Happy Thursday! Let’s have some fun today and play a little food trivia game:

Q1: What’s the best way to help oil-based salad dressings adhere to the greens?

A. Use only expensive lettuce. B. Salt salad before tossing. C. Make sure greens are completely dry before applying dressing. D. Add a drop of Super-glue to dressing.

Q2: Which dairy product contains the least fat measure for measure?

A. Land O’ Lakes salted butter. B. Land O’ Lakes margarine. C. Breakstone’s sour cream. D. Friendship buttermilk.

Q3: What is chocolate bloom?

A. Cocoa fat or sugar. B. Bringing the chocolate to a gentle bubble. C. A chocolate candy in the shape of a flower. D. A whisk used to cream melted chocolate.

Q4: Which of the following vegetables is the least nutritous when eaten raw?

A. Tomato. B. Cucumber. C. Spinach. D. Iceberg lettuce

Q5: What is “stracchino?”

A. A form of pasta. B. A fresh cheese from Italy. C. An Italian dish of pickled vegetables. D. An Italian liqueur.

Q6: Which of these is not a cheese?

A. Panir. B. Vouvray. C. Manchego. D. Scamorze.

Q7: What does the following nutritional analysis describe: starches, sugars, cellulose, pectin, malic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, anisyl propionate, amyl acetate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A, riboflavin, thiamine, phosphates?

A. A melon. B. Gelatin. C. Lemon cake. D. Seasoning salt.

Q8: Which of the following foods contains the highest amount of the cancer-fighting agent, lycopene?

A. Garlic. B. Ketchup. C. Fish. D. Soybeans.

Q9: Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of what?

A. Peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. B. Garlic breath. C. Bugs in your food. D. Rare meat.

Q10: What was Green Goddess salad dressing named after?

A. A Greek statue. B. A theatrical stage play. C. A variety of avocado. D. The Jolly Green Giant’s girlfriend

ANSWERS:

1. C. Make sure greens are completely dry before applying dressing.

2. D. Friendship Buttermild

3. A. Cocoa fat or sugar

4. C. Spinach

5. B. A fresh cheese from Italy

6. B. Vouvray

7. A. A melon

8. B. Ketchup

9. A. Peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.

10. B. A theatrical stage play.

SCORE:

1-2 Fast food junkie.

3-4 Restaurant Groupie

5-6 Nice Going! Gourmand!

7-8 Great Job! Epicurian in Training!

9-10 Bravo! A true Gourmet!

** from About.com

Let me know your score the next time that you see me.

As always enjoy this beautiful day .

Deb

Most lovers of legumes will place the Fava bean high upon their list of favorites. This pale green bean that grows inside big floppy pods have been a beloved early spring food for many around the world for centuries. Favas, also known as broad beans, Windsor beans, English beans, horse beans and pigeon beans, have for long been a diet staple in Asia, the Middle East, South America, North Africa and Europe. They were the only beans Europeans used to eat before discovering America and all its legumes.

These ancient beans are one of the oldest cultivated plants and also one of the easiest to grow, however, they have only recently begun to become popular in the U.S. and if you’ve ever prepared them, you’ll know why. Let me explain.

The journey from pod to table is a labor-intensive process for the fava as they need to be peeled twice! First, you must string and shuck the beans, parboil them, then remove them from a waxy coating. It is something that can be fun to do on a leisurely Sunday afternoon sitting on the front porch with friends. Think: shucking corn. For most Americans however, who often demand quick, fast and easy, it’s a lot of time to spend preparing a bean.

Raw Fava Beans

The Huffington Post recently had a nice article and instructional video about how to peel and prepare fava beans last month: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/17/peeling-fava-beans_n_1428107.html

Keep in mind that the season for fresh fava beans is a short one. Like the fabulous Fiddle Head they are harvested for only a short time in the spring so now is the time to enjoy them.

Unshelled, fresh favas look like giant, bumpy string beans that are 5 to 7 inches long and lined with padding that looks like cotton batting. When buying favas select beans that are not bulging out of the pod which probably means they are old and bitter.

Some stores will sell shelled favas but they are usually quite expensive. When the beans are young and tender you can eat the whole bean, pod and all.

You’ll find that the beans have a buttery texture, and a delicious, lovely, nutty flavor and can be served boiled, mashed and spread on crostini, or added to a spring stews or soup. They are often paired with artichokes or other spring vegetables like peas. Or, as Hannibal Lecter suggested in Silence of the Lambs, “I ate his liver with fava beans and a nice chianti…” Not sure I’d recommend that! (I’d prefer a cab!)

Boiled with olive oil and salt * photo from Martha Steward radioblog.com

And, favas are super nutritional. They are low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium and a great source of fiber, phosphorus, copper and manganese, and a very good source of folate. And they have so much protein, they are sometimes called the “meat of the poor”.

So, the next time you want a little bit of spring on your plate, order this beautiful green bean and a nice cab or Chianti… but please, skip the liver!

Have a wonderful Wednesday and I hope to see you soon.

