The Calm Before the Storm

When the going gets tough, the not-so-tough get baking.  Go figure.  Last night I made a loaf of Rye Soda Bread and I just finished making a batch of mini corn bread loaves.  This morning I am asking myself why on Earth all my friends and family wanted me to move out of California for fear of earthquakes.  As Hurricane Sandy approaches the Northeast, a thirty second earthquake doesn't seem all that forboding. 

I am a control freak.  I think we have already established that in many of my previous posts.  The worst part of this storm is the uncertainty.  At this point, we all know it is going to be bad....especially for those in the Mid-Atlantic states, Manhattan, and Long Island.  I am planning on staying put no matter what, but I do have offers to hunker down with friends who have generators.  Dan and I are rarely apart and this is one of those unusual times.  I am thankful he weathered the storm without much ado in Charleston, but now worry about him returning home amid all the potential damage and power outages.  The plan is for him to stay put until we're sure he has a clear shot home.

I have never been  a corn bread girl, but this is the second time I've made it since arriving in Maine.  There's something warm and cozy about it....whether served with soup, eggs, or just topped with a little butter....it says "home".  So here I sit in my home in my new hometown of Castine with wonderful friends who continue to extend great kindness and comfort during uncertain times. 

Corn Bread

1 cup yellow corm meal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup real buttermilk
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 425˚.  Grease a 9 x 9 x 2 inch pan or six mini loaf muffin tins.  Combine corn meal, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  In another bowl, mix the oil, buttermilk, and egg together and add to the dry ingredients mixing just until the batter is combined and uniform.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan or mini loaf tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes if using the 9 x 9 x 2 inch pan or 15 to 20 minutes if making the mini loaves.  I think it is best eaten when still warm.

To everyone in the path of Hurricane Sandy, please be safe, take cover, and know prayers and positive thoughts are with you.

Time to Wise Up

Falling off the wagon happens all the time.  The trick, however, when one does fall off the wagon is to not get run over by the semi following you.  This year has been a whirlwind....deciding to leave L.A., moving to Maine, setting up a business, working seven days a week....that has left me off-kilter.  Last week I came to the realization that my lack of balance had left me teetering precariously on the brink of falling into the carton of Camp Coffee and living a seemingly blissful existence in an ice cream coma.

Okay....the ice cream wasn't the only culprit.  There was the ooey gooey jalapeno pizza from our favorite local bar, the hard apple cider that ushered in Autumn, and the ultimate over the top food frenzy of Belgian fries fried in duckfat.  Yes, my friends, it was time to wise up.  So here I sit on Day 5 of my return to sane eating listening to Aimee Mann sing Wise Up.....my new anthem.

My foray into healthy eating three years ago didn't have as much to do with looking good in jeans as it did with feeling good and living an active life.  Four days without white flour and white sugar has left me, once again, with more energy and a clearer head.  Four days is a big deal.  From my experience and according to many books I've read, four days is the length of time it takes to eliminate "the white poisons" from the body.  After you clear that hurdle, it becomes surprisingly easy.  From there, as with any wagon ride....it's just one day at a time. 

The Tail End of the Lobster

Dan's impression of Woody Allen in Annie Hall

It may be the last day of the month, but I was bound and determined to get the Lobster Tale Trilogy finished by month's end and got it in just under the wire.  For awhile I pondered doing a lobster linguine to pay homage to my favorite dish at The Pentagoet Inn, but asked myself what on Earth was I thinking trying to replicate such an exquisite entree.  As a result, I decided this was the perfect time to create a Maine-based version of Eggs Benedict.

Dan and I have made a habit of coming up with different takes on our favorite....albeit deadly to one's waistline....breakfasts.  My favorite has always been Eggs Bjornstein which substitutes smoked salmon for the ham.  Dan, on the other hand, still being a carnivore at heart has embraced the Eggs Benedetto.  The Benedetto variation pays tribute to one of our favorite singers, Tony Bennett, and Dan's Italian heritage with prosciutto stepping in for the American oink.

