Like many Mainers, at this time of year I’ve got a little bit of cabin fever (yeah, that’s putting it mildly). And while I love eating out, it can get pricey. That’s why I’m excited about the first annual Restaurant Week Maine, which starts this Sunday, March 1st, and runs through Tuesday, March 10th. Over 60 restaurants throughout the state, many of them here in Portland, will be offering specially-priced three-course menus, ranging from $20.09 to $40.09 per person.

My mouth is watering already, from the Lobster Mac & Cheese being offered at Gritty McDuff’s, to the Porcini and Spinach Risotto with Duck Leg Confit at Ribollita. As if that’s not enough, there are several special events being offered, ranging from “Music, Mussels, and Cold River Vodka” this Monday night at Bull Feeney’s, to a delightful sounding champagne-filled evening with the author of “The Widow Clicquot,” Tilar Mazzeo, being held at the Camden Harbour Inn on Wednesday, March 4.

You can find the full list of participating restaurants and their menu selections at RestaurantWeekME.com. Info on all the special events can be found by clicking the champagne bottle at the main website, or by going here. Please note: reservations are strongly recommended.

My only problem will be choosing which restaurant(s) to go to, there are so many great choices on the list. I’m sure whatever the choice, I won’t be disappointed; we’re lucky to have such a wide variety of culinary choices and fantastic chefs practically at our doorstep. I hope you get a chance to sample some of the restaurants this coming week. If you do, be sure to stop back and leave a comment (and if you’ve got any recommendations for me, those are always welcome too!).

Looking for something “cool” to do this weekend? How about heading downtown to the Portland Harbor Hotel for their Ice Bar? We wandered into this event by accident one year, and it was fantastic. I see that Costa Vida is providing hors d’oeuvres. We recently ate at Costa Vida in S. Portland, and the owner, Fred, is a great guy as well as a fab provider of tasty food. Here are the details:

PORTLAND HARBOR HOTEL HEATS UP WINTER WITH ITS ANNUAL ICE BAR JANUARY 22, 23, AND 24

PORTLAND, Maine – Portland Harbor Hotel welcomes the cold of winter with its Annual Ice Bar event Thursday, January 22 through Saturday, January 24. The Ice Bar runs from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. each night and has become a popular event for New Englanders seeking a fun wintry escape. Surrounded with white lights, outdoor firepits and gleaming ice sculptures, the Ice Bar is a unique and unusual way to take advantage of the cold winter months in Maine.

Portland Harbor Hotel chef and ice carver Jeff Landry will meticulously carve more than 7,000 lbs. of ice into three working bars, complete with a martini luge. Located outside in the hotel’s courtyard garden, bundled patrons can sip on specialty martinis, wine and local beers. Complimentary light hors d’oeuvres will be served courtesy of Costa Vida and Burrito. Guests will also be entertained each night by special guest, DJ Jason Keith.

The Portland Harbor Hotel will be charging a $10 cover charge to attend the Ice Bar with proceeds going to three different non-profits. On Thursday night, the cover charge will support the Southern Maine chapter of Share our Strength. On Friday night, the cover will go to the Keep ME Warm fund. On Saturday night, the cover will support the Center for Grieving Children.

The Portland Harbor Hotel has special Ice Bar packages for the nights of the event starting at $129 a night, double occupancy.

Visit www.portlandharborhotel.com, or call 207-775-9090 for more information about the Ice Bar event.

If you live anywhere in New England, or the Northeast, for that matter, you are no doubt painfully aware of the weather today. According to the news, over a million people on the East Coast lost power due to the massive ice storm, us included. Fortunately, our power came back on at 2:30 p.m., after being off since about 7:00 a.m. All I missed was a hot cup of coffee.

My husband had already taken the car to work; not knowing what else was open in the neighborhood due to the power outage, I opted for a V8 instead of attempting to walk down the street on the ice-glazed sidewalks. A V8 wasn’t as stimulating as a steaming cup of coffee, but probably healthier. Luckily, I’d made quiche last night, so I had a cold slice of that for breakfast, followed by some chocolate. Hey, the heat was off, I had to build up my reserves to keep warm.

I’ve been busy working on a freelance research project, so haven’t been blogging much lately, but had to share some pictures.

