Great Britain by rail: All aboard for Bath, England, a UNESCO World Heritage site

Hilary Nangle
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Great Britain by rail: All aboard for Bath, England, a UNESCO World Heritage site

You’re probably expecting the Maine Travel Maven to share her thoughts about Bath, Maine, but this time I’m heading across the pond to Bath, England, one of the cities and towns I visited while touring Great Britain by train.

This UNESCO World Heritage city, home to England’s only hot springs, is an easy day trip from London via train. I only spent about six hours in this delightful city—with most of that exploring the Roman Baths and the Thermae Bath Spa’s New Royal Bath, but I hope to return and immerse myself in more than the hot springs.

Here’s why: I went to take the waters, but this city won me over with its deep history and rich heritage. But first, those waters:

THE NEW BATHS

Thermae Bath Spa’s New Royal Bath isn’t a fancy or pricey spa, but one that is designed to encourage public support and use. The 92-degree waters contain more than 42 minerals, so I figured a good soak would be beneficial and maybe help counter my jetlag. A two-hour spa session, including the rooftop pool, aroma steam rooms, and Minerva bath,  is 25 pounds, add towel, robe, and slippers for an additional 9 pounds or bring your own.

I  indulged in a massage before soaking in the baths (most massage treatments last 50 minutes and cost about 55 pounds; other treatments are available, ranging 38-95 pounds). My Oriental massage combined a variety of techniques, including Lomi Lomi, Swedish, Malay, and Bamboo—I’d like to tell you  more about it, but I snoozed happily, awakening refreshed from my jetlag and ready to take the waters.

First stop: the rooftop pool, a fine spot for gazing over Bath’s skyline. I’m guessing the early Romans didn’t have the glass walls or the bubbling jets–their loss. Next I explored the steam rooms: Each is infused with an essential oil. Also here are footbaths and a rain shower, although I didn’t try either. I finished in the lower level Minerva Bath, the largest of the pools, with a whirlpool and lazy river incorporated into it.

By the time my session ended, I was thoroughly cooked and ready for lunch—whoops! that doesn’t sound quite right—I was completely relaxed and looking forward to having lunch.

Before assuaging my hunger, I peeked inside the separate Cross Bath (priced separately), a sacred site within the World Wildlife Fund for Nature’s Sacred Land Project. This small, outdoor soaking pool on the site of the original 2,000-year-old Roman cistern.

LUNCH

I had lunch at The Pump Room, managed by the Bath and North East Somerset Council and catered by Searcy’s. That’s a mouthful, and I haven’t even begun to dish on the food or experience.

The room is exquisite, an elegant and impressive Georgian retreat built by Thomas Baldwin and John Palmer in 1795. A pianist played recognizable tunes, such as Memories from the musical Cats, throughout the meal.

For lunch. I ordered a soup-and-sandwich special for 12.95 pounds, pairing tomato and basil soup with a Quikes cheddar and Abbey ale rarebit that came accompanied by a small salad and chips. Both were okay, but neither matched the setting. As I finished, tea service was starting. Now that I’d return for–those silver tiered trays of sweets and sandwiches get me every time.

THE OLD BATHS

Sharing the same building as the restaurant is the visitor center for the city’s historic Roman Baths, developed more than 2,000 years ago. Both live tours and audio guides (including one for children) are available and included in the admission price (12 pounds).

While this current structure dates from the Romans, truth is, long before they arrived and created Aquae Sulis in AD 43, the Celts dedicated the mineral-rich springs to their God, Sul, and before them, Prince Bladud was allegedly cured of skin disease by bathing here way, way, waaaayyyy back in 863 BC. (Just think on that a bit—863 years before the birth of Chris).

Don’t shortchange yourself here; I only allowed myself about a half hour, which was no where near enough to wander through with an audio tour. I easily could have spent an hour or more, but then, I really do love historic ruins. And these are especially well presented, with excellent signage explaining everything from creation to curses. I even came across a few Romans.

WALKING THROUGH BATH

I soaked up more of Bath’s history and heritage on a walking tour with Jan Hudson, a Blue Badge tour guide for the whole of South West England, but, as she said: “Why would you want to be anywhere else but here?” She proved a delightful and extremely knowledgeable guide. (Note to self: Always ask for a Blue Badge Tour Guide—each guide who earns that status has gone through a rigorous training and testing program). A two-hour tour is 50 pounds.

We covered a lot of ground in a short time, as Jan pointed out the city’s architectural distinctions, historical sites, and wove in stories as we padded–quickly–along, checking out the river and the bridge and getting the lowdown on the city’s first developers.

