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January 8, 2012

Chilled Oysters on the Half Shell with Herb and Red Wine Sauce

“Oysters on the half shell are a festive way to start a special dinner or party. Some New Englanders still buy them by the bushel! We like to serve them right in the kitchen on large iced platters. It’s very important to keep oysters cold; room-temperature oysters are not at all pleasant. Red wine with oysters you say? Absolutely! Just a little bit of this simple, vibrant sauce really brings out their briny flavors.” – Mark and Clark

Oysters

Chilled Oysters on the Half Shell with Herb and Red Wine Sauce
Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier, Chefs of Arrows in Ogunquit, Maine; MC Perkins Cove and Summer Winter in Burlington, MA and authors of Maine Classics

½ cup medium-bodied red wine, such as Beaujolais
½ cup red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 Tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
¼ cup sugar

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix lightly. The sauce can be made ahead of time and kept for a few days in the refrigerator if sealed tightly. The recipe is enough for twenty-four oysters, lightly drizzled on top after opening.

Yields 1 cup.

December 20, 2011

Holiday Subscripton Offer 2011

What’s the perfect gift for… the foodie on your list? The relative or friend who is currently a Mainer in exile, longing for a taste of their home state? The person who has everything? Yourself?

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It’s not too late to order the gift of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine, a gift that will continue giving all year long with great recipes, local chef profiles, in-depth articles, and stunning photography.

Give the gift of Maine’s original food magazine, and make someone smile this holiday season. We’ll send the recipient a gift letter stating this gift is from you. Subscribe today for yourself or someone special on your holiday list!

Happy Holidays to you and those you love!

Melanie Hyatt & Jim Bazin

Alfajore Sandwich Cookies

How is it that I have lived thus far in ignorance of the Alfajore cookie?

I’ve just returned from South America with most of my travel time spent in Argentina. In a country that is 85% European heritage, it’s not surprising to find strong ties to different cultural heritages, German being one.

Sometimes called Alfajores Danubio, these cookies seem to be the national snack of Argentina and consist of a lemon or almond shortbread sandwich cookie nicely glued together with a generous dollop of Dulce de Leche, which is literally translated “milk jam” and regularly eaten for breakfast.

Argentina is the world’s largest producer of Dulce de Leche, (which Ben and Jerry’s ice cream may have helped to get on America’s radar). Now McDonald’s, Smuckers, Ben and Jerry’s, Haagen Dazs, and Hershey all use this flavor, which tastes like caramel.

Dulce de Leche is made by simply cooking down whole milk with a bit of sugar and vanilla to make a thick and delightfully fattening caramel filling. Some bakeries finish off the sandwich cookie with a quick roll in coconut on the sticky edge. These are beyond good and I like them best eaten in this traditional form. Now, of course, bakers are guilding the lily and offering Alfajores dipped in chocolate, sandwiched with homemade jams, for which Argentina is rightfully famous, or filled with mousse, etc. But give me the original any day of the week for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

My travel companion and I began to joke early on in our trip “Dulce de Leche, it’s not just for breakfast anymore!” You may agree.

I plan to add this new cookie revelation to my Christmas cookie tray this year.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Laura Cabot and the staff of Laura Cabot Catering!

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image: flamingomusings.com Continue reading “Alfajore Sandwich Cookies” »

November 28, 2011

Herbed Whole Wheat Peasant Bread

Try this bread cut into thick slices, topped with tomatoes and smoked cheese. Run under the broiler and serve with a favorite homemade soup. Yum…

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image: veganbaking.net Continue reading “Herbed Whole Wheat Peasant Bread” »

November 25, 2011

Hartstone Inn For the Holidays

If you are looking for a truly magical dining experience for yourself and those you love this coming holiday season, look no further than Camden’s Hartstone Inn. Publisher Jim Bazin, my son, Jacob, and I enjoyed fine dining at its best there for an afternoon seating of Thanksgiving this year.

The menu was heavenly, and every dish was a rare treat of the most perfectly blended flavors.

For starters, our taste buds were awakened by the Shrimp Timbale with Roasted Butternut Squash and a Thyme-Cream. Beautifully presented and mouth-watering.

ShrimpTimbale_7158Shrimp Timbale with Roasted Butternut Squash and Thyme-Cream.

