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An enchanting bed and breakfast in the heart of Camden village that Fodor’s considers “An elegant and sophisticated retreat and culinary destination,” this Mansard style Victorian built in 1835 offers a unique experience in pampered luxury.

Archive for September, 2009

Black Trumpet Mushrooms

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

blacktrumpetA few weeks ago I went out with a group of mushroom enthusiasts and we came across a patch of beautiful black trumpet mushrooms (Craterellus fallax) also known as “black chanterelles.” Black trumpets can be very difficult to see, since they grow on the floor of hardwood forests and they blend in beautifully with the dried leaves that blanket the ground. Once you find one, and your eyes know what to look for, you are bound to find many more. Black trumpets are very thin and fragile so it takes quite a few to amount to anything, but WOW, do they pack in an enormous amount of flavor. If you are fortunate enough to find some, I recommend you saute some finely minced shallots in a hot pan with a little butter until translucent, add the cleaned black trumpets and saute for a few minutes (you always want to cook wild mushrooms thoroughly) to cook through. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy.

Mushroom Hunt

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

sharonMy friend Sharon and I went foraging for mushrooms last Saturday and she has written about our adventure on her blog “delicious musings.” It’s a nice story with some great pictures from our exploration of the Maine forest.

Click here to read about our mushroom hike on her blog.

Car Restoration – I

Monday, September 28th, 2009

Work is progressing on my 1962 Daimler SP250. Last week I finally finished assembling the front and rear suspension, installed the brake calipers and slid on the wire wheels. So the chassis is ready for the engine and transmission, and this is where all of my effort is now focused. I picked up my engine from a well established shop that specializes in engine cleaning, camshaft, crankshaft and valve work. They did a beautiful job on the engine and it is now in another shop having the new camshaft bearings line bored. Technical stuff! This week I hope to begin putting the engine back together. The transmission has a few issues that are also being worked on, all rather minor, thank God. The body is off to Walter and is being sanded, sanded, sanded, sanded and then he will sand it. Lots of detailed work to fill the pinholes in the fiberglass body and then sand it smooth. Walter calls it his “Winter Project.” Instruments just came back from being detailed, twin SU carburetors are still in Brooklyn, NY being rebuilt, I have a few parts being sandblasted in Rockland, ME and the interior (carpets, leather seats and dash) is on it’s way from a Jaguar shop in Ohio. It’s like a big jigsaw puzzle!

Island Offerings

Sunday, September 27th, 2009

Mary Jo and I recently took a weekend trip aboard our sailboat into Penobscot Bay and did a little island and shoreline foraging. On shore we collected wild blueberries, chanterelle mushrooms and raspberries. We waded along the shoreline at low tide and collected mussels and sea urchins. Dinner that evening started with sea urchin roe, followed by steamed mussels, seared New York strip steaks with sauteed Chanterelle mushrooms and vanilla ice cream with island berries.

Chef’s Down Time

Friday, September 4th, 2009

sp250If I’m not in the kitchen at the Inn, then there is a pretty good chance you can find me in my garage, working diligently at restoring a 1962 Daimler SP250. I purchased the car in May of this year and have been taking it apart completely, restoring each part (or replacing it), and eventually (as of last week) I am putting it back together again. It has always been a goal of mine to restore an old red convertible and the opportunity came along this spring. Mary Jo says I bought a “car in a box” off from Ebay…not far from the truth, I guess! chassisThis is my first try at restoring a car, actually, come to think of it, I have never even changed my own oil. I’m a quick learner! Only 2600 +/- of these babies made, so they are quite rare. My goal is to get it on the road next spring. Wish me luck.

Wild Mushroom Crêpe Recipe

Friday, September 4th, 2009

chantrelles21serves 6

6 crêpes (recipe below)

1 whole duckling

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 cup chopped yellow onions

1 pound wild mushrooms (porcini, oyster, chanterelles, morels, etc.) or use portabella mushrooms, roughly cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup dry sherry

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 batch béchamel sauce (recipe below)

1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 teaspoon chopped Italian parsley

  1. Make the crêpes and reserve.
  2. Wash duck and pat dry inside and out. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place on rack in roasting pan. Roast in a preheated 350° oven for 30 to 35 minutes per pound. Remove from the oven and cool enough to handle. Remove all the meat from the duck and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Reserve.
  3. Place the butter in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the onions and sweat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Remove the mushrooms from the pan (allow them to cool) and return the pan to high heat. Deglaze with the dry sherry and reduce till nearly dry. Add the heavy cream and reduce by half. Remove the pan from the stove and whisk in the soft butter. Season with salt and white pepper.
  5. When the mushrooms are cool, stir in the shredded duck, béchamel sauce and Swiss cheese. Mix.
  6. Spread the mixture between the crêpes and spread it out evenly. Fold the crêpes in quarters and place on a buttered baking sheet.
  7. Bake the stuffed crêpes in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Serve with the warm dry-sherry cream and a sprinkling of parsley.

Crêpe Batter

2 large eggs

1/2 cup cold water     

1/4 cup whole milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

canola oil for frying pan

  1. In a blender, combine the eggs, water, milk and salt. Blend briefly at medium speed to combine. Add the flour and blend. After the flour has been thoroughly incorporated, with the blender still going at medium speed, add the melted butter in a slow stream, and blend until combined. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  2. To make the crepes, you can either use a crepe pan (follow the instructions that came with the pan) or a plain 10-inch nonstick skillet. Heat the pan on medium heat and add a small splash of oil. Ladle 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of batter into the pan and tip the pan to spread the batter evenly across the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Cook briefly on this side until it lightly browns and then flip it over (you can use a rubber spatula to assist with this) to cook the other side for 30 seconds. 
  3. Remove from pan and layer on a plate, repeating with the remaining batter and a little oil in the pan. Recipe makes about ten 8-inch crepes. Keep covered with plastic until needed.

Bechamel Sauce

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
Salt and white pepper

  1.  Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes.
  2. Add the milk and continue to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring the sauce to a boil and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more.