Category: Eats

Santa Lucia Day Tomorrow!!!- Celebrate By Making Santa Lucia Cuccia With Sista Felicia

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

The Gloucester Times Taste of The Times Is Hosting Felicia’s Video Today check it out-

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Click here for the printable recipe as well

December 13th is Santa Lucia Day Learn more About The Day Here

From wikipedia-

Italy

St. Lucia is the patron saint of the city of Syracuse (Sicily), where she was born. Celebrations take place on the 13th of December and in May. St. Lucy is also popular among children in some regions of North-Eastern Italy, namely Trentino, East Lombardy (Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona and Mantua), parts of Veneto, (Verona), parts of Emilia-Romagna, (Piacenza, Parma and Reggio Emilia), and all of Friuli, where she brings gifts to good children and coal to bad ones the night between December 12 and 13. She arrives in the company of a donkey and her escort, Castaldo. Children are asked to leave some coffee for Lucia, some flour for the donkey and bread for Castaldo. They must not watch Santa Lucia delivering these gifts, or she will throw ashes in their eyes, temporarily blinding them. In Sicily and among the Sicilian diaspora, cuccìa is eaten in memory of Saint Lucy’s miraculous averting of famine.

Don’t panic, we’ve figured tonight out for you

Posted on by Vickie & Peter

Raffle Prizes for the GCA FundraiserYou’re overwhelmed.  So are we.  That’s why we’ve got an itinerary that you can follow to make sure you get everything you really want to do into tonight.  It’s good practice for tomorrow (Men’s night in case you haven’t been paying attention).

For those of you who like to start early, it’s dinner at Jalapenos GCA fundraiser at 5pm.  While you’re there, enter to win some great prizes pictured to the right.  You don’t have to be present when the prizes are drawn in order to win.  Just be sure your name is on the raffle ticket.

At 6:30 catch the PART 1 premiere of Dan King on his Local Music Seen with Allen Estes farewell tribute with special guest J.B. Amero that we previewed in this post.  You can run home to catch the show, or, better yet, ask the bar manager where ever you are to turn the TV to Channel 12.

Then at 7, head over to Alchemy to see Chelsea Berry and drop off a toy for the Pathways Toy Drive.

Finish up the night at with Fly Amero and his 80s rock star guest Jon Butcher at the Rhumb Line.  Whew!

Then be sure to get plenty of rest so you can start all over tomorrow at Men’s Night.

Two Buddies Exhibit at Alchemy

Posted on by God's Morning

Come Hang with Me EJ and Our Boy Joey At Alchemy Thursday Evening

alchemy exhibit two buddies
Joey C. and E.J. are exhibiting together at Alchemy of Art Gallery. Come out for a great opening reception courtesy of Alchemy on Thursday (Men’s Night, but ladies are welcome too!), December 13th from 5:30-7:30 at Alchemy, 3 Duncan Street – a sweet spot run by awesome people who love the arts.
E.J. Lefavour

Well Lookey Here The Lone Gull Is Now On Twitter

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Follow One of Gloucester’s Finest Coffeehouses Here-

@Lone_Gull

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I added them to the @Joey_C Cape Ann Restaurant Twitter List Which You Can Find Here

at 3:46PM Sunday evening The Lone Gull had a mere 16 Followers

screen shot below-

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and they’ve been tweeting since October 30th, over a month ago.

Let’s see what the power of GMG has and see how many twitter followers we can produce for them.

Click here to follow The Lone Gull and see how many over the 16 followers including me we can amass for them in a single day.

I’ll take a screen shot tomorrow afternoon.

With such an iconic local meeting spot they ought to have many more than that especially with the vital new drink specials they tweet about and pics from the coffeehouse.

 

Update 8:26PM 31 followers in just under an hour after this post went live at 7:30

 

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Update 5:26AM 44 followers 10 hours after the post went live.

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BTW Lone Gull’s Café Americano  with two shots is straight fire- Delish.  Right up there with Glosta Joe’s Perfect Storm.

Thank You Fred and Did You Know That Fred’s Photo is the Label for Ryan and Wood Knockabout Gin?

