Phoebe's Kitchen

Best Lobster Roll at HB Provisions, Kennebunk, ME

During a trip in November of 2010, I had my first lobster roll at HB Provisions in Kennebunk, ME so when I found myself at the store around lunch time there was no doubt what I'd be having. This is the only lobster roll I ever had that is served on a round bun and not a hot dog bun. One of the reasons it is so sweet is that they only use knuckles and claws, no tail meat which tends to be tougher.
You can find our Taste and Tales of Coastal New England and A taste of lobster and tales too can be found at HB Provisions.
Lobster Roll
1 round bun
1 claw and knuckle
1 lettuce leaf
1 slice tomato
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1. Spread half of mayonnaise on bottom bun.
2. Place lettuce leaf on top of mayonnaise, then tomato.
3. On top of tomato place lobster meat .
4. Finally, spread mayonnaise on bun and place on top of lobster. Cut in half, if desired.
Serves 1

A Sunny Evening at Costa del Sol

Last week some friends and I went to Costa Del Sol in Hartford, CT for a birthday celebration.  This is the second year that we ventured south.  Last year I shared a delicious Paella Marinera which included clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops and fish.   My friend Peter ordered Parrillada (for two) which is comprised of a grilled assortment of shrimp, scallops, clams, squid, mussels, fish and jumbo head-on shrimp.

The Costa del Sol opened over 25 years ago with food from the Galicia region of Spain.  Located in the far south end of Hartford and is easily accesible from InterState 91.

Make Paella is time consuming and expensive, but the end product is delicious.  I remember the first time I had this dish was many years ago at a restaurant around 36-37th Street in New York City. At the time I was a buyer for a major department store and part of the fun of going to NYC once a month was the variety of restaurant cuisines.   

Dansk made a beautiful paella dish which came in a variety of colors besides blue.  Today you can find them at tag sales or through auction websites such as ebay.                              

Panella

• 1 pound medium to large shrimp (16/20 count)
• 4 or 5 (about 6 oz. each) lobster tails in the shell
• 1 pound cod, halibut or other firm mild fish
• 18 to 24 live clams or mussels (OR a combination of both)
• 1/2 pound chorizo, linguisa or hot Italian sausage, crumbled (optional). If pre-cooked, slice into 1/4-inch rounds.
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 medium or 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch strips
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon saffron threads, in 1/4 cup hot water (optional)
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bottles (8 to 10 oz. each) clam juice
• 1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 cups short-grain paella or Arborio rice OR long-grain white rice (see note) 
• 1 package (10 oz.) frozen peas, thawed

1. Peel and devein the shrimp. Halve the lobster tails lengthwise. Cut the cod into 1½-inch chunks. Scrub the clams and/or mussels; remove the beard from mussels. Put the shellfish in a bowl of cold salted water and set aside in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
2. Wipe out the pan with paper towels. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, red pepper and garlic and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the paprika, saffron with its liquid, salt and pepper. If making in advance, transfer to a bowl and set aside or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
3. For final cooking: Add enough water to the clam juice to make 5½ cups liquid; bring to a slow boil. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Add the tomato to the onion mixture to the paella pan and sauté until hot, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the rice and sauté 3-5 minutes. Stir in the hot clam juice and mix well. Cook over moderate heat uncovered for 5 minutes without stirring. Add the chorizo and squid; stir thoroughly and pat into an even layer. Press the lobster, shrimp and fish into the rice mixture and cook 1 minute. Press clams and/or mussels, hinge side down, into the rice. Bake uncovered in the heated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the peas and cook until the rice is tender, the lobster, shrimp, fish and calamari are cooked and clams and/or mussels are open, about 5 minutes longer. Take from the oven, cover with a dish towel and let stand 10 minutes. Serve directly from the paella pan at the table.

Servings Per Recipe: 8-10

Cook’s Note:  You can buy packages of rice with saffron at the market.  Makes a tasty yellow rice.

