Live the Live ™

Here for a visit. My first night featured the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a fantastic show at the foot of Edinburgh Castle.

 

 

 

I marinated and roasted both lamb and chicken with this marinade, and both worked great. So if you’re not as big a fan of lamb as I am, no worries.

 

The key to the success of this dish is to make sure you give the meat a lot of time to suck up the marinade, and to season the meat well.

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
The zest and juice of a lemon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Fresh thyme and rosemary, chopped fine

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

 

 

Place the lamb and/or chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour in the marinade, squishing it around so that it really covers the meat. Marinate the meat at room temp for at least 3 hours, but overnight in the fridge is best. Make sure to squish the bag around every few hours to make sure all parts get the marinade.

The next day, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

 

 

Place the marinated meats on a sheet pan with non-stick foil. Season the meat with salt and pepper.

Pour whatever marinade is left in the bag into a bowl and use it to baste the meats as they cook. (Don’t use any of the marinade without cooking it–it has touched raw meat!) Bake until medium for the lamb, or all the way through for the chicken. At the end of cooking, toss the meat under the broiler for a few minutes to get a nice char.

 

 

Grilling is certainly an option for this dish. Lamb can be cooked directly on the grill, all the way through. Chicken will require to be pre-cooked in an oven or cooked over medium heat on the grill to make sure it’s cooked all the way through before that final char.

I overheard a conversation at a Portland, Maine, restaurant where the server told one of their customers that Portland has the most restaurants, per capita, in the country, second only to San Francisco. I would not doubt that for a minute. Although I live just minutes away from Providence, Rhode Island, a pretty darn good food town in itself, what makes Portland so very special is the fact that you can park your car and walk everywhere. And the variety of foods you can sample is hard to beat.

The food craze in Portland started many years ago with the granddaddy of them all, a restaurant that is still kicking butt: Fore Street. Fire roasted meats and fish, served in a beautiful dining room, with tasty crafted cocktails… it’s a fine dining experience. You definitely want to save for that special occasion. But for this trip, my mission was to have a small bite in many different places, and so I chose to visit Fore Street again another time.

My first stop was Crispy Gai, a small, energetic Asian bistro. I was there before the lunch crowd at 11 AM, but I could imagine this place just jamming on weekends.

Their Hat Yai fried chicken wings were to die for and the Siu Mai dumplings were fantastic.

After that, I checked into my hotel, got my room early, and walked down Commercial Street to the main focus of my trip: a magnificent trio of restaurants, all located around the same corner of Middle Street.

Perhaps the one restaurant that has made the most noise when it comes to luring foodies into Portland, is Eventide. It’s been featured in countless food magazines, and they even have a second (smaller) location near Fenway Park in Boston.

I started coming here years ago, when nobody even heard of this place, and you could get a seat right away. Now, no matter what day you go, and no matter what time of day it is, you’ve got to wait.

So here’s my secret: walk up to the maître d’ and give her your name and phone number. They will text you when a space becomes available. That gives you just enough time to go next-door to The Honey Paw for a quick bite and a drink.

Owned by the people that run Eventide (in fact, they share one long kitchen that runs the length of the back of the building), The Honey Paw features incredible, creative, and eclectic Asian-themed dishes with really fresh ingredients.

I enjoyed a fabulous plate of bluefin tuna crudo with a Hendrick’s and tonic.

And just as I was finishing the last sip of my drink, I got a text that my space at Eventide next door was waiting for me.

If you’re a regular at Eventide, you may go there for the oysters. They certainly do have a huge selection. But for someone like me who rarely gets to visit, it’s all about the creativity, and their chefs really shine. I’ve had the lobster roll and the bao buns and all that stuff, so for me, it’s all about the specials on the chalkboard, and this time, a BLT, using cured and smoked Toro tuna as the bacon, instantly caught my eye.

Words cannot describe how fantastic this sandwich was!

I really wish I lived closer to Portland because I would go to Eventide every single day until I got sick of it. (And I don’t think I ever would!)

So I washed my TBLT down with another Hendrick’s and tonic (you can see where this is going!) and I crossed the street to a brand new spot, at least for me, called Mr. Tuna.

Fresh sushi is the name of the game here, and I enjoyed an Otoro hand roll and a Maine crab maki roll. This time, I accompanied my bites with an excellent glass of refreshing sake.

To say I was stuffed at this point was an understatement. I’m glad I had a bit of a walk back to my hotel to burn at least a few calories. But a power nap was definitely in order if I was to continue my journeys into the evening!