Deb

Not everyone likes raw seafood but if you do, a sushi restaurant is not the only place to satisfy an urge for sushi. A lot of restaurants will have a ceviche dish on their menu which should make you sushi lovers smile.

What is it? Cerviche is a seafood dish is typically made from fresh raw fish, (although sometimes steak is used), which has been “cooked” by marinating it in citrus juices such as lemon or lime. In addition to adding flavor to the fish, the citric acid in the juice changes the texture of the fish while allowing it to keep its “raw” taste. The acid from the juice alters the structure of the proteins in the fish, making the fish more opaque and firm, just as if it had been cooked with heat by causing the proteins in the seafood to become denatured, which simply means their physical structure has been altered due to external stress such as heat or acid, (like when the egg whites change color as you’re frying an egg). But keep in mind, unlike heat, the acid will not kill bacteria and parasites so it’s important to start with the freshest, cleanest fish possible.

Since the food is not cooked with heat, it must be prepared fresh to minimize the risk of food poisoning.

Traditional ceviche was marinated for about three hours, however, most modern-style ceviche, created by Peruvian chef Dario Matsufuji in the 1970s, will usually have a much short marinating period. Depending upon the fish, marinating time can take just moments – enough time to mix the ingredients, serve, and carry the ceviche to the table. After marinating the fish is then spiced with chili peppers, onion, salt, coriander/cilantro, and pepper. Often it is served with chips that you can use to scoop it up with.

The origin of the dish is unknown for certain, but archaeological records suggests the consumption of a food similar to ceviche nearly 2,000 years ago in the area of present-day Peru. Historians believe the predecessor to the dish was brought to Peru by Moorish women from Granada who accompanied the Spanish conquistadors and colonizers, and this dish eventually evolved into what we now call ceviche.

Best time to eat ceviche? I like to have it as early in the day as possible, lunch is wonderful since it’s such a light and refreshing dish. It’s very popular at vacation, beach restaurants and many that specialize in ceviche will close about 4 pm since the fish would have been caught in the morning and will no longer be fresh by the evening.

And here’s a final, interesting tip, apparantly popular with ceviche lovers is a drink called “tigers milk” (leche de tigre), which is the leftover ceviche marinade served in a small glass. It is brighhtly colored from the spicy chili peppers, and sometimes mixed with vodka, tiger’s milk is considered a great cure for hangovers! Wish I’d known that last week! Ha!

If you want to try a “Classic Peruvian Cerviche”: http://fishcooking.about.com/od/rawfish/r/ceviche_peru.htm

Have a great day everyone!

Deb

*Some information taken from Wikopedia and About.com

Good morning everyone.  Today I want to let you know about a few things.  As you know my blog is usually about dining around the Seacoast area and topics that will inform you about food and drink.  So today I want to let you know how excited I am about The Green Monkey Restaurant.  (I am always excited about it but a new menu always puts an even bigger smile on my face)

Today we are launching our new spring menu.  First I need to introduce my new Executive Chef Brent Hazelbaker.  He is a culinarian from Scottsdale, AZ where he started and has been in Philadelphia, PA before moving to Portsmouth and we are very happy to have him join the team. With that said we have even more changes. First as of today we will no longer be offering our Happy Hour at the bar. I know – What? Well, at the start of June we will be offering a bar menu from 8pm -11pm.  Why so late you ask?  Because we now have live music Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays in the dining room (soft background, cocktail music).  We started it last week and it has been enthusiastically received by everyone.

I will have the new menu online by this afternoon.  Check it out at www.thegreenmonkey.net.  I look forward to seeing you at The Green Monkey, enjoying the new menu and changes I have implemented.  As always your feed back is what helps us stay one of Portsmouth’s favorite restaurants.  If you are computer savvy and you love us, feel free to Yelp, Google, FB and Twitter about us.

I am going to leave the blog today with two thoughts because I feel change in anything is good and offering a new menu and live music feels right to me.

“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” – Jim Rohn and

“There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction” – Winston Churchill

Enjoy the day and I hope to see you tonight at The Green Monkey.

Deb

Good morning and happy Friday.  Well, it feels like spring is in the air, so let’s talk about SPRING ROCKET or Arugula. Yes that leafy green herb of the mustard family.

Arugula makes an awesome salad by itself or mixed with other greens. It can be eaten raw, or cooked. The Romans ate the leaves as a vegetable, and used the seeds to flavor oil and when the plant goes to seed the flowers can be eaten.  Edible flowers, that’s a whole other topic. The flavor of arugula is almost peppery & hot. So if you want to spice up your cooking don’t be afraid to use arugula.

Not only does it taste good but it’s also good for you (no surprise there right!). It is low in Saturated Fat, very low in Cholesterol and is a good source  of Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Zinc and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K,  Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Manganese. All that and you eating a cup of it will only add about 7 calories to your day. Who could ask for more right?

So why not plan on adding some arugula to your day soon?

As always, enjoy the weekend.

