Category: Eats

THIS MORNING!!!! 10AM The Season Grand Finale Mug Up and Ryan & Woods Distilleries sponsored Bloody Mary Competition on Rocky Neck

Posted on by God's Morning

The Season Grand Finale Mug Up and Ryan & Woods Distilleries sponsored Bloody Mary Competition on Rocky Neck (in case you didn’t already see it, forgot about it, or are on the fence about it), will be on Sunday, October 2 at 10:00 am.  Bob Ryan has very generously donated some awesome prizes for the creators of the winning Bloody Mary entries, including coasters, t-shirts, and Ryan & Woods Beauport Vodka (!!).  Also, for those planning to enter a Bloody Mary mix, so that we level the playing field and judging is based solely on presentation and mix, and no drink is heavy handed on the alcohol (it will be 10:00 am after all, and we have to protect our judges from inebriation), Beauport Vodka will be conservatively added to all mixes here before they go to the judges and attendees.  So no one has to go out and buy vodka and everyone’s entries will be made with only the best locally distilled Ryan and Woods Beauport Vodka.  Entrants only need bring a container of their best Bloody Mary mix creation and a glass with preferred garnishes for presentation to the judges.  In the best interest of judging time and the judges’ alcohol levels, we will limit the number of entries to eight.  Of course, entrants must be 21 years of age or older.  As always at Mug Up, there will be plenty of great coffee, deviled eggs and whatever other Mug Up type fare people bring along to share. Always a good time and everyone is welcome at Khan Studio and the Good Morning Gloucester Gallery, 77 Rocky Neck at Madfish Wharf.  10:00 am

Finally, there will be a Big Blow Out End of Season and Early Holiday Shopping Sale at Khan Studio and the Good Morning Gloucester Gallery from Saturday, 10/1 through Columbus Day, 10/10.  There will be many items under $20 to choose from.  Wendie Demuth Photography Gallery next door will also be slashing prices and she and other Madfish Wharf denizens have many great furniture pieces, clothes, household items, fishing gear and more for sale under the tent at Madfish Grille.  Plenty of free parking, and it is such a pretty and cool place to visit.  Other galleries and shops on Rocky Neck are still open too, so it’s a great time to visit and do some local unique holiday shopping while supporting your local art community.

E.J. Lefavour

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Fort Square Café

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

As you know if you are even a casual reader that I love breakfast.  Being here in G Town there are soooo many great breakfast joints to go that we are spoiled. 

I go to different places for different reasons but there are just so many incredible options.

So yesterday it was Fort Square Café so I could stuff something down in my very limited time away from the dock but at the same time get some Greasy Pole Collapse reaction videos (thank you Samo and Rusty). 

Of course Fort Square Café is about as “Glosta” as it gets.  If you want real Glosta folks and ALWAYS a great smile and excellent attitude on top of inventive breakfasts just head on down.  It’s not fancy shmancy- not that fancy shmancy is bad, I’m just saying sometimes you just want to hang with Glosta peeps without any pretense, without any attitude and just let the Glosta wash over you.

So blessed.  So very blessed to have this crazy rich number of options for great breakfast joints.  Do you know that some cities that are our size and even some that are a little larger most times only have a couple of decent breakfast options?  Here we have at least a dozen GREAT ONES!

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Big News for Rockport’s HarvestFest!

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

We are thrilled to announce that Chef Frank McClelland of Boston’s legendary L’Espalier, the Sel de la Terre family of restaurants, Au Soleil Catering and Apple Street Farm will be the featured chef in a cooking segment on T-Wharf, scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 15th.

Chef Frank McClelland, photo courtesy of L'Espalier

“…food is best when it’s in its purest form. My job is to enhance that natural flavor to allow the essence of the food to sing.” -Frank McClelland

This is a great opportunity to see a world-class chef at work, one who specializes in bringing the best out of local ingredients while practicing incredible culinary technique. Chef McClelland has a deep understanding of regional ingredients – no one appreciates what New England has to offer more than he does – and this understanding is demonstrated not only in the dishes he creates but in the fact that he sources many of the ingredients for his kitchens from his own farm, Apple Street Farm in Essex. Apple Street will also be featured that day offering produce from the farm’s Autumn harvest – and what could be more fitting for a harvest festival celebrating the best of New England?

Don’t miss the chance to see Chef McClelland at Rockport’s HarvestFest!

