Food

Captain Daniel Packer Inne in Mystic, Connecticut

Dining Outside the Home: Captain Daniel Packer Inne in Mystic, Connecticut! In the 1700s when weary travelers stopped for the night for food and a good night’s sleep, Captain Packer probably didn’t serve Lobster Salad and Roasted Cod with butter cracker crumbs. He did, however, entertain his guests with thrilling tales of adventures on the high seas. The Captain Packer Inne is still family-owned. They have poured blood, sweat, and tears into restoring it to the historic landmark it will always be. Hospitality is still extended to guests and patrons for fine dining and pub fare with live entertainment. You may even hear of wandering spirits. Unwind, bask in the history, and enjoy this popular destination.

Wine Lovers Vineyard Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Wine Lovers Vineyard Cake! Every once in awhile a special occasion rolls around where you need a dessert that’s outside the box. By substituting some of the liquid with a sweet wine, such as peach, blackberry, or elderflower, you create an unique taste that intensifies the flavor. I chose a peach passion for this particular recipe. With subtle hints of orange extract, it transformed the rich moist bundt cake into a delectable version of a fuzzy navel. The photo reflects a powdered sugar dusting, but you may certainly opt for a glaze finish instead.

WINE LOVERS VINEYARD CAKE

Ingredients for Cake:

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

2 3/4 cup flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 small box vanilla pudding, instant

3/4 cup white wine

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon orange extract

1/4 cup water

4 eggs

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Arrange pecans in the bottom of the pan. Using a mixer on low speed, blend the flour, sugar, baking powder, sea salt, vanilla pudding mix, white wine, vegetable oil, orange extract, water, eggs, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Scrape sides, as needed. Pour batter into bundt pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes, until a pick comes out clean and cake is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. To unmold, place a cake plate on top of the bundt pan. Holding tightly, invert.

Ingredients for Glaze:

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon orange extract

1-2 tablespoons white wine, slightly warmed

Instructions:

To make glaze, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Add vanilla extract and white wine. Drizzle over warm cake.

Mystic Pizza in Mystic, Connecticut

Dining Outside the Home: Mystic Pizza in Mystic, Connecticut! Step through the doors of the main street pizza parlor that made Julia Roberts famous in 1988. Mystic Pizza is the real deal. Visitors flock here to grab “a taste of heaven” firsthand, and also to snap a photo standing under the sign to prove it. The entire restaurant is filled with memorabilia as well as continuously running a flick of the film itself on flatscreen TVs. The pizza is pretty darn good, too. The House Special has mile high meats and veggies piled on. As long as you’re going all the way, add the extra cheese. You know you want it. If you haven’t seen the movie, spend an hour and a half watching it before you go. It’ll make the experience absolutely unforgettable.

Vidalia Onion Tart

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Vidalia Onion Tart! For those of you who adore caramelized onions, but need the confidence to make them at home, read on for some helpful hints that bring astounding results. Begin with yellow sweet onions. I choose Vidalias right now because they are in season. Slice them thicker than you would for a sandwich. If the onions are too thin, they burn and stick to the bottom of the pan. This is not the time to be using olive oil. Butter is your friend. The flavor is what makes the difference, so do not scorch the butter. Make sure the onions are coated, top and bottom, with melted butter. It helps them to turn soft and caramelized. Also, make sure the pan is large enough to prevent overcrowding. The last thing you want is steam, which turns the onions mushy. Maintain a constant heat for the onions’ sugars to caramelize. If they char a little, don’t sweat it. Believe me, the results are worth the wait. Besides, the aromas will drive everyone else crazy, too.

VIDALIA ONION TART

Ingredients for Tart:

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

6 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into chunks

4-5 tablespoons iced water

Instructions:

Using a food processor, mix together flour and sea salt. Add the chilled butter and pulse until mixture resembles small peas. With the machine running, gradually add iced water until dough forms a ball. Remove dough, flatten into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for one hour.

Remaining Ingredients:

5 tablespoons butter, unsalted

2 large Vidalia sweet onions, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon corn meal, coarsely ground

2 slices baby Swiss cheese

1 egg yolk, beaten

Fresh tarragon for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. In a medium skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter. Do not scorch. Add the Vidalia onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add Worcestershire sauce, Herbs de Provence, sea salt, and black pepper. Cook until onions are golden, about 35-45 minutes longer. Remove from heat and let cool. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle cornmeal evenly. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough in half. Roll out each portion into an 8″ round. Transfer to the baking sheet. Place one slice of Swiss cheese in the center of each round. Spread the onions over the cheese, leaving a 1 1/2″ border. Fold the edge of the dough up and over the filling. Brush the edges with the egg yolk wash. Bake for 40 minutes, until the bottom crust is brown. Transfer the baking sheet to the top shelf and continue baking 5 minutes longer. Top crust will be golden brown. Cool tarts on a wire rack to prevent them from getting soggy. Garnish with fresh tarragon. Cut into wedges and serve warm. Makes two tarts.

