What I Ate on My Summer Vacation I

Summer 2006

Hope you’re enjoying summer—savoring an ice cream cone or two, munching on some corn on the cob, letting a little juice from a fresh peach run down your chin.  I just got back from spending six weeks in New England, where I got married, did lots of sailing and bicycling, and thoroughly enjoyed many delicious meals. 

Along with my quest for the quintessential clam chowder and the perfect lobster roll, I tasted a number of culinary treats, from the utterly simple to the complex and exotic.  All of it fueled my cooking imagination in one way or another, and I wanted to share some of the inspiration with you, so here’s 

What I Ate on My Summer Vacation

1. ❖An amazing appetizer at Salts Restaurant in Cambridge, Mass.: morel mushrooms stuffed with foie gras and rabbit, served in a savory broth with fava beans, small and succulent ruby prawns, and a whisper of mint.  This lovely dish was accompanied by the best little sourdough rolls I have ever tasted (followed by a beautiful whole roast duck carved tableside, a nice bottle of Pinot Noir . . .  heaven on earth.)
   

2. ❖Tender and moist blueberry cake with a cinnamon sugar topping courtesy of my new mother-in-law, Anne Webb.  It’s wonderful with whipped cream or snitched directly from the pan.
   

3. ❖From Patty at Harriett’s Catering, who cooked for our wedding reception: toasted French bread rounds topped with blue cheese and toasted hazelnuts, warmed in the oven and drizzled with honey.
   

4. ❖Two different but equally good combinations of seafood, corn and tomatoes:  the first was blackened sea scallops served on miniature fresh corn pancakes, topped with minced tomatoes and basil, accompanied by a tiny drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar at Castle Hill Restaurant in Newport, Rhode Island.  The second was a beautiful piece of grilled halibut served over a combination of fresh corn and quartered cherry tomatoes with bits of bacon that had been sautéed briefly in butter at Atria Restaurant in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard.
   

5. ❖Also at Atria: crisp calamari served with sambal aioli (a garlic mayo laced with chilies, brown sugar, and lime), chopped watercress, and slivers of preserved lemon (lemon pickled in lemon juice and salt, from Morocco)—an incredible flavor sensation with a well balanced, oaky South African Chardonnay.
   

6. ❖Chilled gazpacho accompanied by a sandwich of tender roast beef, perfectly ripe tomato slices, lettuce and Boursin cheese on rye bread served at Harbor Court in Newport. 
   

Some of these dishes I want to recreate down to the last detail, while others will inspire new combinations of flavors and textures to play with. I hope as you remember your culinary travels this summer, you’ll discover some new things to try in your kitchen.

What I Ate on My Summer Vacation II

Summer 2007

            Hope you’ve enjoyed your summer travels, whether to destinations far and wide, the beach, the lake, or your favorite swimming pool.  The highlight of my summer was an amazing cruise in the Mediterranean with my husband’s family.  We got to visit France, Monaco, Italy, and Spain.  It was a tough job to see all those beautiful places and relax aboard a beautiful ship, but I was up for it.  Of course, one the most important elements of the trip for me was the food, so here’s my second annual report to you of 

                                                          What I Ate on My Summer Vacation

In Nice, France: Dinner in a 1913 building that was once a theater.  The kitchen (appropriately for the traditional French chef ego) was on the stage behind a wall of glass, framed by a gorgeous maroon and gold theater curtain.  I started with a maché salad with crisp toasts spread with sweet eggplant relish and topped with earthy, deliciously ripe, melted cheese.  Fish soup followed, redolent of tomatoes, garlic, and the sea.  For dessert I stole bites from my husband of the most perfect crème brulée I’ve ever had.

In Florence, Italy: Lunch at an outdoor café across from the Palazzo Vecchio in the Piazza della Signoria, looking out on an assortment of incredibly famous sculptures.  I had quintessentially simple Tuscan fare: bruschetta (grilled garlic bread) with luscious chopped fresh tomato and shredded basil, and white beans scented with rosemary.

In Recco, Italy: A cooking class at a small restaurant, the chef translated by our faithful tour guide.  We tasted zucchini and onion fritters; fresh, spinach-stuffed pasta with walnut sauce; another tiny, hand-shaped pasta with Ligurian basil pesto; a delicious, crisp flatbread filled with melted strecchino cheese; and vanilla gelato with a port fruit compote.

In Port Mahon on the Spanish island of Minorca:  A snack from a tiny bakery, which my son generously shared.  Butter-soaked layers of paper-thin pastry wrapped around rich fig filling, shaped into a large horseshoe, and topped with dark chocolate ganache frosting.

In Las Palmas on the Spanish island of Mallorca: Lunch with my daughter at a chic outdoor café with stone floors, black awnings, and crisp white linens, next to the awe-inspiring La Seu cathedral.   We started with a chilled bowl of peach-colored gazpacho that came with minced tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers and tiny croutons on the side, to add as we went.  After that came pan con tomate, a crusty, toasted whole-grain bread drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with fresh tomatoes, accompanied by local Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, and olives.

