Delight Your Guests with Homemade Condiments!

I have to believe that when Duncan Hines first introduced their cake mixes to the world back in the day, they left out the egg and oil for a reason. I think they wanted us to be able to say that we still made it from scratch because we had to add those items! Homemade anything always tastes better than store-bought products. Try some of my recipes for Memorial Day and see for yourself!

Ketchup… we use it on everything. My brother even puts it on his eggs! Why not make it from scratch? Just in time for your Memorial Day—give them the WOW factor. Make the regular old ketchup or add mangoes to it! Just think outside the box and try it! Make regular old mustard or add raspberries to it! Have fun and experiment.

Mustard is one of the least expensive spices and it’s available in a variety of colors and forms. It can add zip to much more than just a hot dog or hamburger and is not difficult to make. You can add almost anything to mustard to make it a gourmet mustard and it makes a great gift. Just put the mustard in a great jar, box it up with some home-baked crackers, and your friends will be impressed and happy. Mustard has no fat and not many calories. The hardest part of making mustard from seeds is waiting those first few days for the flavors to mellow so you can see if it turned out as planned. If you use mustard flour you need only wait ten minutes or so.

I guarantee you that if you try these recipes you will be so proud to use your own condiments and not buy store bought again! The store bought is loaded with salt, sugar and other preservatives. The difference in taste is unbelievable and you can say you made it! And as an added bonus, you will save money, which we all need to do these days.

Easy Basic Homemade Ketchup

Yield: Makes about 2 cups

• 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes in purée
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp. of hot smoked paprika

Purée tomatoes in a blender until smooth.

Cook onion in oil in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add puréed tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, and salt, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until very thick—1 hour or more. Stir more frequently toward the end of cooking to prevent scorching.

Cool ketchup so that you can purée ketchup in two batches in blender until smooth. Chill, covered, overnight for flavors to develop.

Ketchup can be kept up to three weeks.

Easy Basic Homemade Hot Dog Mustard

2 TBS white sugar
2 TBS flour
3 TBS dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric

2 cups apple cider vinegar

Mix all dry ingredients together then add vinegar. Boil together until thickened.

Chill, covered, overnight for flavors to develop.

Homemade Pickle Relish

2 cups finely diced cucumber

1 cup finely diced onion

1 tsp. kosher salt

¾ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 ½ tsp. water

Combine and set in strainer for at least 4 hours. Squeeze as much liquid out as you can and then bring vinegar and sugar to a boil and reduce about 5 minutes. Add in cornstarch mixture and simmer several minutes. Then cool several hours.

1 cup diced dill pickle

¼ cup homemade mustard

2 tablespoons pickle brine

2 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

Combine all ingredients, stir and serve with hot dogs or hamburgers.

For a Great Burger

Pick up some ground chuck with a fat content of at least 20%. 25% would be even better. Lean and extra-lean meats make tough, dry burgers (this is true for turkey burgers or lamb burgers, too-look for grinds with around 25% fat). Don’t overwork the meat.

In a large bowl, pull the meat apart into small chunks, add salt or other seasonings, and toss gently with your fingers. Use wet hands to form burger patties. It also allows the meat to come together faster and prevents over-working. Make burger patties with a dimple in the center. The burger will shrink and pull as it cooks so it will even out. I keep my burgers in the fridge until I am ready to put them on the grill. I think they stay together better that way and they stay juicy.

Keep grill at a steady high heat. With a gas grill, keep the lid down while cooking; with a charcoal grill, leave the lid off. Turn only once! Constant turning will toughen and dry out meat. Cook 2 minutes per side for rare, 3 minutes for medium-rare, 4 for medium, and 5 for well done.

The Sweet Sign of Spring… Maine Maple Sunday 2014!

Spring is coming. How do I know? Certainly not because of the weather outside—it continues to be frightful this year! I know because Maple Sunday is coming right up on the 23^rd! The sugar in maple sap only appears when warm, sunny days and below-freezing nights follow each other for days on end, as they do during Maine’s long, slow spring.

It is quite a treat to go to farms all over Maine on the fourth Sunday in March. You can experience the process and see a real sugarhouse and real kettles boiling sap over the fire.

