Monty Presents: “Talk Like a Mainah”

Monty the Beaver is our resident mascot, and he’s been after his new guests about the funny way they talk:  “Yah gotta talk like a real Mainah if yah wanna fit in” he says….  so he’s put together this little guide to help you get started:

Words
Ahwah = 60 minutes, amount of time it takes to find a parking spot in downtown Bar Harbor in the summer.
Ayuh or Yuuh = Yes, yup, yep, uh-huh, “eh?”.
Bah Habbah = Bar Harbor, best place in the world to visit, even better place to live.
Bangah = Bangor, second largest city in Maine, closest city to Bar Harbor that has a Sams Club.
Beans = sportswear and sporting goods company LL Bean, the only Maine company known outside of Maine.
Bettah = Better, should, oughtta, opposite of worsah.
Bug = Lobster, spiny shellfish that turns red when you boil it, tourist food.
Cah = Automobile, collection device for parking tickets in downtown Bar Harbor.
Californier = California, where Hollywood is.
Centah = Center, what’s inside the outside.
‘Chout = Watch Out, look out, don’t be stupid.
Chowdah = Chowder, a thick white soup with potatoes, may contain lobster or clams but mostly potatoes.
Crittah = Creature, particularly those that burrow in your yard, live under your house, or have babies in your attic.
Cunnin’ = Cute, particularly when referring to crittahs.
Deah = Deer, furry, antlered garden-eating animals that own the town, or the girlfriend that owns you.
Finest Kind = The best, how Mainers say “da kine”.
Maahden’s = Mardens, a Maine junk store where everyone shops but no one admits to going.
Mainah= Mainer, anyone from heah.
Nor’eastah = Nor’easter, large storm that blows in from the northeast and really, really pisses people off.
Pahk= Park, what you do with the cah, also place where little kids play.
Pahtlan‘ = Portland, largest city in Maine named after Portland England or Portland cement, one of the two- we’re not sure which.
Pissah = Something or someone that (who) is very unpleasant or nasty, the old lady at town hall who you need to see for everything.
Wicked = Great, very good, the opposite of wicked.
Yahd = Yard, place where your house sits.  Also 3 feet.

 

Phrases
Down Cellah = In the basement, dark scary place where junk is stored.
From away = stranger, newcomer, anyone who’s family hasn’t lived in Maine for at least 150 years.
Go Upta Camp = Visit a vacation/hunting/fishing cabin, camping, what Mainahs do on vacation.
It ain’t theyah no moah = reference to a long ago landmark that everyone (but you) knows about.
Snow Machinin’ = Snow mobiling, riding a motorcycle that has a track and skis instead of wheels.
Yah cahn’t get theyah from heah = You’re lost, budddy.  Really, really lost.
You people = your group, your kind, your ilk. Anyone from away- especially Californier.

 

Now You Try a Few:
“‘Chout when yah go down cellah, it’s dahk”
“I’m goin’ upta camp to go snow machinin'”
“It’s two ahwahs from Pahtlan’ to Bangah”
“Last night’s nor’eastah was a wicked pissah”
“The chowdah at Thurston’s is of the finest kind”
“The deah that ate my gahden was a cunin’ crittah”
“Yah cahn’t get theyah from heah. Take a right at Bob’s place (it ain’t theyah no moah), and go from theyah”.
“You people can pahk yah cah ’round back in the yahd”
“Come to Bah Habbah, ain’t nothin’ bettah- ayuh!”

 

So what do you think?  Did Monty get it right?  Are there a few other Mainerisms that you know of?

Stay at Home Recipes- Classic Lemon Bars

These tart and tasty lemon bars are sure to hit the spot!

Crust Ingredients

  • 1/4 lb unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1/4 C granulated sugar
  • 1 C + 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Lemon Curd Filling Ingredients

  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 C granulated sugar
  • Zest of 3 lemons
  • 1/2 C freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 C all purpose flour
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting

Procedure for Crust

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. In a small bowl, combine flour and salt.
  3. In a larger bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy
  4. Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar and mix until just combined.  Mixture will have a crumbly texture.
  5. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and gather into a ball.
  6. Place into a 9″ x 13″ baking dish and press evenly on the bottom all the way around and 1/2″ up the sides
  7. Chill for 15 minutes.
  8. Remove from refrigeration and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned, remove and allow to cool completely.  Keep the oven on.