Eggs Emoggin is the newest addition to the roster.  Unless you happen to be from this area of the country, the name probably has you stymied.  Eggemoggin Reach is a body of water that separates the Blue Hill Peninsula from Deer Isle and plays host to the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta.  The Deer Isle Bridge is a suspension bridge completed in 1939 which spans Eggemoggin Reach and provides the only vehicular connection between the mainland and Little Deer Isle.

The Easy Hollandaise Sauce is from The Black Dog: Summer on the Vineyard Cookbook and has never left me down.  While chefs may cringe with this quick take on the classic sauce, it's made my Sunday mornings far more enjoyable.

Eggs Emoggin

4 poached eggs
2 pieces toasted multigrain bread
butter
2 lobster tails, cooked and cut into 1" medallions
1 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup Easy Hollandaise Sauce (recipe below)
2 teaspoons capers
salt
freshly ground pepper

Poach eggs to your liking.  I've always been a runny yolk girl, but Dan has only recently discovered the wonders of the runny yolk.  While the eggs are poaching, lightly toast the bread and butter it if you like.  Place the spinach on the bread and top with the poached eggs.  Top with the lobster and drizzle with the Hollandaise sauce.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and garnish with the capers.

Easy Hollandaise Sauce

2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 stick butter, melted
splash of Tabasco sauce
dash of cayenne pepper
salt to taste

Combine the egg yolks and lemon juice in a food processor or blender.  Turn on and slowly pour in the melted butter.  The sauce will emulsify.  Season with Tabasco, salt, and cayenne pepper.  Yields 1/2 cup.

A Lobster Tale: Part Deux

Once again, apologies for the delay of this next segment of the Lobster Tale.  My goal is to post the final installment by the end of the month.  Yes, that would be in four days and not terribly likely to occur you may be saying, but if I don't get this moving the third recipe could very well end up being a lobster bisque for Christmas Eve.

Let me start by saying I have way too many cookbooks as anyone who has spent time in our home can tell you.  Sad to say, many are rarely taken out of the hutch and even more embarrassing, some have yet to result in anything edible.  One of those books was Gourmet LA.  It must have been purchased more than a decade ago during my first period of exile in California and is a collection of recipes from the Junior League of Los Angeles. 

Ironically, the cover photo is of what I believe was supposed to be Lobster Dijonnaise, but looks far more like a chopped lobster tail with hollandaise sauce.  Never once during my time in The Golden State did I eat lobster as it really isn't something associated with the region.  This is my way of connecting my past life with my current one where lobster really is an inherent part of the culture.  The below recipe is my variation on the published recipe as I'm still mayo free.

Lobster Dijonnaise

2 lobster tails, cooked and chilled
6 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh           Italian parsley
2 teaspoons capers
Salt and pepper
Spinach, arugula, or mixed greens

Remove the lobster tails from their shell and chop the meat into 1/2"-1" chunks and set aside.  Combine the yogurt, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, parsley, and capers and blend well.  Add the lobster meat, and mix gently.  Season with salt and pepper and chill.  To plate, place the lobster mixture on a bed of greens.  Serves 2.

A Lobster Tale in Three Parts

Apologies all around for the inordinate amount of time since my last post, but August seemingly flew by and here it is the first day of September.  I have intended to do a series of three lobster recipes.....hence the "lobster tale (tail) in three parts"....ever since the price of lobster dropped below $4.00/lb.  Needless to say, I am only one part into the trilogy. 

A few weeks ago Dan went to our favorite lobster shack and returned home with four big boys.  The actual cooking of the lobster falls to Dan as well.  I'm a total wimp when it comes to throwing a living creature into a pot of boiling water or as Dan calls it, "the hot tub".  After they had met their untimely demise, we froze the four tails and decided to use the claw meat for a Lobster Fra Diavolo.

