Cribbed from the New York Times, here are over 30 ways to make quick easy meals in the summertime. I found it interesting that the authors used white beans so much. A chef I know commented that white beans were a lost delicacy and that nobody cooks with them anymore. Personally, I love Great Northern Beans and try and use them in meat dishes to make chili and taco fillings because they are so hearty.

1 Make six-minute eggs: simmer gently, run under cold water until cool, then peel. Serve over steamed asparagus.
2 Toss a cup of chopped mixed herbs with a few tablespoons of olive oil in a hot pan. Serve over angel-hair pasta, diluting the sauce if necessary with pasta cooking water.
3 Cut eight sea scallops into four horizontal slices each. Arrange on plates. Sprinkle with lime juice, salt and crushed chilies; serve after five minutes.
4 Open a can of white beans and combine with olive oil, salt, small or chopped shrimp, minced garlic and thyme leaves in a pan. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp are done; garnish with more olive oil.
5 Put three pounds of washed mussels in a pot with half a cup of white wine, garlic cloves, basil leaves and chopped tomatoes. Steam until mussels open. Serve with bread.
6 Heat a quarter-inch of olive oil in a skillet. Dredge flounder or sole fillets in flour and fry until crisp, about two minutes a side. Serve on sliced bread with tartar sauce.
7 Make pesto: put a couple of cups of basil leaves, a garlic clove, salt, pepper and olive oil as necessary in a blender (walnuts and Parmesan are optional). Serve over pasta (dilute with oil or water as necessary) or grilled fish or meat.
8 Put a few dozen washed littlenecks in a large, hot skillet with olive oil. When clams begin to open, add a tablespoon or two of chopped garlic. When most or all are opened, add parsley. Serve alone, with bread or over angel-hair pasta.
9 Pan-grill a skirt steak for three or four minutes a side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, slice and serve over romaine or any other green salad, drizzled with olive oil and lemon.
10 Smear mackerel fillets with mustard, then sprinkle with chopped herbs (fresh tarragon is good), salt, pepper and bread crumbs. Bake in a 425-degree oven for about eight minutes.
11 Warm olive oil in a skillet with at least three cloves sliced garlic. When the garlic colors, add at least a teaspoon each of cumin and pimentón. A minute later, add a dozen or so shrimp, salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley, serve with lemon and bread.
12 Boil a lobster. Serve with lemon or melted butter.
13 Gazpacho: Combine one pound tomatoes cut into chunks, a cucumber peeled and cut into chunks, two or three slices stale bread torn into pieces, a quarter-cup olive oil, two tablespoons sherry vinegar and a clove of garlic in a blender with one cup water and a couple of ice cubes. Process until smooth, adding water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper, then serve or refrigerate, garnished with anchovies if you like, and a little more olive oil.
14 Put a few slices of chopped prosciutto in a skillet with olive oil, a couple of cloves of crushed garlic and a bit of butter; a minute later, toss in about half a cup bread crumbs and red chili flakes to taste. Serve over pasta with chopped parsley.
15 Call it panini: Grilled cheese with prosciutto, tomatoes, thyme or basil leaves.
16 Slice or chop salami, corned beef or kielbasa and warm in a little oil; stir in eggs and scramble. Serve with mustard and rye bread.
17 Soak couscous in boiling water to cover until tender; top with sardines, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil and black pepper.
18 Stir-fry a pound or so of ground meat or chopped fish mixed with chopped onions and seasoned with cumin or chili powder. Pile into taco shells or soft tacos, along with tomato, lettuce, canned beans, onion, cilantro and sour cream.
