Cooking the Books & (Almost) Edible Art
Plus: The Summerland Secret
Greetings from Maine! My galley-sized kitchen is officially open for the season, and I’m baking to keep warm. The weather’s been your typical late spring in Maine smorgasbord: two wild 90-degree days (yup, I dove in the cove and the 50- ish-degree water was not quite heart stopping, but close); a boatload of rain; and 40-degree winter hat-worthy mornings. Bring it on! I love this old drafty lobster trap of a house!
Besides baking, I’ve sprung the kayak from hibernation; the paddleboard is parked until real summer arrives. I’ve also been enjoying a food-adjacent literary bonanza. Did you know that Maine has the country’s second most bookstores per capita, more than double the national average? Naturally, I had to check out a couple of new shops (props to Fiction in Wiscasset for the organic dog treat samples) and attend two book events, both involving food, which I’m now declaring a mandatory consideration for all future book signing events.
I’m also very excited for the summer opening of Megs Senk’s new cookbook shop, Upstairs Books above the pizzeria she and her husband run in Warren. More will be revealed.
Batter Up: A Cookie-Tasting
…masquerading as a book signing. As reader Linda T is fond of saying, I’m here for the food. Or, in this case, cookies. Last week’s event at Print: A Bookstore in Portland featuring friend and baker extraordinaire Domenica Marchetti’s latest Italian Cookies cookbook was hands-down the sweetest book signing I’ve ever attended. And the cookbook, part travelogue, part art gallery is pretty sweet itself.
The book covers Domenica’s journey across all 20 regions of Italy and features gorgeous artwork, photography and essays and, oh, yeah, 100 cookie recipes. For the event, Domenica baked nearly 200 cookies from five recipes in the book. Were there any left at the end of the night? Nope.
Before the books were signed, a lively conversation ensued between Domenica and Kathy Gunst, James Beard award-winning food journalist and the resident chef on NPR’s award-winning show, Here & Now, during which the audience learned (a) that Domenica considers Pignoli the most overrated Italian cookie; (b) about shrinkflation in Kirkland-brand butter; and (c) where to score leaf lard.
The July leg of Domenica’s book tour will take her westward through Milwaukee, Chicago, and Detroit, with a potential trip to Southern California in the fall. Trust me, the cookies are worth it!
On Deck: A Yacht Club Launch
Last night, Maine-based author Ellen Baker kicked off her latest book, Summerland Cove, with a launch party at the Wiscasset Yacht Club. The event, featuring a dinner menu inspired by the novel, was catered by Water Street Kitchen & Bar and included signature cocktails and birthday cake for one of the novel’s characters.
Sneak a peek at the “secret” cocktail recipe—the perfect choice for summer book clubs, hammock reading or porch parties.
THE “SUMMERLAND SECRET” SIGNATURE COCKTAIL
Makes 1 serving
2 oz. Rosé Prosecco
2 oz. Newman’s Own Limeade
Splash of St. Germain
Small lemon wedge
6-10 Maine (wild) blueberries (frozen) or 1-2 regular blueberries
Combine Rose Prosecco and limeade in a champagne flute. Add a splash of St. Germain.
Add blueberries and lemon wedge. Serve immediately.
If you’re looking for a mocktail version, try substituting nonalcoholic sparkling rosé for Prosecco and elderflower syrup for St. Germain. I have not had time to test this!
For all the recipes from the special menu—sloppy joes, pasta salad, fruit salad and a special cookie cake—sign up to receive the Reader’s Guide for Summerland Cove. The sloppy joe recipe comes straight from Ellen’s mom. “It was a staple of family parties when I was growing up,” Ellen says. “I never dreamed I would end up serving sloppy joes at the launch party!”
I adored Ellen’s first book, Keeping the House, and I’m certain I’ll love Summerland Cove just as much, if not more.
Art To Table: Visual Sustenance
From the “Not Literary but Food-Related” file, a trip to the Art to Table exhibit at the Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset (what is it with Wiscasset this month?). Two floors of provocative paintings, sketches and sculpture celebrating Maine as a leader in the farm-to-table movement. From sardines to shellfish, blueberries and beyond, I left with a figuratively full plate and heart.
The Bake Session
These chocolate Rolo Cookies from a vintage ’90s issue of Cook & Tell were a far cry from Domenica’s fancy Italian treats. It was the stickiest dough this side of Krazy Glue—the disposable gloves I wore to roll it into ping-pong sized balls literally stuck together. The cookies, with a Rolo caramel melted in the middle, were super gooey even after an extra five minutes of baking and a ten-minute cool-down on the baking sheet before hitting the rack. They were tasty, though and I left from the gathering I made them for with an empty container, but mark my words: I am never making them again.
Yours for good times in the kitchen,
Amie
The Cook & Tell Library | Recipe Index | Owner’s Manual | Notes | the micro mashup | instagram
Sounds like I need to stop in Wiscasset on my way back from Deer Isle. I was so glad to see you at Print. Thanks for making the trip. I’ve been noticing, with great pleasure, all the bookstores wherever I go in Maine. This morning I picked up a used copy of E.B. White’s essays for the New Yorker from 1927 to 1976 at a quirky little shop in Stonington. On to another bookstore, in Blue Hill, this afternoon. Your gooey cookies look delicious!
Wow, so many treats and books. Love it. Also, I made the date nut macaroons! So delicious, and this will be on repeat for sure. Thanks, Amie!