On to the next course, a Sweet Potato, Rutabaga and Green Apple Soup with a Maple-Cream. We heard an exclamation of “mmm” from around the dining room. Another perfect fusion of flavors and another work of art.

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Caught in the act: Savoring the Sweet Potato, Rutabaga and Green Apple Soup with a Maple-Cream. My son Jacob said “This is so good it could be dessert.”

A Cranberry-Lemon Sorbet came to clear our palates, a small portion but an appropriate tangy taste of the holidays which prepared us for the main course, Rosemary-Roasted Turkey with a Pecan-Apricot Dressing and Shallot Smashed Potatoes. The Turkey was so moist, the dressing, potatoes, squash, and stuffing divine. I knew Chef Michael Salmon was in the kitchen.

And lo and behold, the master appeared at our table to say hello and serve us his signature souffle dessert, this one a Pumpkin Soufflé with a Spiced Crème Anglaise. It was to die for!

I must make note here that the wonderful service put this already amazing meal over the top. Our warm and attentive servers made sure our every need was catered to, and we greatly enjoyed our time talking with Chef Michael’s wife, Innkeeper Mary Jo. We enjoyed their genuine hospitality, warm atmosphere, and superb feast.

The Hartstone is offering special dining all this winter with weekly specials, and check out their amazing Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Menu.

Spend some time at the Hartstone Inn this season and add more wonderful memories to your holiday!

Pumpkin Lasagna

Trying to please a mixed crowd this year for the holidays? With my gatherings, there are often a couple vegetarians, a vegan or two, and several gourmands. This recipe for Pumpkin Lasagna will suit everyone but the lactose intolerant.

We love this dish because it may be made ahead, frozen or not, and packs a bundle of seasonal flavor. I can even imagine it layered with a savory stuffing, and cutting back on the noodles…if carbs didn’t matter. If you grew pumpkin this year use your freshly cooked sugar pumpkin or a dry squash like buttercup. Canned works well, too. Make sure you grab the plain pumpkin purée and not the pie mix! The flavors of this lasagna remind me of a sage butter dressed butternut ravioli and is so much easier!

Perfect on its own, this dish does play well with others and I can use my still flourishing Swiss chard as an ingredient. What’s better than eating out of the garden?!

Pair with a Pouilly Fuisse or another great white.

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image: lifecurrents.dw2.net Continue reading “Pumpkin Lasagna” »

November 20, 2011

Apricot and Tarragon Sables

I was reading my way through a recent Food and Wine magazine and came upon the most devastatingly delicious looking savory cookie, engineered by a certain Dorie Greenspan of Manhattan. She is a published cookbook author, (Around My French Table is a favorite), creator of CookieBar, a .com business headquartered in New York City, and understudy to the French “pastry genius”, Pierre Herme.

Herme put salty olive shortbread cocktail cookies, or “sables”, on the map. Dorie has become noted for her sweet, salty, and savory cocktail “cookie canapes” as featured in the newest Food and Wine. Move over gougieres and cheddar shortbreads…I think we have here perhaps the perfect cocktail cookie.

The article in Food and Wine featured several savory cookie recipes, but I couldn’t get past this one for a sweet and savory, chewy apricot and tarragon cocktail cookie. Preferring a rustic look myself, I produced a refrigerator cookie type roll of dough to chill, slice, and bake. Dorie prefers to stamp her cookies out with a cookie cutter into perfect rounds, her signature look.

Cookie cutter. I guess that was never my style.

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image: inmediasrecipe.com Continue reading “Apricot and Tarragon Sables” »

November 19, 2011

Yukon Gold Potato and Wild Mushroom Gratin

Mark & Clark love to utilize the bounty of their surrounding wilderness, and are known to scour the forest floor for wild mushrooms, fiddleheads, thickets of wild blueberries, acorns, and honey. This recipe reflects their love for the forest by incorporating freshly foraged wild mushrooms into a holiday meal. Though many Mainers have access to wild mushrooms in their very own backyards, plenty of Mark & Clark’s favorite varieties are available in the supermarket or at the farmers’ market.

M&C foraging

photo by Ron Manville Continue reading “Yukon Gold Potato and Wild Mushroom Gratin” »

November 15, 2011

Cocoa and Coffee Rubbed Pork Roast

Here is a recipe for keeping it real…really warm and smelling great in the house with the aromas of many of our favorite Autumn things: cumin, coffee, and cocoa as well as the winning way roasting pork has on our outlook, especially on a blustery day.