19 Chinese tomato and eggs: Cook minced garlic in peanut oil until blond; add chopped tomatoes then, a minute later, beaten eggs, along with salt and pepper. Scramble with a little soy sauce.
20 Cut eggplant into half-inch slices. Broil with lots of olive oil, turning once, until tender and browned. Top with crumbled goat or feta cheese and broil another 20 seconds.
21 While pasta cooks, combine a couple cups chopped tomatoes, a teaspoon or more minced garlic, olive oil and 20 to 30 basil leaves. Toss with pasta, salt, pepper and Parmesan.
22 Make wraps of tuna, warm white beans, a drizzle of olive oil and lettuce and tomato.
23 The New York supper: Bagels, cream cheese, smoked salmon. Serve with tomatoes, watercress or arugula, and sliced red onion or shallot.
24 Dredge thinly sliced chicken breasts in flour or cornmeal; cook about two minutes a side in hot olive oil. Place on bread with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.
25 Upscale tuna salad: good canned tuna (packed in olive oil), capers, dill or parsley, lemon juice but no mayo. Use to stuff a tomato or two.
26 Cut Italian sausage into chunks and brown in a little olive oil; chop onions and bell peppers and add them to the pan. Cook until sausage is browned and peppers and onions tender. Serve in sandwiches.
27 Egg in a hole, glorified: Tear a hole in a piece of bread and fry in butter. Crack an egg into the hole. Deglaze pan with a little sherry vinegar mixed with water, and more butter; pour over egg.
28 New Joe’s Special, from San Francisco: Brown ground meat with minced garlic and chopped onion. When just about cooked, add chopped spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted. At the last minute, stir in two eggs, along with grated Parmesan and salt and pepper.
29 Chop prosciutto and crisp it in a skillet with olive oil; add chopped not-too-ripe figs. Serve over greens dressed with oil and vinegar; top all with crumbled blue cheese.
30 Quesadilla: Use a combination of cheeses, like Fontina mixed with grated pecorino. Put on half of a large flour tortilla with pickled jalapenos, chopped onion, shallot or scallion, chopped tomatoes and grated radish. Fold tortilla over and brown on both sides in butter or oil, until cheese is melted.
31 Fast chile rellenos: Drain canned whole green chilies. Make a slit in each and insert a piece of cheese. Dredge in flour and fry in a skillet, slit side up, until cheese melts.
32 Cobb-ish salad: Chop bacon and begin to brown it; cut boneless chicken into strips and cook it with bacon. Toss romaine and watercress or arugula with chopped tomatoes, avocado, onion and crumbled blue cheese. Add bacon and chicken. Dress with oil and vinegar.
33 Sauté 10 whole peeled garlic cloves in olive oil. Meanwhile, grate Pecorino, grind lots of black pepper, chop parsley and cook pasta. Toss all together, along with crushed dried chili flakes and salt.
34 Niçoise salad: Lightly steam haricot verts, green beans or asparagus. Arrange on a plate with chickpeas, good canned tuna, hard-cooked eggs, a green salad, sliced cucumber and tomato. Dress with oil and vinegar.
35 Cold soba with dipping sauce: Cook soba noodles, then rinse in cold water until cool. Serve with a sauce of soy sauce and minced ginger diluted with mirin and/or dry sake.
36 Fried egg “saltimbocca”: Lay slices of prosciutto or ham in a buttered skillet. Fry eggs on top of ham; top with grated Parmesan.
37 Frisée aux lardons: Cook chunks of bacon in a skillet. Meanwhile, make six-minute or poached eggs and a frisée salad. Put eggs on top of salad along with bacon; deglaze pan with sherry vinegar and pour pan juices over all.
38 Fried rice: Soften vegetables with oil in a skillet. Add cold takeout rice, chopped onion, garlic, ginger, peas and two beaten eggs. Toss until hot and cooked through. Season with soy sauce and sesame oil.