            The food and the journey were rich and inspiring for me, as I hope your travels have been for you. 

Winter Treats

Winter 2006

Happy winter!  This is one of my favorite seasons for cooking. I love winter’s warm, savory soups, stews, and roasts, biting into the tang of an orange, or inhaling the steam rising from a mug of hot spiced cider.  Here are a few of the winter flavors I enjoy most as I watch the snow fly outside the windows of my kitchen—a little  food for thought for my fellow winter chefs:

Citrus—‘Tis the season for tangerines, oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits.  I love them in salads (I think they go especially well with goat cheese, fresh greens, and some toasted nuts).  I also grate citrus zest into butter for vegetables—orange for broccoli, lemon for  green beans—and into cooking water for rice, along with a bay leaf or a sprinkling of dried thyme.  To make my whole house smell good, I put the peel from an orange or tangerine in a saucepan with water and some whole spices, like cinnamon sticks and cloves, and simmer the mixture at low heat.

Chipotles—Dried, smoked jalapeno peppers that usually come canned in adobo sauce, chipotles are a great addition to your pantry.  Their deep, smoky heat adds warmth to soups, stews, chili, or sauces.  I also like to mince them and combine them with mayonnaise to make a spread for sandwiches. Since I never use the whole can at once, I freeze the chipotles individually  on wax paper on a baking sheet and then combine them in a freezer bag or container for easy storage in the freezer.

Winter Vegetables—Contrary to what we might assume, winter is a great time for vegetables: cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, turnips, winter squash, parsnips, yams, and carrots are all in season in the winter.  I like them best roasted, crisp and browned on the outside and tender on the inside. Roasted cauliflower has actually become one of my kids’ favorites.  I toss the vegetables with a little olive oil and sometimes a splash of balsamic vinegar, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and roast them at 400 degrees for 30 or 40 minutes.

Scallops—Any month with an “r” in its name is a month when scallops are in season. Winter is a great time for a quick sauté of tender bay scallops in butter with minced garlic and lemon zest, or for sea scallops wrapped in bacon, broiled, and drizzled with a tiny bit of maple syrup.

Some Like It Hot—There’s nothing like a piping hot drink to warm you right down to your toes.  Try making some cranberry (or apple or apricot) cinnamon tea by pouring some juice and a cinnamon stick in your mug before adding boiling water and a tea bag.  For quick hot apple cider, I heat it with a cinnamon stick, and sometimes a splash of cranberry juice, in my mug in the microwave.  For simple, decadent hot chocolate: to serve 4, heat 4 cups whole milk in a medium saucepan until hot. Whisk in 2 ounces chopped unsweetened chocolate, 2 tablespoons sugar,  and serve.  For grownups, add a splash of dark rum, bourbon, or coffee or chocolate liqueur.  Yum!

What I Ate on My Summer Vacation III

Summer 2008

        Welcome to the summer issue of Word of Mouth.  I hope you’ve enjoyed your summer so far, devoured an ice cream cone or two, and had the pleasure of cooling off in a sprinkler, pool, pond, lake or ocean somewhere.

I have been in Massachusetts most of the summer, and it’s been a relaxing time--no big events, not much additional travel, very nice, all in all.  I did lots of biking and sailing with my family, and we enjoyed quite a few wonderful meals, culinary treats, and adventures all within a 30-40 minute drive of our home base.  So here’s my third annual account of

What I Ate on My Summer Vacation

--At Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery in Westport, Mass.: An elegant, five-course Greek dinner paired with Westport Rivers wines.  My favorites were small flatbreads flavored with fennel fronds and a salad composed of layers of crisp watermelon and shaved fennel topped with a warm block of roasted feta cheese, drizzled with lemon and olive oil and sprinkled with chopped mint and scallions.  It was an amazing spectrum of flavors and textures that married beautifully with a Westport Rivers sparkling wine.  The dessert was a tender olive oil cake served with lemon honey yogurt and fresh berries, paired with Westport Rivers Pineau di Pinot, an unusual dessert wine made from estate grown eau de vie and pinot noir juice.

--At the Back Eddy Restaurant on the harbor in Westport, Mass.: I started my dinner with the Back Eddy’s bruschetta, succulent chunks of locally grown heirloom tomatoes, fresh greens, and long, thin triangles of toasted bread, and moved on to a gorgeous roasted cod loin with local littleneck clams and chunks of chorizo, garnished with green olives, and served with braised white beans and lemon-dressed watercress.

--Before fireworks for the Fourth: My (incredibly great, see page 2) barbecued ribs with coleslaw, cornbread, and chilled rosé, followed by my mother-in-law’s incredibly great pie: luscious wild blueberries and raspberries in a classic, tender, flaky crust, crisp with sugar sprinkled on before baking.

