A Taste of Freeport

It's hard to believe, but the fourth annual Flavors of Freeport is right around the corner!

This year's event begins Friday, March 25 with the guest favorite, the Chef's Signature Series. Last year's event included a silent art auction, plus samples from restaurants, pubs, bed and breakfasts, candy companies, wine distributors, and more!

It is a great exhibit of some of the finest samplings of food you'll find anywhere - and there is so much of it that you won't need to go out to dinner!

This year there is a new event on Saturday, March 26, called the Celebrity Waiter Luncheon. A three course luncheon will be prepared and served by the Hilton Garden Inn staff, and service will be provided by local celebrities, who will also keep the diners amused with their humorous back-and-forth banter, pouring water and coffee, and catering to the requests of the guests. Attendees of the luncheon will be encouraged to tip their celebrity waiters based on the level of service and entertainment they are being provided (are they making you laugh so hard you are in tears?). All of this is in good fun, and all celebrity-earned tips will benefit the event's charities.

Advance tickets are available separately for the Chef's Signature Series and Celebrity Waiter Luncheon, or buy a combined "Flavors Pack" for a discounted rate. Major credit cards are accepted online. Tickets at the door will be cash only.

Check availability and book now, so you'll be here for a taste of Freeport!

5 Reasons Your Valentines Gift is a Romantic Getaway in Maine

Are you searching for the perfect Valentine's gift for someone special? We have the answer, and it is a romantic getaway in Maine!

Why would someone want to visit Maine for a romantic Valentine's getaway? Let me count the ways!

1. Snuggle in your romantic fireplace room

There is nothing more romantic than snuggling up with your sweetheart in one of our lovely rooms, with a warm fire and watching the snow softly fall outside your window. Of course, we can't guarantee the snow, but we do have fireplaces in three of our romantic queen rooms (all with private, en suite, baths, just waiting for you!

2. Enjoy a fabulous breakfast each morning

We are well-known for our wonderful breakfasts - and with good reason. Each morning you'll enjoy a delightful new breakfast - even if you've stayed with us before, we rarely serve you something you've had previously. We alternate between a savory main dish one day (perhaps a quiche or baked eggs, or one of our newer treats) and a sweet dish the next (one of our many French toasts, baked or maybe a croissant French toast, or maybe we'll experiment with something new).

Of course you'll start with either a hot or cold fruit dish, and we serve freshly baked muffins or scones to accompany them. There are also a selection of fruit juices, as well as French press coffee or a variety of teas.

3. February shopping in Freeport is fantastic

If you thought the after-Christmas sales were over, you've never been to Freeport in February! With nearly 200 stores along Main Street (nearly all are within walking distance of Brewster House), there is almost everything you can imagine. These retailers know that people expect bargains after Christmas, but they are also cagey enough to hold their best prices for even later - when there aren't so many shoppers around.

After Christmas the sales were as much as 40-60% off, but in February many stores have at least another 50% off those prices, as they clear their merchandise to get ready for the spring season.

You can stroll down the street after your breakfast at Brewster House, shop these bargains, and return, with enough time left in your day to see more of the area.

4. Maine is a Winter Wonderland

As this is written, we're looking out the window at a new-fallen snow of about 1/2 inch, sitting lightly on the trees around us. A walk around the neighborhood will allow you to explore this enchanting fairyland for yourself.

If you're more adventurous, you can snowshoe or cross-country ski at nearby Wolfe Neck State Park, or on the groomed trails of Pineland Farm. If you need equipment, of course L.L. Bean carries it all (you may even find it at a bargain in their outlet store in Freeport), or you can rent it at Pineland Farm.

Farther afield, there is downhill skiing a couple of hours away in the mountains, or you can visit several of our lighthouses - which take on a unique beauty in winter that so few people are ever fortunate enough to see.

5. It is easy to get to Maine

If you're not already here, living the way life should be, getting to Maine is easy. Some folks worry about driving in February, but the ability of our road crews to clear the snow is nothing less than amazing. Snow is removed from our roads almost as quickly as it falls, so being snowed in or trapped just doesn't happen (though that has something of a romantic element to it, as well!).

