Simply Baked Scallops

Marjorie has a handful of scallop recipes in this cookbook. Scallops are a popular Maine seafood so I'm not surprised, but so far the recipes have all been very similar. They are very basic. This particular recipe simply placed seasoned scallops in a pan and covered them with a very little bit of milk. It was that simple. 

I was surprised how the milk had separated and become so watery when I took the ramekins out of the oven. It didn't detract from the taste of the scallops as they are still very good. Today we will be serving this dish with a warm baked potato. Come in and give this a try and if you like it... it will be an easy one to pull out of your hat for dinner at night during the week! 

Blue Elephant Cafe 

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

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Best Needhams

Needhams. They are apparently a well known dessert in Maine, however, like a lot of these dishes, I had not heard of them until I pulled out this recipe. I decided to make this recipe because it had mashed potatoes in it, and I thought it sounded like fun! 

My only issue with the recipe was that the whole bar was supposed to be dipped in chocolate which I was unable to do because the coconut mixture was too soft. I had let it cool like Marjorie said, but I think it needed longer, maybe even overnight, to cool. If I had let them cool overnight, then I would have been able to dip the whole thing in chocolate.

Regardless, though, they are delicious; very sweet but delicious. We still have some left so come in today and give them a try! You won't be disappointed! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Since the original Bread Pudding recipe was such a hit the other day, when I was flipping through and realized there was a Chocolate Bread Pudding I decided this was an obvious choice! It had to be as good as the original right?

The method was pretty much the same as in the original recipe, however the ingredients are just a bit different. There is less sugar and obviously cocoa powder is added. It looks just like a chocolate cake and tastes like a very moist brownie! 

Both bread puddings are a hit and will remain in my repertoire!! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Nuts and Bolts

Are you from Maine? Did your Grandmother or Mother ever used to make Chex Mix or "Nuts and Bolts" for a snack around Christmas? Or perhaps any time of the year! 

Throughout my childhood my mom and grandmother would make Chex Mix from scratch, I believe it may even be this recipe though they never pulled out this cookbook. It was always around Christmas and it was always a special treat. To this day my dad especially looks forward to Christmas for the homemade Chex Mix, or "T.V. Mix" as he calls it. 

It's so easy and so delicious too. Simply melt butter or margarine, worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, onion salt, and celery seed together and pour over nuts and cereal. Marjorie recommends mixed nuts, rice chex, shredded wheat squares, cheerios and pretzel twists. Of course you can mix it up and make it to your own liking or follow the recipe exactly. 

Once the mixture is coated evenly it's baked in the oven for about an hour, stirring occasionally. 

Do you have memories with this recipe? If so write to me and tell me your story! I'd love to hear about it. We still have a few containers for sale at the Blue Elephant Cafe so come on by and grab a container for a snack later today! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Bread Pudding

                                                                                I've never made, or eaten, bread pudding before pulling out this recipe. It was super easy and I would highly recommend it as a dessert to make if you are having company over or are in a time crunch.

"Bread pudding is made in a variety of ways. Flavor of this one is different, due to the use of brown sugar." Marjorie Standish

The list of ingredients is simple; bread crumbs, milk, shortening, brown sugar, egg yolks and whites, white sugar and vanilla. The pudding 

was so light and fluffy and I think this can be attributed to the method of beating the egg whites to a stiff peak and folding them into the rest of the mixture. In the future, after I have cooked my way through this Cooking Down East Cookbook, I would like to experiment with more bread pudding recipes and see if they are as good as this one! 

Don't hesitate to give this recipe a try sometime, you will not be disappointed!! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Steamed Chocolate Pudding

This is the second "pudding" recipe I have made where I would absolutely not call it a pudding. Maybe it's a Maine thing where the word you're saying actually means something else. As I was mixing the batter for the steamed chocolate pudding I was thinking to myself, "wow, this is a lot like a cake batter."

The method of cooking is where the recipe must get it's title. It's poured into a pan, or several pans, then set into warm water and placed in the oven. So it literally steams. However, when it was done baking it was in fact like a cake consistency. It also got rave reviews. We still have a couple left so come on in and give it a try and let me know what you think. What is your opinion on this so called pudding?!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Baked Halibut

My apologies, it has been a while since my last posting. I now have a few moments and will catch up on the recipes that I've been creating from Mrs. Marjorie Standish's Cooking Down East Cook Book!