Deb

Good morning Wednesday.  Well it is that time again for menu changes at The Green Monkey.  Our Spring menu will be starting on May 14^th, and I think you are going to love it.  Executive Chef Brent has put one of my favorite dishes on the menu. Yeah! Tuna Carpaccio.  If you love tuna this is a fabulous starter to your meal. First a few facts about Carpaccio:

Carpaccio is an Italian appetizer that consists of super thin slices of raw beef topped with olive oil, Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts.  It was invented by chefs at Harry’s Bar in Venice and named after the 15th century artist Vittore Carpaccio, who was well known for his use of bright colors.

Over the years like anything else recipes change and Carpaccio is one of them, chefs started making it with tuna and it has been popular ever since.  I myself do enjoy both but the Tuna version is my favorite.

Here are a couple starters on the Spring Menu:

Tuna Carpaccio- pressed tuna / preserved lemon oil / lamb’s lettuce / gray salt

And for a salad

“Butter” Lettuce Salad – fava beans / haricot vert / pencil asparagus / shaved radishes / torn garlic croutons / spring onion vinaigrette.

As always, enjoy the day.

Deb

Good morning and Happy Tuesday. Sometimes when you wake up in the morning and you have this smile on your face and things are just funny, it really makes your day awesome. The power of a SMILE  So Ocean and I were talking about W.C. Fields or William Claude Dunkenfield (no wonder he changed his name). He really was a funny guy and he came up with some really funny quotes. (More on that in a few). He died an alcoholic but while he lived he was one of the early greats of cinema.

NAME: W C Fields

ORIGINAL NAME: William Claude Dukenfield

OCCUPATION:Film Actor & Comedian

BIRTH DATE:January 29, 1880

DEATH DATE:December 25, 1946 – He died on Christmas, a day he claimed to despise.

PLACE OF BIRTH: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

PLACE OF DEATH: Pasadena, California

Ok so why am I talking about W.C. Fields? Because for someone who is a restaurateur and in the business of serving alcohol, his quotes about his own alcoholism make me smile. Here are some of his best:

Here are some of his best:

Now don’t say you can’t swear off drinking; it’s easy. I’ve done it a thousand times.

How well I remember my first encounter with The Devil’s Brew. I happened to stumble across a case of bourbon–and went right on stumbling for several days thereafter.

Back in my rummy days, I would tremble and shake for hours upon arising. It was the only exercise I got.

Thou shalt not kill anything less than a fifth.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house unless they have a well-stocked bar.

Somebody’s been putting pineapple juice in my pineapple juice!

As always, enjoy the day and I hope that I put a smile on your face on this rainy morning.

Deb

Good morning Monday! Well a lot of things happened over the weekend. Cinco de Mayo, the Kentucky Derby and a Super Moon. So in the tradition of the Kentucky Derby winner - “I’ll Have Another” – I am going to give you a Mint Julep recipe.

10 mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish
1 1/2 teaspoons superfine sugar
Seltzer water
Crushed ice
2 1/2 ounces Kentucky bourbon whiskey

Place the mint leaves, sugar and a splash of seltzer in the bottom of a short rocks glass (or old fashion glass) muddle together, fill the glass 3/4 full with crushed ice, and add the bourbon. Top with another splash of seltzer, stir, and garnish with a sprig of mint. Serve and enjoy.

By the way, a Mint Julep is very similar to a Mojito, the Mojito is made with rum!

Hope this starts your week out right, enjoy the day.

Deb

Good morning Friday.  Today let’s talk about the “alligator pear” (because of the tough outer skin) or better known as the Avocado.  I know it is early but for some reason I am already thinking about dinner.  Humm… fish, chicken, beef, not sure… then I think maybe I will eat something fun and maybe with a margarita tonight. Yes that’s it! Guacamole and chips.  Wait! It’s Friday and my mom always told me that we should eat fish on Fridays. So maybe a fish with avacado? Did you know that avocados are little power houses of vitamins? They provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid and also act as a “nutrient booster” by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients. Not only are they good for you but great tasting as well. I love eating scooping the creamy, golden-green fruit right out of the skin and eating it with just a little salt and pepper added. Yum.

Ok back to the fish and avocado idea. I think that tonight’s dinner is going to be Halibut and avocado salsa. Not only a tasty combo but also a healthy one as well.

Follow the link for a great receipe: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=133

Enjoy the weekend,

Deb

Good Morning Thursday. Today my blog is just a fun read. Ever wonder where does that saying come from?

Well read on and you’ll find out.

I’m going to share with you some interesting tidbits about wine that I thought you might find interesting (I did!).

The Irish believed that fairies are extremely fond of good wine. The proof of the assertion is that in the olden days royalty would leave a keg of wine out for them at night. Sure enough, it was always gone in the morning. – Irish Folklore

Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914), “The Devil’s Dictionary”, 1911: WINE, n. Fermented grape-juice known to the Women’s Christian Union as “liquor,” sometimes as “rum.” He wrote, “Wine, madam, is God’s next best gift to man”.

There are about 400 species of oak, though only about 20 are used in making oak barrels. Of the trees that are used, only 5% is suitable for making high grade wine barrels. The average age of a French oak tree harvested for use in wine barrels is 170 years!

