Caiola's - Portland, Maine

Caiola's is one of the best examples of a neighborhood restaurant that I've encountered. Located in Portland, Maine's West End, it is here that Chef Abby Harmon, formerly of Street and Company, serves creative comfort food with Italian and Spanish influences. I'd be hard pressed to go anywhere else if I lived nearby.

Caiola's has a respectable selection of wines-by-the-glass. Full glasses are poured at the bar and delivered to the table without allowing patrons to taste their selection before committing to a full glass, something my husband would have appreciated since he did not care for his Heron Pinot Noir. Fortunately, I enjoyed the non-offensive, easy drinking Carignan/Syrah/Grenache blend I ordered.

Sipping our wine, we quickly eased out of "work mode" and into the weekend. Unpretentious, welcoming and friendly, this is a restaurant where it is easy to relax. The waitress delivered bread from Scratch Bakery to our table. Dense and moist, the bread was served with chive butter that, unfortunately, was served cold and hard, making it difficult to spread.

I started with the appetizer special, a Lobster & Oyster Mushroom Bread Pudding with Madeira Sauce. The consistency of a quiche, the bread pudding was filled with finely diced bits of mushroom and topped with lobster chunks. The bread soaked up the creamy sauce, permeating it with flavor. Rich, satisfying and unusual, this dish was perfection. My husband was equally impressed with his Mussel Bisque, as evidenced by the way he sopped up every last drop with his bread.

I couldn't resist the Polenta Fries with Cheddar Cheese and Jalapeno Relish; it sounded so interesting and did not disappoint. Lightly fried crisp polenta wedges were served piping hot. The wedges were best when loaded - white cheddar cheese sauce, sour cream, chives and topped with a jalapeno pepper. I rarely eat fried food, but I enjoyed these fries so much that they are an early candidate for my "best food experiences of 2008."

As is typical with many restaurants I patronize, the creativity lessens when you approach the entree portion of the menu. Caiola's is no exception. My husband selected the Stuffed Cannoli; sheets of pasta filled with ricotta cheese, were rolled into a tubular shape and topped with a sweet Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce. I ordered the Shrimp with Saffron Cream Sauce. Large, meaty shrimp topped a bowl of perfectly cooked tiny tube-shaped pasta that was tossed with shaved asparagus, finely diced carrots and fresh peas. My only suggestion for the dish is to use clarified butter in the sauce.

We saved portions of our entrees to take home and enjoy the next day so that we would have room for the Chocolate Cream Pie. The crust, made with plenty of cinnamon, was filled with a thin milk chocolate pudding and drizzled with chocolate sauce. We enjoyed the dessert even more knowing it was the last one they had that evening.

I was pleasantly surprised with the $102 tab, particularly after our experience at Rachel's; I left Caiola's feeling that we had received our money's worth.

Neighborhood restaurants typically don't execute well enough to garner my repeat business. Caiola's is the rare exception.

Leavitt & Sons - Falmouth, Maine

My husband has been saying for years that Falmouth needed a decent sandwich shop. Sure, we have The Town Landing Market that can get away with serving average "submarine-type" sandwiches and lobster rolls because of their picturesque location. And then there is O'Naturals, where everything sounds better than it tastes. But at long last, we now have an amazing little speciality grocery store and sandwich shop, Leavitt & Sons, on the corner of Depot Road and Route 1.

Peter Leavitt has successfully turned the former Coldwell Banker building into a homey little spot, warm and welcoming. Limited seating - 4 stools at the bar and a single table that seats 3 nestled amidst the racks of wine - make this is mostly a take-out establishment filled with goodies that make it worth the stop.

While the purpose of our visit was to grab a sandwich, I was quickly drawn to the diverse wine selection, including one of my favorites, the hard to find '04 Goldeneye Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley. Numerous types of micro brews and all natural sodas fill the coolers; a selection of Tea Forte teas (if you are a tea lover, you must try these) are displayed in the front window. Pemberton pasta sauces, all natural dips, crackers and chips diverted my attention while I waited for my lunch.

While your eye wants to settle on the chalkboard listing the sandwiches available, allow your imagination to work a bit. While they do list 4 or 5 sandwich options, you are quickly guided to the cases featuring an array of Boar's Head meats and cheeses. Sitting atop the case is a listing of condiments, vegetables and accoutrements from which you can select. Creativity, freedom and flexibility allow guests to create their dream sandwich.

On the day I visited, the bread options included Standard baguettes, square Ciabatta-type rolls, Standard whole grain bread, and wraps (spinach, herb or white). My husband selected the Boar's Head Honey Maple Turkey on a Baguette with Horseradish sauce, Irish Cheddar Tipperary Cheese, Shaved Red Onion, Pickles, Tomatoes, Lettuce and the most amazing black olives you will ever try (cured, seasoned with herbs and then packed in oil). I opted for the same toppings on my Cracked Pepper Turkey Herb Wrap. The sandwiches were generously portioned, the ingredients fresh and plentiful. And those olives! They make the sandwich.

Three soups were available: Tomato, Corn Chowder with Bacon, and Chicken Vegetable & Barley. The latter was chock full of tender cubes of chicken, green beans, carrots, celery and herbs, simmered for hours in chicken broth. We devoured every last drop and left longing for more.