Find Taste and Tales of Coastal New England at R J Julia in Madison, CT

R J Julia at 768 Boston Post Road in Madison, CT now carries the Taste and Tales of Coastal New England, A Taste of Lobsters and some tales too... and the Taste and Tales of Cape Cod.  

Growing up our family spent many hours along the Connecticut shoreline.  I took my first boatride at the age of 6 months from Clinton, CT.  As teenagers my brother and I spent time at Hammonasett Beach.  It is so different than it is today.  Back in the 1960s, there was a wonderful boardwalk with concession stands and even music events on weekends. The My brother and his pals usually spent a week camping at the State Park.  The word Hammonasett means, "where we dig holes in the ground" and refers to the place where a settlement of eastern woodland Indians farmed along the Hammonasset River. The park has served many purposes since 1898 when it was used as a testing range for Wincester Repeating Arms Company; an army reservation during WW II and an aircraft firing range.  I best remember it as a beach. My brother and his pals usually spent a week camping at the State Park.  I remember going from our home in Old Lyme one evening and having sloppy joes sitting around a campfire.  

                                                                                                                                                                    
Sloppy Joes                    

1 pound lean ground beef  

1  medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 cup celery

1 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon ground mustard

freshly ground pepper to taste

6 hamburger buns, split

 

1. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef, onion, garlic and celery over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients except buns. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.
3. Fill buns with beef mixture.

Serves 6

 

 

San Diego and the Night the Lights went out

Following my visit to Tuscon, I moved on to San Diego for a conference.  Upon landing and checking into my hotel, I had plans to spend the afternoon at the San Diego Zoo.   I was told that the weather in San Diego was always in the mid-70s and the dewpoint was around 50.  However, on this particular day the temperature was 97 and the dewpoint was over 70, so no zoo.                              

That evening I decided to walk to Little Italy and decided to  dine at Buon Appetito on India Street.  I have to say it was one of the best meals I have ever had.  I didn't see it on the menu, but I requested Veal Parmigiana and I have to said I have never had any better.  First, they served me warm Italian bread with a dipping sauce they was made with olive oil, fresh chopped tomatoes, fresh chopped basil, minced garlic and a dash of red pepper.  Soon after I was served a delicious plate of Veal Parmigiana.  Most of the meals I have had of veal are served with a marinara sauce, but not this one. On top of the most tender slices of veal was a sauce made from all fresh vegetables and herbs.  It was absolutely delicious.                                      

The next nght I walked to the waterfront and dined at Anthony's Fish Grotto on the bay.  This restaurant was recommended by the driver of the shuttle from the airport.  He said make sure I tried the  cole slaw with a creamy pineapple dressing.  I decided to have the Pacific Ling Cod served over a bed of citrus pilaf.   The roll was served with a butter mixture with garlic dried tomato paste. 

On Thursday, I was in the last session of the day and the speaker from Microsoft was about to begin his presentation when the lights went out.  Seems that a workman in Arizona cut a cable that turned off all the light from Phoenix to L.A. My friend from high school was on her way to have dinner with me.  She called at 4:55 p.m. and said she was 2 miles out and would arrive in 20 minutes.  She showed up at 7:00 p.m.  Traffic was in gridlock and nothing was moving.  Barb and I went off to fine something to eat but the health inspectors had shut down all the restaurants so we went back to the Hyatt.  They were making sandwiches and for $9.00 we had two slices of turkey on dry (no mayo or mustard) bread.  We sat on the curb of a planter.  The next day we learned that other area hotels provided food free to their guests.                                                         

I wanted to see more of the town so on my final afternoon in town, I took the San Diego Trolley Tour.  It was great!  You can get off and on at whatever tops you want.  In particular, I want to see the Del Coronado Hotel and this was the best way to get there.  I started the tour at Seaport Village.  The trolley then took us through the city and up over the Coronado Bay Bridge to the island of Coronado with the U.S. Navy's occupying  the north end of the island.  The tour took us through the town and along the beach which was listed as the second best beach in the World this year.  Of course, not to gloat, the winner was Siesta Key Beach  in Sarasota, FL. 