Just a few facts to ponder from the Maine Maple Producers Association:

• The average maple tree is not tapped until it is about 40 years old. If the tree was tapped any younger, it could hurt the tree.
• An average 40-year-old tree yields about 40 quarts of sap in a season. This is just enough to make 1 quart of pure maple syrup.
• The flavor varies from year to year; sometimes the syrup is dark and rich, sometimes pale gold and delicate. It all depends on the soil and terrain, the wind and the weather—just like wine.
• Once it flows from the tree, the sap must be processed within a few hours or it will spoil, so syrup makers work round the clock once the spring run has started.

Much of the sap is still gathered the old-fashioned way: in buckets hung from trees. It is then boiled down into syrup over wood fires. Some of the larger producers have adopted modern, labor-saving technology—they gather the sap with plastic tubing strung all the way from the trees to the sugarhouse.

From holding tanks, which may hold as much as a thousand gallons, the freshly collected sap, usually about three percent sugar, is fed continuously into the evaporator. There it is kept constantly boiling, throwing off dense clouds of steam as it becomes more and more concentrated. When the syrup reaches a temperature of seven degrees above the boiling point of water, the sugar-density is just right. The finished syrup is immediately filtered to remove particles of “sugar sand.” These, though harmless, would make the syrup cloudy. Once properly clear, the finished syrup is packed in sterilized containers and sealed, ready to be distributed and enjoyed around the world.

When you get back from your trip to the farm, why not try some of my recipes to celebrate this sweet natural syrup? YUMMM!!

Nancy’s Basic Sauce—great to use with any kind of meat or fish!

Ingredients:

2 TBS Dijon mustard
2 to 3 TBS grainy mustard
1/3 cup (or to taste) pure maple syrup
2 TBS mayonnaise
1 TBS lemon juice

Method:
Heat mustards and maple syrup in a small pot. Remove from heat and cool for about 10 minutes. Add the mayonnaise and lemon juice. Pour over meat or fish and bake until done.

Another recipe to try: remember that Sriracha Sauce recipe from last month?  Just take ½ cup of maple syrup and add 2 tsp. of Sriracha (or to taste) and pour over salmon, pork, chicken, or beef and bake until done.

Maple Bacon Jam

Great over a block of cream cheese and spread onto crackers. Also, good with toast and biscuits! The possibilities are endless… Try it with sweet scallops or on a sandwich.

Spicy Super Bowl Snacks

In 2014, we were lucky to be asked to join Katie Thompson on WMTW to talk about Super Bowl Snacks! In case you missed it, here are the recipes of the yummy snacks Nancy prepared.

Buffalo Style Hot Dog with Blue Cheese Dip

Ingredients:
Hot dogs
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 tsp. granulated garlic
Salt & pepper
Pinch of baking soda
Sriracha sauce or Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
Blue cheese
Ranch dressing

Method:

Pour oil into a pot, leaving at least two inches from top. Heat to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, granulated garlic, salt, pepper and baking soda. Coat hot dogs with flour mixture and let stand for about 20 minutes to dry. Drop into oil and fry a few hot dogs at a time. Remove when nicely browned. Place into hot dog buns and squeeze sriracha or hot sauce over the hot dog. Mix ranch dressing with blue cheese to taste. Top over the hot dogs and enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Bombs

Ingredients:
Jalapenos
Cream cheese
Bacon
Pulled Pork

Method:

Slice jalapeños in half, lengthwise and remove seeds. Pipe cream into the cavity and top with pulled pork. Put jalapeño back together. Wrap bacon around the jalapeño and bake until bacon is cooked.

Sriracha Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
Eggs
Mayonnaise
Ground mustard
Salt & pepper
Sriracha sauce

Method:

Place eggs in pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and over. Let sit for 14 minutes. Uncover and run cold water over the eggs to cool. Peel and cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks carefully and mix with desired amount of mayonnaise, ground mustard, salt & pepper. Pipe yolk mixture into egg whites. Garnish with sriracha sauce.

Ginger, Garlic, Scallion and Lime Dip with Potato Chips

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 fresh lime
1 cup sour cream
Dash of sesame oil
1 tbs rice vinegar
Dash of soy sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
Salt & pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions

Method:

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for an hour. Serve with potato chips.

Reuben Crostini

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup thousand island dressing
8 oz. sauerkraut, rinsed and squeezed dry
16 oz. shredded Swiss cheese
Baguettes, sliced

Method:

Preheat oven to broil. Slice baguettes into rounds and brush with a little garlic oil. Toast under broiler on both sides. Mix all other ingredients well and spoon onto toasted baguette rounds. Broil until bubbly.