Enjoy,
Seth

A friend took us to the Rhumb Line in Searsport the other night. Neither of us had ever been there, so we thought it would be a good adventure. I've always heard the food was good, but expensive and I have had their catered food at various parties around Belfast, so I was looking forward to it.
We walked in and I was immediately on guard. The restaurant is in an old sea captain's home on the north side of Searsport. The trouble with such spaces is that the owners tend to want to clutter it up to "authenticate" the space. The Rhumb Line was no different. Bold print wall papers and patterned rugs, lots of odd dust catching things on table tops, (rather like my house), random pictures on the wall hung every which way and big swag curtains in a "country chaaam" pattern all helped to turn my stomach and close in the space. The main dining room held about seven or eight tables, each having a bold red tablecloth, purple napkins, and huge blonde chairs that were ugly but comfy. Needless to say, the interior did not inspire confidence for the food. There were only two other tables dining, one with a screaming and crying baby in attendance and the proprietor asked us to come earlier than we'd wanted, probably so they could close early to watch "The Next Best Thing" on ABC.
We sat down and the server was very attentive. The drinks were served and all was well, nice pours on all the glasses and the server came back to ask us each, individually, how our drinks were.
We ordered and I had the special soup which was a broth base with ground pork, green chilies, scallions, and tomatoes. It was suprisingly light, but hearty a nice, simple choice to start the evening. Our friend had the artichoke salad, which looked and tasted good. Greg had the crab cakes, which he raved about at the table and then said they were miserable when we got home. He thought they were a bit mushy and had too much dill in them, an herb that can ruin seafood if applied to liberally. Greg likes his crab cakes to have a bit of a crunch instead of having the consistancy of warm tunafish.
The main courses arrived and my steak au poivre, which can be so good with the right cut of meat, looked a bit like salsbury steak. The cut was bad and fatty, so I was completely disappointed there. Accompanying my steak were a melange of really mushy vegetables and super smooth mashed potatoes. If you haven't learned by now, I judge food a lot by texture and so vegetables that can be sucked through one's teeth and mashed potatoes with no umpfff..really get me...its so easy to make this stuff delightful to look at and good to eat. At $26.00 for this dish, I would expect it to be better than what it was.
Greg had the scallops which he said were super rubbery from being over broiled. Even I know scallops take about 1 minute to cook for them to be perfect. His scallops arrived in a sauce that was scalding hot but tasty, so at least he had that to look forward to. Our friend had the crab cakes as an entree. She loves them there and has them every time she goes.
Dessert was a chocolate covered peanut butter pie that was a bit on the chalky side. Greg and I shared this and I already know that he felt the same way.
Frankly, I would rather go to Camden to pay this much for food. The price was probably a bit less than someplace like Francine's, but at least the atmosphere is better down there and you know the food will be perfect.

Atmosphere: In dire need of changing D-
Service: Very attentive A
Food: A completely disappointing C-
Price: Astonishingly expensive

Enjoy,
Seth

My ten year old nephew just went off to sleep away camp for the first time. Three weeks without his mom. I remember that my mom used to send us congo bars, essentially they were really gooey, rich, blondies.

I called my sister today to ask if he would like that and though she thought the sentiment was adorable, she said that because it is a Waldorf School camp, they don't allow sweets in care packages! So what are we supposed to send, shredded carrots, a nice ceasar salad, or perhaps a roast chicken?
My sister laughed and said that she actually sent him a Wall Street Journal article about 9 year olds promoting skateboarding products......Families these days!!! Sheesh

Here is the congo bar recipe:

2/3 cup butter melted
1 lb light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Melt the butter and add brown sugar; mix well and cool.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well each time.
Add dry ingredients and mix well.
Add the nuts and chocolate bits.
Put in a greased 9x13 pan and bake 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.

**UPDATE** I thought the 1lb of brown sugar might be a misprint, so I just made these with a cup of brown sugar and they were awful...they had the texture of regular cookies, only drier. You really do need to make these with 1 lb of brown sugar...hey, your kids are away at camp...let the councilors deal with the sugar high!!

Enjoy,
Seth

David's Princess Torte

No really, its supposed to look like this.....its Swedish.

<------This frigging Princess Torte has me almost defeated. I called David several hours ago and told him that I gave up. After attempting to make the custard / whipped cream filling twice, I almost lost it. The first time, I made scrambled eggs instead of custard. The second time, I didn't let the milk scald and the custard never set. I tried to make the filling anyway and after folding in the whipped cream, the whole filling was runny, so I tried to freeze it to set it and I left it in there and got ice cream (which melted when I tried to frost the cake with it. )




I have two delicious new recipes for scrambled eggs and ice cream, but not one for custard filling. The third time seems to be the charm so far. The custard is perfect and setting well and the whipped cream is soft but strong. I have to reign in my impatience and wait for the custard to cool completely. If this round doesn't work, I have Jell-o pudding in a box that is guaranteed to set in 5 minutes...The used by date has me worried though. I reads 16 June 08 06 06 I cannot tell if the used by date is June 8, 06 or 16 June 08. Its from Nealey's so I am never sure. The other type of puddin' in a box was certainly expired, it had dust on the box and read March 07. Yikes!

Mine will certainly not look like the one above, which is about three times as thick as mine will be, but my martzipan is greener!!!