This is the barberry bush near our door:

This is a yew:

And a view of the trees in the neighborhood. You can see the ice coating the power lines:

Anyway, I want to express my gratitude to whoever it was at Central Maine Power who worked on getting our power back on. I was not looking forward to sitting here in the dark. I hope everyone else gets their power back on soon. Stay safe!

This just came across the Whoopie Pie & Lobster radar:

Angela LeBlanc, a PORTopera Board member, will be dazzling Rob Caldwell and WCSH TV’s audience with her cooking skills and a recipe from Cucina del Bel Canto on 207 next Monday, December 8, during the 7 p.m. broadcast.

To pre-order copies contact Angela LeBlanc at 207-985-1975.

Cucina del Bel Canto includes over 500 recipes gathered from area chefs, foodies, singers and board members.

“Cooking is like making music. Put all the right notes together and you have perfect harmony. Apply the same concept to Cucina del Bel Canto’s many wonderful recipes and Ecco la, a great dish!,” said PORTopera cookbook committee chair Angela LeBlanc.

The cookbook is filled with stunning images of past PORTopera productions by photographer Martha Mickles and the book design features a useful built-in easel.

The cookbook is underwritten by Selma Pluznick and the Oscar Pluznick Foundation. This limited edition print run will retail for $24.95; only 500 copies are available. A second volume will follow in the future.

If you’re a lover of good food and good music, this is something you will want in your cookbook library. At $24.95, this book is a steal and a great gift for the chef or foodie in your life. You can visit PORTOpera’s website at www.portopera.org to get a peek at the gorgeous cover.

I grew up in a family with five kids, so I’m used to making large-quantity dishes: casseroles, roasts, big pots of soup, etc. A lot of times around here we end up with tons of leftovers that seem to sneak into the back of the fridge, only to be discovered when they’re ready to be used as a science experiment.

The holidays are coming up, as well as winter, and that’s a double-whammy for the waistline, so I’ve been looking for healthy recipes in addition to aspiring to make smaller quantity dishes. I came upon this recipe for Mediterranean Fish, which I modified slightly.

First, I assembled my ingredients:

As you can see, I decided to add a green pepper to the mix. That baggie contains oregano (no, seriously, it does!), obtained from the bulk spice section at Hannaford. If you’ve never gotten anything there, take a peek: that much oregano probably cost about 20 cents.

I sauteed the onion and green pepper in a bit of olive oil, then added a splash of white wine and the chopped garlic. Then I dumped in a can of chopped tomatoes, drained, about 1/4 cup of sliced black olives (you could probably get 4 Kalamata olives from the antipasto bar at Hannaford if you want to be true to the recipe), and stirred in the grated orange peel.

At this point, the recipe instructs you to place your fish in a baking pan and pour the topping over it. I had purchased 4 tilapia fillets, however, which are pretty thin and cook up fast, so I decided to do it on the stovetop. Tilapia is a mild white fish, generally inexpensive, and can be substituted in many recipes calling for white fish.

I drizzled my fillets with a little olive oil, then seasoned them with salt and pepper:

I pulled back the veggies and set the fillets in the pan, oil side down, and covered them up with the veggies, which were quite moist with the addition of the tomatoes:

I turned the heat down to low, and slapped the lid on:

I set the timer to 15 minutes, but if you’re using a thinner or thicker cut of fish, adjust accordingly. This gave me time to relax with a glass of wine and then prep my side, which was a whole-grain demi-baguette and some Vermont goat cheese:

You could also serve this dish with rice or pasta, but we felt like splurging a little. My husband had picked out a split of Pouilly-Fuissé wine to go with dinner:

Pouilly-Fuissé is actually a white burgundy, and it went very well with the tangy goat cheese. As soon as the timer went off, the fish was done perfectly, moist from it’s covering of veggies, and we both enjoyed it very much:

I’ve also baked tilapia, covered with a mixture of tomato (fresh or canned), cilantro, garlic, and lemon or lime juice. I just pour a small amount of olive oil into a small glass casserole dish, put in the fillets and turn them once to coat them with the oil. Then I mix together my topping, sometimes adding some bread crumbs, and a little more olive oil, and put it on top of the fillets. It seems to take a little longer when baking, maybe 20 minutes, but it’s a very forgiving fish.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy meal to offset all those holiday goodies, why not try some Mediterranean-style fish?

With the price of lobster right now, why slave over a hot stove all day when you can cook a succulent Maine lobster in less than 15 minutes?

