johnnyd

Maybe their demerara(sp?), but hey, why not put a mortre and pestle to it for a minute or two? Hmmmm!! not a bad idea.... I surprise myself sometimes...

Back when Beaujolais Nouveau was decent, we'd make plates of waterchestnuts wrapped in bacon then dredged in whole-grain mustard and sprinkled with brown sugar - which would melt all over 'em under the broiler. Perfect pair!

Margo, What about the old Cheese Outlet on Pine Street? I know the guy with the cheese-colored porsche sold it (he was a riot), so it's called something else now. I never fail to drop in for an hour before returning to Portland. They have a terrific european deli-style service for spectacular mortadella, olives, etc. Local artisnal cheeses, and a reasonable wine dept. 12yr old modena balsamic, a host of oils... you get the picture. I'm at a loss on the asian side of things, it's been a while since I lived there.

Indeed, except for the hangover part. What vitamins are YOU taking? Cachaca knocks me the f$ck out, but... but... I loff eet soo much! Saving my last inch for 5/5 feast. BTW: Some little keylimes are available, called "Susie" packed in McKenna TX, grown in Mexico. Heavily seeded but awesome flavor makes up for it. Domino superfine for the sugar. Cheers!

I used to pick a ton of 'em back in my VT days and the trick is to pick the ones that aren't fuzzy. The good ones have a clear head and small brown chaff around the base. Cut an inch from the head. Any encased in fuzzy stuff are bitter. I'm going looking tomorrow. Incidently, I have a horseradish plant in the yard that yields amazing two-tone leaves. Now that it's getting warm, the shoots of this thing are screaming to be cut and sauteed or saladized. Anyone have any experience with this item? Also, did I blow up the NE-AnyoneHere thread with my psychotic rantings? I really have to lay off that new Dark Magic from Green Mountain Coffee, whew...!

Lisa offered a link to her book site that, if you scroll down to "food" on the left, features a few pix of those recipes and a beach party featuring her and her mom. I especially liked "Divers other comestibles". Check it out!

I always get results with chicken stock w/"trinity roots": ginger, garlic, onion - fresh of course, and lots of it. Add parsley, celery, lemon peels and hot pepper flakes. Works everytime. Udon noodles in it sometimes adds substance. I also have fresh sliced ginger on a low simmer in water all day for sipping. I heard on the radio once if you heat some red wine with any and all citrus fruit in the house, GFruit, Orange, Lemon, etc to a boil, then let cool. Have a cup of that and you pass out for twelve hours. When you wake up you're cured!

GUARANA ...hands down favourite! Find it in your closest Brazilian store

Thanks Paul and all who tackled the lobster stock technique. After a hundred or more chowders, I find a twenty minute simmer from cold water for my lobsterbodies or local shrimp shells will yield a flavorful, yet grayish broth. The local shrimp are sold at the end of their season (2 to 4wks) with eggs around the bellies which I try and save, the flavor is awesome, the stock is almost black. The chowder I make uses whatever's fresh, usually white fish like haddock, cod or cusk (which holds it's shape after cooking) but the background I aim for and get is crustacean. The color is not an issue, and I coarse strain the stock to ensure some tasty bits make it in but no cartilage. The result has a rustic "downeast" quality with big flavor. Lately, I've added diced onion, celery and green pepper to the salt pork rendering, then maine potato before stock w/bayleaf. Simmer about 15, add fish (one inch pcs), then heavy cream at the end and only to what's beeing served that day. I make sure I always have a quart or two of the base in my freezer, stock as well. I have to try Paul's sweat method next, and see what happens. Aiden is on the money re: fennel and garlic, best to add later unless the broth is half the meal. I could see using that for an oyster stew...hmmm... I feel like eGullet is like one gigantic brain about food...

I had a friend come visit who insisted that the lobster bodies I make into stock for chowder MUST be roasted first. I disagreed, thinking (but not knowing) this was for beef and veal bones only. We went ahead with his way. It made a killer lobster bisque, but the effect on my chowder was unattractive. What do you think/know about this?

But seriously folks... I can tell the eG foodblog is not going to go away, it's too wonderful. Might as well start developing strategy to get the pix we want, eh?! loved the gateway, B!

