DiMillo's Floating Restaurant, Portland, ME

Saturday dawned cold and crisp in Portland, and once we finally got bundled up to hit the town, we were feeling more like lunch than breakfast. No worries there though- we had our spot all picked out. DiMillo's Floating Restaurant sits on the water in a retired car ferry. The ship itself began its life in 1941 when it began its service as a car ferry in the New York area. As time went on the ship found itself in high demand as a car ferry, and was sold to several other states for their use, and then finally was utilized as a youth shelter and a club. Finally, in 1980, the DiMillo family purchased the boat, and opened their floating restaurant in 1982. While some may consider it a tourist trap during the warmer months, it serves our purposes well during the rest of the year.

For whatever reason, DiMillo's is a spot where we choose to sit at the bar, rather than at a table in their expansive dining room. We have actually never sat at a table, but instead always enjoy the friendly bartenders, the views of the ocean and dock areas. There is something about the ocean in the winter that I just love. Knowing that Portland is chock full of tasty treats for any time of the day, I decided to get a smaller lunch and selected the Maine Crab Roll. Small-this roll was not! The sandwich was served in the traditional fashion- in a hot dog roll- and it was absolutely PACKED with fresh crab meat mixed with mayo and very little else. DiMillo's obviously knows how tasty their fresh crab meat is, and showcased it well. Sweet and delicious, huge chunks of crab, along with the lots of the broken down meat filled the roll to such a degree that it was almost hard to eat-almost. I polished off my sandwich in record time.

John had also elected to go the Crab route-and got the Crab Club. Typical in it's presentation the club was a triple decker, layered inside with crab salad, lettuce, tomato and bacon. I stole a quick bite and really enjoyed the same lovely crab salad mixed with the smokey crisp bacon. Delicious. Our sandwiches both came with our choice of a side, my coleslaw, which I had picked knowing that I wouldn't be tempted by it, had good flavor from the bite I took, but I just am not a big 'slaw fan. John had chosen the rice as his side and ate a good amount of the heaping portion- I took that as a good review.

DiMillo's is a great starting point in Portland. Beautiful water views give you ambiance you couldn't create and a solid seafood offering with reasonable prices makes this a must hit for us each time we head to Portland.

The Brian Boru, Portland, ME

Quite some time ago now John and I were looking for a place to head to for a little weekend away. After some consideration we chose to head to Portland, Maine, as it was just close enough to Boston at about 2 hours away, neither of us had ever been there to explore it, and we had heard wonderful things. After just 24 hours in the great city we were hooked. Almost every time now that we feel the need to escape the hectic life in Boston, we head to Portland for a little relaxation.

As we sat yesterday in one of our favorite spots putting off the inevitable trip home I realised what it is that I love so much about Portland-simply put it appeals to all of my interests and passions. Any location on the ocean is a place where I am comfortable- add to that the wonderful artistic vibe that completely encases the city and reminds me of my long lost days of being a high school band groupie, and finally, of course there is the food angle. Portland is comprised of an amazing amount of restaurants, most of which hold dear the principles of good eating-food, made with love for those who are going to enjoy it and love for where it came from. So many of the restaurant support local farms and produce only making sure that their cuisine is served at its freshest point, resulting in amazing flavors, and wonderful combinations. Finally, it must be noted, that the people of Portland are some of the friendliest and warmest that I've met.

Each trip we start our time in Portland the same way- we head directly to the Brian Boru. Brian Boru, touted as a Traditional Irish Pub on their website, appears in every way to be just that. Sitting inside, at communal tables no less, it is truly a place to gather, to meet old friends, to swig down a beer or two, and to enjoy their truly delicious food.