I got off to tour the Hotel Del Coronado.  Our tour guide said that the roof of the hotel has over two million red tiles. When it opened in 1888, it was the largest resort hotel in the world and the first to use electrical lighting. The lumber for the hotel was floated over on a barge.  Over the last 120 years, the "Del" has hosted presidents, royalty, and celebrities throughout the years. 

From the "Del," I got back on the trolley and continued the tour to Balboa Park and "Old Town."  Old Town is known as the Birthplace of California. In 1821, when Mexico gained independence from Spain, a small group of Mexican settlers began building homes at the foot of the hillside below the first mission and Presidio. Because wood was scarce at the time, sun-dried adobe bricks were used.

 For my last night in town, my friend and I went to the Prado Restaurant in Balboa Park.  The Prado  is located at the historic House of Hospitality in the center of San Diego’s famous Balboa Park.  It is a beautiful setting with some of the most amazing blown glass structures situated around the restuarant.  We both had a delicious seafood paella, but the piece de resistance was the dessert "Tres Leches".  It consists of a traditional "three milk" soaked sponge cake, baked pistachio meringue filled with caramel bananas, and vanilla bean ice cream.

 

Anthony's Cole Slaw with Creamy Pineapple Dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup crushed pineapple
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds, optional
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 8 - 10 cups coleslaw mix

1.  In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pineapple, milk, ketchup, sugar, poppy seeds if desired and Worcestershire sauce.

2.  Place the coleslaw mix in a large bowl; add dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. 

Yield: 4-6 servings.

Travels to Tucson

Over Labor Day weekend I headed west to visit family in Tucson, Arizona.  The landscape is so vastly different than that of the Northeast.  It is such a dramatic change to go from lush green to the stark brown of the dessert.  For those tired of mowing lawns and trimming trees, this is the place to live.  It takes a few days to adjust and then you really begin to enjoy the desert and the mountains that surround Tucson.

My first adventure was to travel to El Charro Cafe where the chimichangas was   invented.  I did try the El Charro Carne Seca, the original chimichangas that made the El Charro Cafe famous.  I thought it as a little greasy, but had a lot of flavor.  What we did have as an appetizer that was absolutely delicious was a Cheese Crisp.  It is basically a tortilla with cheese on top baked in the oven.  Consider it a pizza made with a tortilla. 

On Sunday, we headed up Mt. Lemmon in the Coronado National Forest.  It is a 9,167 feet above sea-level.  We drove up the Catalina Highway which starts on the eastern side of Tucson.  The views on the ride up are absolutely spectacular.  Near the top is the town of Summerhaven which was burned out in the Aspen Fire in 2003.  Many of the homes have been re-built.  We had lunch at the Iron Door Restaurant near the top with hummingbirds enjoying the sugar water near out table.  While there the temperature dropped 35 degrees and it rained.  However, go a few hundred feet down the mountain and there was no rain.  At 4,000 feet Saguaro cactus and other desert plants are once again visible.

Know as the "White Dove of the Desert," San Xavier Mission, the oldes European structure in Arizona, was founded as a Catholic mission by Father Eusebio Kino in 1692.  The current church began in 1783 and was completed in 1797.  The interior is filled with marvelous statuary and mural paintings.  In 1783, Franciscan missionary Fr. Juan Bautista Velderrain was able to begin contruction on the present structure using money borrowed from a Sonoran rancher. He hired an architect, Ignacio Gaona, and a large workforce of O'odham, a group of aboriginal Americans who reside primarily in the Sonoran Desert of the southeastern Arizona, to create the present church.

Cheese Crisp

1 (10-inch) tortilla                    

 

 1-1 1/2 cup grated cheese (Cheddar, Monterey, Queso Quesadilla  and Asadero) or your favorite

 

1. Place the tortilla on a large, dark cookie sheet. Spread butter all over the top of the tortilla, making sure to get the butter all the way out to the edges. (The butter is very important! Don't omit.)  Sprinkle top

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and cook for 6 minutes, or until the tortilla begins to visibly brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle cheese over the top and return to oven for another 2-3 minutes.  Be careful not to burn the tortilla. 

