Peter the eater

There are three ways to get to Prince Edward Island. Fly in from wherever, drive across the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick as seen here, or take the boat from Nova Scotia as seen below.

Hard to ignore those monsters. I considered several more shallow plates but it wasn't practical at the time. At some point any super-sized mound of meat winds up looking grotesque. Maybe not this time. Last wedding we poached 5 or 6 big Atlantic salmons to go alongside the ham and beef. It made for an unexpected continuum of pinks and reds. And the poaching liquor from the fish was exquisite.

Before taking the ferry to PEI we had a lovely lunch stop in central Cape Breton. The Herring Choker Deli, like many places here, is not open year round. I went with a smoked beef sandwich on uberfresh white bread with a cup of curry pea soup.

It's a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Be aware that a 16' canoe can hold a lot of beer.

Can't forget the obligatory eG Foodblog fridge shot. For the wedding we had four of them plus a few chest freezers and a system of coolers. I believe a few neighbors helped keep things cool as well.

Here are a few more veggie dishes -- fresh cukes and tomatoes with my homegrown basil. The bristol board planning poster stuck to the wall gives some idea what was going on the day before the big day. We also had a temperamental chocolate fountain.

And no Cape Breton wedding is complete without 300 cookies and a canoe of beer.

There are bootleggers around. If I find some at the liquor store then yes, FauxPas. Oysters for sure. Prince Edward Distillery (near Souris?) makes potato vodka, I wanted to visit them but didn't make it! http://www.princeedwarddistillery.com/home.php?page=home Thanks for the link. How did I miss that place?

The day after the wedding, according to family tradition, we had a sunset bonfire on the beach. Hot dogs were roasted then out came the port, blue cheese and cigars. This fortified wine is from Newfoundland and it's a good value ruby. The cheese is Nova Scotian Dragon's Breath Blue from That Dutchman's Farm. It's a personal fave.

It's pineapple, not local. What didn't get hovered up that night got polished off the next day.

More wedding dish close-ups. Mixed green salad with my homegrown radishes and spinach. Hummus with feta and peppers and yogurt on top, plus a big bowl of chopped chives that got used here and there.

Me too, ScottyBoy. I didn't grow up by the sea but I live there now and I am reminded often how closely we-all are connected to the oceans.

Thanks Roberta -- they turned 6 yesterday. Where does the time go? Where did my cake photos go?

And this is how we watch the Home Run Derby in the Maritimes.

This wedding was all outside under the bigtop and afterward in the barn. Very country casual. Lots of folks helping out and lots of rain and then mud. My kilt looked like it had been through a Belgian trench from a century ago. There were some allergies so the main meats were beef and ham, served as a cold buffet. I'm not sure where the hams came from but they were sweet, moist and popular. They came cut spirally like one of those apple lathes with the crank. Beefeater roasts cooked medium rare and cut on the slicer.

Maybe this one shows the drumsticks. Despite watching an unhealthy amount of Cake Boss and Ace of Cakes I did not realize the importance of temperature and humidity. I am so looking forward to my next project . . . I may have to get an airbrush.

Did I mention a wedding? There were more than a hundred guests this time and, all things considered, I think the food worked out fine. Normally I get the tasks involving fire and protein but this time I was also allowed to make the topper on the groom's cake. The couple live out west -- she's a photographer and he's a musician, and they have a cat. That was the concept. I used a combo of fondant and gum paste powder with royal meringue icing, and much of the color was painted on after the shapes hardened up. Can you tell I'm a fan of Wallace & Gromit?

There are bootleggers around. If I find some at the liquor store then yes, FauxPas. Oysters for sure. There are so many around I can hardly keep track. This place has embraced and promoted gastro-tourism in a big way. Stay tuned suzilightning.

Darienne, are you referring to the Royal Visit with Kate and Wills? Not to worry, there's a ton of good foody stuff going on this week and I think there's a U2 concert tomorrow. Chris and Shelby, I look forward to your questions. Yes they do FrogPrincesse.

Good morning! I'm pleased and a bit surprised that nobody identified me as the next Foodblogger. The teaser photos are of Highland cattle and a plate of seafood with lupins. The cattle are in the back field here on the farm in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada. The chowder and flowers are from my home outside Halifax. It's been more than four years since I put together my 1st eG Foodblog. This time I'm on the road and away from my own kitchen. We've just finished catering a wedding here so there will tons of photos in the very near future. Tonight I'm going to Cavendish, Prince Edward Island for the week. The Foodblogs of late have been quite excellent and I've got some hard acts to follow. This week I can promise you a lot of seafood, extreme cheese, fine port and good whisky. The topic description reads "More Maritimes" which refers to the three eastern provinces New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI. If you throw in Newfoundland & Labrador, you get "Atlantic Canada". Time to pack!

Can you say more about the coal oven or, more importantly, the results? Nobody cooks with coal anymore where I live, but the elders tell old stories how it cooked the food, heated the house and employed all the men.

Congrats Laurie, and thanks for taking the time + energy to show us your food this week. Three questions: Will you barbecue? What's Cheerwine? Wasn't Spud (shortest guy ever to win NBA Slamdunk contest) Webb from NC State?

May I ask if you keep a dedicated pair in the kitchen?

Not Toronto.

Without opening my home office copy of Architectural Graphics Standards I can assure you that 18" to the underside of the wall mounted cabinet is pretty much the norm for a 36" counter top in a room with an 8' ceiling. Sixteen inches is barely enough to park a KitchenAid nevermind tilt the head. Two feet is generous, but if you've got 10' ceilings and a step ladder, why not? Somewhere I've got the specs for a kitchen in Orlando built for an NBA center. I recall the counters were 42" and 48" off the finished floor. Incidentally, I read this topic title as "The distance from your countertop to the bottom of your wal..." and I thought it was going to read "wallet".