Think about it. A traditional Thanksgiving dinner involves days and days of preparation, standing in long lines at the grocery store, and hours of clean-up. With lobster, all you need is a pot of hot water and a stick of butter. If you want to get really fancy, you can nuke a couple of potatoes on the side, but I prefer my lobster unspoilt by silly things like side dishes.

Do you think all the Pilgrims really sat around eating turkey on Thanksgiving? Heck no, they ate what they had at hand, and I’m betting lobster would have graced many a Thanksgiving table back in the day.

If you don’t live on the coast of Maine like I do, you can order a Lobster Gram. Right now they’re having a sale of up to 50% off on their lobster packages. Just want some lobster meat or tails? Check out the listing of online lobster retailers at the Maine Lobster Council’s website. They also have tons of nifty lobster recipes.

It’s no secret that the Maine lobster industry is suffering right now, in large part due to the credit crunch affecting Canadian processing plants. Certainly the American consumer won’t be able to pick up all the slack, but a lobster in every pot this Thanksgiving would be a start.

Photo credit: Jurek Durczak.

My husband and I went to Harvest on the Harbor’s Culinary Marketplace yesterday, held at the new Ocean Gateway cruise ship and CAT ferry terminal on Portland’s waterfront. One of the event’s main sponsors, Shaw’s, had an artful display set up near the entrance:

After we got our tickets, we were each given an etched wineglass, and directed out through the rear doors of the main building to the walkway ramps beyond. We chose to go up to the Lifestyle Lounge, on the 2nd floor, first. The Lifestyle Lounge was a showcase for various merchants, such as furniturea, which makes custom hardwood furniture, Shaw’s Supermarket, as well as wine and food vendors. I was tasting some cracked pepper smoked salmon from Echo Falls when I was accosted by this jovial fellow:

That’s right, it’s Oakie, from the Oakhurst Dairy. That’s my husband, Robert, on the far right, talking to an acquaintance (he never goes anywhere without seeing at least one person he knows).

After high-fiving with Oakie, I moved on to to taste some lobster and shrimp dip made by Tryst, available at Shaws Supermarkets. It was very good, and they had several flavors to choose from.

There were a few wine and food vendors around the room, and we tried some wines from Serenity Vineyards, most notably the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. I also liked the Roger Goulart Brut Rosé, a sparkling rosé which would be great paired with an appetizer, such as smoked salmon.

My husband tugged on my sleeve. “You have to try this chocolate,” he said.

I joined him at the display for Sweet Marguerites Artisanal Chocolates, and tried the Fleur de Sel Caramel, a dazzling concoction of dark chocolate caramel, macadamia nuts and sea salt. That’s right, sea salt. Marguerite Swoboda, owner and proprietor, uses sea salt harvested from the Gulf of Maine in her delectable creations, and believe me, it works. Swoboda, who has a culinary degree and has studied with fine chocolatiers, operates her business in S. Portland, along with her family. You can visit her website, www.sweetmarguerites.com, to order the Fleur de Sel Caramel and many other unique handmade chocolates. Call (207) 767-6121 for more information.

After tasting a few more wines, we decided to head downstairs to the main Culinary Marketplace, an array of over 100 food and wine vendors set up in tents:

Once inside, I wasn’t sure which way to turn. The long row of connected tents was packed with food and wine vendors, and people. According to news reports, there were over 1,000 people in attendance, and I think they were all there at once. Jockeying for a position at the various tables, and holding my wine glass, I didn’t get much of a chance to take photos; but I managed to snap a cellphone picture of some excellent seafood chowder made by the chefs at Oakhurst Dairy:

I moved along, sampling wines from various vendors, most of whom were importers from out-of-state or overseas. We don’t have a ton of wineries here in Maine, but we like to drink it, judging by the number of people milling around holding wineglasses. Most vendors, when asked, said that their products were available at either RSVP Discount Beverage (887 Forest Ave.) or Downeast Beverage on Commercial Street.

I came upon the table for Bartlett Maine Estate Winery, located in Gouldsboro, Maine. I spoke to one of the owners, Kathe Bartlett, as I was sampling their Peach wine. “This is marvelous,” I told her. She nodded enthusiastically. “Like summer in a bottle, isn’t it?” she asked. It definitely was.