 

 

From Sun to Snow

Spring arrived 2 weeks ago according to the calendar, but  I guess someone forgot to tell Mother Nature.  Two  weeks ago I was sitting in the sun on Siesta Key beach  in Sarasota, yesterday I was preparing the snow blower to be used.  Is there something wrong with this picture? 

I must say the weather was marvelous for my annual trip.  It was raining as I left Bradley International, but miraculously ended as the plane landed in Tampa.  As I stepped out of the airport the warmth enveloped me.  I headed out in rental car with the windows open and headed to Publix, my favorite grocery store. 

Sarasota has one of the finest Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning.  Always best to get there early in order to get a good parking spot.  The flowers, vegetables, and fruits are straight from the growers.  After the   market we head to the Broken Egg at  Lakewood Ranch.  Their meals are very inventive and don’t besurprised to see Dick Vitale having breakfast or signing books. 

 

As usual a trip to Anna’s Deli on Siesta Key was in order.  Founded in 1971, it is now the oldest
restaurant on Siesta Key.  The reason for this success is the delicious sandwiches, especially the surfer.  It is a combination of ham, turkey, cucumbers (sliced on length very thin), cheese and their special dressing.  Friends kept testing and believe that the dressing is a combination of mustard and mayonnaise. 

One can not leave Florida with out having grouper.  I prefer mine grilled and the Phillippi Creek Village Restaurant and Oyster Bar.  The restaurants sits on the edge of the creek and dining is in the Old Florida tradition.  Phillippi Creek Oyster Bar is actually the converted winter home of the Phillippi family and has changed little since being built in 1604.  His ship the “Philly P” is said to have gone down off Island Park during Hurricane Maria in 1619 and supposedly on moonlit nights a ghostly vision of the ship can be seen sailing up the creek without a paddle.

For my entire trip, the days were warm and sunny and the skies were cloudless and there is nothing quite like the sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico.      

 

                                                         Grilled Grouper

4 (6-ounce) grouper fillets                                                                                     2 teaspoons olive oil         1/2 teaspoon salt                                                                                                                                                                 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper                                                                  lime wedges                                                                                              cooking spray

1.  Rub fish with olive oil, psrinkle with salt and pepper.                                       2.  Heat a large nonstick grill pan over medium high heat; coat pan with cooking spray or heat grill at same temperature and spray grill with cooking oil.                  3.  Add fish, cook 5 minutes on each side or until flakes easily when tested with a     fork.                                                                                                                  4.  Serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4                                                                     Taste and Tales of Florida

Taste and Colors of Fall

I think we would all agree that this past year has been pretty strange weather wise.  Spring came weeks before it should and the trees and flowers were as confused as us.  So far fall has been predictable.  In New England we were figuring the colors would be dull due to the severe lack of rain.  However, in September we received a fair amount of rain and I believe that helped change the course.  I have a large Silver Maple Tree in my yard and prior to the 9 inches of rain we received in September was dropping leaves pretty consistently.  After the rain, the tree held it leaves and is still doing so.  All-in-all it has been a pretty terrific fall and for visitors the trees held forth their annual colorful extravaganza.  Also in my yard is a Gingko and right now it is an absolutely unbelievable color   of yellow gold.  Either tomorrow morning or the next one, I will get up and all the leaves will be off the tree.  The Ginkgo can live for nearly a millennium and it drops all its leaves at once.  So far it has only happened at night so I have never seen it happen.

 

Last weekend I went to Cooperstown to meet the lovely Miss Maggie – my friend's 8 month old baby.  Most of the leaves were past and many of the trees were bare, but the magnificent chrysanthemums trees at the Otesaga Hotel were sensational.  I had never seen anything like them before.  Matt is 6' 4"  (holding Maggie) and as you can see the trees were not that much taller.  There is always so much to see and do in Cooperstown.  As we only had a few hours, Matt’s wife Mary Margaret and I hit a few of the shops while Matt had bonding time with Maggie.

