A Note From the Kitchen

Last week, five ladies came in for breakfast and sat together at a table. As they were eating, they saw me set out my daily Standish Special (the Chiffon Cake), and we got to talking about Marjorie Standish. The ladies all just love Marjorie's cookbook; it is their favorite standby go-to book. One of the women even had a story about her aunt who used to live next door to Marjorie. She remembers going to visit her aunt for a party of some sort, and Marjorie came over and gave her a great big welcoming hug.

Apparently Marjorie was the sweetest lady. In the last month, I have encountered two people who have met Marjorie at some point in their lives. Both people have the same opinion - Marjorie was the sweetest, most down to earth woman.

I love hearing these kinds of stories. Please write in and tell me yours. Even if you never had the opportunity to meet Marjorie, I'm sure you have a story about her cookbook or one of her recipes! Tell me about it!

Blue Elephant Cafe 

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

www.facebook.com/blueelephanteventsandcatering

jmcmahon188@gmail.com

Old Fashioned Chicken Pie: April 21, 2011

This is a great recipe: simple, to the point, and delicious. It can be made all at once or in stages. It starts by boiling a chicken until the meat is tender and falling off the bones. This part that can be done a day in advance.

Then, all you have to do is pick the meat off the bones and put it into a pie shell. Next, turn the liquid that you boiled the chicken in into a gravy to pour over the meat in the pie shell, cover the whole thing with a top crust, and bake it in the oven. Any chicken pie I've ever made or eaten has had vegetables in it along with the gravy. I suppose that's the difference between a Chicken Pot Pie and an Old Fashioned Chicken Pie. It was very yummy and very popular. We served the pie with a side of greens and a choice of dressing.

Since the pie was so tasty and easy to make, I'm sure it will appear on our menu again very soon!

Blue Elephant Cafe 

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

www.facebook.com/blueelephanteventsandcatering

Scalloped Potatoes and Bologna: Wednesday April 20, 2011

It seems as though every time I open up the cookbook I turn to this recipe, so I figured that I might as well make it. The fact that casseroles seem to be very popular at the Blue Elephant also made me think, "Why not?!" It's interesting that this recipe was very special to Marjorie. Here's what she had to say about it:

"I have a strong feeling about this recipe. It was in the first column I ever wrote and has been one of the most popular recipes I have used."


It turns out that my inclination about casseroles was off, because this one was not so popular at the cafe. Maybe it was because of the bologna or maybe it was the onions. I'm not quite sure. It will most likely not be repeated any time soon though.

What is your experience with bologna? Do you have a story to share?

A Baked Bean Note

I recently had a request to make Marjorie's Baked Beans. I had been avoiding making them, because it was going to be a challenge to pull this one off (or at least in my head it was a challenge!). As many of you know, baked beans are a slow cooking process...Marjorie says eight hours.

If I wanted to have these beans done for lunch time at the cafe, meaning noon, I would have to start cooking the beans at 4 a.m. I admit that I am dedicated to this project but not that dedicated! My other option was to use a crock pot, which I had never done but seemed like it might work well. Here is what I ended up doing: 

I parboiled the beans for an hour and a half on the stove the evening before. Then, I mixed all the ingredients together in the crockpot and covered them with water. At 10:00 p.m. I plugged the crockpot in, turned it on low, and went to bed. When I got up at 6:00 a.m., I peeked in the crock pot and checked on the beans. They still had enough water and were almost done cooking (although they were still a bit hard). 

At 7:30 I transported the crock pot to the  Blue Elephant, plugged it back in, and turned it on low. I did add a little bit more water just to be on the safe side. The beans cooked beautifully. The only downside about making the beans in the crockpot was that the delicious aroma of baking beans that usually wafts from the oven was lacking! 

Regardless, the beans were delicious and done in time for lunch! We served the dish with Marjorie's Yeast Rolls. I also baked a ham and made some jello to complete the dish! A traditional Maine dinner. We should do this more often! 

Baked Beans and Yeast Rolls: Tuesday April 19, 2011

One of my favorite things about Marjorie's cookbook is the stories that she included in and around her recipes. I assume that many of these stories are from the columns that she wrote for the Portland Press Herald newspaper many years ago. Her story about baked beans paints a vivid picture of the quintessential Maine household. The story goes like this:

"Your favorite memory comes, I feel sure, from your childhood. Remember the shine on the black cook stove? And how your mother grasped a holder, opened the oven door, took the cover off the bean pot and found it was time to add a little more boiling water? The teakettle would be pushed to the back of the stove and be softly steaming away. She would lift it down and pour just the right amount of water into the beans. The cover would be placed back on the pot and pushed back into the oven, the door closed. The wonderful aroma of Maine baked beans could mean only one thing- Saturday!"


