Restaurant review: Weathervane Seafood Restaurant, Kittery Maine

What could be a better combination than outlet shopping and delicious seafood? Kittery Maine offers this in abundance and one of our favorite restaurants is Weathervane. It has a rustic nautical decor and is often very very busy. The food is abundant and very good.

We arrived on Black Friday at about 2 p.m., we thought that perhaps at this time which was late for lunch and early for dinner, we would not find it too busy. We were wrong, it was very busy. The told us we would have at least a 20-minute wait for a seat. Since we wanted to eat here, we were more than willing to be patient. In reality, it was only about 10 minutes.

We were escorted to a booth and our drink order was taken. The menu is extensive and deciding what to eat is not easy. I decided to start with clam chowder and we ordered onion rings to share among the four of us. Kasey and I decided to share the Lazy Man Lobster, which is the meat of two lobsters served with drawn butter, choice of potato and a fresh side. Al ordered the fish and chips and Alex got the fried seafood combo.

I have to say that everything was absolutely delicious, the coating on the onion rings is light and you don't feel weighed down with the fact that they are fried. The chowdah is as thick and luscious as you could want but it is the lobster that was the star of the meal. It was the sweetest most tender lobster I have ever eaten and well worth the 2.5-hour drive even if we didn't go shopping.

Lunch at Nags Head Pub Covent Garden

How we ended up at the Nags Head Pub is a story in and of itself. We had spent the morning at the Family History Center and frankly I was getting a bit peckish. Looking back we should have just walked back up to the tube stop because there certainly were some restaurants there but we hopped on a bus and headed down toward Piccadilly. I spied a Rainforest Cafe and decided that this was where we were would eat (I know, what was I thinking).

We were seated and given a menu by the host and that was the last service we got. 15 minutes later we got up and walked out and nobody even noticed. We headed up to Piccadilly Circus and got on the tube for Covent Garden where there are a variety of good choices for dining.

The first pub we saw was the Nags Head and that’s how they won the coin toss. The pub was quite crowded and it wasn’t easy to find a table. We finally found a small one with two high stools. Not wanting to be too brave and daring I went over to the bar and ordered two orders of scampi and chips. Al always says just order something for me that I will eat. It being a pub and all, we also ordered two lagers. There was a menu but I didn’t take the time to check out the specials board until after I had ordered.

In case you aren’t familiar with the terms of English dining, scampi is breaded fried shrimp. This is a safe choice, every pub I have ever been to serves it and it usually is quite good. As it was here as well, a generous portion with French fries and green peas. We also got a little paper cup of tartar sauce. The green peas were really the high point, firm and tasty, Al liked them better than the chips can you believe it?

Pluses: the meal was on our table within ten minutes. The cost was a little over seven pounds each. Not a bargain but not outrageous either.

Atmosphere: very typical pub, large bar, wooden tables, atmospheric in a very British way. I love the British, I was sitting writing down some of the menu items when a young man asked if he could pinch the menu. Luckily for him, I knew what that meant.



 I have no complaints, the Nags Head Covent Garden was exactly what I expected. It is owned by McMullen and therefore serves their beers. I being me, tried to order a Stella Artois and I am sad to say it isn’t served here. I have found in my experience with English pubs, it is less expensive to just order a beer than soda.

Baking pork chops in the oven

Pork, The Other White Meat, was an advertising slogan developed for the National Pork Board and it successfully made pork a household word. For many years people were somewhat afraid of pork. 

The fear of trichinosis, caused homemakers to cook their pork so long that it was usually served dry and tough, not a very appealing combination. While trichinosis still exists, the US government has set standards for the way that hog feed is prepared and the risk has been greatly reduced. It is known that if you are still wary of the parasite, all you really need to do is cook your port to a temperature of 140 degrees. The parasite cannot survive beyond a temperature of 137 degrees.

You can choose lots of great ways to bake pork chops. You can opt for the long slow method which produces a fall apart chop that is fork-tender and loaded with flavor. It is given a milk and egg bath and dredged in flavored bread crumbs before being placed in a 9 by 13 roasting pan and covered with aluminum foil. 

It is cooked for hours in a low heat oven and the results will blow you away. It is luscious as most pork chops are not and just so that you can relax and just enjoy this wonderful pork, use a meat thermometer to be sure you have exceeded 130 degrees. If you steer clear of pork because you think it is dry, give this method a try, you will be a convert. 

Another way to bake pork chops is in water. Get out your roasting pan and cube up a couple pounds of any white potatoes and two or three yellow onions, place these in the pan with six nice center-cut bone-in pork chops. Don't go for the thin chops, get a nice thick cut. Cover everything with about 2 inches of water and 2 tablespoons of Gravymaster. Place the pan in a 350-degree oven and cook for about an hour and a half uncovered. You will know that it is done when the water is gone and the potatoes and onions are starting to get crispy.  

These pork chops have a very deep flavor and the potatoes and the onions are just the best. You can add other vegetables if you want such as carrots or other root vegetables. This is a hearty meal and makes a great fall or winter dish. It can be done on the counter in an electric frypan as well.

  

Baking pork chops is a good way to pull all the flavor out of them. Breaded or not, they are the perfect meal without having to do a whole lot of extra work, they cook themselves with very little attention from you.

Farfalle with garlic chicken and spinach

Necessity is the mother of invention and we will be leaving soon to head back north. I had some fresh spinach and a chicken breast and I didn't want to waste them I decided to boil some farfalle and make an olive oil sauce with garlic and spinach to pour over it. I cooked the chicken in the air fryer.




This pasta dish served 2.


