we are having mashed potatoes we just have regular mashed potatoes, but on special occasions such as thanksgiving and Christmas we have holiday potatoes which are mashed potatoes but even more creamy than normal. When it comes to cranberry sauce, my sister and I hate homemade cranberry sauce and we love the one that comes from the jar, the one that even after you put it on the serving plate it still holds the form of the jar.
  The only thing better than the big thanksgiving dinner is dessert. My all time favorite dessert is apple pie. Usually my aunt usually makes a platter of chocolate desserts and those are gone in literally two minutes after being served. Also, a dessert that I love to have is pumpkin whoopee pies, which are basically pumpkin muffins in whoopee pie form with cream cheese frosting in the middle, they are amazing. So, with all the food on thanksgiving you really cant go wrong and I'm so excited for thanksgiving this year!

Nicole O.

"My favorite food is pizza. The best pizza place in Connecticut, in my opinion, is Carminuccios. Last summer, I went to Italy, the home of pizza. I went to Rome, Venice, Florence, Monterosso, Vernazza, Portofino, Sori and Sanfratuoso. I had pizza every day there. Carminuccios is good, but it hailed on comparison to the pizza on Italy. I had many different types. Margarita, sausage, vegetable, and meat lovers. I didn't have one bad pizza. But that wasn't the only type of food. The majority of regions in Italy are famous for a certain type of dish. For example, in Florence I had one of their famous Florentine steaks, which is a giant 2 pound steak with mashed potatoes. While in Rome, I had a meal called "Calcio e Pepe", which is spaghetti in a think cream sauce with black pepper. All the food I had in Italy was great. -Justin C"

November Blog Entry

This last month in Baking and Pastry has been great! We have made so many amazing things. I thought it was so weird that when we made soft pretzels, we had to boil them before we baked them. But it made them so chewy! I’ve never been a big fan of soft pretzels, but I’m sure that I’ll be baking them for my family soon.

When my group made apple pie, I learned that I’m the only one in my group who can peel an apple at a rate faster than 1 apple per 10 minutes. I have to say though, listening to Katie Moss wince every time the blade got close to my hand was pretty entertaining. I was not expecting to cook our pies by just wrapping the dough around the apples. I have never seen it done before. I love apple pie, but I’m very picky about the kind of pies I eat. Because I have eaten my mom’s pies basically my whole life, I’m so used to eating that certain kind of pie. My mom puts a sugar and butter crumb topping on the top, and she puts the raw diced apple into the pie shell and bakes it like that. She doesn’t cook the apples ahead of time, like we did in class.  

We made pie crust, and I really appreciated technology then because when you use a mixer it is a lot easier and looks prettier than if you have to mix the ingredients together with a pastry cutter and spoon in a bowl. I know, I’m so spoiled. But why not use it if we have it, right?

I went to a restaurant called The Iron Bridge, which is right in Sandy Hook Center. The food was really good there! However, it really bugs me when restaurants give you potato chips if you get a club sandwich or a wrap or something. I mean, how hard is it to give out french fries with the meal? I can eat potato chips anywhere! The french fries are usually the only thing I’m able to finish, too.

There are three kinds of french fries that I’ve eaten in my lifetime. You have the french fries that taste like cardboard, steak fries, and crispy fries. The ones that taste like cardboard I’ve only seen in a few places, like the Blue Colony Diner in Newtown. They’re not terrible, but if I’m gonna eat french fries I’m going all out (extra crispy). I find it kind of funny that they made a french fry that corresponds to what you’re eating. If you go to the Outback Steakhouse, your meal always comes with steak fries. I don’t really understand why these types of fries can only be eaten in places like the Outback.

 Halloween is one of my favorite days, because you get candy of course! I really can’t decide what my favorite candy is, although if someone asks me I usually say Kit Kat. However, anything with chocolate in it I’ll eat. I’m more of a dark chocolate fan, though. I like the more bitter taste. If it’s available, I’ll always grab dark chocolate Raisinettes, M&Ms, pretzels, and plain Hershey bars. If I’m ever eating candy, I usually alternate between something with chocolate in it and something that doesn’t. So, I’ll eat a fun sized Snicker or something, and to balance it out I’ll eat a Starburst. What a great day Halloween is! 

