Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Eighty-Two (Bread and Chocolate: Impress your Friends, Bribe your Kids!)

Oooooooh, finally, I got to try something I have been dreaming about:  Spelt Right Pizza Dough stuffed with the famous Death by Chocolate Sauce by Pemberton's Gourmet Foods in Grey, Maine.  It met all my expectations!

  Not long ago, I met Jim Robbins, the new owner of Pemberton's doing a local night at the Portland, Maine Whole Foods.  It felt a little strange being a consumer rather than a vendor that night, but it gave me a chance to explore.  And, explore I did.   First, meeting with Jim, and then becoming obsessed with the idea of a Spelt Right bread and Pemberton chocolate combination.   Jim is a neat guy; I immediately felt comfortable with him.  We both recently ventured into the specialty food world after leaving other professions (banking for him and law for me) following a passion to offer good food to good folks.   So, over the past few weeks I started pestering Jim.   "Hey, Jim, might I stop by for some chocolate to try with the Spelt Right Pizza Dough?"   Well, I reached him today, and he said a common phrase I often  hear regarding my many encounters. "My, you are persistent."   Well, persistence is a good thing in this business, and even better when you are in pursuit of some of the best chocolate in Maine.  "So, Jim, any chance you are going to be around today and you've got some chocolate hanging around?"   Hurray!  Scored!  Today I made my trek to Pemberton's and am so glad I did. 

Pemberton's offers an array of specialty sauces: some savory, some sweet, all delicious. You can buy them at Whole Foods, Hannafords, Micuccis, Rosemont and many other spots.   I was fortunate to try many of them on top of the Spelt Right Pizza Dough that I so handily brought with me.   The Death by Chocolate (I think of it more as Heavenly Chocolate) and Spelt Right Pizza Dough combo is a match made in Heaven.   Having it just once today wasn't enough, so I brought some home and made a few for the family to try.   TWO CHOCOLATE COVERED THUMBS UP!!!   At one point, Spencer was saying "MAAAUUUMMM" while he was sitting in the dining room as I was cleaning up drips of chocolate here and there.  "What?" I retorted, sensing that he was about to tattle on his sister again. "Ummmm" he said in this 13 year old dialect, "Ummmm, this is the best dessert I have ever had.  It reminds me of those things stuffed with chocolate made of wheat that I can't eat any more.  This is sooooooooo good.  Is there anymore?"  Enough said, these things are a hit, make them for your friends, they will be impressed.   Make them for your kids, they could be used as a bribe!

Ingredients: Spelt Right Pizza Dough (fully thawed and risen), Pemberton's Death by Chocolate (we used both original and raspberry).   Preheat oven to 375.  Divide dough into 8 even balls.  Make small pizzettes, place about 1 TBL of the DBC in center.  Fold to make a triangle.  Leave a slight gap in the center or you will have a chocolate explosion.  Place on oiled baking sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly brown on the top.  ENJOY!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Eighty-One (The 10 Mile Trio)

I am on a Maine kick these days.   I am truly loving this state.   Perhaps it is a bit of infatuation with the streak of warm weather or the fact that a traffic jam lasts about 3 minutes.   Or maybe, it is something a little deeper.  There is a community culture here, a sense of openness and access that is hard to match.  A culture of neighbor helping neighbor, business entrepreneur helping business entrepreneur. A culture of mutual cooperation. 
And, so is the story of the 10 Mile Trio - a pizza made with ingredients sourced in Maine all businesses within a 10 mile radius of one another.  This 10 mile trio includes ingredients from Spelt Right Baking in Yarmouth, Maine, Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine, and Olivia's Garden in New Gloucester, Maine.  If you have not visited Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, you should put it on your agenda.  It is a MUST stop on your visit to Maine.