It's so funny because I have so many memories of my own mother making homemade baked beans in the very same manner Marjorie describes. And I am one hundred percent positive that my grandmother did the exact same thing for her family as well.  It's amazing how Marjorie could write a piece back in the 1960's describing cooking baked beans, and it still rings true for me today in 2011. I just love how cooking brings people together.

Do you make baked beans for your family? Does this story that Marjorie wrote in her cookbook remind you of your mother or grandmother? Or even of yourself? Write to me and tell me your story!

Blue Elephant Cafe 

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

www.facebook.com/blueelephanteventsandcatering

Dump Bars Monday, April 18, 2011

Quoting Marjorie, "The good recipe with the inelegant name."  It is, indeed, an awful name for such a yummy treat. Dump Bars are one of the most delicious desserts that I've made from Marjorie's cookbook. I also remember Dump Bars fondly from my childhood. 


My grandmother used to make them all the time for my dad and his siblings while they were growing up. My dad had never talked about them until one day when my family was eating dinner and my dad announced, "You kids haven't lived until you've had a dump bar." My brother and I replied, "What are you talking about?" As it turns out, Dump Bars are a popular Maine dessert. I'm not sure where the bars or their name originated, but if you are really looking to live....you must try a Dump Bar!

When I made the Dump Bars, I doubled the recipe in a half sheet pan. The bars were wildly popular at the Blue Elephant Cafe. You can be sure that you will be seeing them again once I make my way through the book for the first time!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

www.facebook.com/blueelephanteventsandcatering

Broccoli Casserole

It never occurred to me that this recipe was very similar to green bean casserole until one of our customers quizzed me on the ingredients. It is, in fact, very much identical to a green bean casserole. It even has the cream of mushroom soup! The dish was very popular with the Blue Elephant crowd and quite filling for a side dish!

That Marjorie knew how to make some delicious food! Does anybody remember having broccoli casserole growing up as a kid?

Chiffon Cake

I think I may have found a new favorite white cake recipe. Much like all of Marjorie's recipes, it was so easy to pull together, and we had all of the ingredients on hand. The cake reminded me of an angel food cake recipe though perhaps just a little more dense. It is traditionally baked in an angel food cake pan. I made mine in a regular cake pan, however, because I didn't have an angel food cake pan on hand. It still tasted delicious!

If you are in need of something sweet, give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!

Egg Casserole

Chopped hard boiled eggs laid evenly in a pan

Covered with a creamy white sauce

Topped with Tabasco sauce, cheddar cheese and bread crumbs and into the oven it goes! 

Fresh from the oven, a yummy Egg Casserole served with a side salad and your choice of dressing. 

The Egg Casserole reminded me of the egg sauce that my mom and grandmother used to make to put over fish. I also made the same sauce to go over the Halibut Loaf a couple of months ago. The Egg Casserole was a dish that was foreign to the customers at the Blue Elephant. Yet those who tried it enjoyed it very much. 

On to the next recipe... this one was not my favorite, but it's one to try if you're looking for an adventure! 

Blue Elephant Cafe 

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

www.facebook.com/blueelephanteventsandcatering

Roasted Turkey with Stuffing and Gravy

Last Monday I had planned on making Marjorie's roasted turkey. What I had not planned on was only being able to find a thirteen pound turkey at the grocery store! I was very worried that it would not cook in time for lunch. However, it all worked out in the end because, in our convection oven, the turkey cooked very quickly, and it ultimately was a huge hit! 

We carved this delicious bird and served the meat on toasted white bread with homemade stuffing, gravy and a hint of mayonnaise. It was the perfect Thanksgiving sandwich! 

I had also planned on making orange cranberry relish. My plans were foiled, though, because I could not find cranberries if my life depended on it! So I will move that recipe to a later date. Stay tuned and you'll be sure to see the roasted turkey thanksgiving sandwich on the menu again soon! Until then, come in and enjoy some delicious turkey soup! 

