Lobster for Christmas Eve!

I had amazing luck last week! I won two 2 lb lobsters in a local raffle. What a fabulous way to celebrate the holidays! Neither of us were inclined to cook the lobsters ourselves. as we'd heard that sometimes you can hear them scream when you drop them into boiling water, so I decided to take them up to Fosters Market in Greenfield to have them cooked. The lobsters were delicious, served with a baked potato and some melted butter. Simple, but perfect.

And we had plenty of leftovers to make a lovely lobster salad afterwards with some celery, red onion and mayonnaise. The only thing we didn't have was Maine!

Drunken Devils on Horseback

This is one of the simplest dishes you can make, and the combination of sweetness of the prunes with brandy is out of this world. Definitely not for little ones! 

30 pitted prunes
1/2 cup brandy 
15 rashers of bacon 
This recipe is from Nigella Lawson's book "Nigella Christmas". It's a great book, with lots of fabulous ideas for the holidays, and this recipe is an absolute keeper. It's quick to prepare, and is a great addition to the usual platter of of appetizers. In fact, I think i might make this a regular dish, so that I can enjoy it year round! 
Soak the prunes in the brandy and cover with plastic wrap for about 12-24 hours. 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
Cut the rashers of bacon in half, so that they're about 2 inches by 6 inches. 
Roll up the prunes one by one in the rashers of bacon, and use toothpicks to secure the bacon to the prunes. 
Bake them for about 15 minutes, and let them cool for a little while. 
They're scrumptious at room temperature, so don't worry about them cooling off. They're completely addictive so beware!

Port Townsend Farmers Market, Uptown, Port Townsend, Washington

Definitely check out Port Townsend Farmers Market when you visit the Olympic Peninsula. It runs through November in the Uptown neighborhood. There was a fabulous range of produce, and some delicious hot chowder too! Everything looked fabulous and very appetizing. And of course there's nothing like some fresh sea air to get your taste buds going. I just wish I'd bought some chowder to bring home with me to Massachusetts! Oh well, I'll just have to go again!

Blue Moose Cafe, Port Townsend, Washington

The Blue Moose Cafe was a great discovery in Port Townsend, and came highly recommended. It's tucked away in the boat yard, and very easy to miss. The place was buzzy and the help was warm and friendly. It was a chilly, blustery day in Port Townsend, so it was quite a treat to warm up and have a super tasty breakfast with red skinned potatoes and fresh avocado. 

Blue Moose Cafe
311 Haines Place
Port Townsend, WA 98368
(360) 385-7339

Dynasty Restaurant, Port Angeles, Washington

We took the morning ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, Washington. The ferry wasn't quite as swish and stylish as the British Columbia ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo, but there was something very soothing and retro about the decor. The colour scheme reminded me of vanilla and pistachio ice-cream, and I absolutely loved the Coho poster! As we explored downtown Port Angeles we asked several locals if they could recommend a place for lunch. The Dynasty Restaurant was rated highly, plus it was right across the street from the shop "Dazzled by Twilight" where the help actually wear fangs when they work! The Kung Pao Shrimp hit the spot for sure, but I think the hot and sour soup stole the show.

Dynasty Restaurant

136 E 1st St

Port Angeles, WA 98362
(360) 452-8687

Swan's Brew Pub, Victoria, Canada

British Columbia Parliament Buildings, Victoria

After a day exploring Vancouver Island we decided to try Swan's Brew Pub for some seafood and local beer. The atmosphere was very buzzy, and very intimate for a city pub. It almost felt like we were at a private party with people dancing to the Tom Lang Band. We really enjoyed the grilled salmon and prawn burger, which was served with an interesting mix of onion rings, French fries and sweet potato fries! The mussels and clams dish was very tasty too! The Oatmeal Stout had rave reviews, but they'd sold out, so we tried the Extra IPA which was superb. 

Swan's Brew Pub

506 Pandora Avenue

Victoria, BC

(250) 361-3310

Sukkho Thai Gourmet Restaurant, Nanaimo, Canada

We took the ferry from Horseshoe Bay just north of Vancouver to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The scenery was gorgeous, an amazing palette of blues, greys and silvers. All the fresh air and excitement nurtured a healthy appetite, so by the time we arrived in Nanaimo we were on the look out for a place to eat. The Sukkho Thai Restaurant was very buzzy, so we decided to try their lunch menu. It was a little pricy, but the food was delicious and the spring rolls were super fresh and tasty. My chicken with basil leaves was beautifully spiced, and left me ready to hunt down a local specialty, the infamous Nanaimo Bar!

Sukkho Thai Gourmet Restaurant

123 Commercial St

Nanaimo, BC V9R

(250) 591-8424

In fact the best Nanaimo bar we had was so delicious I didn't have time to take a photograph before we devoured it, but this photo will give you an idea of the layering that makes it so special. The crunchy base with chocolate and coconut combined with the Bird's custard filling is just too much to resist. Now my next project will be to replicate this fabulous dessert when we return to New England! And after some dessert a little shopping always helps the digestion, so definitely stop by Hill's Native Art. They have a wonderful selection of Pacific Northwest Coast native art. Absolutely lovely!