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

After getting home from work much later than anticipated last night I raced in, and took a bath and made dinner for my husband simultaneously, and then panicked over not having time enough to prepare my food contribution for GMG’s holiday bash hosted by Fred Bodin. Recalling Joey’s suggestion about giving a gift of Ryan and Wood spirits, I made a quick stop at the liquor store on my way over. I know very little about spirits and decided to do what I often do when purchasing wine, which is to find the prettiest label. The Knockabout Gin looked especially appealing, with a striking schooner in black and white, and crisp blue border. Fred accepted the bottle graciously and I poured some drinks. Later that evening Fred’s girlfriend, Janet, mentioned that she thought I had given him that particular selection because I knew that it was Fred’s photo on the label. No I didn’t know, but there it is–a gorgeous Fred Bodin photo of a Knockabout schooner!

Ryan and Wood Knockabout Gin Fred Bodin a label ©Kim Smith 2012 copyFred Bodin’s Knockabout Gin Label of the Schooner Adventure

The party was still going strong when I arrived and it was fantastic to see so many super nice, wonderful FOBS all in one place. Great to meet you Al Bezanson and Sarah Kelly  and to put a face to your exceptional comments and posts!

Many, many thanks to Fred and Janet for hosting a sensational party!!!

Honestly I don’t have much experience from which to draw a comparison but found the Ryan and Wood Knockabout Gin deliciously aromatic and flavorful. According to the Ryan and Wood website, the gin is distilled in small batches in a custom built copper pot still and the list of ingredients include juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica root, orris root, orange peel, and licorice root.

Knockabout Schooners, from the Ryan and Wood website: “Knockabout gin is named to honor the fishing schooners built at the turn of the century. Their design eliminated the bowsprit to allow for easier handling at the crowded wharves. It also helped prevent loss of life at sea due to fishermen being washed off the bowsprit while working the heavy sails in the challenging waters of the North Atlantic.”

Uhmmmm I’ll pass on the elephant poop coffee beans thank you very much

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Anyone that knows me knows I’m a freak for coffee.  Can’t stand Dunkies but I don’t consider myself a coffee snob.  Pleasant Street, Lone Gull and Cape Ann Coffee all serve fantastic coffee.  McDonalds which I believe uses Green mountain coffee for a nice mild cup and we obviously can’t forget Gloucester based Glosta Joe’s fantastic Perfect Storm. 

My boy Toby Pett turned me on to this story about the most expensive coffee in the world-

From the Daily Mail Online-

One lump or poo: World’s most expensive coffee at £30 a cup made using beans digested and, er, flavoured by elephants

Forget robusta and arabica – this is the world’s most expensive coffee, given its unique flavour by…an elephant’s digestive tract.

The thought of a coffee bean passing through an elephant’s internal organs might not leave coffee-lovers overly enthused.

But the unique coffee, created in the hills of northern Thailand, is now the world’s most expensive variety.

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The process is also labour-intensive, with the wives of elephant mahouts responsible for collecting the dung.

They break it open, pick out the coffee and, after a thorough washing, the coffee cherries are processed to extract the beans, which are then brought to a gourmet roaster in Bangkok.

Who in the world thinks of this?  Who sits there and says you know what?  I’m gonna feed these elephants that are hanging around here some coffee beans and then pick through their shit and take the elephant shit coffee beans and roast em up into the perfect world’s most expensive coffee beans?

Better yet who is the customer that says to themselves “Ooooo, elephant shit coffee beans?  Yes please!” 

Then can’t you just see it on the floor of the Chicago mercantile exchange bidding on elephant shit coffee bean futures in the pits? 

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Big Time Thanks To Bobby Ryan From Ryan and Wood For The Custom Coasters For All Our FOB’s and SOB’s To Take Home Tomorrow Night at The GMG Holiday Party at Bodin Historic Photo

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

REPREFUCKINGSENT!

If you’re not drinking Ryan and Wood Spirits you’re not drinking the smoothest most luxurious spirits known to man.  That’s a well known fact- you can look it up.

I’m not sure if the Knockabout Gin chilled down icy cold with tonic is my favorite or the Beauport Vodka Tonic icy cold with tonic is my favorite but I’ll tell you unequivocally they are my absolute favorite in each of their respective vodka and gin categories to drink.

