Varmint

On Friday, we had a “napoleon” of heirloom tomatoes, warm purple-hulled peas with a mint vinaigrette and marinated goat cheese. Main course was grilled double cut pork chops (brined, of course), served atop braised greens, grilled peach halves and 24 year old balsamico (from the Babbo cookbook). Dessert was boring individual chocolate-mint cakes. Still good, though. Dinner last night was homemade tomato soup with pesto, parmesan-crusted fried flounder, pasta with fresh pesto (I made over a gallon yesterday), and thyme-infused butter beans. Dessert was peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream.

Having spent an evening in the urgent care center after my doctor wife refused to treat my second degree hand burns, I will confirm that jsolomon's advice is very sound. I used this course of treatment, and 10 days later, my hand is sufficiently healed that I'll be able to play golf on Friday!!! Oh, Dr. Mrs. Varmint didn't really refuse to treat me, she just wouldn't prescribe me the pain meds I wanted for that first night! Thus, the urgent care visit. Thank heavens for percocet!

I actually did mention to Scott that he just ask Lance Armstrong. If anyone knows decent Tex-Mex in Paris, Lance should!

An old buddy of mine is currently riding in the Tour de France and is tired of the daily food routine. For some reason, he's now craving Mexican food and can't stop thinking about finding a great Mexican restaurant in Paris after the Tour is over. Any suggestions? Name, address and phone number is what he needs!

Why is it that some spirits have a reputation of causing the most god-awful hangovers or for making folks sick -- tequila, for example? Similarly, have there been any studies showing that mixing liquors will make the next day more painful? If so, why is that the case???

I'll be making something comparable to Mario Batali's recipe for grilled pork chops, grilled peaches and aged balsamico on some form of semi-bitter green. Very simple.

I just received my KA grinder and sausage stuffer. Experiments to come (after burgers for tonight, however!).

This is why I use a rubber cutting board most of the time. It's soft, can be sanded down, doesn't slide, can go in the dishwasher, and if it warps, pop it in a 225F oven for 20 minutes to flatten it out. They're heavy as hell, but it's a good alternative once you've discarded your warped wooden board!

Here's Vin's website. Note that the wine list on the site is just for wines sold by the glass -- three different pour sizes. I've said it before, and I'll repeat it here: the reason for Vin's excellent wine program comes from the fact that its owner is Chrish Peel, who also owns Carolina Wine Company, which I can say without hyperbole is the most important wine shop in the Southeast. The value of CWC comes not what they have in their shop or with their internet sales -- it comes from their email offers, where most of their stuff is presold well before arrival. I've previously said that Vin wasn't likely to be my "go to" restaurant in the area, primarily because of the lack of complexity of Chef Christensen's dishes. I think it's time for me to go back and re-evaluate. Thanks for the report, Don.

Bluefish cakes are a traditional coastal dish, consisting of bluefish cooked until flaky, cooked potatoes, and raw onions. Pan fry.

I'm unfamiliar with the flavor of the fig leaves. Anyone have any insight?

For more fig ideas, check out this old thread: Fig-aro, fig-aro, fig-aro!!!

I've had Ben's version of the soup and made it myself several times. Bacon and crabmeat work very well with the spicy soup. I also like to make fried green tomato "croutons" to add a little crunch to the top of the soup.

Thanks for the report. Our friends who live in Mt. Pleasant (just north of Charleston) always rave about the Mustard Seed, so I'll need to give it a try next time.

lala, if you need to choose one place and you enjoy the outdoors, go to Acadia. PM me if you need any specific guidance about the island.

What kind of prices are you getting on those, John? My local retailer is selling the Shiraz and Sarah's blend for $15 a bottle (case price) and the Cabernet and Merlot at $14. Just trying to compare.

Whenever someone visits us who isn't from these parts, I either make them a full-fledged Southern breakfast or take them to a restaurant that serves this wonderful food. It may not make them into a convert of grits or biscuits with molasses, but it shows them how to get full in a hurry! I'd be interested to hear if anyone recalls their first "Southern breakfast."

