johnnyd

Spectacular plating! Looks delicious!! You're making me wish I'd come down Saturday as well. Maybe I'll bring a tent next year?

Demarara is a sugar in the mid-stage of processing. It's got a raw flavor that colors your application in a malty kind of way. Not everyone likes it. Dang! The fridge is a mess - a recent problem as I've always kept it in line - but I'll snap a couple in short order. Well, it certainly beats the Sanford Martini: equal parts Moxie & Allen's Coffee Brandy!

You can find good seafood away from the coast here. Usually, a lot of fishermen live miles inland because those "from away" have purchased high-priced land on the coast where fishermen have traditionally lived. The fishmongers, ten, twenty or more miles inland have a good link with the working boys who drive an hour to the sea for work then an hour back to get home, so they are the logical conduit. Not always though - there are a couple good family-run distributors who travel all over the state. Reliable too.It's a conundrum folks here ponder frequently. Fishermen should live on the coast - period. They get up at three and drive an hour or more to hop on a boat and then work all day, then drive back. It certainly wasn't like that back in the day. But back to your question: My Mom, who is 84, always said: "Never buy fish beyond 12 miles from shore" That's a keeper.

We've been here four years. Our landlady is a kitchen designer and lives next door. She's an eG member klewis but too busy to post. She didn't have to deck this place out but she knew a good configuration for a rental. Considering our budget, when I first saw the place I swooned. The island is right behind the range - see pics up-topic. Happens all day long here: Freighters, tankers, ferries to Nova Scotia, lobster boats, big yachts, small yachts, all manner of small craft... it's endless. Truly wonderful.

So for dinner, I set up some bone-in pork butt for a braise I added: 1 cup chicken stock 1 cup orange/pineapple juice 1/2 cup cachaça 1 onion, wedge cuts 4 cloves garlic, bruised 1 tblsp whole coriander (I love biting into those after 4hrs+) 2 cinnamon sticks some allspice powder some oregano salt I set it on simmer around three o'clock. At seven o'clock, it looked like this Before plating, we made a caipirinha It was a pretty good accompaniment to our sunset this evening Then we plated some of the braised pork on a couple corn thingies, added a quick tomato & onion/cilantro salsa, and some rice & red beans out of a Vigo packet, and called it dinner. We decided to torture ourselves with a little television... Hey, Gordo - when are you coming to Maine, mate? You'd fit right in with this lot!

From link provided: Unpleasantly strong is polite. That's why our objective Saturday will be, well, difficult. John tells me he is working already on a moxie syrup. Dedication to spare, that one.Chowders - I use Maine shrimp or lobster stock as a base for my chowders, and always cream to finish. Check out **THIS** from the Gulf of Maine Shrimp topic for a detailed shrimp chowder for example. Each licensed lobsterman has his or her own color combination painted on the bouy. Jeff was no exception - now that you mentioned it, I wish I'd taken a pic of his code. Maybe next time.

Hmmm... fermented shark.... Still, that's why the damned stuff is still in my freezer, dear rooftop. It only comes out when a guest or two start boasting and the big white phone needs a cleaning. I saw eG member fatdeko this afternoon. We are planning to hatch a new cocktail indigenous to the Great State of Maine, probably Saturday. CLUE: one ingredient is Moxie!

Now you listen here, Pilgrim! Quiche was your invention after you sacked the French! I suspect the remnant Acadian population finally did it justice and made it a working man's breakfast, yah? When are you coming over for a boat ride, by the by? We'll go through the fish markets with a fine-toothed comb, you and I. Lord, help them if we do.

Last but not least, perched a-top the trusty microwave, The Bar. Not shown is more cachaça (51), a little bottle of slivovicz a friend brought back from Eastern Europe, and some Icelandic Brenavin(?) - a sort of caraway seed vodka. That's in the freezer... and has been for nigh on 15 years. Mixers and tools are stashed elsewhere. It's clear I need more space but Mrs. johnnyd doesn't seem to think so - what's up with that?

The island is the principle work area, of course. On the wall back there is the old price board from my floating raw bar (long story), the Cataplana used in Dining Downeast I, and breads, crackers, cereals above dish towels and aprons in the foreground. Our living area combines the kitchen as the whole second floor. It overlooks some oil tanks, between which we have a fine view of the harbor. Proto-Industrial-Chic works for me. This could be cheating, but here's a shot from a while ago:

I like open-access to my plate area. Works in a restaurant. Works at home. On right side of shelving is a long, spice sampler my Mom brought home from Turkey. Left side of shelving, above the thermostat, a chrome egg-slicer that I just liked the look of.

To the immediate right of the stove, oils. First red tray is stuff I need within reach of the burners like mirin, soys - some hot sauce seems to have gravitated there - the bottle next to tabasco is some electrifying piripiri from Cape Verde Islands. Second red tray are vinegars - several balsamics, some 25yr. Jerez de Frontera, Rasberry, cider, rice, champagne, red wine, and generic white.

Spices to the left - grains & legumes at right. Someone gave me about two pounds of cardamom pods if anyone local wants a free handful. Let's do PMs. Top of cabs: Huge lobster steamer, huge bamboo steamers in decorative bag - purchased at a flea market for $10, and a wire chicken made in Portugal to keep eggs in.