I’ve been sitting (not literally) on these coasters since late last summer to unleash tehm upon our FOB’s at our Holiday Party!  Get there early and get yours to take on your winter trips and Represent!

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#BOOM!

It’s like this- When you put it all together- the locally produced and sold, highly regarded, easily attainable, easily packagable in one of those liquor gift bags, there is nothing in the entire city that is as easy to gift and as highly regarded as a bottle or three of Ryan and Wood Booze.  Ask Terry Weber.  She had her engagement party last Saturday.  I’m stuck at the dock all day long and couldn’t get to the party til after 8PM.  What do I do?  Slip into the liquor store, get a bottle of Ryan and Wood Folly Cove Rum, stuff it in a gift bag- #Boom!  Easy Peasy lemon Squeazy All Time Greatest Most Appreciated Simple To get Gift.

Maggies Farm

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Maggies Farm Middleton ©Kim Smith 2012

Last night we stopped at Mark McDonough’s newest restaurant, Maggies Farm, located in Middleton. Disclaimer: our son Alex recently started working there although, I can honestly say, our dinners were simply outstanding. And as you can see in the photos, the portions are enormously generous.

Maggies Farm Restaurant Middleton ©Kim Smith 2012-2Alex recommended the Nachos and, even though I generally dislike shouty capitals– WOW is all I can say!

The host Kai was gracious and friendly and our waitress was super professional and efficient. The ambiance was warm, welcoming, and fun, and the crowd ranged in age from 20-somethings through the ages including dating couples, sports bar fans, a group of women getting together after work, and sitting next to us, was a grandmother with her granddaughter discussing the granddaughter’s upcoming wedding plans.

Maggies Farm Restaurant Middleton ©Kim Smith 2012-3

Husband Tom ordered the Fish and Chips. I did not try the fish however, the onion rings were the best I have ever tasted–extra crispy flavorful golden brown on the outside, perfectly sweet, tender onions within. We were not sitting under the lights and I apologize for the not-so-great photos, but we’ll be back often. I ‘d love to return at lunch time for better photos and to try more items on the menu. I struggled to decide and was more than happy with the delicious Pan Roasted Chicken with cranberry cornbread stuffing, parsnips, Brussel sprouts, and gravy (and much too full after the perfectly enormous plate of nachos to eat all my dinner). The menu is a collection of favorite comfort food from many cuisines, and is comfort food at its most sublime. For sushi-lovers, the sushi looked very tempting and is half-off on Monday nights. I can see any number of reasons to head over to Maggies for lunch or for dinner as it is only a five minute drive past the long stretch of shops, stores, and car dealerships that line Rt. 114. Maggies is located adjacent to Richardson’s Farm. When the weather warms it will be lots of fun to make a night of Richardson’s mini golf and dinner at Maggies!

Maggies Farm Restaurant Middleton -4 ©Kim Smith 2012.

The name Maggies Farm Restaurant is taken from the Bob Dylan song he penned (from the album Bringing it All Back Home), after his departure from acoustic folk to electric rock. See Mark McDonough’s Gloucester restaurants Alchemy, Latitude 43, and Minglewood.

P&V LOL #3: Health advice changes with the direction of interest rates

Posted on by Vickie & Peter

Last Monday we introduced the mathematical concept of inverse proportions, as part of our new series Peter & Vickie’s Laws of Life (LOL).  This week’s LOL is an example of  another mathematical concept, the one-to-one-correspondence, A.K.A. bijection, and could be stated thus: There is a 0ne-to-one correspondence between the change in direction of health advice and the change in direction of the U.S. Treasury Bond Interest Rate.

https://i0.wp.com/3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lg2bsmGzyDo/Tw9iZCwhMRI/AAAAAAAABO0/kpymHcbRp-w/s1600/U.S.%2BTreasury%2BBond%2BInterest%2BRate%2BHistory.jpg

Here are some examples that support this LOL (refer to the graph above):

