Spinach Fettuccine Puttanesca with Shrimp

Pasta dishes play a key role in the diets of many people, yet few of us actually prepare pasta from scratch. Dry pasta is very convenient and fresh pastas are now readily available at major supermarkets. Fresh pasta, however, is simple to make, and there is something utterly satisfying about eating pasta made by your own hands. In my Pasta Pasta Pasta cooking class, we begin by creating various flavored pasta doughs. Participants learn how to roll out the dough to create a wide variety of shapes from farfalle to fettuccine, and learn how to create filled pastas like ravioli and tortellini. I demonstrate the best way to cook fresh pasta and we finish the pasta dishes with various sauces and meats.

Maine Lobster Chef McLellan: "Bring It On!" (Conclusion)

Day Two: The five finalists were announced. Among them, Texas, Maryland, and of course the favored son of New Orleans, who was now representing Mississippi, John Currence. Chef Currence, on day one, had sauntered in wearing ripped jeans, cowboy boots, and a seriously wrinkled chef jacket. Day two, he at least wore an ironed jacket but I somehow knew he was not be underestimated.

Maine Lobster Chef McLellan: "Bring it On!" (Part 2)

Night One: Our information packet gave us directions to the Arts District where we were treated to an amazing sampling of local cuisine prepared by chefs of New Orleans. One could not turn around without bumping into a bartender. (I am not complaining here.) From there we were loaded onto an air conditioned tour bus and escorted to the next stop, by far the best looking Harley riding big bald police officers imaginable. Lights flashing, sirens blaring, cars pulling out of the way. It was something!

Maine Lobster Chef McLellan: "Bring It On!" (Part 1)

If you can’t take the heat, get back in the kitchen.

Culinary competition. Ask any chef how they feel about it and you will get one response or the other. Terrifying or exhilarating. I happen to be of the latter school.

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.

Double Chocolate-Cranberry Biscotti

Chocolate cookies are always a big hit at the Inn, and these twice-baked Italian favorites are no exception. Packed with cocoa powder, crème de cacao and chocolate chunks, this recipe is a variation on the almond and apricot biscotti from my first cookbook. Some of my other favorite flavors and combinations for biscotti include orange-raisin, anisette, vanilla-hazelnut, and peanut butter-chocolate chunk.

Sweet Potato and Seafood Chowder with Asparagus

Seafood chowders are really popular up here in New England and you will find them made with everything from clams and lobster to haddock and scallops. I use a combination of Maine shrimp, scallops, and crabmeat in this chowder recipe, but any type of seafood can be used, depending on availability and personal likes and dislikes. Seasonal vegetable supplements can bring out the best in your chowders: asparagus in the spring, corn in the summer, and squash in the fall.

How to Clean an Artichoke Heart (and Prepare 3 Ways)

Karshuf Matbukh

Artichokes are a springtime treat in the Middle East. Here are a few ways to celebrate a favorite vegetable! Have plenty of lemons on hand when preparing fresh artichokes. The acid in the fruit prevents browning.

Mussel Bisque with Artichokes

The exact origin of artichokes is unknown, though they are said to have come from the Maghreb (North Africa), where they are still found in the wild state. The various names of the artichoke all ultimately come from Arabic al harshuf. The Arabic term Ardi-Shoki means "ground thorny."-Wikipedia

I recently returned from Egypt, and my travels inspired this artichoke based recipe. Hmm, who would have ever thought of Maine mussels and Arabic artichokes?

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

I make these often for my appetizer table. The platter most always comes back empty!

Actor Gary Merrill (Conclusion) and Irish Lobster Pie

“Raspberry pie, lots of sugar, and the most elegant crust of flour, cider vinegar, and lard for the shipwrecked. “ I had learned the love of cooking at this early age under the unconventional instruction of  Miss Ada. (Nana could not cook a bit nor did she ever try to, but she could dance and sing and swim.) Ada’s dishes were a delightful hodgepodge of Jamaican, Irish, typical Maine fare, and a new found flair for Italian. With the resources of the barn, coops, slaughterhouse, and lavish gardens up at the “Big House", meals were always a well orchestrated event. Ada had recently learned to make pasta from one of Grandsir's card buddies, Rome Cabone, a local store owner and native Sicilian. For a couple of weeks, long strands of pasta hung over a wooden clothes-drying rack. Her favorite way of preparing it was with  Campbell’s Tomato soup. (That recipe needed some work!)