Why don't you just hire Steve Klc? I'm sure he can give you the "Insider's Special."

must . . . . still . . . . do . . . . fried . . . . whole . . . . live . . . . lobster . . . .

I used tea-infused rum to make a Southern style "Sweet Tea Shooter" for my pig pickin' last year. I think there's a ton of potential using tea infusions. I actually infused for a couple of days, though (in a mason jar, of course! ).

To me, macaroni and cheese is one of the finest dishes one can make on a cold day (yes, I'm dreaming of fall already). Plus, the kids love it. I've made mac & cheese with lots of different cheeses, but I'd like to hear from you what cheeses you would suggest for this dish that might be a bit off of the mainstream.

Bakatsias currently owns Spice Street, Parizade and George's Garage. I wish I could remember all the places he's owned over the years, but one I remember is Cafe Georgios.

Last minute dinner on Friday with friends. Bruschetta of yellow squash, shiitake, aromatics with soft cheese blend melted on top! Thanks for all the suggestions. Gazpacho with shrimp and pumpkin seeds. This was inspired by a bowl of gazpacho I recently had at Landmarc. Seared tuna with funky succotash of corn, butterbeans, crowder peas, shiitake, tomato and orzo, served with a pomegranite vinaigrette. Inspiration came from the Babbo Cookbook. A friend made a mighty fine peach poundcake with fresh peaches macerated in brown sugar, peach schnappes and Grand Marnier.

