Cotuit: My haven while the world goes to hell in a...

With the recent publication of the IPCC climate change report it seems like the right time to show my appreciation for this charming little slice of heaven that I call home. Cotuit is nestled on the south side of Cape Cod in the town of Barnstable. 

Mashpee sits to the west and Osterville village to the east. It's south of Route 28, one of the main arteries that transports locals and visitors from the beginning of the Cape out to the elbow, and much of the town is on the ocean or very close to it. It has a rich history which can be found here and here. 

Cotuit has always attracted an interesting mix of intellectuals, artists, fishermen, boaters and people who cherish the peace and quiet of this off-the-beaten-path location. It's mostly year-round and summer residents during the busy season as there are no major hotels, inns or rental accommodations available for tourists. It's a place where kids ride bikes to their sailing lessons at Ropes Beach and to the only grocery store in town for a snack. We have one local bar/restaurant, The Kettle Ho, a few museums and a lovely library. It really hasn't changed much in the past 30 years.

Sunday I had the privilege of sharing the beauty of this place with a dear friend. Fall is the season that we locals like best and the photos illustrate why. Gorgeous blue skies, warm days and cool nights. We strolled through town to the Cotuit Fresh Market (aka the Coop), then down to the town dock to enjoy our sandwiches while taking in the view. As we watched folks board the launch to get out to their boats, I was awestruck by the charm and beauty of this little town. People are friendly and the pace is gentle which suits me just fine.

 We continued our walk to Loop Beach along Ocean View Avenue.

As we made our way back up to Main Street we got a glimpse of fall color.

As I read through the climate change report, I'll figure out a way to lessen my burden on my village and ultimately the planet. It's the only one we've got, so I hope we can save it. 

Peace out!

Pizza Barbone in Hyannis, MA

After a sunny, crisp autumn day paying homage to the delectable bivalve that stands front and center at the Wellfleet Oyster Festival, we stopped at this little gem of a restaurant on Main Street in Hyannis. Following up an afternoon of slurping briny oysters with pizza actually works, and especially when the pizza is really good.

We ordered a white pizza (Bianca Verde) and the meatball pizza, which normally I would shy away from as I make my own and think homemade is better, but I was pleasantly surprised. Their meatballs are delicious, the sauce is freshly made, the crust is chewy and the pizza's not overly salted; allowing you to savor the taste of each ingredient.

We sat at the bar which gives you a bird's-eye view of the pizza creation process. Our young pizza chef could really spin the dough and get a look at that oven. It's impressive!

The wood fired oven was made in Naples, Italy by Stefano Ferrara and shipped to its home here on Cape Cod. We met the owner, Jason O'Toole, whose commitment to quality and service is evident in everything he does. The dining room and kitchen are sparkling clean, he's committed to using fresh local ingredients and the staff is friendly and knowledgable. The menu also features salads, bruschetta, meat and cheese plates and a few daily specials like leg of lamb and freshly made pasta. They serve beer and wine.

It felt like a little slice of Italy to me, so when you're in Hyannis stop in and try it, I think you'll like it.

Pizza Barbone
390 Main Street
Hyannis, MA  02601
508-957-2377
www.pizzabarbone.com

Gail's Bread

I met Gail Blakely back in the late 80's when I owned a gourmet food shop in Falmouth. She was, and still is, the food writer for the Falmouth Enterprise. Gail has what I would call an insatiable interest in how food is prepared, grown, served and enjoyed. This is a good thing! She interviews local chefs, home cooks, cookbook writers, fishermen and friends in her weekly column sharing their love of food and commitment to their craft. Gail also writes about the latest food trends, and she's an avid cookbook collector and reviewer. While this would be enough to keep most people busy, it's not so for Gail. She also runs the culinary program up at Highfield Hall and teaches the ever popular bread making classes. If you'd like to learn how to make delicious bread this is the place to go. Gail will take you from bread making 101 right through to artisan bread classes where you'll turn out loaves like this.

Gail's Semolina Bread

And if you don't feel like making your own bread you can purchase one of her tasty loaves at Fancy's Market in Osterville, or Jack in the Beanstalk in Falmouth.  The Bread Lady, as she's known in these circles, also takes custom orders.

Gail stopped by for a visit the other day and brought us a freshly baked loaf of cranberry walnut bread. The crust was golden brown and crispy with a nice chewy center. We enjoyed it au naturel that day, and for toast the following morning. Every bite was a reminder of how special bread is when prepared by a skilled baker who also happens to be a dear friend. You can feel the love in every bite.

