Maine Speaks

My newest book purchase is a copy of Maine Speaks: An Anthology of Maine Literature, editor Jeff Fischer. This book is no longer in print, but it should be. It is a wonderful compilation of essays and poems about Maine, written by authors who have lived in Maine at some time during their lives. It is divided into 5 sections: Identity, Origins,Work, Nature, and Communities. I have decided to read it section by section, cover to cover, with a bit of skipping around thrown in for good measure .

My All-time Favorite Excerpt from Maine Speaks:

Lakes and Ponds: Some Blue Spots on the Maine Highway Map, by Kate Barnes

There's Blunder Pond and Bluffer Pond, Molasses Pond and Bean;

There's Scraggly Lake and Ragged Lake; there's Silver, Clear, and Green;

Bear Pond, Caribou, Beaver, Mink; Moose Pond and Eagle Lake.

White Horse Lake and Spider Lake; Panther Pond and Snake;

Hound and Otter, Togue and Salmon; Loon, and Swan, and Duck.

There's Hot Brook Lake and Cold Stream Pond; there's White Pond and there's Black;

Lobster Lake and Bean Pot Lake; Shin Pond for a stew;

(Toddy Pond will make you cheerful, Brandy Pond will too,)

Hay Lake, Harrow Lake, Chain of Ponds; Buttermilk and Mud;

White Oak, Cedar, Seven Tree, Elm; Mill Pond, Meadow, Flood;

Meddybemps and Pocomoonshine; Simsquish, Skitacook,

Syslodobsis, Nahinakanta; Ugh Lake and Ticook;

Indian Pond and Soldier Pond; Polly Pond and Jim;

Round Pond, Square Lake, Corner Pond; Cut Lake and Old Stream;

Endless Lake and Desolation; St. Froid in the snow;

Flying Pond and The Enchanted, its haunted stream below:-

Blue spots on the road map with their blue names printed by,

Many words for "water", many eyes that see the sky.

Soup

Laurie (et al) - this is an old post, but I think you'd really like this soup cookbook (although hopefully we are moving past soup season, haha).

400 Best-Ever Soups

almond-crusted chicken tender salad

I found this in an ad in a magazine, but wow, it was good and easy. Don't substitute regular breadcrumbs - the panko (in the international foods aisle at the supermarket) makes the chicken really crispy.

Whisk together for dressing:

1/4 c. Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce
1/4 c. olive oil
2 T. honey
2 T. vinegar
1 t. grated orange peel

For salad:

6 c. mixed baby salad greens
2 oranges, peeled and segmented

For chicken:

1 lb chicken breast tenders
freshly ground pepper
1 egg
1 T. Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
1/2 c. smoked almonds, finely chopped (I put them in the mini food processor)
2-3 T. vegetable oil

Pepper chicken. Whisk together egg and teriyaki. Mix almonds and panko. Coat chicken in flour, then egg mixture, then almond/panko mixture. Heat oil. Add chicken and cook 6-7 minutes, turning once. Serve chicken on salad and pass the dressing.

Within the Stone

 I purchased a new book titled, Within The Stone, by Bill Atkinson. It is the most beautiful book I've ever owned. If you are into rocks and minerals, you will love this book. I find myself catching my breath when gazing upon the stunning photos of specimens of polished rocks. WOW! I get transported directly into the stone, into the patterns, into the colors...This book is unreal. And, to top it all off, Mr. Atkinson commissioned seven writers to compose a total of 70 phenomenal literary pieces about the rocks they were assigned to free-associate about. There will be hours, upon hours of enjoyment given to me when cuddled up with this book (and a piece of that lemon yogurt cake). I am in awe...
Click to see the book at BillAtkinson.com. More of Bill's fantastic images can be seen HERE.

Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ina Garten has created a work of art with this cookbook. Not only does it have stunning food photos, but many of the recipes are simple, yet divine.

One of my favorite recipes in this book is Lemon Yogurt Cake as I am a lemon lover from way back, and this cake satisfies my lemony taste buds as few lemon-based foods ever have.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

1-1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 Cup vanilla lowfat  yogurt

1-1/3 Cup sugar, divided

3 extra-large eggs

2 tsp. grated lemon zest (1 large lemon)

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 Cup vegetable Oil

1/2 Cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from the lemon)

For the Glaze:

1 Cup confectioners' sugar

2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8.5 x 4.25 x 2.5 inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it is all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 lemon juice and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake (while it is still in the pan) and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze,  combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Portable Kisses

by Tess Gallagher

I'm thoroughly enjoying Portable Kisses - very charming and quirky.