Actor Gary Merrill Puts Yacht Aground in Back River (Part 1)

I lived a charmed life as a child in Boothbay. My grandparents' home on Murphy’s Point sprawled from the formal and elegant big house (and I mean “big”) down through the fields abundant with blueberry bushes and rustic (wine grape) arbors, to the shore via the well worn dirt road. My grandfather, who was in his 70’s when I was born (my grandmother was 30 years younger~a story for another time), had lived his life, amassed his wealth, and took pleasure in creating fun for his family. At the shore he had built a summer cottage to resemble the home he had grown up in on the Irish coast. 

James Beard 2009 Awards: Congratulations Maine!

Last night, the James Beard awards gave honor to some outstanding chefs and their restaurants in Maine. Our congratulations go out to those who were nominated and honored in this prestigious annual event.

Chef/Owner Sam Hayward's always local (ingredients) and excellent Portland restaurant, Fore Street, was one of five restaurants nominated for the Outstanding Restaurant Award by the James Beard Foundation. This nomination is a national one, and goes to a restaurant that serves as a national standard-bearer for consistent quality and excellence in food, atmosphere, and service. Sam had been Maine's only previous winner of the Best Chef category for the Northeast in 2004.

Chefs Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier of Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit (check their blog posts here) and Chef Rob Evans of Hugo's in Portland were among the short list of nominees for Best Chef: Northeast (includes CT, MA, ME, NH, NY State, RI, VT). The nod this year went to Chef Rob Evans of Hugo's.

Congratulations to our amazing chefs and their restaurants, you do us all proud.

From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.

Fresh Pea Soup

Sometimes when testing recipes I set it up in the manner of a 5-course dinner and invite friends over to critique. When I was testing this recipe, I invited an island couple and their 10 year old daughter Abigail. I told Abigail that the first course was pea soup and asked if she would like some. She crinkled up her nose, but said she would try a spoonful. She tasted it and thought she might try a small bowlful. About halfway through the soup course she looked at her Mom and said, "This is the only way I'll ever eat peas." She even asked for seconds. I knew right then I had a winner!

Smoked Salmon Dip with Parmesan-Roasted Asparagus

Smoking is a great way to expand your cooking repertoire and add a new level of interest and depth to your menus. In Maine, we have an abundance of fresh seafood that lends itself well to smoking. I smoke a great deal of salmon at the Inn and use it for breakfast, tea, and dinner.

Seared Sea Scallops with Spring Pea Cream and Smoked Salmon

Diver scallops in Maine are some of the best you will find anywhere in the world. The term "diver scallops" refers to a scallop that was harvested by an actual person diving to the bottom of the ocean and hand harvesting usually only the larger specimens. This yields a much cleaner and more uniformed product than the large and destructive draggers can conjure up. Diver scallops are also sold "dry", which means they have not been soaked in water or a preservative to extend their shelf life.

Roast Lamb Stuffed with Mint, Garlic, and Pistachios

Here is a spring recipe for entertaining a small gathering. It may be one you wish to try for Easter this year. Be sure to make this with my Cous Cous with Apple and Mint recipe, as the pairing is perfect.

Cous Cous with Apple and Mint

This is really a recipe, rather than a variation! The ideal complement to my Roast Lamb recipe.

Almond Macaroons

I love macaroons, whether they are made from coconut or almonds. These cookies are crisp on the outside and soft in the middle and are very easy to make. Almond paste is available in most grocery stores and is made of equal parts ground almonds and powdered sugar. Don't confuse almond paste with marzipan, which has a much higher sugar content and less true almond flavor.

