Terry Libby - Creative Coastal Cooking: Recipes from a dozen contemporary Maine Restaurants

I f a dozen chefs in Maine hadn't trusted me with all those recipestheir stock in tradeyou wouldn't be reading this, or eating so well.

My thanks to Kerry Altiero, Ev Donnelly, Nora Cavin, Herbert and Eleanor Peters, Julie Harris, Julie Berberian, Susanne Hathaway, Lise Desrochers, Patti Savoie, Allison Martin, Elmer Beal, Frances Holdgate, Jay Villani, David Noyes, Abby Harmon, Lynne Leavitt, Ralph McDonnell, Anna Durand, Cherie Davis, Melissa Kelly, and Wendy Hebb. Thanks also to Chris Cornell and Amy Sutherland for their good advice in the early planning stages of this project.

My husband, Tony Libby, traveled with me along the coast as I prepared to put this book together. He took all the pictures. He has a good eye for people and places, and never once complained about having to visit all those beautiful towns and eat all those great meals.

makes about 4 cups

This versatile and delicious sauce started as a sandwich spread for a Lompoc Caf lunch special, and graduated to become the base sauce for spicy "white" pizzas. Serve it drizzled over char-grilled or baked chicken or shrimp (see Index), fried fish fillets, or hot tortilla chips. At room temperature it becomes a smooth, creamy dip. The chipotle chiles have plenty of heat, so if you prefer a mild sauce, go easy on them.

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoons ground cumin

teaspoon salt

cup pured chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (or 2 tablespoons for mild sauce)

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

2 tablespoons Wondra flour

2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese ("Pepper Jack" is optional)

cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a sturdy saucepan, whisk the first 6 ingredients together over medium-high heat until melted and smooth.

2. Sprinkle in the Wondra while whisking, then add the grated cheese, stirring until thickened and hot. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

Note: Canned chipotle chile peppers packed in smoky adobo sauce are a staple of the Mexican kitchen. Look for them in specialty food markets and some supermarkets.

(cover recipe)

serves 4 as an appetizer (2 as a main course)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

12 large raw shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 cup prepared Monterey Jack and Chipotle Cheese Sauce at room temperature (above)

3 tablespoons fine fresh breadcrumbs

2 cups cooked, warm orzo pasta

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

lemon wedges to garnish

1. Preheat the broiler set for high heat for 10 minutes. Use all the butter to grease a flameproof baking dish just large enough to hold all the shrimp in a single layer.

2. In a mixing bowl, toss the shrimp with the sauce, then spread the mixture in the baking dish. Dust evenly with the bread crumbs.

3. Broil for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are golden and the sauce is bubbly.

4. Divide the pasta among four small plates, top each with three shrimp, and drizzle on additional sauce from the baking dish. Garnish with the parsley and lemon wedges and serve immediately.

each recipe serves 4 as an appetizer

Plates of oven-roasted cheese garnished with vegetables and herbs are a favorite appetizer at Caf Miranda. It's like "fondue for the new millennium," says Kerry Altiero, "only better. Couldn't be simpler. No fussy fondue pots required serve this right out of the oven with crusty bread.

Kerry recommends serving with a glass of wine or a pint of Geary's Pale Ale from Portland, and Henry Mancini's greatest hits.

Note: You must have a sturdy, ovenproof baking dish or platter for these recipes, because they're roasted at maximum temperature. Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven, then preheat the oven to 450F for 10 minutes. When ready to roast the cheese, turn the broiler on high, then quickly place the prepared dish in the oven. Watch it carefully, because oven temperatures vary and the "fondue" can go from bubbly to burned in no time.

8 cloves roasted garlic (see Index), peeled and chopped

8 ounces thickly sliced sharp Cheddar cheese

6 or 8 "grape" tomatoes tossed in 1 teaspoon olive oil

2 large basil leaves, slivered

a pinch of kosher salt

fresh-cracked black pepper

Distribute the garlic inside the dish, then arrange the cheese on top in a layer of overlapping slices. Top with the tomatoes and basil. Set the plate aside to allow the cheese to reach room temperature before roasting (about 30 minutes). Once in the oven, the fondue will be ready in 3 to 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. Kerry recommends serving a Geary's Pale Ale from Portland with this one.

Only real Italian Gorgonzola has the creamy texture you'll want in this dish.

4 ounces imported Gorgonzola dolce, at room temperature

1 roasted red pepper, peeled and cut into strips (see Index)

2 large basil leaves, slivered

Spread the Gorgonzola over the dish, top with pepper strips and basil, and roast as directed above. Serve with a bottle of Sangiovese or other Tuscan red.

1 large poblano pepper, seeded and cut into strips

cup corn kernels, fresh-cut or thawed

cup very thinly sliced red onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 ounces good Monterey Jack cheese, cut into -inch-thick slices

4 ounces cooked chorizo sausage, crumbled

1 lime, cut into thick wedges

1. Toss the pepper strips, corn, and onion with the olive oil and spread in the baking dish.

2. Place the cheese slices in a single layer over the vegetables, then sprinkle on the chorizo. Roast as directed above and serve with lime wedges and warm tortillas.

8 ounces ripe Brie or Camembert, cut into -inch-thick slices

8 spears fresh asparagus, brushed with olive oil

a pinch of kosher salt

cup slivered almonds, or walnut or pecan halves, lightly toasted (see below)

lemon wedges

Arrange the cheese slices in the baking dish and set aside at room temperature for about 1 hour. Arrange the asparagus spears on top, season with salt, and roast as directed above until the cheese is completely melted and the asparagus has browned just a bit. Remove from the oven and top with nuts. Serve with lemon wedges and European-style bread.

This can be done in a hot, dry skillet, on a baking tray in a toaster oven, or in a regular oven at 350F. Nuts toast very quicklyin just 4 to 7 minutesand must be watched so that they do not burn. They are done when they take on just a little toasty color and become fragrant. Remove them from the hot pan as soon as they are done, cool them on a plate, then store in an airtight container.