Blurbs:

* "Ideally, a reader should finish this book, then find somebody to kiss." T.G. [The Author]
* "This is the best book of love poems since Neruda's." Bill Knott, Emerson College
* "I've always been fascinated by Tess Gallagher's poetry. In Portable Kisses, she convincingly provides condensed librettos of lovers' patterns of approach and retreat. The poems sometimes have a mythic quality, while at other times the poet all but steps aside to wink at us and to acknowledge the power of mind over matter as it intrudes itself into even the most romantic of myths. It's a book filled with beauty, energy, and surprise." Ann Beattie

Pasta Primavera

I made this on Good Friday. Buy a good cheese (you aren't paying for meat!) and the fresh basil is especially important. This is a great dish to serve company.


2 cups green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 2 ounces)
6 ounces uncooked fettuccine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2/3 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese


Cook green beans in boiling water 1 minute. Add broccoli and asparagus; cook 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Return water to a boil. Add pasta; cook 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and add to vegetable mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup onion, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper; sauté 3 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Add peas, and sauté 1 minute. Add tomatoes; sauté 2 minutes. Combine half-and-half and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium. Add half-and-half mixture and salt to pan; cook 1 minute or until sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Pour sauce over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with basil and cheese. Serve immediately.

Pork Medallions with Red Currant Sauce

From Cooking Light - so easy!!!! I didn't have red currant jelly at the moment so I used seedless blackberry jam (the editors say any fruit jelly can be used). And I substituted red wine vinegar & scallions for the cider vinegar and chives, haha. The smoked paprika makes it...

1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t salt
1/4 t smoked paprika
1/4 t dried rubbed sage
1/2 t black pepper
1 (1 lb) pork tenderloin
cooking spray
1/3 c red currant jelly
3 T cider vinegar
2 T chopped chives

Cut pork loin into 1" slices. Pound to 1/2" thick. Brown in nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray about 3 min per side. Remove pork to platter. Add jelly - cook 30 sec. Remove from heat & stir in vinegar. Sprinkle pork with chives and serve with sauce.

Kettle Corn

This is so simple but good - the original recipe calls for maple sugar, but I couldn't find any so I used brown sugar.

2 T canola oil
1/2 c. unpopped popcorn kernels
1/4 c. maple or brown sugar
1/2 t. salt

Heat oil. Add popcorn, sugar and salt. Cook until popping slows down, shaking pan continuously to avoid burning.

Chicken Saltimbucca - yum!

Pound chicken breasts - dip in egg and then flour, salt & pepper. Brown in olive oil about 2 min per side (depending on thickness of cutlets). Put chicken on a cooking sheet with chopped garlic. Top each piece of chicken with a slice of prosciutto, basil or sage leaf, and a slice of fresh mozzarella and broil.

Saute sliced assorted mushrooms (shitaake, oyster, baby bella, etc) in marsala wine. Saute baby spinach in olive oil and garlic.

Serve chicken on a bed of spinach, topped with the mushrooms and marsala.

Movies & Music

I loved the exploration of musical creativity and human interaction in the movie Once. Quirky how we never even find out the names of the male and female leads! I think I'll get the soundtrack for my ipod...

"Amazon.com
Winner of the World Audience Award at Sundance, Once starts out as a small-scale romance, like Before Sunrise, before arriving somewhere unexpected. An Irish busker (Glen Hansard, the Frames and The Commitments) meets a Czech flower seller (Markéta Irglová) while singing on the streets of Dublin. (In the credits, they're listed as Guy and Girl.) She likes what she hears and lets him know. Turns out she's a musician, too. They work on a few songs together and a friendship is forged. She lives with her widowed mother, who doesn't speak English. He lives with his widowed father, who owns a repair shop. Since he broke up with his girlfriend, the guy has been drifting, unable and unwilling to get his life in order. The girl encourages him to pursue a record deal, and the guy emerges from his funk. Then he makes a move on the girl, who rejects his advances. He's confused, but as he comes to find, there's a reason she’s keeping her distance. Though Once is filled with appealing folk-pop by Hansard and Irglová (released on CD as The Swell Season), the movie isn't a traditional musical, but rather a more optimistic Brief Encounter. Filmmaker John Carney, Hansard's former bandmate, captures the real city--in all its affluence and poverty--rather than the picture postcard version. His beautifully shot film serves as a heartfelt ballad about all the underclass Guys and Girls swept aside amidst Ireland's economic miracle. --Kathleen C. Fennessy "

What happens to the flower children?