Rhubarb: The Sweet, the Tart, and the Tasty

Sweet -Tart, my definition of springtime in Downeast Maine, and one of its early garden offerings. The sweet warmth of the sun, finally strong enough to spread its fingers and loosen the grip of ice stubbornly clinging in the shadows.The tartness of an onshore breeze carrying with it the nip of still chilly ocean temperatures. And there’s rhubarb…when given a dose of sugar it is the perfect balance of both.

McLellan Appointed Executive Chef of Linda Bean's Perfect Maine

Maine Lobster Chef of the Year, Margaret Salt McLellan, has been named Executive Chef of Linda Bean's product brand, Linda Bean's Perfect Maine. Hired by Linda Bean, who is the granddaughter of L.L. Bean, McLellan's appointment puts her in charge of the culinary aspects of the business: a vertically integrated shore to table group of companies specializing in Maine lobster.

Corned Beef Supper with Horseradish Cream

Boiled dinner Maine-style is similar to Irish corned beef and cabbage, with the addition of beets and parsnips, and it's one of those hearty and soul-satisfying meals that are also celebratory and festive- perfect for a large, informal gathering. While it's not necessarily traditional, I like to serve this with horseradish-spiked sour cream sauce, which is a welcome rich and sharp counterpoint to the plain boiled meat and vegetables.

French Onion Soup Recipe

This is not the most traditional way to make French onion soup, but it sure is tasty! Dawn, a galley colleague, makes it this way every week. She made it for us one night and it was so yummy I had to develop a recipe for it.

Maine Chefs and Restaurants James Beard Nominations

Congratulations to the Maine Chefs and Maine Restaurants that have been nominated for prestigious James Beard Foundation awards. The nominations are an honor on their own, similar to be nominated for an Academy Award in the movie biz. Award recipients will be announced May 3 and 4, 2009.

You make us all proud, Maine Chefs and Restaurants!

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.

Chef's Kitchen Broadcast Schedule – Week of January 12th

Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine publisher Merrill Williams appears with Chef Steve Corry of Portland's 555 restaurant on "The Chef's Kitchen", broadcast this Thursday in Maine on WPXT-TV (12) CW, as well as in other market locations. Following is this week's schedule.

Tuesday, January 13th at 2pm on Las Vegas One

Wednesday, January 14th at 10:30am on ONN Cable in the Ohio market

Thursday, January 15th at 10am on WPXT-TV (12) CW (12) in Maine

Watch Chef Corry prepare "Not Your Grandmother's Stuffed Chicken," and then talk with Merrill about the role of the magazine in Maine's food scene

From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.

Chef's Kitchen TV Broadcast: January 7th, 10AM on WPXT-TV in Maine

Tune in this Wednesday, January 7th at 10AM, to see Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine publisher Merrill Williams when she appears with Chef Steve Corry of Portland's 555 restaurant on "The Chef's Kitchen", broadcast in Maine on WPXT-TV (12) CW.

Watch Chef Corry prepare "Not Your Grandmother's Stuffed Chicken," and then talk with Merrill about the role of the magazine in Maine's food scene.

The show also airs Thursday, January 8 at 10:30 a.m. on ONN Cable in the Ohio market.

From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.

Blog Greatest Hits, Part II — 2008

As previously noted in Part I of this two-part post, we certainly had a little help from our friends in make the Plating Up blog a success since it launched in late March 2008.  Our sincere thanks go out to those of you who helped draw the traffic to our blog during the period March–December 2008. We look forward to your new posts in 2009! The 2nd envelope, please.

Blog Greatest Hits, Part I — 2008

2008 was an amazing year for our blog, Plating Up, here at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine. We launched the blog the last week of March 2008, and with the help of many contributors, we've become the most visited of the Maine food blogs. We've managed this with a little "help from our friends" who deserve accolades and laurels for their contributions.

Among the most popular reads among our categories and contributors during 2008, have been (envelope, please):

Fire, Community, and Flamingoes

I was in Nevada, dining out with my son Evan when I got the call. Café Miranda was on fire.