Top: Vanilla extract & beans, crystalized ginger, preserved apricots, dates... probably something I've forgotten in the back there. Mid: Sugars - big, honkin' rocks of demerara, coarse granule demerara, regular domino brown, superfine (in my handy Ming Tsai dispenser) and honey. DownLow: Coffee (Green Mountain in front) and various teas - about eight kinds.

Time for a tour of Chez Johnnyd The mini lazy susan spice rack on the bottom shelf is indispensable. I use it for small-batch condiments that don't need refrigeration. I highly recommend it Up one level are canned tomato variations, tamarind paste, a brick of indonesian peanut stuff, pickled things, cans of sardine & anchovy, and a collection of nuts, currants and raisins. Top shelf, Asian foodstuffs - which were driving me crazy until a rare moment of brilliance when I just stacked them on edge, like books. Soba, rice noodle, spring roll wrapper (I make a lot of those), Nori, and a collection of bizarre snacks my brother Bill sent me once in one of his mischeivious moods. Our family has a thing for sending each other jokes, it's great.

Oh, that's easy! We ship 'em off to New Zealand! There appears to be a shortage there for some reason.Actually, I eat a lot of lamb but only when I find it on sale as it's pretty pricey. I've made a lot of Rogan Josh - lamb curry with yogurt, tomato and spices - since Spring. I'm also experimenting with some persian ingredients like dried lime and pomegranate molasses.

I was introduced to papaya as a child in Brasil. I thought it was gross. Now I have utmost respect for this tropical fruit in it's undeniable effect it has on my body. I spritz some fresh lime on it which goes well with the occasional peppery seed. If I had to live on an island with nothing else, I'd survive just fine. Except I wouldn't have JP's bagels from One Fifty Ate or killer coffee from Coffee By Design, Portland's premier micro-roaster since 1993. CBD supplies many of the city's best restaurants. CBD is a client of mine (one of my many hats: I sell print & web ads for a local news magazine) and today I was due in to see the founder/owner, Mary Allen Lindemann. She is a passionate small business operator typical of Portland. She was happy to let me take a few snaps while the morning's roasting was in full swing. Richard, one of the production team, explained that sometimes there is more than just coffee beans in those huge sacks. They have a special machine that roots out this stuff: Besides the battery, and a lot of stones there was a tooth, a couple big corn kernals, a ring and a nail.

High and Low Tide. It is at the end of those stretch of rocks that I found masses of periwinkles that Josh and I thought might make a dish with garlic, butter and parsley. I am waiting to see if the green light goes on for shellfish harvesting before picking up a few to try. Even though the tidal differential is 10 feet, causing Casco Bay to flush like a giant toilet bowl twice a day, there is still rainfall run-off that is draining into the Bay.

While the rib-eye is flashing in the last of my duckfat I decided to knock out a lobster ceviche using monday night's bounty I put in fresh lemon juice, a bit of minced fresh poblano pepper, a tiny clove of garlic, and cilantro. Topped with extra lemon zest. And that's tonight's dinner. A shot of A1 sauce would have finished it off wicked. Mrs johnnyd finished off her potato with a SoPo flourish,

While everything's cooking, there is serious business afoot... This cribbage board was hand-made by Mrs. johnnyd's grandfather. I should respect that beauty and put a little polish on that brass, shouldn't I? The fact that she's winning this tournament is, er... not important.

We are pretty pooped tonight so we rooted around the fridge (fridge pics later) and defrosted a rib eye, prepped some young asparagus with leeks and fired up some roast chef white potato. That's a dried oregano stalk that was picked as it was about to flower. I find them intensely flavorful at that point. It is added to the potato.

Time to fill one of three pepper grinders. The current combo is: 2 tblsp tellecherry black 1/4 tsp whole coriander seed 1/4 tsp cardamom seed One of the others have white peppercorn only, the remaining one a crazy seven pepper blend. Good for egg dishes.

My Babies. Left end: Wusthof 8" chef's knife purchased my first day BOH w/house discount in 1981. Tip broken off by line cook who "needed to borrow it for a sec" on second day. Had it filed down to 7 & 1/4" by crazy sharpener guy from Buxton, ME. two years ago. The name of his business is Never a Dull Moment. 2nd from Left: Brand new Wusthof 8" chef's knife - a wedding present from dear old friend. Nobody touches it w/out serious permission 3rd from left: Reliable 6" utility blade, $4.99 at local supermarket 4th from left: Cheap utility butcher blade for $3.99 at local supermarket 5th from left: japanese fish knife that I bring out when called for Last: My beautiful SHUN that I bring out on special occasion. No touch-y

Snapped and loaded. Will post after my afternoon appointments.

Charles, there has never been a serious retail market for urchins here in town. They are also out of season. Urchin roe are still growing - it's winter when they are at their fattest. I guarantee the greek urchins are a whole different style to the ones here in the cold water. Had you visited in winter, I could have looked up a few processors who would have gladly given you a handful. I Stopped off at One Fifty Ate out near Spring Point to shoot the breeze with chef Josh Potocki about the sea snail dilemma. He runs a highly regarded little bakery and lunch spot tucked between Southern Maine Community College and Ferry Village. The back garden, He used to work at Street & Company, (33 Wharf St Portland) and more recently, Bar Lola (100 Congress St Portland). He's pretty psyched to have his own gig now. We are going to revisit the wrinkle affair a little later in the week.