  Ingredients:  Spelt Right Pizza Dough (fully thawed and risen), Pineland Farms Tomato Basil Harvest Pasta Sauce (made with Olivia's Garden tomatoes), Pine Land Farms Fresh Cheese Curd, corn meal for the pizza peel.   Preheat oven to 450F.  If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven on the upper shelf.  Divide Spelt Right Pizza Dough into two even balls.   Stretch or roll out.  I placed these on a pizza peel generously sprinkled with corn meal, but you can put this on a lightly oiled stainless steel baking pan.  Top with Pineland Sauce, and Pineland Farms Cheese Curd.   If using a peel, tip the peel toward the pizza stone, and gently persuade the pizza with a spatula onto the pizza stone.   If using a pan, place in the oven on upper shelf.   Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until done.   The consensus from those with refined palates (Tim, Emma, Spencer, and mom) is that this is a richly excellent combination.   The comment from the peanut gallery, eight year old Olivia was that it was not plain enough.   Verdict? Two thumbs up.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Eighty (Maine: The Way Life Should Be)

I should NEVER EVER complain about living in Maine, and, if I ever do during one of those long winters, remind me that I should NEVER EVER complain about this state.   It is simply beautiful!  We have incredible beaches just a stone's throw (If you have a great throwing arm) from where we live.  And, vibrant Portland with its cobble stone streets, world class restaurants, and bustling waterfront is just a 15 minute drive.  The Spelt Right bake house is in a historic mill enveloped by the Royal River which powers it.  And, if I were a skier and a hiker, I might mention the hills and the mountains, but I'm not so I guess I won't mention them....
AND, the LOBSTERS....I truly want to be vegetarian, but there are a few things that keep me from making the commitment.  Did I mention the LOBSTERS at $3.99 -$5.00 per pound, please.....AND, how about the fresh Haddock purchased at the Portland waterfront caught that morning?

Dinner on this beautiful Maine night.   Lobsters, Spelt Right Bread Sticks, Shipyard Beer (for papa).  The kids and mom were satisfied with filtered Maine tap water from Sebago Lake. 

Ingredients: Maine lobsters, Spelt Right Pizza Dough, powdered garlic (we love Frontier), extra virgin olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese, Shipyard beer

Directions:
Lobsters: We get the lobsters pre-cooked so will leave the directions for someone more experienced.  Spelt Right bread sticks: One Spelt Right Pizza Dough, fully thawed and risen, extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, pre-grated Parmesan cheese.  Pre-heat oven to 450.   Roll out 10-20 dough sticks, roll dough in EVOO, then sprinkle with garlic powder, then roll in Parmesan cheese.  Bake until brown on bottom.  Turn over and continue to bake until lightly brown.
Beer: pop off cap

PS:  I might complain just a little bit about the mosquitoes, but then again, I can be thankful for the simple curing powers of Witch Hazel....ohhh, my kids just love that name.

Lunch Box Chronicles Day Seventy-Nine (Amen! Peanut Butter & Jelly Angels)

What to do?  Summer camp and really no sandwich food in the house.  And, we just don't do pre-made store bought lunches or anything with artificial ingredients.   We have learned to always, always, always having a Spelt Right pizza dough ball thawing in the fridge.   It gives us a great base for diverse lunches, especially for Picky Olivia.    Tim (the loyal spouse and devoted dad) looked slightly desperate yesterday.   "What are we going to make?"   I had two quick solutions:  Viola!  Angels descended with PB&J wrapped in Spelt Right pizza dough (Olivia loved it!) and Olivia's Garden's Pesto (different Olivia!), mozzarella wrapped in Spelt Right pizza dough.

Ingredients and Directions:  One Spelt Right Pizza Dough fully thawed and risen.  The ingredients listed above.  This can make at least 10.  Preheat oven to 400-450.  Shape dough in 10 small rounds.   On a lightly oiled baking pan, place what ever ingredients you think might be tasty inside and make a triangle with the dough.  BE SURE TO SEAL ALL GAPS or the ingredients will come oozing out during the bake.  Bake at 375 until lightly brown on top.  Check out post DAY ONE for clear instructions on how to make the triangles. http://speltrightbaking.blogspot.com/2010/04/lunch-box-chronicles-day-one.html.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy-Eight (Beach Fare)

Well, I finally did it.  I took off a day and went to the beach and it was DIVINE.  Ferry Beach is Scarborough, Maine is such a magical place with its shallow pools and creepy crawly aquatic life.  And,  it is especially cool when the tides are high enough to jump off the sand banks into deep water.   Spencer and I had a blast jumping and diving off while letting the currents carry us.   It brought me back to childhood, though the water somersaults made me much dizzier than when I was a kid.   With the beach, comes summer fare, packed in a cooler ....In Scarborough, we call it Scarborough Fare (without the parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme)....I guess you need to know Simon and Garfunkel to appreciate that one.

