sauteed onion, poppy seed and gruyere bread

our first stop in maine

was portland.

we had plotted out the trip

for months, finally settling

on a bed and breakfast -

i'm a hotel girl, usually -

just outside the port.

at first i was bummed.

i like the idea of car-free

vacations, of walking everywhere

and never worrying about parking.

i also like the idea of hotels.

to me, they provide anonymity

and

don't coerce you into sharing your life story

with strangers while eating

a (seemingly mandatory)

breakfast that required

you to set your alarm

because meals are served

promptly at 9 am.

(can you tell that we've stayed at

bed and breakfasts before?)

but, for many reasons,

we decided to stay at the

morrill mansion and i must say

that as soon as we were there,

i was happy. on the first day,

it poured. not just poured.

think - a hurricane in the islands

making its way north kind of rain.

it was freezing cold, too.

as we stepped from the plane,

into the cold watery onslaught,

i re-evaluated every piece of

clothing i brought,

kicking myself for

the sundresses and tank tops

and wondering where i

could buy a parka if

this kept up all week.

(i think i forgot where i was...hello.)

we rented a car and as we drove

the short drive, i freaked out

about anything i could possibly

think to freak out about:

this is our vacation and its raining hard

(not unlike our honeymoon),

larry is behind the wheel of a

car he is not familiar with,

does anyone in front of us

actually know how to drive in the rain?

and what was i thinking?

two pairs of flip-flops does not

a well-rounded shoe selection make.

when we finally got to the b&b,

my mind

was ready for a rest.

the innkeeper brought us upstairs,

handing us warm chocolate chip cookies

along the way, settled us into our

room with comfy chairs and a bed

with tons of pillows.

this could work, i thought.

then, i turned around, noticing

the stack of home and food magazines

and thought, scratch that,

this is nice.

they never give you the current

issue of food & wine in a hotel room.

it was still pouring.

we weren't really ready to

take portland by storm

when it was in the midst of one.

so instead, i grabbed the f&w,

and began to chill out,

starting with a story about

amazing cottages

that i had never heard of,

located about 30 minutes away

from where we were staying.

humph.

and then, i turned to

the recipe for

pull-apart cheesy bread.

i probably would have read

it and continued on if not

for two things:

1) by far the biggest influencer -

they mentioned monkey bread.

my family? we're big fans of

monkey bread.

2) while i'm not so crazy

about poppy seeds, something

about my childhood made me

a sucker for bialys, with which

the poppy seed mixture shared

an obvious resemblance.

so i read the recipe once each day

(even though we woke up sunday,

and every day that followed to

gorgeous weather)

until we left for ogunquit,

willing myself to remember

to look up the bread when we got

home. a teeny tiny part of me toyed

with ripping it out of the magazine,

but then i flashbacked to every single

time that i read an article in a doctor's

office and the one page i've needed to finish

the story is half torn. so i left it there

for the next people visiting the mcguire room.

it took a few weeks and someone

mentioning to me

that they found a place where

poppy seeds are dirt cheap

(to which i thought,

i've never had a reason

to buy poppy seeds) before

the light went off in my head.

so, i found the recipe,

gathered the ingredients -

purchased my first poppy seeds ever -

and thought, this shouldn't

be too bad.

as the onions sauteed,

i grated the cheese and measured

out the poppy seeds.

when the onion was

sweet

and tender,

i stirred in the poppy seeds,

transferred the lot to a plate

and waited patiently for

five minutes until i could

stir the cheese in.

so far, so good.

the dough was simple, too.

flour

butter

baking soda and powder

salt

buttermilk.

i couldn't go wrong.

but when it was time to

dump the dough out on the counter,

i knew that i couldn't.

yes, the recipe said, soft dough,

but this? this would slide across

the counter, probably too liquidy

to be too sticky.

i added 1/2 cup more flour

to the mixture and it seemed firmer,

so i took a chance.

unfortunately, what was in front of me

was still not very close to dough.

i'm not sure how much flour

i kneaded in,

but it was a lot - i'd dare to say

almost a cup more until

i could get it to work with me.

realizing that i would never

be able to roll the dough out,

let alone, cover it with

the poppy seeds and onions,

cut the whole thing into strips

and layer them,

i went to plan B:

praying, pleading and plotting.

i quartered the dough,

pressing the first piece into

the bottom of the loaf pan to

completely cover. i spread

one-third of the onion mixture

over that, and then cobbled together

pieces of dough from the second section

to make a cohesive layer.

each time i worried that i would not have

enough dough to make it, but somehow,

i was cut a break - it worked.

i baked the bread,

keeping a close eye, not sure how

the four layers would cook,

opposed to the ten i was supposed

to have (where did i go wrong?)

and was relieved when it was out

of the oven in pretty much

the same amount of time.

however, this version?

not a looker.