When I was growing up a dinner my mom used to make all the time was baked haddock. Her method was always to top the fish with breadcrumbs and lemon juice. It was one of our favorite meals, and if we were lucky she would make the egg sauce that Marjorie mentions frequently!

I decided earlier this month to make Baked Halibut and was expecting the recipes to be quite similar. I wasn't let down. In addition to the bread crumbs and fish though Marjorie had me prepare a delicious mustard and butter sauce that gets poured over the fish. The bread crumbs are added on top of this and the fish is baked in the oven.

One little note... Marjorie says bake in the oven at 350 for 40 minutes. I have never cooked fish for 40 minutes. It would most likely kill it... again. It's funny, her cooking times are often much longer than they actually need to be. Most likely a sign of the times, as back in the day everybody was very worried about food poisoning and food borne illness. So they cooked everything until it couldn't be cooked anymore. As evidence by most of these recipes!

The Baked Halibut was delicious, the added flavor of the mustard was a great idea. The dish was served warm with a side of fresh greens. I will definitely be keeping this one in the repertoire!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

http://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Shrimp Stew

All of Marjorie's stews are interesting; how they are made and their ingredients. I was taught the difference between a soup and a stew is that a stew has potatoes in it. So far all of Marjorie's Stews have not had potatoes and have been a very thin broth.

In addition to this, the fish stews have but two ingredients in them: the fish, sauteed in some butter, and milk poured over the fish. The milk is brought to a boiling point and then kept warm. The stews are seasoned with salt and pepper.

Of course for this project I need to make and experience all of the recipes, but I find that these soups are bland and not very interesting. The Shrimp Stew was no exception. Simply saute shrimp with butter and add milk. I would have liked to have added potatoes or some vegetables. Once done with this particular project I will have to experiment with this kind of soup again!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

http://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Brambles

What are brambles you might ask?! Well they are a delicious cookie made by rolling out a pie crust, filling it with a sugar, raisin, and butter mixture, then topping it all with another rolled out pie crust. The edges are folded over and marks are made on the top so that once it is baked you can go back over and cut the pieces easily.

The finished product reminded me a lot of fig newtons. Only instead of fig filling, it was a raisin filling. They were easy to make and quite delicious. I would certainly make them again especially as a holiday cookie.

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

http://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Vegetable Casserole

I love vegetables. I always have. What I find interesting though about all of Marjorie's vegetable recipes is that she is always covering the vegetables up with something: a cream sauce, cheese whiz, cheese, or lots and lots of butter. So here is my conclusion...if you have kids and you are trying to get them to eat their vegetables....try some of Marjorie's recipes. More than likely the kids will at least give the vegetables a try. Who knows, they may even like them!

I, myself, am a purest and like vegetables without all of the extra stuff on them. Just steamed with a little seasoning, and I'm good to go.

This Vegetable Casserole was not different from what I just described. It had white sauce, cheese, cream of mushroom soup and carrots and frozen string beans for veggies. Basically it all gets layered together in a casserole dish and baked for half an hour.

Cut the carrots very thin. 

Steam together with the green beans

Make the white sacue

Add all the ingredients together and top with parmesan cheese. Bake until golden brown! 

There you have it. Vegetable Casserole. 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

http://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Snappy Cocktail Sauce

I must apologize for I have fallen behind in my posts! It's no excuse, but The Blue Elephant has been extremely busy catering these past couple of weeks! Be sure to check out our catering blog (www.blueelephantcatering.com) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents) to see what we've been up to in the event world.

Back to cooking with Marjorie...I'm still plugging away! It's becoming increasingly difficult, as I feel as though I've done most of easy, or rather, favorite recipes. Now I'm blindly choosing what's left. It's always a surprise what will come out of the kitchen next which is why it continues to be an enjoyable experience.

On August 30th I picked out Marjorie's Snappy Cocktail Sauce. Boy was it snappy! Chili sauce, horseradish, and tabasco just to name a few of the ingredients. I paired it with shrimp of course, and it was an extremely popular dish.