Leavitt & Sons features "Dinners 2-Go", with selections such as Pork Tenderloin, Vegan Meatloaf, Vegetable Lasagna and Peppers stuffed with Black Beans and Rice. The cheese selection is decent, though not nearly as diverse and extensive as The Cheese Iron. Select from their charcuterie, add artichokes, olives and roasted peppers, and you can easily create an Antipasto feast on the fly.

Relatively new (open since November), Leavitt & Sons is still evolving, making changes and additions based on requests and suggestions from their customers. My only suggestion would be to add a few desserts, even if it's just chocolate chip cookies and brownies from Standard. Peter plans to host wine tastings in the near future; sign up on their website if you're interested in receiving notifications of these, and other events.

Leavitt & Sons is a welcome addition to Falmouth. And while I'm thrilled to have them in my town, I'd love to see a second location in Portland's Old Port. It just hasn't been the same since Port Wine & Cheese closed its doors (many, many years ago). Sandwich shops that feature premium meats, cheeses and breads are much too rare these days. Kudos to Peter Leavitt for an exceptionally well done execution.

Burrito! - Westbrook, Maine

I miss Granny's Burritos. Unpretentious and laid back, it was a perfect spot to enjoy a quick and filling Saturday lunch while doing errands in the Old Port.

With the closure of Granny's, I'm on a quest for their replacement. Bruce's Burritos serves average burritos, tacos and quesadillas from its strip mall location on Route 1 in Yarmouth. Unless you happen to be driving by, I wouldn't make it a destination. Burrito! on Main Street in Westbrook is a cut above Bruce's, offering a diverse Latin-American menu in a cheerful atmosphere.

New since we'd been there last, is the Burrito Bar, created when they took over additional space next door. In the tiny, colorful little bar area, seating only a handful of patrons on stools, margaritas are the drink of choice for many. Also new are the non-alcoholic smoothies, featuring ingredients such as chocolate, coffee, banana, coconut and honey, blended with tofu and soy milk instead of dairy.

Though the fish tacos (hard or soft shell) were tempting, I ordered my usual, the Veggie Burrito. The tomato wrap was loaded with pinto beans, sweet potato, scallions, rice, guacamole, corn kernels, cheese, and my choice of Salsa Roja (hot and spicy with a smokey flavor). The burrito must have weighed at least a pound; the sweet potato and abundance of rice made it extremely filling and a bargain for $6.90. The rice was a bit mushy for my taste; though the corn was a welcome addition to the version I used to enjoy at Granny's. I ordered a side of Salsa Verde to accompany the round yellow corn chips. The salsa, made from tomatillos, garlic, Serrano, peppers and avocado, was chunky and tart.

My husband selected the traditional burrito, filled with pan sauteed haddock, rice, a mixture of pinto and black beans, tomato, scallion, sour cream, cheese and Salsa Roja. The fish was a bit "fishy" tasting, indicating that it was not as fresh as it could have been, but not poor enough in quality to keep my husband from finishing the entire burrito. The Salsa Fresca he chose to accompany the chips contained diced tomatoes, onion, jalapeno peppers, garlic, cilantro and lime juice. The onion dominated the taste of the other ingredients, particularly the tomatoes which were pale pink and flavorless. Salsa is such an important part of Mexican cuisine, that investing in better tomatoes, such as Backyard Beauties' hot house variety (grown right here in Maine) would serve the restaurant well. Other salsas offered, in addition to the three we tried, include a spicier version of the Salsa Roja and a Mango Salsa for those who prefer a sweet and fruity accompaniment.

Burrito! is an affordable lunch spot for those who work in the vicinity, and probably a fun place to enjoy a pitcher of margaritas and a plate of nachos after work or before a movie. Cleaner and less grungy than Granny's ever was, the decor is cheery with lots of color, though this time of year the small space heater is not quite enough to take the chill out of the air.

I shall continue my quest for the area's best burrito. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Rachel's L'Osteria - Portland, Maine

Rachel's L'Osteria occupies a former barber shop in a strip mall on Woodford Street (Portland, Maine). Upon our arrival, we were informed that our table was not yet ready and were invited to have a seat at the bar. Unfortunately, during the 15 minutes that we spent waiting for our table, there was nobody tending bar. So instead of relaxing with a glass of wine, we spent the time looking for somebody - anybody - to waive down and take our wine order. We tried our best to stay out of the way of the owner and his helper scurrying by with hot plates, dodging the patrons approaching them because they were tired of waiting at their table for someone to take payment for their meal. Still, we remained optimistic about the evening, as the tiny and quaint neighborhood restaurant smelled wonderful.

While we had been waiting for our table, we noticed that the wine was stored next to the gas fireplace and the hot kitchen, so when we were finally seated and had an opportunity to order a bottle of wine, we were a bit concerned about the quality once uncorked. But when our bottle of 2004 Bryon Santa Maria ($36) arrived, it was very cold. So cold, in fact, that the nose was full of berry, but the taste was rather dull; the temperature was masking much of the flavor of the wine. To his credit, our server replaced the small wine glasses on the table with beautiful, large, thin rimmed ones, perfect for the Syrah. Once the wine had warmed to an appropriate temperature, it opened up beautifully.

To start, we shared a bowl of the Soup of the Day - a hearty stew of vegetable broth, egg noodles, carrots, kale, olive oil and an abundance of Parmesan cheese - that had been simmering for hours, as evidenced by the soft vegetables and perfectly melded flavors. This dish was the highlight of our meal.

