This Armenian dish of delectable mussels with rice and cabbage was one of author Nancy Mehagian's favorites made by her mother. She shares this recipe and many others in her book, Siren's Feast An Edible Odyssey.
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June 19, 2009
June 18, 2009
Classic Down East Haddock Chowder
The virtue of Maine-style fish chowder is its simplicity. It's a milky, brothy chowder, unembellished with wine or heavy cream, tasting mostly of the good, fresh, locally caught haddock from which it is made. This recipe is classic, with the main concession to modernity being the addition of fresh thyme, which you can omit or reduce if you so prefer. The secret to chowder's depth of flavor lies in the aging process during which all the chowder's elements have a chance to meld and blend, resulting in a most successful and happy marriage.
June 17, 2009
Rockland’s Renaissance, indeed!
With a decisive stamp of culinary approval, the Portland Press Herald devotes two full pages to Rockland in today’s food section. Finally putting to rest the reputation for which Rockland has suffered for too long (smelly, low-brow, depressed), food editor Meredith Goad declares Rock City a go-to destination for good eating and good art.
From our offices on Rockland’s Main Street, we have first-hand access to today’s vibrant scene of bistros, galleries, and boutiques that keep the sidewalks thrumming with visitors. Early this morning, the coffee shops were packed and already running low on muffins. A 3-story crane was installing a jazzy, new free-form awning on the entrance to the Farnsworth Museum, and people were still gawking at the Robert Indiana “EAT” sculpture that had been mounted on the museum’s roof only yesterday. The aroma of roasting coffee beans was in the air, and it didn’t hurt that bright sunshine was making everything sparkle like new.
Taste of the Nation Portland
Save the Date! Thursday, June 18, 2009
What a wonderful event for such worthy organizations in Maine. No cause is more important than our children. If you are in Portland tomorrow, June 18, or if you'd like to make a trip there to support one worthy cause this year, make it Taste of the Nation, Portland. Dine at some of Maine's best restaurants, and help stamp out hunger.
100% of ticket sales help ensure no kid in America grows up hungry.
At Taste of the Nation, Maine’s celebrated chefs are paired with amazing wines, spirits, and beers.
Dine on delicacies from more than a dozen Maine kitchens, including
Five Fifty-Five, Fore Street, Back Bay Grill, Cinque Terre, Hugo’s and
many others. Sip wines throughout the evening from an array of
different vineyards. But don’t neglect the cocktails; mixologist Adrian
Stratton of Back Bay Grill is overseeing that department. Preble
Street, East End Kids, Cultivating Communities and Maine Equal Justice
are the beneficiaries of the delicious fun at Taste of the Nation.
Every ticket sold fights childhood hunger in Maine.
All ticket revenue stays here in Maine and helps us with the mission—
ending childhood hunger. The money raised supports some very
important organizations.
FMI: http://www.strength.org/portlandme/event_details/
From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.
June 16, 2009
Pop the Cork 2: A Toast to the Arts
We encourage our blog readers to get out to Rockport Harbor this Thursday, June 18, for a spectacular local event. Pop the Cork 2- A Toast to the Arts is happening from 5:30-9:30pm, hosted by our friends at Cellardoor Winery. A benefit event, all proceeds will go to The Center for Maine Contemporary Art.
With so much to enjoy in such a rich area of Maine, start off the summer with food, wine, art, and music. There will be Zydeco, steel drums, a swing band, and of course fabulous wine and hors d'oeuvres. What a great time to take in a local cultural event. Make it the start of a yearly tradition! To learn more call 236.2654 www.mainewine.com Tickets may also be purchased online tickets@cellardoorvineyard.com
From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.
June 15, 2009
Martha Greenlaw’s Quick and Easy Black Bean Soup
Although I love all the old-fashioned New England dishes, sometimes I get a craving for those spicy Tex-Mex flavors. That's when I make this amazingly easy black bean soup for a quick lunch or supper.
Continue reading “Martha Greenlaw’s Quick and Easy Black Bean Soup” »
June 14, 2009
Halibut Recipe: Siren’s Feast, An Edible Odyssey
A fascinating book filled with food and adventure; this one is a must read! Your appetite will be satisfied on both a gustatory and an intellectual/spiritual level. Check out the book jacket excerpt and try Ms. Mehagian's savory sample recipe below. You'll feel a renewed need to cook and read!