Sarah L J

Colony Grill - Best Thin Crust Pizza Around

The best pizza that I ever ate was at colony grill in Stamford/Fairfield Connecticut.
“Colony Grill opened in 1935 in an Irish neighborhood in Stamford Connecticut. Since then Colony has become famous for what is now its only menu offering, a one of a kind thin crust pizza.
It’s one of the best thin crust pizzas that I ever had in my life. My favorite pizza pie from Colony Grill is cheese pizza with stingers on top. If you don’t know what a stinger is it’s a very hot pepper. Another original thing is the hot oil which adds a little more flavor to the pizza. The oil is added after the pizza is cooked. I was surprised to hear that most people don’t know what an Irish pizza is. This Irish restaurant has become popular in Stamford. All my friends in Norwalk go there a lot and tell me that it’s one of the best pizzas that they ever had. Just when you thought Italian pizza was good. I say try this thin crust pizza and it will blow your mind!

When I went to Jamaica this summer I experienced foods that I have never consumed before. The culture there is so different than ours that their food has a whole different taste with no preservatives. For breakfast, a food that stuck out to me was their tropical fruit that consisted of star fruit, passion fruit, and papaya. The fruit was delicious that had a very tropical taste to it very different from our fruit. For lunch I tried jerk chicken. The jerk chicken was very popular in Jamaica, it had a rich coating with a type of spice mixed into it. Fried plantanes was always a type of fruit I tried which is fried bananas that grow off their plantane trees. For dinner, my dad tried goat (which I do not reccomend) but he said that it was delicious! Instead of goat I had their Jamaican beef patty. For dessert I had the most amazing ice cream ever. The ice cream is freshly made from their cocoa beans so it had no perservitives. It was so creamy and sweet! Overall my experience in Jamaica really opened up my mind to different foods. Lindsay H.

What’s a great food to have in the summer? Well, its ice cream of course! Every summer my favorite thing to eat is ice cream. And you can get the ice cream in the frozen foods section of the grocery store but that’s just not as good as the delicious ice cream you get when you go to any sort of ice cream shop or creamery. I’ve never gone out to get ice cream and ending up not liking it. This past summer my family and I went to Maine to visit relatives and while we were there my cousin took me to a cute little ice cream place called “Scoops”. All the ice cream there was made right in front of you, so you know it’s fresh. They had so many different kinds of ice creams and they weren’t just the usually chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. No, these ice creams were original and tasted so good. I couldn’t decide which kind to get so I got a wafer cone with sea salt and caramel and s'mores ice cream. And let me tell you it was amazing! some other flavors of ice cream they had were; apple crisp, bit’o honey, maple walnut, Halloween {which was vanilla ice cream with a variety of candies in it}, coffee heath bar, wild Maine blue berry {fresh blue berries right from Maine!} , and carrot cake. I could have spent my whole summer in there just trying all the different flavors of ice cream but after a week in sunny Maine we had to go home. I can’t wait to go back there next summer and try all new flavors! Until then I’ll just be stuck in Connecticut dreaming about the delicious ice cream!