I'll keep you posted.

Enjoy,
Seth

Oh my gods! Brian, the chef from The Edge, sent Greg home yesterday with a quart of peach soup that he made as the amuse bouche one night for dinner. Its friggin' amazing. I tried a spoonful of it cold from the fridge as I was calling to invite a friend for dinner to help us sample it and I found myself having another spoonful and then another. I guess you can't have just one.

David and Sarah at 3Tides are closer than ever to starting up Belfast's own micro-brewery. The space is almost done and the tanks go in next week. Its a very exciting time watching the new business progress. As soon as they get started and brew the first batch and its ready, David will be able to sell take away beer and live lobster from the Lb. You will also be able to get it right from the tap in the bar if you want to stay and enjoy the company of the regulars.

I'm just about to pull a flowerless chocolate cake out of the oven as its a friend's birthday today. Happy Birthday Larry! He wanted anything chocolate, so this is all about chocolate.

David wants me to make him a Princess Torte, a Swedish speciality cake, for his birthday on Monday. It calls for a layer of Spring-green colored marzapan over the entire cake. Me and my big mouth for asking.

enjoy,
Seth

You know summer is here when you'd rather cook on the grill than anything else. Its cleaner, easier and the house doesn't smell of roasting meat. Of course roasting meat is a great smell, but it drives our dogs nuts. They sit outside the kitchen door and whine for about 1 hour, cause they know that they might get a nice warm juicy piece of skin off the chicken.

Last night I cooked a turkey breast on the grill. Its so easy and practical. The breasts are sometimes too expensive, but yesterday, Hannaford was having a marked down for quick sale. 12 bucks for a large breast that will feed us at least through sandwiches tomorrow, making the per plate cost $2.00, without considering the added bonus of making homemade turkey broth... can't beat that with a wooden spoon!
Anyway, I did the turkey the same way I do chickens, drizzled olive oil and rubbed fresh sea salt. We have a four burner grill, so I fired up the outside burners and left the middle two off, plopped the breast in the middle of the grill and let it sit there at 300 degrees for 1.5 hours. It was totally moist and juicy. Served it up with sauteed asparagus and some slices of meunster cheese and off to watch a movie we went. Yumm.

New friends gave me a recipe today that I know will be great, coming from them. I am dying to try it..so much so that I wish Nealey's (our local gas station, "convenience" and hardware store, and topless bar) carried pectin so I could run right out and get started. I hope I'm not posting some ancient family recipe, handed down from Great Aunt Gert to cousin Maude to Granma Rose to momma to me kind of thing. If it is, I am so sorry. I would never post my Great Aunt's meatball recipe on here!


There isn't a copyright on it, so here goes:

Rose Petal Jelly

(from my garden.)

2 Cups Water

3 cups Rose petals

2.5 cups sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 oz pectin

Boil water, remove from heat and steep petals. (I'm lovin this already). After 1/2 an hour, strain and return to boil. Add sugar and lemon and boil for 2 minutes. Add pectin and boil for three minutes.

Decant

This recipe is full of cool stuff I don't do often, like steep and decant. I dunno about you, but I'm excited. I think that rose blossom above is about three cups by itself. Great year so far for roses.

Enjoy,

Seth

I made a lot of cheesecakes a few weeks ago, so many so that I don't need to make it for a while, and in fact, it took me this long to post the recipe. The first one I made of this batch is the one pictured above which came out beautifully. There was some extra batter, so I quickly made a smaller one for home use, but because it was so thin, it came out a bit dry. Of course, the chef of a very nice restaurant and his wife, who manages same restaurant invited us for lunch one day and I ended up bringing the thin cheesecake to them....with apologies for it being so dry! Oh well, someday I will make amends.

Anyway here is the recipe for the above:

I made a graham cracker crust for this, but it really doesn't need a crust at all. You could also make a chocolate cookie crust too.