Saturday, October 15th 

1 p.m. on T-Wharf under the big tent

From L’Espalier: Chef Frank McClelland’s L’Espalier has been a perennial “best” of America’s restaurants for three decades, earning top accolades from Zagat, Forbes, Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Frommer’s, Wine Spectator and Condé Nast Traveler as well as nods in international media. L’Espalier is New England’s most decorated independent restaurant with twelve consecutive AAA Five Diamond Awards (the only one in Boston) and twelve consecutive Forbes (Mobil) Four-Star awards. He speaks and judges across the country at events like Taste of Vail, Foxwoods Food & Wine Festival and the Chefs Collaborative National Summit.

At the heart of Chef McClelland’s menus of New England flavors with French interpretation is Apple Street Farm, his organic farm in Essex, Massachusetts that is the primary source of heirloom produce and proteins for L’Espalier and his trio of casual Sel de la Terre bistros. The James Beard chef and cookbook author (Wine Mondays) views his life as a farmer-restaurateur as being on-trend. By living this life from his youth, he was early to the farm-to-table or “locavore” dining philosophy.

More Information:

L’Espalier

Sel de la Terre

Au Soleil

Apple Street Farm

Grandma Felicia’s Apple Spice Cake Recipe From Sista Felicia

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Grandma Felicia’s Apple Spice Cake

all photos Sista Felicia

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Ingredients:
3 Granny Smith apples
2 Macintosh apples
2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pinch ground clove
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cardamom
2 Tablespoon vanilla
½ Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1 cup white sugar
3 cups flour
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
1 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
Recommended ingredients: use fresh apples from your local apple orchard.  I highly recommend taking some time out of your busy life and spend a few hours picking apples with your family and or friends. I promise ….It will make your life a little sweeter and the cake!

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Icing ingredients:
3 cups confectionary sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3    tablespoon warm milk (add more or less milk to get desired icing thickness)
·    Combine all  ingredients in a bowl and whisk into a smooth and silky icing
Preheat oven 350 degrees
Step 1: using an apple cutter cut and core apples

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Step 2: remove the skin with a pairing knife and cut into bite size pieces
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Step3: place apples in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoon of cinnamon and set aside

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Step 4: in a separate bowl sift together all dry ingredients

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Step 5:  using a handheld mixer or stand mixer set on a medium speed beat eggs 2 minutes then add oil, vanilla and orange juice and continue to mix for 1 additional minute

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Step 6: on a lower speed carefully add dry ingredients

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Step 7: continue mixing until all ingredients come together forming a smooth cake batter

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Step 8:  fold apples into cake batter

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Step 9: flour and grease bunt pan or spring form pan (Baker’s Joy is a must have in your pantry during baking season)

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Step 10: add the cake batter to prepared pan and place on a foil or parchment paper lined cookie sheet

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Step 11: bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a cake tester or wooden skewer is inserted and removed cleanly
Step 12: cool 10 min and remove cake from pan

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Step 13: Drizzle with vanilla icing

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Enjoy!!!

Ipswich Chowder Fest This Weekend

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Hi Joey,

I haven’t seen any press on this, but the Ipswich Chowder Fest is this weekend in downtown Ipswich. What better place to sample some of the best chowder on the planet!  I’m attaching a shot of tonight’s dinner – take out from Halibut Point!

Enjoy!
~Bill O’Connor
North Shore Kid

Chowdah

Valentino’s Pizza Reopens With Thin Crust

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

It was good, a crust unlike any other in Gloucester.  Incredible that yet another Pizza joint opens within a football field’s distance of at least 7 places to buy pizza. I count Sclafani’s, Sebastians, Virgilio’s, Giuseppe’s, La Trattoria, Minglewood Tavern, Valentino’s and I’m not sure if Café Sicilia does or doesn’t sell pizza.  All within a football field range.

Hopefully they can carve out their own niche and everyone can prosper.

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On The Whiteboard At Ryan and Wood Distillers

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

We had a great visit with Bobby Ryan last night at the Distillery.  Look for Patrick Ryan’s report soon.

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FOB Dani Lubbers Doesn’t Mess Around When Growing Pumpkins!!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

She gave two to our little ones.   Send in your home grown pumpkin pics if you got ‘em!

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Chickity Check It! Jenny and Nick from Fitness Health and Food Do The Gloucester Rockport Thing

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Jenny writes-

We happened upon Shiner because yesterday Nick and I decided to continue Gettin’ Around New England Tour with a trip south along the shore to Gloucester and Rockport, Massachusetts.