Dense, fresh bread, made on-premise is available upon request - though we had to ask several times before it was brought to the table. Once we devoured the bread, the basket was quickly whisked away without an offer for more. This experience reminded me of Finch's in Falmouth where bread - Irish Soda - is also rationed each night; they offer only a few finely sliced pieces, regardless of the number of people at the table.

My husband selected the appetizer special of the evening: Crab Cakes. A classic version, the cakes were moist, though a bit fishy tasting. The accompanying sauce, a combination of mayonnaise, tomato and vinegar, was a tart and creamy contrast to the cakes. My salad was comprised of arugula and romaine lettuce, topped with caramelized onions, warm pancetta, Parmesan cheese and a lemony dressing. Surprisingly, the hot toppings did not wilt the crisp greens, a testament to the speed at which the dish was made and brought to the table (the hot ingredients did not sit long on the salad) - and the ultra fresh greens they managed to find this time of year. Though I had asked for the pancetta to be held from my salad, it was not. I decided to pick it off the greens rather than ask the server to have the salad re-made, considering the difficulty he was already having meeting the demands of the patrons in the tiny restaurant.

A rather basic Italian menu, for my entree I selected the Penne with Broccoli, White Beans and Shrimp (a substitution request they easily accommodated instead of the chicken normally served with the dish). Unfortunately, the only edible portion of my meal was the plump and perfectly cooked shrimp sitting atop the pasta. The bowl holding the penne, broccoli and white beans was filled nearly to the rim with olive oil, saturating the ingredients.

Olive oil - particularly the well aged extra virgin variety - can greatly enhance many dishes, though the chefs that douse food in olive oil as a cooking technique are missing the mark. I have a similar issue with The Front Room where olive oil is also overused.

My husband fared only slightly better with the special of the evening, a Tuscan Fish Stew served over Risotto in a Tomato Saffron Broth. The broth was piping hot, a nice accompaniment to the giant scallops, mussels, shrimp and salmon. Unfortunately, the risotto was inedible, overcooked and starchy.

Though we ordered the chocolate pudding for dessert, we were presented with the Chocolate Mousse instead. A dense version, the consistency of ganache, it was filled with miniature white chocolate chips and topped with whipped cream.

As I've written in past posts, a lot can be forgiven from a neighborhood eatery. To have restaurant within a short walk or drive from your home, where you feel comfortable and everyone knows your name, is something for which we all long. Rachel's has the homey, neighborhood restaurant kind of feel, small, warm and inviting. It's the kind of place that when you look in from the sidewalk, you are drawn inside. Once inside, however, it is a disappointment, with prices to match. Our meal, without tip was $150, which I would expect to pay in downtown Portland - and what I do pay to dine at such fine dining establishments as Hugo's and Five Fifty-Five.

Neighborhood restaurants, serving average comfort food, certainly have a place in our local communities, but to charge the prices that Rachel's does, they should, at the very least, hire professional waitstaff.

Itchin' for a Bagel? Try Scratch - South Portland, Maine

While planning my Christmas menu, I was lamenting the lack of really good bakeries in southern Maine - the kind with fancy tortes and cakes. Sure there's Two Fat Cats - which I love - but they have a limited selection of baked goods, and there are only so many times I can serve the Red Velvet or Coconut Cake to my guests. Don't get me wrong, I think their model of "do a few things and do them well" is admirable. And I'll keep going back for my summer Blueberry and Thanksgiving pies, but when I want something a bit more fancy, I need an alternative.

I asked friends and colleagues for bakery recommendations; none were thrilled with the selection in Southern Maine. Someone suggested that I check out the European Bakery (Route 1 Falmouth) - which I did. Their cake and torte menu was extensive, but I was disappointed with the greasy, "Crisco-like" taste of the cupcakes we tried.

While picking up some goodies at The Cheese Iron in Scarborough, Jill (one of the owners) mentioned that I should check out Scratch Bakery in Willard Square for their amazing bagels. I had heard of Scratch before...Erik used to serve their baguettes at Ladle. Finding ourselves in the neighborhood a few weeks ago, we finally stopped by Scratch. I knew it was my kind of place the moment I walked in the door. A dozen different types of large, plump bagels sat on the table next to the door. Next to the bagels were thick, square slices of home-made pizza.

Next my eye settled on the selection of fine wines - including several '04 Pinot Noirs from Mendocino (very difficult to find) - they even had one of my favorites, Patz & Hall. Unfortunately, the wines are stored in front of a large plate glass window, allowing the sun to bake the wine (not good), so the quality of what you will find when you uncork a bottle is questionable. Skipping the wine, we took our bag-full of bagels to the counter, where row upon row of cupcakes, cookies and pastries were begging to be bought. We settled on a simple chocolate cupcake with butter cream frosting.

Back in the car, we immediately devoured the moist cupcake, savoring the rich butter cream frosting. We tried to resist the bagels but finally had to give in. Soft-in-the-middle, crunchy on the outside, they are almost as good as H&H (those from New York know what I'm talking about) - definitely the best bagels I've had in Maine by far. They were just as enjoyable the next day with breakfast. The baguettes, served at many Portland-area restaurants, are equally delicious, more soft, sweet and dense than those at Standard.

Many neighborhood establishments are beloved by the locals because of the convenience, but not really worth the trip if you have to drive. Not so with Scratch Bakery. How fortunate Willard Beach and surrounding South Portland and Cape Elizabeth residents are to have it so close by, but for others, it is absolutely worth the trip.

