MitchW

Even though I haven't tried it, I'm certain that if the lobster being served at Foxface is currently coming from Maine and is being caressed by Dave, it's gonna be good. Because we had these beautiful 1.5 pounders last week, in Portland, at Scales. And they were among the best whole lobsters I've eaten. Oyster list (here) was much shorter this time vs. last visit... The bar is the place to sit... They serve them right up in a trough... Oysters from Maine are my favorites... This special of clams with house cured hunks of bacon wasn't bad, either... Just to round it out... Three peas. And apparently a little ham. Good, fun place. And they make a proper cocktail, at least at the bar. A place we'd wanted to try on our last trip, but didn't get around to, is Twelve, located at the new-ish waterfront development known as Foreside. It's not in this building... But it's close enough... The whole complex sure looks better on its website than it did in person! Twelve has a distinguished team, led by... They offer both a la carte and prix fixe dinner. Everything on the menu is available a la carte: The app portions are not skimpy...they're huge. The quite wonderful asparagus with a morel vol-au-vent. Just as good fluke crudo with rhubarb and cucumber. Had to have the pain as well. This is the tautog, in a carrot bisque. Tautog, if you've never had, is a pretty delicious fish. But enough of fish...I had well-cooked duck; the confit portion of the dish is the fried "stick," which really didn't work for me. The beets I put up with. Dessert was good, no pix. Had a good time and an excellent waiter.

Can't you just continuously watch Hinds' videos?

Oh jeez...wasn't he so much more likable believable when he was yelling at line cooks in front of customers?

They always seem to forget that the hardest part about cooking (imo, anyway), is the sourcing, shopping, prepping, and cleaning up. None of which get handled by the radar range.

Let us not jest about the wonders of the late spring/early summer pea... Especially when taken in Barcelona.

Which catapulted Peg Bracken to worldwide fame!

I like them poached in a jamon brodo.

Happy Anniversary/Birthday!

They should just close up shop.

I’m here all week, folks!

Cornell is the greatest for birds… and Big Red is awesome:

I also learned, from my dearly departed mother, that dried herbs and ground spices have an indefinite shelf life. She taught me this as she reached for her 8-year old jar of cinnamon, stored in her spice rack over the stove. But seriously, folks, anyone who has purchased products from Anson Mills, be it rice, polenta, grits, flour, oats, etc. has undoubtedly noted this instruction for how to store their products: Please refrigerate or freeze upon receipt.

Well, there are people who think they, along with crackers, coffee and white rice, never go bad.

It’s stale when you buy it, and after you open the package it goes RANCID.

You still have matzoh?! It’s stale WHEN YOU BUY IT!

All I know, is I wanna visit. Best cardoon prep I ever had was at, you guessed it…Chez Panisse.

Yes, re: Andrew. I wish you luck in your fables of the reconstruction.

These peas were not fave beans, were they?

I’ve definitely seen, and enjoyed, really young fave beans raw, without the second shelling being necessary? Is that something you might do as well? https://nancyharmonjenkins.com/wait-stop-dont-peel-those-fava-beans/

When did you graduate to turning a case of artichokes?

Isn’t a fitty-fitty made with dry vermouth?

A pretty nice remembrance of Bill, by…yep, Elvis Costello https://www.elviscostello.com/uncategorized/bill-walton/

The legend…or one of them. A giant, literally and figuratively. At 71. RIP.

Or, to put it more simply, they just don't give a shit. And believe the masses know more than than professional critics might. Also, it's much easier to scroll IG or watch a 30-second video than to read a well-researched article.

Someone, perhaps before the age of the internet, once said (and I paraphrase): "There's a sucker born every minute."