Procedure for Lemon Curd and Assembly

  1. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour.  Pour over cooled crust.
  2. Place into oven on center rack and bake for 30-35 minutes or until filling has set.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
  3. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, slice and enjoy!

Now Accepting Reservations for Summer!  Book Now at http://www.miramonte.com

Stay at Home Recipes- Anadama Bread

Anadama Bread

We prepare our Anadama bread at the Mira Monte from scratch every day.  This elegantly simple, traditional New England yeast bread is made with flour, cornmeal, butter and molasses. It is brown and slightly sweet, allowing it to accompany a variety of foods both sweet and savory.  There are many stories about how the bread received it’s curious name, all of them undoubtedly apocryphal, but here’s the classic yarn.  To fully appreciate this story, it helps to know that Mainers have a penchant for substituting “er” in place of “a” at the end of a word!

Long ago, an old fisherman had a wife named Anna who was so very frugal that she only fed her husband meals of cornmeal mush sweetened with a little molasses.  One day, the old fisherman came home determined not to eat another spoonful of mush. He added some flour and yeast to the mush and baked it in the oven to make bread, all the while muttering, “that Anna, damn ‘er!”  

And so it was that Anadammer, uh, Anadama bread was born.  The bread was so delicious that it became an instant hit and a New England staple. We’ve presented 2 versions here; the first is the rustic “old fisherman’s” version that can be prepared without kneading and without a bread machine.  The second is the bread machine version for those of you who are more technologically-inclined.

Rustic Recipe
Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 3 Tbsp butter (at room temperature)
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 package dry yeast
  • 4 1/2 cups bread flour

Procedure

  1. Place the cornmeal in a large bowl. Boil the two cups of water and pour the hot water into the cornmeal, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Let sit for 30 minutes.
  2. Add the molasses, salt and butter and stir to combine. The cornmeal mixture should still be warm enough to melt the butter.
  3. Put 1/2 cup warm water into a small bowl. The water should be warm to the touch but not boiling or the yeast will be die.  Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let sit for a few minutes. Then gently to combine. Let sit for another 5 minutes.
  4. Add the yeast mixture to the bowl with the cornmeal mixture and mix to combine. Add the bread flour, a cup at a time, stirring after each addition. The dough will be soft and sticky.
  5. Butter 2 5″x9″ loaf pans. Spoon half the dough mixture into each of the pans.  The top of the dough may have an irregular appearance; this is normal. Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for several hours, until it doubles in size.
  6. Heat the oven to 350°F and bake the bread for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife blade comes out clean. Let the loaves cool for a few minutes, then turn them out onto racks to finish cooling.

Bread Machine Recipe
The dough in this version is less sticky and won’t gum of the works of your machine; it will also result in a lighter texture. The dough can be kneaded by hand if preferred.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 tsp yeast, or 1 package
  • 3 1/2 C bread flour
  • 1/3 C yellow cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 C boiling water
  • 1/3 C molasses
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp butter

Procedure

  1. Place the cornmeal into a bowl.  Carefully and slowly add the boiling water, stirring continually to prevent lumps.
  2. Let stand and cool for about 20 minutes.
  3. Stir in molasses, salt and butter
  4. Place yeast in the pan of the machine, along with bread flour
  5. Add the cornmeal mixture, and start machine according to manufacturers directions.

If the dough does not appear to be mixing thoroughly during the kneading process, stop the machine and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

We’re accepting reservations for summer!  Book now at http://www.miramonte.com

Acadia Postpones Park Reservation Plans

Acadia Park

By now, you may have heard that the National Park Service will implementing a “timed reservation system” for many of the popular attractions in Acadia National Park, including Cadillac Peak, Jordan Pond, Sand Beach and Eagle Lake.  Though originally envisioned to begin in summer of this year, the Park Service has announced that reservations will not be needed through the spring and summer seasons of 2020.  A trial system will be tested in the fall, with roll out throughout the park scheduled to begin in the 2021 season.  For the time being, you needn’t worry about reserving your place in line or paying additional reservation fees. Of course, we always encourage guests to use the island’s free shuttle service during the summer in order to minimize congestion on the roads.  Shuttles meet at the village green, within easy walking distance from the Mira Monte.