Receiving our dinner the night we learned of the fire back home, we pondered the fate of the café with such questions as 'Had 15 years been a good enough run?' Evan and I looked at each other and conceived a comeback strategy.

NBC Today Show: Arrow's Restaurant: Maine Holiday Dinner – GO FISH!

Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier, owners/chefs of Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit, were recent guests on NBC's "Today Show" (the segment follows a brief commercial), suggesting a holiday meal with a decidedly Maine twist: Plank Roasted Cod with Burnt Orange Sauce. While they commented that they were still without power back home in Maine (for six days), they were happy to be in New York sharing some holiday cheer. In case you missed it, here is the recipe. It sounds divine.

Michael Jubinsky's Mushroom Pirozhki

Delicious things are happening up in Lyman, Maine, at Stone Turtle Baking and Cooking School. Michael and Sandy Jubinsky just passed along a warm and tasty turnover recipe, which we are pleased to be passing along to you.

Maine Cooking Classes: A Cure for the Winter Blues

Winter is here, and what better way to warm up than indoors by the fire (or stove)? Maybe by honing your culinary skills with a cooking class or two. In our latest issue of Maine Food and Lifestyle magazine, we have some resources available for you to help cure those winter blues.

Maine Food and Lifestyle Magazine's New Cover

Lani Temple of Megunticook Market prepared the sensational cover dish "Lobster Ceviche" for our 2008 #3 issue, available now. We are so impressed with the  elegant holiday ambiance it evokes, perfect for entertaining in support of our lobster industry, yet an "evergreen" recipe and image – light and tasty for all seasons. Congratulations to our Creative Director, Jim Bazin, on another stunning cover photograph, and for all your beautiful images in the new issue, we thank you!

For Lani's recipes for "Lobster Ceviche" and "Maine Seafood Ceviche", along with her suggestion for wine pairings, see her column "Easy Entertaining at Home." It's easy ceviche, baby!

From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.

The Harraseeket Inn's Chef de Cuisine Gallit Sammon

To Market, To Market and Home Again...

Our visit with Chef Gallit Sammon of the Harraseeket Inn was a very memorable one.

Full of zest, busy as a bee in the garden at New Leaf Farm in Durham, we trailed Gallit as she gathered fresh produce, hopped on her motorcycle, and cruised to her second job as Chef de Cuisine at the acclaimed Harraseeket Inn in Freeport. There, she shared with us the importance (and joy) of her involvement in every step on the road to fine local cuisine. From gardening, harvesting, and preparing, to cooking, presentation with her signature edible flowers, and the importance of completing the food cycle by composting, all were mastered with care and skill.

In the kitchen at Harraseeket, Gallit whipped up some tantalizing dishes: Cilantro and Cold River Vodka Cured Salmon with Peach Relish and Crème Fraîche, Vegetable Terrine, and Whole Poached Maine Lobster Served with Lobster Risotto, Garden Vegetables, and Vermouth Butter Sauce. They're all heavenly and we've got the recipes for you in the our new issue.

Sourcing locally, preparing fresh, and presenting with an elegant flair, you’ll be as impressed as we were with Gallit, New Leaf Farm, and the Harraseeket Inn! An 8-page feature, including all three recipes, are in the latest issue of our magazine. You can view the first page here.

From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.

Dinner for One in Portland

Single and stuck in the TV dinner rut? 

We just discovered a new lifestyle website "designed to help singles lead powerful, positive, productive, and passionate lives." That's a tall order, but a great feature of the website is an online interview with a prominent chef who provides a one-person recipe that uses local and seasonal ingredients. Their first chef in this series? None other than Steve Corry, chef and owner of Portland's famed 555 restaurant.

You can read Steve's interview and recipe for Scallop Ceviche at this location.

From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.

Roasted "Jack O' Lantern" Soup

Every fall I buy pumpkins from a roadside stand we pass on our way to camp in the North Maine Woods, with all good intentions of carving a masterpiece to greet island trick or treaters on Halloween. But, this year like every other, I had one or two that looked perfect just the way they were, and so escaped the insult of my artfully mediocre knife skills to grace the front steps in their natural state. The big bonus for the pumpkins- they maintain their dignity, for me-I get to use them for dinner!