Bartlett Winery offers tastings on a seasonal basis, from June until Columbus Day, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They’re located 1/2 a mile off of Route 1 in Gouldsboro, 23 miles east of Ellsworth. So you could take in Schoodic Point on a summer morning and then head over to the winery for a tasting in the afternoon. Visit their website, www.bartlettwinery.com for more information. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen their wines at local liquor stores and grocery stores. My husband and I have tried their semi-dry blueberry wine before, which is an amazing taste, not too sweet at all. Be sure to check it out.

There were several food vendors giving out samples, and honorable mentions go to:

DennyMike’s ‘Cue Stuff, Inc., Particularly Awesome BBQ Sauces & Enhancers. I tried their sweet and hot sauces with chicken, and they were indeed awesome. DennyMike’s products are handcrafted in small batches in York, Maine, are all natural, and contain no fillers. Visit their website, www.DennyMikes.com, for more information.

Black Dinah Chocolatiers, located on Isle Au Haut, Maine, run by Kate Shaffer. I tried a bourbon-filled chocolate and it was divine. Visit their website, www.blackdinahchocolatiers.com, and take a peek at their stunning creations. These would be a perfect dessert at a wedding or anniversary party, or as an extra special Valentine’s Day gift.

Wicked Joe Coffee Roasting Co.: located in Brunswick, the folks from Wicked Joe brewed me up a fresh cup of their French Roast, a dark roast that would really wake you up on a cold Maine winter morning! Available locally or visit their new online coffee shop, www.wickedjoe.com.

Ployes French Acadian Buckwheat Pancake/Crepe/Flat Bread Mix. All I can say is, yum! I was served a mini crepe with butter and maple syrup, hot off the griddle. An older gentleman next to me reminisced about the crepes and how he’d had them as a boy up north. Ployes, made by the Bouchard family in Ft. Kent, Maine, are made from buckwheat grown on their family farm. Other ingredients include wheat flour, aluminum-free baking powder, and salt. The crepes can be filled with sweet or savory fillings. Visit www.ployes.com for information and recipes.

Lakonia Greek Olive Oil. Obviously, we don’t have olive groves in Maine, but we like our food, and Daphne Rioux, founder of Lakonia, has set up shop in Saco, where you can purchase this fine olive oil for your next party or culinary event of your own. I tried the extra virgin olive oil and the lemon dressing and they were both fantastic. Lakonia also sells Wild Greek Oregano, Greek Mountain Team and Kalamata Olives. They are located at 575 Main Street, Suite 1, in Saco. Their website is coming soon, but you can call (207) 282-4002 or email lakoniaoliveoil@gmail.com for more info.

Next, I moved onto Two Fat Cats Bakery, Sweets Made from Scratch, located at 47 India Street, Portland. I had a chocolate cupcake with white buttercream frosting, and it was delicious. Two Fat Cats specializes in old-fashioned cakes, cupcakes, pies and cookies. They are the winner of the 2007 Best Bakery award from Boston Magazine and have been featured in Food & Wine magazine as well. Two Fat Cats is at India & Middle Streets, across from Port City Glass and is open daily. Call (207) 347-5144, or visit their website, www.twofatcatsbakery.com.

Cabin Fever Maple Spirit Liqueur. Developed by Robert Robillard of Custom Spirits, LLC, this unique beverage, which is 80 proof, tastes like maple syrup, but it’s not too sweet. Robillard told me that it took him 5 years to perfect the recipe, and believe me, that was five years well spent. Located just down the road apiece in New Hampshire, you can check out their website at www.customspiritsllc.com. In addition to the Maple Spirit Liqueur, Custom Spirits will work with you to create your own unique spirit.

Cold River Vodka. I tried the blueberry flavor, which was awesome. Made with Maine potatoes, Cold River Vodka, is located in Freeport. Visit their website at www.coldrivervodka.com, for more information on this excellent Maine beverage.

Then I sampled some lobster bisque made by the Maine Lobster Promotion Council. What can I say? Maine lobster is wonderful, and you should go out and buy some today. Visit their website, www.lobsterfrommaine.com, for recipes and info on ordering Maine lobster.

