“Eating a raw oyster is like french kissing a mermaid“ - Tom Robbins There is nothing quite like a fresh oyster picked from the sea. The incredible taste of the salty brine (i.e., “liquor”) balanced by sweet, tender meat. There…
The New England Clambake
“If God made anything better, he kept it for himself” - Anthony Bourdain [on the soft-shell steamer clam] There is nothing more quintessential New England than the New England Clambake. The New England Clambake is not just a meal –…
Musings: An Almost-Spring Day in New England
“Fast the tide is running in, and the wintry mists come down, like a curtain sheer and thin, blowing twixt the sea and town” - Into the Wind, Richard Warren Hatch, 1929 Although our road trip is short, it is…
Waterville Valley and Franconia Notch Itinerary: A crisp, inspirational escape to the White Mountains
“One feels that he has got into a place different from the usual resorts…there is plenty of sunlight, of air, of woods, of streams and mountains; and the world with its care and troubles is shut out…Rest, recreation, and nature…
Save Your Summer Tomatoes: A Primer on the Simple Sunday Sauce
“It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato” - Lewis Grizzard (Author and Humorist) If anything, this past weekend’s storm is a sobering reminder of what winter can bring. Namely, days that are cold, dreary,…
Florida Keys and Key West Itinerary: A Jimmy Buffett Inspired Road Trip
“The days drift by, they don’t have names, all of the streets here look the same…there’s so many quiet places, smiling eyes match the smiling faces…I have found me a home” - Jimmy Buffett [lyrics from “I have found me…
Owling in Marshfield: A Memory of a Moonlit Night
“I please myself with the graces of winter scenery, and believe we are as much touched by it, as by the genial influences of summer” – Ralph Waldo Emerson When I was young, my mom would read her favorite books…
The Mighty Trout
“Fishing is much more than fish. It is the great occasion when we may return to the fine simplicity of our forefathers” – Herbert Hoover More and more often, with the advent of technology in school, work, and now constantly infiltrating…
It’s Still a Wonderful Life
Dedicated to my Grandmother, Ann McNicholas Last year, on a family ski trip in the mountains of New Hampshire, a very wise family-friend gave me some advice that I will never forget. It was late at night, and a few…
Brant Rock in December: A Brisk Walk Through History
As colder months set in, with temperatures in the 20s and 30s, even the heartiest of New Englander’s yearn for an escape from early afternoon sunsets, cabin fever and hibernation paralysis. In my opinion, nothing invigorates the spirit more than…
Thank You, Marshfield
“To be good, and to do good. That is all we have to do” – John Adams “Marshfield is, and remains to me, the center of the universe” – BMC I grew up in Marshfield, and never really understood or…
Why You Should Always Brine Your Turkey
“Brine your Turkey. Don’t even think about it - like Nike, just do it” - BMC This Thanksgiving, if you are the lucky individual cooking turkey for friends, extended family, in-laws, and neighbors, the last thing you want to do…