Try this earthy soup as a starter for Thanksgiving dinner, a comforting supper on a chilly fall evening or even as a sauce for pasta with plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese and black pepper.

Apple Season in Maine

As we start to wind down our very busy season at the Black Point Inn I’m beginning to think about – what else! – food and weather. Being a native Texan, after ten years in Maine I am still excited about the season changing and how intrinsic the local foods are here.

Garden Inspirations

Well, now that the garden is almost done, I can look back on this year’s productivity.

I’d like to start by overlooking the damage from the Japanese beetle invasion - which in my mind was way more damaging than the British Beatles invasion! The beetles loved my roses as much as I did, but in a slightly different manner. They also loved my okra (I am a southern boy at heart after all), basil, cilantro, green beans, and more.

Lani's Grilled Chicken Salad with Creamy Vinaigrette

Don't put away your grills quite yet. There are 19 days left to summer - time enough to fire up the grill a few more times for some last hurrahs. A simple salad with grilled chicken in a rich dressing, courtesy of Lani Temple, would make a perfect last suppah.

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

Maine Peekytoe Crab Cakes with Spicy Chive Mayonnaise

I started making crab cakes in a little dump of a restaurant in Monterey California where I grew up. The quality of the crab there varied from the best Dungeness to not the best "something or other" that the owners of the joint wanted us to use. Sometimes when you use inferior ingredients, you can actually learn how to make the best ingredient shine; in this case, I learned that it enhances the flavor of the crab meat to first mix it with fresh lemon juice. I also like to use tons of sour cream in the mixture. If the cakes feel like they are almost too loose, that is the correct consistency of flour, crab meat, and sour cream! The cakes will then be light and fluffy and not have the consistency of pucks that one so often encounters in crab cakes. For those of you concerned about fat in your diet, just forget about crab cakes: they're just not worth doing any other way!

Lani Temple joins MF&L at Show

Lani Temple, Easy Entertaining columnist for MF&L and owner of Megunticook Market, shares samples of  her Salmon Pate recipe with visitors at the MF&L booth. Her lively and energetic presence drew many curious and eager tasters. Lani offered take home copies of her recipe, and served 2 varieties on a theme: salmon pate and salmon pate with cucumbers, cream cheese, capers, and dill. We were happy to have Lani share her time and talents with us on Sunday.

Lani offers full service catering featuring locally produced foods and seasonal menus at her Camden store, Megunticook Market

Lani Temple at the Maine Food & Lifestyle booth this weekend

From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.

 

Chef Michael Salmon joins MF&L at Show

Chef Michael Salmon of Camden's fabulous Hartstone Inn joined us at the Maine Food & Lifestyle booth during yesterday's show. Michael autographed copies of his two cookbooks for visitors, and helped make connections between his culinary admirers and our magazine. As always, it was a pleasure to spend time with Michael, and we were sorry to see him leave as he headed back to Camden to make preparations for one of his amazing dinner creations. Thanks for joining us, Michael!

Chef Michael Salmon at the Maine Food & Lifestyle booth

From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.

2008 Maine Lobster Chef of the Year Margaret McLellan

Growing up in Boothbay Harbor, Margaret McLellan's parents gave her two choices: she could either spend the summer helping her father on his commercial fishing boat or helping her mother at her bed & breakfast. She chose the latter. Helping to bake muffins and pastries early in the morning, she was bitten by the baking bug. While studying the language in Germany, she fell in love with Europe. After her studies ended, she decided to stay on and landed an apprenticeship as a pastry chef at an Austrian hotel. Her immersion into the culinary world was deepened by courses at the Cordon Bleu in London and Paris.

Raised in family of commercial fishermen and lobsterman, she says handling the tasty crustaceans is second-nature to her. "If you're a Mainer who grew up on the coast, you naturally know how to cook seafood."