Read more and check out the video here: http://www.wmtw.com/great-recipes-for-your-super-bowl-party/24245196#ixzz2svxI9eAk

Homemade Sriracha and Super Bowl Wings

Do you think of spicy foods when you think of snacking during the Super Bowl? I know I do! Last year, I made (amongst other things) a spicy buffalo chicken dip. Just like buffalo wings—only easier!

This year, Chuck and I think it is fitting to make Sriracha Buffalo Wings with a Goat Cheese Ranch Dip at the suggestion of our executive chef, Todd. Why? Have you ever heard the saying, “Nobody wants what someone else does not want—but when everyone else wants it I want it, too”?

Well, there is a lot going on in California with the production—or lack thereof—of Sriracha.

Just follow the news:

Eatocracy, November 27, 2013:

A Sriracha hot sauce factory is getting a chilly reception in Southern California.

A judge in Los Angeles County has ordered Sriracha maker Huy Fong Foods to suspend operations at a plant in the city of Irwindale that local residents claim that the stench was causing watery eyes, sore throats and headaches, prompting complaints from dozens of residents

The judge’s ruling orders Huy Fong to cease any operations contributing to the nuisance-causing odor, Davidson said. The city has been pushing Huy Fong to install a new filtration system to address the issue.”
Forbes, December 12, 2013:

Popular Sriracha Hot Sauce Maker Ordered To Halt Production

Update: A representative from Sriracha said they believe the hold would affect its customers more than it would the company. They were ordered to cease all shipments until mid January

The hold is needed to “ensure an effective treatment of microorganisms present in the product,” health department spokeswoman Anita Gore told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

So, everyone wants Sriracha because we cannot get it in most stores… This prompted me to look for recipes online and experiment! This is what I came up with—a variation of a recipe from Carey Nershi from Food52. I know you will like this recipe if you like it hot, hot, hot!

Please note: wear food-safe gloves when working with the hot peppers. Wearing glasses is a good idea, too—remember the complaints from the town in California?

Homemade Sriracha
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

2/3 lbs mix of red jalapeños and serranos, stems removed
1/3 lbs mix of green jalapeños and serranos, stems removed
1/2 lbs mix of partially green/partially red jalapeños and serranos, stems removed
1 red pepper, stem removed
6 garlic cloves
8 tbls dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp smoked sea salt
1/2 cup distilled white balsamic vinegar
3/4 tsp xanthan gum

Preparation:

Place peppers, garlic, sugar, and salts in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer mixture to a clean bowl and cover with saran wrap. Store in a dark, dry place.

Check the jar every day for fermentation. This should begin after 2-3 days, but might take longer in colder, drier weather. Once you begin to see some bubbly, liquid-y magic at the bottom of the jar, fermentation has begun. Stir the mash each day until it is no longer rising in volume from the fermentation (about 5-7 days).

Transfer the mash to your food processor, add the vinegar and puree until very smooth. Strain the mixture through a piece of cheesecloth, squeezing to get all of the liquid. (Don’t forget to wear your gloves!) Discard pulp and seeds.

Return the sauce to a clean food processor and sprinkle xanthan gum over the top. Pulse until the gum is incorporated and the sauce has thickened. Move to a glass, covered container and store in the fridge for up to six months.

Then, make this:

Sriracha Wings with Goat Cheese Ranch Dip
Makes 36 Wings

Ingredients:

36 chicken wing pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
8 Tablespoons of Sriracha Sauce
6 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
Celery sticks on the side

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a bowl, toss the wings with the oil and salt. Place into a large plastic shopping bag and add the flour. Shake to coat evenly. Remove wings from the bag, shaking off excess flour, and spread out evenly on oiled, foil-lined baking pan(s). Do not crowd. Let stand for 20 minutes to dry. Bake for about 20 minutes, turn the wings over, and cook another 20 minutes or until the wings are cooked.

Warm Sriracha Sauce and butter.

After the wings are cooked, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Pour the sauce over the hot wings and toss with a spoon or spatula to completely coat.

To make Goat Cheese Ranch Dip, simply add goat cheese and ranch dressing in a blender and mix well.

A Warm Holiday Beverage!

