johnnyd

Lobsterbakes are the most fun you can have on a New England shoreline in my opinion. The few I've been to take all day to engineer - which is fun in itself - and if you have a big old bonfire handy, the action lasts well into the night. In the past few years, locations for lobsterbakes have gotten more difficult to find here in Southern Maine. Some members may remember my attempts in 2004 to stage an eGullet lobster feast somewhere near Portland but I was turned away from local city parks and private shoreline is, well, private. This week, The Maine Switch, a Portland-based weekly lifestyle newspaper, featured this local tradition on it's cover, and to my delight, my charming friend Courtney MacIsaac, the Chef/Owner of The Great Maine Lobster Bake Co. Courtney grew up on Peaks Island, a short ferry ride from Portland, and really knows what she's doing. She has a special stainless steel steamer, custom-built to her specs, in which to get the job done. Her menu provides all the traditional side dishes - steamers, mussels, corn-on-the-cob, slaw, blueberry pie - and for a per-head price, sets it all up and breaks it all down too. Mobile lobster Bake companies are the way to go in these parts. As suitable locations become harder to come by, leave it to the experts to come by your house and fire it up for you. Other Mobile Lobster/Clam Bake outfits: Sam's Great Northern Lobster Bakes Portland, Maine Up in Booth Bay, Cabbage Island Clambakes runs a regular feast on 5-acre Cabbage Island in Linekin Bay. Price includes a round trip aboard the Argo. Further Downeast, you will find more location opportunities and relaxed shore access... and probably cheaper lobsters. Should you take the plunge and do your own, the Maine Switch link above has a 7-step lobsterbake checklist (Thanks go out to Karen Beaudoin, editor, The Maine Switch for photo permission)

Katie: This was a light bulb moment, I must say. I prepared the ceviche around noon with ten littlenecks (and their liquor) juice from two limes, a small handful of cilantro, chopped garlic and one thai chili, minced. Once I got home and started prepping the main meal, I had to sample a couple clams. I've always felt that ceviche made sweet, hard-shell clams even sweeter (I always serve freshly shucked clams with a lime wedge - there's no substitute). Once I started on a traditional caipirinha, knocking a half a shot down in the process, I tasted the potential profile in my mouth! I was also thinking of the oyster shooter as a precedent. A hint of ocean flavor added an angle perhaps akin to a salted rim for a tequila shot, just not nearly as bold. It was really quite good. So good, I made another, but neglected to chill the cachaca. Even though the ceviche juices were cold, it was hardly as successful, in fact it was, well, something I will never do again. So if you make a clamparinha, CHILL your cachaca! And thanks for the Sour Cherrry ideas. I did notice the concentration. The possibilities are vast.

I have acquired Marco Polo Sour Cherry Syrup so a cherry lime caipirinha is in my future. I am guessing equal amount cherry syrup and fresh lime juice, totaling one part - no sugar - to one and a half (two?) parts cachaca. Katie, set me straight if you have tweaked this recipe to perfection. In the meantime, I made this abomination a month or so ago and put it up on the Dinner thread. Behold! The Clamparinha! Yes! It is a littleneck clam bathed for four hours in a ceviche (limejuice/cilantro/garlic/thai chili), then plopped in a chilled 1/2shot of Pirassunanga 51. Yes, it was good!

What happened to Browne Trading? Even if some red tide affects local growers they will get product elsewhere. They are now selling razor clams FYI.

The Grill Room & Bar was hoppng tonigt. We had, Stuffed Mushrooms - duck and blue cheese roasted mushrooms 9 Tartar - beef with all the fixings 12 Fried Oysters - warm bacon, apple, spinach, tabasco-honey vinaigrette & hollandaise 10 Crispy Sweetbreads - capers, lemon & butter 8 Roasted Marrow Bones - parsley salad, grilled bread 8 A selection of beers, wine, tequila and champagne. Great space here.

This year's Greek Festival runs Thursday through Saturday, June 26 - 28.

Hey Brody, Another fan (we all are here) of admirably obsessive projects. Any chance you can snap a picture or two of the fruits of your labor? Thanks to rooftop1000, I remember now how much more engaging Varmint's pig-pickin topic was with Jason & Rachels photography. Not that you need another chore on the list, though! Carry on.

They are indeed. It turns out, Samantha, a co-owner, knew Andrew in school and suggested building a show around Portland Maine. Click Here for a report on the big Deathmatch cook-off on an island out in Casco Bay last Sunday that was taped for the TV show. It was a blast. After the show airs I can fill in some blanks and add more pictures.

That's pretty close to Nell's (The Nightclub) recipe. Except they used something like equal parts butter to eggs. Whisk in a double boiler for a long time. I've long since lost the recipe but boy was it ever good.

Outstanding. Feeds a family for CAN$1.60. So how long in the oven at what temperature?