Gloucester is a historically industrial town that still houses the headquarters of several seafood companies including this commercial star…

click the link below to check out their adventure-

We Get Around – Gloucester and Rockport, MA Edition

rockport, ma, french bulldog puppy

corny nick, glouchester, ma

Burger Bomb At The Fort Square Cafe

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Designed to take you down!  -and what a way to go.

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Fort Square Cafe

29 Commercial Street, Gloucester, MA 01930 (978) 281-3100 ‎

What’s New in Jenna’s Garden? Week 13

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

By Jenna Howard

Week 13

"Now that we are coming to the end of the season, I’m looking for ways to maximize the crops in my garden. I grew lots of herbs over the past few months– basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, parsley and more! I’m drying all my herbs so that I can use them through the winter. Here are some simple instructions for drying your fresh herbs (long-stemmed & short stemmed)."

How to dry long-stemmed herbs

Harvest herbs in the early morning hours just after the dew has dried off the leaves. (Picking them early in the day will result in a more pungent flavor!)  Remove dirt by gently rinsing cut stems in cool water, then shake off excess water. Gently pick off and remove dead or discolored leaves with your fingers. Gather the stems into small bunches and tie cut ends together with string or rubber bands. Hang bunches upside down in a warm, dark, dust-free, well-ventilated area such as a closet or cabinet. (If dust is difficult to avoid, poke a hole at the bottom of a brown paper bag and place over bundle while drying herbs.) Take down bunches in two to three weeks – when herbs are dry and brittle. Strip leaves from stems and store dried leaves in small jars or plastic bags.

How to dry short-stemmed herbs

It is best to use two clean window screens when drying short-stemmed herbs. Simply place the herbs between the two screens using a brick to keep them together. Follow the same cleaning instructions above for long-stemmed herbs. Choose an area that has good air circulation and does not receive direct sunlight. Turn the leaves periodically to ensure the entire leaf is exposed to air. This process will take about 7 to 10 days. These herbs can be stored in a glass jar or plastic bag as well.

video- lobster roll preparation with kim smith, wendie demuth and sista felicia

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Ken Duckworth Graciously Shares His Recipe For The Most divine Lobster Risotto!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Kim Smith Reports-

Filming and photographing like mad for upcoming documentaries and specials. September is THE month for STUNNING Light, Flora, and Fauna and I will have much to share! In the meantime, please enjoy this wonderful and generous treat, courtesy of Ken and Nicole Duckworth. As always, many more photos and the recipe can be  found on my blog.

Warmest wishes,

Kim

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The Mrs Comes Through With The Lobster Fra Diavolo Recipe She Used (and modified a bit)

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

It’s rare that the Mrs finds time in her day to respond for recipe requests but here you go-

She used this recipe (and modified it just a bit)  I like my sauce thick and full of flavor and this was the bomb!

She writes-

I just realized I never sent the recipe…

here is the link. I didn’t use the lobster broth – I basically made the sauce and then added cooked lobster meet at the end.

Hope this helps!

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Active time: 30 minutes Total time: 1 hour.

Lobster Fra Diavolo Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

  • Two 2-pound live lobsters
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 dried Italian hot red pepper, split lengthwise, or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 2 cups canned crushed Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, undrained
  • 4 anchovy fillets, chopped
  • 2 teaspoonsdried oregano, preferably Sicilian
  • 1 tablespoonkosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 pound spaghetti or linguine
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
  • Freshly ground black pepper

For the directions click the link: http://leitesculinaria.com/66532/recipes-lobster-fra-diavolo.html#ixzz1YaNmgEFD

Here’s a pic of the one the Mrs made the other night-

Oh, I should also add that she only uses canned San Marzano tomatoes for her zugu.  They cost a little more but if you want the best, that’s what you buy.

Cooking Fish – Cooking Lobsters the Right Way

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

This From Orca Bay Seafoods-

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Perfectly cooked fish is moist and has a delicate flavor – overcooking is the most prevalent cooking error. Fish is done when the flesh has just begun to turn from translucent to opaque and is firm but still moist. It should flake easily when tested with a fork.