On the way back to my hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott on Commercial Street, I noticed a new hotel called the Canopy, which featured a rooftop bar named Luna. I decided this would be my first stop after my much needed nap.

Luna is on the sixth floor of the Canopy hotel, and when I arrived, it was absolutely packed with well-dressed couples, enjoying drinks and the fantastic views of Portland Harbor.

I managed to get my first cocktail pretty quickly, and soon I found a seat at the bar. But then the masses moved in and the two bartenders, though very skilled and hustling as fast as they could, were completely overwhelmed by the crowd. It took forever for me to get my second drink. A third bartender was absolutely necessary there. It is, after all, summertime in Portland…

I didn’t have any of the food at Luna, because the menu was not impressive. Basic bar bites that didn’t really do anything for me. So after a couple of drinks, I made my way down the elevator once again to Commercial Street.

I wanted to finish my adventure on a happy food note, and I was craving pizza. But I didn’t want to go to a pizzeria. That’s when I remembered having had wonderful appetizers at the bar at Solo, an Italian restaurant on Commercial Street, just a short walk down from where I was.

I grabbed a seat at the bar and enjoyed a Negroni.

The menu was full of fantastic crudos that would’ve tempted me at any other time, but I was craving pizza, so I went for the Donna Scala, a sourdough focaccia with mozzarella, San Marzano tomato sauce and fresh basil. The perfect way to end a long day of eating and drinking.

My food day started at 11 AM and ended just before 11 PM. Someday, I will come back to Portland and do this again. But I think a diet is in order right now…

Every summer, I try to grab a few free days and drive up the Maine coast. It’s only a few hours from my home in Rhode Island, but it’s a different world. People are friendlier, life is slower, the fresh seafood is astounding, and it’s just damn beautiful.

On the way up, my daughter and I made a quick stop, right off the highway in Portland, for some Colombian street food at Maiz. The arepas were overflowing with goodies, and we enjoyed every bite.

Our first overnight stop is usually Boothbay Harbor, because we love the quaintness of that little town, and my sister lives not too far away in Newcastle. Of course, I also love Boothbay Harbor because it’s the home of one of my favorite restaurants, Mine Oyster.

It’s nuthin’ fancy, but they have a massive menu, and I go there for one thing, and one thing only: the incredible fresh-off-the-boat tuna they always serve up. Sushi chef, Taka, is a master, and the specialty roles they have are like no other place I’ve ever been. I spent two nights in Boothbay Harbor, and both nights I dined at Mine Oyster. I just couldn’t get enough.

We did explore the area, however, and another favorite stop was Deb’s Bristol Diner, in Bristol, Maine. My daughter and I have been there several times before and the food is just terrific, as long as you’re willing to wait in line. No reservations here, but once you take a bite of the food, you don’t care anymore.

I dropped my daughter off at New Harbor, where she took the Hardy Boat, the ferry to Mohegan Island, and I headed back to Boothbay, stopping at Glidden Point Oyster Farm. I’ve passed this property before, but they’ve always been closed. This time, I got to shuck my own oysters and sip on some Maine-made rhubarb wine.

Some of my other favorite stops for food in Boothbay Harbor include Ports of Italy for, what else, Italian. The Red Cup Coffeehouse to get the day started with some caffeine and a bagel. Pier 1 Pizza and Pub for that nice slice. And the Downeast Ice Cream Factory for something sweet at the end of the day.

Somewhere in all these travels, on the outskirts of Boothbay, my attention was drawn by a sign at Karen‘s Hideaway, which boasted a “big sexy crab roll.” Naturally, my curiosity was piqued, and what I got was a hefty serving of freshly caught Maine Jonah crab, tossed in mayo, and served on a toasted bun with strips bacon under the crab. Bacon instead of lettuce? That is damn sexy!

I headed North on Route 1 from Boothbay to Rockport, Maine, my next destination.

I had time for a bite for lunch, and no place in this area is better for lobster than McLoon’s Lobster Shack on Spruce Head Island.

I had discovered McLoon’s years ago, back before it seemed the rest of Maine had discovered it. Now, the place is jammin’, but the quality of their lobster rolls remains the same: excellent!

I had intended to go to Primo, a James Beard award-winning restaurant that is one of my all-time favorites. But my overnight accommodations at the East Wind Inn in Tenants Harbor was further away from the restaurant than I thought, somehow, and rather than drinking and driving, I decided to stay at the inn and sample some of their food and drink in their basement bar, known as the Quarry Tavern. I wasn’t disappointed.

