Mary Jo came up with a great idea for the blog. “Let’s show before (before we owned the Inn) and after (after renovation) pictures for the guest and common rooms at both Inns so guests can see the progress we have made.” Great idea, I thought..so here is the first “Then and Now”. We purchased the Hideaway Inn (formerly known as the Nathaniel Hosmer Inn) in March 2007. The French Thyme Suite is on the first floor of the Inn and has private entrances from the front and rear gardens. 
Archive for December, 2007
Then and Now – French Thyme Suite
Friday, December 28th, 2007Inns Magazine Article
Thursday, December 27th, 2007
“Chefs that are Innkeepers” is the title of this article (written by Pamela Delaney) in Inns Magazine. Delaney, a former restaurant owner, interviewed two Chef/Innkeepers in a quest to find out why there are not more chefs that own inns.
The two chef/innkeepers interviewed were:
Chef Michael Salmon of the Hartstone Inn, Camden, Maine
Chef Peter Egger of the Breadalbane Inn, Fergus, Ontario
US National Toboggan Championships
Wednesday, December 26th, 2007
Located only five minutes from the Hartstone Inn, the Camden Snow Bowl (perched upon Ragged Mountain) is home for our local downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice skating on the pond, tubing and of course tobogganing. The 400 foot toboggan chute is a great deal of fun and is open to the public when conditions are favorable; for ice, that is.
For true thrill-seekers, the 18th Annual U.S. National Toboggan Championships race into action on February 8-10, 2008 at the Camden Snow Bowl. The Toboggan Nationals, the only recognized National Toboggan Championships in the U.S., are equal parts competition and costume party.
Tailgating isn’t suggested, it’s encouraged – but r
eserve your space early. Hundreds of participants will team up and be fired down the wooden chute – eight seconds of choreographed chaos – before sliding across the frozen surface of Hosmer Pond. Registration opens October 15, 2007 and closes January 25, 2008.
Check the Camden Snow Bowl’s website at http://www.camdensnowbowl.com/ to register and see updated information
Port City Life Magazine Article
Wednesday, December 26th, 2007
The December 2007 issue of Port City Life Magazine features an article on the Hartstone Inn and Chef Michael. The cover of the magazine reads “Camden Tarts,” and inside you will find an article by contributing writer Mindy Favreau titled “Festive Fruit Tartlets.” The article gives a brief background of the Inn and highlights Michael’s recipe for Macadamia Nut and Wild Blueberry Tartlets with Ginger Ice Cream.
Chef Michael’s Antique Chocolate Molds
Monday, December 24th, 2007
When I was in my early twenties, I came across my first bunny chocolate mold at an antique store and I realized that I had found my niche. Whenever I traveled from that point on, I would search out antique shows and markets, purchasing every chocolate mold I happened upon. After years of collecting, my eye for old and unusual molds became more discerning, and I passed over the more common pieces. Easter and Christmas were the big holidays for chocolate molds, so you will find molds of Easter bunnies, eggs, chicks, Santa Claus and Father Christmas quite often. These holidays do, however, offer up some unusual molds 
like the bunny riding a motorcycle or Santa riding a donkey. A trip to Belgium back in 1999 led me to a gentleman who’s father had purchased all of the tin chocolate molds from several chocolate factories when they switched to the more efficient plastic molds. That was an overwhelming experience, looking through a shop with thousands upon thousands of unique chocolate molds. After many hours, Mary Jo was ready to see more of Brussels than just the inside of that one store, while I could have spent the whole day.
My second cookbook contains an article on my chocolate mold collection that outlines the use of antique chocolate molds from tempering the chocolate to molding the forms. For more information and techniques see “In the Kitchen with Michael Salmon”, pages 198 – 201.
Mary Jo’s Orchid Corner – Phalaenopsis
Sunday, December 23rd, 2007
Camden, Maine may seem like a funny place to find tropical orchids, but Mary Jo has a rather large collection that she displays throughout the Hartstone Inn and the Hideaway Inn.