We made some quick pizza triangles (fitayers) with Spelt Right dough, but also made some nice sweets with my favorite RASPBERRY CHAMPAGNE fruit spread from Fieldstone Farms.

Ingredients:  One Spelt Right Pizza Dough (fully thawed and risen), Fieldstone's Raspberry and Champagne Fruit Spread.

Instructions: Cut dough into 4 equal balls.   On pizza peel, sprinkle finely ground corn meal generously (I like to use a an organic non GMO corn meal).  Roll doughto less than 1/4 inch thick on pizza peel.  Spread on fruit spread.   Roll and place on pan in 350 degree oven until brown on top.   Bring to beach!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy-Seven:The Perfect Maine Trio for a Very Hot Day (Spelt Right Sesame Bagel, Kate's Butter, and Fieldstone Farms Red Raspberry with Champaign Fruit Spread)

Today was HOT, is HOT, and promises to continue to be HOT.   HOT is not so great when you need to make 2,000 + bagels in a day in a non climate controlled bake house, but who is complaining?  Really, I'm not.  I'm just hot.  And tired, having worked a 9 hour day, packaging bagels, organizing the freezer, and cleaning the bakery.  But, the neat thing about today and this weekend is the YARMOUTH (MAINE) CLAM FESTIVAL.   I used to poo poo the Clam Festival, behaving a bit baahumbugish, but yesterday at the annual CLAM FESTIVAL parade, a change overcame me, a good one at that.

After another busy day at the bake house, I trudged up Bridge Street to Main to join my family for the PARADE.   I was preparing to poo poo the event, feeling really that I was above all this frivolity.  As I watched the bands, the kiddie paraders (keep on jumpin' Angus!), the endless mini cars and trucks from the Kora and Shriners, the pageant winners, the float winners, the emergency vehicles, the stilt walkers, the antique cars, the cheerleaders, and the various other ordinary folks entertaining the crowds, I could feel the PASSION.  And, I felt moved.  A little like the Grinch whose heart began to grow.  And, then looking around at all the vendors, artisans and craftsfolks (many of whom are friends and acquaintances) displaying all types of wares:  applesauce (Hey There Pastor Chuck), embroidered bird T's (nice work Whimsy!), Peace T's (way to go Meg + ALI), incredible fruit spreads by Fieldstone Farms (great to see you again David) it occurred to me that this annual festival is driven by passion.  And, passion is what makes the ordinary EXTRA-ORDINARY.   And, really, what is life without passion?

So, despite the hot and long days at work, I step back and realize I should stop kvetching about Spelt Right Baking because it is also driven by PASSION. 

And, today's dinner, a Maine trio, compliments of Fieldstone Farms, is a SPELT RIGHT sesame bagel (toasted), Kate's Butter, and Fieldstone Farm's Red Raspberry With Champagne, all natural fruit spread.  The perfect light meal for an extremely hot and busy day.

  I first tried Fieldstone Farms at the New England Products Trade Show.  I became a fan immediately. David Jones, who owns the company with his wife, Brenda, is a really nice guy AND this fruit spread is PHENOMENAL.  David and Brenda's niceness is somehow transferred into every jar of these amazing products.  If you haven't tried it, you should treat yourself (the Red Raspberry with Champagne is my favorite).   Here's their website.  Fieldstone Farms website.

Spelt Right Chronicles: Day Seventy-Six (Smiling Spelt Right Bagels by Steff D.)