for me,

it baked up almost

biscuit-like,

very tastily dotted with

cheesy sweet onions.

the poppy seeds? i guess

i can understand why

they are there.

in its original form

and what i turned it into,

the bread is absolutely

an interesting alternative

to a loaf of crusty bread

or even a dinner-appropriate

quick-bread.

it is not monkey bread-like, in

my opinion. it is not in ball

form and you still have to cut

the bread - once the slices

are on the diner's plate they

can be pulled apart to

play with and enjoy.

however, this recipe gave

me a great idea and i hope

that you'll see a savory

monkey bread from me

sometime in the future.

but, the inspiration for

something new we can

play with

and

maybe one day, fall in love with?

looking back, its

probably worth a rainy

afternoon in maine.

sauteed onion, poppy seed and gruyere bread

adapted from food & wine magazine

i was very torn - should i give you my cobbled together version or the original from the magazine? i think, that as long as i already gave you the wet-dough disclaimer, i should give you a chance to make good on my semi-disaster by posting the recipe as it was intended. just remember that if you have trouble, more flour will help and you can always make a patchwork version. the flavor is worth it, i think.

1 1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, divided

1 large sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

kosher salt and ground pepper

1 cup shredded gruyere cheese (3 ounces)

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and dusting

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

heat the oven to 425˚f. grease 9 x 4 1/2" metal loaf pan (mine is 5 1/2" wide).

cube butter; place one stick back in fridge until ready to make the dough.

in large skillet over medium heat, melt remaining 1/2 stick butter. remove 2 tablespoons of butter to small bowl; cover and set aside. add onions to skillet and cook 8 minutes, or until onions are softened, but not browned. stir in poppy seeds and season with salt and pepper. transfer onion mixture to plate; chill 5 minutes, or until cooled slightly. stir in gruyere; set aside.

meanwhile, in food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. add reserved chilled butter; pulse until butter is the size of peas. add the buttermilk and pulse 5 or 6 times, or until a soft dough forms.

turn dough out onto a well-floured work surface and knead 2 or 3 times. pat or roll the dough into a 2 x 24 inch rectangle. spread the onion mixture on top. cut the dough crosswise into 10 pieces. stack 9 pieces onion side up. top stack with remaining slice, onion side down. carefully place the stack in the prepared loaf pan. (as i mentioned above, i had to pat the dough into place inside the loaf pan, which worked, but it's clearly not the best method - the first layer is stress-free. the next ones though, you have to worry that you're going to get the onion mixture caught in the dough as you're trying to spread it.) either way, brush top dough layer with remaining butter.

bake on the center rack, 30 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and has risen. let the dough cool for at least 15 minutes, before unmolding and serving.

you can also make it ahead of time - it was just as good the second day. i wrapped it up in foil and reheated in a 350˚f oven.

maine. finally.

i don't even remember

who started it,

why it began or

how many years ago it

first took place,

but for almost as long

as i remember our relationship,

i remember us discussing

a vacation to maine.

we pictured it,

i think, like a nonstop

lobster festival,

heading from park

to restaurant,

enjoying lobsters,

steamed,

on a roll,

tucked inside omelets

and grilled atop

open flames in a field.

for some reason,

it was always a far-off

dream, not

exotic or untouchable,

just never really the time.

we spent years - literally -

traveling the country for

friend's weddings,

then preparing for our own

and the honeymoon

(in the process, missing

the wedding of larry's

friend from college, who married

one week before us. in maine).

but this year,

after realizing we were

obligation-free and in need

of relaxation,

we finally summoned up

the decision to go for it,

and in june, we booked

before we could change our minds:

a couple days in portland,

before finishing off the week

in ogunquit.

there was just one problem.

--

i've loved lobster forever,

proud that at a very young age,

i knew what to do with a cracker

and always oddly, even prouder,

that while everyone covets the tail,

i would probably trade mine

(albeit, a bit hesitantly)

for an extra claw.

always faithful to steamed -

i never wanted to bog the meat down

with stuffings or sauces -

i finally had my first lobster roll

two summers ago at

ed's lobster bar

in nyc.

it was without a doubt,

one of the most amazing foods

i've ever had.

if there was mayonnaise,

i didn't notice. a small slick

of melted butter and a good

sprinkling of chives - it

was unbelievable.

so good, that a month

later, for our culinary school's

grand buffet (aka, our graduation),

i decided to make mini lobster rolls.

which also meant, that i had to

kill 40 lobsters. the right way.

earlier in the year we had been

instructed to follow

the-knife-between-the-eyes

method, which was scary enough.

but now, our new chef, believed

it was better to simply pull

the tails off the still-alive bodies,

then toss them in the water.

it was...an experience.

i prepped them all on saturday

and on sunday -

the day of the buffet -

my chef walked toward

me looking kind of worried.

chefs in culinary school

- chefs in life -

don't look worried. they look

confident and no-nonsense.