As a general rule if we, the general public, are going to serve shrimp, we head to the grocery store, pick up the shrimp and cocktail sauce and serve it. I always forget how easy it is to make cocktail sauce from scratch. We made it in school, and I made it again on this day. More than likely you can find all the ingredients in your cabinet, and it takes minutes to whip together. Try it sometime, you'll be surprised at how easy it is and how much you'll like it.

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

http://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

"Custard Pie" and "Beautiful Custard Pie"

In a cookbook where two recipes collide....First was the original Custard Pie. Then came the Beautiful Custard Pie. They battled it to the death to become our customer's favorite new pie. Who would ultimately win? We would have to wait and see! 

The original Custard Pie. 

"She was just as widely known for custard pie and it is not unusual to have people say 'just made George's mother's pie today, it's the best!' She gave the recipe in proportions for a 9-inch pie and a 10-inch pie."

George was Marjorie's husband, and this recipe must have been his mother's recipe. It was very popular, and I could hardly keep it on the shelf the day I made it. I will definitely be keeping it on file, as I'll be making it again!  

Next up...Beautiful Custard Pie.
As I was making the original custard pie, I looked down and saw that this recipe followed. I chuckled because it was such a funny name. I decided that I needed to make it right after the other custard pie for comparison sake. Unfortunately, there was no explanation for its unique name, so my assumption is that the name has to do with the recipe's method and ingredients.

The differences between the two:

Custard Pie:                                       Beautiful Custard Pie:
Mix Eggs                                           Beat Egg White
       Sugar                                          Add Sugar
       Cold Milk                                           Spices
       Spices                                         Beat in whole eggs
                                                          Mix in warm milk


The result: the Beautiful Custard Pie was more dense than the Custard Pie. However, both were equally delicious. I made the Beautiful Custard Pie yesterday, and we still have a few slices left. So come in and try some while it lasts!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

http://twitter.com/#!/blueelephant3

New Clam Casserole

"Because we have such good canned minced clams, some of our favorite casseroles are made with them rather than fresh clams" Marjorie Standish

The recipes never cease to amaze me, though I was shocked to read this statement because it was sort of like Marjorie felt like she had to explain herself and her ingredient choices. I have to say, though, canned clams is the lesser of all evils compared to some of the ingredients I have come across in this cookbook.

I had fresh clams left over from my clam chowder recipe yesterday, though, so I did not use canned clams. I used fresh ones. The outcome of this recipe is a bit confusing, it looks sort of like an omelet, yet it's baked in a casserole dish so reminiscent of a frittata.

It will be served warm today with a side of greens. It's delicious come on in and give it a try!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

Maine Clam Chowder

I haven't worked in the soup section of Cooking Down East for quite some time. I think because of all the rain these past two days I was drawn to it as I was flipping through the pages this morning. It is not a difficult soup recipe, and I love the fact that Marjorie seemed to have a lot to say with each step.

It's funny because some of her recipes are simple and to to the point. No stories, no extras. Just plain "this is how you do it" and move on to the next. But then there are these recipes that are mixed with stories and tales of "...back in the day, we used to do it this way..." You can tell which recipes Marjorie was passionate about or had a lot of experience making. I like the stories. They make for interesting reading and a unique cooking experience.

For Maine Clam Chowder the steps involve "trying out" salt pork, then cooking the onions, adding the potatoes and covering with water. Once the potatoes are soft add clams, milk and butter. It's that simple. Of course, season to your liking.

Marjorie's note with this recipe was that the recommendation had always been to let the chowder "ripen" in the refrigerator for several hours or even a day. However, by the time Marjorie was writing this cookbook, the recommended was to omit that step because of the use of homogenized milk. You don't want the chowder to separate and make anyone sick!

She also recommends serving the chowder with crackers, pilot crackers or blueberry muffins. Yum! We will be serving this delicious soup today with oyster crackers. It's the perfect day for soup. Come enjoy a cup or perhaps have a great big bowl for lunch!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

Oven Roasted Peanuts

"This is my favorite way of 'doing peanuts'. Always popular at parties, the next two recipes make fine gifts." Marjorie Standish

I thought I was picking an easy recipe this morning, but boy was I wrong! I guess it wasn't that it was difficult, more that it seemed to take a long time. The most time consuming part of it all was shelling the peanuts. When all is said and done, it is a delicious recipe. Just make sure if you are going to make it that you have some time on your hands.