I like to use a bone-in cut with this easy, do-ahead rub and add a pile of sautéed onions around the slow roasting meat to sweeten the deal. A bone-in pork shoulder butt would work just fine. Pair this pork with a Syrah or Sangiovese for a flavorful meal that’s easy on the wallet.

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image: foodwishes.blogspot.com Continue reading “Cocoa and Coffee Rubbed Pork Roast” »

November 10, 2011

Arrows Restaurant: Sweet & Savory Pear Gravy

For the holiday season, James Beard Award-winning Chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier have created a savory and sweet Pear Gravy. A twist on a traditional Thanksgiving favorite, the recipe features pear juice, a touch of dark rum, and fresh marjoram. Mark & Clark like to pair this recipe from their recently released Maine Classics cookbook with their Herb-Brined Turkey.

Mark & Clark, 20+ year restaurateur veterans, have pioneered sustainable dining with their three restaurants: the acclaimed Arrows in Ogunquit, Maine; MC Perkins Cove and Summer Winter in Burlington, MA. The duo recently released their Maine Classics cookbook, complete with more than 150 recipes of Down East eats reflecting their commitment to farm-to-table cuisine.

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Pear Gravy
Courtesy of Chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier
markandclarkrestaurants.com

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 cup pear juice
2 Tablespoons dark rum
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram

Melt butter into a large saucepan over medium heat and mix in the flour. Stir and cook until light brown, about 2 minutes.

Gradually add the chicken broth and pear juice. Simmer until thickened, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the rum, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Yields 8 servings.

November 9, 2011

Michael Salmon’s Lobster Funchi

Inevitably, we all end up with the task of making hors d’oeuvres. Whether making them for our own dinner parties or taking them to friends or family, the same hors d’oeuvres appear time and time again. We become efficient and confident with certain preparations and when the feedback is positive, it becomes even easier to prepare the same recipe. Here is a chance to mix things up a little bit. My recipe for Funchi Rounds with Maine Lobster and a Dill Aioli combines polenta (called Funchi on the island of Aruba) with our delicate Maine lobster with a spicy aioli accented with fresh dill. I guarantee it will be a standout at your next dinner party.

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image by Joan Garvin from jamesbeard.starchefs.com Continue reading “Michael Salmon’s Lobster Funchi” »

November 7, 2011

Maine Food Events

There are several noteworthy food events going on around the state this week. For example, did you know that it’s Maine Beer Week? Or that there is a Maine Harvest Festival happening this weekend in Bangor?

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Saltwater Farm in Lincolnville is offering a Pig Butchering Workshop this weekend with Master Butcher Craig Linke, as well as ongoing classes and dinners. Check their calendar!

We know a lot of our readers are serious foodies, and many of you enjoy the challenge of entering cooking contests. Why not try your hand at one of these?

And if you’re looking to ease into the holiday spirit this year, there are several fairs and events beginning to happen all over the state!

November 4, 2011

Portland’s Green Elephant: Appetizer Recipe

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Portland’s Vegetarian Bistro, Green Elephant, was featured in Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine issue Number 8. Here they share with us a very popular appetizer from their inventive menu.

Continue reading “Portland’s Green Elephant: Appetizer Recipe” »

November 1, 2011

Dinner with a Mystic: Vegetarian Posole Stew

My friend Karl is “unique”, that’s a person who is genuinely “one of a kind”. Two friends and I found ourselves at table last evening with this most interesting man. We were in the midst of a power outage, which no doubt set the stage, with flickering candles everywhere. Remnants of his former life in Morocco were in evidence everywhere: nice Oriental rugs, large hammered brass vessels, smaller brass candlesticks, rustic light fixtures and other useful items.

Karl lives on a couple hundred acres in a hand hewn house in the mid coast area of Maine, set well back from the road, with a horse, a goat, and several chickens. If you listen carefully while outside, you can hear a lively stream tumbling over rocks nearby. It’s quiet inside, nice and toasty, too, thanks to a couple of big wood fired stoves, and the house smells great, like sautéed onions and good earth. Not like my house in a power outage…chilly and with no way to cook. This level of “off the grid” comfort really got me thinking.

