On Cape Cod
Bob Moore
Osterville, MA
508.922.1577
email Bob

In Newport
Laurie Moore
Newport, RI
401.545.0797
email Laurie

theMooreGroup.net

What's New?
The Moore Group has a newly updated website designed by Kirsten Houst from Graphika Design.
www.themooregroup.net

We’ve added a section on High Performance Green Homes. This section is timely as it reflects what’s important to consider now as we live, build and renovate.

And Our Story includes a new partnership and the history of The Moore Family.

On the Projects page you’ll see we’re developing an on-line interface which allows our clients to monitor progress of their projects from the comfort of their home or office.

Our expansion into Newport  has proved to be the right fit for us and for our clients.

As Owners Representatives we are overseeing a substantial renovation project on Bellevue Avenue. Many thanks to Kirby Perkins Construction and their expanded crew of talented building professionals.

Elyse Moore is a private chef whose unparalleled skills in the kitchen have earned her glowing accolades from an exclusive clientele in Stowe, Vermont to our annual Thanksgiving dinners for forty adoring family members in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts.  
Elyse offers a few delicious suggestions for holiday dining.

Wassail
3 Cortland apples
6 oz. brown or maple sugar
3 pints brown ale, apple cider or hard cider
2 sticks cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
pinch cloves
pinch nutmeg
strips of lemon peel
1/2 pint Amontillado sherry
1/2 pint Rainwater Madeira
1/2 pint Port

Core and heat apples with half the brown sugar in a hot oven for 30 minutes, until they are dry and toasted. Put in large pan with some of the ale or cider and add the rest of the spices, sugar and lemon peel, simmer on stove top of 5 minutes. Add the rest of the alcohol at the last minute so it heats up but does not evaporate.

Serves 8.

Roast Goose with Prune, Armagnac and Sage Dressing
Ingredients:
9-11 lb. young goose, liver, neck, heart and giblets
2 c. kosher salt (for the brine), plus more for seasoning goose and liver
2 gallons water (for the brine), plus more for refreshing dried fruit
3/4 c. granulated maple sugar
3 bay leaves
2 tsp. black peppercorns
1 tsp. allspice berries
2 whole cardamom pods
2 large sweet onions
Fresh sage
Fresh thyme
1-2 c. Armagnac
1/2 c. sweet vermouth
1 1/2 c. whole pitted prunes
1/2 c. dried apples
1/2 c. panko
2 carrots
2 parsnips
1/3 c. diced yellow "Swede" turnip
1/3 c. flour
2 shallots
1 c. Madeira (or Port)

Preliminaries.
One day before roasting the goose, prepare two gallons of brine. In 2 quarts of water, heat to dissolve 2 c. kosher salt, 3/4 c. granualted maple sugar (or light brown sugar). Add 3 bay leaves, 2 tsp. black peppercorns, crushed, 1 tsp. allspice berries, 2 whole cardamom pods, crushed, 1 sliced onion, two large sprigs of sage and two of thyme. Then add cold water and ice to make 2 gallons of brine. Cover and chill brine. Wash and dry goose thoroughly, removing neck and viscera. Wash and dry liver and place in a small clean bowl. Wash and dry the goose liver and marinate overnight in Armagnac in the refrigerator.

Submerge goose in brine for 8-12 hours, refrigerated, until about 4 hours before cooking time. Remove goose from the brine and pat dry completely inside and out. Allow goose to lose its refrigerator chill for about 3-4 hours before roasting.

Prepare stuffing.
Cover prunes and apples with boiling water to refresh for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Dry and season livers liberally with salt and pepper. Sauté livers in butter for about 5 minutes, or until just barely done. Flame with Armagnac to finish. Do not overcook. Dice when cool enough to handle. Caramelise 1 sliced onion in butter and oil. Soften crumbs in stock and reduced sweet vermouth. Finely chop sage and thyme. Mix all stuffing ingredients and correct seasonings. Chill about one hour before stuffing goose. If you are really ambitious, you may purchase additional liver mousse and stuff the prunes before adding them to the rest of the stuffing ingredients.

Prepare the goose for roasting.
Remove the wings at the first joint and secure them to the body with cotton twine threaded through the bird near the back, catching the fat at the vent and tie securely. Season the cavity of the bird with salt, pepper and fresh herbs. Sever the connective tissue between the thigh and hip joints to ease removal of the leg once the goose is cooked. Stuff the goose though the neck opening, leaving room for expansion. Truss the goose and tie securely. Brown wingtips, neck, with giblets with onions carrots, parsnips and turnip. Dust with flour and deglaze with half the red vermouth and ¼ c. Armagnac. Prick goose skin along the fattiest parts to encourage the release of fat during the roasting. Brown the goose on the stove top in a large sauté pan – first on the breast, then on each side and finally on the back. Pour the browned goose parts and vegetables into a deep roasting pan; use this for a “roasting rack” for your goose. Place the goose atop the bones and veggies. Add stock and vermouth. Roast at 450°F. for 20 minutes; reduce heat to 325°F. Roast for a total of 2-2 ½ hours, until the leg joints are loose and the juices run a clear, but pale pink. Do not overcook the goose. Rest 20 – 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

The sauce.
Strain and defat the cooking juices. Saute 2 finely chopped shallots. Add 1 c. Madeira and reduce by half. Add the strained and defatted cooking juices and reduce to a sauce conistency. Correct seasonings. Pour about a half cup of sauce over the goose just before serving to glaze. Serve the remaining sauce on the side with roasted potatoes, prunes, roasted chestnuts and brussel sprouts.