Hill's Native Art76 Bastion Street
Nanaimo, BC
V9R 3A1
Canada
(250) 755-7873

The Wolf and Hound, Vancouver, Canada

We had a wonderful visit to the Anthropology Museum at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. The museum is open late on Tuesdays, and it was a great time to go. Unfortunately though it was dark and we weren't able to enjoy the fabulous ocean views this time through the massive floor to ceiling windows. The museum has an extensive collection of objects from Pacific Northwest's First Nations. I love it here and we come every time we're in the area.

Museum of Anthropology at UBC

6393 N.W. Marine Drive 

Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2

After our visit to the museum we stopped at The Wolf and Hound, an Irish pub with homemade Irish pub food and an extensive beer selection. The atmosphere was super cosy with lots of snugs and nooks and crannies. We had the tasty seafood pot pie which was a perfect way to end our day out. 

The Wolf and Hound
3617 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6R 3R3
Tel: (604) 738-8909

Fairhaven Fish and Chips, Bellingham, Washington

After driving north from Seattle along scenic coastal route 11 from Edison, it was a wonderful treat to discover this British double decker bus tucked away in the Fairhaven area of Bellingham. Authentic fish and chips cooked to order! What else could anyone ask for on a windy, blustry day when you're ready for a bite to eat?

A ferry leaves here every week for Alaska. Maybe next time...

Fairhaven Fish and Chips
1020 Harris Ave
Bellingham, WA 98225

Virginia Inn, Seattle, Washington

After a day exploring Seattle we were delighted to find the Virginia Inn near Pike Market, which was promoting half price specials from 4:00-6:00 p.m. We tried the mussels in white wine and garlic, grilled calamari and the onion tart. Our favourite dish was definitely the mussels which are farmed locally in the Puget Sound. They were large and meaty, and were absolutely delicious. I wonder why the mussels we get from Maine and Prince Edward Island are so much smaller?  We really enjoyed our food here, and will make this our first stop in Seattle on future visits!

1937 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101

Granny's Coconut Apple Betty

This one of my Granny's recipes. It's the ultimate comfort food, and is the perfect dessert to have on a crisp autumn day! It's especially lovely with a big dollop of Greek yogurt.

4 tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 C of whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 C shredded coconut
1 C light brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 T lemon juice
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 C water (or a little more if the dessert looks a bit dry)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix the apples, breadcrumbs, coconut, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into a Pyrex pie dish. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the top and then dot with butter. 
Bake uncovered or 50 minutes. Serve with Greek yogurt or cream.

Mulino's, Northampton, Massachusetts

We recently purchased a Groupon for Mulino's in Northampton, which was our inspiration to check it out. Something just wasn't quite right though with our experience. I'm not sure if it was the generic Italian decor, reminiscent of the chain restaurants I try to avoid, or if it was the tight layout of the tables and chairs. The food looked fabulous, but it was lacking oomph.
We tried the Fra Diavolo (scallops, mussels, shrimp, garlic onion and dried chilies sauteed in a tomato, basil-oregano sauce), and also the Filetto del Porco, pork tenderloin wrapped with prosciutto, stuffed with figs and gorgonzola cheese. The balsamic demi-glace was extremely sweet and dominated the dish. This meal wasn't my favorite, but I really enjoyed the Merlot!
If you're in Northampton I'd recommend that you skip Mulino's, and visit our tried and true Joe's Mexican Cafe on Market Street. Joe's never fails, and the food is fabulous.
Mulino's Restaurant
41 Strong Ave. Northampton, MA 01060

Phone:(413) 586-8900

Shady Glen, Turners Falls, Massachusetts

I recently saw a fabulous exhibition of Edward Hopper's paintings at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick, Maine. Although the paintings were primarily of Maine landscapes I was reminded of his iconic painting "Nighthawks" this evening when we had supper at Shady Glen. I found these great archived interviews on the NPR website.
7 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA 01376
Tel: 413-863-9636

Swedish Apple Crumb Pie

5 or 6 apples, peeled and sliced

1 T sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 T Cointreau

2 T lemon juice

4 oz (one stick) butter,melted

1 egg

1 C flour

1/4 c multi-grain cereal

1/3/ cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Put the sliced apples in a Pyrex baking dish. Pour the Cointreau and lemon juice over the apples and stir gently to mix. Then sprinkle one tablespoon of sugar and one teaspoon of cinnamon on top of the apples.

Melt the butter and mix in the egg. Set aside.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, multi-grain cereal and salt.

Add the melted butter and egg to the flour mixture, and blend until smooth.