Well, I typically do not post faces on this blog (have you noticed?).  Just hands and fingers and food, but I am making an exception here for Steff Deschenes, who posts her face on FACE BOOK nightly, opening her nightly dinner feats to her readers.  Steff is also the author of "The Ice Cream Theory," The reviewer in the Portland Press Herald is endeared to this book, calling it "a cozy, upbeat book that tells us a lot about people -- vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, even pistachio -- and how we often interact. Most of all, it offers fresh, insightful looks at ourselves. Seldom has a book with ice cream as its central metaphor been so endearingly warm."  AND, the book has won at least 10 indie book awards.   I haven't YET had time to read it, but it is at the top of my list. 

Steff is full of good energy, positive karma, and incredible drive for one who is 25 years young.   Imagine writing a book by 25 years young? 

Also, Steff is doing a little fund raising to help market her book.   Check out her site and, if you are so inclined, send her a buck or two or twenty.  Such good energy deserves support. http://steffdeschenes.blogspot.com/

Here's her Spelt Right Recipe for the night.

Cucumber and tomato sandwich with Vegenaise on a Sesame Spelt Right bagel.

PS:  Kind of curious that a vegan, or almost vegan, wrote a book about ice cream....more reason to check out the book.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy-Five (Guest Chronicler Diana S.)

Well, folks, I have officially crossed over into another plain.  Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

I have learned new vocabulary words these days as we try to figure out how to transport our GLORIOUS Spelt Right bagels to faraway lands.  First word: LOGISTICS - sounds complicated and it is, but in simple terms means "how in the hell do we get this bagel from here to there without flipping over trucks, thawing out product, or breaking the bank?"  The second word is "REEFER".  Now, when I was in college and someone said reefer, it evoked images of smoke and dreadlocks, and perhaps songs by Jimmy Cliff.   In my NEW WORLD, REEFER is another term for a truck with a cooling unit in it a/k/a a truck that will keep our product safe from thawing out.   And, the third word of the day is "SLEEPER", which in my other world meant a boring professor or a slow movie or some lecturer who was pontificating about this or that.  In my NEW WORLD, SLEEPER means the cab of a truck, perhaps a REEFER with a cozy compartment in it for truckers to sleep in.   I also learned that SLEEPER means that the truck is configured in such a way that it simply can't negotiate the windy driveway at the beautiful SPARHAWK MILL, which in turn keeps me SLEEPLESS.....and still trying to figure out LOGISTICS.   

So with all of this energy spent on logistics, reefers, and sleepers, I simply have not had time to cook.  My kids are getting a lot more 'away from home' meals these days.   Good thing we have good food choices in Portland Maine.   Also good thing that I have good friends, some new, some aged-well, who are providing wonderful incarnations with Spelt Right pizza dough and bagels to post on the Spelt Right Lunch Box Chronicles.   Tonight I will post two such recipes, one from Diana (a friend from high school with whom I reconnected on FaceBook) and the other Steff Deschenes (a friend made this year with whom I have connected on FaceBook).  Both are very neat woman.

Here's Diana's recipe:

Grilled Spelt Right pizza: fresh veggies & sheep cheese!  

Now, I can't tell you exactly how Diana made this, but I am going to guess that she let the Spelt Right Pizza Dough rise to double its size inside the bag, and then GENTLY shaped the dough into some free form shape (who says pizzas always have to be circular?) on a pizza peel dusted with corn meal.   Topped with grilled veggies of her choice and SHEEPS MILK CHEESE.   She then gently schooched the pizza on a grill which was about 400 F......What can I say, my mouth is watering!   We have been saying that Diana needs to come up to visit.  Perhaps, the time is now.  I am HUNGRY.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy-Four (Flayir bil-Flayfli - The Universal Language of Food)

I am so attached to food and eating and feeding anyone who crosses my path.   Food is the one link to my ancestoral past.  Imagine escaping your home, leaving all behind, and having family members scatter.  The images are lost, there are no papers, just memories.  But, when the memories fade, the languages are forgotten, and the generation who braved the escape is gone, those born into new generations have lost the links.  We are orphans longing for that connection.  But out of the gardens and bowls and ovens arise certain textures, aromas, and tastes that are like the spirits of our grandparents.  They linger; they evoke emotion and bring about comfort.