Nicole O

This past week I have had more ice cream than I even care to remember. Since first moving to Newtown just this last summer, I have been to Ferris Acres Creamery numerous times, and have always been impressed with the rich flavor and texture of their fresh ice cream. This past week however we decided to shake things up a bit. My sister was visiting us and decided she wanted to find the very best ice cream around. We told her that obviously Ferris Acres was the best and to not bother trying to find anything better because it simply doesn't exist. She got on Yelp and found reviews for delicious local ice cream. The top rated ice cream in the area was actually Dr. Mike's Ice Cream Factory. I had seen it around and was surprised to see that anyone even bothered to compete with Ferris Acres. Upon my sister's recommendation, we all hopped in the car and went to try it for the first time. We went to the location in Monroe and were disappointed to see that it was closed for the night when we arrived even though their website said differently. My sister, never one to be discouraged, decided to call the Bethel location and see if they were open. She got a reply on the other line from Dr. Mike himself explaining that yes, they were closed, but that he was still there making ice cream and that if we wanted to stop by he'd be happy to serve us anyway. Renewed in our quest, we got back in the car and headed for Bethel. We got there and ordered our ice cream: chocolate lace and Oreo mint chocolate fudge. It was the most divine ice cream I have ever had the pleasure of passing between my lips. We just about died after the first couple bites and were blown away that something could actually be better than Ferris. Not only that, but Dr. Mike stayed and chatted with us for a solid 20 minutes about how we liked Newtown and about his little business. There was great ice cream, great service, and all in all an incredibly rewarding food experience. I would definitely tell everyone I know to forget Ferris Acres next time they want ice cream, hit up Dr. Mike's. -Sam G.

I do not eat anything exciting. Ever. It’s even a strong possibility that every time we go to a new restaurant I buy a bacon cheeseburger. I will tell you that if the classiest restaurant in the world does not have a decent bacon cheeseburger then it is not truly the classiest restaurant in the world. I have not broadened my horizons when trying new foods. I had calamari, most likely the most exotic food I have ever eaten, two years ago at a friend’s birthday party. I do like to try new foods; I just do not go out of my way to do it. So I decided to make a list of some of the different foods that I want to try. 1. Filet Mignon 2. Star Fruit and/or Kiwi 3. Venison 4. Gazpacho 5. Meatloaf – I have had meatloaf before, but it was not as good as it could have been so a really good meatloaf would be nice to try. 6. Any kind of Thai food 7. Curry 8. Yakitori 9. Tofu 10. Corn dog All of these are very basic but I figured I should start out with these before I eat some squid or octopus or lamb intestine. I also really want to try baked macaroni and cheese or a tuna casserole or really good lasagna. I don’t like lasagna at all; it’ll be a challenge. Going to France would be fun, just so I can try a crepe from a vender off the street corner. Jillian V.

 You and your family are in one of the greatest vacation spots in the world… Disney World. You had a great day riding the rides, greeting characters, and having fun with the people you love; but now it the evening and your hungry. Where should you go? GO and check out the 50’s Prime Time Café at Hollywood studios. When entering this restaurant, you end up back in the 50’s with the scenery of bright colors and full of fun. The waiting area is designed to look like a 50’s living room with an old TV, where you can enjoy classics such as the I Love Lucy show. When it is time to go to your table you get notified but the hostess saying “Smith children your mother/ father wants you in for dinner”. Your table is also decorated in a 50s kitchen matter, where you meet either your 50s “father” or “mother”, who remind you sternly to keep your elbows off the table.  As for the menu it is all American food, I am talking fried chicken, pot roast, meatloaf, mash potatoes, chicken pot-pie, salmon, tune casserole, and do not forget southern greens. But warning before you could even mention all the delicious dessert of 50s parent will check your plate, and if you missed something… you better believe that you will be getting airplane fed. Finally there are nice classic choices of dessert. We have the 50s Boston Cream Parfait, which is layers of chocolate fudge, vanilla ice cream, and a pound cake topped with whipped cream. There is Dad’s Brownie Sundae, consisting of a rich fudge brownie with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge and caramel toppings. There are also ice cream sundaes, cheesecake, and s’mores. And do not forget the Seasonal cobbler served a la mode. The 50s Prime Time Café is a great place to eat being humorous with extraordinary food, with a little splash with a blast from the past.

By: Haley C

AEP Greek Chicken with Herbs When I was on vacation in Florida I went to a restaurant at Disney’s Boardwalk called Kouzzina by Cat Cora. I ordered a Mediterranean dish called Greek Chicken with Herbs. It was not an ordinary chicken dish. The taste truly came from an herb that was imported from Greece. This herb was found near seashores in Greece. It had a sweet flavor which meant that it was freshly used. This herb was sprinkled onto the chicken which gave the chicken a little more flavor. It was in a creamy yellow sauce and it was served with potatoes. I truly enjoyed this meal.