We found the Brian Boru quite by chance on our first trip up to Portland. We had gotten ridiculously lost along the way, and had forgotten to bring any type of snacks (as we have since realized that we are prone to getting lost-we always have some food with us on car trips). Anyway-once we finally arrived in what we would later refer to as "The Great City", we were starved and went looking for food immediately. What we found was a cheerful red building, sporting the Guinness Pelican on one side-like a beacon to the weary travellers- we had found the Brian Boru. That day we dined on garlic fries, and sandwiches and were filled-it could have been food from the Gods. From then on- as soon as we get to Portland, we make a beeline for Pelican.

Friday evening we had our first dinner experience there, and we were not disappointed. I chose the Hot Roast Lamb sandwich. The lamb had been cooked with a fair amount of garlic, and then shredded, and piled high on a long sandwich role dressed with a sage may. This was so nice. The lamb was delicate, with the flavor of garlic but not over powered with it, and the sage mayo added a creamy, luxurious component with just the right amount of sage flavor. Together the sandwich was hearty and warming, exactly the type of meal that you would want after a long car ride and on a cold night.

John had chosen to have their pulled pork sandwich which he's had before and absolutely loved- so he was crushed when he was informed that they were out of it. A quick selection later though- he ordered their Rueben. I snagged a bite of his-wow. The corned beef was obviously homemade and incredibly well spiced. I have had my fair share of Rueben's during my time and often find that a lot of the flavor comes from the sauer kraut and not the beef-here the beef played a very rightful center stage, delicately enhanced by the creamy cheese and the kraut.

The Brian Boru hits the spot every time. From their food-to their great selection of beers- to their live music during the evenings, there is no better way to kick off a great weekend in Portland than indulging in one of their fantastic meals.

Cabot Cheese, A Give Away, Mussels and Biscuits!

I love cheese-its just a fantastic product isn't it? It is just so versatile as it comes in all different flavors and tastes, textures and application possibilities- a warm pot of melted cheese and wine for Fondue, a comforting grilled cheese sandwich on a cold day, gorgeous fresh mozzarella standing up to fresh tomatoes, sweet basil and garlic in salads. Finally, there are those wonderful cheese plates to end a meal with- beautiful cheeses to satisfy the sweet and savory tooth. Who can resist lovely cheese?
One of my favorite types of cheese is cheddar and one of the best suppliers of cheddar cheese is none other than Cabot, which was begun in Vermont in 1919. One of the very cool things about Cabot is that they are actually a Coop- meaning that their cheese comes from dairy farmers all across New England-so buying Cabot here in Boston means buying local. Even more exciting though is that Cabot is not just local- they are sustainable as well. Cabot upholds the principles of sustainability farm to farm- and cow to cow. They know that their cheese is a direct product of the land they live on, and they want to take care of it. I tip my hat to them for their efforts!

Here's the fun part- THE FIRST EVER A BOSTON FOOD DIARY GIVEAWAY! Send me a note with a suggestion for your favorite way to use Cabot Cheese-whatever you like, where ever your imagination takes you- we'll select the best one- and the winner receives a lovely Cabot Cheese Gift Basket! This is sure to be a crowd pleaser so get in your entries by noon on February 11, 2010, and we'll choose a winner! Entries can be sent to abostonfooddiary@gmail.com.

To get you started on some ideas- the lovely folks over at Stephanie's on Newbury sent me some recipes earlier this week to try out-featuring Cabot Cheese. Though they all looked amazing- I only had time to try out two last night- the Mussels Au Gratin and Cabot Chipotle Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Biscuits -yummy!

I started off by making the Biscuits, deciding that they might just be a delicious vehicle to soak up the broth from the Mussels. Recipe is:

