Happy Holidays To All! © Jim Bazin 2009
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December 25, 2009
Holiday Family Gathering
November 25, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
Maybe Next Year
November 21, 2009
Homemade Kahlua
There’s been a lot of interest in making homemade liqueur as a gift for the holiday season. My good friend, Tina Hewitt Morrison of Blountville TN, submitted this recipe for a homemade version of Kahlua. Thanks, Tina!
When I was first married I was given this recipe by a co-worker in the Provost’s Office at Old Dominion University. So, it’s one that I’ve had since around 1970… but haven’t made it lately. When I was young, it was always considered a great dessert treat to have ice cream with some exotic liqueur over it.
Homemade Kahlua
1 pint water
3 3/4 cups sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
Boil all together for about 30 mins. Let cool.
Mix together the following and add to above
1 tsp. glycerin (usually you can get this at a pharmacy)
4 1/2 tbs. instant coffee
1/2 cup of water
Combine all above ingredients with a fifth of vodka.
Pour into bottles and cap tightly. Shake. Let stand for 3 weeks, at least.
November 16, 2009
Do Sheep Play Pong?
I would have said no, but then I saw this video in which they actively participate in playing Pong, and in some other fun events. Check it out, and prepared to laugh and to be amazed.
November 2, 2009
Tina’s Spicy Pumpkin Soup
It’s that time of year that many of us are wondering what to do with all the pumpkins we see around us. My friend, Tina Hewitt Morrison from Blountville TN, submitted this pumpkin soup recipe for those of us who like our soup on the spicy side. Thanks, Tina!
It seems like I get many of my favorite recipes from my friends, and this soup is one of them. The first time I tasted it’s delightful spiciness was while sharing a “throw together” lunch from things we had enjoyed a night or two before. After my first spoonful I demanded the recipe. One appealing aspect of this recipe is you can make it from things people usually have on hand. Of course, one can make this soup more or less spicy by using whichever salsa you prefer. Or you can be creative with the garnishes, like tortilla chips or maybe even diced apples. As you can imagine, it’s perfect for a chilly night’s supper.
October 14, 2009
NY Times Magazine: All About Food
The Food Issue of The New York Times Magazine features Michael Pollan’s article, Rules to Eat By, along with a humorous listing of his favorite 20 dietary food rules, while The Minimalist, Mark Bittman, shares his views on how technology can help our quest for faster slow food.
October 5, 2009
Flock of Seagulls
The 1980s British band, Flock of Seagulls, flew in to Rockland’s breakwater in hope of viewing the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Jewel of the Sea.
Flock of Seagulls wait patiently for the Jewel of the Sea to appear.
They were unable to locate the 1,000′ vessel, and flew off around 3pm. A spokesperson described the band members as being “very disappointed.”
October 4, 2009
Case of the Invisible Cruise Ship
Rockland was buzzing today about the 962′ Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Sea visiting our town. Naturally, everyone that lives in the area wanted to eyeball this oversized lobster boat to see what a 1,000 foot vessel really looks like.
So most of us spent several hours driving and walking around Rockland in an attempt to see this behemoth. Didn’t work for me, or for any other person I spoke with during the day.
I did see a launch head out from Rockland Harbor that was taking passengers back to the Jewel. After a few minutes, it disappeared in the fog, giving no hint as to the precise location of the Jewel.
I even walked the entire breakwater in hope of finding it at the end of the walk where the lighthouse is. Nope. Wasn’t there.
But it was. Someone forget to tell us that the Jewel of the Sea was equipped with an invisible shield that could be activated at will from the Captain’s cabin. No wonder we couldn’t find it!
So after hours of hopeful pursuit, we all gave up and went home. And this is the only photo I left with. A view from shore looking out at the breakwater. Hey, it’s Maine!
June 29, 2009
June 6, 2009
May 13, 2009
Mary Lake in the News!
Today's edition of the Bangor Daily News features an article on Mary Lake, our own vegetarian blogger 
and writer of the Creative Vegetarian column for our Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine. The BDN article, She's Firmly Planted, tells the story of how Mary began her travel down the vegetarian road and where she is with it in her life today. She's a teacher and writer, with an omnivorous husband and two Sheltand sheep dogs (who are dedicated carnivores).
We love Mary here at the magazine, and know you will also. You can read her columns here at our blog by clicking on the Mary Lake contributor's banner, and more recipes and reviews at her own vegetarian blog, Mitten Machen. The BDN article also links to some of Mary's recipes.
From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.
May 1, 2009
Food Network Magazine Chooses Best Burger in Maine
Portland Psst! pointed out that the Food Network Magazine’s recent choice as “best burger in Maine” was old news. They credited us for posting this title as belonging to the Owls Head General Store back in December 2008. So we guess that now it’s official!