Brunch at Five Fifty-Five - Portland, Maine

Note: A more recent Five Fifty-Five Dinner Review is available.

For years my husband and I met friends for brunch every Sunday. Our restaurant of choice was Bintliff's (across from the Portland Post Office), though you'd occasionally find us at Perfetto's, Uffa or Joe's Boathouse.

With the change in ownership at Bintliff's, we saw a significant decline in service and food quality. Perfetto's is long gone; I still lament their demise. Uffa's real estate will soon be occupied by Evangaline. And the only draw to go to Joe's is the weather. Warm and sunny so we can sit on the deck, or stormy for an up-close-and-personal view of the boats banging against the dock as the sea turns violent.

I now spend my Sunday mornings doing a long run, while my husband heads out to pick up bagels. Probably a healthier routine anyway. But after two really terrible Saturday night meals (Mesa Verde and another I'll post as soon as I feel like re-living the experience through my writing), I needed a decent - no, stellar - dining experience. So we headed to Five Fifty-Five to try out their brunch.

As my readers know, I'm a huge Five Fifty-Five fan, though I've only been there for dinner. I have been hesitant to see it in the light of day, without Chef Corey in the kitchen or Michelle's watchful eye over the front-of-the-house. I didn't want to risk having my favorite local eatery jaded from a poor experience.

But, I finally took the chance.

We were cheerfully greeted by Amy Torrey, dining room manager, back at work after only a few hours of sleep (she works Saturday nights and Sunday brunch). I perused the menu while sipping my cappuccino and decided on the Cauliflower Soup, followed by the "Duck & Egg". My husband, while enjoying fresh-squeezed orange juice, selected the Blood Orange Sweet Cream Danish and the "Traitors & Eggs."

Our waitress apologized for the delay in delivering my husband's initial cup of coffee to the table, as they were brewing a fresh pot. Unfortunately, it seemed that they were having issues keeping up with the coffee demand the entire time we were there, as he asked numerous times for a refill, which finally arrived shortly before we were ready to leave. Other than that, our experience was exactly as I had hoped.

A basket of tiny currant scones and corn muffins was delivered to the table, served with a wonderfully sweet and creamy honey butter. The danish was house made; the dollop of sweet cream was a refreshing compliment to the intense orange zest permeating both the pastry and accompanying marmalade.

I never pass up the soup at Five Fifty-Five, as it is always spectacular. Always. Without exception. On this visit, Cauliflower and Mascarpone were combined to create a rich, smooth and creamy soup, perfectly blended so neither the vegetable nor the cheese dominated, but rather existed in perfect harmony.

"Traitors and Eggs" consisted of a house-made biscuit topped with lobster (knuckle and claw), fresh blanched spinach, poached eggs and rich, buttery Hollandaise sauce with a touch of lemon. Diced potatoes were crispy on the outside and well spiced. Don't pass up this dish if you're fortunate enough to see it on their menu.

The Duck and Egg was equally delectable and even more interesting than the Traitors & Eggs. Wild rice was topped with Gruyere cheese, duck confit, poached eggs and served with house-made grilled sourdough bread. The al dente wild rice and duck combination created an earthy compliment to the runny yolk; the cheese added a creaminess that made the rice almost the consistency of a risotto. I topped the grilled bread with the entire combination, sopped up the runny yolk, and felt like I had died and gone to Heaven.

Too full for anything substantial to eat, I was craving a little something sweet to end the meal. As though reading my mind, our waitress arrived with two miniature Myer lemon shortbread cookies, dusted with powdered sugar and topped with a piece of chocolate. Perfection.

I have found my new brunch spot.

The Gift

My husband normally gives me the best gifts. Ok, aside from the stuffed gorilla for my birthday the first year we were together. I quickly set him straight on the types of gifts appropriate for the one you love; stuffed animals are not in that category. Since then, every gift has been appropriate, perfect, and loved.

Then there was the Christmas of '06, when he decided to buy himself a gift. That would have been fine, but he guised it as a gift for me. It was quickly evident to the family members gathered around the tree that he was much too gleeful about the gift and the vision he had of it in use.

The "gift"? A Kitchenaid Mixer. The big, super-duper capacity model with all the attachments. The next package I opened revealed a variety of attachments for rolling and cutting pasta. The final "gift" was a ravioli maker. His vision: "fresh pasta, mmm, fresh pasta, mmm". My vision: my quick and easy weeknight pasta meal had just become a very time consuming project.

It took me a week to feel ambitious enough to unpack the mixer, wash all the attachments and finally sit down to read about pasta making. A trip to Williams Sonoma was necessary to purchase a drying rack and pasta cookbook. My first few attempts at making pasta dough failed miserably. Choice words were spoken at loud decibels as the dough crumbled each time I put it through the roller. A Type A personality, I had skimmed the directions before making the dough - note: skimmed vs read. When I finally went back and re-read the directions, it was clear what I was doing wrong. You need to let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes after mixing it; if you don't it crumbles when you roll it. Allowing it to rest results in perfectly elastic and smooth dough that glides easily through the roller.

Now that I've perfected the technique, I can make, roll and cut enough pasta for an evening meal in under an hour. The sauce takes longer to simmer (yes, I'm a glutton for punishment - I make my own sauce - more on that in another post). The end product is well worth the effort. I have altered the dough recipe, substituting egg whites for whole eggs and water instead of oil. The result is the light, delicate pasta that simply melts in your mouth. I used to think the fresh stuff at the store was good - not anymore.