On Friday October 12th I had the best dessert I have ever had in my entire life. At first I was skeptical of tasting it, because I didn't even order it. I was at the Inn at Newtown, which I didn't even want to go to in the first place because I had gotten sick from food there before. But I had grilled chicken with potatoes and green beans and it was all very good. Then after paying the check and everything, the waiter served mocha flavored creme brulee with strawberries on top. It was free desert because I was there to celebrate my friends birthday. It was awesome. The crunchy top was a little odd at first but the pudding like inside was fabulous. Creme brulee is now my favorite desert. Meagan F

I love food. Who doesn’t? When someone asks me what my favorite food is I literally change my answer every time because there’s no way to choose just one, although I got to admit my answer usually has to do with desserts. I like Mexican, Italian, Chinese, burgers, and anything fried. I don’t consider myself a picky eater, but there are some foods that I just cannot stand. Olives are probably my least favorite food, and I cannot fathom how someone could eat those slimy things that look like eyeballs. It may be weird, but I’m not the biggest fan of caramel, and I cannot stand cheesecake or candy corn. I love sweet things, but sometimes things just are too sweet. That’s probably why I’m in love with dark chocolate—it’s not too sweet. So Katie Moss and I made biscuits the other day during class, and we got the recipe with lard in it. I don’t know about you, but the word lard just sounds absolutely repulsive to me. I picture some brown, thick, gooey, moldy substance that shouldn’t even be considered as an ingredient that humans put in their food and eat. However, it wasn’t that bad once I got past the name of it. It looked like a very light- colored butter, and the biscuits came out good. My sister and I made this very interesting dessert over the weekend. We made our own cookie dough and put it in a 9 X 9 pan. Then, on top of that we put a layer of Oreos, and then brownie batter. The end product was so gooey and delicious! All the flavors came together and each complemented the other. So good! When I went to California about 4 years ago, a food chain that’s really popular there is In and Out Burger. This place was the best burger joint that I have ever been to. It amazed me to find fresh lettuce and tomatoes being chopped as I peered over the counter, expecting to find those ingredients coming out of some pre-packaged container. The menu there literally consisted of hamburger, cheeseburger, hot dog, fries, and a milkshake. It was the simplest menu I have ever seen! Everything was fresh and the burger was great for the low price you got them for. I may just have to take a road trip to go back there again! Something I love doing with my mom, though very traditional, is baking an apple pie when autumn begins. The one thing that my mom puts on the top that makes it different from any store bought pie is the crumb topping. My mom chops bits of butter into the flour/ sugar mixture. After that pie is baked, it is amazing because you have little fried bits of sugar and butter in every bite of pie, to give you a little more sweetness. A couple weeks ago I went to Buffalo Bills in Monroe for 20 cent wing night, and the wings were pretty good. However, my teammates and I found hair in the wings. There were little pieces of hair, but there were also long pieces. The waitress said that it was just chicken hair, but I’m pretty sure that chickens don’t have hair that’s 12 inches long. I’m not trying to discourage you from eating there, but just be aware that if you go there for wings, check before you eat! Sarah L.

Brenton Scott Mrs. Hoagland Baking and Pastry Class 5 3 June 2012 BLOG: JUNE One time I was at a soccer tournament and I had the best sandwich ever. That sandwich was a turkey, bacon, ham, lettuce, tomato and ranch sandwich. I ate it at a little restaurant on the side of the road that looked a little broken down, but my mother and I wanted to adventure a little bit and decided to eat there. The place was very comfy and we sat in an enclosed outdoor table, the best part was when we got out meals. My plate was full of stuffed ¼ pieces of sandwich that had French fries all around it and has a certain herb on top that made it smell fresh and look very tasty. The sandwich had the perfect amount of saltiness and the perfect amount of meat that made me want to eat 3 more if I hadn’t been so stuffed after I ate them all. The one bad part about the trip was that the night after I went to a Cheese Cake factory and I saw the same dish on the menu and first of all it was 4$ more and when the dish came it was 2/3 the size of the last one I ate and boy was I angry. Also, when I was eating, it was not nearly as delicious as the one I had the night before. It had barely any taste to it, the fries were not fresh and tasted as if they had been made the night before and really, had nothing good about it. This just goes to show that some restaurants are not what they really look and sound like. The cheesecake factory is well known but it just makes me mad that some places are so famous but don’t cook and taste nearly as good as smaller businesses.