I sat at the bar, which only seats five people, and enjoyed a Caesar salad and a main course of beautifully prepared beef short ribs.

It was a nice break from all the seafood that I had gorged on for the last two days. (I also knew that I was going to be eating more seafood the following day, when I headed to Portland.) It was a good move on my part. I had a few cocktails, and all I needed to do was walk back to my room at the end of the night.

The next morning, I enjoyed a fabulous free Eggs Benny breakfast at the inn’s Harborview Bistro – – part of the deal when you get a room – – and then I hit the road, heading south toward Portland (and home), where another full day of feasting would begin.

That’ll be next time.

Ever since I had char-grilled oysters in New Orleans, I’ve been obsessed. I’ve made them at least once a week every week since I’ve been back. But the other day, I went to my local seafood store and I saw some beautiful clams, and I thought: Why not try those on the grill?

 

I had some friends over a couple of days ago, and I made my Oysters Rock-a-Fellow recipe for them, and I had some leftover gooey cheesy stuffing that goes on top of the oyster. I thought: Why not use it on the clams and then put them on the grill?

A hybrid recipe of two previous recipes, and it really worked!

The first step is to make the gooey cheesy stuffing mix ahead of time.

 

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 cup low-fat milk
salt and pepper
3 cups (tightly packed) fresh arugula, finely chopped, about a 5 oz. container
6 oz. mild cheddar cheese (the white one), grated
6 oz. mozzarella, grated
Fine bread crumbs (Using GF breadcrumbs will keep this dish gluten-free)

Melt the butter in a pan and add the onion and garlic. Sauté until translucent, then add the milk, salt and pepper, and the arugula. Sauté for a few minutes, stirring, so that all of the arugula wilts down.
Slowly add the cheddar until it all melts, then add the mozzarella, stirring slowly, until you have one big gooey mass of goodness in the pan.

Pour the gooey cheese mix into a shallow pan and place it in the fridge for a few hours. It will firm up and you will be able to cut it easily into cubes that you will then place on top of the clams.

Once the cheese mixture has firmed up, and it’s time to cook, start a hardwood charcoal fire in your grill.

Open the clams and put them on a tray, topping each clam with a cube of the firm cheese and arugula stuffing mix.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of each clam.

When your charcoal grill fire is hot, place the clams on the grill and cook until the cheesy topping melts and the clams have a nice char to them.

 

They will be lava hot when they come off the grill, so give them a few minutes before eating!

I’m pretty good at keeping the zucchinis in my garden harvested on a regular basis, so they don’t get too big. But once in a while, I miss one, and it gets to be huge. That’s when it’s time to make zucchini bread.

 

 

I was recently told that zucchinis are green…summer squash is yellow.  I use the word “zucchini” interchangeably, but technically, the variety I grow is, in, fact, a zucchini…or both, depending how you look at it!

 

 

Whatever you call it, use it! And make some delicious bread!

I slice the zucchini lengthwise, and remove the center section with all the seeds, because I don’t want that in my bread. Then I grate the rest. This recipe needs about 2 1/2 cups of grated zucchini, about 16 ounces.

When it comes to baking, I use my small kitchen scale to make most of the crucial measurements, because accuracy counts. It’s much more accurate than going by volume. But this recipe has both measurements, so you can try either method.

Substituting gluten-free flour for the basic all-purpose flour, will make this recipe gluten-free. I like to use the all-purpose GF flour by Cup4Cup.

And I like using olive oil as my vegetable oil, because I love the flavor and its health benefits. But feel free to use whatever vegetable oil you like.

 

2 cups (227g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

1 cup (213g) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
scant 3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 1/2 cups grated zucchini (about 16 oz.)

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Grease an 8 x 8“ or 5″ x 10″ loaf pan with some of the vegetable oil. Then line it with parchment paper…it makes it easier to remove later.

In a bowl, mix together the first five ingredients.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients except the zucchini.

Add the grated zucchini to the bowl with the flour mixture and toss it around to coat.

 

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until it’s combined.

 

 

Pour it into the pan. 

 

 

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 45 to 60 minutes…but it could be even longer. Every oven is different, and different zucchini can have different moisture levels, so you may need to cook yours longer, depending on your situation. Even with all the high-tech thermometers I have, I find the good old-fashioned toothpick method works best.

 

 

Remove the baking pan from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes. Then turn it over on a wire rack, removing the pan, and let the zucchini bread cool completely to room temperature before slicing.

This bread is so good, I just might let the zucchini overgrow more often!