The batter is:

1 lb cream chesse, softened

2 cups ricotta

1 cup sugar

1/2 stick butter, melted and cooled

5 eggs at room temp

3 teaspoons of vanilla extract

3 tablespoons each corn starch and flour

2 cups sour cream (folded in at last minute)

cream cheeses and sugar together until fluffy, add butter and mix well. add room temp eggs, one by one mixing well after each one. Then add vanilla, and cornstarch and flour and mix well. Fold in sour cream. Pour into ungreased 9" springform pan and set in the middle of a slow oven 325 degrees for one hour. After an hour turn off oven (do not open door) and let cheesecake sit for 2 hours. Cool completely. Best made a day before and refrigerated. Decorate top with favorite fresh fruit (shut up bitch!) and amaze your guests.

If you find that the texture is a bit dry, you can add a deep pan of water in the oven to keep the moisture levels up.

Enjoy,

Seth

We took off yesterday for Trenton, Maine to several auction previews. Trenton is up towards Bar Harbor and we weren't prepared for all the traffic! Anyway, we stopped at Abbracci's in Searsport for breakfast. Abbracci's is where Periwinkles bakery used to be, on route 1 just south of Searsport. I've been wanting to stop there for a while and was impressed with the selection of coffees and the interior of the space, which is very homespun and as different as one could get from the old Periwinkles space. I was very suprised to learn that a limited selection was available for dinner there as well. I ordered a sticky bun and a blueberry scone and was delighted with the sticky bun...I should actually say gooey bun, because it was just filled with gooey honey and cinnamon goodness. The texture was just right and the cinnamon swirl was pure heaven. Greg and I sat in the car and devoured it. Neither one of us likes scones very much, but this one was fresh and tasty. I just remembered that most of it is still in the car.....hey, its even good the next day with tea!

What I like about this place is that a young couple works there, probably the owners, and they are doing this all themselves. The front of their building is their house and the bakery / restaurant is in the old barn out back. I'll be interested to try their dinner menu which is all Italian, a cuisine choice that has been lacking in Belfast or in the surrounding area. Give this place a try, they seem to have lots of choices for coffees and such.

Enjoy,
Seth

We went into Belfast for the Arts in the Park festival. There were maybe a handful of worthwhile vendors and the rest were pure "my parents went to Maine for the weekend and all I got was this silly ________" (insert wierd touristy item here).

Afterwards though, we decided to get a quick bite at the Dockside, Belfast's hidden in plain sight okish restaurant with fantastic views. We never think to go here when we are looking for somewhere to eat...I pass it almost every day and never notice the place, but its been there for a long time. We ate out on the deck out back and had a table right on the end overlooking the harbor. Greg had a haddock dinner which he said was ok, not the best and I had the chicken ceasar salad which was good, though it could've come on a bigger plate or in a big bowl. Dressing was served on the side and difficult to toss into the salad without making a huge mess. The thing I like about this place is that the staff is super friendly, the food is good for a quick meal at lunchtime and the view off the deck is better than some pricier places in Camden. The bill for the two meals (Greg's came with salad and potato and mine came with a roll and two large sodas was $24.00 without tip. That woulda been the cost for one person down at the Waterfront in Camden. So this is a good economical place to eat and the outdoor atmosphere is GREAT.

Food: B
Atmosphere on the deck A++++
Atmosphere inside: About the same as a Denny's
Service and Server: A-

Enjoy,
Seth

I had another WWJD moment last night after I invited our neighbors over for steak on the grille. Thats about all we had and I was in to mood to cook. I had a lot of celery hearts left over from bloody mary's last sunday and a couple of leeks that needed to be used. I found a recipe that was interesting to me, so I took it and tweaked it and found that the soup was very nice. It was tasty either hot or cold. I call it Leftover Soup.

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup champagne (optional..I had some left over and had to use it)

2 celery ribs washed and coursely chopped

2 leeks washed and coursely chopped

2 boiling potatoes coursely chopped ( I used purple potatoes and left the skins on)

1 apple, coursely chopped

1 banana coursely chopped

couple of dashes of curry

1 cup buttermilk or 1/2 and 1/2 or even whole milk

1 tablespoon butter

salt and pepper to taste

Simmer vegetables and fruit in the chicken / champagne broth until tender, about 12 minutes. Add milk, butter and curry powder and cook another 10 minutes (do not boil) until the vegetables are nice and cooked. Pulse in blender until smooth and then force through a fine mesh sieve. Serve either hot or cold.

In the photo below, the thing in the middle is actually celery pesto that I made with just celery leaves and olive oil with sea salt and pepper.