Margaret (right), with First Lady Karen Baldacci (and one of her Springer Spaniels), and Margaret's son/Sous Chef

Unlike the other chefs at this year's Maine Lobster Chef of the Year competition, Margaret doesn't work in a restaurant. As a corporate chef at Native Maine Produce and Shucks Lobster, she oversees HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) training, new product development, and customer education. She is, however, available for catering and says she would happily recreate her award-winning dish for lucky clients.

Maine Lobster Chef of the Year Finalist Zeph Belanger

Zeph Belanger, Sous Chef at Hartstone Inn, Camden, made quite an impression on judges with his Maine Lobster dish. His creation was a delightful salad with complementary Asian flavors. Elegantly and exquisitely prepared, including the care he took in all aspects of the competition, his attention to detail, all perfectly combined to accentuate his delectable finished product. He captured the 1st runner-up distinction at the 2008 Maine Lobster Chef of the Year competition.

Zeph, who has been working in professional kitchens since the age of 15, currently works with internationally award-winning Chef, Michael Salmon at The Hartstone Inn in Camden. Try your hand at his delicious award-winning dish.

Maine Lobster Chef of the Year Finalist Joshua Clark

Chef Joshua Clark created one of the most memorable dishes of this year's Maine Lobster Chef of the Year competition: Hot & Sour Lobster Tail. Displaying bravado and chutzpah, Clark - Chef de Cuisine at Atlantica Restaurant in Camden - dared to invent a dish that would "cook itself." Lobsters were briefly blanched, cooled in an ice bath, and then finished in a hot, flavorful broth of orange juice, ginger, Thai chiles, and Szechuan peppercorns. The result: a slurpy, zesty lobster experience.

Hot & Sour Lobster Tail

Plate
1½ - 2 pounds live lobster
1 ounce Daikon Radish, julienned
1 ounce baby bok choy chiffonade
2 scallions, greens only
½ ounce watercress
½ ounce dried red chile chiffonade
1 ounce sushi ginger

Maine Lobster Chef Finalist Pete Murphy

Pete Murphy, Executive Chef of the Historic Russell House Restaurant and Tavern in Boothbay Harbor, has every reason to be proud. As second runner-up at the recent Maine Lobster Chef of the Year cook off event, he considered it “a personal and career achievement” just to have been selected one of the top five finalists to compete.

A graduate of Johnson and Wales Culinary Institute, Pete is classically trained in French cuisine but calls his personal style “Creative American." Below is his recipe which wowed judges.

 

Maine Lobster Chef Awards – Behind the Scenes

Tuesday was a big day for five Maine chefs. They spent the entire day doing their best to impress a panel of culinary experts with Maine’s top crustacean: Lobster. While dishes were painstakingly prepared to perfection, tables were set with enticingly expressive arrangements of each individual chef's dishes.

Pete Russell of Historic Russell House displayed a melon with a beautifully carved floral motif; sailing flags adorned the front of Joshua Clark’s table for Atlantica Restaurant; Margaret McLellan, Shucks Maine Lobster, displayed platters made of recycled lobster shells; black trays were lined with rice on the table of Zeph Belanger, Hartstone Inn; timeless red roses accented the clean white linen at Lawrence Klang’s table for Natalie’s at Camden Harbour Inn.

Zeph Belanger, Pete Russell, Lawrence Klang, Joshua Clark, Margaret McLellan

It was certainly an elegant and tasteful day, filled with the quiet suspense of waiting.

Five pristine white chef coats waited around anxiously for their turn. Sportsmanship was admirable and commendable as the clocked ticked down for each one. Some waited with sous-chefs, moms, sisters, sons, girlfriends, restauranteurs. They paced, they prepped, they perfected, and in the end, all did lobster proud.

From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.

Maine Lobster Chef of the People

Following the official, hush-hush, and very closed door judging by four culinary professionals – which included our own creative director and culminated in the selection of the Maine Lobster Chef of the Year award (see previous post) - at 4 p.m. the doors to the Blaine House were opened to press and guests to cast their ballots for the People's Choice award.