She explained the history behind two residential areas. The 1774 Circus, modeled after the Coliseum in Room, comprises 33 houses, each five stories high and adorned with three types of columns: Corinthian, Ionic, and Doric (Nicholas Cage owned #7 and had a pool in the basement, she quipped). The Royal Crescent, comprising 30 rowhouses with 114 Ionic columns, is considered perhaps the greatest example of Georgian architecture in England. (Although you’d never know it from the exterior—it’s in a World Heritage Site, so it can’t advertise–two of the Royal Crescent buildings house the Royal Crescent Hotel, a Relais and Chateau-member luxury inn, where rates begin at 345 pounds for bed and breakfast—not in my budget, but maybe yours?).

My short day didn’t allow me enough time to enjoy any of the museums and historical sites that demanded attention. Next time I visit Bath, England, I’ll spend more time at the Jane Austen Centre, the Fashion Museum, and of course, Bath Abbey, a masterpiece that I barely had time to duck into for a peek, and I’ll be sure to indulge in a Sally Lunn bun, a taste of Bath’s heritage served in the city’s oldest house.

 

 

 

Great Britain by rail: All aboard for London & the Courtauld Gallery

Hilary Nangle
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Great Britain by rail: All aboard for London & the Courtauld Gallery

In late February, I spent the better part of a week exploring Great Britain by train. The last time I took trains through England, Scotland, and Wales had been way back in 2000, and I’d loved it. Don’t know why it took me so long to answer that All Aboard call once again. Even better, now it’s possible to book point-to-point tickets in advance through Rail Europe for the same prices locals pay; a good alternative to multi-day passes that can end up being pricey, if you’re not going to utilize the full value.

Getting there: I flew direct from Boston to London, then took the Heathrow Express direct to Paddington Station ($56 round trip). Easy, even in my sleep-deprived state (I was seated next to a fidgeter on my flight, and not only did he fidget almost nonstop, he was also bottomless–two dinners + many snacks in crinkley bags). Yes, you can get there less expensively by using the Tube, but when you’re tired and rolling luggage, zipping along to downtown London at speeds of up to 100 mph—and with Wifi—is worth it. From there, I used a Visitor Oyster Card, valid on the Tube, bus, Dockland light Railway, London Overland, and select National Rail routes.

Courtauld Gallery: On the recommendation of a friend, I spent the afternoon at this small museum within the Somerset House, a stunning neo-classical building that doubles as an arts center and is  sited between the Thames and the Strand (a bit about its history, below). Through no prior planning, I arrived on a Monday, when admission is free from 10 a.m. –2 p.m. Otherwise its 6 pounds, and worth every pence.

“The Courtauld is one of the finest small art museums in the world,” says its director, Dr. Ernst Vegelin. “It was founded in 1932 as part of the Courtauld Institute of Art, which is one of the leading centers for the study of the history of art.” Although best known for its Impressionist and Post-Impressionist holdings, the gallery’s collection is far greater, spanning from the early Renaissance to the 20th-century Modernists. And it’s still growing. Beyond paintings, it also comprises more than 7,000 drawings, prints, decorative arts, sculpture, and furniture.

The icing on the collection’s cake is the setting inside a spectacular work of architecture. Masterpieces are displayed in a series of rooms on three floors, connected by an impressive spiral stairway. Each room is personal and yet formal. Each room is a work of art in its own right, but none competes with the works displayed. Even better, works aren’t crowded in displays; my eyes were able to concentrate on one work at a time. The whole is “a combination of outstanding works of art presented on a personal scale,” Vegelin says, and he’s right.

Samuel Courtauld, who acquired works in the early 1920s, sure had an eye for Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works. Vegelin says the collection is distinguished not by the number of works, but by their quality. Among the highlights: Renoir’s Le Loge, van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, and outstanding works by Cezanne, Degas, Monet, Seurat, and Gauguin. To these, add a world-class collection of Rubens, works from the Renaissance, Gothic, and Medieval periods as well as 20th-century paintings.

I went through it all, then did so again. If I hadn’t been so tired from travel, I would have spent another hour or so there, and if I’d realized there was a cafe on the premises prior to arriving, I would have had lunch there, too. Next time, I will.