I just finished Jimi Hendrix Turns Eighty by Tim Sandlin. It takes place in an assisted living facility in the year 2022. Residents may have copped out and joined the corporate world, etc. midlife, but they are reliving the 60's now. I found the book hilarious (with scenes like getting naked and throwing pants, panties, adult diapers at the band), but a bit scary because of the vivid descriptions about what it might feel like to live without full control of your own life and body. Still - I'd recommend the book highly.

"After crafting uproarious tales about fatherhood (Social Blunders, 1995) and Washington sleaze (Honey Don't, 2003), Sandlin asks, What will the age of assisted living be like for boomers who longed for the Age of Aquarius? It's 2022, and Guy Fontaine, a widower from Oklahoma, finds himself committed to a California old-folks facility where the flamboyant residents have reverted to the pursuits of their glory days, the late 1960s. Pot smoking, group sex, a rock band called Acid Reflux, cliques formed according to where you were during the Summer of Love, and the motto "don't trust anyone under sixty" all make for a wild, sometimes grotesque milieu overseen by a bitchy director who treats the oldsters like idiot children and a staff doctor who overmedicates them. When Guy inadvertently jump-starts an insurrection, the old hippies, old hands at civil disobedience, take over the compound. Hilarious in the fine-tuned details and rapid-fire dialogue, Sandlin's antic yet precision-aimed and unfailingly entertaining novel is a mordantly witty, covertly poignant, and genuinely insightful dissection of our fear and loathing of old age. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved"

Chicken and Tomatillo Soup

There are no amounts on spices because I was cooking by taste and just sprinkling things in...


3 pound chicken
salt and pepper
oregano
1 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 medium sized onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely sliced
2 ribs celery, coarsely sliced

Put above in a pot, cover chicken with water and poach until chicken is done. Put chicken aside to cool. Strain vegies from broth, saving both vegies and broth.

1 lb tomatillos, husked

Add above to broth and cook until tender. Strain again, reserving both broth and tomatillos. Puree tomatillos in a blender or food mill and add back to broth.

chili powder
cumin
bay leaf
Adobe seasoning to taste
hot sauce to taste
garlic
2 10 oz cans Rotel tomatoes with lime juice and cilantro
two large leeks, sliced thinly
1 c. rice

Cook until rice is done. Debone chicken and shred meat. Add to soup with reserved vegie mix (carrots, celery, onions). Heat through.

Garnishes:

sour cream
grated Monterey Jack or Queso Fresco cheese
yogurt
fried strips of corn tortillas

Pumpkin -Pecan Pie

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp melted butter
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell
whipped cream

Preparation
With a hand beater beat eggs well. Beat in corn syrup, sugar, butter, pumpkin, and vanilla until well blended. Arrange pecans in bottom of pie shell. Slowly pour egg mixture over them. Bake for 1 hr or until knife inserted 1 in from edge comes out clean. Let cool completely before serving to allow filling to set.
Source- Paula Deen.

Two pies for the calories of one. I like that thought.

Paul Pines

I listen to Paul Pines read poetry and excerpts from his latest novel at the Gulf of Maine Bookstore recently. I haven't read the book of poetry I bought (yet), but just finished the memoir, "My Brother's Madness". Sometimes memoirs are as much or more about those who people the author's life than the author himself. Pines does have a poetic eye and a wonderfully philosophic way of examining things (all the way down to particle physics roots), but I came away with such a strong attachment to the others in his book as well. I can't recommend this enough.

Take what pain, hope, sorrow, and madness there is in this world, pass it through the alembic of an educated sensibility and a deep, informed compassion, and you might be lucky enough to reach My Brother's Madness. Paul Pines has achieved just this: a story both profoundly personal and universal, an exploration of the trials of family, the breaking points in our psyche's powers, and yet the capacity of compassion to ride the worst of storms all the way home.

