Month: October 2016

The Best Lobster Roll

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What Makes a Great Lobster Roll I’ve eaten lobster rolls on Cape Cod, along the Connecticut Coast and the rocky shores of Maine. Here’s a few things I’ve learned: If you want a top quality lobster roll, $19.99 is the starting price. The best lobster rolls are made to order. It’s not a question of mayo or butter, but the right amount of both. The roll should be toasted. A microwave should not be involved. Eating outdoors or in a lobster shack with a view of water is necessary — but atmosphere cannot save a mediocre roll. That list sums up the sad and sodden lobster rolls I’ve eaten — prepared ahead of time and sold in a refrigerator case in one over-lauded spot on Martha’s Vineyard. The Best Lobster Roll Clam Shack, Kennebunkport Served on a butter-griddled soft, round bun spread with mayonnaise, and piled with nuggets of knuckle, tail and claw, drizzled with butter, this lobster roll has the perfect balance and texture, with the freshness of  pink and white lobster starring. A …

Trying to Stay Hungry in Portland, Maine.

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Trying to Stay Hungry in Portland Maine The cobblestone streets of Old Port, the vibrant waterfront of Portland, Maine are busy  with people, shops and restaurants. Restaurants with national reputations for being on the forefront of the local and sustainable food movement. We had a day and a half there, vacationing with friends. We looked for casual places with good food — and we found them. The only challenge was trying to stay hungry. The creative energy in Portland provokes associations to Brooklyn, N.Y., which is annoying to people living in Portland. Sure, some people have moved from Brooklyn to Portland. But Portland has a rugged energy and intimacy all its own. Duck Fat Duck Fat serves irresistible fries. Belgian-style, hand-cut Maine potatoes fried in duck fat and served in a cone with a choice of dipping sauces. But why order the fries alone? Go for the poutine. It’s lathed with duck gravy and dabbed with soft, melting cheese curd. This hip little joint serves sandwiches, fries and milkshakes. Everyone seemed really happy to be here. We started lunch with Brussels sprouts fried in duck fat and tossed …

Jacques Pépin’s Stuffed Eggs

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Cooking from La Technique Jacques Pépin has been my greatest teacher in the kitchen. I’m a home cook, constantly learning and re-learning. Pépin’s La Technique, an illustrated guide to the fundamental techniques of cooking, was published in 1976. My paperback copy has black and white photos and a formidable look. But the chef breaks down each step, explaining the all- important techniques. I took the good book down recently to learn how to make proper stuffed eggs, or as they are more elegantly called in French, Oeufs Mimosa. To begin, and this is very important, you make proper hard-boiled eggs. Proper hard-boiled eggs do not have a green-gray line around the edge of the yolk. Proper hard-boiled eggs also have a beautiful consistency. A basic technique to memorize by heart: lower eggs into boiling water,  simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, remove and place in bowl of cold water. Have you noticed how important the sieve is to French cooking?  The key to the light texture of the filling is pushing the egg yolks through a …

Shooting Practice Hits a Nerve

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A year ago I wrote a short one-act play called Shooting Practice. Since then, the play has been performed in four shows in New York City and Connecticut. Currently, it’s in Zeller & Squires show of one-act plays at the Lyric Theatre in New Haven. It will be performed Nov. 4 & 5 and 11 & 12. Allan Zeller and Kimberly Squires are a husband-and-wife acting team, and they are riveting in Shooting Practice. Allan Zeller is ominous as the father teaching his daughter the rules about guns. Kimberly Squires, as the daughter, takes us through a harrowing, and sometimes humorous, experience. Someone asked me if Shooting Practice is about gun control. My answer is: it’s about the characters, rather than an issue. To me, the play is about how the person who teaches you the rules breaks them. It’s about a child watching a father, and learning lessons the father never intended to teach. Allan Zeller, who plays the father, says “The gun he uses to exact his righteousness… is just the tool at hand. The real …