But my favorite pasta to make is Ravioli. It takes a little more time because you have to make a filling in addition to the dough. Our favorite filling is ratatouille, but we also enjoy mushroom, spinach and feta and butternut squash ravioli. The ratatouille is the same that I featured in my Ratatouille Crepes post, fat free, flavorful and excellent with both traditional red and vodka sauces. I make enough for several meals, freezing the pre-made raviolis in plastic containers, the layers of the pasta separated by waxed paper to prevent sticking. Twelve minutes in a pot of boiling water (when pulled from the freezer) and my easy and quick weeknight meals now taste even better.

So there was a method to my husband's apparent madness, giving me the gift of manual labor. Not only do we enjoy amazing fresh pasta, but the process of making the pasta is a nice break from the hectic pace of the workweek. Therapeutic and relaxing, it is a perfect Type A Diversion.


Basic Pasta Dough Recipe:

4 egg whites or 3/4 cup liquid egg whites
1 tablespoon water
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh basil or parsley (optional)

Mix ingredients in a Cuisinart for 30 seconds. Remove dough from Cuisinart bowl and place on a surface covered with flour. Sprinkle dough with flour and hand-knead for another minute. Let dough rest for 20 minutes. Divide dough into 4 pieces before processing.

The Wine Bar - Portland, Maine

Fresh out of college, when a bottle of inexpensive Merlot was our wine splurge, my husband and I thought the Wine Bar, on Wharf Street in Portland Maine, was a cool place to spend a Saturday night. We'd grab a few friends, vie for the chairs in front of the fire, order some wine flights and settle in.

Trying to salvage some element of decency and class after our experience under the bright lights of Mesa Verda, we thought the Wine Bar would be an ideal spot to end the evening.

The fire place, comfy chairs, and copper bar were just the same as we had left them 10+ years ago. I can't say the same for the wine selection. Either it had gone down hill, or our trips to the wine regions of France and California have had a more profound influence on our knowledge of wine than I had thought.

We grabbed two stools at the bar and immediately noticed the limited selection of wines - both by the bottle and the glass. The selection was entirely comprised of "supermarket variety" wines. And there were no vintages associated with the bottles listed on the menu.

The bartender suggested the Solaz Tempranillo Cab blend from Spain and the Wildpig Syrah from France as two of their fullest bodied reds that evening. I preferred the Solaz, though it was a bit underwhelming; Tempranillo is a blending wine and is about on par with Merlot. The Wildpig was too light and lacked structure. The glassware was cheap, thick rimmed and had plenty of plastic content. You'd think a wine bar would have Riedel (or even imitation Riedel) stemware. At least they had installed a dishwasher since our last visit. Even in our non-discriminating college years, we knew it was next to impossible to effectively disinfect glassware and dishes by hand washing.

We were hoping for a chocolate dessert - only two desserts are listed on the menu - Crème Brûlée and Chocolate Torte. At 8:30 p.m. on a Saturday night they informed us that they had only the Crème Brûlée to offer, as their "torte fairy" (the cook's words - not mine) had not shown up to work that day. We decided to pass on dessert, since Crème Brûlée typically doesn't pair well with red wine.

Portland needs a real wine bar. One with a cellar, a large and interesting inventory of wine, and knowledgeable sommeliers on hand. Until one opens in the area, I'll frequent the bars at Fore Street, Back Bay Grill (the most interesting and diverse wine list I've found locally) or Five Fifty Five. Each has a superior wine selection, decadent desserts and bartenders with a commanding knowledge of the wines they offer.

Kitchen Essentials

There's nothing like moving to remind you of what is important. I'm referring to the essential kitchen items that you save until the very last minute to pack. 80% of the stuff in my kitchen drawers and cabinets I lived without for weeks leading up to the move (and some are still packed away in the basement). Here are a few items I consider essential in my kitchen.

1. Barista Cappuccino Machine. The only one on the market for under $500 that has more than a 1 year warranty. Going on 7 years now (with just a few minor fixes needed), and used daily, it's still going strong. The Starbucks Barista Burr Grinder is well-worth the investment, too ($90).

2. Cuisinart. I use it everyday for most everything I prepare - pasta sauces, bread and pasta dough, pesto, grating cheese, slicing, dicing and chopping vegetables...the list goes on & on. I use it so often, I had to buy a second one. They sit side-by-side on the counter.

3. . Heat Diffuser. The newest of my "essential" gadgets. I sold my house a few months back and am renting while I build. The rental has a decent gas stove, but I found that I could not get the flame low enough to gently simmer sauces. This gizmo is placed above the grate and diffuses the heat between the flame and the pan. I can now simmer for hours!

4. Lemon/lime juicer. There is absolutely no substitute for freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice in your recipes. Toss your bottled stuff, buy the fruit and squeeze it into your dishes as needed.

5. Asparagus peeler. The chef at Kinkead's in Washington turned me onto this device years ago. Thick asparagus, sweeter than I ever tasted was presented with my dinner, defying everything I had learned about asparagus (pencil thin stalks only). I questioned what made this asparagus so amazing and was told that thick stalks of asparagus have the most flavor, but the tough stalks turn most people off. Snapping off the tough ends and peeling the stalks does the trick. Now I only buy thick asparagus. Note: a vegetable peeler is not as effective, as too much of the stalk is removed. The asparagus peeler shaves only a very thin layer.