Phalaenopsis (phals), Paphiopedilum (paphs) and Oncidiums (onc) are varieties that Mary Jo finds most easy to grow in the home. These hybrids are usually considered “beginner orchids,” largely because they will re-bloom under the conditions that most windowsill growers can offer. They require less light, about the same as for African violets, and will adapt to the humidity levels that are present in most homes.
Mary Jo will be the first to tell you that if you want to cultivate orchids, you need to be willing to experiment and to be prepared to lose some. You should have a place in mind where you intend to place your orchids because some varieties like to sit near a sunny window while others prefer indirect light. Mary Jo says the best advice for someone who wants to start growing orchids is to really look at your environment and see what conditions you will be able to offer. What kind of humidity does your home have? How much light exists in your rooms?
She loves that you can buy affordable orchids. She recommends picking one up at Home Depot or your local grocery store for as little as twenty dollars. If you kill it, it will have already lasted two to three months, which is much longer than cut flowers do. As your interests grow and you want to acquire more specialized orchids, Mary Jo highly recommends buying from these three fabulous growers: Carmelaorchids.net, Kalapanatropicals.com and Carterandholmes.com.
A great resource for Orchid information is the “American Orchid Society (AOS)”and their website is: orchidweb.org.
For further information on Phalaenopsis (aka: Moth Orchids), click on the following link to see a PDF file known as a culture sheet. This page will supply you with all of the basic requirements for growing the most common household orchid, the Phalaenopsis: http://www.orchidweb.org/aos/orchids/documents/culturephals.pdf
Bay Chamber Concerts
Saturday, December 22nd, 2007
We are very fortunate to have an active “Performing Arts Series” in the Camden/Rockport area organized by Bay Chamber Concerts. Below I have included a few highlights from their upcoming winter season, but the full schedule can be seen online at http://www.baychamberconcerts.org/. Tickets for all events are available online or we would be happy to make any arrangements for you. Whether you would like to add a concert to an upcoming visit to Camden, or you want to plan a trip to the Hartstone Inn to enjoy an upcoming concert, it would be our pleasure to assist you.
Libana – Saturday, February 09, 2008 7:30 PM Camden Opera House
Back by popular demand! The seven women who make up Libana perform an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary world music. In addition to their a cappella singing, they play an array of instruments including double bass, clarinet, dumbek, accordion, oud, charango, hammered dulcimer, and conga.
Visit Libana’s website.
Anne-Marie McDermott Saturday, March 29, 2008 2:30 PM Rockport Opera House McDermott is the 1995 winner of the Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award, and is a regular with the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society. Since winning the Wolf Award, she’s gone on to perform at some of the most prestigious venues around the world. Her program will include a Haydn sonata, Bach’s Chaconne and Schubert’s great last piano sonata.
Imani Winds Sunday, April 27, 2008 2:30 PM The Strand Theatre
Grammy-nominated Imani Winds has worked to create a new genre – “urban classical music.” It is a wind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon) comprised of African-American and Latino musicians who combine their rich cultural background with the classical tradition.
Visit Imani Winds’ website.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra Saturday, May 17, 2008 7:00 PM Owls Head Transportation Museum
Last year’s dance party was such a hit that we’ve decided to bring it back again! Everyone knows and loves the music of Glenn Miller, the seminal Big Band leader. We’ll have food, a dance lesson and lots of energy on the dance floor among the cars and planes of the Owls Head Transportation Museum. General admission, dancing encouraged!
Ricotta Pudding Recipe
Friday, December 21st, 2007
This is one of our most requested recipes from breakfast here at the Inn, so I thought the blog would be an excellent way to share the recipe with guests interested in making my pudding at home. This recipe will probably appear in my third cookbook, but don’t tell Mary Jo I’m working on it.
It is a fairly simple recipe, the pudding mixture can be made a few days in advance, but it is best to serve it warm, a few minutes after you take it out of the oven.