"Why, your bread has been the first thing I think of when I awake in the morning! Since I come here so often you must know how I adore it. Just the other day I was chatting with my friends and told them how incredible your bread really was... and they didn't believe me! So... in order to show how wonderful your bread was, I simply had to come by and take a picture! Now your bread will be famous! And people from all over the world will see just how good it is!"

Hi Susan, how's the beach down there? Fuggles is Shipyards only IPA, but I have to say I prefer Chamberlain and the Prelude (available Xmastime only). It's a bit dicey up here, beer-wise, in that there a LOT of great micros and the competition is fierce. I thought nothing would pry me away from D.L. Gearys Pale ale and his Hampshire Special, but what a difference a couple years makes. I'll report back when I perform rigorous testing of all contestants! Johnnyd

You say tomayto and I say tomahto, You say adductor, and I say abductor! adductor! abductor!! grocery! convenience!! Let's call the whole thing good! Let's Eat!

Omigawd!!! That was delicious GGirl, thanks! I'll have to drive down and eat there soon. Is there real fado sung there at night sometimes?

The little chewy thing is a tendon that attaches the abd-muscle to the shell. Both sides (top/bottom) also grow onto the shells. These things actually cause the scallop to "swim" through the water. It's really quite cool watching them clap the shells together as they dart along, then they stop and settle on the bottom wherever they land. As they lie on the sand, the shells separate about a half inch and a membrane stretches between them. This is a filter for tasty bits they eat. When they sense little food, off they go. Dry scallops freeze well! Buy 'em quick! They must be canadian, I bought four huge scallops at $13/lb Sunday for ceviche but this purveyor deals locally as a strict rule.

You can ask your local fish counter-person for "dry" scallops which are untreated with tripolyphosphate. They run twice the price, but really worth it. If you ask enough times, they might get around to getting some. MANY purveyors claim all their scallops are "dry" vs "wet" but you can tell wet scallops by the milky watery stuff that develops in their container. Dry scallops freeze beautifully. I tried my hand at diving for scallops here on the maine coast and was told the only part of the scallop allowed on-shore was the abductor muscle. We had to shuck our catch and throw the roesac, shells etc. over the side while we made for port. Deviation from this meant a loss of license... if caught! A friend who visited from Europe was horrified, so we smuggled a few live ones in a cooler so she could prepare them her way. Dee-lish!

If anyone can book a room in Maine around August I'd be impressed! We'll see what happens. Are you threatening to leave that sticky city and come slurp a few Damiriscotta Oysters with me? As you know, I'm an expert on 'em!

Fantabulous! You guys look great! The food looks delicious! What a blast! I suppose I should start planning the 1st Annual eGullet New England Lobster Bake for us all NOW!!! Maine is indeed the only habitable place in the country come August so start riding your bikes now so you'll be here in time... besides, I've noticed a few posters betraying their proxemity so WE can at least hoist a Gearys Pale Ale and tear into some steamers together. Great pix HValley! I have to try the oyster dish at top. They are very good here in the Gulf of Maine. Do I spy bean sprouts in that bowl as well?

I wonder where the old sidekick was? I thought Alton was great but without that guy interrupting with "SQUISHY-SAN!" all the time kinda disappointed us! (Yep, we had a party...) Looking forward to tonight...

I recall that this particular 13th was a Friday! To your fellow eGulleteers pay you pennance for so lucky a choice! Blog on! PS: No clamming? Any oysters from the Sound yet?

Does this mean I get my sleep rhythms back to normal???

I recommend Lucy send a pound of that Alpine Coffee from 4/17 (page 2) to the next bloguer along with Loic's exlicit directions for brewing! I have a feeling that stuff had something to do with 1) setting the tone, 2) sparking creativity, 3) staging appetite and, of course, getting her out of bed to perform the miracle that was this blog! In fact... Send some to all of us!!!

Battle Durian, anyone? run away! aaaaurgh!

... and look in today's NYT for the HUGE half-page color ad in section A, same graphic. That couldn't have been cheap! OOooo, those guys mean business! Also noticed from FN schedule posted above that this program is occupying TEN CONTINUOUS HOURS of programming on 4/25 - 4/26, from 6pm to 4am!!!! I'll be curious about who the ads are for... y'know, so we know who to hit up when eGullet-TV is launched...