Along with the grilled steak and soup, I served yellow squash done on the grille and a champagne and asiago cheese risotto that was done long before the steak was grilled and so sat around for about 30 minutes...it was sticky and terrible. It was really good when it was first done though!

Enjoy

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!

We are going off to a friend's cookout in Belfast and I decided to be Martha of Maine and make a lemon tart with my rendition of the stars and stripes. The only fruit I find at Hannaford that was white were apples, so we'll see if they will hold up and not turn brown by the time the cookout happens. The lemon tart recipe is on the blog from last fourth of July (thank the stars its a different crowd this year)

Have fun, be safe, and enjoy

Seth

So I have it from one of my spies that all sorts of changes are afoot at Natalie's in Camden. Word has it that the chef left last Saturday and that Abby, the founder of the restaurant, is on her way out too. Abby sold the restaurant to the owners of the Camden Harbour Inn when she relocated the restaurant there from the old MBNA Mill.

A Maine Foodie Spy had dinner there on Sunday with a group of Camdenites and the reports were at once hysterical with all the mishaps and also a bit maddening with the prices one pays there. The restaurant is serving a prix fixe menu for the next several weeks while they sort out the whole chef deal. Five courses and a glass of wine cost my spy almost 80 dollars and when I asked how the meal was I was told.."it was a lot of hype for cold soup, freezing temperatures and flies." The cool soup refered to the split pea soup that was served along with a piping hot scallop. There was confusion as to whether the soup was meant to be lukewarm or whether they just didn't get it right. Knowing now that the executive chef had already left, I vote for the fact that it was a mistake. The main course was a choice of steak or hallibut. My spy had the steak which she said was on the extremely small side and had the most horrendous hickory smoked flavor to it that was not revealed in the menu. There was a fly that buzzed around her table all evening and she said the room was ice cold with the air conditioner blowing right on them.
Even with all the problems, my spy did say that the restaurant was worth a second visit once they finally had all their ducks in a row. She commented a lot on the interior which is a very European all over white with black stained floors and red accents. They spent a lot on the decor apparently.

OK, well thats it for me today. Happy Fourth!

Enjoy,
Seth

We had a hankerin for Thai, so we went back to Seng Thai for an orange chicken that was out of this world. I have to tell you that I've avoided ordering the orange chicken because it usually comes with that nasty gelatinous goo that tastes like tang covering the chicken. But, Seng Thai's orange chicken is totally fresh and homemade. The orange sauce has a wonderful scent to it that is completely heavenly. We had the green curry again too. Mmmm. The one sour note was the wine. Seng Thai serves four wines, and they are all pretty cheap. I could drink them if they were chilled. Cheap red wine tastes so much better going down when its chilled.

We stopped by 3Tides on the way home and the summer season is certainly in full swing there. We need to stop by right after working hours when all our friends drop by and leave before 7 when the money starts rolling in the door. We didn't know a soul and even had to introduce ourselves to the new bartender, Seth. I was heartbroken when Little Luna said "goodnight Death" and she wasn't talking to me!!! Though she came over to tell me that she made my vodka upstairs in her kitchen... :-) (for those not in the know, Luna is just over 2 )
Jason instructed Seth on how to make my usual drink and he did it pretty well...lets just say it was a bit redder than I'm used to.
All in all a good evening.

Greg is having an open studio on Sunday and I am making the food. I'm thinking of something with brioche dough or perhaps sausage puffs and something with curried chicken salad. Greg has given me the directive that it has to be dry, no messy food around the merchandise!

Oh, by the way...check out the comment about pizza night below. Dwayne was kind enough to share his crust recipe with us. It calls for honey and wine...thats my kinda dough. He keeps saying he thought it was yeasty, so you might want to take that into account if you make it...if you do make it, Greg and I are free for dinner most week nights, just email me!

Enjoy,
Seth

Nothing much to post about these days. Greg and I are pretty tired when we get home from workin on the boat. We did have a really tasty salad the other night with baby spinach, shredded carrots, a beautiful tomato and warm chicken breast sauteed in oil. broth and madras curry powder. Then I added some more broth to the pan and drizzled it over the salad along with good olive oil, fresh ground sea salt, and some apple cider vinegar. mmmm healthy. Greg made it decadent by buttering a piece of bread and making a salad sammie!

