Portland Buffalo Wing Off

Mmm... chicken wings. *Homer-like noises*


My thoughts on wings: they must be crispy, saucy, hot and come with a good, creamy dressing (Ranch or Bleu cheese dressing are both fine with me). And that's it really! Why is it so hard to find a good wing in town, then?

A recent Sunday Funday had M. declaring a 'wing off.' First, we hit up Sebago Brewing Company in the Old Port, the home of the previously held best plate of wings in town.

Pluses: usually crispy, plenty spicy, will bring you ranch, bleu cheese or both, and... the best part: wings are served whole. *Insert flapping arm-as-a-chicken-wing demo here* (think about it...) So for $7.99, a half dozen is really a dozen!


These are my go-to wings. Winner! Right? Right?? Not so fast.

So, after consuming two big beers here, it seemed like a good idea to head up the hill to the Stadium. Here they serve Binga's Wingas, which come in a myriad of flavors. (Usually a bad sign. Don't try to get fancy- just make good Buffalo wings.)

And... even worse, they come either breaded or smoked. I say, no thank you to both. But, forcing my hand, I'll go with breaded. Just hoping it's not too breaded.

We ordered two half orders: Buffalo and Redneck (maple and Buffalo). At $6.49 for a half order, and a half order being 6 of the wing pieces, not the whole wing, these are decidedly more expensive.


But, here comes the upset... Redneck wings, FTW! I loved them. Buffalo is pictured above, and they were OK. But the sweet and hot combo of the Redneck Buffalo blew me away. Good thing they were placed in front of me, so there were no fights.


Even though the Stadium only serves "blanch" (wha?) aka bleu cheese and ranch, I really loved how crispy these wings were. You know the deliciousness that results from a crispy fried coating softened by some sticky, hot sauce. I can't stop thinking about them.

I rather regretted the wing off in the middle of the night, but let's just know that the next time I'm ready for wings (I'll need a few weeks to recover), that I'm heading for these Redneck wings at the Stadium!

Also, I have railed against the breaded wings at the Stadium before. But I am prone to changing my mind- hence my blog, where I can chronicle my flip-floppery.

Fermenting Away

I did something and didn't tell you about it. *gasp* I know- in a world of TMI, you're thinking, thank God. Someone keep their mouth shut about something.

But sometimes I need a meal off. Like, I just want to go to a bar and eat a burger without taking pictures. Or notes. Or thinking about it. (Too bad, shouldn't have participated in the Burger-o-rama!)

Then there's those times where I start something, don't document it, but then want to share it with you. Fortunately for me, the sauerkraut I started is still around, bubbling on the kitchen counter.


It all started when M. and I's friend Matt visited from Haiti. (He's been working there building schools for a year. He has to leave periodically to renew his visa and let his various ailments heal. And he comes to visit us and we have weekends full of debauchery and eat all of his favorite foods.)

Matt loves all things fermented (drinking, eating, and making). Before I took the Master Food Preserver course, I ate some fermented pickled beets that Matt had made. They were smoking. Not like, smokin' but like, literally smoking. I don't know that I would have tried them knowing what I know now! (He still insists they were perfectly safe.)


Most recently when Matt visited, we went and toured the Maine Mead Works facility, watched some mead violently fermenting, and inspired by all the talk of DIY fermentation, I started some sauerkraut.


I had two small to medium sized heads of green cabbage in my crisper from my winter CSA share. I shredded them using my awesome new mandolin slicer and made a brine of 1.5 tablespoons of salt to 1 quart of water.

Usually, you salt the cabbage as you slice it, but I thought that since the cabbage was (shamefully) old, that it probably did not have a lot of moisture to draw out of it. So I just skipped that part and created my own brine.

I packed the kraut into washed quart jars and weighted down the cabbage below the brine with plastic bags full of brine. I used brine instead of water, so that if the bag were to puncture and leak, it wouldn't dilute the salinity of the kraut brine.


And that's it! I left it to ferment on my kitchen counter- that way I can check on it every day. And after two weeks, it's definitely kraut-y, but the cabbage is still very crunchy. So I'm going to let it sit for a little longer before transferring it to the fridge. 