Featured Next Week

Monday April 11, 2011

Roasted Turkey Thanksgiving Sandwiches 

with Cranberry and Orange Relish

Tuesday April 12, 2011

Egg Casserole

Wednesday April 13, 2011

Chiffon Cake 

Thursday April 14, 2011

Broccoli Casserole 

Friday April 15, 2011

Dump Bars 

Blue Elephant Cafe 

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

www.facebook.com/blueelephanteventsandcatering

A Note From the Kitchen

This past week something really cool happened! One of our regular customers came in for lunch. As she was sitting enjoying her lunch, the woman called me over to tell me this neat little fact: back in the mid 1970's, she was a dental hygienist who cleaned Marjorie Standish's teeth.

This was my first encounter with someone who actually met Marjorie, and it was very exciting! The customer remembers Marjorie as being down-to-earth, "A very nice lady," she recalls. She couldn't remember much more than that, but what a neat little story!

Every day something new pops up, and someone has a story to share about Marjorie. It truly amazes me! Do you have a Marjorie story? Tell me about it!

Creamed Chicken in Acorn Squash, Thursday, April 7th

This was yet another strangely written recipe from Marjorie Standish. It all made sense until the part where she said to turn the baked squash over and "Fill with creamed chicken and mushrooms." Yet there is no explanation of how to make the creamed chicken and mushrooms. So I had to improvise and find another recipe online.

It turned out to be a beautiful recipe. The acorn squash was filled with the sauce and topped with breadcrumbs...a very eye appealing dish. I think it could be a dish that we could not only serve in the cafe, but we could use it as an appetizer or side dish when we are catering a fall wedding.

Are you planning a wedding or event? Give us a call today!

Blue Elephant Cafe and Catering

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephanteventsandcatering.com

Oven Pot Roast, Wednesday, April 6th

An oven pot roast, so simple and down to earth. It was, again, simple to make and required little effort. Once all the juices were locked in by browning in a fry pan, the beef was placed in the oven with its own juices and some water. Roasted vegetables and a side salad were added to complete this dish. It was an extremely popular meal at the Blue Elephant and one that I'm sure will appear again! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephanteventsandcatering

Baked Stuffed Potatoes

It was a dreary day outside; a perfect day for warm comfort food, and it just so happened that I had planned to make Baked Stuffed Potatoes. It was a very simple recipe that required pretty much no effort at all. I put the potatoes in the oven for an hour or so. When they were soft enough to work with, I mixed up the filling, stuffed the potatoes, and baked them again until they were golden brown.

We served these delicious potatoes with a side of sour cream and butter. There was a lot of positive feedback about the baked, stuffed potatoes from our customers, and I will definitely be making them again soon! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephanteventsandcatering

Chicken Barbecue, Monday, April 3rd

First, I must apologize for getting behind in my blogging. My computer was in the shop being worked on this week, and I just got it back. So, I'm now able to catch up on what I've been making from Cooking Down East with Marjorie Standish at The Blue Elephant Cafe!

To kick off the month of April, I chose Chicken Barbecue. In the text before the recipe Marjorie says,

"Remember the very first Maine chicken barbecue you ever attended? You"re not likely to forget it are you? Watching the broilers being barbecued is of never-ending interest." 


When I was preparing for, and making, the recipe I was really confused because it is not what a typical barbecue chicken looks like. The sauce isn't anything more than vinegar, water and oil. However, after thinking about it and reading the recipe a couple more times, I realized that it's all in the wording.

Chicken Barbecue, not Barbecue Chicken.

It must have been the method of cooking that made it a true barbecue - prepared over a fire, turning every ten minutes. This being the case, as Marjorie said it would be an event never to forget.

I have this funny image of a group of "Mainers" all huddled around a camp fire turning chicken and drinking beer. Laughing and chatting. I would love to hear some stories or memories of a real "Maine chicken barbecue." If anyone has any memories, please write in.

We served the Chicken Barbecue with a wedge salad and ranch dressing at the Blue Elephant. A delicious combination. Next time I'm around an open fire, I'll have to run out to the store and grab some chicken to try a real Maine barbecue!

Fish Cakes

I was thinking this morning about Marjorie's recipes and how simple they are. I've not come across one yet where it's so complex that I haven't been able to complete it.

The Fish Cakes recipe is a two day process, but even then it took hardly any time or effort. The fish cakes are made with Salt Cod which has to be soaked in water overnight to get the salt off the fish. The next day the fish is boiled with some potatoes, mashed together and fried as cakes. So simple and delicious! We still have some left, so come try them out today while they last.