Ever wonder how many grapes it takes to fill your wine glass?

1 grape cluster = 1 glass
75 grapes = 1 cluster
4 clusters = 1 bottle

The Manhattan cocktail (whiskey and sweet vermouth) was invented by Winston Churchill’s mother. (Thank you Mrs. Churchill)

In the 1600′s thermometers were filled with brandy instead of mercury.

The longest recorded champagne cork flight was 177 feet and 9 inches, four feet from level ground at Woodbury Vineyards in New York State.

Foot treading of grapes is still used in producing a small quantity of the best port wines.

In ancient Babylon, the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead (fermented honey beverage) he could drink for a month after the wedding. Because their calendar was lunar or moon-based, this period of free mead was called the “honey month,” or what we now call the “honeymoon.”

Before thermometers were invented, brewers would dip a thumb or finger into the liquid to determine the ideal temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, for adding yeast. From this we get the phrase “rule of thumb.”

And, last but not least. In English pubs drinks are served in pints and quarts. In old England, bartenders would advise unruly customers to mind their own pints and quarts. It’s the origin of “mind your P’s and Q’s.!*

Check out this link and find out even more: *http://www.800wine.com/winefacts.cfm

Enjoy the day everyone,

Deb

Oysters. Small marine bivalves that, according to legend, pack a big punch, but do oysters really make you… (You know what, like what green M&M’s supposedly do)?

Apparently there is some truth to the myth. Raw oysters actually do have a connection to improved sexual function since they have more zinc than most any other food it is believed that this mineral may enhance libido by helping with testosterone production–higher levels of the hormone are linked to an increase in desire. Also, a team of American and Italian researchers analyzed bivalves and found they were rich in amino acids that trigger increased levels of sex hormones.

Did you also know there is a ritual to eating an oyster? First shuck the oysters; then drizzle with your favorite sauces; (if you like a less salty taste squeeze lemon on the oysters, salt and acid cancel each other on our tongue tastebuds, so a squeeze of lemon or a touch of mignonette will substantially reduce the salt taste); lift, chew, swallow and then lay the shells turned down on the plate. I love rituals.

Yum.. Yum.. and Yummy

Now one more fun fact :

Oyster flavor comes in three stages from what I found out. 1- Salt, 2-Body and Sweetness, 3-Finish

1. Oyster blood is seawater; they take on the salinity of their environments. Different regions, different salt content .

2. Chewing or the snap, lets say the crunch raises awareness in the palate but also brings out the sweetness of the oyster (something to do with the enzymes)

3. The Finish is the lingering flavors you get after you have chewed and swallowed. Two flavor descriptives are cucumber because of fresh, green, slightly bitter flavor of a garden cuke, and melon since cucumbers and melons are in the same family and share some aroma compounds .

So there you have it, Chew, Swallow, Enjoy and if you have trouble with the swallowing of oysters try it with a beer they go really well together.

Enjoy the day.

Deb

Good morning. Our topic today is “trends in the industry”, not that I’m enthusiastic about trying them all (ie: my blog: Have you tried bone luging?”) but PBS recently gave their opinion of 2012 Cocktail Trend and lo and behold… the often forgotten Bitters was nominated! “Not Just in an Old-Fashioned” is what they said (Alex Fishler, April 19, 2012)  http://www.pbs.org/food/features/food-trends-2012-bitters/

Bitters are alcoholic beverages flavored with herbs and they’re called bitters because, well, they have a strong, bitter or bittersweet taste.

“Angostura bitters was first compounded in Venezuela in 1824 by a German physician, Dr. Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, as a cure for sea sickness and stomach maladies. It was exported to England and to Trinidad, where it came to be used in a number of cocktails, following its medicinal use by the Royal Navy in Pink Gin. Angostura and similar bitters can be of some value for settling a mild case of nausea. It is used to stimulate the appetite, either for food or for cocktails. Used in both aperitifs and digestives, it settles the stomach before a meal or before a night of drinking

Numerous brands of bitters were formerly marketed as patent medicines, but are now considered to be digestives, rather than medicines. They commonly have an alcoholic strength of 45% ABV and are used as digestives and as flavoring in cocktails.” * Wikipedia

Bitters are prepared by infusion or distillation, using aromatic herbs, bark, roots, and/or fruit for their flavor and medicinal properties.

Christopher Hobbs, AHG author of Foundations of Health lists angelica root, artichoke, bitter orange peel, blessed thistle leaves ,gentian root, goldenseal rhizome, wormwood leaves and yarrow flowers as typical contents of bitters formulas.

Common drinks that use bitters: Manhattan Cocktail, Old Fashioned, Negroni Cocktail,  Whiskey Sour, Lime Rickey, Campari Orange, Amaretto Sour just to name a few. There are about as many drinks that are made with bitters as there are companies that make them, over 100 that I counted.

So the next time that your stomach ails you, why not ask your bartender for some “herbal medicine” and have them mix something up with some bitters!

Enjoy the day.