they tossed your rolls last night,

he said. my rolls. mini. hot dog-

shaped brioche. special ordered.

gone. and too late in the day

to make our own.

together, we worked out a back-up

plan: shot-glasses filled with

avocado crema,

lemon and chive lobster,

roasted corn

and whipped corn cream.

they were very successful.

and it was a good thing,

too. because it was my last

positive experience with lobster.

one year later,

i went to pearl oyster bar,

specifically for a lobster roll.

the whole experience,

from a very mayonnaise drenched,

just ok lobster roll

to sneaky almost over-charging

was kind of a bust,

but the worst part came later

in the night, when i really didn't

feel well.

a little over a month later -

on labor day, actually -

i steamed lobsters at home.

that night, again, i was sick.

i think there was a little voice,

somewhere in the back of my

mind that hinted at the problem.

but it was pesky. so i ignored it.

then came new year's eve,

when i put out the cheese plate

and later, steamed lobsters.

it was a bad night.

at 4 in the morning,

after finally making a connection,

i was googling "lobster allergy."

but, still, i was willing to (maybe)

chalk it up to poor planning.

who eats a cheese plate and then

lobster and makes it out ok, right?

when we booked

the trip to maine in june,

i worried about lobster.

about eating it,

not being able to eat it.

finally one night in the beginning

of august, i knew i had put it off

long enough. we went out - larry

got a lobster.

i didn't.

i ate a claw.

one tiny claw.

an almost not worth

it claw.

i waited and after a couple

hours, i fell asleep, thinking i had

somehow won. but, alas, i woke

up hours later, not feeling well.

and that night, i came to terms

with my fate:

a lobsterless maine.

--

because in theory, the trip

was about a vacation,

not about lobsters,

we were still going.

the alternative would have

been a bit extreme, i think.

and, we ate pretty well

anyway, dealing with it by

acting like adults,

with the exception of

one night, when i sat in a

restaurant, the air thick

with the smell of lobster

and i swear,

everyone around us,

at every table, was

either anxiously

waiting to recieve or

was busy enjoying

a freshly steamed lobster.

larry included.

some food highlights:

my mom's friend joelle, sent an e-mail telling me about the amazing scallop cocktail at "a funky little place - a fisherman's type bar with great food and delicious beer on tap." one of my favorite rolls at one of my favorite sushi restaurant is the spicy scallop roll. the scallops are raw, but also, chopped fine. i wasn't sure how i would feel about the whole large raw sea scallops at j's oyster bar- but larry and i voted, and for both of us, this was our favorite thing that we ate the entire trip.

toward the middle of the week, when we needed a mini break from seafood, we decided to go to this tiny restaurant, banditos, we had passed a couple times in ogunquit. we were the only ones in the entire place, something that usually scares us away on a first time visit. i'm not sure if it was fatigue from the sun, hunger or laziness, but we stuck it out. the quesadillas were perfect - made to order, not too big (and filled with portobella mushrooms!), but i could have survived probably on the peach and vidalia onion hot sauce they kept at the sauce bar. (sidenote: we were there for an hour and were alone the whole time, save for the owner and the two kids working the counter who were trying to construct a fountain from a water hose and some rocks in the front lawn.)

the first night, and our only reservation, was spent at hugo's, a restaurant we had chosen seriously, after reading many reviews of three popular dining destinations. we were not disappointed at all - enjoying very fresh raw clams, smoked salmon roe, a pork medley (loin, belly, and um, tail), and chicken liver agnolotti, which i could not get a good picture of for all my trying, but was so delicious, i had to share. first, the beautiful biscuits they served to start off the meal.

for all the seafood we ate, larry had his fair share of pork, too. after hugo's, he enjoyed this braised thick cut "bacon," which had been coated in five-spice powder, braised and served next to arugula with smears of a maple blueberry sauce, from an odd place in portland (with yummy drinks) called local 188. when we first looked at the menu, we had no idea what we were going to eat - but had picked the place based on its proximity to our b&b. even though the innkeeper had sworn to us many restaurants were a five minute walk, this was the first we found...10 minutes later and late at night. we went with tapas...larry's bacon, a flatbread with an olive-anchovy spread, sauteed wild mushrooms with swiss chard and these, pickled string beans and chili peppers, which while tangy and lovely, actually looked in person, exactly like they do in the picture - a little pale.

and yes, there was plenty of lobster for larry. i'm not that mean. his favorites. a lobster roll from the clam shack, in kennebunkport, that beat out one he had loved earlier in the week from a lobster pound in freeport. and, from katie's, a really clean, simple and friendly place, that served not only as the perfect final meal for our vacation, but also easily swept second place in larry's rankings: truffled lobster mac and cheese. so good, he ate the rest at the airport the next day (alongside my seared scallops with a corn risotto cake).