Julie's Blog

We've been coming to Maine since I was a kid for our summer holidays. There is no better season to experience the coast of Maine than late summer and early fall. There are plenty of fresh vegetables, blueberries, and of course lobster. Specifically we come to Moose Island (Eastport). It's as far north and east as you can go in the US. We can see Campobello and Deer Island, Canada from our deck. We've come here for nearly forty years.

The word "lobster" is a paradox. The name evokes decadence and privilege, yet classic boiled or steamed lobster is as down home as you can get. It is one of the most delicious creatures from the sea. The taste is of the ocean, delicate, sweet and rich. And the texture lush on your palate. No matter where or how you eat it, it's decadent.

I'm sure you've heard about the price of lobster this year. It's $4 a pound for soft shell lobsters and about $6 a pound for hard shells. And if you are near the Canadian border you can find them cheaper there. Eating the lobster here reminded me of a quote from Julia Child "freshness is essential-- it makes all the difference". I've spent the last week in Eastport enjoying lobster nearly every day taking advantage of the uber-fresh lobster and low prices.

Lobster that's why we're here! I want the females because they offer the wonderfully delicious roe and are sweeter. To identify a female lobster look at the underside (belly) where the tail meets the body and you'll see that the first two little legs are feathery. On a male they look like little pinchers. You'll need one per person (1 ¼ - 1 ½ pounds). The larger ones are delicious too-- the sweetest meat is in the body and it is easier to retrieve. The large ones aren't tougher unless you overcook them. Your lobster should be active and a little feisty, these are the freshest lobsters.

Keep in mind it will probably take longer for the water to come to a boil than for the lobster to cook, so have the rest of your menu ready. Last, but not least have melted butter or a drawn butter sauce. For me this is the best way to enjoy a lobster. If you by chance have left over lobster, then make lobster rolls, lobster risotto, or lobster pasta dish. It's always special when you serve lobster so let's get crack'n (lobster that is) for the Labor Day holiday.

Perfectly cooked lobster
Here's what you need to know to cook a perfect lobster.
1. A feisty lobster with character (hard shell, female) from the pound.
2. A pot large enough to fit the lobsters(s).
3. Salt the water so it tastes like the ocean, that's about a tablespoon or so per quart-trust me on this.
4. I remove the rubber bands from the claws because they leave a bitter rubber taste on the claw meat. Remove the rubber bands carefully just before placing them in the boiling water. It's a little tricky. You have to hold the lobster by the body and then have someone come from behind with the scissors and quickly cut the rubber bands off. If you'd rather play it safe then put the lobster in the boiling water for about 2 minutes then using tongs remove the lobster from the pot and cut off the rubber bands, then finish cooking them.
5. Most important of all don't overcook your lobster. There's really no way to test a lobster for doneness without cracking it open. The guide below will help cook it perfectly.
Lobster Weight: Cooking Time
1-1/4 lbs. 6-7 minutes
1-1/2 lb. 7-9 minutes
2 lbs. 10-11 minutes
2-1/2-3 lb. 11-12 minutes

Don't add time to the cooking because of the additional lobsters and start the cooking time from when the water returns to a boil.
The lobster is done when the outer shell is bright red, the meat is white, and the roe is salmon red. If you've opened a lobster and it isn't quite done then gently cook it on low heat in the melted butter or drawn butter sauce. If you were distracted for some reason and fear you overcooked it, then plunge it into an ice water bath to stop the cooking.
6. Lobster loves butter. Use the best unsalted European style. You've already splurged on the lobster, so why stop there? Season it with sea salt and perhaps a few drops of lemon juice or make drawn butter sauce.

Lobster Dinner Menu

Steamers and Butter
Boiled Lobster
Melted butter
Drawn Butter Sauce
Corn on the Cob
Cole Slaw
Blueberry Galette
Chardonnay
(like Bourassa Vineyards or Groth)

Everywhere I look in Napa it is beautiful and green with punches of color everywhere. California poppies are blooming and the fruit trees are in blossom. Walking through the Napa Valley vineyards in the spring is invigorating and the visual contrast of the dark gnarly vines against bright emerald grass and yellow mustard flowers. Some mornings are still quite cold and I awake to the sounds of the fans blowing in the vineyards to keep the frost at bay. The fans sound like a 747 is landing in my garden. Hopefully it will warm up soon and the fans can sleep for the summer.

