Which Way the Wind Blows
by Brooks MacDonald

Winter sure didn't waste any time in getting here this year! Let's all hope for tons of snow in the mountains where it belongs and mild and dry conditions here on the rock-bound coast of Maine. Winter is long enough without this early start. Speaking of winter, has anyone noticed it's staying lighter later? Denial? What denial?

With that said, welcome to the newest edition of our now infamous newsletter. There seems to be so much information and activity to share with you, we can no longer cram it all into just two issues per year. So, as we open for our eighth season on January 16th, we present our very first winter issue. We hope the eleventh issue of the Eye of the Hurricane helps break up the cabin-fever doldrums.

Let's start by telling everyone what a wonderful fall and early winter season we've enjoyed. Hurricane played host to more holiday parties than ever, an increase of nearly 40 percent over last year. Most took advantage of Lu's gift baskets from our Hurricane Provisions store as part of the place setting. (Absolutely beautiful, if I may say so.) That one-stop shopping concept really has some merit.

Provisions was far busier than I ever thought it would be. There was a point midway through the shopping season when the shelves were almost bare. Fortunately, Lu was able to restock without missing a beat. We even had an out-of-state restaurant ask if they could buy their wines from Provisions and take them back for resale. (Sorry, no can do.)

We're going to hear more from Lu on some of the items our shopping emporium is now stocking - we just can't wait to get to the Fancy Food Show in late February. Paul is also going to fill us in on the trip he and Ann took to California for the Restaurant Hospitality Best Wine List Awards. We've got a great recipe for our newest lunch sandwich: Fresh North Atlantic Salmon Burgers with a Caper and Dill Aioli. We'll have some winter/spring dates that deserve special mention. And I'll fill you in on the renovations we did earlier this winter.

Now, let's see... how does the song go? Four menu changes Three newsletters Two Christmas parties But only one vacation a year

It hardly seems fair. Maybe we can fix that, too. Read on and remember, let's all root for the groundhog to bring us ah early spring.

1999 Hurricane Wine Dinner Series Almost Ready to Uncork
by Paul Brick

Here we go again! It seems like we just hosted the Wine Dinner with Malcolm Jones of Ausvin - it's hard to believe it was back in April. But we've set the dates for 1999 and have already lined up some great wineries.

Of course, our perennial favorites Mimi Giamarino and Pete Emery will be returning. Ed and Judy Mansing will be back this year showcasing some fine Burgundian wines from Kermit Lynch.

M.S. Walker will be also be returning this year, following a brief hiatus. Gary Shaw will be tasting some of Eric Soloman's great wines imported from Provence. Soloman is a well-respected importer of limited production vintages from the South of France, who personally knows each and every winemaker he represents and only imports vintages he deems exceptional.

I will be firming up dates with wineries within the next few weeks. You'll find complete details in our next newsletter. Don't hesitate to call for more information or to make reservations. You know how quickly we sell out.

And now, please excuse me while I swirl!

Hurricane Provisions, It's a Wrap
by Luanne MacDonald

What a wonderful fall and holiday season we had in our little shop next to our little restaurant on Perkins Cove. It seemed like every day was filled with designing gift baskets and stocking shelves. It was crazy, creative and fun.

Now that the other season is upon us, we'll be cutting back on days the shop will be open. From now until the middle of April, we'll be open Saturday and Sunday, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment the rest of the week. As they say at the phone company, "You should call."

Brookie and I will be traveling to the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco next month. We'll explore, taste and procure lots of new yummy treats to tempt all of our palates. This is the nation's largest and most renowned fancy food show, and we're very excited about attending. When it comes to great food, you can't wait for it to come to you. You've got to go and find it yourself. Husband and fork in tow, away I go!

If It Ain't Broke, You Ain't Using It Enough

When the dead of winter arrives in Perkins Cove, it's time to prepare for the upcoming season and plan ways to improve on what we do best. This year's undertaking was a bit more adventurous than the usual steam clean and new coat of paint.

We started by completely renovating our downstairs food preparation and storage areas. A new steam-jacketed kettle will make lobster chowder a breeze, and new stainless steel tables give us a very polished look. There's just no room to prep in our tiny upstairs kitchen anymore.

Next, we went into the culinary arts department and installed new refrigerated prep tables to keep everything fresh and crisp. We also installed new kitchen flooring.

After bringing the dining room floors to a new luster, we finished off our renovations by installing a state-of-the-art computer system. If the system does half of what we hope it will, we will be very happy people.

We would be thrilled to arrange a back-of-the-house tour to show off our improvements. Otherwise, you might never see them. But they are just some of those invisible improvements that make it more of a pleasure to please you.

Jumbo Shrimp: No Oxymoron Here

In our last newsletter, we asked how many shrimp you thought we might need for our Annual Holiday Open House. Just for the record, we used over 700 shrimp, six seven-rib prime ribs, eight geese, over 100 pounds of turkey, seven hams and more pork loin than you care to know about. This doesn't include all the other goodies our great kitchen staff created.