Gail's Cape Cod Cranberry Walnut Bread

Gail's Artisan Breads

thebreadlady09@comcast.net

508.930.7718

Asiago: grated cheese and black pepper

Cape Cod: chopped walnuts and dried berries

Cheese: cheddar and jack mix

Garlic: nuggets of roasted garlic 

Pepita: shelled pumpkin seeds

Italiano: dried tomatoes topped with dried herbs 

Mediterranean: rosemary and lemon zest

Meze: kalamata olives and roasted garlic 

Oatmeal: steel cut oats with raisins

Coconut: unsweetened coconut flakes 

Rustic: country bread with a touch of rye and cornmeal

Rye: with caraway seeds 

Semolina: topped with toasted sesame seeds

Chocolate: with dark chocolate chips

Highfield Hall: Cooking in Twos, Part III

Making Your Own Chinese Take-Out, was the title of our last class in the Cooking for Twos series up at Highfield Hall.  Preparing Chinese food, using fresh ingredients, is not as difficult as you might think and it tastes pretty good, too. It's a great menu for getting everyone involved, so grab your knife and let the slicing and dicing begin...

View our previous classes here:

Week 1: English Pub Favorites

Week 2: Italian Favorites

The Menu:

Oven Roasted Oyster Sauce Chicken Wings

Crab Rangoon
Ginger and Sweet Potato Black Rice

Scallion Pancakes with Dipping Sauce

Five Spice Roast Duck

Chicken and Asparagus with Black Bean Sauce

Shrimp with Snap Peas and Tomato Soy Sauce

Beef and Broccoli

Cooking Chinese food, as Gail explained, requires a considerable amount of prep work followed by quick, high temperature cooking. This makes for a lot of activity in the kitchen in a short span of time, so the pre-planning was essential to turning out a successful meal. Gail had it all worked out, even down to who used the stove and when.

I did a quick demonstration of the chicken wings which we had marinated overnight, then baked off in a hot oven for about 20 minutes. The soy and oyster sauce marinade glazed up nicely. An easy preparation and always a hit.

Gail prepared a roast duck in advance, and then showed the class this easy preparation that was cooked over a can. The marinade of soy sauce, ginger, five spice powder, and a little bit of sugar was rubbed on the duck and under the skin. It added great flavor and it turned out a crispy and tender browned bird.

We had our largest group yet of 11 participants who enthusiastically manned the stations to prepare their assigned dish. Our Crab Rangoon team prepared the crab and cheese filling and stuffed the wontons. They baked them with a brush of oil, instead of deep frying, which made for a lighter and more healthy variation of this traditional favorite.

We prepared plain white rice using Gail's never fail recipe along with an interesting dish using Chinese black rice. Sweet potatoes, ginger and scallions were cooked in a wok until tender, then combined with the cooked black rice. Garnished with a drizzle of sesame oil and chopped scallions.

Using a thin sliced sirloin and broccolini, we prepared beef with broccoli in a brown sauce. This was a perfect paring with the black rice. Just these two dishes would make for a wonderful meal.

Our next stir fry was chicken, asparagus, and fermented black beans. The beans add an authentic Chinese flavor. They are also used in popular dishes such as shrimp with lobster sauce. Getting hungry yet?

Now on to the shrimp stir fry. Prepared with a tomato flavored soy sauce, the shrimp and snap peas are cooked for just a few minutes over high heat. This slightly thickened sauce, with a hint of garlic, was a nice complement to the meat dishes.

I did one final demonstration of the scallion pancakes. These are quite simple to make, and served with a soy and lemon dipping sauce they make a great appetizer.

As we gathered together to enjoy our "take-out" it was clear to me that "cooking-in" might just be a better idea. Everything tasted as good as it looked!

The Cooking in Twos series was a great experience, and one we will surely do again. The roster of classes and demonstrations up at Highfield Hall continues to grow, so take a look as I'm sure you'll find something of interest. If you'd like any of the recipes from the series email me at laurie.iseman@gmail.com. I'll be happy to send them along.

Highfield Hall: Cooking in Twos, Part II

Last week's Cooking in Twos class at Highfield Hall was a resounding success according to participant Robert Kluin, who sent this lovely email to Gail Blakely:

Dear Gail
I would like to thank you and your team for an amazing culinary experience last evening. You have a wonderful way of instructing. It was all such great fun and the results were delicious.
Everything about the evening: Five Stars (Michelin)!!!!!

Gail runs the always interesting, and engaging, culinary classes at the mansion up on the hill. You can read here about our first class in the three part series, and learn more about this cultural treasure that serves our Cape Cod community. For week II we cooked up some Italian favorites. Salute, to all those who shared in the preparation, and thanks to Robert for the very kind words.

Fresh and Flavorful Italian Favorites

Mozzarella en Carrozza

Grape Focaccia

Rosemary Chicken under a Brick

Roasted Asparagus

Stuffed Tomatoes

Papparadelle with Roasted Mushrooms and Truffle Oil

Gnocchi alla Romano

Orange Scented Olive Oil Cake

When nice people come together around a shared goal, a little magic happens. Perhaps all dinner parties should be organized this way. It would certainly lighten the workload for the host or hostess, and it's a great ice breaker. Just remember that all great productions need a talented director, so you may want to consult Gail for a few prep tips. Her organizational skills are superb!