Also inspired by Matt's visit, was my purchase of the book, Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz. It's an awesome book that details how fermentation works, and then the process for making your own fermented veggies, yogurt, Kombucha, beer, wine, and on and on. Stuff I've never even heard of.


And someone asked how my fermented pickles went from last summer. I didn't tell you that the end result was gross. They ended up in my friend's compost. I have no idea what went wrong, but I read in Wild Fermentation that any number of things could have happened. But after a few weeks, they tasted terrible. Like awful sea water. Sad. I'll try again when the cukes are back!

And I'll be sure to take lots of pictures for you. :)

BBF Travels: Box Hill Pizzaria

When I was younger, I was fascinated that companies could call their product 'the best' without any verification. I remember, in particular, being struck by a beer label that claimed their beer was better than any other. I asked my dad, who says? and he responded, no one, they just say that. *Insert mind boggling*

Well, here you have it, ladies and gents- according to Box Hill Pizzaria, the best crab cake anywhere.

That's right, anywhere.


Pretty amazing, huh? Yes, of course, I mean the crab cake, but the superlative too.

My only regret was how full it made me- I attempted to take the other half to go, but since it was 70 that day, and it sat in the car for 3 hours, I decided to toss it.

Or more like others decided for me. 'Cuz I might have eaten it, it was that good.



P.S.- Best. blog. ever.

BBF Finds: Salted Herbs

Look what I found!! Spotted in the refrigerator section of pickles and bacon in the Portland Hannaford. It's Mailhot's Salted Herbs. Now, you know I heart their sausage, so I was excited to see a new-to-me French Canadian product. The ingredients are simple: salt, parsley, leeks, and scallions.

Now what to do with it...

Google taught me that herbs were preserved in salt before refrigeration was widespread. My co-worker with French Canadian relatives tells me it's used in pork pie. And of course, I infer that you can put it on anything relevant- meats, eggs, in soups, stews, etc.

But does anyone know of any other traditional uses? Educate me!

Update: After polling all the French Mainers I know, I believe there is no one specific use for herbes salle. Rather, it's just used in French-Canadian cooking, from omelettes, to soups and stews. Basically, if you'd add herbs or salt to it, you can use salted herbs.

This jar does need to be refrigerated and probably can last as long as it'd take you to use it. I'd keep it 6 to 8 months to be safe and of course, discard it if you notice any mold. It can easily be made- see this Food in Jars post for tips on making flavored salts or sugars.

I Love Maine Mead Works

I'm just gonna title the post that way, so you have no doubts as to what I think of our local meadery.

And maybe you've heard of and love Maine Mead Works too, since their popularity is on the rise. Maybe you've sampled their product at a Greendrinks or eyed up a bottle at the Portland Public Market's Maine Beer & Beverage Co. But have you ever toured their production facility or sipped their mead while chatting with the staff? If not, get thee to Washington Avenue.


Located at 51 Washington Ave. in Portland, Maine Mead Works' new facility houses all aspects of their production, from brewing to aging, bottling and shipping. There's also a retail store and a tasting room (my favorite part).


For those of you who think you don't like mead but are willing to have your minds changed, head on down to the meadery on a Saturday between 12 and 5pm. There, you can sample the line of Maine Mead Works' mead, from the Semi-sweet to the Dry Hopped, from the Lavender to the Special Reserve (if you're lucky). Their honey wine is a lot lighter, thinner, and more delicate than the thick, syrupy, dessert mead that you may have had.


My favorite variety is the Dry Hopped Mead, where they add Cascade hops (the ones used in Sierra Nevada Pale Ale) to the sweet mead, giving it a distinct herby flavor.

Their mead is great on its own, but would pair well with lighter dishes and seafood. It makes great gifts, as it is uniquely Maine, made with all local honey, fruit and herbs. And the staff are about the friendliest people you could hope to meet, happy to answer any of your questions about the fermenting process and their patent pending custom equipment.


Maine Mead Works is a great place to spend a while, as their new space is very posh and inviting, whether you are entertaining out-of-town guests or just want another reason to be proud of the great vendors we have here in Portland.