A bit of history re Old Somerset House: I had to add a bit about Somerset House’s history because, well, it’s so classically British: The history dates from 1547, when Edward Seymour, uncle of Edward VI, had himself declared Lord Protector and Duke of Somerset on the death of his nephew’s father, Henry VIII (It’s okay if you start humming the old Herman’s Hermits song, I did). Of course, Seymour needed a suitable residence in keeping with his new title, so in 1547 he began building himself a palace on land he owned between the Thames and the Strand. Construction didn’t sit well with the Privy Council, and Seymour was arrested and briefly imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1549.

Seymour’s new home, which neared completion in 1551, was a bit of an architectural mishmash combining a Tudor-style courtyard, gatehouse, and great hall on the river side with Doric and Ionic pillars adorning the classical facade facing the Strand. The cost: 10,000 pounds to create what’s been called one of the “most influential buildings of the English Renaissance.” Too bad he didn’t get to enjoy it for long. He was arrested for treason in 1551, and executed on Tower Hill in January 1552. The Crown took over ownership, with construction completed in 1553. Princess Elizabeth used it as one of her homes until ascending to the throne in 1558.

Without getting into all the nitty-gritty of British royal history, Somerset House endured through the centuries, undergoing redesign, reconstruction, and remodeling, with each change in crown. By the late 18th century, though, it had fallen into serious disrepair. King George III agreed to give the site over to public offices, and demolition began in 1775 and construction began on the current building, designed by William Chambers.

 




Making whoopie in Rockland: Fiore shares its Pies on Parade recipes

Hilary Nangle
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Making whoopie in Rockland: Fiore shares its Pies on Parade recipes

Since the whoopie pie is being considered as the official Maine dessert, I figured I’d best share a whoopie pie recipe. Of course,  not just any whoopie pie, not even traditional one. I sampled these delicious mini-whoopies at Fiore Rockland during the annual Pies on Parade event. Now—truth to tell—I’m not big on traditional whoopie pies, but these, well, I was smitten!

Fiore served two different types of mini-whoopies, meyer lemon and blood orange. Each was made as an olive oil cake sandwiched with a butter frosting.

FIORE Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake (& Mini-Whoopies)
Serves:  8 to 10

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3  cup Fiore Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T finely grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350- butter a 9 inch spring form pan. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

Beat eggs with electric mixer until thick and pale yellow.

Continue beating and slowly add sugar in a steady stream. When the sugar is fully incorporated, add oil in a slow, steady stream, then add lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon zest.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold dry ingredients into egg mixture, being careful not to over mix.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until golden brown and cake springs back to the touch.

Makes approx. 26 “Fiorettes” (mini-whoopie pies) – drop ½ tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup in a mini-muffin pan.  Bake very briefly until springy to the touch.

FIORETTES Frosting
1-1/2 cup butter, softened
4-1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tbls whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla
Beat all ingredients together until smooth; generously frost bottom of whoopie pie, then place top on!  You will enjoy!

FIORE Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake (& Mini-Whoopies)
Serves:  8 to 10

3 blood oranges
1 cup sugar
Buttermilk or plain yogurt
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Fiore Blood Orange Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Grate zest from 2 of the oranges and place in a bowl with sugar. Using your fingers, rub ingredients together until orange zest is evenly distributed in sugar.

Supreme an orange: Cut off bottom and top so fruit is exposed and orange can stand upright on a cutting board. Cut away peel and pith, following curve of fruit with your knife. Cut orange segments out of their connective membranes and let them fall into a bowl. Repeat with another orange. Break up segments with your fingers to about 1/4-inch pieces.

Halve remaining orange and squeeze juice into a measuring cup. You will have about 1/4 cup or so. Add buttermilk or yogurt to juice until you have 2/3 cup liquid altogether. Pour mixture into bowl with sugar and whisk well. Whisk in eggs.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently whisk dry ingredients into wet ones. Switch to a spatula and fold in oil a little at a time. Fold in pieces of orange segments. Scrape batter into pan and smooth top.

Bake cake for about 55 minutes, or until it is golden and a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up.  Time: 1 hour 20 minutes plus cooling

Makes approx. 26 “Fiorettes” (mini-whoopie pies)  – drop ½ tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup in a mini-muffin pan.  Bake very briefly until springy to the touch.  Top with FIORETTE’s Frosting recipe above!

HINT: “Many people dipped their whoopie pies in balsamic vinegar — chocolate balsamic, blueberry balsamic, strawberry balsamic, vanilla balsamic – you name it……….the list goes on!  And they loved it!  Try it yourself.”

