Super Bowl weekend has kitchens all over America buzzing with activity. From dips and veggie platters to sub sandwiches and pots of steaming chili, this ultimate football game calls for crowd-friendly eats. As with any holiday, and yes, we consider the Super Bowl to be worthy of holiday status in our house, this one comes with an expected food theme. Finger foods and dishes that satisfy a crowd usually rule the day. The trick is not to get stuck in the kitchen during the game. In addition to asking friends to bring a dish or drinks, try planning ahead for meals that can be assembled before …

Almost two years ago, my then nine-year-old daughter asked to bake brownies. By herself. I paused pecking away on the computer to consider the hazards: third-degree burns, fingers caught in the mixer and fire all came to mind. However, I knew Katie was responsible, so I gave her the go-ahead. And those were some of the best boxed-mix brownies I have ever eaten. Not only did Katie measure the ingredients and make the batter, she preheated the oven, set the timer and pulled them from the oven all without my lifting a finger. Although she knew I was steps away in case she needed me, she never …

Go to any Vietnamese restaurant and you are sure to see one appetizer prominently featured on the menu, cha gio. Cha gio, or Vietnamese spring rolls, are similar in size to Chinese egg rolls, but taste nothing alike. Wrapped in thin rice paper and then fried for a crispy exterior, spring rolls feature an aromatic filling of pork, crab, onions, scallions, mushrooms, garlic and fish sauce. They are not your traditional holiday fare, but done right, I can guarantee you and your guests will be thanking you for making them. My best word of advice for inexperienced cooks who still want to make …

It was more than 40 years ago when Franco Zuluaga moved to the United States. The owner of Brookfield's Franco Ristorante grew up moving frequently with his family as they worked in various restaurants in Italy, Colombia, Argentina and the Bahamas, among other places. But with an uncle running what used to be Capriccio's in Brewster, Zuluaga set down roots in the Danbury area, partnering in Bethel's La Fortuna in the 1990s, then running the Red Lion in Ridgefield. Zuluaga's love of food and people drew him to cooking. "It's always a challenge," he said of the restaurant business. A self-…

Look through any cook's recipes and you will find that the most spattered on and well-loved are those that were passed down through generations or scribbled down at a friend's house. So when the Brookfield Library Foundation decided to publish a cookbook, the staff and volunteers put the word out so they could collect all of the town's favorite recipes in one place. The Cookbook The idea for Brookfield Cooks! came in 2009 from Pamitha Weerasinghe, a former Brookfield resident and library volunteer who has recently moved out of state. "He took on a lot of the organization for the cookbook," …

Three weeks ago, Casablanca quietly opened its doors in Brookfield. The restaurant occupies a property that has seen three other eateries come and go during the last 10 years. So people may wonder what makes this newest venture different. "We are bringing people the freshest quality food at a reasonable price to accommodate the hard times," said owner Sammy Halim, who previously operated Alexander's and the Gaylordsville Café in New Milford. Casablanca's white colonial building sits just north of Four Corners. Although structurally the same, Halim and his team brightened and redecorated the …

At 26 years old, it's hard to imagine that Sam Abdelkader, the chef and owner of Italianos and Mishos, has worked in more than 20 different restaurants. "My dad was a chef, so I started helping out in the kitchen when I was 12 years old," explains Abdelkader, who lives in Danbury. "As a teenager, I started seeing that cooking was something I was good at and moved on from there." Born in Cairo, Abdelkader and his family moved back and forth between the U.S. and Egypt before finally settling in Atlantic City, NJ. After attending culinary school and learning accounting, Abdelkader was eager to …