Restaurant Week Winter 2011/Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off

The 2nd Annual Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off got under way at 7:00Am at the SeaDog Brewing Pub in South Portland.
The Good Table Restaurant took top honors for the 2nd year in a row with "Creme Brulee French Toast"
Coming in second and third were The Farmer's Table "Sweet Potato Corned Beef hash" top with quail eggs and Hollandaise sauce and Sea Dog's own "French Toast"

Among the tasty bites at Congdon's Doughnuts Family Restaurant was a "Cheeseburger Donut".

I survived, but tomorrow is the real test. The East Ender for lunch and District for dinner.

Rest (aurant) Week Winter 2011

I'm sure the Kick Off event was great! I was planning on being there and every where as always during this winter's happenings, but shortly after talking to Jim Britt three weeks ago I tweaked my groin. It didn't seem too serious at the time, but little did I knowit would only be the beginning!!! In semi- ignoring it and limping around like Chester hurrying after Marshall Dillion on Gunsmoke,  seems I over compensated a bit and completely screwed up my natural gate, causing my right leg to become painful from the calf to the hip. Now having to sit for several days at home building excess energy, I thought why not clean the dust off my weight bench in the cellar. I could burn some energy, use some of my down time, completely blow out my back!  No, that last thought was not part of the plan, nor was spending large parts of the last ten days lying face down on my bed, with a heating pad for company, smelling like the inside of a tube of ICYHOT or trying to balance my upper body on my elbows in order to sit upright. This last caused its own minor but painful problem. Plus you'd be surprised how fast you can go thru a bottle of ibuprofen and also at exactly six hours and one minute the damn stuff stops working. But yesterday was better, I managed to get out and take a picture (just barely) for the 1st day of classes at the new Ocean Ave School. Today was better still and I hope that I'm set for the Incredible Breakfast Cookoff, Friday morning.
I probably won't be going to Camden this weekend to shoot 3 or 4 kitchens as planned, but if Friday's IBC goes well & I don't do anything stupid... not a sure thing, I can probably do every other night and maybe a lunch thrown in.
In the mean time here's a link to last winters Back Bay Grill entry from Restaurant Week

Home, Remodeling, Gardens & More... Celebrity Chefs

This weekend the Maine Home, Remodeling & Garden Show moved into the Portland Civic Center for a two day run.
Along with the usual window, kitchen, siding, heating and other home products the garden spring garden aspect has been folded into this show in the past few years and because I almost never go to these shows because I 1) have no interest in remodeling 2) it cost money I don't have or 3) would rather spend somewhere else... warm at this time of year 4) any  expressed interest no matter how small has the potential to spin wildly out of control once my wife becomes involved.
So I had no idea they had also added a "Celebrity Chefs" demonstration kitchen area to the mix.

Head out the Zamboni doors and around to the left and there it is, the Viking Kitchen Studio.

When I arrived Chef Peggy Evans, ABC Foods, was busy whipping up some Tunisian Chicken

David Neufeld who builds True Brick Ovens, which if you saw my post of Cinque Terre's  Harvest Dinner  you've seen pictures of both and small indoor and a larger stand alone outdoor model, was in this same section.

Heading out onto the main floor, I was looking at all the potential hours free time or money that each of these booths represented if I ignored them, which I fully intend to do.

Next I headed up to the concourse which had a much different mix including smaller craft businesses .

I stopped by this fairly new lampshade cover display business called "clever covers" to look at what I thought a fairly simple and ingenious design that makes your old lamp new again.

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When we bought our hose ten years ago, the one item that needed the most attention was the chimney.
Switching from wood and oil to gas creates a colder stack and allows moisture to condense inside the upper reaches of the chimney and eat away at the grout. This causes the potential for chimney fires especially if you still burn a little wood in the fireplace.  There are several ways this can be addressed.  Tile or metal inserts or this newer quick drying cement pour. The rubber bladder is lowered into the chimney filled with air & positioned so that it sits in the middle while the cement is poured in around it and let to dry for a few hours. The slush flows into any gaps between the brick, sealing the chimney from the inside out. The bladder is then deflated and removed and a little clean up is done and the furnace can be restarted all in one day.
Supaflu, Chimney Systems

Back in the kitchen, Chef Troy Mains, was cooking up Pan seared Scallops with Parsnip Puree and Lemon Sauce.
You can find him at his day job at the #10 Water Restaurant at the Captain Daniel Stone Inn, in Brunswick.

This product intrigued me in a devilish way. If your going to get into a fight with a garden hose, you really want this Hose from Hell!

And if I had just a tiny bit more space and a lot more sun these green houses  have always called out to me. 

What would these shows do without windows and you'll find quite few to choose from scattered around both the main floor and the concourse level.

Before  leaving I checked in at the Viking Stage to watch Chef/Owner Guy Hernandez, Bar Lola , Portland,  whip up some maine Scrimp cerviche and pickled cabbage. lending Guy a hand and acting as host for the two days was Cabot Creamery's Lifestyle Commentator, Candice Karu.

I'll be back tomorrow for more from the kitchen.  I'll add some links to both posts by Monday.

Stopped by yourself, the show is open from 10 til four with 180 booths and the Viking Cooking studio, you get to taste all the goodies. 

Chef Mary Ann Esposito, host of the long running nationally televised PBS show Ciao Italia with who else, will be on stage at 12:15 and will sign books immediately afterwards.

 Five more chefs will sprinkle the stage as well. 

Bedtime!

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I'm Back

Just in time for Chef Mary Ann Esposito to put together a Lentil, Ditalinie & Sausage soup.

More from the floor, and no this isn't a quiz show

Nanne Kennedy was sitting quietly by the front door with her luscious hand spun yarns.
She is part of a new venture at 50 Front Street, "Markings Gallery" , in Bath.

By Sunday afternoon "Pickles N Things" shelves were looking a little bare.

Bisto Blends, gourmet Oils & Vinegars was giving out samples by the cooking stage.

My Pillow "For The Rest Of Your Life" Bille itself as,  the only pillow of its kind in the world.
Find out why here.

A signed cook book is a lot easier to take home in your car then a hot tub.

This show is one of three promoted by D&M partners Cindi O'Conner and Karla Ficker. 

for more info and dates for the upcoming Seacoast Home & Garden Show and the Northern New England Home Garden & Flower Show, go HERE