Congratulations to Martha Luttrell and Jennifer O’Hara!
From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.
April 15, 2009
Rockland Maine is the Coolest Small Town in America 2009
Well, it would have been if Rockland had gathered just a mere 1,000 more votes. As it was, Rockland placed #2 in the Budget Travel reader poll, right behind Owego, NY. The criteria used for rating these towns were:
1. A population of less than 10,000
2. You must be able to get a good cup of coffee
3. Once you leave the town, you realize your error and want to return.
4. You see more art galleries than country stores.
Watch the CBS Early Show segment from this morning, and hear Budget Travel magazine's editor in chief, Nina Willdorf, refer to Rockland as her "personal favorite" cool town. View article and see video here.
Yes, we all know this about Rockland, but it always feel good to have positive acknowledgement from the country at large. We're happy that the office of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine is located in downtown Rockland, just down the street from some great coffee choices, the Farnsworth Museum and tons of terrific art galleries, and we all feel the pull to come back every time we go somewhere else.
And in our hearts, we know the Rockland Maine is definitely the Coolest Town in America.
Posted, with great pride, by…
The staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.
April 11, 2009
March 20, 2009
March 7, 2009
YouTube Music Video Album
Those who know me are aware that music is an important ingredient in my life. Ditto for visual imagery. So imagine how amazed I was to read Virginia Heffernan's post at her The Medium blog on the New York Times Magazine site today. She raves about ThruYou, a seven-track album created by musician/producer Kutiman consisting entirely of samples from user-contributed YouTube videos. Can you imagine the work that went into finding these clips and then creating a video album from them that actually works? How cool. What talent. What fun! Check it out!
Jim Bazin is the creative director of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine
March 2, 2009
Clicking Around
Some highlights from today's visits to a few of our favorite blog sites:
Check out MF&L columnist and blogger Mary Lake's post on Boston's Extreme Beer Fest this past weekend.
What's in that glass of orange juice with Kate Hopkins' post on her blog, Accidental Hedonist.
Info on Restaurant Week Maine at Portland Food Map. and Accidental Vegetables.
A terrific Carrot Soup recipe from Chef Michael Salmon of Camden's Hartstone Inn.
Paulla Estes' icicles at her MY Corner Of Maine blogspot.
Avery Yale Kamila's vegetarian reviews for Portland and beyond, at her Commune Tested, City Approved blog.
Author Leslie Land's appreciation of Maine Shrimp, even while traveling, along with some terrific recipes.
From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.
January 18, 2009
What is that Mystery Meat Anyway?
In recent posts, the Portland Psst!
Blog pondered the question of what is the "mystery meat" on the cover
of our 2008 #3 edition. We thought you'd know by looking at the photo
credits on the TOC page, but for 
those of you who haven't seen the physical copy of this issue, it is a Lobster Ceviche prepared by MF&L columnist Lani Temple,
and photographed by MF&L Creative Director, Jim Bazin. Jim's
feedback after shooting and then consuming the dish was, "Delicious!"
And we're thankful that Portland Psst!
pointed out our emphasis on Lobster dishes for the holiday season. What
better way to support our troubled lobstering industry? We felt the
cooked red of lobster embodied the familiar red of the commercial
holiday season, while offering and alternative meal suggestion beyond the more traditional hams
and turkeys. We all walked-the-walk over the
holidays, and indulged oh so pleasurably in as much Maine Lobster meat
as we could stick our forks into.
And thanks to Psst! for pointing readers to our recent 207 appearance with Kathleen Shannon on WCSH6. They're right, we failed to mention some formerly trendy food locations such as San Francisco and that other Portland, but it's definitely OUR time now (check the 7th item on the list), and we want to tell the world about it.
From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.
November 15, 2008
Office Equipment Woes
It never seems to fail. You can almost count on it. Just when you need it the most, it's not there for you. While that statement could certainly apply to many varied scenarios, in this case I'm referring to our office printer.
August 30, 2008
Maine Lobster Benedict Brunch Surprise
It’s a regular trip for me on Sundays to drive "all the way" (less than a mile) to downtown Thomaston in order to visit the fabulous Thomaston Cafe and treat myself to Chef Brian Beckett’s wonderful Eggs Benedict for brunch. True, the hollandaise sauce he makes is mostly why I love this brunch item so much. I’ve never tasted better. But it certainly helps that the eggs are always cooked egg-zactly the way I like them (medium, and just a bit runny). Delicious.
Eggs Benedict at The Thomaston Cafe on Route 1 in Thomaston