Along the way, we raffled off the beautiful gingerbread houses constructed by our pastry chef, Martha Huestis. All the proceeds from ticket sales went to the York County Technical College culinary arts department. Our congratulations go out to Susan Lefferts, who won the taste-tempting delight.

Honeyed (Again)
by Paul Brick

Ann and I had the distinct pleasure of representing Hurricane at the l2th-Annual World of Food and Wine at the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel, California, in late November. With great pride, we accepted an award for one of the best "short lists" in the country from the editors of Restaurant Hospitality Magazine.

It amazes me that we have what is considered a "short" list, but when you compare it to some of the 1500- to 2500-bottle wine lists that were represented there, then I guess our 80-bottle list is somewhat short.

The award ceremony was just the beginning of a three-day celebration of the "good life." We were in the company of some of the best food and wine professionals from around the country; we enjoyed some of the best food and wine from around the world and attended very informative seminars and demonstrations.

After the award ceremony, we boarded a bus and were whisked off to San Juan Capistrano for a tasting with Michael Mondavi. Following a brief tour of the mission, we joined Mr. Mondavi and wine-maker Heather Pyle in the courtyard to taste some of their new Stag's Leap District wines and their always-great Reserve Cabernet, along with some tasty tapas prepared by Chef Christian Rassinoux of the Ritz. It could not have been a better way to view our first California sunset.

Next, it was back to the hotel for some Hog Island oysters and "vinho verdes," or green wines, from Portugal. After a brief respite on our patio to watch the stars come out, it was time for "Viva Italia": a Grand Tasting Tour of the finest foods and wines of Italy. Tutta bene! Prosciutto di Parma, Barolo, Shrimp in Orange Olive Oil, Gavi - and on and on. We tasted from 200 of Italy's finest wines, ranging from Roberta Donna of Galileo to Odetta Faba of San Domenico to Celestino Drago of Drago. Just incredible!

Saturday brought an amazing 11-year, vertical tasting of Groth Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, both informative and extremely tasty. Nothing like 11 vintages of Cabs to get you going at 10 a.m. It was just a primer for the South American Culinary Expedition that followed on the lawn overlooking the Pacific on a gorgeous 80-degree day. The foods of Chef Jorge Pacheco of Santiago Chile - his Abalone Empanadas were to die for - were a wonderful match for the wines of Chile and Argentina's best wineries accompanied by the hot sounds of salsa music.

The highlight of the weekend, however, was the Great American Tasting in the Grand Ballroom. Sanford D'Amato, Michel Richard, Chris Schlesinger, Jerimiah Tower and Nobuyuki Matsuhisa were all showing off their finest culinary creations. They were complemented by the best of California's wineries pouring their best vintages. The food included New Wave Sushi from Matsuhisa, Jerked Shark from the East Coast Grill, Veal Tenderloin on a bed of Swiss Chard and Caramelized Shallots from Sanford. The wines included Ravenswood Zins, Katherine Kennedy's tremendous Cabernet and the great Chardonnay of Jordan. All made for an unforgettable night.

The final event of the weekend was just that - An Event - a "Tribute to James Beard's Champagne Brunch," hosted by Alan Richmond, restaurant critic for GQ magazine. An incredible meal prepared by a host of James Beard award-winning chefs was served along with the world's finest Champagnes. We enjoyed Dom Perignon, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, Tournedos of Scallops with Leeks and Chanterelles and Four-Flower Sorbet, while overlooking the majestic Pacific on a gorgeous Southern California afternoon.

Of course this was strictly an educational trip, and it was truly an honor to have our wine list recognized by Restaurant Hospitality and by our colleagues.

Pan-Seared Fresh Salmon Burgers with a Caper & Dill Aioli (Serves 4)

For the burgers:

• 1-1/2 lbs. fresh salmon, skin and bones removed (use needle nose pliers to remove bones)
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1-1/2 tsp. hot sauce (we use Tabasco)
• 1 tsp. dill
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbl. canola oil
• 2 tsp. butter

Dice salmon into small pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the bell peppers, green onions and heavy cream and mix well. Add the dill, hot sauce, salt and pepper.

Beat the egg white with a wire whisk until soft peaks form, then gently fold into salmon mixture. Form into 4 patties.

Pan sear in canola oil, lower heat, add butter and saute until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and cook until nicely browned on reverse side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Serve with caper and dill aioli on your favorite roll.

For the Caper & Dill Aioli:

• 2 egg yolks
• salt & white pepper
• 1 tbl. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1-1/4 cups good quality olive oil
• 1 tbl. capers
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh dill

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with salt, pepper, lemon juice and mustard until thick, approximately 1 minute.

Add the olive oil, whisking constantly, in a slow, steady stream. Add chopped dill and capers and fold in carefully. Adjust seasonings to taste.