Two years ago, we spent a week in Bar Harbor, ME for our summer vacation. We totally fell in love with the town and its surroundings, including Acadia National Park. When we were deciding where to vacation this year, the choice was obvious -- Maine. Instead of staying in Bar Harbor, the largest and busiest town on Mt. Desert Island, we rented a house on the "quiet side" of the island in Southwest Harbor. It's exactly 1,000 miles from Raleigh to this heavenly place, and we're a driving family (it gets mighty expensive to fly a family of 6 anywhere these days). With children aged 3, 5, 8 and 10, we also need to have a fair amount of patience and not be overly concerned with how quickly we get up there. Moreover, we'd be taking two cars, leaving NC at different times. I got the 3 and 5 year old L'il Varmints and left early Friday morning. Mrs. V got the older two, left at 4 PM, and had our dear family friend to help with the driving. On Saturday morning, we finally hit Maine, and at the last minute when I realized we were making very good time, I decided to take the coastal route so I could try a lobster roll from Red's Eats in Wiscassett, ME. Red's is pretty famous for their lobster rolls, primarily because of the amazing amount of lobster in each sandwich. Two years ago when I went through this town, Red's was closed. When I pulled into Wiscassett this year, it was closed again. However, we were early -- it was only 11:10 AM, and Red's would open at 11:30. I saw a restaurant across the street from Red's and decided to let the most l'il of the L'il Varmints have lunch there. This little eating establishment is Sarah's, and it was a very pleasant surprise. First, they bake their own bread, and about a dozen varieties at that. They also have great looking house-made desserts. Even their kids' menu (egad) was a bit different. Finally, they have a strong variety of soups. My 5 year old son ordered a kids' calzone, and it was quite a surprise, filled with lots of cheese and pepperoni. Although I wanted to save my total appetite for Red's, I felt compelled to order something, and had a very strong bowl of haddock chowder. As I left the place, I was a bit saddened that I didn't try any of their desserts, but a lobster roll with my name on it was waiting for me across the street. Well, the line at Red's wasn't moving very quickly. Why? Because their deep frier had just gone on the fritz. Nevertheless, I ordered a lobster roll, noticed a sign acknowledging all the great publicity Red's has received (the sign mentioned Holly Moore, which should never surprise anyone these days), and then paid my $13.78. I was about to eat the most expensive sandwich of my life. Fifteen minutes later, I had my lobster roll in hand with some drawn butter on the side. The bun was overloaded with lobster -- both tail and claw meat. Folks, I hate to say this -- perhaps the fact that I'm not someone who is completely enamored with lobster is shining through -- but the sandwich just didn't do it for me. I think that it has something to do with the purity of this lobster roll -- it was lobster and bread and no more (except for whatever butter you added). I've come to the realization that I prefer my lobster rolls to have some other "stuff" in them -- more of a lobster salad than just lobster. Plus, the tail meat was also overcooked and very tough. It was a pretty sandwich, and for a lobster maniac, it might be orgasmic. It was an ok expensive sandwich to me. There are four other places that deserve some attention. First is Beals Lobster Pound in Southwest Harbor, ME. There's a running debate about whether Beals or Thurston's has the best lobster poind on Mt. Desert Island. We went to Thurston's last trip and hit Beals this time, and we prefer Thurston's. The lobsters are good at both places, but Beals just didn't give us the right "feel" to it. However, you wouldn't go wrong at either place. Another popular destination for food is the Jordan Pond Lodge which is smack dab in the middle of Acadia National Park and is operated by the National Park Service. The restaurant itself isn't anything great, but the views are super. Plus, their popovers may alone support the entire existence of this establishment. Now, I won't claim these are the best popovers in the world, nor are they consistently great, but when you walk into this restaurant after hiking for several hours, having a hot popover with some strawberry preserves puts you into a unparalleled state of bliss -- particularly when it's cool outside and a large fire is roaring in the center of the dining room. My 5 year old son, Benjamin, devoured 3 of those suckers in about 15 minutes. If you're in Bar Harbor, you have to go to Ben & Bill's Chocolate Emporium, which is equally well known for its candy and its ice cream. They make hundreds of different truffles and all their own ice cream, including the grotesque lobster ice cream. It is Maine, you know. Finally, I have to mention what may be one of the more unusual hot dog joints I've ever seen -- The Down East House of Dogs, with is just south of Southwest Harbor on Seawall Road. First, the people who own this place enjoy their work and like dealing with people. When they take your order, they, like many places, give you a number -- in the form of a bingo ball. They yell out order numbers as if it were the jackpot winner in the St. Agatha's Tuesday Night Bingo Extravaganza. They just have a lot of fun. What makes the place really unusual is that they carry about 15-20 different types of franks on their menu. Want a Sabrett's? A Usingers? How about a Vienna Beef or Fenway Frank or a Nathan's? They got 'em there. Steamed or fried? They'll make your dog as you like it, and we liked this place so much, we ate there 3 times!!! We don't go to Maine for the food, but we always manage to find some decent places. Now we need to figure when to go back. Sarah's in Wiscasset. Haddock Chowder from Sarah's Some of Sarah's bread A few desserts at Sarah's The kids' calzone at Sarah's Red's Eats THE Lobster Roll from Red's Beals Lobster Pound Lobster under wraps. Lobster, some clams, corn and butter. A nice cold beer went very well with this meal! Happy diners at Beals. A view from Beals' docks. Popover and tea at the Jordan Pond House. "What am I supposed to do with that thing, Dad?" View from just in front of Jordan Pond House. Interior of Ben & Bill's Some ice cream varieties An ice cream flavor that should never have been invented. Down East House of Dogs. Foot long, anyone??? Acadia in the fog. I love this place!

Thanks for everyone's suggestion. I ended up doing a bruschetta with a fine dice of the yellow exterior of the squash. I sauteed that with onion, garlic, shiitake, basil, and a touch of balsamico. I spooned this onto grilled bread, topped with a mix of 3 cheeses, and melted under the broiler. It was pretty successful, so I appreciate all the great ideas. And my sister-in-law was happy, even though she ate but 2 bites (she's pregnant and food can suddenly turn disgusting to her!). I think she would have really liked it under different circumstances.