Source for goose: http://www.gourmetwildgame.com/category/goose.html

Maple Chestnut Mousse
1 pound shelled chestnuts*
1/4 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. Maple liqueur
5 eggs separated
1 7/8 c. sugar
1/4 c. water
1 c. heavy cream

Shell the chestnuts. Quarter.

Make a zabaglione with the eggs yolks, maple syrup and Maple liqueur over a boiling water bath. Whip until cooled.

Make and Italian meringue with the whites, water and sugar. Sugar syrup should reach 244 degrees F. or just before firm ball stage syrup before adding to the softly whipped egg whites. After all syrup is added, whip at medium high speed for 2 minutes, then reduce to slow speed and beat until cool.

Whip the cream to soft peak with a little sugar and a teaspoon of Maple liqueur.

Fold the cooled zabaglione into the cooled Italian meringue. Fold in the whipped cream and chestnuts. Chill well.

    The Newport
    Wine Cellar
    24 Bellevue Ave
    Newport, RI

   www.newportwinecellar.com

    Our favorite wine boutique!

For those of us that have a hard time making a selection, Newport Wine Cellar  offers  “The Holiday Survival Kit”  including  8- Reds, 3-Whites and 1-Sparkling for $115.  A great value!

If you’re interested in learning more about wine take a class @ Newport Wine Cellar offered every Wednesday eve from 6-7:30.   The first of the New Year on January 6th, The Elegant Grape: Pinot Noir.
Find out more on the web @ www.newportwinecellar.com

 Check out Maria and David Glades latest venture, The Petit Gourmet right next door! Breads, cheeses, pate and all the goodies that make life worth living. The place is fabulous!

For this issue we asked Maria Glade, owner of Newport Wine Cellar, what she’d select as companions to Elyse’s Christmas Goose and Maple Chestnut Mousse.
For the Goose she suggests a lovely Bordeaux, Chateau le Ricards 2005 ($28).
And for the Mousee, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise ($25)

  
     www.nantucketchamber.org

Spaulding Auditorium, Hopkins Center
Hanover, New Hampshire

Astors Beechwood Mansion
Newport, Rhode Island

visit www.astorsbeechwood.com

For all you folks interested in what’s really GREEN out there we look to our trusted friends at BuildingGreen.com

This month they look at the top 10 most exciting innovations in building materials. Here are few products we think may interest you.

Product News from Environmental Building News
December 1, 2009

BuildingGreen Announces 2009 Top-10 Green Products
BuildingGreen, LLC, publisher of the GreenSpec Directory and Environmental Building News (EBN), announced its eighth annual Top-10 Green Building Products during the 2009 Greenbuild conference in Phoenix. The list recognizes the most exciting products drawn from recent additions to GreenSpec and coverage in EBN.

Invelope integrated wall insulation and rainscreen system creates a weather-tight backup wall system for metal-framed commercial buildings. Invelope provides a moisture and vapor barrier, drainage plane, and insulation—as well as a mounting system for brick veneer or terra cotta cladding—all in one panel system. Made from corrosion-resistant steel wrapped around a polyisocyanurate foam core, Invelope comes in 32"-wide interlocking panels and is available in 12' and 20' lengths and in 2" (R-14) and 3" (R-21) thicknesses. For more information, see www.buildbetterwalls.com or EBN Sept. 2009.

Thermafiber mineral wool insulation products are derived from 90% pre-consumer recycled iron-ore slag for commercial and residential thermal, sound attenuation, and fire-resistant construction applications. Thermafiber products, according to the manufacturer, are noncombustible without flame retardants, are odor-free, will not absorb moisture or support mildew or fungus, and will not rot or decay. For more information, see www.thermafiber.com or EBN Oct. 2009.

Baltix recycled- and biobased-content office furniture is made with a wide range of green materials, including waste-agricultural-fiber particleboard; FSC-certified wood veneers, MDF, and bamboo; and recycled plastics, metals, and paper. The company’s stock and custom workstations, tables, seating, and accessories (including bookshelves, files, cabinets, and partitions) are available with low-emitting, UV-cured clear coatings or surfaces made from natural linoleum or a new biobased laminate, Biosurf. Baltix uses biobased polylactic acid (PLA) edge banding instead of PVC or ABS, and frames are constructed of anodized aluminum (75% recycled content) or steel and available with a powder-coat finish free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The company also has an end-of-life recycling program. For more information, see www.baltix.com.

The Rheem HP-50 heat-pump water heater has an integral 50-gallon tank and is Energy Star-listed. Intended primarily for residential use, the HP-50 operates in three modes: Energy Saver mode uses the heat pump only (energy factor 2.0); Normal mode, for higher hot-water demand, uses the heat pump and one of two electric-resistance elements (energy factor 1.5); and Electric Heat Only mode relies solely on the electric elements, functioning like a conventional water heater for particularly high demand. Among heat-pump water heaters on the market, the HP-50 has the longest warranty and is the quietest. For more information, see www.rheem.com or EBN Oct. 2009.

For more information on the newest and best in green building technology visit and join www.buildinggreen.com.

Coming Soon...

A luxury remodeled home concept featuring recycled and rapidly renewable building materials, high performance insulation, progressive heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems,  renewable energy sources and superior indoor air quality.