LETTUCE
One of the best teachers I had was Mr. Ford, a bulky, real-man-football-coach, who didn’t eat salad but always found fun, engaging ways to teach.  For a few weeks of 8th grade biology, he would begin nearly every lesson with, “When you eat a ham sandwich with lettuce …” and proceed to explain how you digest carbs, protein, etc., but the lettuce was pure cellulose, provided no nutritional value and went “right on through.”  This became a class favorite.  He’d say his line and excited hands would instantly thrust into the air as our little buts bounced off the seats.  We just couldn’t wait to finish the rant against lettuce.  In fact, the final question on that year’s final exam (worth 20 points) was an essay: “What happens when you eat a ham sandwich with lettuce?”  My buddy Austin Shelton (who played guitar in my band back then) got 25 points because, in addition to the correct answer, he added a diagram of the complete “lettuce path”, showing it coming out the ass.  The year was 1968 and interest rates were on the rise.

Then, in 1982 Frances Moore Lappé published Diet for a Small Planet, in which she, among other things, promoted the nutritional value of lettuce and interest rates made their steepest reversal of the 20th century!

Need more proof than this? OK, here goes:

FATS
In 1941 people begin using Margarine (a trans-fat) instead of butter and the war against saturated fats in our diets begins in earnest.  Interest rates reverse course.  In 2006, saturated fats are good again, trans-fats are bad, trans-fat labeling becomes mandatory and NYC bans trans-fats in restaurants.  Once again interest rates reverse course.

SMOKING
In 1900, doctors actually prescribed smoking to calm nerves, etc.  Smoking was thought to be good for you.  Interest rates were on the rise.  But scientists were beginning to connect smoking to health problems and in 1921 several states banned smoking.  Interest rates began to drop.  In 1940 doctors began promoting smoking again and, believe it or not, cigarette companies advertised in the JAMA.  Interest rates began to rise.  In 1960 Smokey the Bear said (in an anti-smoking campaign) “Only you can prevent forest fires.”  Interest rates began to fall.

What’s next?  Guess we’ll have to wait until interest rates rise again to see the newest health fad.  Until then, I’ll follow the advice I heard from Julia Child defending her “rich French foods”, saying that her mother always advised “Moderation in all things and a little bit of everything.” — and I’ll enjoy a little bit (or a lot) of everything at our great local restaurants — especially the ones with live music (see here).

In these days when TV chefs are more popular than rock stars, here’s a tribute (with music) to the greatest TV chef of all time.

Appleton Farm Cheeses Available Locally!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

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Stock up on holiday cheeses at Appleton Farms’ Dairy Store…we’ve got farmstead cheddar, triple cream and a variety of herbed rounds! We’re open Mon-Fri 11am-6pm and Sat & Sun 10am-4pm!. See you at the farm!

www.thetrustees.org/dairy

FROM GRASS TO MILK TO CHEESE TO YOU

Our grass-munching Jersey herd is making history at the farm. Thanks to quality pastures and feed, careful and knowledgable cow-handling and expert cheese making, our dairy store is chock-full of tasty farmstead products, just in time for the holidays. So how does this happen?

FROM GRASS

Appleton Farms’ jersey herd eats about an acre of pasture a day during the growing season (late April to early November).  With 80 acres for grazing, the dairy herd is rotational grazed, allowing pasture to rest for three weeks to month between grazings, and providing the cows with the finest in grass. During the winter months, the herd feeds on more than 1,000 round bales and 5,000 square bales hayed at the farm. The fields are carefully managed by the farms field and equipment crew, maintaining a diverse blend of nutrient-rich grasses like orchard grass, timothy grass and clover in wetter fields and alfalfa and orchard in drier fields. In addition the crew spreads the farms compost on the fields two times a year. Its our high quality prime hayland and pastures that really fuels our cows!

TO MILK

It starts at 4am as the morning dairy crew pushes the cows in from pasture. The morning milker preps the machines for while the feeder grains the cows and feeds the heifers and calves. As the milking gets underway at 4:30am, the feeder also tends to a slew of chores throughout the morning, including scraping loafing sheds and fixing fencing. When milking is done, around 6am, the crew pushes the cows out to pasture (or to the loafing shed in winter). The “late” crew arrives at 7am, allowing some overlap for the staff to check-in with a short coffee break. They’ll jump in with chores like bedding barns and making sure all the equipment in and around the barn is working. The morning crew’s day ends around 1pm, and the afternoon schedule of chores and milking and feeding wraps by 5pm. Of course, there’s the evening night check on the heard. And over the course of the year there’s breeding, health checks, calving, setting up pastures, training heifers, staff training, public programs and more. As any farmer will tell you, there’s always work to be done.