For the Holiday Home Tour, we created a drink recipe for Hot Cranberry Punch with Sage & Peppercorns. This warm drink is perfect for sipping on those cold late fall and winter days when your wool coat just isn’t keeping you toasty enough, and the addition of sage and black peppercorns lend an elegance to the flavor that makes it an ideal candidate for seasonal or holiday festivities. We really enjoyed putting this drink together and we hope you enjoy it, too!

Hot Cranberry Punch with Sage & Peppercorns

Serves 4 to 8

2 teaspoons black peppercorns
3 cups frozen or fresh cranberries
½ cup honey
1 bottle dry Riesling, divided
¼ cup fresh sage leaves
1 cup Benedictine liqueur

Place peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add cranberries, honey, and 1½ cups Riesling and simmer over medium heat until thick and syrupy and some of the liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes.

Smash cranberries with a fork. Add the remaining wine and sage, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Strain the mixture, smashing the cranberries once more, and then discard solids. At this point, the strained mixture can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

To serve, add the Benedictine liqueur and warm over low heat until steaming. Serve in warm cups.

Wine Suggestions for the Holidays

When the holidays roll around, what kind of wine will you pair with your impromptu parties and holiday dinners? You need a wine that has wonderful flavor and balance to complement your meal. It cannot be too tannic or acidic. It cannot be too light or too alcoholic. It needs the zip to complement cream and the delicacy to enhance subtle seasonings. It has to have a flavor to stand up to the kinds of complex flavors that comprise our holiday meals.

The problem can be vexing, but the answer is easy: any wine you enjoy is a good wine. Yes, it sounds simplistic, even patronizing, but it makes a point that’s all too often missed in the modern obsession with ratings and scores. Wine is about taste in every sense of the term and taste is, by definition, a highly personal and subjective experience. That is precisely why there are so many choices out there.

Don’t panic. There is no need to worry. I have outlined many choices of wines to pair with main entrées from which you can choose. Thankfully they are great results of the above test for holiday wines. They are also great buys.

November, especially the week before Thanksgiving, is an ideal time to buy wines for the holidays. Wine merchants usually run sales on select wines and you have the release of Beaujolais Nouveau on the third Thursday of November—just in time for Thanksgiving.

During the holidays many people will be serving an entrée of turkey, ham, goose, prime rib, or lobster. For each of these entrees, I have suggestions of both white and red wines that are made for your choosing.

Wine Suggestions for Turkey:
Reds:
Beaujolais Nouveau:
B&G
Louis Jadot – $14

Pinot Noir:
Argyle & Willamette – $20
Cambria Julia – $20

Whites:
Pinot Grigio:
Lagaria – $12
Bella Italia – $10

Wine Suggestions for Ham:
Reds:
Beaujolais Nouveau:
     B&G
Louis Jadot – $14

Zinfandel:
     Buehler – $18.50
Project Paso-Old Vine – $14

Wine Suggestions for Goose:
Reds:
Zinfandel:
     Seghesio-Sonoma Zinfandel – $20
Rancho Zabaco – $20

Cabernet Sauvignon:
     Buehler – $20

Whites:
Chardonnay:
     Kendall Jackson Reserve – $14
Fess Parker’s Santa Barbara – $17

Sauvignon Blanc:
     Snoqualmie – $10
Morgan – $17

Wines Suggestions for Prime Rib:
Reds:
Malbec:
     Agua De Piedra Grand Selection – $12
Terrazas Reserva – $17

Shiraz:
     Shooting Star – $12
Morgan – $19

Cabernet Sauvignon:
     Bogle – $12
Shooting Star – $13

Whites:
You are on your own! The strong flavors of red meats and sauces overpower white wines. If you have a favorite white, there is nothing stopping you from enjoying it with your rib roast.

Wine Suggestions for Lobster:
The wine you chose for lobster depends a great deal on how it’s prepared, whether you are grilling, steaming, or stir-frying, or if you are pairing it with a cream sauce or a tomato sauce.

For steamed or boiled lobster, use an Italian Prosecco such as Bortolomiol ($20) to bring out the sweetness of the lobster itself. Another choice would be an Albarino such as Licia ($16) from Northwestern Spain—Albarino wines were made for shellfish!

If you are going to serve your lobster in a cream sauce, a big chardonnay from California (Ferrari-Carano, $29) or a Puligny-Montrachet (Olivier Leflaive, $57) will work.

If you are having a stir-fried lobster with Asian seasoning, a sparkling wine like Prosecco will do well. You can also use an Alsacian wine like Now & Zen ($12), which works well with Asian-spiced foods.

