By John, 28 October, 2012

Welcome Fall Feast 2012

Welcome Fall 2012 FastWe had an excellent feast to welcome autumn 2012! This year was a real surprise - our discoveries hit home runs on every front. That is not hyperbole; this was a really great dinner.

Every year I am so glad when the fall comes and I can cook all the great harvest goodies. This year I already knew what I wanted to make ever since the Mass. Brewers Fest in late August.  There I got to try the Brut from Enlightenment Ales and I knew what I had to serve with it when the time came.

Enlightenment Ales BrutI have been pairing foods with beers from New England Craft Brewers for some months now, and this planned pairing really excited me. I am glad to say it worked out very well.

Enlightenment Ales makes Biere de Champagne, an exciting new style of beer that has the celebratory effect of champagne, the dry seriousness of fine wine, and the accessibility of craft beer. The Brut is effervescent and dry, but hoppy-herby in a way that wakes up spices and complements mild flavors without overpowering them.

This feast would be a great menu for vegetarians for a Thanksgiving feast.

By BBQ_Mike, 19 September, 2012

Smoking a Sausage Fatty

Mini Sausage FattyFor the longest time I always thought sausage came in two ways - either cased like a "sausage" or else in a patty. You could mix it with tomatoes to create nice gravy for your spaghetti, grill it to enjoy with peppers and onions, pan sear it for breakfast, or whatever. It was not until about a year and a half ago that I discovered Sausage Fatty. Google it, it is a real thing that can inspire much cooking creativity.

This weekend I competed with the Andy King and The Bastey Boys in a BBQ Cooking Contest at the Harvard Fall Festival  in Harvard, MA. There were two sausage contests; People’s Choice and New England BBQ Society (NEBS) Grilling. The past two years I have entered these events using a homemade sausage from the Sausage Lady on Rt. 27 Hanson. I would buy her Smoked Provolone & Roasted Red Pepper sausage and grill it, with excellent results.

By John, 29 August, 2012

Good Night Irene

Bobcat FloodSuds and HaddockIt was a year ago that the rains of Hurricane Irene began and didn't stop. The roads and homes of Vermont were pounded and flooded and just plain wrecked. The people weren't.

After the storm, Bobcat Cafe and Brewery brewed their special Flood Suds Belgian-style Wit. It's Belgian-style, not Belgian, because everything in it is from Vermont!  The ingredients are listed on the bottle. Take that, Irene!

This is more than symbolic. Vermont needed lots of dollars to repair the damage wrought by Irene. Dollars spent locally strengthen the whole community, circulating from pocket to pocket until they leave to fatten some far-off corporation's bottom line.  The dollars that might have been spent on Belgian malt or noble hops from Europe went to local farmers, who spent it repairing their own properties.

Beyond that, Bobcat brewed a heck of a Wit. It's delicious. I gave it 5 stars on Untappd, and I don't do that often. We had it with a broiled haddock and greens (reds?) from the Heaven's Harvest Farm CSA and my favorite Greek salad. The beer was a perfect match for the summer fare!

By John, 28 August, 2012

Exploring Boston's North End

Hanover StreetI took a vacation day on a late summer Friday and spent it exploring Boston's North End.  I love the North End for shopping and eating, people-watching and just exploring. I love the narrow back alleys and the smells and the sounds, and the shops cluttered with all sorts of good stuff that I can't get anywhere else.

I visited a number of favorite shops, including:

By John, 16 August, 2012

going Mad for heirloom apples

farm country in the Mad River ValleyWe left the Sunday rain behind us and took the interstate highways to Quechee Gorge and then country roads to VT100 so we could explore that fine road through the middle part of the state as far as the Mad River Valley and Rte 89, and to see Montpelier. One of the most exciting things I saw was before we ever left Quechee.

The new distillery for Vermont DistillersThere is a big complex at Quechee that includes a Cabot store, a huge antiques coop, a winery, and some other shops. Now there is a brand new building there: the new distillery for Vermont Spirits, makers of Vermont Gold and Vermont White vodkas. In the middle of the photo you can see the still with the tall, tall column.  