 The first shop visited was Savor NY on W. Main Street.  The emphasis of the store is products made in NY - both food products and specialty items such as children blocks.  The owner is the author of two Cooperstown cookbooks that are excellent.  We then went to one of my favorite places, Fly Creek Cider Mill.  The mill is a few miles outside of  Cooperstown and is a wonderful place to purchase great cheeses such as Palatine Bridge, delicious apples, and unique gifts.  

 

Within a few minutes of my home is a great market, Fresh Acres Market.    It has an open air produce section, outstanding meat department (all without hormones), take home food section and specialty items such as my friend’s cookies and cupcakes.  A few weeks ago they had a harvest food tasting event. Shoppers tasted delicious items such as stuffed scallops, crab cakes, a wonderful Turkey Vegetable Gumbo, and samples of the various entries into the apple cooking contests.  Their philosophy is to buy local as much as they can, corn  from Meadowbrook Farms, apple pies from Lyman Orchards and cookies from Sugar DLs (I highly recommend her Ginger Cookies).

This is the perfect time for soup, chowder. and stews. There is nothing quite like sitting down and having a nice hot bowl of Vegetable Beef Soup or my Belgian Beef Stew (see February 14th blog).  My mother and I made a pot of soup every week and it is one of the things I miss.  We would sit at the table and peel and cut our vegetables.  The ingredients changed based on what was in the house.  Last week I used rutabaga, parsnips, celery, onion, garlic and carrots.  There isn't a real recipe, but I will give you some guidelines.

Vegetable Beef Soup

 

1 center-cut beef shank                                                             

1 (14 ounce) beef stock

2 stalks celery, chopped

½ rutabaga, diced

4 parsnips, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

fresh thyme and oregano

 

1. Fill a stock pot with water and beef stock to within 2-inces of top.  Place beef shank in pot and bring to a boil on medium low.  Skim top of liquid before it gets to a full boil.  Once boiled, turn heat down to simmer.
2. Add vegetables and seasoning.  I use fresh thyme, lemon thyme and oregano all year round.
3. Let cook for 2-3 hours.  When beef is tender and falling off bone, remove and cut in pieces.  When vegetables are tender, serve with salad and hot bread.

 Serves 8

Cook’s Note:  I have a large pansy bowl filled with a variety of herbs.  In late October I bring them in and place them inside in an unheated porch.  I water them about every three weeks and once spring arrives, I put them back outside and simply repot them.  I have been doing this for several years and nothing has died including my rosemary.  I have tried to over winter rosemary inside, but it doesn’t like it, but it doesn’t seem to mind the porch.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s Is Cranberry Harvest Time!

This past weekend I participated in CLASH – A Celebration of Land and Sea Harvest at the Cape.  On Friday, the Riverway Lobster House in S. Yarmouth hosted me at a booksigning.  It was very gracious of the Siscoe family.  The lobster and crab chowder make by Chef Tim McDonough was absolutely delicious.   

 

At the signing I met Craig Williams, a cranberry grower from the area.  He was quizzing me about my knowledge of cranberry since I had written a book about the ubiquitous little red berry.  Fortunately, I passed the test.  He invited me and my guests to visit his bogs after the signing.  When we finished we headed north and following the directions Craig gave us we were able to locate the bogs without any problem. 

 

The bogs had a bit of color in them and when asked what it was, I learned that poison ivy and cranberries have a symbiotic relationship.  He indicated that the workers grow an immunity to the poison and Craig indicated that one can apply a block to prevent the oil from touching the skin. 

 

Craig jumped into one of the bogs and picked a  ariety of cranberries to show us the different coloration in the berries.  I learned that 90% of the different was wet harvested and are used for juice, sauces, jams, etc.  That means that 10% are sold as fresh berries.