Maple Bacon Biscuit Bake

This breakfast bake is great for two reasons. First, the obvious one: maple bacon. Say no more. Second, the buttermilk Bakewell Cream biscuits. Light, fluffy, yet flaky, and crispy on top.


Now does this say "Maine breakfast" or what? Maine maple syrup and Bakewell Cream. For those of you not in Maine or New England, Bakewell Cream is a leavening agent made in Bangor, Maine and the defining ingredient in these traditional biscuits.


So to make this delightful brunch treat, you spread a mixture of cooked, chopped bacon, maple syrup, melted butter, brown sugar, and a little flour in the bottom of a baking dish. Then you drop large tablespoons of biscuit dough on top of the bacon syrup mixture and bake it all up.

 When the biscuits are browned, you invert the pan onto a serving plate and all the melty, sugary goodness drools out on top of the biscuits.


Or at least that's how it's supposed to go. The biscuits turned out great, but for whatever reason, the bacon syrup mixture wasn't very liquidy. It kind of burned into the bottom of the pan and stayed there when I turned the biscuits out. Eek! But no complaints from the group of men I fed these to.


I've actually had this same problem with the Monkey Bread I made from King Arthur Flour too. I was expecting more of a syrup than a hardened sugar topping. Hmmm... anyone have any ideas what's going on?


Regardless, this recipe is awesome- for the biscuits alone! But top anything with a bacon syrup mixture, and I'm sold. If you're in New England, pick up some Bakewell Cream and give these biscuits a whirl, so you understand the magic.

Edamame Hummus

I have been whipping up a whole lotta weird stuff lately. I've been scouring the pantry in an effort to use up things I have, rather than buy new stuffs. Turns out? Stuff in the pantry you haven't used is there because... you don't use it. Wow. So I've been stepping outside my culinary comfort zone with some of these things.

But that's what potlucks are for! Fortunately, you don't have to attach your name to the dish you bring. You can just add it to the table and then feign confusion when someone asks about the dish.

This edamame hummus was at a potluck too small to hide behind however. But I have nice friends, so no one complained.


I used this recipe from The Delicious Life, which is written by a very entertaining woman. But I felt like this recipe needed some more oil or liquid- something to make it creamy rather than chunky. But it tasted pretty good, so if you have a bag of frozen edamame in your freezer, give this recipe a try.


Edamame Hummus
from The Delicious Life

16 oz. bag of frozen edamame
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. water or chicken stock
2 tbsp. sesame oil
salt and pepper

Cook edamame according to package, then drain. Place in an ice bath to cool. When cooled, drain edamame and remove all their little skins. This can be done while watching Oprah, and by squeezing the bean at one end- it will pop out of its skin.

Add lemon juice, garlic, and edamame to food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add water or stock and sesame oil. Process until well blended. Season with salt and pepper.

Mardi Gras King Cupcakes

Last year, while rooting the New Orleans Saints to victory during the Super Bowl, I thought I'd try the themed-food thing (which snooty Andrew Knowlton disparages. Still love you though, Andrew!). And so I made a king cake and gumbo. This year, I toyed with the idea of themed-food, but then just decided to go with regular fare (there was cheese in everything though, so I guess that counts for a Wisconsin theme).

But, somehow, I decided to make another king cake, which evolved into king CUPcakes. Don't ask me, it made sense at the time.


Do you know how long and hard I had to look for plastic babies last year?

Anyway, my king cake last year was lackluster (thanks a lot, John Besh), so I turned to King Arthur Flour's blog for some recipe inspiration.

As a side note, I have totally fallen in love with the King Arthur Flour baking blog. I know I'm a little late to the party, but their recipes are totally hitting it out of the ballpark every time.

So these are king cupcakes because they are flavored with nutmeg, vanilla, and lemon, apparently traditional king cake flavors (how did I miss that last year?). They're also frosted with a cream cheese frosting, mimicking the cream cheese filling you frequently find inside a king cake.

And then, there's the green, gold, and purple decorative sugars for the traditional colors of the Mardi Gras celebration. A plastic baby was baked into one of the cupcakes, for which the lucky winner gets a year of good luck and to bring the king cake to next year's party.