--The annual lobster dinner at my in-laws’: The largest lobsters I have ever seen (they were supposed to be two-pounders, but I swear a claw was nearly the size of my hand) steamed and served with warm, melted butter and some more of Westport Rivers’ terrific sparkling wine.  Simple and perfect.

--At the Crane Brook Restaurant in Carver, Mass.: A charming, white-tablecloth restaurant nestled next to a pond. The building housed a foundry in the 1700’s and 1800’s (they made cannonballs there, among other things), and was later home to a cranberry farming operation. My appetizer was a chilled, smoked gazpacho filled with crisp summer vegetables and a small scoop of chive and sour cream ice cream, topped with a Parmesan crisp.  For my entrée, I had succulent sea scallops, skewered on a piece of sugar cane and grilled, accompanied by plump sautéed shrimp, chorizo and fennel couscous, and sautéed greens.  The rim of the plate was drizzled with pomegranate cachaca (sugar cane brandy from Brazil) honey spiced with grains of paradise (a spice from West Africa, like black pepper with notes of flowers, coriander, and cardamom).  Whew! It all worked together very nicely.  Dessert was a plate of small, warm banana fritters flavored with cinnamon and chocolate, served with a dish of warm caramel sauce for dipping.

--At Cork Restaurant and Wine Bar in New Bedford, Mass.: A local wine retailer bought and restored an ancient stone warehouse near the waterfront and turned it into a superb wine bar serving an eclectic variety of small and large plates.  I enjoyed a tasting menu paired with some interesting wines.  My favorite was a mixed grill of tender, marinated beef and pork and sausages served with house-made baked beans and smoked tomato ketchup.  I also had a delicious Tuscan white bean soup garnished with crisp pancetta, which paired beautifully with a Malbec rosé from Argentina.

--From Parlow Mill Farm in Marion, Mass.: Amidst all the gluttony, I made a number of trips to this wonderful organic farm, where I picked up gorgeous raspberries, cucumbers, homemade blackberry rhubarb jam, and an exotic variety of freshly picked salad greens that I dressed with a little lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and grated Parmesan.

Shortly we’ll be heading back east again for a little more time there, which is a good thing.  We need to check out the lobster rolls at a place recommended by friends and family, have dinner at few more of our favorite haunts, ride our bikes to have a beer at the new bar in the town café, and sample the copious gourmet fare at a “gourmet outlet” in New Bedford.  How will we fit it all in?

I hope you’ve found some culinary treasures close to home, as well, and may the rest of your summer be delicious.

What I Ate on My Summer Vacation IV

Summer 2009

Hope you’re getting to enjoy the summer--dangling your toes in some water somewhere, devouring some fresh, sweet corn, playing your favorite outdoor sport, whether it’s softball or sunbathing, and getting your teeth into some luscious peaches or ripe, red tomatoes.  I’ve been in Massachusetts most of the summer, dodging the rain showers and wearing a sweatshirt to stay warm, but still having a fine time.  As always, I’ve had some great culinary adventures, so here’s a short report.

What I Ate on My Summer Vacation IV

--So far, it’s been the summer of lobster: Nearly perfect lobster rolls (bun lightly toasted, big chunks of chilled lobster dressed lightly with good mayo) from the Oxford Creamery in Mattapoisett, tender ravioli stuffed with lobster and ricotta and served with a tomato and chive butter sauce at Ella’s in Wareham, and, believe it or not, terrific lobster pizza with a crisp, chewy housemade crust at Marc Anthony’s, a big rowdy place in Onset, where they shout your name above the din when your food is ready.

--I found a new destination: Federal Hill in Providence, Rhode Island, an old Italian neighborhood filled with restaurants and specialty food shops, where we’ve picked up amazing cheeses, prosciutto, antipasti, olives, breads, and delicious Italian pastries and wines.  One day we ate lunch there at an outdoor café--mine was a zucchini blossom stuffed with goat cheese and prosciutto, breaded and lightly fried, eggplant grilled and rolled around herbed ricotta and topped with warm marinara sauce and Parmesan, all washed down with a glass of Prosecco, and then hazelnut gelato for dessert.

--On a visit home to Kansas City I had dinner with my family at the Classic Cup Café on the Country Club Plaza. I feasted on a beautiful piece of sear-roasted sea bass served on a bed of fresh corn and lentils with a bright green English pea and cream sauce.

--On a sailing trip to Martha’s Vineyard, we discovered a great new restaurant, Détente, in Edgartown, where I savored local striped bass served on an island of hazelnut and zucchini risotto surrounded by a light smoked paprika sauce. Dessert was a plum tart topped with ground pistachios, with a scoop of chocolate chipotle sorbet on the side.

    Lots of good eating and inspiration!  May the rest of your summer be full of both, as well.