Oh my, lobster pie! Rockland’s Granite Inn shares its recipe

Hilary Nangle
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Oh my, lobster pie! Rockland’s Granite Inn shares its recipe

After sampling the Granite Inn‘s lobster pie (technically quiche) during Rockland, Maine’s, annual Pies on Parade event, I managed to persuade Ed Hantz to share the recipe.

“This is my adaptation of a recipe I found in an old cookbook,” Hantz says. “I serve it fairly often, usually when there are enough people staying at the inn to warrant making more than one quiche so that people have a choice. It’s usually paired with a veggie quiche.”

LOBSTER QUICHE
Makes 8 servings.

Crust

• 2 cups flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 stick butter, cold
• 3 heaping tbsp. cold vegetable shortening
• 6 – 8 tbsp. ice water
• 1 tbsp. sugar

Place flour, sugar, salt, and butter cut into about 8 pieces in a food processer and process until the consistency of corn meal.

Add the shortening and two tbsp. water. Pulse a couple of times, then add two more tbsp. water. Keep this up until the dough begins to stick together. Don’t over-process or the dough will become tough.

Remove from processor and form a ball. Flatten ball and refrigerate in a zip-type bag for a couple of hours or overnight.

When ready to roll out, let dough warm up until pliable. Roll out on a well-floured surface to form a thick crust. You should have plenty of dough. Lay into a 9″ pie pan and trim to about an inch beyond the rim of the pan. Fold the edge of the crust up and inward and crimp with your fingers.I like to build the crust to about ½ inch above the edge of the pan. This makes an extra deep pie.

The dough trimmings can be collected, rolled out again, and cut with cookie cutters into shapes to decorate the top of the quiche.

Filling

• ¼ cup shallots, diced
• ½ slice 12-grain or other “nutty” bread
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 tbsp. fresh tarragon
• ½ tbsp. fresh dill
• 7-8 oz. cooked lobster meat
• 2 cups Gruyère or Jarlesberg cheese, shredded
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• dash mace
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup almonds, slivered

Preheat oven to 400°.

Sauté the shallots until lightly browned, then place in the pie crust.

In a food processor, process the bread into fine crumbs. Add the lemon zest, tarragon, dill, and lobster and pulse two or three times to mix. Don’t over-process.

Spread over the pie shell, and top with the cheese.

Whisk the eggs, half-and-half, mustard, mace, salt, and pepper until frothy. Pour into the pie shell, top with the almonds, and bake for 15 minutes.

Turn the oven down to 300° and bake for an additional 50 – 60 minutes or until center is firm.

Checking Inn: Rockland’s Granite Inn

Hilary Nangle
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Checking Inn: Rockland’s Granite Inn

NOTE: New owners in spring 2026 

The Granite Inn, located on the northern end of Main Street opposite the ferry terminal, opened as Rockland’s first B & B in 1984. But its history predates that by a long shot. Built in 1840 as a private home, it served as the local Elks lodge beginning in the 1940s, and wasn’t converted to a B&B until 1984.

Contemporary updates without losing architectural heritage

I’ve toured the inn over the years, and previously it was a bit dowdy and frumpy, and many of the rooms shared baths. That’s no longer the case. The former innkeepers, the Hantzs, (new owner spring 2026) have given the building the loving care it craved, investing in much-needed updates without losing the architectural niceties, such as terrazzo floors and a granite interior wall.

Joan Hantz, a graphic designer and the daughter of two architects, has done a smashing job with the décor. She blended family antiques with mid-century-modern furnishings, adding original artwork, and did so in a way that keeps the atmosphere light and airy. An especially spacious living room—essentially an open double parlor—offers two separate seating areas, one facing a fireplace. The backroom, formerly the Elks lodge, is the dining room, where there are always cookies as well as hot drinks available.

Granite Inn offers a range of guest options

Guest room are upstairs. Most are spacious. Those in the front of the house, with views over the ferry terminal and working harbor, are more traditional in furnishings. (If you’re especially noise sensitive, despite the views, these might not be the right choice for you).

Suites are especially family-friendly. A few rooms have electric fireplaces, and one newly renovated suite also has a whirlpool bathtub.

All rooms have private baths (all but one en suite), TVs, there’s free Wifi, and a rave-worthy breakfast is included in the rates. All this, and it’s pet friendly.

Cheap sleep: The least-expensive room qualifies as a cheap sleep, as it comes in at less than $100—deal!. It’s small, has a queen-size bed, and although it does have a private bath, it is down the hall (still, quite the deal for downtown Rockland and an inn of this caliber).