Growers have had a difficult time over the past few years financially due not only to the economy, but also due to increased imports of berries from other countries.  In 2009, $299 million dollars worth of berries entered the USA with $132 million coming from Chili, $115 million from Canada and $46 million from Argentina.  It is essential that the cranberry industry be preserved here in Massachusetts, so make sure you buy bags that say Massachusetts.  A law passed about a year ago says that fruit and vegetables imported must show where they are coming from. 

 

We thanked Craig for taking his valuable time to give us the tour.  I only wish I had the time to return for the actual harvest.  From we headed to Barnstable Harbor and the Mattakeese Wharf restaurant.  The meal was delicious and the view sensational.  If it had not been overcast, the sunset would have been spectacular.

 

On Saturday, we headed to Chatham for another signing at Where The Sidewalk Ends bookstore.  For a Saturday, it was a little quiet.  When we left we headed to the lighthouse and that is where we found everyone.  It was a beautiful day and everyone headed to the beach.  I showed my company the break through in Pleasant Bay and then did a tour of Orleans before we headed home.  Before leaving, we stopped at the Deli in Sandwich to pick up sandwiches and went out to the Canal to eat.  It was warm but a bit breezy.  This was my sister-in-laws first trip to the Cape and she is looking forward to exploring it some more.  She and my brother live in Dallas, so it was a nice change. 

 

Below is a delicious recipe for Cranberry-Apple Turkey Salad from my cookbook, a taste of cranberries and some tales too.

 

¼ cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

2½ cups boneless, skinless turkey breast, diced

½  cup dried cranberries

1 medium celery rib, chopped

¼ cup red onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons pecans, chopped

2 medium apples, sliced

 

1. In a medium bowl, stir together yogurt and

mayonnaise.

2. Stir in turkey and remaining ingredients, except

apples.

3. Place lettuce on individual salad plates; using ice

cream scoop put one scoop of turkey on top of

lettuce.

4. Garnish with sliced apples.

 

Serves 4

 

 

Come To CLASH on Cape Cod this Weekend

 Come to the Cape this weekend and partake of the many events that are happening.  CLASH stands for the "Celebration of Land and Sea Harvest" and happens at the end of September.  For the past three years the weekend had been hampered by rain, but this weekend it is suppose to be beautiful. 

I have been invited to participate at a tasting event at the Riverway Lobster House in South Yarmouth on Route 28.  Our hosts will  be sampling Lobster & Crab Chowder along with some hot hors d'oeuvres.  I will be signing copies of "A taste of lobster and some tales too...".  The event takes place on Friday, September 24, 2010 from 2 - 4 p.m.   This event was organized by Marie McHugh, Manager of Books By the Sea in Osterville and South Yarmouth.  Rmember a portion of each book sold goes to breast cancer research.

On Saturday, September 25, 2010, I will be doing a booksigning at Where the Sidewalk Bookstore in Chatham at the end of Main  Street.  Met Joanie Goodrow whose delicious Divine Lobster Pie is on Page 74.  Stop in at Gustare Oils & Vinegars which is right
across the street from the bookstore and sample some of their marvelous extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegars. 

Check out all the events happening during CLASH.  Other bookstores having booksignings include Titcomb's in E. Sandwich and Books By the Sea will be at the Osterville Historical Society on West Bay Road at the Osterville Farmers' Market.

Drew from  "Nantucket Wild Gourmet & Smokehouse will join the fishermen on the Chatham Fish Pier on Saturday from noon until 6 p.m. with samplings of their smoked fish and pates.  After chatting with the retired fisherman and sampling some delicious bluefish pate stop in at the Chatham Pier Fish Market for some of their delicious chowder.

Take tours of some of the farms and get delicious produce and other products at their stands such as Crow Farm in E. Sandwich, Surrey Farm in Brewster, Tuckernuck Farm (Yarn) in Brewster, Coonamessett Farm in East Falmouth, or stand in at the Tihonet Market in Wareham and pick up some cranberries.

Hope to see you at either the Riverway Lobster House or Where the Sidewalk Ends!