One of my favorite things to do is cook (for myself) the only reason I say for myself is because I like really fattening foods. There’s a masterpiece I created one day when I got home from school and no one was home. I went out to the grill and cooked two onion burgers; while they were cooking I made two gorgeous grilled cheese sandwiches using Muenster cheese. (It’s the most stringy and delicious) when the burgers were done I layed one grilled cheese sandwich down. On top of it I put a layer of ranch dressing and Doritos then a burger, another layer of ranch and Doritos, another burger. And on very top the last grilled cheese. This beautiful crunchy, gooey wonder of flavor I called, “The Muenster Mash” (I wanted to take a photo but I consumed it too quickly I didn’t have time.) - NR

Chicken Tacos I don’t know about you, but when I think of tacos I think of ground beef, tomatoes, lettuce, refried beans, and other Mexican-inspired ingredients. So when I came home last week to my mom making tacos I was very excited. Tacos are probably my favorite food ever! She excitedly told me that these were going to be healthy tacos. Immediately, I knew this was a red flag. Healthy? That means nutrition instead of taste. Since this was a favorite dish of mine, I got a little worried. I asked what made these tacos healthier. She said the meat was “50% less fat!” My mom was very proud of this. I on the other hand tried to figure a meat with half the fat of ground beef. Anxiously I asked her what she used, and she told me that she saw ground chicken on sale today and thought to try it. She showed me a light meat in a cheesy-looking thick sauce being simmered over low heat. Not wanting to admit to it that it looked good, I skeptically questioned how this could be taco meat. She said I’ll have to just wait and see. While the chicken and sauce finished I warmed up the taco shells, my family got ready for dinner. I went up and critically put some of this meat into my taco and put various other toppings as well. I sat down and went for my first bite. Literally I thought I died and went to heaven. This was the best thing I ever tasted! Ground chicken with a spicy seasoning and cheese sauce is the most amazing combo that was ever created. I went back up and filled up my whole taco shell with the chicken and continued to do this for numbers 3, 4, and 5! Haha I had quite a stomach ache after though. The next day we had some left over and I just heated it up and used it as a dip for tortilla chips and I swear it’s so good it could be eaten plain! Never will I go back to ground beef. Am I a believer in chicken! You all should go out and try it, it’s so good! Plus it’s 50% less fat, as my mother would say! But seriously, go out and get some, it is some really good stuff! --Bryce D.

Growing up with my mom as a baker, all this time until baking and pastry i have not seen the difference between a liquid measure and a dry measure. In my family we are always making snacks such as home made cookies, cupcakes, and my mom decorates cakes for numerous occasions. Always, we use the same 3/4 cup that we would use for flour as for instance for milk. While baking cupcakes this weekend, my mom said that the measuring cups for the water and oil that i needed were dirty. I realized that using these wasn't even correct. I tried to find a liquid measure and used that instead. The food we previously used to make never tasted necessarily bad, but my mom said the cupcakes tasted noticably moister with the different equiptment. Being in the class has showed me things that i can apply to everyday treats and home cooking!
-JC

The sun was hot, beaming on all of our necks as we sat in my driveway, bored and unsure of what to do.

“What can we do, I’m so bored,” my sister would say.

“Hmm, we could… ride bikes, play a game, make some lemona-”

“Lemonade!” She’d respond. “Let’s have a lemonade stand!”

            It was our favorite thing to do during past time. Whenever it was a nice day and we were bored out of our minds, having a lemonade stand was the perfect way to keep us occupied. I would run inside, ask my mother if we had any lemonade mix and if there wasn’t any (which there usually wasn’t) we would make it from scratch. This was the only thing I knew how to make by memory as a child.