So it is.  My grandparents immigrated to the US around 1912 from the Middle East, leaving all behind, venturing into a new land.   Their children were taught to be "American" and to look whiter and dress cleaner, to lose the accent, and forget the language.   Their grandchildren so blended in the New World that there was barely a vestige of the past, except, that is for the flavors.

And, it is with these flavors, and the careful hand making of food that I channel my grandparents, thanking them for making the hard journey, for leaving their families, and for holding out hope for generations to come.   And, it is with these flavors that I feel so at home, so grounded and so connected to that lost world that I may never see and the language I will never learn.  And, it is with these flavors that I will pass on family history with tastes that no one will forget.

And, here I offer one of my situ's favorite recipes - yes, I know that I have posted this before, but good history should repeat itself.

And thanks to my cousin Donna who I saw at the Shogry Family reunion, I have found out the Arabic Name for these!!! Flayir bil-Flayfli

Two Spelt Right Pizza Doughs, fully thawed, double in size (we'll give you a picture this time)
Two cups walnuts (measure and then chop finely)
Two medium red peppers
One onion finely chopped
Juice from two whole lemons
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Mix all ingredients (except dough) in medium bowl
Cut 12-16 even dough balls (from two doughs)
Stretch or roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick (more or less) rounds, place on oiled baking sheet
Place about 2 TBL of pepper, walnut mixture on rounds
Bake at 40-450 for 15-20 minutes or until dough is golden brown.

These are great hot or cold for breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner, or after dinner. Yum, yum, and yum. Always a two thumbs up.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy-Three (PEACE of Pizza)

The humidity is putting a damper on home cooked meals.   No oven for me these days.  Thank goodness we have a grill.

We made some grilled pizzas yesterday.  The grill was bit too hot (500) so burned the bottoms.  Next time, the grill should be lower 400 with the center burner off to create convention but not direct heat in the center.   Here's a picture of our creations:   Spelt Right Pizza Dough, Anjon's Pizza Sauce, Hannaford Mozzarella, sauteed mushrooms and garlic, chopped onions.   As you will see, I prefer a thick crust on the grill so the goodies on top don't seep through.

Notice the Peace Sign?

Yum.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy-Two (Happy Birthday Spelt Lime Cake)

Yesterday Spencer turned 13.  I cried at strange times, talking on the phone with my sister, meeting with the sales rep from Sunrise Guide.  Perhaps, it was the complete lack of sleep last night, or perhaps, the fact that the little three year old who was once screaming out for help is now the thirteen year old who reaches out to help.  Or, maybe it was just the relentless humidity?  Not quite sure, but it was just a day for crying. 

Tim and Spencer made a great tofu stir fry while I was on the computer sending Emma and Sophie directions for their three days of demos in Connecticut.  I give these girls a lot of credit.  It's not easy out there convincing people to try a product that you have thrown your heart and soul into.  Yet, it is gratifying, especially when the customers' mouths are too full to talk, but they signal you with the universal sign of approval - a thumbs up.

I asked Spencer what kind of cake he would like.  "Just, something really, really special,"  he said.  I threw together a typical yellow cake recipe, but modified it to make it quite tasty (and special), but a bit solidly gooey.

Fresh Lime Spelt Cake with Fresh Lemon Drizzle
3/4 cup butter - softened in a bowl
1 3/4 cups organic cane sugar or organic evaporated cane juice (same stuff as far as I can tell)
2-3 eggs (depending upon size)
1 1/2 cups Vita Organic Spelt Flour
1 cup Vita Organic Whole Spelt Flour
2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla (which I did not put in)
Juice from one fresh lime
1 1/4 cups of milk

Preheat oven to 375.   In a bowl blend the butter and sugar until creamy.  Add the eggs, keep blending.  Mix together the flour and baking powder in another bowl.  Alternately pour milk and flour into butter mix.  Squeeze in a full lime, alternately add in with milk, flour, etc.   Butter to round cake pans, pour in batter.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until done.

WARNING!!!  DO NOT PUT THIS IN A BUNDT PAN like I did (to make it very very special), because it will leak through and SMOKE up the entire house.   We tell you this from experience.