Breakfast feast

Let me tell you about breakfast. It always includes a buffet sideboard as well as a hot entrée that’s served to the table (guests have a choice of a central shared table or satellite private ones). On the morning I feasted, the buffet had lemon crepes with a wild blueberry compote and a side of  lemon curd, fresh fruit, and homemade granola. That alone was plenty—especially those crepes! But then, poached eggs with asparagus and prosciutto atop whole wheat bread was served, too. If I’d preferred, eggs to order as well as bacon or sausage and toast were also available. The inn’s equally famous for its scones and its  lobster quiche recipe.

 

 

Natalie’s chef shares his recipe for Meyer lemon risotto with Maine shrimp

Hilary Nangle
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Natalie’s chef shares his recipe for Meyer lemon risotto with Maine shrimp

I convinced another one of Maine’s talented chefs to share a recipe using Maine shrimp. A native of Belgium, Executive Chef Geoffroy Deconinck’s career took him to Restaurant Alain Ducasse, Plaza Athenée in Paris, France, and then on to leading and executive roles in New York City’s Café Boulud, Restaurant Daniel and Bouley Restaurant and now to Natalie’s at the Camden Harbour Inn.

Meyer Lemon Risotto with Maine Shrimp

For about 10 starter servings:

1 lb of Maine Sweet Shrimp
4 Meyer lemons
1 lb Arborio rice
6 oz unsalted butter
3 oz diced onion
2 oz lemon juice (Meyer preferrably)
3-1/2 cups (or more) of vegetable stock
3 oz of Mascarpone cheese
Zest of 2 whole lemons
Chopped herbs: parsley, dill, chives

Process:

Wash the 4 Meyer Lemons, wrap them individually in tin foil and bake them in the oven at 350 degrees Farenheit until tender. Strain the whole lemons through a sieve and reserve the obtained puree

Dice the onion and sweat (stir until translucent ) in 1 oz of melted butter. Add the rice and cook (still stirring) for about 5  minutes

Add the lemon juice and reduce it. Add 2 ounces of the lemon puree and the vegetable stock 1 cup at the time (every time the rice has absorbed the liquid ). Cook on medium heat, stirring continually with a wooden spoon. You want your rice “al dente”

After using all the stock taste the rice, it should be ready or almost ( in this case add more liquid)

Stir in 1 lb of Maine Sweet Shrimp, the rest of the butter and Mascarpone

Season and add more lemon juice if needed

You want the risotto loose, so check the density before serving

Once the shrimp are cooked, add the lemon zests and the chopped herbs

Serve immediately

Bon Appetit!

More Maine shrimp recipes

Bald Mountain Camps winterizes for the future: It’s now a classic Maine lodge and cabins for winter sports enthusiasts

Hilary Nangle
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Bald Mountain Camps winterizes for the future: It’s now a classic Maine lodge and cabins for winter sports enthusiasts

Steve Philbrick, second-generation owner of Bald Mountain Camps Resort, in Maine’s famed Rangeley Lakes region bit the bullet. After much soul seraching, he made the difficult decision to begin winter operations of the  historical, traditional Maine sporting camp fronting on Mooselukmeguntik Lake. Although Philbrick is technically a second-generation owner, he took the operation over from his grandparents. And now, he’s aiming to secure the camps’ future for the next generation.

Like most traditional Maine sporting camps, Bald Mountain was open spring through fall. It’s easy accessibility made it a family favorite, not just a place for avid hunters and anglers, although it attracts those, too. The main lodge and outlying cabins look down the length of Mooselukmeguntik Lake toward the distant Presidential Range of the White Mountains; sunsets are stunning.

Choices, choices

While families return generation after generation during the warmer months, eager to swim, boat, fish, hike, and play in the surrounding wilderness, it wasn’t enough to sustain the business.

“It was a financial choice,” Steve says. “We had to make a decision, either sell — and I can hardly even talk about that, never mind consider doing it — or take the financial plunge, invest ever saved and millions more, and winterize it to keep it going, to keep the heritage alive. It sounds mushy, but that’s the choice we made.” Spurring that decision was his oldest son, Tyler, who shares Steve’s love for the property. “He expressed an interest in it and attended college for hospitality and tourism education. He wants to be part of it, he’s a new face for a new future.”

Over the past two years, the Philbricks have been winterizing the property, first the main lodge and now the cabins. (see video; and take a look at some of the other videos, including this one on ice harvesting. Now the main lodge with dining room is open and serving dinner not only to overnight guests but also the public on Wednesday through Saturday nights. It also serves lunch on Saturdays and both lunch and dinner daily during vacation weeks.