Anyway, I was really excited these cupcakes turned out well, since they were my first from-scratch batch. It was surprisingly easy to make cupcakes from scratch- as easy as from a box!- and they tasted just as good, if not better (oh, how I love cake from a box, though).

And of course, since we had the green and gold out, M. made some Packers themed cupcakes (also my high school colors, yeah, North Harford!).

I didn't do a step-by-step for this recipe, since they do such a great one on the KAF blog. So come Mardi Gras (March 8th), head over there, break out your beads, bones, and boobs, and celebrate Fat Tuesday with some great cupcakes.

As another side note, I've never been to New Orleans or Mardi Gras, I just need reasons to get excited about things in late February and early March. If anyone wants to take me to NOLA, I'm available. Anytime.

Valentine's Day Date Ideas

Valentine's Day is one week away! This fact will probably elicit one of two reactions from you: 'meh' or 'oh shoot, I need to decide where to take my date!' Well, if you already have a steady and want to go out to eat, there's plenty of nice prix fixe offerings at restaurants around town (see Portland Food Map's event calendar for a list). And any of the romantic restaurants would be lovely to dine at while gazing into each others' eyes (Bar Lola, Bresca, 555).

But for this month's blogger project (see last month's Burger Reviews), we decided to make Valentine's Day dinner recommendation for a first date. And that one little word, "first," changed everything. I would NOT recommend taking your first date to an expensive, romantic restaurant! First dates should be more casual. Plus, on a first date, you'll be nervous. And when I'm nervous, I tend to drink really fast. So, don't risk becoming "that guy" by being all drunk and loud in a tiny restaurant!

Anyway, because of that one little word, I'm recommending that you go to Local 188. It is one of the more solid restaurants in Portland, for both good food and service. They have inexpensive bottles of wine (or expensive ones, if that's how you roll), fantastic housemade cocktails, and a good tap list.

And of course, the food is great, too. Their menu lends itself to sharing intimate bites (did our hands just brush over the plate of olives?) or getting a giant steak all to yourself if the date isn't going very well.

Make a reservation for a formal date or sit in the lounge or at the bar for a more casual one. However your date ends, you'll be sure to have great food and drink at Local 188.

No-Knead Bread

I have had this no-knead bread recipe bookmarked for the longest time, but just got around to trying it. (Ironic, since after receiving a stand mixer, I'm so excited to be able to skip the hand-kneading part of recipes.) Maybe something about the awkward timing of the recipe kept me from jumping into it.

If, like me, you've been meaning to make this bread, but haven't gotten around to it, let me give you a push: this bread is worth the (18 hour) wait.


In case you have no idea what I'm talking about, see this Minimalist post, where Bittman extols the virtues of Jim Lahey's no-knead bread technique. Instead of relying on kneading to form gluten, this very wet dough is allowed to ferment for up to 18 hours, which creates gluten. The baking technique mimics a high-humidity, hot oven, usually out of the reach of home cooks. And the results are truly bakery quality: soft, chewey interior, with a crispy, crackly crust.


I recommend this project for a weekend- otherwise you'll end up having to get up early and bake it off before you have to go to work, like I did. But no matter when you make it, you'll eat it very quickly and start thinking about when you have the time to make more.

Also, note that the dough needs to rise at warm room temperature- 70 degrees F. Many homes in Maine are not 70 degrees this time of year! I put my dough next to the heater and let it bubble away for 18 hours.

Any Dutch oven or cast iron pot with a lid will work; I used a great cast iron Dutch oven, rescued from the garage at my office.


Cool, right? I'm kind of in awe that a loaf so awesome came from my kitchen with such little effort.

IHOP Country Fried Steak

How have I never had the wonder that is Country Fried Steak before? Steak... fried... with gravy. Genius. And you know where I had a good one? IHOP, of all places! Cruising around the mall area Sunday morning, I pointed out the two closest brunch spots: IHOP and Friendly's. Groan. But we went with IHOP, because ya know, breakfast is what they do. They should be good at it.


And I was surprised to find that my breakfast was awesome! Perfectly cooked eggs, crunchy, crispy hash browns, and the mammoth Country Fried Steak. Peppery, crispy coating, juicy steak, and loads of not-too-salty sausage gravy. Heaven!