We then made a lemon glaze, recipe is a little of this and that, but take about 2 TBL butter, melt, add some milk, add some confectioner's sugar, add some fresh lemon juice, mix until glazey.    Pour over top of cakes after cooled.   You can stack these cakes.  Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.  Spencer garnished with slices of fresh lemon and lime.  YUMM!!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy-One (Grilled Dough with garlic and olive oil)

It has been blazin' hot in Maine and the thought of turning on an oven is just too much.  We really appreciate our grills at times like these. 
Perfect night for grilled veggies and grilled dough, and grilled veggies on dough.

Spelt Right Pizza Dough is so awesome.  This stuff needs to be in more places.  Hey, NYC!!!  We are ready for you!   Please start ordering, you will be so happy you did. (PS - Check out this plug we received from Toni on NY http://www.tonionny.com/spelt-pizza-horray

Menu:
Ratatouie - thank you Tim for making this.  It was wonderful, but the recipe is too complicated for tonight.
Grilled zucchini stuffed with chevre, finely minced mint, pepper, and minced garlic (thank you Olivia for picking the mint and to Spencer for preparing the Zucchini)
Grilled zucchini with olive oil and garlic
Spelt Right flat breads - grilled

Instructions for the flatbreads:  One Spelt Right Pizza Dough (fully thawed and risen).  Divide into 6-8 balls, shape rounds (not too thin) on cornmeal dusted pizza board.  Brush with EVOO and mashed garlic with salt (we do this with a mortar and pestle).  Also, can use other toppings.  Place on Hot Grill.  Check in about 3 minutes.  You will know when they are done.  Enjoy!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy (Homemade Pesto on Spelt Dough)

This my second post today.   This morning we joined the Scarborough Farmer's Market for some Fourth of July marketing.  The market had a steady flow of customers, but not quite as busy as we would have liked.  Our focaccia was a big hit.  Sold out and know what to bring more of next time.  After the market, I crashed for an early afternoon nap, only to be awaken by the VERY LOUD "MOM!!!!, When are we going to Aquaboggan!?!?"  Thank you Olivia for waking me from my deep sleep....I dreamed my way out of my dream and into reality knowing that I could not break the promise of an Aquaboggan Day.   So, along came Grandma, Spencer, Tim and Olivia and made our way into aquatic heaven.   Arriving after 3pm is always a treat with discounted prices and less crowds. 

We made our way back home around 6:30pm to sort through all of the wonderful finds from the Scarborough Farmer's Market - lettuces of all varieties, more lettuce, more lettuce, beets, mesclum greens, and some other unknown greens.   The night before, we bought some basil from Olivia's Garden (not to be confused with Olivia the 8 yr old).  We set to work, chopping and preparing.

MENU: Spelt Right Pizzettes with homemade pesto (some topped with mozzarella and fresh tomatoes), salad, beets, and beet greens.

HOMEMADE PESTO (adapted from The Treasury of Creative Cooking):
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 TBL pine nuts
1 bunch of Olivia's Garden basil (or any other variety you can find)
2 medium garlic cloves (peeled)
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is best, but I used already grated)

Step One: saute pine nuts in 1 TBL of EVOO until golden - be careful not to burn
Step Two: Combine all ingredients, except the cheese, in a food process.  Blend until finely chopped.
Step Three: Transfer basil mixture into bowl, fold in cheese.
Set Aside

Preheat oven to 450F.  Take one fully thawed and risen Spelt Right dough.   Cut into 6-8 balls.  Shape into pizzettes on to lightly oiled baking pan.  Top with Pesto.  Add mozzarella and sliced tomatoes if desired.   Bake until edges are golden brown.   Serve with salad, beets, beet greens or whatever else you may find at a Farmer's Market.  Enjoy!  Two Thumbs Up

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Sixty-Nine (Spelt Right Bagels with Lobsta!)

I am posting twice today because the Fourth has been an awesome day with family and I'm a bit delinquent on the posts.  The first "recipe" is a Spelt Right Everything Bagel with some of the best lobster salad I have ever had. 