It's been a while since I've had time to drop you a note, I wasn't hibernating. This winter I was busy scouting out future trips to Europe. The first one is to La Combe in France from July 9-16. This will be an unforgettable week exploring the markets, hunting for truffles, and meeting the people who make some of the best food in France. http://cookingwithjulie.com/special-events. If you want to learn more about the trip come by my home Monday May 14 from 6-7:30 and learn more about this dream trip. And enjoy a glass of Champagne and hors d'oeuvres. To RSVP reply to this email.

I love fresh California asparagus now it is everywhere at the markets. Choose asparagus with firm shiny stalks, with no blemishes and closed tips. If it is loose select all the same size. For sauces select medium asparagus. The jumbo is great on the grill and the skinny ones are perfect for a stir fry.

Asparagus will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator. The fresher the asparagus the better the flavor. To prepare the asparagus cut the ends off and any white stems. Next I like to soak them in cold water for 15 minutes or so. Afterwards I place them in a glass with about an inch or so of water. If you need to keep them for a day or two; place them in the refrigerator in the glass loosely covered with a plastic bag or wrap the end of the stems with a damp paper towel and place in a plastic bag. Make sure the tips are dry before storing to keep them from deteriorating.

Here's one of my favorite asparagus recipes-asparagus pesto. It takes less than thirty minutes to make. Try either a sauvignon blanc or a crisp chardonnay to pair with this dish. For a quick simple salad shave asparagus with a vegetable peeler and then toss with your favorite olive oil, sea salt and a few drops of lemon. Shave some pecorino Toscano and sprinkle with a few toasted almonds.

Summertime Dessert in Baltimore is Peach Cake Time.

Years ago I developed a Baltimore peach cake recipe for the Baltimore Sun newspaper. I was excited to consult with family and friends for the right texture and correct ratio of peaches to cake for the perfect recipe. Unfortunately, I never saw it in print as I was living near Washington, D.C., and there was nowhere to buy the Sun. I lost the recipe sometime during my many moves—from the U.S. to Asia, to Africa and back.
Amazingly, 30 years later at a party in California with family friends from Baltimore, I was talking with our host’s sister (Zenona Paska).

Zenona described her favorite foods from Baltimore, and I lamented that I was yearning for a Baltimore peach cake. Zenona claimed she had the best recipe—then stopped mid-sentence, looked at me and said, “Are you Tom Logue’s daughter?" "Yes that’s me," I replied. “I just put it together,” she said. “I’ve been making your recipe for Baltimore peach cake since it was printed in the Baltimore Sun newspaper."

You can only imagine how surprised I was. She told me she had given it to her friends and they declared it the best Baltimore peach cake ever! Who was I to argue? When she returned home she mailed it to me, and happily reunited, I’ve been making it ever since!

It takes a little time, since the cake is yeast-based, but for a light and moist texture it is worth the time. The dough is quite sticky so I prefer to make it in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer; however, if you don’t have a stand mixer and must make it by hand, use a dough scraper or a metal spatula to knead it. While the cake is rising you can prepare the peaches and the brown sugar topping. I don’t like it too sweet so I use the minimum of peach preserves on the top; feel free to top it off with more if you prefer your cake sweeter. The only thing I would add is whipped cream with a touch of crème fraîche and a little sugar.

With Father's day is a few days away I look back fondly at the lessons I learned from my father in the kitchen. He always started in the garden and worked his way back to the kitchen to pull together the fixings for dinner. As the oldest it was I who usually had to figure out what to do with the sometimes bizarre array food. I learned early to be creative in the kitchen and the results were generally pretty good.

I especially loved it when he started to cook you knew you were in for a treat. Homemade root beer and ice-cream for floats or fried green tomatoes, ham and dippy bread. In the summer in Maine it was long neck clams freshly dug from the sandy beach that we'd dip in a big bowl of melted butter. Now when he has time to cook he concocts his own multi-grain breads when slathered with fresh sweet butter is a comforting treat.

Thinking back I'm sure he was one of the first foodies. We'd drive way out of our way for the best ice-cream, potato chips, corned beef you name it. And when we were in the markets and he found something new he'd begin to wonder out loud "now what would you do with that". A few weeks ago in the market I found black garlic at the market. It is has the texture and color of soft black licorice. The flavor is rich, and complex with earthy mushroom and molasses note on the finish. It has none of the acridness of fresh garlic.

Now what to do with it. Back home I minced it and added it to everything I was cooking and that was good but the flavor was easily lost in the dishes I tried. Preparing a luncheon for the Napa wine auction I wanted an Aioli, and discovered it is the best way to flaunt the black garlic. It is great with grilled eggplant and beef, it doesn't need to be cooked either. It's not easy to find but worth seeking out and you can buy it on line for half the price I found it in Napa.