Before reaching the front door and all those great smells, a series of large garden plots must be negotiated. Herein is the source of all Karl’s great cooking. He is a vegetarian and grows all manner of leafy greens: all his own potatoes, onions, cole crops, corn, apples, berries, tomatoes, buckwheat, teas, and herbs …and a type of special corn called “yellow dent” corn, also called “field corn” or “flint” corn, made for drying and grinding into masa-like preparations. Very similar to posole in Mexican cooking or hominy here at home. In short, literally everything Karl eats is grown in his “dooryard”, save a trip to the health food store for coffee and dairy now and then.

It’s this corn that I found so interesting and delectable. Getting it to the edible stage takes a couple of days of soaking in wood ash, rinsing, and then several hours of cooking on the wood fired stove top. Eventually it gets ground up with a grain grinder to where it can be fashioned into corn cakes, crepes, or stir fried with onions and tamari soy sauce. Or it may be used whole once it’s cooked and softened, like the hominy we know in a can. It seems that the soaking in the wood ash water, containing potassium hydroxide, releases or frees up the niacin in the corn, making the corn quite nutritious, offering a wide range of B vitamins, lots of vitamin A, and a full complement of minerals. Pickling lime can also be used but if you burn wood anyway, it makes sense to use the ash.

We were treated to two different preparations, a corn crepe and a corn stir fry with onion, both delicious and hearty. This was accompanied by a rocket salad with umeboshi vinaigrette, freshly steamed brussels sprouts, winter squash, and a trio of raw heritage apples for dessert.

There was much discussion of spirituality around the table and I had a moment, in Karl’s calm presence, believing that I was in conversation with Carlos Castaneda or a similar Mexican shaman. It occurred to me that if I did share food with someone like that, this meal might be exactly what I would be served: corn cakes, beans, or vegetables and squash.

I left feeling uber-nourished, light, and healthy…feeling… well… divine.

To honor Karl’s commitment to vegetarianism, here is a new recipe for your arsenal. Most of us will go to the store for a few cans of posole or whole hominy to use in this recipe, and that’s OK. Not everyone can be Karl.
Vegetarian-Posole-Soup

image: idealdietrecipes.com Continue reading “Dinner with a Mystic: Vegetarian Posole Stew” »

October 28, 2011

Mache, a New Leaf

When I first began researching for this post, I was astounded by the wealth of information on mache (Valerianella locusta), sometimes known as Lamb’s Lettuce, corn salad, or field salad in Europe. Evidently, mache is a superfood.

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image: kblog.lunchboxbunch.com Continue reading “Mache, a New Leaf” »

October 27, 2011

Lobster 3 Ways

This lobster dish was submitted to the 2011 Maine Lobster Chef of the Year competition by Chef Ryan Campbell of Lake Parlin Lodge and Cabins. His finalist entry was Maine Lobster Cake served with Mango Chutney Lobster Spring Roll, with Roasted Sweet Onions, Napa Cabbage, Avocado Cream Roasted Lobster Claw, Wild Mushroom Ragout, and Crispy Sweet Corn Fritter, Apple Smoked Bacon.

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image from Maine Lobster Promotion Council

Continue reading “Lobster 3 Ways” »

October 26, 2011

The Maine Summers Cookbook

Maine author and Portland Press Herald columnist, Brooke Dojny, has a very complimentary review in today’s Press Herald about The Maine Summers Cookbook by Linda and Martha Greenlaw. Brooke’s article includes two recipes from the cookbook, one each from Linda (Pulled Barbecued Chicken with Vidalia Onions) and Martha (Brenda’s Famous Crab Dip). Brooke also compliments the photography (done by MF&L publisher and creative director, Jim Bazin) mentioning that it adds the scenic dimension of Isle au Haut to the cookbook. You can read Brooke’s article and get these recipes at the Press Herald’s site here.

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Trio of Maine Lobster Rolls

Classic Maine Lobster Roll; Asian Lobster Roll with Wasabi Mayonnaise; South American Lobster Roll with Corn & Chili Relish. These recipes were submitted for this year’s Lobster Chef of the Year competition by Finalist Kristian Burrin, Executive Chef of the Seasons of Stonington Restaurant.