Cows eat for about six hours a day, nap on and off for about four hours a day and chew their cud for about eight hours. One dairy cow drinks about a bathtub of water a day and eats approximately 63 pounds of grains, grass and hay. The dairy staff ensures that the cow’s diet is well balanced in order to produce high quality milk and dairy products. One dairy cow produces about 6 gallons or 50 pounds of milk a day. That means the farm has more than 550 gallons of farm-fresh milk a week to sell locally, some in the form of fluid milk and some the form of value-added dairy products, namely cheese and butter (and yogurt coming soon!).

TO CHEESE

Every Monday morning about 250 gallons of milk are pumped from barn to the dairy plant (just yards away in the old bull barn). This batch is used for cheddar. So what happens? The milk is pasteurized and cultures and rennet are added. By 2pm the cheesemakers are elbow-deep in a vat of curd, expelling the whey. Next, the cheese is formed –  pressed the old-fashioned way with buckets of water and boards. On Tuesday, the weights are lifted and the wheels are flipped. If they look good, they go to storage – if not, more weight. The two-day process yeilds By the 30 ten-pound wheels of cheese that will age for at least a month or up to a year. The cheesemaking process starts all over again on Thursday and Friday for our soft cheeses and triple cream. The process for the soft cheese is more simple, and the cheese is ready for tasting in just 24 hours.

When the cheese makers aren’t making cheese, or butter, or other specialty seasonal items, they are likely caring for their aging cheeses that must be flipped and rubbed in the aging room every other. Or, they’re doing dishes, and lots of them. A friendly word of advice from our cheesemaker – if you want to be a cheesemaker, you should also want to do dishes.

TO YOU

Appleton Farms’ dairy products don’t travel far to reach you! The store, just on the other side of the veggie fields from the dairy plant,  features the farms very own jersey products like, triple cream and cheddar cheese, an assortment of soft cheeses, milk and butter, and seasonal items like crème fraiche and whipped cream as well as Appleton Farms beef. Other locally sourced products for sale include maple syrup and honey and artisan crafts. The store is open daily:

Monday -  Friday, 11am – 6pm and Saturday & Sunday, 12noon – 4pm.

Stop by to sample and buy your cheeses for the holiday season, join for a Saturday Meet the Cows program (3pm; meets at the Visitor Center, $4 Trustees members. $5 nonmembers), and stay-tuned for cheesemaking classes at the farm this summer!

HOW TO FIND US

To visit the store, enter the farm off of Route 1A (219 County Road) in Ipswich. For more information call 978.356.3825 (dairy store) or 978.356.5728 (office), or email appletonfarms@ttor.org.

To learn more about the dairy operation visit the website at www.thetrustees.org/dairy or join us on Saturday’s at.

Cape Ann Diner follow up

Posted on by Matthew Green

To put my money where my mouth is, I had lunch here yesterday!

Right away I was offered coffee or tea, so I opted for a hot cup of decaf tea.  The soup options for the day (my first stop practically everywhere) were corn chowder and Southwest chili.  They let me try the chili before ordering, and it was very good, but a bit too spicy for me to eat a whole bowl (my stomach is a bit sensitive).

Instead, I ended up getting a Grilled Veggie Wrap on a tomato basil wrap, with potato chips (other options were mashed potatoes and home fries). It was served piping hot!

The waitress was very attentive and friendly. The wrap, chips, and cup of tea, came to $8.29.  On my way out, I was also given a coupon for a free 16oz cup of coffee (their special this month: egg nog coffee!) or a jumbo fresh-baked muffin! Here are some of the muffins:

 

I think I will get one of these muffins with my coupon, maybe on Saturday…

– Fr. Matthew Green

Cape Ann Diner is open in Brown’s Mall!

Posted on by Matthew Green

In Brown’s Mall, there is now a new cozy restaurant, the Cape Ann Diner (7 Pleasant Street)! They are currently open 7-2PM, Monday-Saturday (closed on Sunday).

