Try your hand at this delicious sushi made with Maine ingredients.
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March 10, 2010
Nori Wrapped Maine Crab Cakes with Blueberry Wasabi Sauce
March 7, 2010
Gifford’s Ice Cream Celebrates 30th Anniversary
This March 19, Gifford’s Ice Cream will have more to celebrate than its annual season-opening day at its ice cream stands throughout Maine; the family-owned-and–operated ice cream company will be kicking off the beginning of its 30th Anniversary celebration, marking three decades of growing success throughout the northeast.
Continue reading “Gifford’s Ice Cream Celebrates 30th Anniversary” »
March 6, 2010
Portland’s Planet Dog Fundraising Drive: Spread the Woof!
pictured above: Planet Dog’s “Orbee-Tuff Strawberry with Treat Spot” dog toy
Planet Dog, the Portland-based designer, developer and retailer of award-winning and socially responsible products for dogs, is proud to announce an upcoming fundraising drive at the Planet Dog Company Store in Portland. Their efforts will help the Southern Maine Agency on Aging raise $5,000 in much needed funds for the animal companions of extremely low-income elderly people. During the first two weeks of March, Planet Dog will donate 10% of the proceeds from the sale of Planet Dog’s Old Soul dog toy collection to the Agency’s Best Friend Fund.
Continue reading “Portland’s Planet Dog Fundraising Drive: Spread the Woof!” »
March 5, 2010
Palo Duro Texas Lamb Shanks
Palo Duro Canyon in West Texas is one of the most beautiful places in the world. A spectacular, sensual treat, as are these lamb shanks and beans. You can also make this dish in the oven (after browning the shanks) in a roasting pan with a lid or even a clay pot with a lid. I’ve done it both ways. It’s great either way.
image courtesy of cookinglight.com
March 4, 2010
Spicy Chicken Big Mamou
The A-1 Diner in Gardiner is an ancient but well-preserved specimen of the dining-car diner. Inside, it’s got wooden booths, laminate-top tables, and leatherette-seated stools at the counter, as well as a quilted steel wall and perfectly preserved tiles on the floor.
The place is such a wonderfully authentic vintage set piece that you’d probably be happy just to stop in for a look and a cup o’ joe. But don’t.
Chefs at The A-1 are serious about their food, serving unusually delicious fare three meals a day. Baked beans, corned beef hash, biscuits, and mashed potatoes are homemade. Standards like meatloaf and fried chicken are there on the menu, but so are more upscale items like Creole Beans and Rice, Salmon with Pesto, and Eggplant Saffron Custard Gratin.
One of the anything-but-standard items on the menu of the A-1 Diner is this spicy, warming chicken mamou, the recipe for which was contributed by an A-1 waitress with a Cajun past.
image courtesy of roadsidegalore.com
March 3, 2010
Sweet Potato Pudding
While helping a client go through a few boxes of letters, journals, newspaper articles and other miscellaneous items, Kirsten Cronin of Kirsten Transcribes came across a book entitled Cooking Recipes From October 1937. The book, written at the end of the Great Depression, was owned by a family that lived in Brooklyn, New York. Here is a recipe for Sweet Potato Pudding – reproduced just as it was written at that time.
Additional recipes to come. Let us know if you try them and what you think!
(image: tasteofhome.com)
February 28, 2010
Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
My Mom, bless her heart, has a serious addiction: Chocolate. This 85 years young dynamo must have chocolate every day. Chocolate cookies, chocolate cream pie, brownies, chocolate cake, hot fudge sauce, whoopee pies, hot chocolate, M&M’s, chocolate covered peanuts…chocolate anything is on her menu without fail. She recently confessed that her “stash” had somehow become depleted (gremlins, no doubt) which resulted in sheer panic until she scrounged around in her pantry and found some baking chocolate which suited her sweet tooth perfectly. (That is so off my radar screen as I would choose chicken livers over dark chocolate any day.)
What IS on my radar screen (front and center with flashing lights) is chocolate cheesecake. The crunchy chocolate almond crust and the rich (feels like velvet in your mouth) filling. Oh my. Chocolate nirvana.
image: ehow.com
February 27, 2010
Brachetto Martini
With the weather all crazed and power outages all over, we in Maine need something that can help bring some spark into our moods. Here’s a suggestion: Put the kids to bed, light a bunch of candles, sit next to the fire, and enjoy a Brachetto Martini.
A little background on Brachetto D’Aqui…It’s a DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita; part of the governing body for Italian wines) from the Piedmont region in Italy. Brachetto is the grape that it is made from a light slightly sparkling red that is best served chilled. Its perfumy nose and fruit filled palate are a treat. It is technically a dessert wine, with some residual sugar.
It is also delightful on its own sitting on the back patio on a warm day. But who am I kidding? We’re in Maine and it’s not likely that scenario is in the near future, so let’s make our own.
February 25, 2010
Quick Caribbean Fish & Shrimp Stew
Port Clyde Fresh Catch asks you to consider the importance of the following questions when purchasing your seafood. Does it matter to you…
- That it’s wild-caught in an environmentally sustainable way?
- That it’s of exceptional quality and handled with great care?
- That you can trace the short, speedy path it follows from the moment it’s harvested until it reaches your plate?
