If you seek shelter...

Return of the lobster roll

Maine_0002-edit

Of course we had to order some lobster roll the moment we arrived in Maine.  In comparison to our previous lobster roll in Rhode Island, the Maine style is apparently to keep the preparation of the meat fairly minimal.  In the case of Red's Eats, whence these behemoths were birthed, there is absolutely none - just some clarified butter or mayo on the side to go with huge and heavy chunks of unadulterated lobster meat.

 

Elliott Healy Books, Prints, and Antiques

We had very little idea of what to expect (and do) when we went to Maine.  Sure, drive along the coast, eat lobster, browse through antique shops.  Some things got old after a while, but one thing we found ourselves doing was spending hours perusing the shelves of used book stores.

The best we saw, by far, was Elliott Healy Books, Prints, and Antiques in Wiscasset.  Extremely well-curated by a retired English professor, his collection is impressive to say the least, with an exceptional array of collectable books - art and children's books especially - laid out amongst a rich assortment of antiques and hand-selected items from around the world.  Behind the front shop is a beautiful Asian-inspired garden leading to a barn filled with a thousands of other thoughtfully selected books and items.

As far as we know, Elliott Healy refuses to jump on the Amazon wagon, so the only way to get access to his outstanding collection is by visiting the shop.
(download)
Elliott Healy
Books, Prints, and Antiques
53 Middle Street
P.O. Box 285
Wiscasset, ME 04578
207-882-5446

Tiny creatures

Yay, we're back from a little vacation in Maine, land of lobster and lighthouses.  While we enjoyed relaxing at the slower pace up north, there were plenty of little tidbits to keep us on our toes.

1maine_0177
We must have spent nearly a minute trying to figure out if this mushroom was some woodland creature that decided to crawl up into a little ball, ashamed that it did not make the varsity team.  In the end, we decided not to disturb it and took the other path.

It was easy to encounter many more of the little one's colleagues in Acadia National Park, where they really seemed to flourish.
(download)
Sadly, these two lovebirds did not survive, and therefore get the monochromatic treatment.
6maine_0403

 

The simpler things in life

As summer fades away, I am reminded of our time in Provence, a profoundly magical place where the morning air is sweet with the scent of burning firewood and the only weeds you will see in the fields are thyme, rosemary and lavender.

It was great to drive around and explore, but some of the most memorable moments were at (or close to) home.

(download)

Korea's wine meme

One thing you hear often is how the growth of the consumer class in Asia is fueling the asset bubble in wine that took off after the much-touted 2005 vintage.

This is evident in Korea, where the idea of drinking wine is a relatively new concept for many.  Its novelty appeal, combined with inflated perceptions of social status, have created a "mania" of sorts.

Whether this has anything to do with the trend we saw in Seoul, who knows, but outside most bars or restaurants you will often find lines upon lines of empty wine bottles.  Now, I admit that, while I do have sentimental tendencies and will save a bottle that holds a particular memory every now and then, this is different.

I don't think they are showing off, because their bottle selection seems pretty haphazard across the board.  It seems more like some quasi design-related thing that somehow caught on.  It would be interesting to see how this trend plays out over the years.

(download)

Lobster rolling in Jamestown

(download)

Despite having spent four years living in Rhode Island, I have not gotten around to exploring it much.  So when our friends decided to have their wedding in Little Compton, we took the opportunity to spend a weekend in the Ocean State.

Here are some photos from Jamestown, a sleepy seaside alternative to the hustle of Newport.  At the recommendation of a friend, we stopped by The Village Hearth Bakery & Cafe for some delicious pastries and lobster roll.  Now, I don't claim to be an expert in lobster roll construction, but they did this one right with a butter brioche bun and nice chunky pieces of lobster.

I'm hungry.

(download)

Seoul food

One thing that sets many Asian cities apart from New York is their highly evolved street food culture.

Sure, Calexico and some of the Halal carts are great, but you would be hard pressed to find a block with a consecutive string of food stands to choose from, each specializing in a different dish.  It was hard to walk around Seoul without passing by a food cart (or several).  They run at all hours and are very reasonably priced - you can eat a satisfying meal for under $3.

Some tasty dishes you might find: ddukbokki (spicy rice cake), kimbap (rolls, like futomaki), soondae (Korean black sausage), teegim (breaded fried things, like tempura), hoddeok (honey-filled Korean pancake), boonguh bbang (hot-pressed red-bean pastries shaped like fish)

Here are some photos of carts that we came across in Sinchon (pronounced sheen-chon).  Taken "from the hip," so to speak.

(download)

Gigondas & Tour de l'Isle 2007

Last fall we went to Provence for our honeymoon.  It charmed our socks off.

One of the highlights of our trip was visiting a tiny wine shop and bar, Caveau de la Tour de l'Isle, in the picturesque L'Isle sur la Sorgue.  The proprietor of the shop, Stéphane Fina, is an excellent sommelier and cheesemonger.  Wines by the glass are appropriately priced with no mark-up; a glass will typically run about one-fifth the price of a bottle.  The city itself is gorgeous, with several canals that allow the River Sorgue to pass through it.

We enjoyed many glasses of André Chemin Champagne, a producer that he represents.  Another producer represented by Stephané is Tour de l'Isle, and we were fortunate enough to walk away with a bottle of their 2007 Gigondas, which we uncorked recently.
(download)

The aroma was quite pronounced, with clove, blackcurrant, red & black cherry and brambly fruit bursting through, balanced by an earthiness and touch of oak that rounded everything out.  On the palate, the texture was silky smooth with a nice glycerine level and full mouthfeel.  The finish was slightly spicy and had a very good long length.  Alcohol level was quite high, but in balance with the fruit and tannins to make it not noticeable.  I left half the bottle in the fridge overnight to see how it might age in a couple years, and it was equally enjoyable yet different.  This time around the palate was much darker and spicier, with tons of chocolate, damson fruit, a lot more tannin and baking spices on the nose.

The Châteauneuf-du-Pape region is the star of the Southern Rhône Valley, but I must say our visit there did not prove as enjoyable as we had expected.  It has much more of a tourist draw than the other regions, and the attitudes of the people there reflect it.  Understandably so.  We walked into a cellar for a tasting and had to leave in the middle because the customers next to us were so pompous and obnoxious I wanted to spit out more than just the wine into the bucket.

Luckily, Gigondas is just thirty minutes away and exceedingly more attractive in appearance and personality.  Here are some images from our visit.

(download)