I am not a big vodka fan. I buy it sometimes to make vanilla extract, but I don't keep it in my liquor cabinet. So why get excited about the vodka distillery? Against the far wall was a big rick filled with oak aging barrels. Vodka doesn't get aged, so what's the story? I discovered that Vermont Spirits is aging a new apple brandy product!

By John, 14 August, 2012

Dinner on a Hot August Night

the view from the kitchen tableOn a hot August night, we joined Richmond and Annette at their beach cottage for a light dinner.

The weather had been threatening all day. It was a Saturday, and by rights Lorna and I should have been somewhere beyond Montpelier or Litchfield, but we stayed home and planned for a Sunday drive. That was very successful - details soon!

Grilled shrimp with savory Tahitian vanilla sauceSo we went out to the cottage for a light summer dinner:

Grilled PeachesWe started with a nice French Chablis, but all good things come to an end. When the wine ran out we were forced to open up the Rangpur for Gin & Tonics.

The Magnificent Seven

The Magnificent Seven of the Pioneer ValleyIn July 2012 we explored the Microbrewers of the Pioneer Valley, and managed to secure 7 bottles representing 7 local microbrewers.

I sampled them over the following week, most of them with some meal or snack that complemented the ale.

The report is on the pages linked under this one. The reports are in the order in which they were sampled. Each report includes a brief description of the ale, where I got it, links to the brewers, and descriptions of what made for complementary dining with each ale.

My Favorite Blue SteinThere are photos that show the whole ensemble. In most cases I am drinking from my favorite blue stein so you can't see the color, but I do like that funny German mug! I think a favorite glass or stein can be an important part of enjoying a fine ale, nearly as important as seeing the color of the beer.

Each report also includes a link to a BeerAdvocate review of the ale, if a review is available on the encyclopedic site.

If you have an account on this site, you can post your own reviews and thoughts. I am especially interested (as you will see) in pairing foods with each craft beer.

Four Cheeses from Cato Corner, CT

Four Hooligans, variously inebriatedWhile exploring the lower connecticut river, we picked up a Hooligan and his three inebriated brothers to join us for a soiree on the beach.

No, it wasn't that kind of party! Hooligan is a washed-rind raw Jersey cow's milk cheese from the (many, many) award-winning Cato Corner Farm in Colchester, CT.  The other three cheeses are Hooligans that are washed with something other than brine.  All are "stinky cheeses" aged 2 months.

Here's what we got, and what we thought:

  • Hooligan: Cato Corner's signature "stinky" cheese. Hooligan is bathed twice a week in brine.  This was Richmond's favorite.
  • Drunken Hooligan: Hooligan washed with grape must and young red wine from Colchester's Priam Vineyard.  This Hooligan must have been a younger brother, not quite as soft and runny as his kin. Lorna and Melissa liked this one best.
  • Drunk Monk: Hooligan rubbed in brown ale from Willimantic Brewing Company. This monk was pretty elderly, but the flavors were fabulous and still harmonious. Annette and John liked this one best.

Needhams

Photo by Richmond TalbotSun poured into the room where Richmond, John and I sat drinking an early evening libation.  Having missed the Kentucky Derby and our yearly mint julep on the traditional Saturday, we had felt the need to make up for the loss on Sunday.

Richmond’s juleps are a perfect blend of sweetened mint, ice and Maker’s Mark; even a sometime drinker such as I finds they go down very easily. Several hours slipped by as we sipped and enjoyed ham-wrapped asparagus and a duo of cheeses John brought back the day before from the upper reaches of New England.  One of them, a Fiddlehead Tomme from Boggy Meadow Farm in Walpole, NH, is an all time favorite with the three of us.

Twilight began to fall, and I found my thoughts turning towards dessert.  “I need a cupcake,” I announced.  “No you don’t,” replied John, but his efforts to distract me were ineffective, to say the least.  After a few more minutes of my sighing, John remembered he had at home a Maine specialty known as a Needham.

By John, 5 May, 2012

Sole Oscar

Filet of Sole OscarI was lucky enough to get a bunch of fresh-cut asparagus at Verrill Farm  in the morning, and then lucked into a half a dozen farm-fresh egg yolks from a friend at work who eats only the whites.

