Indulgence

The past few weekends I have shared my apartment with some of my favorite people. My mom and sister from NJ, Elizabeth from Portland, ME, Matt and his parents from MA., Tricia, Kristen and Ashley from Salem, MA, Boston, MA and Ipswich, MA and Matt's brother Ryan, and his girlfriend Tessa from Boston. Wow!

All were welcomed with open arms because I like to give big hugs.

Meals were savored ...

...whales were watched...

...glasses were raised and toasts were made.

Surrounded by seashells...

...adorable pups...

...and friends...

...sometimes I wish these indulgent weekends of visitors would never end.

PS. A lot of these pictures (sunflower, whale watch tour, little pup) were taken by my mom, beautiful right!?

Fun in the sun burgers

With temperatures approaching 100 degrees last Friday, the cool breeze and chilly but not frigid water offered relief from the heat. We frolicked, we walked, we swam, we read, we baked (yeah, oops! when the breeze coming off the water masks the suns rays you don't feel the need to reapply) and we worked up quite the appetite.

This past Christmas my mom gave me a cookbook from the highly acclaimed Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, NY where Lindsay goes to college. The Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites Cookbook has won the James Beard/Kitchen Aid Cookbook Award and my copy is even signed by the author, Lisa Williams! Super cool mom! I have dabbled with a few soup recipes since December 25th, and thoroughly enjoyed the distinctive quality, bold tastes and health benefits of each creation, but mom is the experienced Moosewood diner and recreator. So, she took the reigns on dinner. Together we chose the Chili Burgers but before you envision thick chili and juicy meat, open your mind to beans, oats, tex-mex seasoning, protein, flavor and texture.

Moosewood Chili Burgers:

What you will need:

• 1 cup chopped onions (we used 1/2 a red onion)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup peeled and grated carrots
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3 cups cooked kidney or pinto beans
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tbsp ketchup or 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• salt and pepper to taste

First saute the onions and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes or until the onions begin to soften. Add the carrots, chili powder, and cumin and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. While sauteing, smile and pose for the camera like the beautiful lil' lady pictured. Set aside your mixture when all the flavors have combined and your mouth starts to hurt from smiling.

Mash the beans in a large bowl with a potato masher or get into it with your hands. It might feel gooey but its the best way to mash and mix. Add the mustard, soy sauce, ketchup or tomato paste, and the sauteed vegetables. Mix in the oats. Continue to use what your momma gave you, your hands. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Wash and dry your hands and then moisten them up again and form the burger mixture into patties. Our mixture yielded about 8 patties. (You could make them smaller or larger depending on your personal preference of course!) Lightly spray or oil a nonstick skillet and cook the burgers on medium heat for 5-8 minutes on each side or until a nice shade of brown covers these beauties.

We enjoyed our chili burgers on toasted Ezekiel muffins. Toppings at the table included fresh salsa, sliced avocado, and spinach. Lindsay composed a wonderful salad to elevate the meal, decorating Olivia's Organic spinach with sliced red onion, Ocean Spray craisins, walnuts and feta cheese and dressed the salad with a Light Balsamic Vinaigrette.

After a day in the sun, the chili burger vividly engaged the senses and proved you can make smart healthy choices and enjoy the results. Moosewood's attention to nutrition and delicious food emanates from every page with every recipe and the chili burgers on page 173 did not waver from the Moosewood mission nor sacrifice an ounce of flavor to provide a healthy enjoyable meal.

I love the gifts that keep giving, aka cook books. Thanks again mom!

The Oar House

Thursday, July 8th marked the beginning of yet another heat wave on the east coast and the start of a fabulous girls weekend with my mom and sister. After hours of unnecessary traffic starting in NJ and ending with rush hour in NH, I figured the ladies would want to stretch their stiff legs, entertain their hungry stomachs and focus their eyes on the beautiful Piscataqua river, so we went for a lovely stroll to 55 Ceres Street.


The Oar House deck, is located opposite the Oar House restaurant on Portsmouth Harbor and offers a picturesque landscape much preferred over bumpers, highway mile markers and cubicle walls. Before Thursday, this magnificent waterfront location was one I had yet to stick my fork into (yes, pun intended). From the deck, the tranquilizing Portsmouth Harbor can be seen from every direction. Surrounded by my family in the heart of Portsmouth, I was in heaven.

