"Week In, Week Out" - Simon Hopkinson
I'm not the least bit ashamed to admit that I am totally a sucker for "food porn." That might sound funny to anyone except food nerds. It's actually not that scary (in most cases), but actully refers to gorgeous food photography, the sort of thing that makes you immediately ravenous. "Week In, Week Out" has utterly beautiful pictures by Jason Lowe, but more importantly, delicious and effective recipes from Simon Hopkinson for every week of the year, representing seasonal cooking at its finest. It is a wonderful cookbook for accomplished home cooks and those who are meticulous about following directions. It's probably not the best cookbook for total beginners or for people who find, say, Mastering the Art of French Cooking "hard to follow." Every recipe that I've tried has turned out well, and all of them sound yummy. The potted salmon, for example - salmon pate for the rest of us - is easy, fast, and a huge hit at parties. Mr. Hopkinson's other books, "Roast Chicken and Other Stories" and "Second Helpings of Roast Chicken," with wonderful essays and delightful illustrations by Flo Bayley, are equally recommended.
Look for these books at your local INDEPENDENT bookseller (ahem) or order them there or from the fabulous Rabelais Books in Portland, Maine.
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Thursday, September 10, 2009
summer in Maine: a movie and dinner
I had a truly delightful evening a few weeks ago when I went to see "Julie and Julia" at the wonderful old Criterion theater in Bar Harbor, and then to dinner at the entirely delightful Michelle's at the Ivy Manor Inn. I'd been meaning to eat there for some time, but since it is classic French cuisine, this was the perfect opportunity. How classic?
Perfect local oysters on the half shell
Lobster Thermidor!
Creme Brulee
a divine Pouilly-Fuisse
A lovely, warm, clear evening.
Summer in Maine.
In case you've ever wondered if Julia Child was indeed like that, I remember being at the Oceanarium in Southwest Harbor - I'm guessing that it was in the 80s - and hearing that unmistakable voice inquiring "is it edible? how would you cook it?" A wonderful memory. Julia is the absolute proof that one person with passion and a huge dream can indeed change the world, and we're all richer because she did just that.
Perfect local oysters on the half shell
Lobster Thermidor!
Creme Brulee
a divine Pouilly-Fuisse
A lovely, warm, clear evening.
Summer in Maine.
In case you've ever wondered if Julia Child was indeed like that, I remember being at the Oceanarium in Southwest Harbor - I'm guessing that it was in the 80s - and hearing that unmistakable voice inquiring "is it edible? how would you cook it?" A wonderful memory. Julia is the absolute proof that one person with passion and a huge dream can indeed change the world, and we're all richer because she did just that.
Monday, July 13, 2009
summer -at last! - in Maine
FINALLY, Day 4 of sun, blue skies and warmth after about a month of chilly rain! With any luck, the heat, sun and dry air will discourage the horrifying swarms of black flies.
"Summer in Maine"
For me, nothing says "summer in Maine" more perfectly than lunch on the lawn at the Jordan Pond House - open for lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner - on Mt. Desert Island. In an exquisite setting of Maine cottage design, glorious gardens, broad expanse of lawn sloping down to Jordan Pond with the view to the Bubbles, the perfect lunch is served. I like to have a garden salad with excellent blue cheese dressing, but the main event is a bowl of lobster stew accompanied by hot popovers. The lobster stew is full of big chunks of lobster meat, and is absolute simplicity - lobster, butter, cream and little else. The popovers are huge and hot, served with butter and good strawberry jam. I like to have one of the two popovers that comes with lunch alongside my stew, and the second with jam for dessert. Either lemonade or iced tea is lovely to drink with this lunch, but a short but good selection of beer and wine is also available. If you happen to have room left for dessert, wild blueberry crisp with Jordan Pond vanilla ice cream is wonderful. Linger and enjoy the view and the lovely afternoon.
If you have a dog, dogs are welcome on the lawn and waitstaff will bring a bowl of water to keep your pet comfortable.
After lunch, you can take a pleasant stroll down to or around the pond, depending on your energy level.
Near Northeast Harbor, don't miss Thuja Gardens, one of the finest public gardens I've ever seen. There is a small parking lot just to the right beyond the Asticou Inn, and you can take a short hike up to the gardens with views over Northeast Harbor and several attractive benches and pavillions at which to rest. The gardens themselves are extensive and magnificent, with huge rhododendrons, water features, manicured pink granite paths, wonderful trees, perennial borders. The small Arts-and-Crafts influenced cottage is worth a visit if it's open, and is home to an extensive botanical library. Paths from the gardens connect to trails of the rest of the island's system - good for a hike that can be as long and as challenging as you wish. Thuja Garden is one of the best examples of landscape design that you're likely to find. If you're a gardener, be sure to bring a camera, sketchbook and notepad to record ideas for your own garden.
Wasse's Hot Dogs Rt. 3 headed towards Augusta in Belfast, also in Rockland
Great grilled dogs with properly steamed rolls (warm, not soggy!), available with sauerkraut and good mustard, fried onions, with chili and/or cheese. Yes, it's Cheese Whiz. Yes, you want it on your chili dog. (Sophie, my spoiled-rotten greyhound says not to forget to get a plain dog for your puppy). Wicked cheap and wicked good. Also in Rockland.
Jordan's, Rt. 1 on left headed down east, just east of Ellsworth
First-rate fried seafood lunches and dinners, good coleslaw and buttered Parker House rolls! Everything at Jordan's is good, and they have ice cream, but the fried seafood is especially fine. There are tables inside and out, or you can get your food to go and drive down to Lamoine State Park for a picnic.
Joshy's, Rt. 1, Milbridge
Still the best - and best value - crabmeat rolls around. Toasted hot dog roll, a little lettuce, the freshest, sweetest crabmeat, a bit of mayonnaise, paprika on top. Perfection!