And did you know that IHOP's menu now contains calorie counts? This new practice almost renders it impossible to order anything except the fruit-filled crepe. I took the opposite tack and went with the Country Fried Steak, which had the most calories- a whopping 1650 of em. Wahoo. And it was worth every calorie-laden bite.

I was pretty impressed with the brunch efforts at IHOP. It's an intense eating experience, with all the people watching, children screaming, and the crazy-eyed staff running around bussing tables. But for a 10-minute wait at 10am and $20 bucks, we had our food cooked correctly, our own air pot of coffee, and prompt service. Not too shabby. 

Cinnamon Monkey Bread: Rave Review!

After some recent mixed (haha, get it??) baking results (Compost Cookies, boo; banana bread, yay!), I was so happy this yeast bread turned out great. It helps that I carefully followed the recipes, Googled things I wasn't sure about, and took all the necessary steps to make sure my yeast bread rose properly. But in the end, this recipe for Monkey Bread was pretty easy too. Great results, crowd-pleaser, and easy? I'm in.


Monkey bread is a treat that is often made with store bought biscuit dough, but a little extra effort (just a little if you have a stand mixer, I swear!), makes this a whole lot better for you- I don't *know* that, I just assume homemade dough is better for you than a can of Pillsbury biscuit dough- while being just as tasty.

I followed the ever-so-helpful illustrated recipe on King Arthur Flour's website, substituting a stick of melted butter for the water when it comes to the dipping and rolling in cinnamon and sugar step. A trade off on calories, but well worth it.

And next time, I will cut the dough into smaller pieces. You can see the pieces here are pretty big, while smaller dough balls would make more servings (yessss) and create a higher dough to topping ratio.

And because you all liked it so much last time...


But it did feel a bit like a rip-off of Hyperbole and a Half, so be sure to go check out her blog 'cuz it's awesome.

Burgers Around Portland: Becky's Diner

With the end of the Thai-o-rama project, in which a band of bloggers reviewed all the Thai restaurants in Portland, we decided we couldn't get enough of these themed collaborative reviews. So this year, we're mixing it up a bit, but you'll still get several bloggers' opinions about a monthly topic. And to kick the new project and new year off right: burgers. Specifically diner and sandwich shop burgers.


I decided to try Becky's Diner's burger. This place is always recommended to tourists in profiles of Portland as the place to rub elbows with lobstermen while you eat an omelet (never mind that if you're there any time after 5am, you won't see a lobsterman, as they will have gone to work, and there will be an hour-long wait). But no one ever talks about Becky's lunches and dinners. And as a diner, lunch, and diner should also be a forte.


I ordered a bison burger to mix it up a little bit. I also added cheese and subbed cole slaw for my chips. I was slightly alarmed to see my total burger come to $9.25 instead of the listed $6.50 (an extra $2.75 for cheese and slaw, really!?). But anyway, this burger was pretty good- a nice soft bun, which came fully dressed with lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo. The burger actually reminded me a little bit of Five Guys!

My only complaint was that it was overcooked. These burgers are pretty thin (1/3 lb.), so it wasn't the end of the world that it was well done. But bison is pretty susceptible to overcooking, so a lighter hand should have been used on the griddle (since I ordered it medium rare and it came medium-well).


M. ordered the chicken salad club, which was awesome. Nice wheat bread, great crunch to the chicken salad, with great smoky flavor from the bacon. After a pretty lousy dining experience at Ruski's last night (rude, slow service and bad food—ouch), we were happy to have some good diner fare.


While I have ranted against the hype surrounding Becky's brunch, I was impressed by their lunch effort. This place didn't make my go-to burger spot, but with the good prices and the great club sandwich, I'd recommend it for a cheap, classic lunch.

Momofuku Compost Cookie Flop

I have been so excited about trying these Compost Cookies from momofuku milk bar ever since the pastry chef, Christina Tosi was on Regis and Kelly and gave out the recipe. But I never made them because the butter and sugar creaming process takes 10 minutes in a stand mixer. I don't even want to think about doing that by hand (well, I mean with a hand mixer). But since the 'rents gave me a KitchenAid mixer for Christmas (thanks again!), I tackled this recipe right away.