6. In-drawer knife block (the knives are pretty essential too). I hate the look of those ugly counter knife blocks - and just think of the dust that settles into the slots where your clean knives are placed. Knife magnets are good for a restaurant, but not appropriate for the decor in most home kitchens. Place the knives loose in an open drawer and they quickly become dull. This drawer knife block that I found years ago at Williams Sonoma fits in most shallow drawers.

7. Salad Spinner. We eat salad every night. Work duties typically keep me at the office until 6, so when I arrive home, I immediately prepare a salad. It helps stave off the hunger since I can't usually manage to get dinner on the table much before 8:15. Salad is so essential to my life that each weekend I travel 30 minutes out of my way to buy lettuce. Since Maxwell's closed, Royal River in Yarmouth and the IGA in Cape Elizabeth (of all places!!) consistently have the best lettuce - large, leafy heads, far superior to the lettuce you will find at many supermarket chains. Treat your lettuce right by soaking to clean, then gently spin the leaves dry.

8. Prep Scoop (a/k/a Prep Taxi). My kitchen lacks triangulation, thus I am constantly cleaning up crumbs and drips on the floor in-between the prep counter and the stove. This simple device has changed my life. Prep, scoop and toss. It's that easy.

9. Mortar & pestle. I use my Cuisinart for guacamole and save my mortar & pestle for grinding spices and fresh herbs. Use fresh, as opposed to the dried variety to make your dishes pop with flavor.

10. Pepper Grinder (with options). I like my pepper medium-to-coarse, my husband likes his finely ground. This device has saved the marriage many times over. Fortunately we agree on the Tellicherry pepper.

What's your favorite essential kitchen gadget?

Photo Etiquette

Apparently my food pictures have caused a bit of controversy. It’s not what you might think. I didn’t have Chef Corry, Hayward, Evans, Kern, Matthews or even Desjarlais complain about me taking pictures of their dishes. It wasn’t their front-of-the-house staff either. It was a little-known blogger from Saco.

As reported by Portland Psst! and Portland Food Map, the Saco Blogger has crafted a new word to describe my picture taking. Evidently cynicism has replaced our normally witty discourse in the Maine Food Blogsphere.

So, to set the record straight, here are a few of the rules I follow for snapping food photos when eating out:

1. Dine off hours, not on a busy Saturday night
2. Ask for a corner table (booth is preferred), or to be seated away from other diners
3. Only take a few pictures and don’t stress if the picture isn't perfect
4. Obtain permission before taking pictures of the kitchen or staff
5. If it's busy, and the tables are close together, forget the pictures

Here are a few examples of how I follow these rules:

This is a picture at Prezza that didn’t make the blog:

Note that the restaurant was empty due to a snow storm that night. We were in a corner table, with the dining room to ourselves. That is reason why I was able to capture so many pictures.

At Lotus I snapped a bunch of dishes because we had lunch at 3:30 pm -- our corner of the dining room was empty.

Click over to the Fresh! post, and notice that no one is sitting at the bar. There is a good reason -- we had lunch at 2:30 pm that day.

Following my self-imposed rules, I haven’t taken any interior shots at a number of restaurants, such as Bresca and Ribollita. On the nights we dined, these places were packed, so I only took pictures of the outside - and the leftovers we enjoyed at home the next day.

Even if I didn’t follow my own rules, camera flashes are not uncommon at fine dining establishments. Many people dine out to celebrate a special occasion and bring along a camera. At our most recent visit to the White Barn Inn, there were at least three other people taking pictures, with waitstaff volunteering to help. My picture taking didn’t turn a single head.

If you're the type of person who won't ask your waiter to turn down the music or turn off a blaring television, then likely you won't feel comfortable snapping photos of your meal. If your self confidence is strong and your discretion is intact, then pay the chef a compliment and click away.

Mesa Verde - Portland, Maine

We stopped into Mesa Verde (618 Congress Street in Portland) for a quick snack a few years ago while out shopping. A shared quesadilla and a bottle of Corona at the bar did the trick. We left satisfied enough that when in the mood for Mexican recently, we decided to return.

I had not paid much attention to the restaurant's decor during our prior visit; what I noticed immediately upon sitting down (this is a seat-yourself place) were the plastic seat covers and Bob Marley music playing in the background. Jamaican isn't the best choice to set the mood in a Mexican restaurants -- Mexican or Latin music would have been more appropriate. Then a rather odd smell hit my nose (not the "you've found-great-food" smell) and I wanted to run for the hills (or at least to Five Fifty-Five). But, in the mood for Mexican, and having just spent the better part of 15 minutes trying to find a parking spot, we decided to persevere (plus Five Fifty-Five was closed). Not our best decision.