James Hollis, Ph. D., Jungian Analyst, and author of Why Good People Do Bad Things.

Cioppino

I just made this for a party - it got rave reviews. Incredibly fast to make. I doubled the recipe and used 4 lbs of mahogany clams to replace the 2 lbs of mussels. Also, I used Syrah for the wine and cod for the fish.

Easy Seafood Cioppino

1 fennel bulb cut into 6 wedges
1 onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, smashed
2 T olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 t. thyme
1/8 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 c. water
1 c. Syrah or red zinfandel
8 oz. clam juice
1 lb halibut or other firm white fish
1 lb mussels

Put veggies in food processor and pulse until chopped. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven - saute vegies and spices 4 min. Add tomatoes and liquids and boil 20 min. Add fish and mussels - cook until mussels open, 4-6 min.

~From Gourmet magazine

Soup Season

400 Best-ever Soups - by Anne Sheasby

I saw this book at a friend's house and just had to have my own copy. It is certainly soup season and there will be plenty here to keep me trying new things. I was amazed at the variety - all ethnicities, from cream soups to stews, seafood, meat, veggie - it is all here. This is one of the recipes I tried with this season's blackberries (very quick and yummy - my kids liked it as well). I've slightly adapted the recipe so it is faster to make.


Indian Beef and Berry Soup

1 ½ lb steak, sliced
3 T oil
1 medium onion, peeled/sliced
2-3 c beef stock
1 c blackberries or blueberries, slightly mashed
1 T honey
salt to taste

Saute the steak and onions in oil until meat is brown and onions are golden. Add the blackberries and enough beef stock to barely cover the meat. Stir in the honey and simmer the meat, covered, until it is very tender. If the berries are too tart add more honey to taste. Add salt and serve in bowls.

Starbucks®Pumpkin Scone

My son made these yesterday from fresh pumpkin. They are amazing! And so is he - not bad for a 14 yo.

~

Top Secret Recipes
version of
Starbucks®Pumpkin Scone

During the holiday months you'd better get over to Starbucks bright and early if you want to get your teeth around a delicious pumpkin scone. These orange triangles of goodness are made with real pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices, and they quickly vanish out the door when fall rolls around. Each scone is generously coated with a simple plain glaze and then spiced icing is drizzled over the top for the perfect finishing touch. But good scones are more than just good flavor. To get the flaky texture we'll cut cold butter into the dry ingredients, either with a pastry knife and some elbow grease, or by pulsing away at it with a food processor, until all the butter chunks have been worked in.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg
6 tablespoons cold butter

PLAIN GLAZE:

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

SPICED ICING:

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
pinch ground cloves

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger in a large bowl.

3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half-and-half, and egg.

4. Cut butter into cubes then add it to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry knife or a fork to combine butter with dry ingredients. Continue mixing until no
chucks of butter are visible. You can also use a food processor: Pulse butter into dry ingredients until it is the texture of cornmeal or coarse sand.

5. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then form the dough into a ball. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick
rectangle that is about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide. Use a large knife or a pizza wheel to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal
portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough.

6. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes on a baking sheet that has been lightly oiled or lined with parchment paper. Scones should begin to turn light brown.

7. While scones cool, prepare plain glaze by combining ingredients in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Mix until smooth.

8. When scones are cool, use a brush to paint a coating of the glaze over the top of each scone.

9. As that white glaze firms up, prepare spiced icing by combining ingredients in another medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (at least 1 hour). A squirt bottle works great for this, or you can drizzle with a whisk.


Makes 6 scones.

Current Read

Well...I've just started it but it came recommended from a friend....I'm reading "Challenger Park" which is a fictional story about two astronauts who are married - one of whom is awaiting the first assignment. I'll update it as I continue to read....

I did finish reading "A Son of the Circus" by John Irving. Lots of characters, flashbacks through time, interesting story - but it did take quite a bit of time to read. Irving's better known books include A Prayer for Owne Meaney and Cider House Rules.

Asparagus & Pancetta Spaghetti Salad

Salad:
1lb cooked spaghetti
2 or 3 bunches blanched asparagus
1/2 lb chopped pancetta or prosciutto
shredded parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Dressing:
1 cup olive oil
1/4 c. white wine or rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic
3 T grated parmesan cheese
2 T assorted chopped fresh herbs