We serve the pudding as a starter for breakfast with a fruit sauce. Here, I have included a recipe for a strawberry-rhubarb compote, but the Raspberry-Star Anise Sauce from my first cookbook (page 48) also goes very well with it, or adjust that recipe by using blueberries and cinnamon in place of the raspberries and star anise. Add some seasonal fruit, a drizzle of creme anglaise – optional (cookbook 1, page 55 or cookbook 2, page 40), a swirl of whipped cream and a fresh mint leaf and you have created a recipe that is sure to please all.
Ricotta Pudding with a Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote serves 6
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
2 Tablespoons honey
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk ingredients together until smooth.
3. Spread six pyrex bowls out on baking sheets and spray with cooking spray to coat evenly.
4. Divide the batter between the six bowls.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes and gently remove with small spatula onto plates, right side up.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote
1 cup sliced fresh rhubarb
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup of cleaned, sliced strawberries
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier liqueurpinch of kosher salt
1. Place the rhubarb and sugar in a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
2. Place the cooked rhubarb in a medium bowl and add the strawberries, lemon juice, lemon zest and Grand Marnier. Stir to combine and add more sugar if necessary.
3. Let the compote stand at room temperature until juices form, at least 30 minutes.
Carver Hill Gallery
Wednesday, December 5th, 2007
Mary Jo and I came across this new gallery during a summer drive and fell in love with it. Carver Hill features an impressive collection of art, most of it created by local artists and artisans. Located a short 5 minute drive from the Hartstone Inn, the gallery is easy to get to.
A beautifully restored estate with a center chimney Cape, furnished like a gracious home, is the setting for this unique Gallery filled with fine art paintings, sculpture, exquisite hand made furniture, rugs, pottery, and jewelry. The Gallery also serves as a showcase for home interiors, displaying a custom kitchen, tiles, floors, faux painting and more.
Hours – Open Year Round
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 11am to 5pm
Saturday 10am to 5pm
Sunday 11am to 4pm
Closed Tuesdays until June 15th, after which we are open 7 days a week into Autumn.
Visit Carver Hill Gallery online at: http://www.carverhillgallery.com/
Newsletter Comments
Saturday, December 8th, 2007We just published our winter 2007 newsletter and have been receiving a lot of great feedback. Thank you for your notes!
Michael and Mary Jo
___________________________________
Hello,
Just to let you know, I still have a postcard of the Heartstone Inn at my desk at home. I paid you a visit about two years ago, in the winter, and came away saying that it was about the best inn I had ever visited, and I have been to many. It was not just the look of your place, but the warm friendly nature of the staff that made me feel as if I was visiting their home as a welcome guest. I still think about my visit, to this day.
I will be back again.
Glenn
___________________________________
Hello,
My husband and I stayed at your inn for our 5th anniversary in 2001. We’ve continued to get your e-mails, although we’ve not been back to Maine since then. This weekend, my sister and her husband are there for their 5th anniversary. Their names are Mike and Mary _____.
When we were together at Thanksgiving, they mentioned that they were thinking of Maine for their anniversary and asked if we had a recommendation. In addition to your e-mails, we had just received your postcard at home. I thought of the Hartstone immediately. Your updated and informative Web site provided all they needed to know. The trip to the James Beard House and the recent Boston Globe coverage were terrific endorsements.
I’m sure they’ll have a wonderful weekend.
Just thought I’d let you know how your e-mails were making a difference five years later. We hope to make it back to Camden one day.
Patti and Ritchie
Memphis
___________________________________
Dear Michael,
We had such a wonderful time at your inn to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary last May (2006). Brian and I were dazzled by the meals you prepared and your famous souffles. My husband was thrilled with the tour you gave us of your kitchen and was looking forward to feeling well enough to return to the Hartstone Inn for your cooking classes. As a heart transplant recipient with a compromised immune system, there were many complications. My Brian passed away on September 23, 2007. I just wanted you to know that we had very happy memories of our trip to Camden, Maine and that it was a pleasure to meet you and your lovely wife.
Sincerely,
Maureen
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