While perusing the menu, I was impressed with the number of vegetarian dishes, and options to replace chicken and beef with tempeh, tofu or portabella mushrooms. My husband ordered a Negra Modelo beer, served in the bottle with a wedge of lime. It is best when served in a salt rimmed glass with lots of lime wedges (like they used to do at 100 Congress), but they don't salt glasses for beer at Mesa Verde (yes, I asked), so I indulged in a Margarita, made with 1800 Silver Premium Tequila. The waitress informed me that the bartender adds Cointreau (complimentary) to any margarita ordered with 1800 or better tequila. The sour mix (made on premise) was not sour enough for my taste, and the Cointreau gave it an oddly bitter (not sour) taste that I did not enjoy

We selected Empanadas (fried turnovers) and Mexican Mushrooms as our appetizers. The choices of Empanada filling that evening were beef, chicken, sweet potato or blueberry. The sweet potato sounded the most interesting. The filling, mixed with vanilla, cinnamon and brown sugar, was so sweet, the Empanadas could easily have been served as a dessert. The Mexican Mushroooms consisted of chunks of portabella mushrooms, covered in a thickened white wine and mushroom sauce and served with flour tortillas. The taste of inexpensive white wine was overbearing in this dish. Cooking 101: never cook with wine you wouldn't drink.

Chips and salsa used to be complimentary, now they charge $3.75. The chips were greasy and too light on the salt. I deemed the house-made salsa inedible, as it had a strong metallic taste, likely from sitting in a metal bowl too long. The side of guacamole was made with ripe avocados and diced tomatoes; it would have been better with the addition of salt, lime, cumin and cilantro to kick it up a few notches.

I ordered the Tamale and Enchillada combination plate as my entree. The tamale, dense, mushy cornmeal steamed in a corn husk, was split open and topped with zucchini, summer squash and a mole sauce. The flavors in this dish were bland and the chef was rather skimpy on the vegetable topping. The Enchilada was filled with moist, tender chicken, though it, too, was bland and benefited from the addition of hot sauce that is provided at the table. Mushy brown rice, pinto beans, a few leaves of iceburg lettuce and sour cream accompanied the entree.

My husband selected the Veggie Burrito and Chicken Taco (hard shell) combination plate, garnished with iceburg lettuce and canned black olives. With just a scant sprinkling of cheese in both the burrito and taco shells, they were tasteless; he doused each with hot sauce. Has this chef ever heard of cilantro? Lime? Cumin? Chili Powder? Jalepeno?

The tables were set with candles, though none were lit. Bright lights shone overhead; this is definitely not a date-night kind of place. I suspect the ideal clientele for Mesa Verde is the residents of Portland Hall (the University dorm across the street), who are accustomed to cafeteria food, though at $62 for dinner (before tip) they may have out priced that group.

Quick, easy and relatively inexpensive, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, fajitas and even Mexican soup frequently are served at my house. So easy to make, I rarely go out for Mexican, preferring to save my "dining dollars" for those meals I can't - or don't think to make - at home. But after having the most amazing Mexican in San Antonio (at an upscale neighborhood diner called Rosario's), I have been on a quest to find "authentic Mexican with a contemporary twist" a little closer to home. I'm still looking.

Mexican is not difficult to do well, but you won't find it done well at Mesa Verde.

Grilled Pizza

If you're hard core enough to grill all winter long, and if you have a passion for pizza, give this recipe a try. It's unique enough to impress guests (pair with a grilled Caesar salad and some Cabernet), yet easy enough for a weeknight family dinner.



Dough (20 min to prep; 1 hour to rise):

1 packet of Active Dry Yeast (if you don't have Live Yeast)
1 1/2 cup of Warm Water
3 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
Olive Oil

Combine the yeast and water in a Cuisinart and let it stand until yeast is dissolved and foamy (for Dry Yeast Only), about 10 minutes. Add the salt. Add flour, one cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the Cuisinart bowl when mixing. Remove dough from the bowl and hand-knead for a minute more on a lightly floured surface. It should be smooth and elastic (if it is tough, start over as it will not rise). Shape dough into a ball. Fill a large bowl with hot water and let stand for 5 minutes to warm bowl. Pour out water, dry bowl completely and place the dough in the warm bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, turn to coat, cover with a towel and let rest for an hour, until doubled in bulk.

To Prepare Pizza:

Turn a cookie sheet upside down. Coat with cooking spray and sprinkle generously with white cornmeal. Spread the dough to the edges of the cookie sheet, pressing with your palms and fingertips until the dough is evenly spread. Top with ingredients that cook quickly. I prefer chopped garlic, fresh basil, sliced ripe tomatoes, cooked corn kernels, chopped fresh mozzarella and shredded Parmesan cheese.

Pre-heat a gas grill to high. Place the cookie sheet (with the pizza on it) on the rack, close top and reduce heat to medium. Allow to cook for 1 to 2 minutes then carefully (using a pot holder and a spatula) slide the now-firm crust onto the grill rack. Close cover and allow to cook for 1 to 2 minutes (enough to sear the bottom but don't allow it to blacken). Slide back on cookie sheet for another 4-5 minutes more.

Note: it is best to watch the pizza, as it cooks quickly and can burn in an instant. When the cheese is melted, remove, slice and serve.

It may take a few tries to figure out the ideal cooking time, but don't give up. This pizza will quickly become one of your favorite meals once you perfect the technique.

Bon Appetit!

Benkay - Portland, Maine

Years ago we were regulars at Benkay, indulging our sushi cravings there every week. But when the sushi chef left Benkay to open Yosaku, we noticed a decline in fish quality at the same time that they increased their prices. So we tried Yosaku. In fact, we were there the week they opened. Memorable because our waitress started crying at our table as she delivered the news that they didn't yet have any green tea ice cream. I think the opening-week stress got to her; she never returned to Yosaku, but we became regulars, touting Yosaku as the best sushi in town. The consistently high quality of their fish was like none other in Greater Portland.

