In addtion to my braised dishes, I will offer an array of french-style breads such as boules & baguettes, all-butter croissants (definately NOT low fat), & homestyle cookies, including my popular Bulwinkle Moose spice cookies. 

All of this will take place in the spotless kitchen at the Rangeley Inn.  Thank you Charles & Dominique Goude! 

For a complete menu, please email me at lisaklefos@yahoo.com.

The first third of the hike has a gentle incline, but then the trail becomes very steep with large flat rocks requiring precision in every step.    While I always welcome a good cardio workout, I was not loving this hike.  I had imagined an old logging road, not steep & slippery terrain.  I was in a grumpy mood when we finally landed on the summit though a rickety tower offered  fine veiws.  The blueberry bushes, full of fruit, were welcoming except that we were two weeks early.  Our way down required a walking stick for me and poor Conrad, with a backpack & Haley the dog in tow, got pretty beaten up along with a brusied & bleeding elbow.    But a swim in Rangeley lake & a nourishing lunch made our day much better. 

Rangeley's Bald Mountain summit views

After triming off the dirt & probably plenty of tiny insects, I decide to include them in last night’s pasta dish.  Not wanting to drown out chanterelle’s mild woodsy flavor, I began by sauteing them on high heat in a blend of unsalted butter and olive oil.  Once soft, I removed them and set them aside.  Next, a sliced shallot went in with a bit more butter along with a crushed garlic clove.  After two minutes over medium heat, I added 1/2 cup of homemade chicken stock and a 1/4 cup of white wine.  This I reduced as my penna pasta cooked in salted boiling water.  I tested for seasoning and added kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.  At the end, I drained the pasta, added 3/4 cup of heavy cream to the pasta sauce along with fresh chopped basil and chives, and of course those lovely chanterelle mushrooms.

Homemade Dog Biscuits

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1/2 cup molassess, honey or maple syrup
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup canola oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix dry ingredients.
3. In another bowl, mix egg, water, oil and molasses
4. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
5. Using a melon baller or small ice cream scoop, form small balls and place them on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten cookie slightly with the palm of your hand.
6. Bake for 12 minutes until lightly brown. Cool completely. Store half in the freezer since there are no preservatives in these homemade dog treats.

Lisa's Best Turkey Meatloaf

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs ground turkey – I use 93% lean
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup light cream (you could substitute 8 oz of fat free evaporated milk)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup dried herbs such as tarragon, basil, parsley and oregano

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl. combine light cream and bread crumbs. Blend well. Add all other ingredients and mix until well blended . Put into one 8″x8″ baking dish or two smallish loaf pans. Cover securely with foil (shiny side down). Bake for one hour. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Serve and savor! I usually throw in baking potatoes while the meatloaf bakes.

Lisa's No Knead Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups white bread flour – I use King Arthur
• 1/2 cup whole wheat (for fiber & good health)
• 2 teaspoons granulated yeast
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 1/2 cups of warm water (around 100 degrees F)

DIRECTIONS

In a bowl, add all ingredients and stir until well blended. Let rise at room temp for 2 hours. Stir again briskly to reduced volume. Meanwhile, oil a dutch oven and line with parchment paper. Add dough, cover and refrigerate for 12 hours or overnite. Remove from frig while heating oven to 450 degrees. Place dutch oven into the oven covered for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove & cool,. Enjoy!

PS – This bread makes awesome french toast.

Walnut Tea Cookies

I first had these yummy crumbly cookies at a Greek Easter celebration. These cookies are so easy to make and are perfect for Christmas celebrations as well. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 sticks (1/2 lb) of unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar (extra for dusting)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups of toasted & ground walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325F.

Combine flour, salt and nuts – toss until well blended. Set aside. Cream butter by hand or in a mixer until light. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract. Blend well until very light. Blend in flour mixture until evenly incorporated. With a small ice cream baller, shape dough into 1 tablespoon balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake until very lightly golden brown for about 20 minutes. Cool completely before tossing in powdered sugar. Enjoy! Makes about 36 to 40 cookies.

Lisa's Terrific Cranberry-Orange Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups of coarsely chopped fresh cranberries
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• rind from one orange (or a teaspoon of orange oil)
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 stick of unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS

Sift flour with baking powder and baking soda, add salt, sugar and cinnamon and blend well. Add to a food processor. Cut cold butter into small chunks and add to processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Reserve.

Add cranberries to processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add to flour mixture and blend well.

In another bowl, add egg, sour cream, orange rind (or oil), vanilla, and orange juice. Blend well. Add to flour mixture and fold in until blended. Pour into a ;arge loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour and 15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and serve. Can also be baked as muffins.

Lisa's Home made hummus

INGREDIENTS

• 19 oz chick peas (I like Progresso)
• 1/4 chopped onions
• 1/4 cup sesame paste ( invest in a can this since it keeps for a long time in the frig)
• 2 garlic cloves
• juice of one lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1/2 or more of water

DIRECTIONS

Add all ingredients into a food processor. Blend well. Taste for seasoning. Serve with toasted bread slices, pita bread or crackers. This can be made a few days in advance of a party. Cover and refrigerate.

Lisa's Summer Pesto

In my mind, I am a firm believer that proper pesto has just five ingredients. And because these ingredients evolve into a flavor greater than the sum of their parts, please do not use substitutions such as walnut for the pine nuts, or parsley for the basil!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 to 1 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts (toast briefly in a dry skillet over moderate heat)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. I usually add a 1/4 cup light cream to soften the flavor before tossing with 8 to 10 oz cooked pasta. This is an uncooked pasta sauce. Enjoy!