            The process was incredibly easy. First, we would take the water pitcher and fill it with about 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. Then, we would pour sugar into the pitcher until it was even with how much lemon juice there was. Then, we filled the pitcher with as much water as it would take. Then it was time for the lemonade to be stirred. This was always my favorite part because my mom had a special pitched which had a handle on top connecting to a stirring rod inside of the pitcher with a piece of plastic on the bottom to shake up the liquid. We would push the handle up and down until all of the sugar seemed to disappear. We would then taste the juice and add more of our original ingredients according to how much we felt would make it taste just right. Then our lemonade was ready! It was as simple as that!

            Our lemonade stand could not be complete without a decorated table to lure in our customers and a nice cash register to collect all the money we would make. For hours, we sat there, screaming at cars that would drive by, hoping to get their attention. “LEMONADE!” We would scream this until our throats felt soar and our hands felt tired from holding the signs that seemed almost useless. Since our street is not a main road and is barely half a mile long, the most customers we would ever get were about five a day if we were lucky. However, among five customers, we would make as much as thirty dollars in tips a day. It was the perfect little business.

-J.L.

The Blue Colony diner is by far the best restauraunt in Newtown. Not only is it a convenient rest stop for travelers on the highway, but it also is a popular spot for students and residents all over Newtown. Every time I drive by the diner, there seems to  be no parking spots available, whether it is 10 in the morning, 3 in the afternoon, or 11 at night. The Blue Colony Diner has become a usual hangout place for NHS students, especially after sporting events. After the varsity football team wins a game, or after the track team is coming home from a long day's meet, every one seems to turn to the Blue Colony Diner to satisfy their stomachs and have a good time. The Blue Colony is also a common family restaurant. My family and I eat at the diner probably about once every two weeks, and I have never ordered a dish that I wasn't happy with. That's another great thing about the diner- the menu is UNLIMITED! If you and your family are having trouble deciding where to go out to eat- choose the diner, beacuse they're sure to have something that everyone will like. Whether you order a stack of pancakes, a chicken salad sandwhich, a sirloin steak, or fettucini alfredo, the food will always taste delicious- and for a great price!

Brenton S Mrs. Hoagland Baking and Pastry Class 5 1 May 2012 Food Essay 3 One of my best moments with pizza was when I was 12 and it was my birthday. My family and I ate at the Pizza Palace, my favorite recipe when I grew up. I remember the day exactly because I will never forget which type of pizza I had for the first time, that pizza was Buffalo Chicken pizza with bleu cheese. Even though it was almost too spicy I got to drink my favorite drink, Dr. Pepper. The most memorable part was when the pizza first came because it came on a super hot platter, but looked so good that my mouth was watering. As I took my first bite I got all sorts of tastes in my mouth, from spicy to salty, to refreshing. It was like the Ratatouille feeling in my mouth, different flavors were jumping around in my mouth for almost an hour until the pizza was finished. Then came dessert, it was a large slice of cheesecake with strawberries and whip cream. I could promise you it was about +400 calories in that one slice. Since I was so full from the pizza I let my whole family eat parts of it, but saving the best part like the crust, with strawberries and cream. That day was so memorable because it was the best birthday dinner I have ever had, from the delicious food, to the great laughs we had to the amazing gifts I received while I was eating dessert.

My Favorite food is a dish called, Chicken Divan, My mom has been making this since I was young and 16 years later it’s still my favorite dinner. The contents of this wonderful meal are chicken breast with broccoli in a delicious creamy sauce made of cream of chicken soup and mayonnaise and other stuff. Baked in the oven to get all crispy and yummy, my mom serves with egg noodles and it’s the perfect match. When I first bite into this cornucopia of flavor and love my heart skips a beat. I strongly believe that if everyone in the world sat down at a very large table and ate this meal together we would all get along and there would no longer be anymore problems in America (forward this to Obama) Mom if you’re reading this please know that your are capable of stopping any issues in this country. (you got the power girl) Long story short look this up on Google, because I’m not about to give you the recipe and give everyone else the power my mother has right now. And try to replicate this recipe for yourself everyone in your family will be happy you did. -NR

For my whole life, breakfast has mostly been the same exact experience every time. I wake up, I’m hungry, I look in my cabinet, I find cereal, I pour it in a bowl, I add milk, and I eat it. Simple as that. However, now that I have grown and I have more knowledge about how to make foods that don’t take two steps to prepare, breakfast has become more like an experiment to me.