And now the tides have shifted once again. Disillusioned by a half dozen disappointing experiences at Yosaku, we have again returned to Benkay. I have been frequenting Benkay for lunch for the past several months and have noticed improvements in the consistency of the fish quality, so we opted to give it a try for dinner.

We kicked off our dinner at Benkay with a bottle of Kirin and a hot sake. My husband selected his former favorite Benkay appetizer, the Seafood Pancake, a potato and flour pancake with scallions, squid, scallops and shrimp, served with a soy ginger dipping sauce. This is an appetizer that two can share, though he managed it all on his own while I enjoyed my Miso Soup and Steamed Shumai. The miso soup held cubes of tofu and slices of scallion; the shumai, shrimp steamed in a delicate wrapper, was served with hot mustard and soy ginger sauce.

Though sushi was our quest, my husband could not resist the Tempura Udon Soup, particularly on this cold winter night. A generous bowl held steaming seafood broth filled with udon noodles, tofu, seaweed, scallions, lightly battered tempura shrimp and vegetables. It beats both Sapporo and Yosaku's versions, hands down.

I'm not much of a soup-as-an-entree person myself, and opted for traditional sushi and rolls. Maguro (tuna), deep red and completely free of fat, melted in my mouth, as did the Sake (salmon). The less-than-healthy, but oh-so-good Benkay 8 is my absolute favorite sushi splurge, consisting of tempura battered tuna wrapped in sushi rice and topped with wasabi cream sauce. I also enjoyed the Caterpillar, cooked eel wrapped in rice and ripe avocado and Tekka, containing the same deep red tuna as the Maguro. I was disappointd to learn that Benkay still does not offer Kampachi (Amberjack) sushi on its menu (Yosaku often has it, Sapporo does not), as it is one of my favorites, though I did appreciate the perfectly cooked sticky rice used in the sushi. I consistently have issues with the rice at Yosaku not being sticky enough. Consequenctly, the rice bed or wrapper falls apart leaving the soy sauce dipping bowl filled with rice remnants.

Benkay underwent significant renovations 3+ years ago; the decor is comfortable and pleasing. The service is so-so - never stellar, but not poor enough to keep me from returning. I'll hold out hope that Yosaku will get their act together in time for summer, when it is so nice to enjoy sushi on their patio. Until then, when I have a sushi craving, you'll find me at Benkay.

Lotus - Falmouth, Maine

Excellent Chinese food is difficult to come by in Southern Maine. The best I've found is at Lotus, located in the Shaw's plaza on Route 1 in Falmouth. We've had numerous meals there over the years, and while it is not as good as what you will find in Boston or San Francisco, it has earned our repeat business when we are seeking a quick, casual Chinese meal.

On our most recent visit we shared the Scallion Pancake, Vegetable Dumplings and Spring Rolls. The pancake consisted of sliced scallions between sheets of flour dough, deep fried and served with a soy ginger sauce for dipping. A bit greasy for my taste, Benkay's Seafood Scallion Pancake is more interesting and less greasy.

The Spring Rolls are an adequate version of the traditional rolls. Filled with cabbage, carrots and mung bean noodles, deep fried and served with duck sauce. The Vegetable Dumplings, chock full of ginger, carrots, cabbage and mushrooms, had a doughy wrapper that was a bit thicker than I prefer. The best dumplings I've enjoyed in Southern Maine are served at Miyake. Surprisingly, they are frozen and re-heated, but they have the thinnest, most delicate wrapper that holds tiny, sweet Maine shrimp. Of course, no dumplings - not even the ones that Gourmet Magazine recommended in San Francisco's China Town - have topped the ones I found in Las Vegas at Noodle Asia (in the Venetian Hotel). So good, they made my Top 10 Best Food Experiences of 2007 list.

The Hot & Sour Soup, holding the traditional bamboo shoots and Chinese black mushrooms, was just slightly more than lukewarm. Triple Taste in Bird's Nest was filled with large shrimp, though the hard, inedible noodle basket was not what we were expecting. Other versions of this dish we've had (the best at Rama in San Diego) consist of edible thin noodles twisted into "nests," paired with vegetables, shrimp and served in an Asian broth.

Hunan Shrimp, a simple dish of steamed shrimp, sauteed with onions, ginger and topped with an oyster and Hunan pepper sauce, is one of our favorites, as is Vegetable lo Mein, a noodle dish with snow peas, bok choy, carrots, white onions, scallions and shiitake mushrooms in a chicken broth and soy sauce. More flavorful, but less healthy when prepared with MSG, we opt for it without and add extra soy sauce at the table.

Lotus also serves sushi at the sushi bar and in the dining room, as well as traditional Japanese cuisine. I prefer to eat sushi at restaurants that specialize in raw food; I'm always concerned about the freshness of the raw fish from restaurants that offer it as an "oh by-the-way" menu offshoot. We tentatively tried a few pieces on a visit several years ago and decided that we prefer the sushi elsewhere. I have yet to venture off the Chinese menu to try the Japanese offerings; when I elect to dine at Lotus, I'm usually in the mood for a Scorpion bowl and traditional Chinese, both of which are done well at this neighborhood restaurant.

As I munched on the complimentary pineapple at the end of the meal, I broke open the fortune cookie to reveal the following message: "The only thing worse than being talked about is not getting talked about." I couldn't agree more...