Spoon the topping over the apples. You don’t have to be super neat, and where there are gaps in the batter the apples peep through.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes.

Serve with cream, Greek yogurt or my all-time favourite Bird’s custard!

The dessert is just about ready to pop into the oven!

All this needs now is a good splash of custard!

Surf Restaurant, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Nubble Lighthouse, York, Maine

York Beach, Maine

After an invigorating drive to the Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine where we saw wonderful surf after yesterday's surprise snow storm we headed back to Portsmouth feeling quite peckish. Fortunately for us we found Surf Restaurant. The atmosphere was light and airy with spectacular views of the Piscataqua River. We enjoyed a traditional lunch of haddock in a simple white wine, butter and lemon sauce and a steaming bowl of seafood chowder. Definitely stop by for a bite to eat next time you're in town. I can't wait to try the scallops!

Surf Restaurant, 99 Bow Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801 (603) 334-9855

Jumpin' Jay's Fish Cafe, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

We had a very delicious French-style lunch at Jumpin' Jay's in Portsmouth.
My pan seared New England scallops were served with a creamy lobster remoulade sauce, red bliss mashed potato, roasted asparagus, a small side of beet salsa and a simple Caesar salad. The scallops were amazing, and worked beautifully with the mashed potato and the lightly salted asparagus. The bread had a slight sour dough taste which was perfect with the rich cream sauce. The beet salsa was a little disappointing though. It was extremely dry and barely a portion. It was hardly worth putting on the menu! That aside though, I'd definitely recommend Jumpin' Jay's for lunch.

They also have an oyster bar which looks like it would be great fun. They pride themselves on serving fresh and mostly local seafood. The decor was monochromatic and quite optical. All the help wore black, so any touch of color really popped!

150 Congress Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801-4019
(603) 766-3474

Maine Pies

This was our first four berry pie in the old-fashioned "Moody's" diner  in Waldoboro. I forget the exact combination of berries, but it was delicious. It was almost jewel like, with this amazing ruby red juice oozing out from under the pastry. It was served warm with a nice scoop of vanilla ice-cream. 
Our second pie sampling was a super fresh blueberry pie from Giant Stairs Seafood Grille. This pie was busting with fruit and had just come out of the oven a few hours before.

Four berry pie, Moody's Diner, Waldoboro, Maine 04572 (207) 832-7785

Maine blueberry pie, Giant Stairs Seafood Grille, 2118 Harpswell Island Road, Bailey Island, Maine 04004  (207) 833-5000

Arepera, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

This is the place to go for Venezuelan cuisine! I'm no expert but this was a great introduction for me. We fell into this very colourful, cosy and super friendly restaurant as we were strolling through the streets near Rue Saint-Denis and Boulevard Saint-Laurent on a rainy Saturday night. We started off with a wonderful avocado and watercress salad, with chopped tomatoes and a zingy dressing made from lime, avocado and fresh cilantro. This has to be one of the best salads I’ve ever had, and it’s going to be one of my regular dishes from now own. Arepera has a huge range of fresh juices such as sugar cane, watermelon, tamarind and tomato, but not the usual type of tomato!

The shredded beef stew was delicious, and came with a refreshing side of salsa and home made corn bread (arepera). Definitely stop by next time you're in Montreal, and let me know what you think.

Arepera

4050 deBullion (coin Duluth), Montreal, Quebec H2W 2E5

Tel: 514-508-7267

Spinach and Seafood Curry

The inspiration for this recipe came from my love of spicy seafood curries mixed with my love of all things coconut! This curry has a wonderful rich texture, and the coconut milk gives it a slight creaminess. I’ve always had rave reviews whenever I’ve served it. 

5 T vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
I large bunch cilantro (coriander), finely chopped (reserve a quarter to sprinkle on top before serving)
1 hot green chilli, finely chopped (or if you’re in a squeeze 1 T chopped jalapenos from a jar)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
1 x 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 T lemon or lime juice
1 lb mixed seafood (calimari, shrimp, etc.)
1/2 lb fresh salmon, chopped (or any white fish such as swordfish or tilapia)
1 1/2 cups thawed frozen spinach
1 can coconut milk
1 lemon or lime sliced to garnish

Heat the vegetable oil over a medium heat, and then gently fry the garlic until golden brown.
Add the cilantro, dry spices, tomatoes, ginger, salt, lemon juice and chopped chilli.
Stir gently, and bring to a simmer.
Add spinach and coconut milk. Stir. (At this point you can set the curry aside to cool and then refrigerate for up to day).
When you’re ready to prepare the curry, bring the tomato, coconut and spinach mixture to a gentle simmer. 
Add the salmon chunks and cook for 10 minutes, then add the mixed seafood for another 10 minutes. Serve with basmati rice and garnish with fresh coriander and lime wedges.

Homemade pesto

We had a busy morning preparing a big batch of pesto. The basil smelled fabulous, and shells with fresh pesto was a real treat for lunch.