summer breeze, on the wharf

Today was a family affair. The five of us took a trip to the Pemaquid Beach, the beautiful ocean, and my favorite place on Earth. When we go to the ocean the trip usually entails a trip to Shaw’s Fish & Lobster Wharf, in New Harbor Maine. This place brings seafood from the boat to your plate. Fresh straight from the ocean, you can even watch the fishermen come in off the waters.

I have been going the wharf since I was a child. You can smell the sweet seafood as soon as you shut the car door; the rich aroma hits the senses. Either sitting outside on the deck overlooking the harbor, all the boats, lobster traps and ocean waves for miles to see, or inside in the restaurant adorned with lobster and fishing sentiments, everything any Maine home on the coast would incline. The cozy and laid back atmosphere, also a characteristic of being Maine, makes eating and enjoying Shaw’s amazing seafood a tantalizing experience.

Whenever my family eats at Shaw’s, it’s comical to say, that we have a system, an exact “order” in which we order our food. Since we have the complete menu memorized after all, as soon as we get to the restaurant my dad will order us a Blooming Onion, a whole large onion that is cut into pieces, like a flower, but it is still intact in the bottom, then battered and deep fried. It is served with a spicy dipping sauce, that I am sure contains Horseradish, but I like to use a combination with ketchup. While we eat the appetizer, we decided what we want to eat. Usually the Blooming Onion is gone within a few minutes, it is completely devoured.  We choose selections of sides and share, which excludes any unnecessary fries, coleslaw, or dinner rolls; just gimme the seafood. Today we ordered an array of dishes: Crab Cakes, Fried Scallops, Lemon Pepper Broiled Scallops, Clam Chowder, Fried Shrimp, and Lemon Pepper Broiled Haddock. All of the food was fantastic, cooked perfectly, everything I wanted and of course expected from Shaw’s. Why do you think I keep going back for more?

http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Harbor-ME/Shaws-Wharf/122322646713?v=wall

NEW: Recipe of the Week

Finally, I get to share my secret Grilled Chicken marinade, I have not even told my mother! It is an easy “go to” recipe, for any night of the week, and for me, I know I always have the ingredients in my refrigerator and pantry. The flavor is powerful, yet subtle, allowing an array of different flavors and pairings to go alongside the chicken. Use it on meaty chicken thighs, potatoes, pork or even fish as well, the marinade itself is also versatile.

Enjoy the recipe!

my summer reading list

Ever since school has ended for the semester, and the sun has shown so bright, all I have wanted to do is soak up the heat and read. Of course for me, reading entails a book about, well, food. Already, I have started reading two books, the first, Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser, was given to me for Christmas and as soon as I opened the first page, I dove right in to the history. Although I have not finished the novel, I am quite away through the plot line, the history of the emergence of the fast food frenzy in America. The plot follows the McDonald brothers, Richard and Maurice, in their creation and adaptation to hook their American consumer of their fast food joint McDonalds, to Ray Kroc who took the McDonald brothers to the supreme level. Schlosser echoes the success of McDonald’s and its alteration to the eating and consuming habits of Americans with Walt Disney and his success with the amusement park, Disneyland in southern California.

The other novel, What to Eat, by Marion Nestle, was given to me by my sister, who goes to Wellesley College, and took a nutrient class a few semesters ago. In the first chapter that I have finished explains the psychological blueprint of supermarkets in order to maximize sales and trick the consumer. I had never thought about how my detail goes into landscaping the entryway with culinary perfumed foods, and hiding the milk and necessities in the back, leading from a maze.

 I cannot wait to finish reading these novels. Read any awesome books lately, pertaining to food? What are they? Let me know. Happy eating… AND reading!