Deb

Good morning everyone. Hope you had a great weekend. Today let’s talk about margaritas. I know it’s early but Saturday is Cinco de Mayo, the celebration of the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). This year it will have been 150 years. That’s cause for a celebration, right? In the United States it is the celebration of the Mexican culture and heritage with parades, mariachi bands and street festivals, and the traditional beverage of choice tequila and or a Corona (or Modelo).

Mexicans do not really drink a lot of margaritas; it is more a gringo fad as they call it.  No matter what they call it, it’s margaritas for me on Cinco de Mayo.

So, how do you make a great margarita?

Start by buying the best ingredients. Get fresh limes, make your own sugar syrup (boil up equal parts of sugar and water, constantly stirring until it’s disappeared, and then allow to cool) and buy good tequila. (I am partial to Patron Silver)

For a traditional Margarita try this:

tequila
triple sec ( or quantro)
freshly squeezed lime Juice
sugar syrup

Or my favorite:

tequila
lemon juice
lime juice
sugar syrup
agave syrup
prickly pear puree

Shake with ice and serve in a salt rimmed glass. No salt rim for me.

Hope you enjoy, have a great day and let me know what your favorite margarita is and how you will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo.

Deb

Happy Friday Everyone! What does everyone have planned for the weekend? There’s always spring cleaning and yard sales right? I took a look around to see if I could find some fun and interesting things going on around town and here’s what I came up with.

 Did you know that you can take a complimentary tour of the Anheuser-Busch Brew Tour in Merrimack and not only get to see how they process their beers (and taste some) but also get to see some of the famous Clydedales? It sounds like a lot of fun: “On our complimentary tour, discover how your favorite beer is crafted by following it through the steps of the brewing process.  Nestled in the scenic New England countryside, the Merrimack, New Hampshire Brewery is a fabulous destination for a day trip. On your complimentary tour, you will discover how the world’s greatest beers are carefully brewed and packaged. You will also learn about the extraordinary environmental initiatives and practices Anheuser-Busch has in place.   Meet the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales when you visit the Clydesdale Hamlet. These majestic giants have appeared in some of the most memorable Super Bowl commercials over the years and represent a special part of Anheuser-Busch’s history. Their size and strength will astound you, and they will make for a great photo opportunity. 221 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, NH 03054   (603) 595-1202

Visit: http://www.budweisertours.com/z01/ for more information

~ Okay, so this isn’t about food but I thought it was interesting

Shoe exhibit inspired by the past* Tuesday, May 1, 2012 Shoe exhibit inspired by the past at Strawbery Banke: If you were a shoe designer today and you were asked to create a shoe using as inspiration the ca. 1740 shoe shown to the right, what would your shoe look like?

You can find out at the new Strawbery Banke exhibit, “Thread: Stories of Fashion at Strawbery Banke, 1740-2012,” which runs from May 1 to October 31.

There you’ll see British designer Emma Hope’s take on the trimmed brocade shoe as well as 18 other contemporary designs inspired by the rarely seen Strawbery Banke collection of clothing.

“The earliest piece is the shoe,” says Elizabeth Farish, curator of the museum. “The latest is a   bubble gum-pink prom dress from the 1950s.”

The clothing will be displayed in six Strawbery Banke houses and in its gallery space. An old linen boy’s sailor suit will stand beside a sailor dress designed by Lily Zane at the Aldrich house – the sailor suit appropriate to the house because the novel, “The Story of a Bad Boy,” is based on childhood experiences there.

Visit strawberybanke.org for more information about the exhibit and related events. *http://www.nhmagazine.com/thingstodo/957156-103/shoe-exhibit-inspired-by-the-past.html

~

“Toast to the Coast” -  Sample a wide selection of fine wines, tasty brews, ales, specialty cocktail coolers, hors d’oeuvres, CHOCOLATE, and sweet treats from some of the Seacoast’s finest restaurants and specialty shops.  Thursday, 05/03/2012, 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM, $40 in advance, $50 at the door, Ashworth by the Sea Hotel, 95 Ocean Blvd Hampton, NH, 603-926-8718, for more information visit: http://www.hamptonchamber.com/

~

“New Generation’s Annual Charity Dinner Auction” New Generation “provides a safe family-oriented shelter for homeless pregnant women and their babies”. The dinner/auction is at the Harbor Events Center at the Marriott Residence Inn in Portsmouth, NH, Saturday, April 28th. ”Come join us for the 20th Annual Charity Dinner Auction celebrating our 25th year in service!  Tickets are $75 ($50 of each ticket is tax deductible) and include hors d’oeuvres, plated dinner (Baked Haddock, Filet Mignon, or Chicken Primavera) & dessert as well as games and activities.   Silent & live auction with Bruce Ford.  Entertainment provided by Pianist Erika Hunter.   Items up for grab include two round-trip airline passes, Disney Hopper passes for four, white-water rafting, spa packages, restaurant gift cards, and more!  For more information visit: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e5kq03y259524701&llr=9tcqvigab

~ Ttonight! 5:30 Wine Dinner to Benefit Marginal Way Preservation Fund – Blue Sky on York Beach located in the Atlantic House Hotel2 Beach Street York Beach, ME 03910

And… last but certainly not least is Friday May 4th : ”Hit the Decks” -  participating businesses  are offering special deals all around town for the official deck opening!

http://www.facebook.com/Portsmouthdecks

As my friend John Akar from Cava Tapas & Wine Bar said “Hit The Decks  started as an idea to celebrate the new deck walk, and it has grown to be an event that involves dozens of restaurants, shops and sites”. This will be the second summer to fully enjoy the deck walk and we hope that people will come and stroll the decks and then discover all that Portsmouth has to offer.