®Cabot Chipotle Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Biscuits

3 C all purpose flour

4 t baking powder

1 t salt

1 stick (8 T) butter, cold and unsalted

1 C ®Cabot Chipotle Cheddar Cheese, hand shredded

1/3 C scallions, finely chopped

8 bacon strips, crispy fried and finely chopped

1 ½ C milk

Preheat oven to °400. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl mix together flour,
baking powder and salt (sifting together is preferable). With a pastry blender cut in cold butter until the mixture looks like crumbs. Add cheese, bacon and scallions and mix lightly. Add the milk and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula being careful not to over mix. On a lightly floured surface, hand pat down the dough until about a ½ inch thickness. Cut into 4 inch circles and place evenly on the cookie sheet. Bake biscuits until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Now I am not a baker- by any means- but this recipe was easy and the biscuits were delicious. A few notes- I sadly couldn't find the Chipotle cheese in my grocery store- so I subbed in Chili Lime. I actually wish that I had added a bit more cheese as I wasn't able to taste the flavors of it as much as I had wanted but the Bacon and the Scallions added in these great flavors of smokey and onion- and even better those ingredients did a great job of breaking up the texture. I would love to have made the Beef Stew recipe that was sent a long- I bet these guys would have been awesome with that!

Once the biscuits had been put in the oven I turned my attention to prepping for the Mussels Au Gratin. Recipe followed is:

Mussels Au Gratin

1 # mussels, de-bearded, washed and patted dry

2 T butter (unsalted)

½ T canola oil

½ T garlic, minced

1 T shallot, minced

1 T parsley, chopped

1 T tarragon, chopped

¼ C white wine, dry

½ C heavy cream

3 T Parmesan cheese

¼ C ®Cabot Private Stock Cheddar Cheese, shredded by hand

Pre-heat the oven to °475. In a medium sized sauté pan over high heat melt the butter and heat the oil. Do not brown. Add the mussels, garlic and shallots and sauté until the mussels start to open. Add a ½ T of each herb and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add white wine, heavy cream and 2 T Parmesan cheese and reduce by half. Place mussels in an oven proof serving dish and top with bread crumbs and cheddar cheese and bake until brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining Parmesan and herbs. Enjoy.

Now I love Mussels- but I've never baked them before so I was excited to try this new way of cooking them! I have to say-I think I failed here. Mussels-I know-cook very very fast. They are one of those easy great things that you can cook just before people arrive because the are a breeze. I think that I moved a bit too slow last night. Where the instructions say to saute the mussels until they start to open-I believe that I left them a bit long at this stage before adding the herbs, and then perhaps the time between the herbs and adding the cream and wine should have been a bit shorter. By the time I transferred the little devils into my oven safe dish-they were all pretty much done. The browning time in the oven just sorta added insult to their injury. Now don't get me wrong- that broth is killer-creamy but perfectly seasoned from the garlic and the shallots. Little hints of parsley and tarragon are like notes of flavor throughout. The cheesy crust created during the baking was awesome-totally decadent. It added nice texture to the dish which was other wise lacking. The mussels-the ones I hadn't overcooked- had adopted all of those wonderful flavors and were delicious.

We did use those biscuits to sop up the broth as well- that was a lovely combination!!

So there you have it- those are the suggestions from Stephanie's on Newbury for two types of Cabot Cheese- what are yours???

Audubon Circle Restaurant Bar

As I have previously stated, it's darn cold in Boston right now. It has been this way for a week-I think- I've lost track-I just know that I'm now repeating the cycle of the ridiculously warm sweaters that I own because light wool isn't going to cut it. Anyway- when it is this cold- I tend to abbreviate the length of the walks I normally take around this great city. However last night I decided to brave it, and walk over towards the Boston/Brookline line to pick up John from his place of employment after work. This is a wonderful walk as it leads through lovely shopping as well as ending close to a very nice little eatery that I have neglected for far too long- Audubon Circle Restaurant and Bar.

Audubon was found to a few of my girlfriends and I quite a few years back now, just after we had moved into the city. However as years went by, and I've moved around the city, I lost sight of this great little place. So, I decided as I walked over towards that area, it was time to check it out again and see if it is still as good as I remember.

