Even for the frostiest die-hard, the boating season is winding down. But that doesn't mean you have to give up cruising the coast. You can always land-cruise, dipping into picturesque harbor towns and indulging in long reveries of past adventures as you gaze out to sea. To spice up such an outing, which could be tinged with just a touch of melancholy, I suggest that you use a brand new cookbook as your travel guide.

Creative Coastal Cooking: Recipes from a dozen contemporary Maine restaurants Down East Books, 208pp, $19.95

The book is "Creative Coastal Cooking" by Terry Ward Libby, a Midwestern food-arts writer who land-cruised from Kennebunk to Bar Harbor sampling the culinary skills and exploring the creative psyches of 12 of Maine's most imaginative chefs. The author was accompanied by her husband, Tony, who took the pictures and "never once complained about having to visit all those beautiful towns and eat all those great meals."

The first section of the book provides a glimpse of the 12 chefs and just enough background information to set the various dining scenes. The following eight chapters contain more than 200 recipes covering starters, soup, salads, breakfast, side trips, chef's entrees, desserts and the chefs' pantry.

Frequently accompanying the recipes are comments by the relevant chef. "On damp, rainy days all of Bar Harbor's visiting campers decide to crowd into town and wait out the storm while having a beer and some hot soup. This (recipe) is our ÔYikes! We're almost out of soup' solution. If you hustle, this soup can be ready in less than an hour," says Chef Lise Derochers of the Lompoc Cafe and Brewpub in Bar Harbor about her Creamy Tomato Herb.

Since Libby traveled from west to east, Cherie's Bistro and Wine Bar at 7 High St. in Kennebunk is the first featured restaurant. Chef/owner Cherie Davis has contributed 13 recipes including such delectables Bay Scallop Seviche, Mango-Chili Salsa and Banana Stuffed French Toast.

Two restaurants in Portland are featured, Street & Co. at 33 Wharf St. and Local 188 at 188 State St. Chef Abby Harmon "creates an original seafood-only menu every night" at Street, working with a seafood "forager" who seeks out the best fresh seafood available on any given day. At Local 188, "owner and head cook, Jay Villani cooks with the staples of Spanish and Basque cuisine — Romesco sauce, saffron and shellfish." The seafood recipes from these two restaurants are outstanding.

Moving Downeast, Libby visited the Rogue River Cafe in Damariscotta. As the author stated in her introduction, most of the restaurants she visited were "sweat equity enterprises run by entrepreneurs" (chef/owner/artist/carpenter/remodeler/gardener) "who value their ties to the surrounding community and who view their restaurants as more than just business enterprises." No one embodies that description more than Wendy Hebb, owner and community service award recipient who donates the profits of her "Town Dinners" to a designated community-based non-profit. (Recipes from Rogue River include Belgian Chocolate Drop Cookies and Brown Rice and Mushroom Burgers.)

The Thomaston Cafe in Thomaston is owned by German-born culinary arts teacher, Herbert Peters and his wife, Eleanor. His recipes include several authentic old-country dishes like Sauerbraten and Cheese Spaetzle, though the restaurant menu is much more varied. Most impressive are Chef Peters' instructions for cooking the Christmas Goose.

Libby features three restaurants in Rockland. Cafe Miranda at 15 Oak St. ("We do not serve the food of cowards," says chef-owner Kerry Altiero. "We love to stir the pot.") He cooks Italian, Thai, Mexican, Armenian, and more in a wood-fired brick oven and has contributed 15 recipes to Creative Coastal Cooking.

Market on Main, "MOM" at 315 Main St., has a mission to serve and provide handcrafted quality food at an affordable price. Primo at 2 South Main St. (Route 73), on the other hand, is decidedly upscale. Chef/owner Melissa Kelly is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. Primo recipes include Braised Short Ribs and Mustard Crusted Lamb Chops with Tomato-Mint Jam.

In Bar Harbor recipes from three more intriguing restaurants are presented. Cafe This Way at 141Ú2 Mount Desert St., Lompoc Cafe & Brewpub and Morning Glory Bakery all use locally grown produce, locally caught seafood and the Lompoc serves locally brewed beer. Mouthwatering recipes include Myrtle's Buttermilk Pie (Cafe This Way), Honey Bourbon Sauce and Spicy Pecans for Chicken or Pork (Lompoc), and Extreme Brownies (Morning Glory).

Finally, in Otter Creek, just down Route 3 from Bar Harbor, Elmer Beal, a professor of anthropology at the College of the Atlantic, and his wife, Chef Allison Martin, operate the Burning Tree Restaurant. They are both committed to supporting the local economy by serving the best available foods, fresh from local fishing boats and neighborhood gardens. Burning Tree's Grey Sole Fillets with Shrimp Mousse and Lemon Cream Sauce, Allison's French Green Beans and Feta Salad, and Nantucket Cranberry Pie will be the next party meal I prepare. Not! I'm hitting the road Downeast this fall.

But if you can't make it to the restaurants this winter, at least now you can sample at home the kinds of dishes that make these chefs popular. You'll just have to cook it yourself.