After the introductions and menu overview, I demonstrated the preparation of the Orange Scented Olive Oil Cake. Karen, our lovely volunteer, prepared one earlier in the day so we enjoyed that one after dinner.  Its light and flavorful, and you could easily substitute lemons. We all agreed that fresh fruit would be a nice accompaniment, especially blueberries if you were to make a lemon version.

Our 'Twos' eagerly manned the stations to prepare their individual contribution to the meal. Nancy and Kelly Ann did a wonderful job on the roasted asparagus and baked stuffed tomato platter. It was fun watching them attend to every detail of the recipe as they turned out this lovely presentation.

Linda and Jen tackled the Mozzarella en Carrozza, sandwiches filled with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto and anchovies, that are then breaded and fried in olive oil. This mother and daughter team took it in stride when they had to recalculate their bread cutting strategy to increase the yield. They applied a few mathematic calculations and voila, problem solved. Notice their recipe covered with ingredients; a telltale sign of serious and engaged cooks. The end result was impressive.

Doug and Hazel worked together on the chicken with rosemary cooked under a brick.  Actually we used a cast iron pan and a panini press for weights, which worked just fine. Gail also showed us how to prepare a spatchcock, or butterflied chicken. This involves removing the back and breast bones so you can lay it on the grill, or in a cast iron pan to cook. She slipped lemons and rosemary under the skin, sprinkled it with salt and pepper and placed it skin side down in the hot pan. We applied a few heavy pans as weights and let it cook for about 30 minutes over medium heat. You can flip it, or do as Gail did and finish it in a 400 degree oven for another 25-30 minutes. After the chicken went into the oven, I de-glazed the pan with lemon juice, butter, white wine and fresh rosemary which we poured over the chicken pieces. Both preparations were tender, juicy, and delicious.

Robert and Betty got their hands into the pizza dough to create the Grape Focaccia. They were a little curious about the flavor combination, as were a few others, but we were all pleasantly surprised at tasting time. The hint of rosemary, with a light sprinkle of grated cheese, was a nice contrast to the sweetness of the grapes.

Ted and Priscilla prepared the Gnocchi alla Romano. This recipe comes from Gail's very first cookbook and more resembles a quick and easy version of polenta. It's pretty simple to make, and always a crowd-pleaser. This is their second class with us, and as new residents of Falmouth they thought it would be a nice way to meet people. I noticed they were exchanging contract information with Karen, so it appears to have worked out well. The dish worked out well. too. This crowd was definitely pleased. 

I finished up with a demonstration of the Papparadelle with Roasted Mushrooms and Truffle Oil. Gail roasted the mushrooms (shittake, cremini and white) earlier, and left them to sit at room temperature so their flavor intensified . As the pasta cooked, I prepared the truffle sauce, then added the mushrooms, pasta and a little bit of the pasta water. It was the perfect side dish for both chicken preparations.

As we all sat down to enjoy the fruits of our collective labor, I was again touched by the warm and friendly conversation, the laughter, and the sheer joy that comes from sharing a well cooked meal. It's what motivates me to cook, to want to teach others, and to continue learning. Take a look, maybe there's something you'd like to learn about in one of the classes up on the hill. Buon Appetito!

Cape Cod Gem: Inaho

One of my favorite restaurants here on the upper Cape is Inaho. This Japanese restaurant rivals some of the best on the Pacific coast, and certainly many in New York City. Our NYC family members always request to dine here during their visits, and rave about it every time.

The owners attend to every detail with the utmost care and devotion. The simple Asian inspired decor is comfortable and serene. The fish is the freshest you can find, and our server explained the process they go through to ensure that this consistent high quality is maintained. In twenty years I've never been disappointed.

I started with the Tuna Carparccio which is served with a light soy sauce and lemon dressing. The dressing is so delicious that I keep the plate and dip my hand rolls into it. Our server understood completely.

David enjoyed the hijiki salad with carrots and edamame. It's both delicious and good for you, as it's high in fiber.

Then it was a spicy scallop, and a spicy tuna hand roll for me. The scallops were sweet, and the nori was still crisp. The spicy mayonnaise had just enough bite to it, and the rice was plump and sticky.

David enjoyed the salmon roll, which I didn't try (you'll see why in a second) but he said it was very good.

They make a vegetarian jalapeno roll with sweet potato that my father introduced me to several years ago. The sweet potato is cooked tempura-style, then rolled with the pepper and rice. It's incredible!

We also shared Tails in the Air. Tempura shrimp with avocado. One of my favorites, and a great choice for those who don't care for raw seafood.

We finished with mochi ice cream, which is Japanese glutinous rice that is pounded into a cake, then wrapped around ice cream. The flavors were mango and green tea.

Driving home on historic Rt. 6A we stopped at Barnstable Harbor to enjoy the sunset:

Perfect ending to a perfect meal.

Inaho

157 Rt. 6A

Yarmouthport, MA

+1 508.362.5522