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By John, 13 September, 2013

Pilgrim's Progress 09: LA and Homeward Bound!

LA Union Station

We had enjoyed an absolutely stellar vacation, but it was nearly over. Everything had gone right, and we had even had a few serendipitous extras that were highlights of the trip.

The ride home was also a part of the vacation. We always enjoy riding the Southwest Chief. It has great views, it's a big, spacious train, and the vibe is the best of all the trains we have ridden.

That's no idle observation. Lorna and I have ridden virtually all of Amtrak's long-distance trains: the Lake Shore Limited, the Sunset Limited, the Crescent, the Empire Builder, the California Zephyr, the Coast Starlight, and the Southwest Chief. We have ridden a number of them several times, and we agree the Southwest Chief is the most fun to be on. This trip was no different.

By John, 25 August, 2013

Pilgrim's Progress 07: The Anderson Valley, Russian River, and Sonoma Wine country

Evening arrives at a Russian River WineryWhen we finally left the broad western horizon of the Pacific Ocean behind us, we had good incentive to cross the rugged coastal hills to the valleys of the wine country. It's a gorgeous area everywhere you look, fine for driving and exploring down roads that barely appear (or don't appear) on the maps. Drive by hunch! This is no place for a GPS. GPS devices come with built-in serendipity destroyers.

Elegant wine tasting setup at GoldeneyeWe have been to the Wine Country several times, and each time we get better at it. The first time, back before the turn of the century, we drove up the Napa Valley, visited some wineries and tested their wares, and thought it fun. On the next visit we planned ahead and drove up the Sonoma Valley, dutifully stopping at whichever winery we had on our list, checking them off as if we were still at work.

By John, 1 August, 2013

Pilgrim's Progress 05: San Francisco

The TransAmerica PyramidAfter one more morning in Santa Cruz, we spent a wonderful day in San Francisco. We covered a lot of ground; fortunately we had a plan going in and we hit all of our objectives.

The weather was beautiful, and that's never a guarantee in the City by the Bay.  We parked near Fisherman's Wharf in an all-day garage that was not as expensive as I had feared. Then we walked along the waterfront, looked out at Alcatraz, and did more people-watching than window-shopping.

One restaurant we passed proudly proclaimed itself "Home of the 60-ounce Margarita" or some such silliness. It was really crowded, so we headed off toward the famous Ghirardelli Square.

Crabs on Fishermen's Wharf

Along the way it was impossible to miss the fact that Fisherman's Wharf is still very much about the seafood. Seafood restaurants are everywhere, and fresh fish markets with Pacific seafood piled high on great glaciers of ice. It was lunchtime but we were not yet even remotely hungry, and there's plenty of foodie awesomeness in San Francisco to we continued our explorations.

By John, 28 July, 2013

Richmond's Greek Birthday

Dolmas, Spanakopita, Olives, and AlmondsWe celebrated Richmond's 2013 birthday out on the beach with a Greek feast. Present were the usual foursome.

We had brought fixings for Gin & Tonics, but that was merely a precaution against the beastly heat and our ignorance surrounding the two Greek wines I had brought. Everything else was Greek in style, if not in provenance.

SaganakiWe opened the festivities with:

  •  Saganaki, a festive flaming cheese appetizer. This thriller is on the menu of every self-respecting Greek restaurant, and it always gets plenty of attention, but the restaurants cannot always get the right Kefalograviera cheese. I have had Saganaki made with provolone, with pecorino romano, and with other cheeses that I was unable to discover, but they clearly were not kefalograviera. As with most of the ingredients for this feast, I got the cheese at Bahnan's Market in Worcester. 

Tomato and Feta Salad

By John, 14 July, 2013

Pilgrim's Progress 04: Santa Cruz

Welcome to Santa Cruz!We spent the next day and a half in Santa Cruz, visiting with friends, shopping Pacific Ave, and exploring the boardwalk, the long pier, and the pleasant streets of that fine small city.

I posted a smallish (43-photo)  photo album over at Facebook; if you've never been to Santa Cruz, it's worth a look. If you have been there, you might check it out just for the memories.

Appetizers at The Greek in Santa CruzWe arrived late, after a long drive from Morro Bay along Big Sur through Carmel and Monterey to Santa Cruz. We met our Greek friend Hector, who naturally took us to one of my favorite restaurants in California - The Greek!