Chicken breast:

Salt and pepper and garlic powder on both sides. Preheat the air fryer for 3 minutes. Place the chicken on the tray and cook for three minutes. Pause the machine, turn over the chicken and cook for another 3 minutes. Slice and set aside.




Boil about half a pound of pasta.




In a frying pan pour in olive oil, I mixed chili garlic oil with just regular olive oil, sorry I never measure but put enough so that the spinach won't stick, add prewashed spinach, and cover. When the spinach has wilted add a tablespoon of jarred garlic, the juice of half a lemon and salt and pepper. Place on warm. Add some of the pasta water and more olive oil to make enough to constitute a sauce.




Pour over pasta, add sliced chicken, add another squeeze of fresh lemon, and if you like grated cheese. Eat and enjoy.

Brooklyn's Backyard Ocala, Florida

You probably wouldn't even notice Brookly's Backyard unless you specifically know that they are located in a strip mall in the NE quadrant of Ocala. We had a coupon for $5 off of $30 that we wanted to use so we went looking for them. I had a pretty good idea where they were since I looked for them last year when I was looking for somewhere to have breakfast. They don't serve breakfast just lunch and dinner so we went to Richard's Place but vowed to return for lunch.

Inside is quite rustic, obviously, this is not Brooklyn New York!! Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad thing. Casual is the norm here and you will feel the relaxed but very friendly vib as soon as you walk in the door.

As I looked at the menu I spotted the edamame and had to have it. I ordered that app with our drinks. Then we took our time looking over the extensive menu. It includes everything from burgers and sandwiches to mac and cheese with burnt ends which sounded wonderful.

Al decided to try the sirloin steak with rosemary parmesan fries. Let me say right off these are homemade fries and very very good. The steak was smothered with mushrooms and onions and topped with swiss cheese. It was a generous serving and gave Al enough for lunch and dinner.

The special of the day was 10 wings and fries for $10 which is what I chose. Very good wings with Brooklyn sauce, there are lots of other choices but this one was sweet and spicy so it sounded like me and I was correct.

I loved the fact that our drinks were served in a Mason jar and the half and half iced tea was excellent.

I was very pleased with our first visit to Brooklyn 's Backyard and our waitress told us that if we enjoyed steak, Tuesday is steak night where a New York Strip is offered for $12.99. Sounded good to us. I am quite sure we will be back!!

Please forgive the photos I had to use Al's flip phone. 

My Love Affair with the 4 Qt Ninja Airfryer

I got myself an air fryer before Christmas but since I was down here in Florida shortly thereafter I decided I wanted to be able to cook with it here. I decided to get it from QVC since I like the fact that they stand behind the things that I have bought from them. It is a Ninja 4 Qt air fryer.




I have a Cooks Essentials 5.3 Qt model at home so this one is a little smaller. but I have discovered that it is plenty big enough for the two of us. I have also discovered that the book that was included with the airfryer is not always the most accurate when it comes to time and temperature. I ended up with a trial and error approach.

I keep a notebook near the air fryer and I write notes about what I cooked and how long I cooked it. This way when I want to cook something again, I know what I did the first time.

One of the features that I really like about this model is the ability to pause the fryer while you open it to check on the doneness of the food being cooked. The downside is that there are no presets so you can't just push the button for wings say and have it cook a set time. It also has a tray for dehydrating things.


I am amazed every day at the scope of things that I can cook in the air fryer. It is by far my favorite new toy and hardly a day goes by when I don't use it. Be prepared to make room on your countertop for this air fryer, you will never want to put it away.

Side Dishes to serve with Spaghetti

Spaghetti is a staple of many people's diets. Not only is it delicious but it is inexpensive and adapts well to a variety of different sauces and toppings. Traditionally it is accompanied by a red sauce and meatballs but that is just the beginning. Before you decide on what side dishes to serve with spaghetti, you need to decide exactly what your main dish is going to be. If you opt for traditional pasta and meatballs, Bolognese or Marinara and Italian sausage, then there are some equally traditional side dishes to serve with spaghetti that many people opt for.

Garlic bread

Garlic bread is one of the traditional side dishes to serve with spaghetti and meatballs. It is very simple to make and certainly is available to buy already made. All that is required is an Italian or French bread, some olive oil or butter and some garlic. The bread is spread with the oil or butter and the garlic, either fresh or garlic powder and then baked in the oven until warm and crispy. To take it up a notch, consider using roasted garlic and/or cheese. If you buy it frozen, it can be melty delicious in just a few minutes by cooking it in an air fryer. 

Tossed salad

The crunch of a salad is a great accompaniment to the soft comfort of a spaghetti dinner. It can be a Caesar salad or a mixed green salad. If you want to continue an Italian theme, an antipasto salad with black olives, cubes of Italian cheese, peppers and Italian sliced meats is another option. In most restaurants, it is the side of choice.

Broccoli rabe

Broccoli rabe is an interesting side dish to serve with spaghetti especially if you are having it with Italian sausage or with pesto. It is certainly one of my personal favorites. It is a bitter tasting green that when combined with olive oil and garlic makes a tasty way to add some dark greens to your diet. Italian sausage is often served with broccoli rabe.

Meatballs

If you are serving your spaghetti with Marinara sauce or another meatless sauce, then you may want to serve meatballs and/or Italian sausage as a side dish. You can make homemade meatballs if you have the time but they are also available in your grocery stores frozen foods department. 

Vegetables

A few vegetables make an interesting side dish to serve with spaghetti. Most dark green veggies work well, including asparagus, zucchini or spinach. If you are serving spaghetti without a tomato based sauce, stewed tomatoes make an interesting side dish. Eggplant is another vegetable that works well with spaghetti.

When thinking about what side dishes to serve with a spaghetti dinner, keep texture in mind. It is always nice to have something that adds a little crunch.