A Taste of Honey | Chef Kieffer likes to serve a crumbly Jasper Hill blue cheese on crusty bread with butter, drizzled with honey. Get this super simple recipe.
Kitchen Detail | Kieffer likes to bring the roast chicken and vegetables to the table in deep, handled pans and serve them family-style. Get the chicken recipe.
Table Talk | Dinner guests offer a Champagne toast after being seated in the Copper Room at Artisan.
Table Talk | Kieffer’s wine choice for the chicken course is L’Angevin, a pinot noir from the Russian River Valley.
Table Talk | Baby vegetables take on grown-up flavors when roasted and basted in a shallow pan. Be sure to cut the vegetables into uniform sizes, and roast the red beets separately, advises the chef. Get the Pan Roasted Winter Vegetables recipe.
Table Talk | The green lentil and smoked ham hock soup was more than memorable; ”I literally thought about it for days,” recalled guest Sissy Biggers, “and the sign of a great dish is one you can’t get out of your mind.” Get the lentil soup recipe.
Prep School | The freshest fruits—local pears, green apples, blueberries—plus simple ingredients like orange juice, brown sugar, almond flour and cinnamon are ready to be assembled for dessert.
Prep School | The finished cobbler is dusted with powdered sugar and topped with generous scoops of homemade vanilla ice cream and blueberry sorbet. Get this stunning dessert recipe.
Winter Fresh | Bite-size vegetables, including watermelon radishes, Brussels sprouts, baby carrots and fingerling potatoes, await pan roasting; whenever possible, the restaurant’s vegetables and fruits are sourced locally.
Dine In | Friends and restaurant patrons alike enjoy the sophisticated but relaxed atmosphere in the dining room at Artisan.
Dine In | To kick off dinner, Kieffer prepared a potted pâté sprinkled with chives.
Kitchen Magic | After 15-20 minutes in the oven (when the skin starts to turn brown), Kieffer bastes the chicken with honey and ginger every five to seven minutes until it’s juicy, tender and fully cooked.
Warm Welcome | Kieffer greets guests Patrizia Jonker and John Baricelli, owner of the SoNo Bakery and Café.
Warm Welcome | Local food personality Sissy Biggers, who later remarked that Kieffer has a gift for taking simple, good food to a new level.
Warm Welcome | The chef shares a laugh with friends Michael Ryan, left, and architect John Parker.
Warm Welcome | The feasting began with an Artisan signature
pear martini garnished with fresh fruit.
Read the full article and Get the recipes for a delicious menu to entertain at home.
This article appears in the January 2012 issue of CTC&G (Connecticut Cottages & Gardens).