We visited our dear friends, Pat and Peter, in Portland, Maine, this week. We first met 48 years ago and have been close ever since. This was an overnight visit with plenty of opportunities to enjoy the food scene in Portland. The list included lunch with excellent BBQ at Terlingua, oysters and fish from Harbor Fish Market, brunch with sandwiches, bagels, and smoked fish at Rose Foods, and — best of all, a spectacular dinner by our hosts, who are as passionate and accomplished about food as we aspire to be.

The dinner Pat made was amazing. It featured a main course and dessert from the cookbook, Mezcla, Recipes to Excite, and a salad recipe from the New York Times Cooking section:

• Oysters on the Half Shell
• Hake Poached in Charred Tomato Broth
• Black Cherry-Pistachio Salad With Charred Scallion Vinaigrette
• After Dinner Chocolate Tart

The whole meal was as exciting visually as it was gastronomically.

If you want the recipe for this Ganache/Chocolate Tart, buy the book. It’s worth it!