Be sure to spend some time in downtown Ellsworth, wandering the shops and having lunch or dinner at the fantastic Cleonice on Main Street - everything is delicious, but the tapas are great, varied - both classic and creative kinds. The sangria is wonderful. My favorite shops are the Grasshopper on Main Street / Rt. 1 South, a few doors north of Cleonice - also in Searsport, Rockland and Bangor - and Rooster Brother, just across the bridge on Rt. 1 South, a cook's and food-lover's dream come true.
"Summer in Maine"
For me, nothing says "summer in Maine" more perfectly than lunch on the lawn at the Jordan Pond House - open for lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner - on Mt. Desert Island. In an exquisite setting of Maine cottage design, glorious gardens, broad expanse of lawn sloping down to Jordan Pond with the view to the Bubbles, the perfect lunch is served. I like to have a garden salad with excellent blue cheese dressing, but the main event is a bowl of lobster stew accompanied by hot popovers. The lobster stew is full of big chunks of lobster meat, and is absolute simplicity - lobster, butter, cream and little else. The popovers are huge and hot, served with butter and good strawberry jam. I like to have one of the two popovers that comes with lunch alongside my stew, and the second with jam for dessert. Either lemonade or iced tea is lovely to drink with this lunch, but a short but good selection of beer and wine is also available. If you happen to have room left for dessert, wild blueberry crisp with Jordan Pond vanilla ice cream is wonderful. Linger and enjoy the view and the lovely afternoon.
If you have a dog, dogs are welcome on the lawn and waitstaff will bring a bowl of water to keep your pet comfortable.
After lunch, you can take a pleasant stroll down to or around the pond, depending on your energy level.
Near Northeast Harbor, don't miss Thuja Gardens, one of the finest public gardens I've ever seen. There is a small parking lot just to the right beyond the Asticou Inn, and you can take a short hike up to the gardens with views over Northeast Harbor and several attractive benches and pavillions at which to rest. The gardens themselves are extensive and magnificent, with huge rhododendrons, water features, manicured pink granite paths, wonderful trees, perennial borders. The small Arts-and-Crafts influenced cottage is worth a visit if it's open, and is home to an extensive botanical library. Paths from the gardens connect to trails of the rest of the island's system - good for a hike that can be as long and as challenging as you wish. Thuja Garden is one of the best examples of landscape design that you're likely to find. If you're a gardener, be sure to bring a camera, sketchbook and notepad to record ideas for your own garden.
Wasse's Hot Dogs Rt. 3 headed towards Augusta in Belfast, also in Rockland
Great grilled dogs with properly steamed rolls (warm, not soggy!), available with sauerkraut and good mustard, fried onions, with chili and/or cheese. Yes, it's Cheese Whiz. Yes, you want it on your chili dog. (Sophie, my spoiled-rotten greyhound says not to forget to get a plain dog for your puppy). Wicked cheap and wicked good. Also in Rockland.
Jordan's, Rt. 1 on left headed down east, just east of Ellsworth
First-rate fried seafood lunches and dinners, good coleslaw and buttered Parker House rolls! Everything at Jordan's is good, and they have ice cream, but the fried seafood is especially fine. There are tables inside and out, or you can get your food to go and drive down to Lamoine State Park for a picnic.
Joshy's, Rt. 1, Milbridge
Still the best - and best value - crabmeat rolls around. Toasted hot dog roll, a little lettuce, the freshest, sweetest crabmeat, a bit of mayonnaise, paprika on top. Perfection!
Be sure to spend some time in downtown Ellsworth, wandering the shops and having lunch or dinner at the fantastic Cleonice on Main Street - everything is delicious, but the tapas are great, varied - both classic and creative kinds. The sangria is wonderful. My favorite shops are the Grasshopper on Main Street / Rt. 1 South, a few doors north of Cleonice - also in Searsport, Rockland and Bangor - and Rooster Brother, just across the bridge on Rt. 1 South, a cook's and food-lover's dream come true.
Friday, February 6, 2009
inspiration!
When I was at the International Coach Federation's New England division conference last May in Massachusetts, I heard Coachville's Dave Buck speak about the "inspiration-based economy." You can read much more about it on his blog:
http://www.coachblog.com/?p=139
The central point is that he believes - as do I - that we are moving from the so-called "information economy" to something very different than we've ever seen, an economy based on people creating work about which they are passionate. It's already happening, quite obviously, in our food supply. The Slow Food organization and hundreds of cooperatives around the nation and the world are literally shifting the way we eat to a more sustainable local food economy.
For me, what I learn from these movements is that we can really achieve sustainable local economies, perhaps not despite the current economic recession, but beacuse of it. The Chinese character for "crisis" includes both danger and opportunity. I think that we are facing a tremendous opportunity to shift our economy to Schumaker's model of "Small is Beautiful."
http://www.coachblog.com/?p=139
The central point is that he believes - as do I - that we are moving from the so-called "information economy" to something very different than we've ever seen, an economy based on people creating work about which they are passionate. It's already happening, quite obviously, in our food supply. The Slow Food organization and hundreds of cooperatives around the nation and the world are literally shifting the way we eat to a more sustainable local food economy.
For me, what I learn from these movements is that we can really achieve sustainable local economies, perhaps not despite the current economic recession, but beacuse of it. The Chinese character for "crisis" includes both danger and opportunity. I think that we are facing a tremendous opportunity to shift our economy to Schumaker's model of "Small is Beautiful."
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Welcome!
Where better to find great conversations than at your neighborhood diner?
What will you find here?
Discussions including:
- diners, food, travel
- creativity and creative process
- progressive education
- popular culture
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- just about anything
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