I spotted Amy Bouchard from Isamax Snacks, and stopped to chat with her. She loved the name of my blog (”Two of the best things in Maine!”) and promptly handed me two mini whoopie pies, which I saved for later. I used her recipe when I participated in Operation Baking GALS and sent some Whoopie Pies to some of our service members on the USS Lincoln. Let me tell you, folks, hers are a lot better than mine! You can order them at www.wickedwhoopies.com. Here’s a photo of the whoopie pies, just before I gobbled them down:

It was getting on toward 2:00, and I left the food tents and headed over to the cooking demonstration tent, set up on the lawn area near the Ocean Gateway. Amazingly, they had a full kitchen, complete with a Viking oven, inside the tent:

I was lucky enough to arrive just as another demo had finished, so I got a front row seat to see The Brass Sisters, authors of Heirloom Cooking with the Brass Sisters. The Brass Sisters were incredibly funny and down to earth, informing the audience that they operate out of galley kitchens in their apartments in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and buy all of their kitchen utensils at yard sales.

They made Toasted Almond Butter Cookies, a recipe garnered from an Austrian-American woman which contains only seven ingredients. As one called out the recipe ingredients, the other mixed them up, and they had them in the oven in less than 15 minutes. Along the way, they playfully bantered with each other, and engaged the audience by answering questions about old-fashioned recipes.

At the end of their demonstration, they passed out cookies, and they were excellent, small buttery crisps melting in your mouth, blended with the flavor of toasted almonds on top. I’m going to have to put their book on my holiday wishlist.

I took another turn upstairs to the Lifestyle Lounge, which was beautifully appointed with a table setting from J’Accents, Inspirational Tablescapes, located at 6 Free Street, Portland.

Visit their website, www.j-accents.com, for a peek at their wares.

The day was coming to an end, so we reluctantly left, carrying our free wine bags from Shaws, our souvenir wineglasses, and the memory of a great day sampling fine cuisine and wines from Maine. Kudos to the Portland Convention and Visitors Bureau for the fantastic job they did putting on this event.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Now that the weather’s changed, why not visit the new Ocean Gateway on Portland’s waterfront this Saturday and experience a smorgasbord of culinary samples from local area shops and restaurants?

The Culinary Marketplace, part of the Harvest on the Harbor festival going on this weekend, takes place all day Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You can see the full schedule here.

I’m excited about the Viking Stage cooking demonstrations, for example, the Brass Sisters, who will be presenting from 2:15 - 2:45:

The Brass Sisters
James Beard Award finalists Marilyn and Sheila Brass launched a whole new cookbook category with their “heirloom” baking recipes. Their book, Heirloom Baking, contains more than 100 years of recipes discovered from Family Cookbooks, original journals, scraps of paper and grandmothers’ kitchens! Join them in this unique opportunity to expereince Heirloom Cooking – their new cookbook due out in October.

Guess where I’ll be on Saturday?

Read on for more info, or visit the Harvest on the Harbor website.

Continue Reading »

Okay folks, as promised, here is Fall Leaf Peeping - Part II!

My husband, Robert, and I, both love to tour around Maine as often as possible. Fortunately, he has a lot of flexibility with his Hypnotherapy and Life Coaching business, so we were able to sneak away to Hancock last week. This was an early celebration of our wedding anniversary, which is… today!

We have relatives who own a lovely waterfront home in Hancock, and they obligingly set it up so that we could stay there for a few days last week. We drove up on Sunday afternoon, and the trees along the highway were brilliant. We stopped at Hannaford in Ellsworth and got something for a light supper: Camembert cheese, smoked salmon, a French baguette, and a bottle of wine. Then we headed to the camp and chilled out on the deck, which overlooks Taunton Bay:

The next morning, we headed to Bar Harbor for breakfast. We ate at Cafe This Way, which was recommended to me by Dawn over at Weldable Cookies. I cannot begin to thank you enough, Dawn, that place serves awesome breakfasts! I had The Harney, which is poached eggs over corned beef hash, topped with hollandaise sauce, and Robert had an omelet with goat cheese. Both were excellent. Cafe This Way is tucked into a little courtyard off Mt. Desert Street, and very easy to find as you enter Bar Harbor. They are a seasonal restaurant, so you’ll have to wait until next year to go there, but if you get up that way next year, be sure to check them out. Give yourself a little time, because they are pretty popular. We had about a 10-minute wait, but the friendly wait staff buzzes around like wildfire, so you’ll get seated sooner than you think. You can even wait on the porch, which has some lovely flowers:

Before we got onto the Park Loop Road and ventured in Acadia National Park, we decided to drive down to the harbor. There was a cruise ship in town:

People stood on the green next to the Bar Harbor Inn, taking in the sights:

It was lovely, but we wanted to get to the main attraction: Acadia National Park. As you may remember, we’d been to Acadia National Park this past July, so we’d already taken the long tour, but had bypassed Jordan Pond. Robert spent some summers on Mt. Desert Island years ago when he was a dancer, so he’s a little more familiar with the layout than I am, and highly recommended seeing Jordan Pond. Here’s a map, so you can see where it’s located.