            I was never really taught how to make eggs as a little girl. My mother had always been the one who would prepare them for me. Though I was curious, I never watched to see how the process had been done. Yet, when my mom asked me yesterday morning how I wanted my eggs and when I replied ‘scrambled please’, I suddenly became extra inquisitive on how she did so. I sat there next to her, taking close mental notes on how she cooked my eggs. When I heard her repeat the steps out loud and watched her act them out, I realized, ‘wow, this is so much easier than I thought’. All you need to make scrambled eggs is two eggs and two tablespoons of milk. I had no idea.

            So, taking this new information that was so easy to gather, I decided to make breakfast another experiment. I first cut a Portuguese roll in half and placed one slice in the toaster. I then took a non-stick pan and rubbed butter on it. Then, I took a bowl, cracked two eggs, and poured them in. I then poured two tablespoons of milk in. Then, I whisked the eggs and poured them into the pan. I took my spatula and pushed in the outside corners by scraping the liquid into the middle over and over again until I was left with scrambled eggs. I topped them off with salt and pepper and buttered my toasted Portuguese roll carefully. I placed the eggs on top of my roll and into my mouth. It tasted even better than my mom’s eggs! I am happy that I decided to try cooking for myself, even if it’s making something as simple as scrambled eggs.

-JL

Gabriel Ruiz

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 3 1/2-pound boneless pork shoulder or butt roast, rind and excess fat trimmed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 18-22-ounce bottles of your favorite barbecue sauce

8 sesame seed buns, toasted

Preparation

1 Lightly season the pork with salt and pepper. Place in a slow cooker insert, add the barbecue sauce, and cover. Cook on low until the pork is fork-tender, 8-9 hours.

2 Skim off any fat from the sauce surface. Transfer the pork to a carving board. Let stand for 5 minutes. Using two forks, shred the pork, discarding any excess fat. Return to the slow cooker.

3 Heap the meat and sauce onto the buns and serve hot.

I like this version of a pulled pork sandwich because it is easy for anyone to do in their own home. Even though the pulled pork that we make in the kitchen at school is awesome something’s cannot be redone at home. For one thing the sauce that we put on our meat at school has ingredients that everyone at home might not have so the substitution of any store brand barbeque sauce is a plus.

Pulled pork is one the things that I love to eat the most if I have a chance to have it. One time over break I had pulled pork and I made some cornbread to go along with it, and I finished it with a side of mashed potatoes. I was traveling below the Mason Dixon Line on this meal. But I was home alone and I wanted to treat myself because it was going to be the first of a couple days home alone, and I didn’t feel like cracking open the TV dinners that were left for me just yet. Granted, it was not the cheapest meal that I could have had, but it was a mighty tasty one…

         Last Sunday, my family had an all you can eat buffet for my grandfather’s 80^th birthday. This buffet took place at the Brewhouse in South Norwalk. I went in with high expectations, being the buy in fee was 29$. At the time I thought this price to be ridiculous, because most people cannot eat near the amount of food needed to cost 29$. Once I got there around 1 p.m. I realized why the buffet cost 29$ per head. The tables were overflowing with everything from eggs benedict, bacon, sausage and pancakes to Spiral ham, Sushi, Turkey, penne ala vodka, filet mignon and many more dinner foods. I stuffed myself for nearly an hour on all of those foods and to my delight, came a whole new array of desserts, which included chocolate covered strawberries, Tiramisu, éclairs, cupcakes, cheesecake and ice cream of every flavor I left the Brewhouse full and satisfied. And for the rest of the day I could hardly eat. -DB