Me & the cuz, Eliz ....................................................................Lindsay and Mom


Prime dinner time (7pm) didn't hinder our ability to be seated promptly. While we gabbed and giggled, I sipped on the Oar House sangria, mom threw back a corona and Elizabeth impressed me with her old man drinking skills yet again by ordering a sidecar: cognac, cointreau, lemon juice. The sangria was not sangria, it was a devastating red wine spritzer with a lonely orange slice. The sidecar was deemed not a true sidecar, super sweet and made for the tastebuds of an older woman not man. Beverage fail.

I will confess, I take an extraordinary long time to decide what to order when dining out. I'm sorry but it matters. With an abundance of good looking entrees, the Oar House's menu offered no help; freezing not just mine, but all of our inner foodies. Questions and personal preferences echoed at the table: Do I want to create a meal with appetizers: the fresh Maine crab cakes with clam chowder? Do I want the Sweet Coconut Encrusted Mahi Mahi or do I want a different taste of the sea with each bite from the the Oar House Sampler? Do I want meat, seafood or pasta? Like I said, it matters.

I do believe it was around this time that we placed our salad orders and our waitress, prompted by a question from our table, told us the fresh bread we saw on the surrounding tables was taking a while because it was coming from the oven. OH, well when you put it that way, sure I'll wait. For the record when you do not serve bread right away and all of your other tables are enjoying rolls, you should offer a reason. Just sayin'. People like bread.

Eliz and I split the beet salad to start. The golden beets were a pleasant surprise, as was the generous portion. Earthy but sweet, if you like beets you would enjoy this salad. The super fresh arugula and massive non-oily artichokes completed the dish.

Beets, artichokes, chick peas, red onion and parmesan peppercorn dressing served over arugula. 9~

Enter bread basket. Not fresh. Not warm. Not from the oven. Not taking a picture. Don't lie to your tables, if you forget to bring the rolls, just tell. We are all big kids and can handle the truth. Also, when you completely space on a glass of wine ordered, please don't be snooty. I was a waitress for years and have forgotten many items, bread baskets, wines..you name it, but when I was kindly reminded by my diners of this forgetfulness I did not offer hard glances in return. Kind smiles only. Kind smiles get you tips. Hard glances get you this blog review. 20 minutes after I ordered it, a glass of 2007 Sauvignon Blanc - Ceres Street Wine - Mendocino County, CA finally graced my presence.

For my entree I ordered the Oar House Delight with the lobster sauce on the side. I love lobster sauce, but I don't love anything smothering my food so it cannot breathe and I cannot taste any flavor beyond the sauce. This entree was such a great decision. See where a little extra thought will get you? Each bite was different and true to it's name, delightful. The shrimp was large and tender. The broiled scallops were rich but decadent and a wonderful contrast to the light and flaky haddock. The seasoned crumbs were perfectly buttered and gave each bite another layer of flavor. The pieces that received a dip into the creamy lobster sauce were very pleasing. All entrees were served with asparagus and roasted red potatoes. Can you spot the lone french fry that jumped ship onto my plate? What a daredevil.

Shrimp, scallops, and haddock lightly broiled, finished with lobster sauce and seasoned crumbs. 26~

My mom's Broiled Haddock: Haddock fillet, topped with seasoned crumbs, broiled in white wine and lemon. 21~

The dessert tray teased our tummies for a brief moment but our wiser selves remembered walking off dinner is always a good way to get ready for dessert. If you are a dessert person, I strongly encourage you to go for the gem resembling chocolate lava cake. Seemed like the Oar House knew exactly what they were doing when playing with lava and chocolate in the kitchen.

By dining outside we were clearly able to enjoy the fresh air, sea breeze and views but the real maritime heritage that the Oar House Restaurant so proudly wishes to exude was lost in translation. If just a few ounces of nautical mementos or prominent seaport history overlapped onto the deck, I'd believe these two establishments were connected. But the common denominator was the name and price of fare. Our effort to walk off dinner failed as soon as we spotted Annabelle's ice cream a mere 15 feet away. Also spotted, the menu outside Black Trumpet Bistro (X marks the spot of the most memorable meal of my life in Portsmouth). Interestingly enough, Black Trumpet's prices compared to The Oar House deck. You mean to tell me that the plastic chairs and lackluster sangria are equal to the Black Trumpet Martini and exposed brick walls? You must be joking.

Black Trumpet on a beautiful summer day. Photo taken by my mom

The view and our delicious entrees stand out as I think back to last Thursday's meal and I would definitely recommend the Oar House deck to anyone looking for a nice meal by the water. That being said, in order to feel comfortable with my recommendation I would encourage the main Oar House dining location over the deck and make a strong note of the cons: service, price, bread lies, and libations.

Next up, Friday's beach excursions and home cooked Moosewood Chili Burgers!