We got there right around 7:00 pm-prime dining time, but were able to find a nice table right away- and as far from the door as possible to cut down on any possible drafts. We were greeted immediately by our server, who took our drink orders and left us with our menus. I actually had a pretty difficult time deciding what I wanted. I had heard that the burgers there were pretty tasty and so encouraged John to order it, but I knew that after my meatballs and chocolate french toast from the weekend- I wanted something lighter. I finally decided on a grilled chicken salad. We also decided to start with an appetizer of grilled shrimp.

The shrimp arrived in good timing-not too short where you had to wonder how long they had been sitting around waiting for someone to order them, but not so long that you started to wonder if the staff had had to go find shrimp somewhere. Six shrimp were served on a bed of Arugula, circled around a citrus based dipping sauce. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, plump and delicious. They had subtle enhancing flavors to them including a sprinkling of white sesame seeds over the top. They had countered this in a delightful Ying/Yang fashion by including a sprinkle of black sesame seeds over the dipping sauce. The sauce itself was thick, sweet and full of flavor. I really enjoyed these as an appetizer-they were the perfect amount and the flavors really awakened the taste buds.

Our entrees were served soon after we finished the appetizer. My salad looked fresh and delicious with large pieces of grilled chicken layered over one side of the plate and greens piling out from under. They had added a couple of handfuls of roasted pumpkin seeds as well as some dried cherries to the mix as well, and then had tossed the whole thing in a lemon cilantro dressing. It is safe to say that I cleaned my plate-completely. The chicken was really well cooked-and held the bright lemony flavor from the dressing perfectly. The salad was very fresh, had great crunch from its own natural texture, and was really enhanced with the pumpkin seeds and the sweet tart cherries. I am currently craving more of this salad.

John enjoyed his burger as well, especially noting that the bread it was served on was really good. However, he did not enjoy the accompanying potatoes. What was served seemed more like a breakfast potato then a burger potato, and it just didn't vibe well for him. Luckily, the burger was good enough to overcome any disappointment in the potatoes and so he felt dinner was still a success.

It should be noted, because of the work that obviously went into the design, that the vibe of the restaurant is very cool. It maintains laid back while being slightly edgy, welcoming customers of all ages and backgrounds. Additionally, the inside of the restaurant is incredibly clean, though watch out for the glasses-one of ours had to be returned.

Audubon rejoins my list of favorite restaurants in the Fenway/Brookline area with a pledge to return more often.

Pasta and Meatballs-the ultimate cold weather food!

The past few days in Boston have been brutally cold-so cold that the ice that forms overnight doesn’t defrost during the day. It’s so cold that even my warmest sweaters don’t feel warm enough. It is certifiably frigid out there. So what does frigid mean? It means warming, comforting foods-the type of food that says “Hey! You there-come on inside, close the door and don’t even think about leaving again til it warms up 20 degrees or so”-yeah, that’s the type of food I’m looking for. So I made some. Sunday afternoon, with no football to watch, no place to go, we hunkered down and I made meatballs, with fresh homemade tomato sauce.

There is something about tomato sauce that I just adore. I think it’s partially how versatile it is. Tomato sauce can take on so many different forms- from rustic with big chunks of tomato and simple seasonings, to much more involved creations blending smoother textures, different types of alcohol, spices, and herbs. Making tomato sauce from scratch is purely therapeutic for the simple fact that it allows your creativity to flow and explore.

Sunday morning I had made a nice breakfast for John and I, including the all wonderful ingredient of bacon that we all know and love, and I had a good chunk of
the package left over. What to do with half a package of bacon? There are many, many ways to answer that question but I decided to brown three slices, cut into small pieces, and have that be the base of my tomato sauce.

I am a big believer in baking bacon. Its easier, cleaner, and faster-place your strips on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil for easy clean up, pop them into a 400 degree pre heated oven, and let ‘em cook for about 10 minutes (depending on thickness of cut, and varying ovens) they come out crispy, and delicious. They also leave behind a lot of their grease on the baking sheet. Hmmm bacon grease… I decided that it shouldn’t go to waste and so I sliced plum tomatoes in half, spread them out on the same bacon dripping pan, topped with finely chopped garlic, parsley, and basil, salt and pepper. Back into the 400 degree oven til they started to blister.