First place some peanuts in a pan, then cover them with boiling water 

Once they have cooled and you are able to handle the peanuts, the long process begins! 

Start to crack them open and pick out the nuts. 

Allow the peanuts to dry on a paper towel. 

When you are done with picking the nuts out of the shells, and after they have dried,

place the nuts on a sheet pan and cover with oil and butter and roast in the oven. 

When they look good and brown, place in a brown paper bag with salt. Shake to coat, then cut the bag open and allow to cool. Finally you are ready to enjoy! 

Fresh oven roasted peanuts! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

Blueberry Glace Pie

Similar to the Fresh Strawberry Pie, the Blueberry Glace Pie recipe involves making a thickened blueberry glaze and then pouring it over fresh blueberries in a baked pie shell. This then gets refrigerated to set. I am amazed at how quick and easy it is to pull together a pie of this kind. 

I think we often overlook the simplest desserts, one of which is pie! I have been on a pie kick this week, and it's a lot of fun. Pie is a dessert that should be made and eaten more often. It's so delicious. Come in and enjoy some today! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Elephant-Events-Catering/19796658177

Fresh Strawberry Pie

When I first pulled out this recipe, it did nothing but confuse me. I had to read it several times before it started to sink in that this pie was not to be baked in the oven. I have obviously not had much experience with this type of pie! However it is so easy and takes about half the amount of time as a pie that needs to be baked in the oven. 

Simply place freshly washed strawberries in a baked pie shell. Boil together frozen strawberries, sugar, water, and corn starch. Once this mixture has thickened, pour it on top of the fresh strawberries in the pie shell. Set it in the fridge to cool, and you're done! Easy as pie. And delicious too. 

Come in and enjoy this delicious concoction while we still have some left. 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Elephant-Events-Catering/19796658177

Maine Blueberry Pie

It's officially blueberry season, and I'm ready to cook my way through the blueberry recipes! I had my mom reserve a box of fresh blueberries for me, and I just picked them up this past weekend. They look delicious, and I'm excited to get baking with them. Thanks Mom for reserving those for me!

I was taking a look through the recipes last night, and I didn't see that Marjorie has that many blueberry recipes. This surprises me seeing as blueberries are such a staple ingredient for many Mainers.

I decided there is no better way to start than with Maine Blueberry Pie. After all, it is our state's dessert! All it took was pie crust, blueberries, sugar, flour and a few seasonings. I whipped it up in no time and popped it in the oven.  Within a half an hour I had a delicious Blueberry Pie ready to serve for lunch!

We have a few slices left, so come on in and try it today and let us know what you think! What is the best blueberry pie you have ever had?

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Elephant-Events-Catering/19796658177

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Are you looking for a delicious dessert? And one that's super easy to make? You have got to try Marjorie Standish's Chocolate Sheet Cake and Frosting! I was looking for something to make this morning and landed upon this one. I am so glad I did. The preparation and assembly were not difficult, and it is one of the moistest, most delicious cakes I have ever made!

The only difficulty I had with the recipe was that it called for buttermilk, and I couldn't tell whether or not Marjorie wanted me to use powdered or liquid buttermilk. I decided it would be best to follow the directions on the back of the powdered buttermilk carton - which involved turning it into a liquid. It must have been what Marjorie meant to do, because the cake turned out simply delicious!

I think that the buttermilk, butter and oil are what help to make the cake so moist. The chocolate frosting on top is just thin layer. To make this simply delicious confection take a peek in your copy of Cooking Down East by Marjorie Standish! Or if you want to try it first, then come in to the Blue Elephant today! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Elephant-Events-Catering/19796658177

Scalloped Potatoes

 Scalloped potatoes always remind me of Thanksgiving. They are a staple at our family table. I feel like they are labeled as a difficult dish, but this particular version of the recipe was so easy and just smells so delicious!

It simply involves paring the potatoes then slicing the potatoes and onions very thin. The potatoes are then layered with onions, flour, salt and pepper in a casserole dish.

The casserole gets baked in the oven until golden brown and until the potatoes are soft.

Enjoy a dish of the scalloped potatoes by themselves or with a nice side salad. 

Blue Elephant Cafe 

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Elephant-Events-Catering/19796658177