Lobster in a tomato sauce, say with pasta, is a hard combination for wine. You will need a high-acid red and its flavor must counteract the tomato sauce. What we need here is a Chianti Classico, such as Castello Di Bossi ($18), as it complements the lobster and the tomato sauce.

Wine Suggestions for Kosher Dinners:
There are some kosher wines in the market from Israel such as Recanati, but the selection can be limited as far as the varieties offered. One of the best selections of kosher wines comes from the California Vineyard Baron Herzog. Baron Herzog offers a Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and White Zinfandel. These wines range in price from $9–$15 and they are of good value.

Enjoy your holidays and look to try some new wine and food combinations! The food is the tradition—make the wine a rock star!

Celebrate with Small Plates

While you are witnessing a number of restaurants serving “small plates” as an option for a meal, you should know that it has been a growing trend for some time in the catering industry. I actually prefer to go out and enjoy a 5-course meal of small plates! I also enjoy them perfectly paired with a beverage—either a glass of wine, champagne, sake, cognac, beer, or spirit—served in a small glass. It seems to me that each perfectly paired beverage with the small plate is designed to POP in your mouth the most delicious taste with each different course. Yum!!

So, this holiday season it will not surprise you to know that it is all about taste, being small, and being comforting. Mini savory or sweet cupcakes or lollipop cakes… Mini meatballs in different sauces… Mini mac and cheese bites… Mini meatloaf bites… Mini savory and sweet tartlets… Mini tasting spoons… Mini soup sippers… Mini sweet and savory pies… the list goes on and on. This means we can taste a little bit everything and not feel guilty!

Pies are the new cupcake craze. Did you know that there are mini pies in almost every culture?

• The British have Cornish Pasty which is a steak and vegetable mini hand pie
• Latin Cultures have the Empanada with beef, chicken or chorizo
• Australia has meat pies, Jamaica has meat pies, Finland has meat pies, Asia has meat pies, Louisiana has meat pies, Nigeria has meat pies, Morocco has meat pies… then there is sambousek, burek, tourtiere, treacle, samosas, and banoffee!
• New England has chicken pot pie, lobster pie, fish pie, mini whoopee pies, mini apple pies, key lime pies, etc.

We could go on and on!

In this spirit, why not consider a mini pie holiday party? Here are two to get you started:

Beef Empanada

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour (plus a little more for kneading)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 3 tablespoons lard

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, beat the water, eggs and vinegar together. Set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the 3 cups of flour and salt.

3. Cut the lard into the flour mix with a pastry blender or two butter knives. Make a well in the center of the flour mix and pour the liquid ingredients from the first bowl into the center.

4. Mix the wet and dry ingredients with a fork until it becomes stiff.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it just until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth.

6. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Use immediately. You can also freeze the dough at this point for future use.

Servings: Makes approximately 10 six-inch empanadas.

Picadillo Filling:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 medium white onion (chopped fine)
• 1 small green pepper (chopped)
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce
• 2 small potatoes (peeled and diced)
• 8 to 10 green olives (pitted)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup of cilantro
• Olive oil for sautéing

Preparation:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.

2. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onions, green pepper, and garlic until soft.

3. Add the ground beef mixture, beef stock, and tomato sauce. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.

4. Add the diced potato. Cover and cook another 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are done.

5. Remove the cover. Add the olives and cook uncovered 15 minutes or until the liquid is fully evaporated, but the meat is still moist.

Method:

Roll dough 5 to 6” circles. Place filling in1/2 and fold over into a half circle. Crimp all the way around with a fork and bake or fry until golden.

Basically, this dough can be used for any filling at all. Try spinach and feta, lamb and Moroccan spices and chickpeas, or pork, jalapeño, cumin, and chili powder.

Suggestion: Pair with a mini mojito!

Mini Quick Whoopie Pie

1 Box Chocolate Cake mix

Follow the directions on the chocolate cake mix and then add 1 cup or more of all-purpose flour to stiffen the dough. Use a mini ice cream scoop and scoop onto parchment covered sheet pans. Bake 350 degrees until done…approximately 15 minutes. Cool completely and scoop a mini scoop of buttercream onto one side and “sandwich” with another side. Easy Peasy!

Suggestion: Pair with a late harvest Zinfandel!

I challenge you to make several different mini pies and a couple of beverages to make your festive and fun!