Unpretentious dining and lodging

We went for dinner last week. The camps serve classic Maine sporting camp fare: hearty, good, and warming with a few special touches and choices ranging from burgers and salads to chicken and steak. It’s easy, comfy, unpretentious. What I love most is the setting, a room anchored by a big fieldstone fireplace and adorned with animal trophies, even a handsome wooden canoe suspended from the ceiling.

Sitting in the room, with the fire glowing and casting a warm light on the age-burnished wood, it’s hard to tell that the lodge was rebuilt, taken apart and reassembled in order to winterize it—a process that must have required expert jigsaw puzzle skills.

What they learned winterizing the main lodge is now being repeated in the cabins, with seven open for winter guests. “We picked up each building, put a furnace in the basement and insulated each from the outside in,” Steve says. In the process, a small fridge and microwave also were added to each cabin, allowing guests to make simple meals when the dining room isn’t open.

The goal is to make the cabins more pleasing to the modern-day traveler while maintaining the rustic appeal. “We have families who have been coming back to the same cabin for multiple generations—this was their home away from home; there are a lot of memories inside that we didn’t want to cover. We took each apart stick by stick; we took great pains and effort to do so.” When those families return in the summer, the cabin looks exactly as it did inside, but now there’s heat beyond the woodstove or fireplace that’s in each one.

Restoring for the future

Preserving and restoring was important, he says, because of the property’s history. Teddy Roosevelt stayed in one cabin, and a gable had some water damage. “We dismantled the gable end to repair it, and put it back together in the same way. When I say ‘restored,’ I mean we literally restored it.”

In the process, they’ve uncovered some interesting items. When restoring another cabin, they found a carving that had been covered up by an earlier restoration. It had the date 1828 with names inscribed. “We thought the first cabin was built much later, then we found this,” Steve says, adding that property’s none of deeds go back that far. He plans to frame that and display it in the dining room, along with other artifacts and historical photos.

Nature tourism at its best

While summer visitors fish and swim and boat and hike, Steve expects to attract some snowmobilers, but more snowshoers and cross-country skiers in winter. “We’re nestled at foot of bald mountains, with thousands of state-owned land behind us,” Steve says. Currently, it’s make-your-own trail, but he’s negotiating for permission for an entry-level cross-country trail, a single loop from the lodge’s backdoor that he’ll groom with a small snow machine.

“I make my guests happy for free. I can tell them where to go to look for moose antlers, where to go to see deer. There are places I can send you to where you’ll never hear snowmobiles , never see them, places where if another human’s see it in the last 15-20 days, it’s because I’ve sent them there.”

And as I finish poking around the lodge and cabins, I take a few minutes to gaze skyward and am quickly mesmerized, seduced the vast expanse of inky black sky lit only by a brilliant canopy of stars,  captivated by the symphonic silence of a wintry Maine night, and wishing I had booked a cabin. I will return.

Rockland’s Limerock Inn shares Frank’s pizza rustica recipe

Hilary Nangle
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Rockland’s Limerock Inn shares Frank’s pizza rustica recipe

 

When Frank Isganitis and PJ Walter owned Rockland’s LimeRock Inn, Frank’s pizza rustica was a specialty. I asked Frank to share the story behind his pizza rustica recipe as well as the recipe in this guest post.

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LimeRock Pizza Rustica: The story

By Frank Isganitis

Growing up Italian-American (especially with immigrant grandparents) was quite a unique experience.  You have to first understand people that came here with nothing, but were so grateful for the opportunity that they compromised the very essence of their identity in order to assimilate into American culture.  Well, let’s say they “Americanized” themselves for the outside world, but their home was pure Italian.

With marble-topped tables and hand-made linens, my grandma’s house was a little slice of Italy, and as often as possible (and EVERY holiday), my family along with my two uncles and their families were beckoned for dinner.  But this was no ordinary dinner.  I used to enjoy inviting my non-Italian friends to watch my grandma guilt them into eating so much food they thought they would explode.  For her, it was a way of life.  I mean to be the center of attention by preparing the greatest meal of your life, but always there was her humility that the food was only OK or she would be disappointed that something didn’t turn out the way she wanted.  Trust me, she was an expert cook, and everything was always delicious.  I digress.

Pizza Rustica is one of my most favorite dishes and was the centerpiece of dinner the Saturday of Easter weekend.  Remember, good Catholics (all Italian-Americans are) were required to abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent culminating to the ultimate sacrifice (i.e. fasting on Good Friday).  I don’t know why Jesus wanted us hungry on the day he died, but again, I digress.