- That you’re helping sustain one of the last traditional fishing villages in Maine?
- If you answered yes to any or all, give Port Clyde Fresh Catch a Call!
February 24, 2010
James Beard Semifinalists Revealed
It’s time once again for the “Oscars” of the Food World. The 2010 James Beard Semifinalists have been announced, and Maine has made another fine showing. Not to sound cliche, but they are all winners in our book, representing us in a most tasteful manner. We’d like to congratulate the following:
Outstanding Restaurant: Fore Street, Portland, ME
Outstanding Chef: Sam Hayward, Fore Street, Portland, ME
Best Chef Northeast:
Penelle Chase, Phoebe Chase, Megan Chase, and Ted Lafage, Chase’s Daily, Belfast, ME
Krista Kern Desjarlais, Bresca, Portland, ME
Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier, Arrows Restaurant, Ogunquit, ME
Brian Hill, Francine Bistro, Camden, ME
February 15, 2010
Sicilian Delights
I’ve been asked from time to time to teach cooking classes and run wine tastings. I love it when I teach for the Institute for Italian Studies. These are folks who teach immersion courses, travel with students to learn more about the culture and of course, partake in the food and wine (for education of course!). We have this right here in Portland. iismaine.com
Whenever I have to prepare for a class, I have to do research (a shame, really!). This next class (Feb 22nd) is a 5 course meal based on the delights of Sicily. Food is gorgeous there, wines are wonderful, how perfect to bring them together! As a study, I stumbled across Stuffed Sardines. We get these fresh sardines flown in from Portugal twice a week, and they are incredible. I wanted to share the recipe and then a few Sicilian wines of course, because I think they are some of the unsung heroes in the world of wine.
image courtesy of newyork.seriouseats.com
Shrimp and Red Pepper Aioli Crostinis
Available soon at bookstores online and directly from www.SweepingHer.com, Eric S. Lee’s ode to Valentine’s cuisine, Sweeping Her Off Her Feet With Food, is a cookbook for the romantic chef in everyone. The directions he provides are so simple and easy to follow that it won’t really matter if they think they can’t or just don’t know where to begin. He makes the cooking easy. The book is also packed with romantic suggestions, tips for setting the mood, like how to set the dinner table, and wine recommendations for every recipe.
February 13, 2010
Recipe for Romance
Looking for a recipe that’ll turn up the heat (in your kitchen) this Valentine’s Day?
Black Cherry and Black Pepper Lamb Chops with Sweet Pea Risotto
Recipe and image courtesy Rachael Ray and Food Network
February 12, 2010
Lobster Parfaits with Teardrop Tomatoes, Hearts of Palm, and Cilantro-Avocado Dressing
A nice starter for a romantic Valentine’s Day menu. Be a kitchen cupid!
Lobster Parfaits with Teardrop Tomatoes, Hearts of Palm, and Cilantro-Avocado Dressing
Recipe and image from Emeril Lagasse and the Food Network
February 11, 2010
Swedish Grape Pudding (Kram)
Leigh Ann Schwartzkopf remembered her Swedish grandmother making a simple pudding with grape juice and a thickener and despaired of ever finding the directions for it (sometimes the simpler it is, the harder it is to get it exactly right). Barbara Larsen read Leigh Ann’s search in Cook & Tell and promptly sent us the very recipe of Leigh Ann’s dreams.
image courtesy of flickr.com/photos
February 10, 2010
Rich and Creamy Four Cheese Macaroni
Here’s another rendition of a family favorite: mac ‘n’ cheese. Rich, creamy, and delicious!
February 7, 2010
The Big Easy Jambalaya
This spicy, flavorful dish is perfect for a New Orleans Saints Super Bowl victory party, and it really is “big easy”. The recipe can be easily doubled to serve 12 by using 2 packages of Jambalaya Mix, doubling all the other ingredients and cooking in a Dutch oven or saucepot.
February 6, 2010
Classic Bloody Marys
While we’ve savored Bloody Marys in many ports-of-call, the most classically made cocktails tend to win over our hearts and hangovers time and again. Intensely flavored Celery Salt is the secret ingredient in this smooth and winning rendition. A great start for Super Bowl Sunday!
Orange-Glazed Chicken Wings
Roll up your sleeves and dig into dinner! Orange juice and zest, soy sauce and plenty of garlic coat these wings with fabulous flavor. Great for Superbowl weekend!!
February 5, 2010
Seven-Layer Super Bowl Dip
Dip into 7 layers of awesomeness this Super Bowl Sunday!
Seven-Layer Dip
courtesy of Family.com
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
1 packet (1.25 ounces) taco seasoning mix
1½ cups prepared guacamole
1 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 cup salsa
½ cup each shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese
1 can (4 ounces) sliced black olives — drained
1 cup sliced green onion tops only
Combine refried beans with taco seasoning and blend well. Set aside. Mix together sour cream with lime juice and cilantro. Set aside.
In a 10-inch pie plate or 9×9 baking dish, spread refried beans and top with guacamole, sour cream mixture, salsa, shredded cheeses, sliced olives and green onion.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until serving time, or serve immediately with corn chips.
Yields 8 cups.