There aren’t big signs outside yet, but they sometimes have a sandwich board outside. The closest entrance/exit is the door between The Hive and the Pleasant Street Tea Co.  I came in that way, and chanced upon some friends who were enjoying a delicious lunch at the diner.

I joined them for a cup of hot cocoa (with a mound of whipped cream) – perfect on a cold early winter day.

The prices are very affordable.  A bowl of the soup of the day – my favorite item on most menus – is just $2.95!  The most expensive item I could find on the lunch menu (all good traditional American fare) is the Burger Bomb – two fresh patties, American cheese, crispy bacon, grilled pepper and onions, bbq sauce and mayo on a grilled seeded bun with lettuce and tomato with choice of potato chips, home fries, or mashed potatoes. All of that for $8.95!  That sounds so good, I am almost drooling on my keyboard.  No, they didn’t bribe me to say that.

If you go in the front door of Brown’s Mall on Main Street, you get to enjoy the decked halls as you head up one flight of stairs towards the back left.

Up the stairs, into the hall, to the right!

– Fr. Matthew Green

Chickity Check It! “As I was Saying by Sheree DeLorenzo”

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

My buddy Sheree has her own blog-

As I was Saying by Sheree DeLorenzo

"The title of this blog comes from my mother. She always used to say, “Sheree is such a good conversationalist.” This was her kind and gentle way of saying, “Sheree talks nonstop.” She would also say, “When Sheree dies and goes to Heaven, she won’t miss a beat. She’ll just look straight at God and say, ‘As I was saying….’ and continue on with her chatter.” So the title is a nod to my mother and her wit.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Lazy Man’s Lobster Pie

Lazy Man’s Lobster Pie

Lobster pie is one of the most elegant meals you can have.  On its own or as part of a surf and turf with a petit filet it is the ultimate special occasion romantic dinner.  But it’s so easy to make!  We call it “Lazy Man’s Lobster Pie” because the guests don’t have to be bothered with the shell.

For the entire recipe click here

Lutefisk

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns


Good Morning Gloucester FOB Al Bezanson wrote a very funny response to my post of several days ago, Mystery of the Disappearing Soap, which if you don’t read the GMG comment thread, you would have missed.  Al’s response, “It is undoubtedly a Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus). Only creatures with ethnic roots from that region take pleasure in dining on soap. I know this because I have visited that country and had the experience of eating lutefisk. Be warned — we are approaching the season when you may be offered this delicacy.”

Never having had the occasion to try lutefisk, I wanted to know more about it but, after reading only the wiki article, needless to say I don’t think I ever will.

From wiki “Lutefisk is made from aged stockfish (air-dried whitefish) or dried/salted whitefish (klippfisk) and lye (lut). It is gelatinous in texture, and has an extremely strong, pungent odor. Its name literally means “lye fish.”

The process is described further:

“The first treatment is to soak the stockfish in cold water for five to six days (with the water changed daily). The saturated stockfish is then soaked in an unchanged solution of cold water and lye for an additional two days. The fish swells during this soaking, and its protein content decreases by more than 50 percent producing a jelly-like consistency. When this treatment is finished, the fish (saturated with lye) has a pH value of 11–12 and is therefore caustic. To make the fish edible, a final treatment of yet another four to six days of soaking in cold water (also changed daily) is needed. Eventually, the lutefisk is ready to be cooked.”

I can’t resist including several of Garrison Keillor’s hysterical comments on lutefisk, also found in the same wiki article:

“Every Advent we entered the purgatory of lutefisk, a repulsive gelatinous fishlike dish that tasted of soap and gave off an odor that would gag a goat. We did this in honor of Norwegian ancestors, much as if survivors of a famine might celebrate their deliverance by feasting on elm bark. I always felt the cold creeps as Advent approached, knowing that this dread delicacy would be put before me and I’d be told, “Just have a little.” Eating a little was like vomiting a little, just as bad as a lot.”

and

“Lutefisk is cod that has been dried in a lye solution. It looks like the desiccated cadavers of squirrels run over by trucks, but after it is soaked and reconstituted and the lye is washed out and it’s cooked, it looks more fish-related, though with lutefisk, the window of success is small. It can be tasty, but the statistics aren’t on your side. It is the hereditary delicacy of Swedes and Norwegians who serve it around the holidays, in memory of their ancestors, who ate it because they were poor. Most lutefisk is not edible by normal people. It is reminiscent of the afterbirth of a dog or the world’s largest chunk of phlegm.