If you haven’t already peaked, take a look at the recipe for Pizza Rustica.  A sweet pastry dough (pasta frolla) filled with ricotta, mozzarella and pecorino romano cheese (no parmagiano reggiano for my grandma), Italian and American ham, prosciutto and mortadella…. Tutti buoni Italiano. Everything good Italian.

My mom and grandma would spend Friday evening preparing these pies knowing that we could not indulge until Saturday, but man, it was worth the wait.  The smell of this dish cooking in the oven caused uncontrolled salivation and evoked an immediate need to put on a Mario Lanza album.  Patiently we waited for time to pass as the pies were removed from the oven and allowed to cool.  Because the pies keep for up to a day un-refrigerated, they were perfect for this, and perhaps many other occasions.

I could ramble on and on about growing up in this special world, but that will keep you from enjoying this great dish.  So get cooking!

LimeRock Inn Pizza Rustica:Pork & Cheese Pie
Serves 6

The sweet egg pastry (pasta frolla):

2 cups flour

2 egg yolks

A Tiny pinch Salt

1 stick butter cut up into small pieces

1/3 cup ice water

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Mix all ingredients, and knead them together briefly, preferable on a cold surface, such as marble.  Just as soon as they are well amalgamated into a compact dough, wrap the dough in wax paper and put it in the refrigerator.  Leave it in the refrigerator at least one hour before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.  It can be refrigerated up to 4 or 5 hours.

If you have a food processor, all the mixing and kneading can be done in it.  Put all ingredients into the beaker and spin the blade on and off until balls of dough form on them.  When you take the dough out of the processor, shape it into a single ball before you wrap it and refrigerate it.

The filling:

2 egg yolks

3/4 pound whole-milk ricotta

1/4 pound prosciutto or country ham, salami or boiled ham, chopped not too fine

1/4 pound mortadella, chopped not too fine

1/4 pound whole milk mozzarella, cut up in small pieces

2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1-quart soufflé dish or similar ovenproof crockery dish

Butter for greasing

The cold egg pastry form above recipe

1.   Put the egg yolks into a bowl, and beat them briefly with a whisk

2.   Add the ricotta, and beat until it becomes rather creamy

3.   Add the chopped meats, the mozzarella, the grated cheese, a liberal amount of salt, and several grindings of pepper.  Mix all ingredients roughly.

4.   Preheat oven to 375˚

5.   Thickly grease the inside of the baking dish with butter

6.   Cut off about 1/3 of the pastry dough.  Over a sheet of kitchen parchment, roll it out into a round shape large enough to line the bottom of the baking dish, and come a little bit up the sides.  Turn th dough over into the dish, peeling the sheet away from the dough.  Fit the dough into the bottom of the dish, spreading it evenly.

7.   Cut another third of the dough, and always over parchment, roll into rectangular strips as wide as the baking dish is deep.  Line the sides of the dish with these strips.  You can overlap where necessary: where there are gaps, they can be filled by pressing them into little bits of dough where the sides meet the bottom into a tightly sealed seam.

8.   Pour all the filling from the bowl into the dish.  Press it lightly to force out any air bubbles trapped in it.

9.  Roll out the rest of the dough into a disk large enough to cover well the top of the pizza.  Place it over the filling, and press its edges tightly against the dough lining the sides of the dish, making sure of a tight seal.  Trim away the dough along the sides wherever it comes up higher than 1/2 inch above the top of the pizza; fold the rest of it down.  Smooth out all rough connections with a moistened fingertip.

10.   Place in the upper level of the oven.  Bake for 45 minutes, until the top has turned a light golden brown.  Do not open the oven door during this time.  If after 45 minutes the crust seems to you to require a little more browning, turn up the thermostat to 400˚, and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes.

11.   When cool enough to handle, the pizza may be unmolded by being inverted on a plate.  It is also very nice served directly from the baking dish.

Pizza Rustica may be served while still warm, or at room temperature, but not piping hot.  It will keep for one day without refrigeration, at normal room temperature.

Lunch at Flagstaff Lake Hut: A winter day trip on the Maine Huts trail

Hilary Nangle
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Skiing or snowshoeing hut to hut along the Maine Huts Trail isn’t for everyone, but just about anyone can enjoy walking into the Flagstaff Lake Hut for lunch. The Flagstaff Lake Hut, the middle of three along the trail, has an enviable setting on the shores of Flagstaff Lake. It’s remote, wild country, and in winter, when blanketed in white and shimmering, it’s positively magical.