I went to Greece in 1995, and I remember drinking Greek wine and grazing on little bites at the taverna with my friend's family late into the evening. That's just what we did in Santa Cruz that evening, drinking Greek wine and feasting on dolmas, saganaki, skordalia, horta vrasta, spanakopita, and other Greek delights as we caught up with Hector.

By John, 9 July, 2013

Pilgrim's Progress 03: Los Angeles to Santa Cruz via the Hearst Castle

Route 1 along Big SurEveryone who reads this blog knows how we love scenic drives, and one of the most famous outside of New England is the drive up the Pacific Coast Highway along Big Sur. We knew we would have time in Los Angeles at the end of the trip, so we got a car and hit the road! By lunchtime we were shopping in Ventura, and we spent our first night on the road in Morro Bay.

We stayed at the Best Western El Rancho just north of town and gave it good marks. I have reviewed almost all of the restaurants and hotels and many attractions that we saw throughout the trip; you can find them on TripAdvisor.

Morro Bay

Morro Bay is a pretty harbor best known for the island in the middle, often referred to as the Big Rock. You don't see it in all its glory here because of the fog, but that's not unusual in Morro Bay.

Morro Bay is not a big town, but it is scenic and it enjoys close proximity to the celebrated Hearst Castle, which we planned to visit the next day.

By John, 3 July, 2013

Pilgrim's Progress 02: Chicago Interlude

The Willis Tower in ChicagoThe Lake Shore Limited and the Southwest Chief both have termini at Chicago's Union Station, so both coming and going we had some hours to explore the downtown area while we waited for the latter train to board.

There's a lot to see in downtown Chicago. To start with, Union Station is a big, bustling place for people watching (on the return trip we chatted with some zombies from a 5000-zombie flash mob that had just finished) and some fine Art Deco architecture. Just outside the door you can strain your neck looking up at the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) just across the canal. And about a 15 minute walk to the east is a string of parks and museums along the shore of Lake Michigan.

Three House-Infused Vodkas at Russian Tea Time

After a brisk walk to stretch our legs and work up an appetite, we had a very nice lunch at Russian Tea Time - a fancy establishment with a beautiful collection of samovars and an extensive bar. I could not resist trying the trio of house-infused vodkas (coriander, black currant, and lime) with a dish of pickled herring and some black bread.

Lorna was able to resist that gustatory delight and contented herself with a stuffed chicken breast and a Coke. 

By John, 24 June, 2013

Pilgrim's Progress 01: The Lake Shore Limited

The route of Amtrak's Lake Shore LimitedThis is the first of a series of entries that more or less track our Foodie Pilgrim Grand Transcontinental Adventure. I say "more or less" because it won't quite be a day-by-day relation of events, but more a series of possible day-trips that you might enjoy if you some day take a similar journey. This installment describes the trip to Chicago aboard Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited.  

South Station, start of the grand transcontinental railway adventureWe left Plymouth on the 9am Plymouth &Brockton bus, arriving at Boston South Station after a comfortable and uneventful ride.  Lorna had a light lunch at Cheeseboy, a small chain. I noshed on a kabanoszy from my store of provisions. I had stocked up on goodies from The Cheese Shop in Concord and from Baza Market in Newton because the food on the train can get pretty boring.

Ted's Steamed Cheeseburgers - A Connecticut Tradition

Ted's Steamed CheeseburgersBoiled beef is sought after by gourmets all over the world. Tafelspit, the famous Viennese version, is made from special cuts and is reputed to be sublime. If I ever get to the famous Plachutta Wollzeile in that city, I'll report on it, but for now my topic is the steamed cheeseburger.

To truly appreciate a steamed cheeseburger, you have to put aside all your preconceived ideas about hamburger.  Forget the sweet, crunchy caramelization produced by contact with the heat of the grill.  Forget medium rare. Then you have to travel to a small area in central Connecticut where steamed cheeseburgers are a local delicacy.  

Inside Ted'sI was visiting our friend Ina in Meriden when I set out to investigate this phenomenon.  I went to Ted's Restaurant at 1046 Broad Street in that fair city, but there are other eateries in town where you can expand you r culinary horizons and sample the treat. Another restaurant I visited on my stay had to install a steamer to satisfy popular demand.  

