We are never more excited than when a friend does something extraordinary! Today we are proud to announce the publication of the Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook, penned by Westport resident, Christy Colasurdo, an award-winning writer and former New York magazine editor.
It was almost two years ago when Christy announced that she was working on a cookbook that would showcase the best of Connecticut’s farm-to-coast inspired fare. Partnering with fellow food writer and cookbook author, Tracey Medeiros (The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook, Dishing Up Vermont), the Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook contains more than 100 recipes from the state’s best-loved eateries – including many local Fairfield County spots. The book also includes interviews with the chefs who created the dishes, artisanal food purveyors, and drool-inducing photographs.
Then there are the recipes…from simple weeknight meals to restaurant-worthy productions, the Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook is certain to inspire anyone who loves fine food and cooking to explore all that the Nutmeg State has to offer.
We spoke to Christy about the book, her favorite recipes, and the making of the Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook!
Fairfieldista: What prompted you to write the Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook?
Christy: This book was a long time coming. The green foods scene in Connecticut has really caught fire over the past few years and was high time for Connecticut food producers and chefs to get some time in the spotlight! So, when Tracey Medeiros, author of The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook, sent me her book, I said, “We really need to do one of these for Connecticut” and that’s how our collaboration started.
Fairfieldista: How did you choose who would be featured in the book?
Christy: That was the hardest part of the book, in my opinion. There are thousands of small family farms, fishermen, foragers, restaurants, etc. from Greenwich to Litchfield to Madison who are great representations of the local foods movement. How to choose? We used a gut approach, rather than a scientific approach. We went for some of the more representative examples of restaurants and chefs who were partnering with great local sources for oysters, beef, chicken, produce and so on. We talked to chefs, reviewers, food writers and others, and also trained our eye on some of the places we’d be drying to try, and we pulled together a list we were proud of. Our only regret is that we couldn’t have featured more.
Fairfieldista: Any favorite restaurants or recipes that stand out?
Christy: I am partial to some of the foods that are produced right here in my home town of Westport and in nearby Norwalk. I’m a sucker for some of the simpler dishes, as they speak to the fact that the best foods are created using the freshest local ingredients. I love the easy-to-assemble antipasto platter from Bar Sugo, the Polpette Alla Napoletana from Tarry Lodge, the Bacon-Jalepeno Oysters from Match, The Chicken Under a Brick from The Spread…
Fairfieldista: Seems like you are booking up a lot of tour dates and appearances!
Christy: Yes! The book launches on May 31 with our first event at The Greenwich Audubon Society, then, we’ll be at Stew’s signing books and doing a food demo on June 6, followed by our big kickoff party at Terrain on June 8. Our tour dates are on our website, www.ctfarmtablecookbook.com, and we invite people to come to any/all!
Fairfieldista: I want to pick up a few copies as gifts. Where can I find them?
Christy: They’re available at most bookstores, from small independent retailers, like Elm Street Books in New Canaan, to larger venues, like Barnes & Noble and Amazon and a variety of specialty retailers, like Terrain, Back 40 Mercantile in Old Greenwich, and a few local wine and cheese shops.