So what might parts two and three bring to the lobster tale?  I'm pondering a Lobster Dijonnaise and a Lobster Linguine, but have yet to determine the final destiny for the four frozen tails currently residing next to the container of Gifford's "Muddy Bean Boots" in the freezer.  The outcome for the "Muddy Bean Boots", however, is very clear....it's safe to say the lobster tails will be all alone tomorrow morning and the empty Gifford's carton will be in the trash.

 Lobster Fra Diavolo

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
5 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes with juice
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup dry white wine or lobster stock
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 cups cooked lobster meat
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
12 ounces brown rice fettuccine or linguine

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Cook the pasta to desired tenderness.  While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until lightly caramelized, about five minutes.  Add the minced garlic to the onions and saute about 30 seconds.  Do not let the garlic burn!  After the garlic is fragrant, add the crushed red pepper flakes and saute briefly before adding the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, wine or stock, and oregano.  Simmer the sauce until it is reduced by approximately half, about fifteen minutes.  Add the lobster meat to the pan and cook for a few minutes to warm through.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Add the lobster mixture to the drained pasta and plate.

At Last.....

After weeks of boxes stacked in every corner of the kitchen, we've actually made some headway and have gotten back to cooking.  I'm trying to embrace our kitchen here, but it continues to provide numerous challenges....everything from a lack of storage to a workspace that is reversed from every kitchen I've ever had.  By this time you're probably well acquainted with the fact I have a few "issues", but I had no idea that not having any counter space to the left of the sink would throw my routine of prepping and washing dishes into a tailspin.  Metro shelves have solved the storage problem, colorful French posters went up on the walls, the pot rack Dan made me once again resides over the stove, and my go-to cookbooks are back on the counter.

Recently, we were invited for dinner at the home of some new friends.  The evening was an absolutely lovely gathering of seven....three of whom were artists.  We were treated to a tour of our host's stunning vegetable garden, lively conversation on everything from books to beehives, and an exquisite dinner of local fare and freshly grown veggies.  To say I am totally intimidated by the exceptional cooking we have experienced here is an understatement of Julia Child proportion. 

Still working out of boxes, I managed a Cilantro- Lime Shrimp appetizer that was easy and a nice option for a summer evening.  This is one of those dishes I love as it can be made early in the day...or even the day before if need be.  The one thing I would suggest is to buy jumbo shrimp as they do have a tendency to shrink in size.

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp

1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup orange marmalade
3 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (stems removed),
     chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled, deveined, with tail intact

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, marmalade, garlic, cilantro, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Reserve 1/3 cup of the mixture for dipping.  Combine the shrimp and remaining mixture in a large zip-lock plastic bag and marinate, turning occasionally to coat the shrimp, for 45 minutes in the refrigerator.  Drain the shrimp and lightly pat dry between paper towels.   In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat until hot.  Saute half of the shrimp until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side.  Repeat the cooking process with the remaining olive oil and shrimp.  Plate and serve hot or at room temp- erature with the reserved dipping sauce.

Ode to the Olden Days

I don't know many people who don't have fond memories of or love the smell of freshly cut grass....well, anyone other than an allergy sufferer.  It always takes me back to the long summer days of my childhood.  As I was sitting at the front counter of Lucky Hill this morning, I found myself smiling as the aroma of freshly cut grass drifted in the window.  The nostalgic scent was accompanied by a sound I couldn't quite place which seemed to get closer and closer to the open front door.  And then I saw it.  The old push mower that had been tucked into a corner of the garage.....being pushed by Dan!

After I came back into the shop, I heard a group of women call out to my husband that it was so wonderful to see someone using the old-fashioned mower.  It was charming and most perfectly suited to Castine.  The rhythmic schwump schwump of the rotating blades was so much sweeter than the loud roar of a gasoline powered lawnmower.  While being green might require a little more elbow grease and time, it's more than worth it on so many levels....although I wasn't the one pushing the mower!  Dan, on the other hand, might still believe it's not easy being green.  Then again, maybe not.