There’s always plenty of fun and interesting things to do in New England on the weekends. If I missed something, let me know!

As always, have a fabulous weekend everyone and I hope to see many of your smiling faces either at The Monkey or around town!

Deb

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/mad-cow-disease-finding-shows-that-food-inspection-system-is-working/2012/04/25/gIQAApjvgT_story.html

http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_20479363/mad-cow-incident-has-very-low-

 Inspectors were doing their job and found the disease in one of the cows that was NOT being processes for human consumption.  First case since 2006.  Makes we wonder how many other cases were out there.  Just saying…Can you imagine if our food regulations didn’t exist? Holy cow (pun intended) we would really be in a state of chaos. I am glad they are in place and as a society as a whole we have to trust they are watching out for us.  Hopefully most of you are food conscious and try to watch what you eat. If you can grow your own product, buy from small farmers and always check out there facilities.  Mass production of food can cause havoc with our food chain.  Know what you put into your bodies and watch what you feed your children, they only follow what we as adults teach them.  Read the labels on the food products, if you can not pronounce most of the ingredients you probably do not want to be eating them.  Ask questions of your producers.  What waters are the fish coming from, ask whether your beef and poultry are free range and grass feed, and your vegetables, where are they grown, are they organic.

My closing thoughts today: I think we need to be aware but not panic.  Regulations are put into place for our safety.  We have to trust that government and producers are watching out for us.  Now the but….when it comes to the well being of my family, friends and customers, I am going to be the one watching the most.  In the restaurant we do our very best to use fresh, local, organic, free range and grass feed beef and poultry.  Feel free to ask any employee where our product is from.  Our chefs do a fabulous job of marking it for our wait staff.

As always enjoy the day!

Deb

Good Morning Everyone and Happy Wednesday. Every once in awhile I like to talk about food trends and one recent food trend comes to mind is… the consumption of bone marrow (sorry to all my vegetarian friends). It seems that I’m seeing more and more bone marrow offered on menus and as specials. As you may, or may not, know bone marrow has an extremely high nutritional density. Diet and fitness writer Mark Sisson writes that bone marrow is “the original primal brain food” and “deserves to be a kitchen staple.” Claudia Keel, herbalist, nutritional counselor and food expert, “If there was only one food I could recommend in my practice for its nutritive and healing action in the body, it would be slow cooked and gelatin-rich bone broth.” So how good for you is it? Self Nutrition Data shows that an ounce of Alaskan caribou bone marrow equals 220 calories, 24 grams fat, no carbs, 2 grams protein and a lot of vitamins, probably rich in B vitamins, vitamin K, and other fat-soluble nutrients. It may play an important role in blood cell formation and the immune system and although it is high-fat it is mostly monounsaturated fat (the good kind, like what’s in olive oil: “Monounsaturated fats can have a beneficial effect on your health when eaten in moderation and when used to replace saturated fats or trans fats. Monounsaturated fats can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. They also provide nutrients to help develop and maintain your body’s cells. Monounsaturated fats are also typically high in vitamin E, an antioxidant vitamin most Americans need more of.”* from www.heart.org.

Anyway, back to the bone marrow discussion. So it appears there is another trend that hasn’t quite hit New England yet that I know of, but like all things that start on the west coast, there’s a good chance you’ll hear, read, or see it here soon and that is “bone luge or bone luging”.

 What is that exactly? Well, it appears that when you order your bone marrow, it comes served inside a rather large bone that has been sliced in half. After you have eaten your order of bone marrow, you then (or I guess a friend or bartender helps) pour booze through the bone along the marrow channel into your waiting mouth. “Why?” might be the next reasonable question. According to Jacob Grier who is credited with co-masterminding the bone luge one drunken night in Portland, OR, ““Doing the Bone Luge from a freshly eaten marrow bone does add flavor to whatever you’re drinking and that can work surprisingly well, especially with fortified wines like sherry or madeira. There was an earlier cocktail trend called fat washing that involved infusing spirits with meat fat to impart flavor. This is kind of like an instant fat wash.” (photo taken from http://host.madison.com/entertainment/dining/salud-sherry-shimmies-down-a-marrow-slide-in-bone-luging/article_7f25dfcf-eb10-55da-b7db-20f6939c6486.html)

According to “the Bone Luge Manifesto” on www.boneluge.com ,” The bone must first be prepped for the luge. Ideally, one identifies a restaurant, orders the bone marrow, consumes it normally, and then informs the bartender that a bone luge will now commence. One must consume the marrow of the luge bone luge and one can reuse a luge as often as one likes that same night, but ideally only one other person — preferably one’s spouse, life partner, long-term romance, or very attractive stranger — will share the bone. There are limits, after all, to the disinfectant properties of alcohol. The bone luge is not about spreading bacteria. The bone luge is instead about increasing the aggregate happiness in the world.