While the bacon grease was working its magic in the oven, I had it working up on the stove as well. Once the small pieces had started released a fair amount of juice in the bottom of my stock pot, I started to add chopped garlic and chopped onion to the mix. As those started to turn translucent, I added fresh ground black pepper, and a few shakes of crushed red pepper flakes to the mix. Finally, once everything in the pot seemed to be coming together into a very fragrant mix, I added in a few handfuls of chopped parsley and basil to the mix. Then I added in three cans of stewed Muir Glen tomatoes because I just love the texture that they give to sauce. This summer though-when local tomatoes are wonderful I plan to can my own. We’ll see how that goes. The final step- those lovely roasted cherry tomatoes-with all of their delicious flavor were added to the pot with everything else. Then it was time to sit back and relax for a while as I let the combination of flavors blend over low heat.

About an hour or two later (time flies when you’re playing the Wii), after stirring the pot at varying times, I pulled out my trusty immersion blender, and pureed the tomato sauce into a smooth, fragrant, wonderful pot of deliciousness. I have to say-I was completely amazed by the work of the blender. Past uses have been a bit frustrating- but Sunday afternoon-it was a dream! I put the pot of soup back over very low heat, and began work on the meat balls.

In a medium sized bowl I mixed together finely chopped garlic, onion, parsley, and basil, salt and pepper, freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and an egg so that the ingredients resembled wet sand. Then I added in a ½ pound of ground beef and a ½ pound of ground pork. I combined them well together, and then formed 12 smaller size meatballs. Placed on a freshly cleaned baking sheet, again lined with tin foil, and into a 400 degree oven they went. The great part about
baking meatballs is that they tend to dispense a lot of the grease that they have from the meat, and they don’t absorb any more as they would in pan frying. Additionally-they are much more hands off. 20 minutes later or so, I removed some very nicely browned meatballs from the oven and placed them into the sauce pot to further mingle the flavors.

When it was time to eat, I heated my pasta water, boiled the pasta til nicely al dente, ladled some of the sauce into a fry pan, and then transferred the pasta into the meatball free pan of sauce to coat it. A quick plating of helpings of pasta, a couple of meatballs, and a fresh grate of Parmesan cheese and dinner was served!

What a wonderful, hearty and comforting meal on such a cold night! The sauce had great flavor and body to it. The smokiness from the bacon didn’t overpower the other flavors, but more maintained a nice background to the dish. There was a slight kick to it from the red pepper flakes, the herbs kept their unique flavors, and even the pepper was present. The meatballs were also quite tasty-they added nice texture to the dish, and while they maintained the delicious flavors of the sauce, they also added their own with the great combination of beef and pork, along with their smattering of Parmesan cheese. This brought me right back to my mother’s kitchen on cold winter nights- the perfect place to warm up.

Cocoa Metro and Chocolate French Toast

I am a choco-holic. Chocolate is one of those perfect creations-especially dark chocolate where the natural bitterness is JUST hidden with sweet sugar. Yes-I have a problem and I refuse to get help for it! You can imagine my delight when, a couple of weeks ago, I received an email from a company called Cocoa Metro-I wasted no time in reading that one!

Cocoa Metro is a Massachusetts based chocolate milk company whose single product is the richest, most decadent dark chocolate milk I have ever tasted. Make no mistake-this is in no way a diet drink. Cocoa Metro is a creamy concoction -made with 2% milk, though it tastes a lot richer than that- with such a strong chocolate presence that renders almost bitter, but cut by sweetness and fullness of flavor. Others have complained of addiction to this product- and I can definitely see why. It is amazing.

