Thai Cooking Class at the Inn

This weekend I presented the final scheduled cooking classes of the season: Thai Cuisine. Following is an excerpt on the history of Thai cooking and a recipe for a simple "Coconut Mussel Soup with Curry" that we occasionally serve in the restaurant. The recipe is also available in my first cookbook on page 228 and there is a version with chicken if mussels are not your thing.

Though Thai restaurants have proliferated across the United States in the last two decades, few cooks attempt Thai dishes at home.

Traditional Thai cuisine consisted of seafood, rice, vegetables and herbs. Very little meat was used. The ingredients were generally boiled, steamed or most often grilled, particularly popular because of the abundance of natural wood available for cooking in Thailand. As Chinese immigrants moved to Thailand, they brought their cooking tools, including the wok and bamboo steamer, and their cooking methods, stir frying and deep frying. When the Portuguese introduced chilies and coconut milk to Thailand, the Thai quickly adopted these ingredients as their own. Other influences came from India and the Western cooking methods of France and England. The end result is a cuisine that emphasizes balance and harmony, blending the spicy, the subtle, the sweet and the sour. Characteristic ingredients include the freshest of the following: coconuts, lemongrass, lime leaves, chilies, seafood, tropical fruits, fish sauce, shrimp paste and rice.

Coconut Mussel Soup with Curry serves 6-8
1 stalk lemon grass
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
3 pounds of fresh mussels, cleaned with beards picked

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 Tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger

2 Tablespoons canola oil

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 cans unsweetened coconut milk (14 ounces each)

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon sambal oelek (hot chili paste)

2 plum tomatoes, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
kosher salt

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

cilantro sprigs for garnish

1. Slice the lemon grass thinly and place in a small saucepan with the white wine. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes to infuse the lemon flavor into the wine. Strain the wine, discarding the lemon grass, and place in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add mussels and steam, covered, for about 8 minutes, or until the mussels open. Remove the mussels, cool and pick the meat from the shells, reserving a few whole for garnish. Strain the liquid and reserve.
2. In a large (4- or 5-quart) saucepan, cook the onion, garlic, and ginger in the canola oil over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened.
3. Add the reserved wine/mussel cooking liquid, orange and lime juice, curry powder, thyme, bay leaf, coconut milk, jalapeno pepper and sambal oelek. Simmer uncovered about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced slightly.
4. Add the mussels and diced tomatoes and cook, covered, over high heat for 3 minutes.
5. Season the soup with salt and add the chopped cilantro. Divide the soup between the bowls. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and whole mussels in their shells.

Maine Food & Lifestyle Blog

When the first issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine arrived at French & Brawn (our neighborhood food market) in the Summer of 2006 I was utterly amazed by the quality writing, beautiful photography and the unique and inspiring layout of the magazine. How can a publication of this caliber focus on my little area of the world? If you have not seen the magazine, go online and order the 5 back issues (available for only $4 each) and subscribe. On your next visit to the Inn you will notice that we proudly stock each guestroom with the current issue.

So, needless to say, I was extremely excited when Merrill Williams (Editor/Publisher) contacted me about a feature in the magazine's second issue. The article "To Market and Home Again with Chef Michael Salmon" (in the Holiday 2006 issue) focused on a holiday menu for four people with recipes and outstanding photographs by Jim Bazin (Creative Director and Food Photographer, extraordinaire - I added that last part). Click here to read the article online.

With that brief history behind us, we can move on to what's new and current at the magazine. Blogs are all the rage right now and I am happy to announce that Maine Food & Lifestyle has just launched their blog this month titled "Plating Up." The list of contributors is quite impressive and they have even asked me to contribute. Quite an honor. The current articles are very interesting so I invite you to go online and become inspired. Jim Bazin blogged about "A Lamb Meal To Die For" and you might want to read about the Chef that prepared that meal.

Today's Pasta Cooking Class

First a little history with an excerpt from my first cookbook "Hartstone Inn, Signature Recipes from an Elegant Maine Inn." The origin of pasta is a very controversial subject in culinary history. The Arabic countries, Italy and China have all laid claim to the creation of what has become a favorite food worldwide. Most probably, different versions of pasta were made in various parts of the world as a way to preserve grains. Early pasta makers would grind the grains, mix them with water and dry the mixture, which had the added advantage of cooking quickly. It was the Italians, however, who perfected pasta. The earliest evidence of its existence was found in Etruscan tombs that date back to 4 B.C., where a wall picture contains instruments used in making pasta, including a pastry board, a rolling pin and a pastry cutter.

In today's Pasta Cooking class, we made three differently flavored pasta doughs (plain egg pasta, spinach pasta and beet pasta) which resulted in three very different looking doughs - white, green and red. After the doughs were mixed, kneaded and rested for an hour, we rolled them out, cut them into various shapes from spaghetti to pappardelle and then we stuffed others with various fillings.

We made a Sweet Potato filling for the ravioli and served it with a Pine Nut and Sage Brown Butter Sauce and we stuffed large Tortellini with a three-cheese filling and served it with a Chicken and Pesto sauce.
For the Spaghetti, we made a creamy Prosciutto and Red Pepper Sauce and for the Pappardelle we served it with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Grilled Tiger Shrimp with a homemade Pesto.

All of these recipes are from my first cookbook in the Pasta, Pasta, Pasta section from pages 206-225. Following is the recipe for plain egg pasta dough.