An interesting addition to the party was an experimental brew from Allagash Brewery, a Portland, ME based microbrewer specializing in Belgian-style beers. They had isolated a special Brettanomyces yeast from Belgium and cultivated it in-house. The yeast was among others in a recipe added to a Belgian-style base and stored in some French oaken wine barrels for two years. Eight 5-gallon kegs were ready this month and we got one. It had a winey characteristic but overall a complex flavor. Fascinating. The yet-to-be-named brew will not be for sale for another two years. D.L. Geary Brewing gave us a couple cases of it's signature Pale and seasonal Summer as well (thanks, David!). So the Deathmatch Posse scored big time today. Even though the party will be whittled down mightily to a scant six or so minutes, we'll get a few seconds of face-time on cable TV. Besides having cameras record your every slice and dice, it differed also in that we were missing a couple of regulars who decided to take some needed time off, and for the television audience, a ballot was created. The criteria was good-natured (sorry: have to wait for the show) but for that reason it wasn't a real Deathmatch. We'll be back with a yet-to-be determined theme some time in the early autumn, in the peace of our Portland home location. Andrew's show featured some terrific features of Maine's food landscape, much of which I leave to the broadcast itself, but a recent post on The Ethicurean.com finds site author Bonnie Powell at Rabelais Books the day of Andrew's visit. Boy, was she surprised. Andrew wraps up the show against a stunning backdrop of ocean and sky... A special thanks goes out to everyone who made this possible, especially our island hosts. As soon as I know a broadcast date and/or alternative viewing opportunities I will post it here. After broadcast, I know at least a hundred additional photos are available of the event and the best will be posted here because, well, you just have to see some of those plates.

It really was a stunning piece of weather, Margo. The first hot day of the Summer, but cooler on the island. A bit of breeze late in the day, but well after we had wrapped. As for air date, the original plan was to air it in August but after shooting finished and we all started to kick back and party, Andrew and Kel were mulling over new options. The week in Maine exceeded their expectations so far that a more premier spot on the schedule is being considered - maybe even a season finale. Keep an eye on this topic for updates. Dude! You would have loved this! Once the show is broadcast I'll post more about the menu, with pics. I am dying... dying, sitting here not being able to elaborate more on the food at this spectacular gig!

The cameras followed the circle of tables stopping at each station. Andrew chatted with the chef, shot a few close-ups and sampled some Deathmatch cooking. This is Mitch, who works at Portland's new French Restaurant/Bistro, Evangeline, He is a seriously accomplished chef and therefore, slightly deranged. Good for us too because he pulled off some incredible food, Andrew thought so too.

About 11:00 or so, Andrew and Kel call the group around the veranda to brief everybody on what is about to happen. Various camera strategies are explained. Tips on being on camera were announced. Everything seemed to be on schedule and no one - of course - was in trouble prep-wise. A few of us [raises hand] hadn't thought through presentation, so shelves of attractive crockery and platters were cheerfully offered by our wonderful hosts. We were ready to rock.

The Crew is almost ready. A few were ready a long time ago and so decide to pop open some beers or wine. I mean, c'mon! We are not doing 300 covers today. This is one of the first courses, Maine Winterpoint Oysters with Rosa Rugosa. A puree of Pickled Ramp and Sea Beans was artfully applied later for serving. Having run a busy Oyster Bar I helped shuck a few dozen oysters for this dish. The Wyatt posse made an amazing Tureen of Venison and Moosemeat, House-Pickled Fiddleheads were served alongside later, A most inventive course towards the end was Allen's Coffee Brandy Whoopie Pies with Moxie Marshmallow filling, If that's not a tip of the cap to Maine I don't know what is. I count eighteen dishes on the menu, some of which I was too busy to see, so I will have to wait with the rest of you to see the show for the other incredible creations.

Several tables were laid out in a circle under a stand of birch trees where pairs of chefs set their mise en place. The camera crew got a few shots as chefs prepared their dishes. There was a kitchen inside where some people needed to use a heat source, but we were asked to prep as much as possible before arriving to keep a minimum of pressure on the hosts. This is Kate doing a little something as the camera rolls. The crew has asked that I don't detail the Deathmatch menu as I usually do until after the show airs - which I totally understand - but I do have sneak peeks of three dishes in various forms of completion coming up that won't, I'm sure, sink the network. Besides, the whole point of teasers is to get you to watch, right? The eGullet world will finally see that giant mole on the side of my nose...

A couple weeks before the shoot we all received a helpful email from Kel, Andrew's producer: The current schedule (subject to change) for Sunday June 8 is: 8:00a - Crew/Chefs call to Long Wharf – Load in 8:15a - 1st Ferry departs to Island (Charter Run) 8:30a - Offload and company move to Location 9:30a - Shoot b-roll: Party Set Up / Chef Prep 10:00a - Guests call to Long Wharf – Load in 10:30a - 2nd Ferry departs to Island (Charter Run) 10:45a - Shoot b-roll: Guests arrival dockside 11:30a - Shoot Death Match 2:00p - Wrap Death Match 3:00p - Shoot Show Close (Andrew Only) 3:45p - 1st Ferry departs to Portland (Charter Run) 5:00p - 2nd Ferry departs to Portland (Scheduled Run) Eight o'clock on a bright Sunday morning cause some chefs I know to spontaneously burst into flame. Bleary-eyed, we loaded coolers and baggage on to the boat and glided into the harbor. Below, in glasses, is Travel Channel producer Kel. Behind, is Erin who did sound, and Dominic on #2 camera. All were most agreeable, helpful and nice to be around. We had a couple hours to set up and get a sense of the place before Andrew and the guests arrived on the 10:45 boat. Our hosts had an urn of coffee, blueberry and coffee cake waiting on the veranda.