This morning Al posted a more detailed account of his experience with lutefisk.

“As sleuth David Simmons pointed out those tooth marks suggest mouse, but until this case is concluded I would at least maintain Rattus norvegicus as a critter of interest. Perhaps I was a bit hasty in assigning the blame. Who knows, r n may have actually decided to immigrate to the New World to escape Viking cuisine.

In connection with this I will relate how I came to know about lutefisk. It was 1966, at the Grand Hotel in Tromso, and following the customary social hour, or two, I sat down to dine with a local fellow. I had been poking about the country for several weeks on fishery matters and fancied myself to be quite knowledgeable about seafood. He took the cue and ordered up a lutefisk dinner for me. I’ll say that Garrison Keillor was spot on with his descriptions of this delicacy. While I waited for my substitute entrée Lars told of the recipes used by backyard lutefisk makers. Old bathtubs were in demand for the process and I thought he said soaking times were measured in months, not days. This is all vivid in my memory – perhaps in the same part of my brain that stores details of where I happened to be at the time of catastrophic events.

And Fred – thanks for your invitation – Phyllis and I will be paying you a visit.”

My note: The Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), also known as the brown rat, is native to northern China. The species found its way to Eastern Europe by the early eighteenth century. By the year 1800, they occurred in every European country. First sightings of    R. norvegicus in the New World occur in the 1770’s as ship stowaways. Today, Norway rats can be found on every continent except Antarctica.

Images courtesy google image search

Lunch At The Causeway From Bill O’Connor

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Chicken Abruzzi is a great way to fuel up! Chicken  roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomato & capers in a lemon sauce served over ziti. Awesome!
Enjoy!

www.northshorekid.com

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Fred wasn’t kidding about the stuffed clams…

Posted on by Matthew Green

Fred wasn’t kidding when he said the stuffed clams at his gallery on Saturday were a hit. I was there early in the evening and had a couple of the clams (and ‘shrooms etc.) and I wish I could’ve made it back on Sunday for more! If I had known there would be leftovers, I would have eaten a few more on Saturday night…

The Artist with her Work
Kathie’s Klams (Kloseup)

They taste as good as they look. If you want to try some for yourself, here’s the full info:

There was a fairly steady flow of people through the gallery while I was there, increasing as the evening went on.

While the stuffed clams were a big part of the draw, it’s always great to hang out with Fred and friends and chat.  I always meet interesting people at Fred’s events! And, of course, let’s not forget that he sells beautiful art.  One of my favorite things is the pottery, which is spread throughout the gallery. This time, I bought a beautiful mug that was on sale, but I have bought a couple other pieces from him as well.

I could fill my cupboard with these things – I love the colors and textures, and the fact that they are made relatively nearby.  Besides mugs, there are bowls, small pitchers, etc.

Stop in at Bodin Historic Photo during the upcoming events:

•December 6th, 38th annual Ladies Night. Party starting at 6 pm until whenever. Love it, a crazy night!

• December 13th, 38th annual Men’s Night. Rockin’ at 6 pm until 10. Guys get it done at this event.

• December 14th, 2nd annual GOOD MORNING GLOUCESTER HOLIDAY PARTY, 6 pm until late. Last year, we had so much food that we ran out of table space, but somehow managed. Restaurant owner Mark McDonough brought a plank (not a mere platter) of sushi from Latitude 43. And Joey’s Sista Felicia stepped up with dishes from her Italian kitchen, as she always does (yum). And Joey himself bought 20 Scalifani’s pizzas. Beer was donated by Sam Adams and spirits from Ryan & Woods Distillery. Mayor Kirk was here, as was a significant portion of the City Council. Over the top! Not to be missed!

