Old world eating that feels quite modern

Each summer, Anne Mahle and her husband, Jon, take boatloads of passengers out on the open sea in a former oyster dredger, the Schooner J. & E. Riggin. With no electricity on board, the wood-burning stove serves as the centerpiece of the tiny kitchen, and it is there that Mahle bakes breads, roasts fowl and simmers up stews. She compiled her old-world recipes into a cookbook, "At Home, At Sea." Here are her recipes.

Curried Lamb and Lentil Stew
Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 pounds lamb stew meat
2 large onions, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh pepper
2 tablespoons curry
1 cup red wine
3 cups beef stock
3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup French lentils

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Season the lamb with salt and pepper and cook until browned. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper and curry, and cook until the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes). Add the red wine and beef stock. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until the meat is nearly tender (about 1-1/2 hours). Add the potatoes, lentils and more stock if needed and continue to simmer until the potatoes and lentils are cooked (about 25 minutes). Serve over polenta.

Mom & Grandma's Brown Bread
Makes 1 loaf

2 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat.
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons molasses

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease one loaf pan. Cream together the shortening and sugar. Add the milk, eggs, and molasses and stir until just mixed. Stir in the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Pour into the greased pan, and let it sit 20 to 30 minutes. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan.

Butterscotch-Topped Gingerbread With Sautéed Apples
Serves 12

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2-3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup molasses
1-1/2 cups boiling water
2 large eggs

Apple topping:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch wedges
Whipped cream for garnish

Preheat oven to 300°. Butter and flour the sides (not the bottom) of a 9-inch round cake pan that's 3 inches deep, tapping out the excess flour.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together, stirring until smooth. Pour the mixture into the cake pan and swirl it to cover the bottom.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves into a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Set aside. Using a fork, stir 1 teaspoon of the baking soda vigorously into the molasses, until the molasses has lightened, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the molasses to the creamed butter and sugar then mix until fully combined.  Stir in the flour. Stir in the water; mix until just smooth. Finally, add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly each time. The batter will be very thin.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan; bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, then invert the cake onto a serving plate. Allow the cake to cool, but serve warm. Just before serving, sauté the apples over medium heat with the butter and sugar. Allow the apples to cool slightly, then top the cake with the warm apples, and serve with whipped cream.

Recipes excerpted from “At Home, at Sea: Recipes from the Maine Windjammer J.&E. Riggin” by Anne Mahle. Copyright © 2005 by Anne Mahle. Published by Baggywrinkle Press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt can be used without permission of the publisher.

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