The other day I received an email from Phil of Derosier's Brewtopia Trading Co. in Freeport, Maine asking to sample Spelt Right Pizza dough for possibly including it on their menu.   After delivering bagels, breads, and dough to Royal River Natural Foods and Bow Street Market in Freeport, I made a quick stop at Derosier's.  I was expecting a large fancy glitzy place to fit the glitziness that has become Freeport (what happen to the campiness of Bean Boots?).  Instead, I found a small family owned mom and pop grocery/pizzeria/scoop shop with pictures on the wall dating back to 1905 when the Derosier family started the business.   Phil proudly shared that DeRosier's is one of the few family businesses remaining on Main Street in Freeport and that it has been in his family for five generations.  It was either his "great great" or his "great" grandfather who started the business.  Seeing the pictures on the wall reminded me of George's Market in Adams, MA, the market founded by my father's father in 1915, but now, long gone.

Having become enamored with the Deroiser story, I ended up giving Phil two pizza doughs, a sample bag of Sesame Mucho bagels, and a few stray Everything Emmas.  I then asked him if he could make me a lobster sandwich on an Everything Emma.  He kindly offered it as a fair trade. What a treat!  Truly the best tasting lobster salad I have had, ever!  Now, I was only going to take a bite, but it was way too good to save, so I took a pic with my Blackberry - slightly blurry and half way eaten, but the best I could do.

I'm not sure if Derosier's will pick up Spelt Right as a dough.  It may or may not be the perfect addition to their shop, but one thing I know for sure, I will be visiting Derosier's again for a Lobster Roll, but because I am such a spelt fan, it will likely be BYOB, bring your own bagel.   As for my readers, if you are in Freeport, and are looking for a great quick lunch, stop by Derosier's on Main St.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Sixty-Eight (Apple Tarts complimented by Break Dancing)

Well today has offered quite a treat after coming home semi (or actually really) grumpy.  The first was taking a nice long walk with Tim around the neighborhoods and to the Scarborough Marsh.  The second was watching 8 year old Olivia break dance - which she made me rate on a scale of one to ten.  Dance One started at a 7.5, Dance Three, with its squiggly moves and cross over arms ended with a 10.   Maine Has Got Talent -- or, at least, boundless energy.

Good thing we had some left over Spelt Right Apple Turnovers made the night before to feed the Mainer Who Has Got Talent.

Ingredients: One Spelt Right Pizza Dough (fully thawed and risen).  Four apples sliced sliced very thin and then chopped in small chunks.  Cinnamon and Sugar to taste.  We used Ceylon Cinnamon from Frontier Spices and Organic Evaporated Cane Juice for the sugar.

On a pizza peel that is dusted with fine corn meal or on a lightly oiled pan, cut dough into 8 even balls, roll or gently shape into rounds.  In a bowl, mix apples, cinnamon and sugar.  Place a dollop of the apple mix on the dough, fold over into a half circle.  Pinch ends.  Place on oiled baking pan.  Bake at 375 until golden brown.   Yumm!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Sixty-Seven (We're back!!)

Well, we survived our first attempt at the Fancy Food Show and thank McMahon's Farms for inviting us into their vendors' booth.  We were so busy just meeting and greeting and sampling that we hardly had a moment to check out the thousands of other vendors there.  Overall, it was a good first experience for us, though we did leave with ideas on how to make it better next year.

As always, we find NYC exhilarating, exhausting, frustrating, magnetic.   We love visiting with our relatives and friends (thank you both Mickey and Alissa for separate nights out at Turkish restaurants - one on the East Side and one on the West).  And, we thank Erica and Jim for making it possible to be in the City without Olivia....And, we thank our friends of friends of friends' friends who toured Spencer around the City while we worked the show.

After our six hour return drive, we came home to a house that was depleted of the fixins' for dinner, but somehow I cobbled together a meal with grass fed beef burgers, pita made Spelt Right dough, assorted lettuces from Tim's backyard garden, olives from Cortas Lebanese foods (I love Cortas brands and I actually got to meet the Cortas family at the Fancy Food Show), spelt focaccia strips, some left over cheese hiding in the fridge, and my almost famous three bean salad. Recipe to be provided at a later date.

Overall, not a bad meal for slim pickins', but as for a recipe...you're just going to have to think creatively with the list I provided.