Sea View Snack Bar in Mystic, Connecticut

Dining Outside the Home: Sea View Snack Bar in Mystic, Connecticut! Life is good when you can stop by a roadside drive-in along the Mystic River and walk away from the service window with incredible take-out seafood. Anyone who loves clam strips will literally think they have died and joined King Neptune, Greek mythology’s god of fresh water. But that’s not all. If lobster, scallops, tuna, or shrimp floats your boat, indulge. The price is right and the menu has it all. Picnic tables offer convenient seating under shaded umbrellas. Come as you are. It’s all about the food.

Upcountry Apple Crumble

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Upcountry Apple Crumble! Take a trip to the local apple orchard. It’s overflowing with bushels of newly-picked produce in several varieties. Red Delicious. Jonagold. Gala. Cortland. And the abundance of ready-made market items put visitors to the test: nutty caramel apples, chunky applesauce, icy cider slushes, Dutch apple pies, and gooey apple turnovers. Don’t let Autumn slip away without bringing the crisp textures, bakery goodness, spicy aromas, and locally grown produce back home into your favorite dishes.

UPCOUNTRY APPLE CRUMBLE

Ingredients:

2-3 large apples

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup butter, chilled, cut into small chunks

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly butter a 10″ round baking dish. Peel, core, and thinly slice apples. (A Spiralizer does a perfect job.) Combine apples with lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar. Mix well. Arrange mixture in the bottom of the baking dish. To make the crumble topping, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, oatmeal, and butter in a food processor. Pulse mix until crumbly and butter is the size of peas. Spoon topping over apples, spreading to the edges. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Bake 40 minutes or until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream.

Schaefer’s Spouter Tavern in Mystic, Connecticut

Dining Outside the Home: Schaefer’s Spouter Tavern in Mystic, Connecticut! For perfect al fresco dining in the heart of Mystic Seaport Museum’s seafaring village, choose a table outside under the trees. Take a breath of fresh air as you gaze at the flagship, Charles W. Morgan, an American wooden whaling ship built in 1841. She’s a National Historic Landmark, you know, now docked in Chubb’s Wharf. That’s quite a view. But back to the tavern. For those who may not be familiar, the tavern is named after one mentioned in Melville’s “Moby Dick”. The Museum re-created it as a working exhibit in 1956. As for lunch, I highly recommend the Lobster Roll, served on a split bun with chunks of fresh lobster meat practically overflowing onto the plate. Add a bottle of Mystic River IPA for a mild, earthy, citrus flavor that will go down like a welcome treat for the palate.

Tex-Mex Tortilla Soup

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Tex-Mex Tortilla Soup! One thing I love about Fall is the convenience of crockpot meals. Throw all the ingredients together, stir, and then forget about it for a few hours. Do something fun……and I don’t mean raking leaves or shelling walnuts. Take a nature walk, visit an apple orchard, choose a mum plant for your front door, photograph colorful pumpkins and gourds. You get the idea. Don’t let the season pass you by. Autumn is in full swing and Mother Earth has splattered the landscape with vibrant colors.

TEX-MEX TORTILLA SOUP

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

20-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies, mild flavor

10-ounce can diced tomatoes, zesty flavor

15-ounce can black beans, organic

15-ounce can corn, drained

15-ounce can kidney beans, drained

4-ounce packet taco seasoning mix

4-ounce packet ranch seasoning mix

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

3 green onions, snipped

1/3 cup sliced jalapeño peppers

Instructions:

Brown ground beef. Drain any liquid. Place ground beef, tomatoes (juice included), black beans, corn, kidney beans, taco dry seasoning mix, and ranch dry seasoning mix in a slow-cooker. Mix well. Cover and cook on High for 3-4 hours OR on Low for 6-8 hours. Uncover. Ladle Tex-Mex Tortilla Soup into bowl and garnish with Monterey Jack cheese, a dollop of Greek yogurt, onion snips, and jalapeño pepper rings. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

The Mariner in Mystic, Connecticut

Dining Outside the Home: The Mariner in Mystic, Connecticut! In the center of Historic Downtown Mystic enjoy a meal, or two, at this upscale coastal restaurant where the seafood is fresh, food is made from scratch, and the cocktails go down real smooth. Try their version of New England Clam Chowder. Made with the freshest clams, the richest cream, and a secret recipe they’ll take to their grave. Is it any wonder it’s the top favorite in the restaurant? But don’t stop there. The gourmet chef also specializes in Italian cuisine from pastas to gnocchi as well as dry-aged steakhouse attractions that include tender filets and pan roasted rib eyes. Are you getting the picture? Perhaps you need to make The Mariner your regular eating house.