From there it was easy to suggest some sole and Jonah crab meat for dinner, and the Filet of Sole Oscar was the obvious dinner:

  1. Steam the asparagus a few minutes, then plunge it into ice-water to cool it and keep it bright green.  
  2. Melt 1 cup butter.
  3. Dip the sole in flour and then in egg and saute in 1/4 cup melted butter until golden. Set aside on a warm place.
  4. Slowly whip the egg yolks in an electric mixer.
  5. In a clean skillet, toss the asparagus in 1/4 cup melted butter to heat through, then lay the asparagus across the sole filets.
  6. Saute the crabmeat in the same skillet, and lay it across the asparagus.
  7. Squeeze half a large lemon into the yolks, then slowly pour in the remaining 1/2 cup melted butter. Add a pinch of cayenne, and salt and pepper if you think it needs it. This is the Hollandaise.
  8. Drizzle the Hollandaise across the crab/asparagus/sole, or just face reality and dump it all on. It's so good you'll take no prisoners!

We served this with a chilled Pouilly-Fuisse white Burgundy, a classic accompaniment that suited the dinner perfectly.

From start to finish was less than 30 minutes, but they were not relaxing minutes. You can do this after work if you are not too tired. In my opinion, it is so good that it is motivation enough to put in the work.

By John, 23 April, 2012

Fiddleheads Feast

We celebrated spring yet again with a fiddleheads feast.

As usual, our Saturday adventure to Maine produced a lot of great foodie loot and we had to do something with it. We had fiddleheads and diver scallops from Gurnet Trading Post, Jersey cow milk and fresh eggs from Two Coves Farm, spring onions and some mushrooms from Bow Street Market, so we went with an early-spring "fruits of the forest" fiddleheads and mushrooms theme.

We:

  • Mushroom Puffs with FiddleheadsOpened with a Lazy Lady cheese and some cob-smoked pepperoni (both from Vermont)
  • Puff-pastry shells filled with a mushroom medley and each topped with a fiddlehead.
  • A canape of medallions of shad roe poached in Fino sherry with a cider vinaigrette, and
  • Some fresh green almonds with salt.

Shad Roe

Shad Roe, UncookedI love shad roe.

It's a very seasonal thing, appearing briefly when the shadbush and forsythia are in bloom, and, in these parts, around Opening Day. Spring is here, with tempestuous weather turning mild and brown fields turning green, fresh asparagus and pea greens and sun-kissed strawberries are not far behind.

Shad roe is not pretty. It looks like a pair of lungs. You can find lots of details with a quick web search; the important thing to know is that is is very seasonal, very regional, and usually very hard to find without a reliable fishmonger. 

It is also very delicate; a slip of the knife can spill the precious eggs and make it much more difficult to prepare and serve.

We found some, in one market by luck and in another by special order.  We served it with another delicacy in our Shad Roe and Halibut Cheeks dinner.

Shad Roe, CookedI suppose there are some clever chefs who could find some way to present it attractively, but my advice is to concentrate your efforts on the preparation and let the presentation follow as needed.

I always use the butter-poaching method in Jasper White's Cooking from New England.

By John, 2 April, 2012

Shad Roe and Halibut Cheeks

Shad Roe in Butter SauceBy a stroke of great good fortune, I finally found my long-sought Shad Roe on the same weekend that Richmond lucked into four fine halibut cheeks. Obviously we had to build a dinner around our acquisitions!

The shad roe recipe is my favorite from Jasper White's Cooking From New England. The rest of the recipes we just made up.

The Menu:

  • We started, as we so often do, with a cheese discovery. In this case it was Three Cheeses from Narragansett Creamery.
  • We had the shad roe for an opener. I poached it in butter, then browned the butter and added minced anchovies, capers, parsley, and ham for a sauce. 
  • That was rich, so we sampled Three Dry Vermouths, which went very nicely with the fish. These were supplemented through the meal by Lillet Blanc and Cocchi Americano.
  • We followed the shad roe with Annette's salad of arugula, pine nuts, and other goodies.
By John, 28 February, 2012

Past Presidents Night Photo Gallery

OCC Past Presidents NightI have assembled a photo gallery of the foods we served at the Old Colony Club's annual Past Presidents Night gala. The photos were taken by my sister-in-law Lynn Sgammato, who helped to set up and keep the train on the rails though that enormously enjoyable but complex event - thanks Lynn!
By John, 8 February, 2012

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