Am in the airport waiting for my flight to NYC. Be back tomorrow night with a painting of a dog under my arm....pray for me and keep your fingers crossed that this thing doesn't sell into the stratosphere

Enjoy, Seth

I was curious about the new market that opened up in the old Belfast Brewpub site across the bridge. Rumor had it, and I had it from a good source, that the market would be Belfast's answer to the Market Basket in Camden. The market, alternately called Jones Trading Post or Jones disitinctive grocer, depending on the sign you read, is actually Belfast's answer to Nealey's in Northport with some not too fresh meat in the meat case. Greg and I walked in there and were immediately struck by how disorganzied and dirty the place is. Half the shelves aren't stocked and what they are stocked with are pampers and canned corn...not twelve types of olive oil and fresh tapenade as we were led to belive. There is a wine bin and a deli counter, but the fare is not as tantelizing as it needs to be. We already have Jacks, Belfast Variety, the Bayside store, Tozier's and Hannaford...why oh why does the owner of this place think that his venture can succeed when the only distinction that I can see is that his meat is past its prime and looks like it fell off the back of a truck! I can't believe that we went into a grocery store to buy cheese and came out with nothing.....this place is not worth a special trip. Drive on past and go to Tozier's in Searsport, they have much better meat.

Pizza-Off night was awesome last night. There were eight of us there and four of us making the pizza---three grown men and 1 grown woman playing top chef..the cameras should have been rolling. Like us, our friends have a half finished kitchen and I have appliance envy. Not only to they have some tough looking six burner gas stove, but they have a full-size side by side, so the fridge is full size single door and the freezer is too...damn thats hot! I digress.

Dwayne totally won last night with his hand-tossed free -form pizza with fresh mozzerella and basil. He made a sauteed mushroom pizza too, but I was too stuffed by then. Though he professed his inexperience at cooking, I think we have a natural in the making. He made his own sauce AND his own crust, having never done so before and was then critcal of his own work.....as I said, a natural.

Pete took the prize for originality with his lemon and seasalt pizza. Now if he would make his own dough, I wouldn't have to disqualify him for using Hannaford dough!

Peggie wins for most colorful and healthy with a no sauce veggie pizza that was really fresh tasting and beautiful to behold.

I made my rosemary and salt foccacia dough and added fresh tomatos, fresh basil, hot sausage and monteray jack cheese.
But I won for most decadent dessert for my chipwiches!

I hope to have photos for the blog later on.

Enjoy,
Seth

The curry was way better the second day.

We are going to a pizza-off tonight in Belfast. Everyone has to make a pizza and then we'll determine who made the best. But get this, you don't have to make your own dough! Thats three-quarters of pizza making right there! Needless to say, I am making my own crust. Two cups white flour, about a cup of corn meal or other grains, a good dash of fresh sea salt and fresh rosemary, 1/4 cup of olive oil and cup cup hot tap water with two packs of yeast dissolved. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl and pour tap water over yeast in its own bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Pour into flour mixture and stir with fork until dough forms. Add olive oil and knead in the bowl. If the dough is spongy, slowly add some flour to balance it out and then a few dashes more of olive oil. knead some more and then cover the bowl with saran wrap and a tea towel and place bowl in a slightly warm oven (this is my trick to get dough to rise here in Maine in the winter) After an hour, the dough should've doubled in bulk or more. Punch down and knead again in bowl and repeat rising technique for another 1/2 to and hour. Roll finished dough onto pizza stone or cookie sheet or whatever and shape your form. Cover in toppings and put into a 450 degree oven until deep golden brown and crispy. I like to use fresh grated cheddar cheese for my pizzas.

Am also making milk chocolate chip cookies with cinnamon and orange peel and lots of brown sugar. To these I am adding vanilla ice cream to make homemade chipwiches for dessert...mmmm
2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
1 egg
1 tspoon vanilla
shakes of cinnamon and some fresh orange zest
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teasoon baking soda
1 pack of Girardelli milk chocolate chips
cream butter and sugar, add egg, mix...add vanilla and cinnamon and zest. Mix in flur and baking soda and then add chips. Mix and spoon onto greased cookie sheets
into pre heated 350 degree oven until golden brown.

Enjoy,
Seth