On the way there, we passed by Eagle Lake. I had to get out and take some pictures, it was so lovely:

The maples were spectacular:

I could have stayed there for a long time, but finally, the road ahead beckoned:

We continued on, and stopped again at an area looking up at South Bubble Mountain. Atop the mountain is a huge boulder, deposited by glaciers thousands of years ago. I saw some people standing next to it, and they looked like ants compared to the giant rock. This picture doesn’t do it justice, but look how it’s perched up there! Amazing, isn’t it?

The trees were flaunting their colors here as well:

The quiet woods drew me in with their peaceful splendor:

We continued on our journey, every bend in the road revealing more of Nature’s beauty:

Soon, we reached Jordan Pond. There is a visitor’s center there, and beyond is a great wide lawn with chairs, and for the more stalwart, a walking trail that encircles the pond. The brickwork on the visitor center was adorned with red vines:

From the lawn behind the center, you can see the pond, with North and South Bubble Mountains in the distance:

This is what it looks like from the water’s edge:

It seemed like there were brilliant trees everywhere:

Near the pond’s edge, bright orange bittersweet berries danced in the crisp autumn breeze:

This particularly showy display caught my eye:

The remains of that morning’s showers were scudding across the sky, and I’d left my fleece vest in the car, so we left Jordan Pond and contemplated our options. We really only had the one day to tour the area, and we both wanted to see some new sights. So we headed back up the Park Loop Road, as continuing further would have led us into the one-way section with no turning around. As we returned toward Bar Harbor, we stopped again to take in the views:

At one spot, there’s a bridge with a view toward Frenchman’s Bay:

Turn around, and you are greeted by a hillside of color:

We exited the park near the Hull’s Cove Visitor Center, and drove up Route 3 to get back to the mainland. From there, we decided to see Lamoine, which is on a peninsula above Mount Desert Island. We meandered through the countryside, which is dotted with picturesque old farmhouses, and finally reached Lamoine Beach:

Turning the other way, I saw the sun glinting on the sea. The beach was piled with lobster traps:

It was a bit chilly for swimming though. I told Robert that I’d love to visit Schoodic Point again. We’d been there in July but as they say, “if you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute.” We gone from an 80-degree sunny day in Hancock to a 65-degree fog bank in under an hour last July. This day, however, promised clearer weather, so we cut across to the Gouldsboro area and down to Schoodic Point.

We were rewarded with marvelous views of the rocks and sea, no fog this day! I could see Mount Desert Island in the distance:

The sun lit up the rocks in the other direction:

People were sitting on the rocks, taking in the splendor of the scenery:

Tired from our excursion, we decided to return to camp and relax before going to dinner in Ellsworth. I took the opportunity to snap a few more photos. This is a closer view of Taunton Bay:

The afternoon sun lit up the trees in the yard:

The woods behind the camp sported some color as well:

After lazing around at camp, we changed for dinner and headed into Ellsworth. We were dining with Robert’s father, who recommended the Cleonice Mediterranean Bistro on Main Street. Cleonice offers tapas, and a mouthwatering menu of elegant dishes, many of which are made up of ingredients from their own farm, Cleonice Artisana. I had escargot from the tapas menu, and Robert had the calamari, which he declared scrumptious. For dinner, I had the Paella Cleonice , prepared with organic chicken, chorizo, shrimp, scallops, steamed mussels and littleneck clams in a saffron-scented Spanish Montezia rice. It was fantastic.

Robert chose a Spanish red, Crianza 2003 Castillo de Fuendejalon’s, to go with dinner. It was unbelievably smooth. We all shared a flourless chocolate cake for dessert, served with Grand Marnier and coffee.

The next morning, we headed back to Portland, driving through Lucerne. The hills were ablaze with color and I was reluctant to leave the area. As always, the Down East area of Maine afforded us with a relaxing getaway, far from the lights and sirens of the city. There’s nothing like waking up to sunrise over Taunton Bay, watching the birds glide on its waters, and perhaps spotting a harbor seal bobbing up and down. The birds flit in the trees, squirrels chase each other in a merry dance, and no phones or traffic intrude upon one’s enjoyment of Nature.