The 10-Minute Rule or Canadian Cooking Method is one way to cook fish by conventional methods including grilling, broiling, poaching, steaming, sautéing, microwaving, en papillotte, planking, and baking (at 400F to 450F). Here is how to use the 10 Minute Rule:

click here for the rest

Cooking Lobsters-

I poked around about ten different online recipe’s for a good How-To cook lobster guide before I found one that wouldn’t have you completely overcook your lobsters.  Wouldn’t you know it that the author of the one that made the most sense came from- get this, California, LOL!  They must not be speaking with these Californians who get my all time worst marks for lobster recipes-

What Is Wrong With People???? Another Lobster Roll Disaster From Some Broads In California

Unlike the lobster roll debacle of all debacles which occurred on Eat Boutique!  These Californian’s got it right on Simply Recipes

How to Boil and Eat Lobster

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Years ago, my first job out of college was in Boston; I lived in the North End, above D’Amore’s Italian restaurant on Salem Street, right across from a little fish market. This was a magical time, to be in one’s early 20s, exploring the back streets of Boston, feasting on the sights, sounds, and smells, alone or with friends. I was amazed that I could buy fresh lobster across the street from where I lived, at the fish market, for $4.99 a pound, still a luxury at that time, but within reach. (This summer, 27 years later, I bought lobster for $5.99 a pound, a bargain for this Californian!) That summer as often as I could I rounded up friends to enjoy a lobster feast. I still have the big aluminum pot I used.

We don’t have American lobsters out here in California. (Well we do, but they’re shipped in from New England, and frankly they just aren’t as good as lobsters bought near the sea shore on the East Coast.) So whenever I’m in New England in the summer (according to my local friends, summer is the best time for lobsters, they’re more plentiful and therefore less expensive) I make a point to have some.

Click here for the correct way to cook lobsters from Simply Recipes complete with proper cooking times and an excellent visual section of the cleaning process.

Kids and food… good stuff

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Jason Grow Forwards this story from East Gloucester resident John Sarrouf-

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If You Let Them Cook It, They Will Come

posted by Elijah and John

One way we try to inspire our six- and three-year-old kids to spend time at dinner is by letting them make it.  I cook at an island in my kitchen where the kids can sit and cook with me.  The trick is to find things appropriate for them to do.  That challenge inspired us to create this series called “Cooking with a Six-Year-Old,” though the age is not important – the theory holds true for any age.

Here is the first installment starring my son, Elijah, making hummus.  Please write to him to ask questions, tell him what you think or let him know if you changed anything to make the recipe better – he would love hearing from you!

For the recipe and more click here for the rest

Savour Wine and Cheese // Thank You For Your Support!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Kathleen Powers Erickson and Robert A. Morgan write-

Hello everyone,

Many of you now know of the fire at Savour last Thursday night.  The cause was a misplaced lit cigarette in an upstairs apartment.  Both Beach Gourmet and Savour Wine and Cheese lost everything.  Because the adjacent building went up in flames, 5 families are now homeless.  So, this has been quite traumatic for many of us.  However, no one was injured.  We are doing well and WE WILL REBUILD as soon as possible (not in this location)!

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Just to let you know, Matt, John, Bob Morgan, my partner, and I are discussing a full business partnership, in which the concept of Savour might be expanded to include catering, cooking demonstrations and classes, as well as prepared foods.  We have also looked at several properties and expect to sign a deal for a new location in Gloucester some time this week.  Of course, we cannot get going again until we settle with the insurance company, so that may take some time.  BUT – it is our hope to reopen before Thanksgiving, so say a prayer for that, please.

Many of you have asked how you can help.  First, as I have no income, I am still going ahead with the wine classes.  The 5-part series will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at Alchemy (3 Duncan St.) at 7:30 pm.  I still have a few places available and would like a full class.  (In fact, if we have more than 12 signed up, I will hold another session on a different day, Monday or Thursday evenings).  Call my cell at 312 286-1924 to sign up, or just send an email – kathleenperickson@gmail.com  Being able to teach, to go on, and to earn a little income would be a tremendous help right now.  If you would like a flyer on the class, which you can pass along, just email me, and I will send it.

Also – as I mentioned, we are looking for new space, so contact me if you see something that might work for our new location.

Finally, some of Matt and John’s personal chef clients have contacted them to suggest a fundraiser, so as I learn more details, I will let you know.  Matt will cook, and I can provide wine and give a presentation.  I will write again soon, and will keep everyone posted.  We don’t want you to forget about us!

So, thank you once again for all your wonderful support.  We will rise again out of the rubble to be bigger, better, and stronger!

Sincerely,

Kathleen Powers Erickson and Robert A. Morgan

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