Food Seen: Rowdy Hall Chef, Manna, LI Restaurant Week & More

Ed Lightcap, chef at Rowdy Hall in East Hampton, suggests this seasonal recipe utilizing butternut squash. Enjoy his butternut squash lasagna, but first, check out this week’s foodie news bites!

Coche Comedor will honor Dia de los Muertos this weekend with three specials available on Saturday, October 30 and Sunday, October 31. Most notable is chiles en nogada ($15) — a poblano pepper stuffed with picadillo pork, apples, pears, peaches, walnuts, golden raisins, onions and garlic, served with walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds. Considered by many to be the national dish of Mexico, chiles en nogada showcases the colors of the country’s flag: green, white and red. Created by nuns in Puebla in 1821, the dish was presented to the general of the Mexican Army, Agustín de Iturbide, after signing the treaty that recognized Mexico’s independence from Spain. The nuns used the best of the late-season harvest in the dish, including poblano chiles, peaches, pears, apples and walnuts grown in farms near Puebla. Coche Comedor is also offering short rib barbacoa ($32) as well as arroz con leche, dolce de calabaza ($12) — creamy rice pudding with stewed sweet pumpkin and vanilla ice cream. Coche Comedor is currently open for indoor and outdoor dining and takeout Wednesday through Sunday from 5–9 p.m.

Other Halloween offerings include Amagansett’s La Fondita, which will serve traditional specials from Sunday through Tuesday, November 2. Look for chicken enchiladas with red sauce ($15), an assortment of tamales (chicken, pork, cheese) for $13 and champurrado ($4) — a chocolate-based cornmeal porridge with milk, Mexican chocolate and cinnamon. Yum!

Manna at Lobster Inn will launch an educational aquaculture program, Manna Mondays, featuring guest speakers, presentations and Manna’s delicious locally sourced seafood on Monday, November 1. Each week will feature a guest speaker discussing topics related to aquaculture — including farming, wild capture, IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing, food traceability, habitat restoration, waterfront revitalization, workforce training and sustainable seafood. Spearheaded by Manna at Lobster Inn owner Donna Lanzetta and sponsored by the Manna Ocean Foundation, this program is designed to educate the public about aquaculture through guest speakers including farmers, fishermen, authors, and educators. Manna Monday evenings will vary in format each week from discussions and demonstrations to seafood tastings and dinners. Each Manna Monday begins at 6 p.m. and is free of charge unless otherwise noted. Manna at Lobster Inn will be open for dinner service following each Manna Monday session. This Monday, the Manna leadership duo, Donna Lanzetta and Ryunosuke Jesse Matsuoka, will kick off the series with a discussion about the mission of the program and the future of Manna Fish Farm.

The fall version of Long Island Restaurant Week will happen November 7 through November 14! Close to 100 restaurants across Long Island will be offering $25 or $42 three-course prix fixe menus. There’s also a $20 two-course lunch special. Visit longislandrestaurantweek.com for an up-to-the-minute roster of participating restaurants and what they are offering. Everyone loves a deal, and this is a chance to visit a restaurant you’ve been dying to try! Such East End stalwarts as Union Sushi & Steak in Southampton, the Cooperage Inn in Baiting Hollow, The Preston House and Farm Country Kitchen in Riverhead, On the Docks in Aquebogue, Legends in New Suffolk and Page at 63 Main in Sag Harbor have signed up. For more information, or if you’re a restaurant that wants to sign up, call 631-329-2111.

Food Quote: “Gastronomy is and always has been connected with its sister, the art of love.” ~M.F.K Fisher

Got a restaurant news item or tip? Email us, dansfoodseen@gmail.com!