Free recreation

The free trail network is designed for hut-to-hut skiing and snowshoeing, but you don’t have to ski or snowshoe, nor do you have to bunk in overnight to enjoy the trail or hut experience. It can be a pleasant day trip and a relatively easy one requiring no special equipment.

The trail extends from Carrabassett Valley to near The Forks, with three overnight lodges with dorms en route. The Poplar Falls Hut is a 2.5-mile mostly uphill trek from Carrabassett Valley; the Grand Falls hut is way out in the williwacks, 8.6 miles from the nearest trailhead, and nearly 13 miles from Flagstaff Hut. But the Flagstaff Lake Hut is just 1.7 miles from  the trailhead parking lot on the Long Falls Dam Road (off Route 16 in North New Portland), making it an easy half-day trip.

Four of us walked in a few days ago wearing winter boots. A short spur connects the parking lot (where there’s an outhouse) to the main trail, an eight-foot-wide corridor that’s groomed and tracked for Nordic skiing. (We were careful not to step in the tracks). En route, we passed snowshoers and skiers, families, and couples. The trail is mostly level, with a few ups and downs, but nothing too steep or long. If we’d been wearing snowshoes, we likely would have ventured onto one or more of the rustic side trails that veered closer to the lake; instead, we enjoyed the occasional distant views.

Lunch! NOTE: Bring a picnic as the hut no longer serves lunch

We made it just in time for lunch, served 11:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. in the big dining room, with cathedral ceiling and walls of windows taking in the woodsy views. The day’s menu offered a lentil soup or vegetarian chili each accompanied by a chunk of homemade bread or cornbread; simple sandwiches, such as tuna or chicken salad, BLT, or grilled cheese; and a nice array of homemade sweets, including maple walnut pie, brownies, and just-about-to-go-in-the-oven chocolate chip cookies. Prices were reasonable, around $6-7, or we could opt for a $10 special including soup or chili, hot drink, and dessert.

We all opted for the lentil soup, a big bowl thick with ingredients; nothing watery or weak about this flavor-rich soup. And we each opted for the cornbread, a big, warm hunk that managed that delicate balance of being both moist and crumbly. Despite being full, I couldn’t resist the just-out-of-the-oven cookies. Maybe it was the place or the perfect timing, but these are in my top five for Maine’s best. I would return for these alone.

After taking a tour of the hut, we lingered by the wood stove, and trust me, the comfy leather sofa and the rocking chair made it hard to get moving again. But we eventually rallied, but before trudging back to the car, we took a short detour down a side trail to a vista point. The location on a finger of land reaching into the lake provided views of the Bigelows that made us vow to return not only in winter but also in summer.

 

Free map details Maine’s Public Reserved Lands

Hilary Nangle
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Free map details Maine’s Public Reserved Lands

Ease into the great outdoors on Maine’s Public Reserved Lands. Download a free map from the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) that details more than a half-million acres of public reserved lands.

Your Maine Lands: Recreational Map & Guide to Public Reserved Lands describes each of Maine’s Public Reserved Lands units and the recreational opportunities available on them. Use this fabulous resource to plan everything from a day hike to a week-long escape.

In comparison to state parks, Maine’s Public Reserved Lands are remote and managed for for recreation, wildlife, and timber harvesting among other things. BPL organizes the public lands into 29 units ranging in size from 500 to more than 43,000 acres. Also part of the program are many other smaller scattered lots. All are open for recreation, and many offer unique, back-country experiences.

What’s special about Maine Public Reserved Lands

“We have so many special places in Maine besides our 48 state parks and historic sites,” says Will Harris, director of Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands. “We want to help Maine folks find their own special places to experience, to go camping, hiking, fishing and hunting, and in general to have a great time and create wonderful memories.”

Many of Maine’s public reserved lands offer outstanding landscapes and vistas, such as the Bigelow Preserve, which includes the entire Bigelow range. And many provide remarkable hiking and camping opportunities, such as the Cutler Coast overlooking the Bay of Fundy. Some areas, such as the more than 41,000 acres of the Seboomook Lake unit, offer excellent hunting, fishing and boating. And others have unique habitats, such as the alpine landscape at Mount Abram, the Great Heath peat bog, and the Machias River Corridor’s wild Atlantic salmon run.

Year-round recreational opportunities also including bird-watching, wildlife-watching, biking, swimming, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing.

 

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