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image from Maine Lobster Promotion Council

Trio of Maine Lobster Rolls
Click here for WCSH6/207 video of Executive Chef Kristian Burrin, Seasons of Stonington Restaurant

Trio of Lobster Rolls
-Classic Maine Lobster Roll
-Asian Lobster Roll with Wasabi Mayonnaise
-South American Lobster Roll with Corn & Chili Relish

For this recipe you will need 24 ounces of cooked lobster meat which is around four 1 to 1.5 pound lobsters.

Classic Brioche lobster roll – Preparation Time 5-7 minutes
2 large broiche rolls
8 ounces cooked lobster meat
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise (homemade if you can)
Pinch of celery salt
Lemon zest to garnish
1 ounce melted butter

Chop the cooked lobster into ¼ inch pieces and mix with the mayonnaise adding the pinch of celery salt and set to the side. Melt the butter and brush the outside of the brioche roll and grill on medium heat till you have nice grill lines on all sides. Cut the brioche rolls in half and fill with 2 ounces of the lobster mayonnaise; place in the fridge till needed for plating.

Asian Lobster Roll  – Preparation Time 10-15 minutes

For this recipe you will need a fryer and a 1 inch diameter metal cylinder.

3 sheets spring roll pastry or egg roll wrappers
1 egg white beaten
8 ounces cooked lobster meat
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sriracha chili sauce
1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro (save one leaf for garnish)
Juice & zest of ½ lime
1 teaspoon very finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon ready made wasabi

Heat the fryer to 300º. Take your spring roll pastry and cut it in half, lay it out, and brush the whole sheet with the beaten egg white. Roll one half round the metal cylinder as tight as you can.

Place the cylinder in the fryer basket and cook till nice golden brown. Remove from the basket and place on kitchen towel. After 2-3 minutes, pick up the cylinder with a cloth and carefully remove fried pastry. Repeat the steps till all six pastries are fried, leaving them on the towel to drain.

Take 2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise and mix in the ginger, chili sauce, lime juice and zest, and cilantro. Chop the cooked lobster into very small pieces and mix into the mayo. Carefully fill the pastry cylinders and place in fridge till need.
To make the wasabi mayonnaise, take 1 Tablespoon of mayonnaise and mix together with the wasabi.

South American Lobster Roll – Preparation Time 25 minutes
1 large sheet of puff pastry
8 ounces cooked lobster meat
4 ounces grated Gruyère cheese grated (try to use a good imported aged one)
1 egg beaten for brushing
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 fresh corn cob
4 ounces cherry tomatoes cut into quarters
1 fresh red chili finely sliced (de-seeded if you don’t want it too hot)
1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 350º, cut the puff pastry into four 3 inch by 4 inch rectangles, and lay out on a baking tray with parchment paper. Chop the lobster into ½ inch pieces and place in the middle of the pastry, then divide the grated cheese between them putting it on top of lobster.

Brush round the edge of the pastry with the egg and then fold over to make a roll, making sure that the join is together. Then turn over so the seam is on the bottom. Brush the top of the pastry with egg and let dry for a few minutes, then repeat the brushing and sprinkle the cumin seed over the top. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes till it is nice and golden brown.

To make the relish, cut the corn off the cob and place in small pan; add the cherry tomatoes, chili, sugar, and vinegar and bring to boil. When the relish has boiled, reduce the heat and simmer for around 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. When it has cooled, add the chopped cilantro.

To plate the dish, place the classic lobster roll at one end of the plate, put some wasabi mayonnaise in the middle, and run a spoon through it to make a streak and place the Asian lobster rolls on top. At the other end of the plate, place the South American lobster roll and put some corn relish on the corners, then impress and enjoy!

Yields 4 servings.

October 25, 2011

Slow Poached Maine Lobster Tail Nipponese

This lobster dish took top honors in the 2011 Maine Lobster Chef of the Year competition. The creation of Personal Chef Thomas Reagan of Kennebunk, it consists of a lobster tail poached in lemon butter sauce served atop a black and white sesame seed coated rice cake with an orange miso coleslaw garnish. Congratulations, Chef Thomas Reagan!

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image from Maine Lobster Promotion Council

Continue reading “Slow Poached Maine Lobster Tail Nipponese” »

October 17, 2011

Maine Apple Cider Jelly

I discovered the ease of making cider jelly quite by mistake one Autumn day.

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image: food.com Continue reading “Maine Apple Cider Jelly” »