Here in Freeport, we're only a two hour drive from Boston, or a bit less from Manchester, NH, and 5-6 hours from the greater New York area (depending on your location), so driving here for a couple of romantic nights away is very feasible. You can also fly to Portland (or, if you're a bit farther away, Boston or Manchester may score a better airfare deal), then rent a car and you'll be here in no time.

You can also take the train, as the Downeaster runs from Boston to Portland, ME several times daily, making the trip in just a bit over two hours. Work has begun to extend the train to Freeport and beyond, but for now you'll want to rent a car at the station in Portland.

What are you waiting for? Take a look at our availability calendar to see when you can schedule your romantic getaway in Maine!

Chocolate on the Menu (of course!)

Our Valentine's Day special has grown over the years from weekend special into a month-long package - so much so that this year our February is for Romance package was named one of the Top Ten Romantic Getaways.

As most of our guests know, our daily breakfast menu, as well as our afternoon refreshment menu, changes from moment-to-moment, so who knows what we'll be serving while you're here (reasonable requests may be possible, if received in time). However, it is very likely that, especially in February, we'll have some chocolate on the menu!

Last year, for our Flavors of Freeport dessert, all the local B&Bs had agreed to serve a Julia Child dessert, in honor of the (then) recently released film, Julie and Julia. As our contribution, Ruth prepared a wonderful Chocolate Almond Cake (yes, that is the cake from the film) from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. For the event, we cut the cake into bite-sized pieces as shown in the photo, but of course you can serve it however you like it!

For all who were not able to be here for the 2010 Flavors of Freeport (by the way, did we mention that the 2011 Flavors of Freeport is March 25-26? It's not too late to make plans to be here!), below is the recipe from Julia Child, with some minor alterations by Ruth!

Chocolate Almond Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

• 4 ounces or squares semisweet chocolate , melted with 2 Tbsp. rum or coffee
• 1/4 pound or 1 stick softened butter
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar to mix with butter
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 egg whites
• Pinch of salt
• 1 Tb granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup pulverized almonds
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup cake flour (scooped and leveled) turned into a sifter

Icing

• 2 ounces (2 squares) semisweet baking chocolate
• 2 Tb rum or coffee
• 5 to 6 Tb unsalted butter

Directions:

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter and flour cake pan (pan should be 8 inches in diameter and 1 1/2 inches deep). Set the chocolate and rum or coffee in a small pan, cover, and place (off heat) in a larger pan of almost simmering water; let melt while you proceed with the recipe. Measure out the rest of the ingredients.
3. Cream the butter and (the 2/3 cup of) sugar together for several minutes until they form a pale yellow, fluffy mixture.
4. Beat in the egg yolks until well blended.
5. Beat the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the 1 Tbsp. sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed.
6. With a rubber spatula, blend the melted chocolate into the butter and sugar mixture, then stir in the almonds, and almond extract. Immediately stir in one fourth of the beaten egg whites to lighten the batter. Delicately fold in a third of the remaining whites and when partially blended, sift on one third of the flour and continue folding. Alternate rapidly with more egg whites and more flour until all egg whites and flour are incorporated.
7. Turn the batter into the cake pan, pushing the batter up to its rim with a rubber spatula. Bake in middle level of preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Cake is done when it has puffed, and 2 1/2 to 3 inches around the circumference are set so that a needle plunged into that area comes out clean; the center should move slightly if the pan is shaken, and a needle comes out oily.
8. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and reverse cake on the rack. Allow it to cool for an hour or two; it must be thoroughly cold if it is to be iced.

Icing

Place the chocolate and rum or coffee in the small pan, cover and set in the larger pan of almost simmering water. Remove pans from heat and let chocolate melt for 5 minutes or so, until perfectly smooth. Lift chocolate pan out of the hot water, and beat in the butter a tablespoon at a time. Then beat over the ice and water until chocolate mixture has cooled to spreading consistency. At once spread it over your cake with spatula or knife, and press a design of almonds over the icing.

Bon appétit!