If you enjoyed the views of Hancock and Acadia National Park, you can see more pictures here. There is nothing like Fall in New England, and I’m so glad we were able to see Acadia in all its glory.

I was shopping at Hannaford the other day. As I walked down the cookie aisle, the packages of biscotti caught my eye, and I thought about buying some. Then I thought, why not make them instead? So I picked up some Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips and a small package of slivered almonds in the baking aisle.

The recipe I used, Chocolate Almond Biscotti, was from the Joy of Baking website. Note there is no butter in this recipe, only eggs, sugar and flour. That means it’s healthy, right?

First, I spread my package of almonds onto a cookie sheet and toasted them. The recipe says 350 F for 8-10 minutes, but please watch them: they can go from toasty brown to burnt black in a very short period of time! If you think they might be done, take them out. Here is what mine looked like after toasting:

As you can see, they’re a little on the dark side. Don’t go for the complete toast, just enough to bring out the nutty flavor.

Next, I mixed up my dry ingredients, to be used a bit later. Flour, baking powder and salt, stirred with a fork:

I got out my trusty bright red Kitchenaid mixer, and measured 2/3 cup of white sugar into the bowl, then added 2 large eggs. I set it on low and gradually moved the speed up to high. You want it thick and creamy, not watery, so keep mixing until it resembles a runny vanilla pudding:

After that, it’s time to add the vanilla:

One the vanilla is incorporated, slowly add the flour a little at a time, with the mixer is set to low:

Pretty soon you will end up with a very thick batter:

Scrape off the beater, and remove the bowl from your stand, if necessary (unless you’re using a handheld mixer). The next step is to add the almonds and chocolate chips. I crunched some of the almonds in my hand as I added them, so the pieces were different sizes and textures. The recipe calls for 4 oz. of chocolate, and I had an 11 oz. bag of chips, so I measured out a little less than half the bag, about 1 cup of chips. It will take some elbow grease, but stir them all in until fully distributed throughout the batter:

Now comes the fun part. You have to form this sticky mass, which resembles chocolate chip cookie dough, into a log. The recipe calls for a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, which is probably the best idea. You could also use a silicone baking mat, or, if you’re like me, grease and flour the pan because you forgot to buy parchment paper at the store. I gently pushed the dough onto the pan with my spatula, then formed it into a log:

Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes, and take it out to cool. As you can see, mine cracked a little:

The recipe said to cool the log on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slice on a cutting board. I did not do this, because I didn’t want to break my log in half by transferring it around. All the times I’ve made biscotti, I’ve just let it cool on the cookie sheet and it comes out fine.

After 10 minutes, slice the log into pieces. Mine were a bit thick, so go just a tad thinner if possible:

Gently turn the pieces onto their sides, and pop back into the oven for 10-15 minutes, then turn over and bake again for the same amount of time. I went the whole 15 minutes on both sides, and used tongs to turn them at the halfway mark. You don’t want to break them after all the work!

This is what they looked like after baking on both sides:

I had some chocolate chips leftover, so I decided these babies needed a bit of dipping. You can never have too much chocolate! I melted the rest of my chips, along with a couple of tablespoons of Crisco, in a glass loaf pan, placed in the microwave at 15 second intervals. Once the chocolate is almost melted, and there are a few chunks left, remove it from the microwave and stir. The hot chocolate will melt the rest for you.

I was not sparing in my dipping, either:

These are the finished biscotti. I took these two over to my neighbor, who is watching my cat when we go to Arcadia for a few days:

Probably should have used the flash there, it was getting on toward supper time and my light was fading as the sun started going down.

The rest of the biscotti were left to cool on waxed paper, and mysteriously, 3 of them were missing this morning.

Note: I will never use Crisco again with my melted chocolate! It rose out as it cooled and now it’s speckled with white streaks, not bad tasting, but very unattractive. In the past I’ve added a tiny bit of vegetable oil, just to smooth it out, but you can also use those tubs of specially made dipping chocolate, sold in the baking aisle. Sometimes you see them in the produce section near the strawberries. I just happen to like the dark chocolate chips. Chocolate dipping tips welcome!

We’re heading up to Acadia way this afternoon, and I’ll be taking lots of photos for my Fall Leaf Peeping - Part II. Have a great Columbus Day!