THE LOBSTER...........AND THE ROLL

The Lobster ---- A large marine crustacean, revered by diners around the world.....especially in Cape Cod.

For my wife a trip to Cape Cod means dining on lobster at least once per day (and twice a day is preferred). Near our Brewster beach house we found TJ’s Seafood with comfortable out door dining and a multitude of lobster selections for lunch and dinner. The ‘Chowdah’ is pretty good too.....also the fried claims...and the scallop roll.....should I go on?

Next we found the Lobster Claw in Orleans. Five adults and four grandkids were ready for a feast, no doubt about it. The 1¼ lb. lobsters filled the table. My daughter, a lobster maven, provided real-time instruction for the neophytes to the art of feasting on the red crustaceans. The kids were very interested to learn of the different parts of the lobster. Then things got really exciting when the waitress brought a live lobster to the table. Cape Cod does it again.

The climax for our sojourn to Cape Cod was The Road House in Hyannis with my brother-in-law.  Yes, another night of lobster.  But we found an entree with no limits...1½ lb lobster with diver scallop stuffing, layered with fresh asparagus and garlic mushrooms. We enjoyed the feast for half of the night.....incredibly awesome! And did I mention they serve martinis. A culinary feast for the ages.

Don Gibson, Alameda, CA

CAPE COD .......AUGUST 2014

What is Cape Cod?....a cape (peninsula) jutting out in the Atlantic Ocean attached to Massachusetts. From the entrance to the Cape at the Sagamore Bridge, it is 61 miles to the end of the Cape at Provincetown. Along the way there is wealth of history, marine marvels and ample beaches, making it a perfect spot for fun and family.

Some twenty of our family arrived at two of beach houses in Brewster on Cape Cod Bay. With a beach that extends to the horizon, our half-a-dozen plus grandchildren thought they had arrived in heaven. At the beach at around 10 in the morning with loads of sand toys, beach chairs, ice chests, etc., the kids moved quickly to the tasks of the day----the creation of a multitude of sand castles and a giant dig to Australia (not China). The digging went on for hours providing an enjoyable time for the family to share life stories in the warmth of the sun.

And beyond the miles of beaches is the marine life. In Cape Cod Bay at low tide you can literally walk a mile in 1 inch to 2 feet water and explore for crabs, minnows, oysters and other marine life. So the kids now filled up the sand buckets with many different types of crabs. Life is good!

Don Gibson, Alameda, CA

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Photo Bites - Summer Lovin' Crostata

I love this time of year, with all the gorgeous fruits that are available to us, "The Lucky Ones," living in California. As I peruse around Berkeley Bowl, my home away from home, I almost become giddy looking at all the hundreds of fruits there are to create wonderful and creative deserts. So it is this month that I declared Summer Lovin' Crostata Month".

I first went  to Michael Chiarello's website to find his fantastic tart dough. I have been a devotee and follower of his for many years and I remembered that he had an incredible tart dough that also froze perfectly. Here is his tart dough:

Tart Dough:
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (1/2 pound) chilled unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
1/4 cup ice water, or more if needed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 cups of fruit of your favorite combination
1/4 cup granulated sugar (adjust to your taste and the type of fruits used)
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk beaten for egg wash
2 teaspoons coarse sugar (like Sugar in the Raw)
Directions
Make the tart dough: Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Stir together the 1/4 cup ice water and the vanilla; sprinkle the water over the mixture in the processor and pulse just until a dough forms, adding a little extra ice water if necessary. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a 1-inch-thick round. Wrap 1 disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour; freeze the other for a future use.

Put a pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 425ºF for 45 minutes. Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before rolling to soften it slightly.

Place the dough round between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 13-inch round, flouring the round lightly as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Remove the top sheet of parchment. Slide a pizza peel or rimless baking sheet under the bottom sheet of parchment.

Make the filling: Combine the fruit, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and toss well. Fill the center of the dough round with the fruit in an even layer, leaving a border of about 1 1/2 inches. Fold the border up and over the fruit to make a rim. Brush the rim with egg wash, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. Trim the excess parchment with scissors.

Use the pizza peel or baking sheet to transfer the crostata, still with parchment underneath, to the oven, sliding it, with the paper, directly onto the pizza stone. Bake until the crust is nicely browned and the cherries are bubbling, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven with the peel or baking sheet and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

Now just go out and find your faorite berries, cherries, apricots, pistachios, cranberries, peaches ,plums, apples and enjoy heaven in the pure science of  a crostata!!!

Photo Bites from Harbor Bay Cooking Club

I am hoping all of you have had a great summer filled with food, fun, and adventure. I have started this blog as a message board for us to share our recipes from various cooking experiences. To share a recipe, or to tweak a given recipe, simply and briefly write a description and post it on this blog in the comment section below. If you want, you may post a photo of your cuisine creation. Let me know if you wish me to help you with your blog comment or photos.

So please hop on and write-up you comments of your latest cooking adventure. Next week, I will be heading to Cape Cod and look forward to bringing  back the Best of New England Claim Chowder on the "Cape". You can breeze by this blog anytime and see what dishes our members have created.

Also, I will be updating this blog as our cooking events unfold, with photos of our groups and our special dishes. I look forward to hearing from you all year long....

Margot Gibson

Chief HBCC Blogger

My French Gougere (Serves 8)

• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 Cup of water

Place together in  a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

• 1 Cup of flour
• 1.2 teaspoon of salt
• 1.2 teaspoon of sugar
• 4 eggs

Add the flour to the butter until the mixture is waxy... keep mixing with a hand held mixer at all times... until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the stove and drop in eggs one at a time beating well after each one.
Add:

• 1 cup of Gruyere grated
• 1 cup of Gruyere cubed
• 1 teaspoon of Tabasco

Place on a greased sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and shape into a ring... Cook at 375 for 40 minutes.
Voila!!!