By John, 12 April, 2013

Maple Baked Beans

Maple Baked BeansThis is a delicious version of the more famous Boston Baked Beans. They go well with pork dishes and turkey or chicken, as the maple is a lighter flavor than the molasses of their Beantown brethren. 

I bet they'd be great with fishcakes and a corn muffin for a Yankee breakfast, too!

I made them with Soldier Beans, which are traditional in Maine and much of New Hampshire and Vermont.

By John, 24 March, 2013

Exploring Maple Sugaring in Maine

Goranson Farm Sugarhouse in Dresden, MEIt's maple sugaring season! This quintessential New England flavor is enjoyed all year, but it must be made in the fading days of winter when the sap is rising in the trees but they can still freeze at night.

We spent two Saturdays exploring the sugarhouses of southern Maine learning the intricacies of maple syrup making.  We visited Hilltop Boilers in Newfield, Cooper's Royal Heritage Farm in Windham, and Goranson Farm in Dresden. It was a lot of fun, and very interesting. Here's what we learned.

Sap taps at Hilltop BoilersMaple syrup comes from the sap of sugar maples, black maples, and red maples. At this time of year you can see plastic or metal buckets equipped with roofs hanging from maple trees all over New England. A gallon of syrup requires on average about 40 gallons of sap, and each tap produces 10 to 20 gallons of sap, so the buckets must be emptied frequently over the course of the season, which lasts about 6 weeks.

By John, 17 February, 2013

A Romantic Valentine Dinner

A Valentine's Day FeastFor Valentine's Day I wanted to make a special dinner, but it was a work day so it couldn't take all day to prepare.

I knew Lorna wanted lobster and champagne, so using that as a cornerstone, here's what we came up with:

  • A Winnemere cheese from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont.
  •  A fresh salad with goat cheese and toasted walnuts
  • Sauteed mushrooms with Madeira
  • The centerpiece was a Lobster Cardinal
  • Chocolate-dipped strawberries for dessert

Winnemere cheese, unopenedThe Winnemere is my favorite washed-rind cheese and one of my top five cheeses in all the world. It is an earthy, rich, cow's-milk cheese banded in spruce bark. It has awesome complexity that rewards savoring and reflection.  You can buy it during the winter months at some Whole Foods Markets. It worked well with Veuve Clicquot. She was able to linger with the cheese while I prepared the lobster.

By John, 8 February, 2013

A Little Something For Your Honey

Chili Mead with ChocolateMead is making it big in New England. There's good reason for it to do well, as another artisanal product in a region that hes been very good for foodie artisans. Even Yankee Magazine has noticed.

Mead is not just for Vikings anymore. It is one of the most ancient fermented beverages, known from many cultures around the world. It is brewed from honey, but the honey-sweetness varies greatly from very sweet to very dry depending on how you ferment it.  

Honeymaker Lavender MeadHoneymaker Lavender Mead paired very nicely with a savory fresh ricotta tart made by Annette for our mead tasting dinner. It would make a lovely Valentine's Day dinner.  They make a variety of fine meads; I selected the lavender because I thought it especially suited Valentine's Day and because Annette loves the scent of lavender.

By John, 8 February, 2013

Craft Beer and Medieval Mead in Midcoast Maine

Pemaquid PointI love visiting windy, rocky Pemaquid Point in the winter. The rocks there are dramatic, long banded fingers of stone with crashing surf on all sides. It doesn't look like anyplace else in Downeast Maine. The lighthouse is photogenic, there are picnic tables and rest rooms, and it's easy to reach from Damariscotta and Newcastle, and even from Boothbay Harbor.

Oxbow Beer, Newcastle, MEOur destination after Pemaquid Point was in the farm country just on the other side of Route 1. I had read about Oxbow Beer and even sampled their flagship Farmhouse Pale Ale at Le Garage in Wiscasset. I knew they brew a line of "freestyle" one-off brews and other interesting brews, taking full advantage of the flexibility offered by their small size and dedicated following.

Resting casks of Oxbow alesWe were not disappointed! We chatted with Celeste and Jake, two young but very helpful and knowledgeable employees (Lorna also got to meet the cute and furry Director of Security, Matilda Barncat).

By John, 7 February, 2013

Getting Sociable? Skew 'em!

You can see from the right-hand sidebar that your gas-guzzling Pilgrim is also active on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites.

Due to technical limitations, some sites on which we post are not listed there:

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