While luges can be done standing or sitting, in its perfect form one will employ both hands with pinkies extended, as befits a venue likely to have marrow on the menu.”

I did read an article about a vegetarian bar that is making “vegetarian luges” out of tofu and veggies but somehow, it doesn’t have the same primal, Paleolithic feel.

So there you have it folks. You can say you heard it hear first. But don’t expect to see anyone “bone luging” at The Green Monkey. I’m thinking it’s just another excuse for people to do shots… as if they need it!

Happy Wednesday everyone.

Deb

Hello Tuesday.  Ok, let’s say that you are out to dinner with friends and at the end of the evening the server brings you the guest check. Usually, one key person at the table looks at it and then might say “what should I leave for a tip”?  My response, no matter what, is 20%.  Am I right or wrong?

First TIP, “To Insure Promptness” is a gratuity to a server.  The real meaning comes from the 16th century verb “tip,” which meant “to give unexpectedly.” The English word was derived from the German word tippen, which means “to tap.”  In the old days, during card games, gamblers would have an accomplice in the room. This accomplice would signal the player regarding the contents of an opponent’s hand by “tipping the wink” – that is, by tapping out a code with his eyelid.

Ok, back to my topic, here’s my opinion.  Staff in restaurants work for tips, they tend to have a lower hourly rate and the gratuity offsets that. I feel if the server is attentive, gives you awesome service and you enjoyed the evening then show it in their tip.  Say your experience was not as great as you expected, but the server tried to make whatever the issue was right, still give them a good tip.  You have no idea what is going on in the other parts of the restaurant. Is the kitchen unexpectedly short handed? Is the front of the house not staffed as well as it should have been? Did the food runner no show? Did a piece of equipment break? All things the come up in owning a business and are sometimes not related to the server but can effect service. Now by all means if you have a server that is just out right rude leave them a minimal tip and then do one more thing. Give them a tip verbally or ask to speak with the manager and explain. (Always be nice, rudeness to anyone puts a bad taste in everyone’s mouth and it accomplishes nothing good).  Most of the time there is always a solution to an issue and everyone usually leaves happy.

The last thing I want to talk about is a “cash tip”.  If you are a guest that leaves cash tips, thank you from every person that is a tipped employee.  What’s Deb talking about?  Here’s the long and short of it.  We are a society of plastic and there’s nothing wrong with it.  In this not so great economy it is just the way it is.  However, tipped employees pretty much live on their gratuities. If you give them a tip by credit card, they may have to wait a couple weeks for it and some establishments make them pay the credit card processing fee on top of it.  (No, The Green Monkey does not do that). So if you intended to give them say 20% but after the processing fee now they really might only get say 17%, still an awesome tip but with cash they are guaranteed all of it.

When I write these blogs always remember this is just my opinion.  Always do what you feel is comfortable and right for you.  I hope that I get some great discussion on this blog. I am looking forward to hearing you’re feedback.

Enjoy the day,

Deb

Good Morning. It’s Monday and raining. Yuck. Well I hope you all had a great weekend.

Last night Ocean and I had the pleasure of attending the dinner that Slow Food Seacoast hosted at STREET Restaurant in Portsmouth. The food was fabulous and the 5 local authors that read from their books were wonderful. We had a great time. The fabulous MC was John Forti who is the Curator of Historic Landscapes at Strawbery Banke Museum and one of the founders of Slow Food Seacoast. For those of you unfamiliar with Slow Food Seacoast, their mission is to “Host and support events that educate about and celebrate what “good, clean, and fair food” means. We seek to learn and teach how food is produced and prepared by skilled farmers, artisans, and chefs; what we can do to support farmers and their land; and how to appreciate fresh, seasonal, and local food. At celebrations, we seek to bring together people of all ages and backgrounds to share the community table.” I’ve been to a couple of their events and it’s always a great time.

So I thought you might like to learn a little about last night authors. You can purchase their books at RiverRun Bookstore here in Portsmouth.

Joe Yonan is the Food and Travel editor of The Washington Post, where he writes a monthly column, Cooking for One, and regular feature stories. He is a two-time James Beard Foundation award-winner for best newspaper food section and the author of “Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One” (Ten Speed Press, March 2011).

Kathy Gunst is a cookbook author and the award-winning resident chef for WBUR’s Here and Now (heard on over sixty public radio stations). She read from her newest book, Notes from a Maine Kitchen, which, if you like New England food, cooking and humorous antidotes about Maine, you’ll really enjoy.

Amy Traverso is the senior lifestyle editor at Yankee magazine. Previously, she was food editor at Boston magazine and an associate food editor at Sunset magazine. Her work has also appeared in The Boston Globe, Salon.com, and Travel & Leisure, and she has appeared on The Martha Stewart Show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. She read from her latest book, The Apple Lovers Cookbook, which explores the history and offers a fascinating discussion of apples. I never knew there was so much about apples that I didn’t know.