• December 20th, 1st annual Family and Friends Night. Bring your “home for the holidays” guests in for gallery offerings, free deserts or appetizers at many restaurants, and Carolers strolling Main Street. My theory is that last minute shoppers will get their buying done before panic time. Also a great time to bring the kids.

– Fr. Matthew Green

 

 

 

 

Lunch at Passports Restaurant

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Passport’s Fresh from the Oven and Always Much-Anticipated Light and Puffy Popovers

My darling daughter Liv and I stopped at Passports for lunch on the way to the train station in Boston. Although brief, it was wonderful to have her home for the holiday. Now 23, when she was a tiny tot she announced Thanksgiving was her favorite holiday, and it continues to be so. Lunch was fantastic; she had the chock-full-of lobster meat Captain Joe’s lobster roll and I had the simply scrumptious shrimp and vegetable saute.

A lovely sign for a lovely evening ~ Passports upcoming Wine Dinner Event. For more information call the restaurant at 978.281.3680.

A group of us from Good Morning Gloucester are the guest artists at Passports for the months of November and December and all our photos would make wonderful gifts. Stop into Passports and have a bite to eat while enjoying our photography show!

Clockwise from left, Kim Smith Monarch Butterflies at Dawn, Eastern Point, $85.00; Donna Ardizonni, $100.; Kim again-Monarch Butterflies at Seaside Goldenrod, 85.00; center; Joey C’s Burnham House, Essex, $135.00.

Shop & Party Locally ~ What’s in it for YOU?

Posted on by Vickie & Peter

I brought a surprise for my father to Thanksgiving dinner — and it made him happy.  Back in 1962 & ’63 our family lived in Céligny Switzerland, not far from Geneva, an experience that broadened all of our horizons more than we could ever have imagined. Among many other things, my father and I discovered the wonder and delight of European cheeses — hundreds of them.  One of his favorites was Bel Paese, a semi-soft Italian cheese (originally made to compete with soft French cheeses) that we would get at a local cheese shop.

So when The Cave opened on Main St., I asked Laura, the owner, if she had any Bel Paese.  She didn’t but was happy to order it for me.  She also ordered Appenzeller, a Swiss cheese I fell in love with at 7 years old.  Here’s a video of Vickie tasting the cheeses and wine we got on our first trip to The Cave.

(Since then, we’ve learned how to pronounce the name of the wine.  It sounds like Sarah Harris and that’s how I remember it — my first girlfriend was named Sarah.)

OK, back to the story: we brought a chunk of Bel Paese to Thanksgiving dinner this year and you should have seen the expression on my father’s face.   Soft, buttery, with a unique aromatic flavor, this simple taste transported him back to that wonderful cheese shop in Switzerland and we began reliving adventures from 50 years ago.

That’s why I shop locally.  A personal connection with the owner of a local shop is priceless.

Last year, I wrote a letter to the Gloucester Daily Times entitled Occupy Main St., with another story about shopping locally and I was surprised at comments from people who would only by locally made goods.  That, to me, is going too far.

I don’t expect that everything I buy is going to be made locally.  Honestly, that’s impractical and undesirable.  I like European cheeses and wines.  And I love chocolate and coffee, neither of which grows around here.  More importantly, I’m certainly not going to wait until late next spring to eat fresh fruits and vegetables.

Trade with the rest of the world has been a major economic driver of our country and our city since the beginning.  If nobody outside of Gloucester ate the fish landed here, our economy would have been dead in the water hundreds of years ago.  And the Boston Tea Party was a protest against taxing a staple that comes from thousands of miles away.

I love being able to go downtown and find exotic items with the magic that brings another time to life for my father and me.  The fact that supporting local shops helps keep them in business and drives our local economy makes me feel even better about it.

Do you feel this good after having stood in line at the mall?  Probably not.  So let’s support our local merchants and then go out and party at local venues who support local musicians. There’s tons to do this weekend.  Check out the local live music schedule here.

Green Family Thanksgiving Dinner

Posted on by Matthew Green

 

We had a very nice meal – just my parents and I, as my brother was with his in-laws.  The menu also included pumpkin pie, and a few other treats that didn’t make it into this photo.  We have leftovers to last us for a while!

Yesterday I also posted on my own blog on something I am (perhaps oddly) thankful for.

– Fr. Matthew Green