...and was horribly disappointed. I expected some transcendent cookie experience. I mean, I added kettle chips, pretzel sticks, Rolos, chocolate chips, and Oreo's for Chrissake! These are like $30 cookies here! But they turned out to be salty chocolate chip cookies that were hard to bake without overcooking. What gives!? Sadly, there was no discernable benefit to adding the potato chips.

There is so. much. discussion about this recipe in the comments of blogs that have made it. But I dutifully read through it all and decided to follow Amateur Gourmet's recipe. Which I gather is the same as the one on Regis and Kelly's website. It was rumored that the cookies could be too salty, so I halved the salt (one tsp. instead of two). But other than that, I followed the AG's recipe, since he has no mention of finicky cookies. He just mixes the dough, freezes it, and bakes up perfeclty crispy, crackly, puffy cookies. If only I were so lucky.

Someone at the end of the comments suggests that you just make the recipe from the back of the Tollhouse bag and add chips, Oreos, etc. At first, I thought, what the hell is the point in that? Now I kind of agree. At least you would get a good cookie. These cookies aren't anything special, in fact, they are diva cookies, since they were a pain in my ass and demanded their own dressing room.

(Just seeing that you were paying attention.)


So I dunno what to tell you. Don't make this recipe? I'm sure others will disagree, since everyone I fed them to liked them. Oh, I know, buy yourself a bus ticket to New York and just eat Christina Tosi's version. Let her work the magic with the mixer, since it's not happening in my kitchen.

Blood Orange Marmalade

Seeing how it's a major snowstorm here in New England, I can't help but think that canning would be a perfect indoor project for today. That is, assuming you have all the ingredients you need to whip up some jam. And who usually does? I'm telling you, I'm not going out there today!

Fortunately, I made this marmalade yesterday, since I'm not one to have 8 blood oranges and 2 Meyer lemons laying around the produce basket. But maybe you are (sicko).


I was most impressed with this marmalade; I thought I didn't like them, due to their tendancy to be bitter and in the end, a little 'meh.' But this one is so sweet and then tart, and of course, a beautiful color. However, there is only one word that truely describes this recipes, and that word is... tedious. So be forewarned.

Low-sugar Blood Orange Marmalade
From Kraft

8 blood oranges
2 Meyer lemons
2 1/2 cups water
1/8 tsp. baking soda
4 cups sugar
1 box No Sugar Needed Sure.Jell pectin

Prepare your canning supplies:

Fill a hot water bath canner half-full of water and bring to a boil. Wash your 8 oz. jars (I washed 8 and used 7) and place in the canner. Boil the jars for 10 minutes to sterilize. Place the flat part of the lids in a small saucepot. Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Wash and set aside the screwbands.

Prepare the fruit:

Wash fruit and remove colored part of peel with a vegetable peeler. Be sure not to get any of the white part, since this is what is responsible for the bitter taste in marmalade. Chop peel into matchstick sized pieces and place in a large stock pot. Add water and baking soda and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.

While the peel is cooking, remove the white part from the fruit and segment the fruit into a bowl (watch this helpful and short video if you need to). Hold the fruit over the bowl while you work to capture the juice. Add fruit to stockpot and cook for another 10 minutes. Measure 5 1/2 cups of prepared fruit into a 6 to 8 qt. stockpot and bring to a boil (Note: I didn't do this- I just used all the fruit, juice and peel I had. It turned out fine!)

Make the jam:

Measure your sugar into a bowl, and remove 1/4 cup of sugar into another small bowl. Mix well with the package of pectin. When your fruit is boiling, add the sugar-pectin mix, stirring well to combine. Bring to a full rolling boil (one that cannot be stirred down), then add the remaining sugar. Bring the jam to a boil again, and boil for one minute. Remove from heat.

Can the jam:

If you'd like a canning primer, read How to Can (dilly beans).

Ladle the hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims with a damp paper towel, and apply lids and screw bands until fingertip tight. Place jars in the canner, bring the heat to high, and start a timer for 10 minutes when the water is boiling. Remove jars from canner and let cool for 24 hours, undisturbed, to allow seals form.

Yield: 8 (more like 7 and 1/2 for me) 8-oz. jars