Erin Murray is a Boston-based editor and freelance writer who took a break from the media world to work on an oyster farm for 18 months. In 2009, she convinced Skip Bennett and the growers at Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, MA to let a completely unprepared, aquaculture-illiterate food and lifestyle writer work for them to learn the business of bivalves. She read from her book “Shucked” which is a fascinating account of her experiences at the Oyster farm.

Rachel Forrest is a restaurant reviewer for the Portsmouth Herald and writes a Food column for Seacoast Online. She read from the book, Maine Classics, which she was a contributing writer for. If you enjoy reading:  “a book full of of anecdotes and full-color photos, more than 150 recipes from the state of Maine are organized by the shore, the sea, the forest, the farm, the garden, the dairy and the bakery, and include such dishes as Ham With Fried Apples, Corn Fritters With Maple Syrup, Classic Lobster Rolls, Pickled Fiddlehead Ferns and much more”, check out her book!

Another Slow Food event is coming up soon. There is a wine expo to benefit the UNH Student Scholarship Fund and is put on by The University of New Hampshire’s Department of Hospitality Management in partnership with Horizon Beverage. It’ll be a week from tomorrow, Tuesday May 1st from 5:30- 7:30pm at the Whittemore Center Arena in Durham.

Some of the participating wineries will include Beringer Vineyards, Stags’ Leap Winery, Greg Norman, Conha Y Toro, Tattinger, Domaine Carneros, Louis Jadot, Kenwood, Banfi, Joseph Phelps, Frescobaldi, Masi, Spellbound, St. Francis, Wolf Blass, Sonoma Cutrer and many others.

Tickets are only $35 (bargain!) but I haven’t checked lately to see if it’s sold out or not.

You can get your tickets (if there are any left) online at: http://www.wineexponh.com/home.html

Have a great Monday and don’t forget your umbrella!

Deb

Yay, it’s Friday! As great weather is becoming more frequent, I know a lot of you are thinking about dusting off and firing up the ol’ grill.

Isn’t it wonderful to inhale the lovely scent of barb-b-que on a nice spring evening surrounded by family or good friends. Today I’m sharing my thoughts on grilling vegetables. It’s fairly easy to do and you’ll be rewarded with some amazing flavors as well as beautiful colors on your plate.

First let’s talk about kebabs. One important tip, if you are going to use wooden skewers, make sure that you soak them in water prior to using them so they don’t burn! Soak at least 30 minutes. I like to put a variety of colorful vegetables on a kabob so you get a nice visual effect but be sure to put vegetables together that have similar cooking times. For example, cherry tomatoes and pre-boiled potatoes only take about 8-10 minutes so I keep them together and separate from my onions, mushrooms, zucchini etc. that will take a little longer, about 12-15 minutes.

To get the nice grill hash marks, pre-heat the grill then leave the veggies on the grate until you see the char lines, then rotate 90 degrees, repeat a couple of times and bingo! Beautiful grilled veggie kabobs. (photos from marthastewart.com)

If you want some great instructions and receipes on specific vegetables, follow this link to Martha Stewart’s site (love Martha!):

http://www.marthastewart.com/274751/perfect-grilled-vegetables/@center/276943/grilling-recipes#/233981

She gives a nice summary about how to cook and some receipes for: eggplant, bell peppers, portobello mushrooms, asparagus, red & yellow onions, zucchini and yellow squash, corn, potatoes, leeks and tomatoes

Also, I wanted to remind you about the New England Food Writer’s Night on Sunday from 5-8:30 at The Street in Portsmouth. The fundraiser will highlight the best of New England food writing over the course of the last year. Five local authors will read passages from their books. The chefs at Street will prepare and serve special recipes from all the authors’ cookbooks, along with fresh locally harvested oysters, local cocktails, pastries and truffles. It sounds like fun and I’m looking forward to it! As of yesterday there were still tickets available. Click here for more information or to buy tickers: http://www.slowfoodseacoast.org/

Well everyone, have a fabulous weekend and “I’ll blog ya” on Monday!

Deb

Good morning, yes it is Thursday already.  Yesterday I was at tennis and talking with two of my teammates that ran the Boston Marathon at the beginning of the week. The weather was awesome but what they had not expected was that it would be such a warm day – almost 90 degrees.  The gist of the conversation was about hydration and how important it was since tons of runners were passing out because of heat exhaustion.

 Along the same topic, I was recently reading an interesting article by Annie B. Bond who is a renowned expert in non-toxic and green living.

Basically what it says is that since our bodies are about 70 percent water, that we need to add “living water” to our diets. People who eat foods like fruits and vegetables with high water content will not need to drink as much water. Living water is a far superior way of keeping the body hydrated and cleansed so it may carry out its living functions with as little energy expenditure as possible.

Here’s the link if you want to check it the article:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-living-water-diet-how-to.html#ixzz1sUF4cbPK

So with spring here and summer just around the corner and warmer tempatures in our future, be sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Enjoy the day!

Deb