Some other suggestions: have an interactive party by making it a contest. This is GREAT for corporate team building as well!

Gingerbread House Making Contest

Cookie Decorating Contest

When all else fails and you really want to dazzle the crowd consider what is REALLY HOT… BACON! Make it a…

Bacon BAR!! Bake bacon with all kinds of flavors and just set out on a buffet table and watch them disappear. Peppered bacon, candied bacon, chocolate dipped bacon, and my personal favorite: bacon brittle!

Happy holiday planning!

TD Bank Beach 2 Beacon Road Races 2013

The wine has been delivered, the linens are prepared, and all the food pick-ups, drop-offs, and cooking stations are planned out and accounted for. Last week was the first full week of preparations for the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race scheduled for August 5th. We were extremely excited to be a part of the festivities again this year and meet and serve all the amazing volunteers and runners affiliated with this magnificent event.

Saturday morning was the day of the race. We provided all the amazing athletes with water, oranges, small breakfast foods, and other refreshments. Keeping the runners hydrated and nourished before the event is something we take very seriously. There is such a buzz in the air on race day! It always makes interacting with the runners and volunteers and spectators such a treat!

The wonderful volunteers and other VIPs that devote countless hours of hard work to making sure this event goes well will be having a special event the night after the race. This VIP event will be a good old-fashioned Maine lobster bake, which we catered.  This event is always a blast for everyone involved!

The TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race has become a huge event that we love taking part in. A huge thank you to all the volunteers, community members, sponsors and leaders who make race day so special every year.

Fresh Cherry BBQ Sauce from Taste of the Nation 2013

We have the honor of being the exclusive caterer at the 2013 Taste of the Nation VIP Reception at Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport.  The event benefits a number of different charities including The Good Shepherd Food Bank, Opportunity Alliance, Cultivating Community, as well as Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign.

One of the dishes that we are serving is a Seared Duck Breast with a Fresh Cherry Barbeque Sauce.  This sauce would go great with any poultry – serve it at your next summer barbeque or let us come prepare it for you!

Fresh Cherry BBQ Sauce

1 Yellow Onion, chopped fine
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 can Cherry Juice Concentrate
1 cup Red Wine Vinegar
3 Chipotle Peppers, stems removed
4 packages of Dried Sour Cherries
8 cloves of Garlic, chopped fine
1 tablespoon Paprika
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 cup Sour Cherry Preserves
1 jar Roasted Red Peppers, with liquid
2 tablespoons Rye or Bourbon Whiskey
2 tablespoons Sugar
Salt

Directions
In a heavy saucepan, sauté onion in oil until caramelized.  Add cherry juice, vinegar, chipotle peppers, half of the dried sour cherries, garlic, paprika, and roasted red peppers.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until chipotle peppers are completely softened, at least 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.

In a food processor, puree the mixture together with the remaining half of the dried sour cherries, the tomato paste, roasted red peppers, and cherry preserves until smooth.  Push puree through a mesh strainer into a saucepan.  Add sugar and salt to taste.  Add whiskey and return to stove to bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer for another 20 minutes or so.  If needed, add additional sugar/salt.

Portland Kitchen Tour 2013 Recap!

The Kitchen Tour has never disappointed, and this year was no exception. Thank you to all who supported us and the event this year, especially all you mothers out there who celebrated your special day with us! We had an amazing time with all of you!

We were lucky enough to cook in the Kitchen Cove showroom on Forest Ave, where we did a demonstration with lots of samples!  We also teamed up with Baxter Brewing Co., a sponsor of this event, to create a delicious dish using their Summer Swelter beer and mussels! Check out our recipe below.

Mussels A La Baxter

Ingredients:

• Chopped Chorizo Sausage
• Mussels
• EVOO
• Baxter Summer Swelter Ale
• Compound Butter: see recipe below

To prepare compound butter: Mix softened butter with orange and lemon and lime zest to taste. Add garlic and herbs of your choice.

To prepare Mussels A La Baxter:

Add chopped chorizo to a hot pan with a little EVOO. Saute until crispy. Add cleaned and de-bearded mussels with enough of the beer to steam and cover until most of the mussels open. Add a tablespoon of compound butter and cover until melted and all of the mussels are open. You can serve this as an appetizer or increase the portion of compound butter and serve with some lovely noodles as an entree. YUMMMMMM!

Check out some photos from the event in this photo gallery!