My god. Cherry caipirinha. That's a must-check. Thanks for that.

Powers Irish Whiskey - The working man's shot for under $20. Chalk me up as a fan of Herradura Silver too.

Actually, Deathmatch crew was taped yesterday, Sunday, June 8. Saturday, I was scheduled to take the crew out on a boat and dive for some scallops but the shooting schedule got pushed back due to weather, so they made up some footage instead. Damn disappointing but I didn't have to freeze my ass off in the briny deep, so okay by me! I was at Hugo's Friday night to meet Andrew and the crew just when they were wrapping up. Rayna, one of the crew, and I shared the cheesecake with white balsamic sorbet and rasberries. Amazing. Chef Rob Evans and his late night customers were most gracious in spite of people chattering loudly and running around with cameras.

A year ago some Portland chefs were hanging around shooting the breeze. Wouldn't it be cool to get together some night, pick a theme ingredient and each cook something interesting? Maybe not just interesting, but exotic? In fact, just how far can we go? Deathmatch was born from a casual dare in Portland, Maine's chef community, a vibrant and busy restaurant scene on some of New England's most picturesque coast. Since then, there have been three dinner parties - each bigger than the last - each with a theme from which each chef (or team) wrestles a dish for the others to sample. Results have been imaginative, fascinating, spectacular, or just hilarious, but always in the spirit of good fun and camaraderie. Deathmatch was never a contest in the traditional sense. There are no winners or losers. The name may say otherwise but it was picked more in the heavy-metal spirit of hard work and long hours in hot kitchens that - you know if you've been there - tends to twist your mind. The first Deathmatch chose foie gras as the theme ingredient. The second, a deer was slaughtered, dressed and divided among the chefs for a memorable feast. The third chose a Japanese theme. Somehow, word got around. Enter Andrew Zimmern, the affable host of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel cable network. The tip-off might have come from his old college chum Samantha Lindgren, co-owner/operator of a unique, food-centric bookstore in Portland, Rabelais Books, herself a Deathmatch participant. In any case, the Travel Channel thought it was a good story, and up to Maine they came with a crew of five and a ton of gear to shoot a show about Maine's food scene. Besides a look at some of Portland's premier restaurants and the indigenous foods beloved by them, the Bizarre foods team asked the Deathmatch Posse if they could film an outdoor gathering of the group cooking with Maine-based ingredients - the more bizarre the better. Well, hell yeah!! Deathmatch posse on TV??! C'mon, now! I'm sure no one a year ago could imagine that we'd be asked to stage a TV show, so we are going for it, man! Fortunately for everybody, the weather took a turn for the better the day of the shoot. After six days slogging around Maine in rain and fog, the TV crew were hoping for a banner day for Deathmatch and all were rewarded handsomely. That's Andrew and his Dad, Bob, and ace camera guy, Steve. The party was held on one of the many islands in Casco Bay at a waterfront home of friends of the family. I'll take a break and post some pictures later. Unfortunately as one of the chefs I had less opportunity to take photos than I had hoped for, but luckily Ms Katie Selva - chief photographer of prior Deathmatch events was on hand, and might provide additional shots later. This is a day I will never forget.

Fantastic pictures, Stash. What are you shooting with - assuming it hasn't been asked, yet. I look forward to the Big Apple BBQ every year here on eG because I am too far from NYC to drive. The coverage gets better and better. Tabla's menu - the drinks! - is sumptuous. Thanks for that. Extra special that you chilled with the OTB posse for that amazing meal. Cheers!

Predictably, the shooting schedule has been hijacked by dubious weather and logistical snafus. Surf clam portion rescheduled for today and the diving portion has been scrapped altogether Fine with me: I won't have to freeze my ass in a wet-suit. I caught up with Andrew and the crew last night at Hugo's while they were wrapping up a long day of restaurant segments. Hugo's Chef Rob Evans is this year's James Beard Foundation nominee for Best Chef in the Northeast, and he was hanging out while cables were coiled and beers were poured. A couple of Rob's desserts were presented. The script boss and I marveled over some cheesecake that was served with white balsamic sorbet and rasberries. Then there was a trio of things, one of which was served in a shot glass, but I only got a taste of some honey foam. Wow. These were my first bites of Rob's extraordinary creations. No wonder he has made waves in the culinary universe. The whole crew said that Portland Maine's food scene was unexpectedly impressive - which means a lot from a traveling TV food show in my book.

I read that this campaign was short-lived. It tested poorly, confused people and sales declined. Bye bye ad account!

Up here in New England, we have a lot of bean suppers - usually at a local grange hall or church. I'd say that's a good place to start.