Egg Pasta Dough (plain)
2 1/2 cups pasta flour (semolina)
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup warm water

1. Place the flour on a clean working counter and make a well in the center. Add the remaining ingredients to the center of the well and gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet, forming a smooth-soft dough (adding additional water if necessary to make the dough soft).
2. Knead the dough 10 minutes, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. This recipe makes a little over 1 pound of dough.

Cocktail Mixology - Blackberry Mojito

Blackberry Mojito

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
4 teaspoons granulated sugar (or 2 packets of Splenda)
2 limes
1/4 cup fresh blackberries
3/4 cup light rum
1 cup club soda
2 sprigs fresh mint for garnish

1. Place the mint and sugar in a mortar and “muddle” it with a pestle. Squeeze in the lime juice and add half of the blackberries. Lightly crush the berries.
2. Pour the mixture into a cocktail shaker and add the light rum and club soda. Shake to mix.
3. Place 4 large cubes of ice in two rocks glasses and divide the drink equally between them.
4. Garnish each glass with the remaining blackberries and a sprig of fresh mint.

Join us at the Hartstone Inn for cocktails between 5 and 7 p.m. on your next visit and take advantage of our "Happy Hour Specials". Signature cocktails are only $5 and include such favorites as: Key Lime Martinis, Peach Martinis and Raspberry Mojitos.

Tangerine Crème Caramel with Plumped Apricots Recipe

The first dessert I made from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook was her crème caramels and they made a lasting impression on me. This tangy version is made with tangerines and served with plumped dried apricots for a unique twist. This recipe can be found in my second cookbook In the Kitchen with Michael Salmon, Recipes of Distinction from the Hartstone Inn on pages 193-195. Thank you to Bob and Suzie Jobes for the pictures; they were taken at our February 9th cooking class "Romantic Dinner for Two."

Tangerine Crème Caramel with Plumped Apricots makes 4

Caramel
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons water

1. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and place over high heat. Cook, without stirring, until the sugar turns a golden brown.
2. Immediately pour the caramel into the bottom of four small (175 ml or 6 oz) glass ramekins, dividing it evenly between them. Work quickly or the caramel will set up and you won’t be able to pour it.

Plumped Apricots

2 fresh tangerines
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup Grand Marnier liqueur
1 cup water
16 dried apricots

1. Peel the skin from the tangerines using a vegetable peeler and reserve for the candied tangerine peel recipe below.
2. Juice the tangerines and place the juice in a small saucepan, making sure there are no pits in it. Add the sugar, corn syrup, Grand Marnier and water in a medium (4 quart) saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the dried apricots and cover the pan. Poach the apricots for 5 minutes, plumping them. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove the apricots from the pan and spread them out on a plate to cool.
3. Reduce the tangerine juice over medium-high heat until it has reduced to about 1/4 cup and reserve for the custard recipe below.

Custard
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 vanilla bean, cut lengthwise and scrape out seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bring some water to a boil in a teakettle or saucepan for the water bath.
2. Combine the heavy cream, milk, scraped vanilla bean seeds and tangerine reduction (from above) in a medium-sized sauce pan and bring to a simmer.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs and egg yolk.
4. When the cream simmers, whisk it slowly into the egg mixture. Divide the custard between the four prepared ramekins and place them in a baking pan with tall sides. Fill the pan with the boiling water, reaching halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the custard firms up. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Candied Tangerine Peel
Tangerine Peel reserved from the plumped apricot recipe above
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. Using a sharp knife, remove as much of the white pith as possible from the tangerine skin. The white pith is very bitter, so removal is imperative.
2. Slice the skin into very thin strips and place in a small saucepan with 1 cup of cold water. Bring to a boil, drain off the liquid, and continue again with another cup of cold water. Continue this blanching three times.
3. Drain off the last of the water and place ¼ cup of the sugar in the saucepan with the tangerine peel along with ¼ cup of cold water. Place the pan over medium-high heat and reduce, stirring, until all of the liquid is gone.
4. Turn the peel out onto a piece of parchment paper and toss with the remaining ¼ cup of granulated sugar. Let dry for about 1 hour and place in a covered container until service. Store at room temperature.

Copyright © 2008 Hartstone Inn

Cocktail Mixology - Key Lime Martini

Key Lime Martini
Graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 limes
3/4 cup keke beach liqueur
3/8 cup vanilla vodka
1 cup crushed ice
2 slices of lime for garnish

Make a thin layer of graham cracker crumbs on a small plate. Juice the limes and reserve. Take one of the squeezed lime halves and coat the rim of two martini glasses with lime juice. Invert the glass and dip the rim in the graham cracker crumbs to coat the rim. Place the glasses in the freezer to frost them. Mix the reserved lime juice, keke beach liqueur and vanilla vodka together in a cocktail shaker. Add the crushed ice, secure the top of the shaker and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain the drink into 2 chilled martini glasses, garnish with a slice of lime and serve immediately.

Join us at the Hartstone Inn for cocktails between 5 and 7 p.m. on your next visit and take advantage of our "Happy Hour Specials". Signature cocktails are only $5 and include such favorites as: Key Lime Martinis, Peach Martinis and Raspberry Mojitos.

Port City Life Magazine Article

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.

Click here to read the article and get the recipe.

Ricotta Pudding Recipe

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.