Since my brain is forever working over time to concoct new blending of ingredients, I decided to try to work Cocoa Metro into a dessert last night. French Toast, to me, is one of those wonderful little luxuries that I just don't allow myself that often, so it seemed to be the perfect vehicle to create an incredibly decadent dessert. I picked up a loaf of just regular white sandwich bread at my grocer, and a shot of espresso when I got my daily coffee. Then, pre dinner last evening, I mixed together three eggs, about a cup and a half of Cocoa Metro, the shot of espresso and a pinch of salt. Then I place two pieces of bread in the mix side by side and let them soak it all in, flipping occasionally. After the dinner dishes had been cleared I set to work on the dessert.

First things first- I made fresh whipped cream. I have to say-there is nothing on earth quite as amazing as fresh whipped cream. A cup of heavy cream, a little sugar, a teaspoon of Vanilla extract-yum. I do have to stop here and sing the praises of my immersion blender. I used it twice yesterday- one of which was to whip my whipped cream- wow- fast and efficient. What a great kitchen tool!

Once the cream was whipped though- I took out my big fry pan, melted a teaspoon and a half of butter, and then placed the soaked bread in the pan. While they were cooking, I spooned two tablespoons of red raspberry jam into a small sauce pot, added a two teaspoons (or so) of Cointreau and heated them over a low heat to break down the compounds and join them into a sauce. Once the toast had browned on both sides, I placed one slice on a plate, spooned some of the raspberry orange sauce over the top, place the second slice on that, and then place a heaping teaspoon of whipped cream on top.

Wow. I don't make dessert often, nor do I eat it especially often (not because I don't adore it believe me) but this was some good stuff. I could have amped up the chocolate a bit- perhaps a bit more salt to round out the flavors, and some nutmeg I think could have provided nice contrast. The espresso served mainly to give some body to the dish as opposed to impart actual "mocha" flavor, but the end result didn't suffer. Creamy and delicious with the sweet raspberry and orange sauce to provide contrast and the whipped cream there for a little relief- absolutely wonderful.

Now, it might just be me-but I see a lovely, and easy, Valentines dessert here. Hint hint...

Open Casting Call- 24 Hour Restaurant Battle

Alright my fellow Bostonian, food obsessed people-do you have dreams of being on TV? Of running your own restaurant? Of working with a close friend or loved one daily? The Food Network has your opportunity!

As some of you may have heard, they are rolling out a new series titled 24 Hour Restaurant Battle. This new show will feature competitors, in teams of two, who battle for the ultimate prize- the funding to bring their dream restaurant to life. The competition itself spans a 24 hour period where the selected teams fully conceptualize, develop, and design a restaurant, along with creating a full menu. As time ticks down the competitors must agree on every detail, and produce their menu. They open the "doors" of their restaurant at the end, and serve their concept, decor, and dishes to diners and judges. Talk about pressure!

Think you have what it takes? Think you have a friend/colleague/spouse/relative who has it too? An open casting call is being held here in Boston on Monday, February 8, 2010 from 10:00 am ET to 3:00 pm ET at the Lenox Hotel located in the Back Bay.

So what is The Food Network really looking for?

• Two person teams with pre-existing relationships (brother and sister, mother and son, husband and wife, etc.) who would love the chance to prove that they can run a restaurant.
• A dynamic front of house and back of house duo. One person on the team will run the front of the house and the other person on the team will be the chef and run the kitchen. All levels of experience (culinary school trained to home cook, little or no restaurant experience to a lifelong career in restaurants) will be considered.
• Lots of energy and charisma! We're seeking personalities that pop.

If this sounds like an opportunity made just for you (and your chosen partner) then head on over to http://24hourrestaurantbattle.com/ click on the Application tab and download TWO applications-one for you and one for your partner. Fill out both and bring them (and recent photos of you both) down to The Lenox (61 Exeter Street, Boston, MA) on February 8, 2009 between 10:00 AM ET and 3:00 PM ET.

If you have any questions definitely let me know and I can try to find out for you- abostonfooddiary@gmail.com

Good luck everyone! This is a show I can't wait to watch!