Continue reading “Halibut Recipe: Siren’s Feast, An Edible Odyssey” »
June 13, 2009
Grilled Salmon Niçoise
Enjoying them in season, wild vegetables are wonderful. Fiddleheads are the top part of immature fronds from the ostrich fern. They are found in spring in the wet lowlands of Maine particularly near shaded rivers and creeks. Their flavor is similar to that of asparagus and they are cooked in a similar manner. Asparagus, fiddleheads, or haricot verts make nice green substitutions in this recipe, depending on the season.
June 12, 2009
Pan-Seared Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce
This dish is wonderful served over a combination of basmati, jasmine, and wild rice with crisp-tender lemon butter green beans.
Continue reading “Pan-Seared Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce” »
New Kid on the Rockland Block: Home Kitchen Cafe really rocks!
Long time foodie, great cook and chef/owner James Hatch followed his instincts when he opened the Home Kitchen Café, and I am reporting in that they are excellent. This place offers everything I look for in a breakfast joint except perhaps home squeezed OJ…even the option to default to lunch a bit early. The hours are 6 am to 3 pm, with Sunday brunch closing at 2pm.
Continue reading “New Kid on the Rockland Block: Home Kitchen Cafe really rocks!” »
June 11, 2009
Special Occasion Lobster Salad
Lobster salad for The Classic Maine Lobster Roll must be utterly pristine and simple. This composed version of lobster salad, however, is flavored a bit more assertively and is decorated brightly with snow peas and radishes. Add a basket of Maine Johnnycake or Grange Supper Baking Powder Biscuits for an absolutely splendid lunch or supper.
June 10, 2009
Arrows Restaurant’s Creamy Goat Cheese Toasts
These toasts go well with salads, as part of an antipasto platter, or just on their own as a canapé. If you like, add a Tablespoon of chopped flat-leaf parsley or a teaspoon of chopped thyme leaves.
Continue reading “Arrows Restaurant’s Creamy Goat Cheese Toasts” »
Maine Farm Gets the Nod from Martha Stewart
Here in Maine we're aware that our local restaurants, antique shops, crafts, and farmers' markets are cherished by urban renegades who flock here to enjoy "life the way it should be." Among our more high-profile part-time residents is none other than Martha Stewart who runs a media empire and escapes to Bar Harbor whenever she can.
Continue reading “Maine Farm Gets the Nod from Martha Stewart” »
June 9, 2009
Linda Greenlaw’s Grilled Marinated Scallops with Ginger and Sesame
A friend who drags scallops showed up at my door one evening bearing the gift of 2 gallons of freshly shucked scallops. (This may be due to the fact that he had overimbibed at a party on a previous night, passed out in the middle of my kitchen floor, and had to be carried home. The gift was appreciated, and he was forgiven.) The scallops were gorgeous! Although scallops do freeze well, nothing compares to those straight out of the shell. I tried to consume as many scallops as I could while they were fresh. Luckily, I also love them marinated and grilled. The only way to hurt them is to dry them out by overcooking. Like most seafood, to err on the side of undercooking is divine!
Continue reading “Linda Greenlaw’s Grilled Marinated Scallops with Ginger and Sesame” »
June 8, 2009
“Logger” family to dish up eats in Millinocket
The Pelletier family, nationally known for their Friday night show “American Loggers" on the Discovery Channel (except to me, who had no idea that this show existed before today, but will now surely become obsessed with it), has purchased two shuttered, adjacent businesses in Millinocket and started to merge the spaces into a "large eatery." With logging work slow, the family and a contracting team have thrown themselves into extensive remodeling work in hopes of opening the restaurant later this year.
Continue reading ““Logger” family to dish up eats in Millinocket” »
June 7, 2009
Isle au Haut Getaway: Off the Beaten Path
Every person that steps on Isle au Haut – be they hiker, camper,
sightseer, worker, repairman, photographer, news reporter, house guest
or whatever – becomes a member of this small community the instant their toes touch the town dock. When you visit an island as small as ours,
you don’t really have the luxury of being a casual observer. If there
is a fire, we may ask you to haul buckets. If someone goes missing, we
may sign you onto a search party. If there is a parade, we may invite
you to construct a float, or bang a drum, or honk a horn. We will
encourage you to participate in our annual talent show, or make a
cameo in the island contra dance band, or bring a dish to one of our potlucks in the town hall.
Continue reading “Isle au Haut Getaway: Off the Beaten Path” »
Bok Choy, from Farmers’ Market to Picnic Table
This week at the Orono Farmers’ Market, the hot item was neither rhubarb nor asparagus. Bok Choy, the leafy, versatile Chinese cabbage, made its first appearance of the summer and was eagerly snatched up.
Continue reading “Bok Choy, from Farmers’ Market to Picnic Table” »
