Michael Salmon of Camden’s Hartstone Inn shares a wonderful and delicious Maine crab recipe in the current issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine. He also shares a bit about himself and his beloved Midcoast inn.
Peekytoe Crab Gazpacho, by Chef Michael Salmon. Image © 2010 Jim Bazin.
Michael shares his passion for cooking, teaching, and utilizing local ingredients to their fullest potential. Want to learn how to cook from a master? Michael offers several classes this winter, such favorites as: Mediterranean Cuisine, Maine Seafood, Holiday Artisan Chocolates, and more.
Chef Michael Salmon of Camden’s Hartstone Inn. Image © 2010 Jim Bazin.
By turning a duck during roasting, the breast cooks in its own rendered fat (and a little water), yielding a flavorful bird. Both the process and the taste bear some resemblance to confit—without days of marinating, hours of slow cooking, and extra fat required for genuine confit. This technique comes from Clark’s mother, who learned it from a Hungarian friend. (That explains the paprika!) We have simply added fresh herbs.
image: telegraph.co.uk Continue reading “Roast Duck with Paprika, Garlic, and Herbs” »
It’s not to late to order that last minute gift for the person on your list who has everything. Give them the gift of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine, a gift that will continue giving all year long with great recipes, local chef profiles, in-depth articles, and stunning photography.
Happy Holidays!
Give the gift of Maine’s only food magazine, and make someone smile this holiday season. We’ll include a gift letter stating this gift is from you, along with the recipient’s copy of the current issue to start them on their way.
Happy Holidays to you, your family, and your friends!
Melanie Hyatt & Jim Bazin
Hands down, I have received more requests for this recipe than any other.
Sherry, long relegated to an ingredient, is first and foremost a wine. Good sherry shows a range of flavors from apricots and stone fruit to roasted nuts and caramel. In this case, a Vox Oloroso sherry, which is slightly off-dry, will blend beautifully with the earthy quality of the mushrooms and creaminess of the soup. Ivison and Emilio Lustau produce high quality, reasonably priced sherry.
image: bibendum-times.co.uk
Continue reading “Portabella Mushroom Soup with a Sherry Cream” »
Imagine a beautiful, snowy, winding drive in the country. Destination: a historic island inn with an organic farm to which one can drive. Arrive at the well kept grounds of a grand 1763 farmhouse and enter the front door. A charming woman with a divine accent takes your coat and leads you to a private room with a roaring fire in a fireplace almost large enough to walk into. Elements of a well traveled life surround you: marionettes from Prague to Swiss family heirlooms to a few portraits of a very handsome chef in an obviously European kitchen.
Our intention this evening? Well, frankly, it’s all about cheese tonight. And good Swiss wines to go with that cheese. We’re at the Squire Tarbox Inn on Westport Island, and we’re lusting for cheese. Appenzeller, Gruyère, Emmenthaler…all molten and bubbling in a big pot scented with wine, accompanied with bread fresh out of the oven offering the perfect combination of tender and crusty to dip and twirl and completely cover in gooey, delicious cheese.
Continue reading “Fireside French Onion Soup” »
I learned this dish from a Thai cook named “Mr. Mike,” many years ago. We often ate it as a “family meal” before a long night on the cooking line. Thai beef salad is served family-style on a platter and is a hands-on dish to eat. The correct way to eat this salad is for everyone to take a bibb lettuce leaf and fill it with some of the beef mixture. Then add a tomato wedge, a slice of cucumber, more mint or another squeeze of lime, roll it up and eat it like you would a taco.
image: onceuponafeast.blogspot.com Continue reading “Grilled Thai Beef Salad” »
Frittata are Italian omelets that combine many ingredients: vegetables, herbs, cheeses, seafood, and meats. They differ from American omelets, which are stuffed and folded over to form a half-moon shape. Frittata ingredients are incorporated into the eggs before cooking. When served, the frittata is left round and cut into wedges like a pie. In addition to breakfast, frittata can be sliced as a salad garnish or as a lunch entree.
food.gather.com
Continue reading “Lobster, Chanterelle Mushroom, and Leek Frittata” »
Evangeline, named by USA Today as one of the 10 greatest places in the country to master the art of French eating, is hosting its first annual Last Basket Dinner on Wednesday, November 17 from 6 to 9PM. The dinner will feature a menu of dishes showcasing vegetables, fruits, and proteins commonly available in the fall’s final harvest. Beth Schiller of Dandelion Spring Farm in Washington, Maine, will join Chef Erik Desjarlais in giving guests a short presentation on how to bring the farm-to-table eating experience into their homes. Reservations for this first-time event can be made by calling 207-791-2800.
photo courtesy of Evangeline
Continue reading “Portland’s Evangeline Hosts Last Basket Dinner” »
Chef Keiko Suzuki Steinberger has everyone coming to Main Street in Rockland, because that is where they know the finest sushi around is to be found. Environmentally conscious, meticulous and masterful in both her food ingredients and the art of preparation, Keiko is a gift to our region.
Shime-Nishin Nigiri, prepared by Chef Keiko Suzuki. Image © 2010 Jim Bazin.
In issue 12 of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine, Keiko shares some of her very green restaurant practices along with her recipe for Shime-Nishin (herring salt-cured and marinated in rice vinegar). Take one look at Jim’s photo, and you’ll be craving sushi tonight!
Chef William Clifford of the Portland Harbor Hotel, Finalist for this year’s Lobster Chef of the Year competition, shares his wonderful recipe, which he says is a great make-ahead meal for family get-togethers. See his video here, and recipe below.
Continue reading “Lobster Chef of the Year 2010 Finalist: Chef William Clifford” »
In the new issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine, Chef Brian Hill of Francine Bistro and Shepherd’s Pie talks about Hawaii, Maine bluefin tuna, and cooking for Sam Hayward in his early days at Francine.
Brian is a notorious local food talent, rock star, and surfer. He graciously gave me his Bluefin Tuna Poke (pronounced POH-kay) recipe, along with a generous portion. All I can say is…WOW! Jim was fortunate to have gotten this shot before it disappeared.
Tuna Poke, prepared by Chef Brian Hill of Francine Bistro and Shepherd’s Pie
For Brian Hill’s recipe, see page 12 of Issue 12, available now! Subscribe today for Maine’s great food stories, local recipes, and mouth-watering photography!
This year’s Maine Lobster Chef of the Year top honors went to Kelly Patrick Farrin, Sous Chef at Freeport’s Azure Café. Here is his outstanding, prize-winning recipe.
image: Maine Lobster Promotion Council
Continue reading “Lobster Chef of the Year 2010: Azure Café’s Kelly Patrick Farrin” »
Chef Bryan Dame of The Edge in Lincolnville offers up one of my favorite traditional meals in the latest issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine. But this is not your mamma’s boiled dinner.
Chef Bryan Dame’s New England Boiled Dinner. image © Jim Bazin 2010
Dame works to preserve traditional area cuisine like corned beef and cabbage, injecting it with new creative life. His emphasis on locally sourced ingredients also make his dishes as authentic as they can get. I got to chow down on this gorgeous creation soon after it was plated, and I have to say it was incredible. A work of art.
For Bryan’s “Not Your Mother’s Boiled Dinner” recipe, pick up a copy of Maine Food & Lifestyle issue 12. Subscribe today!
Josh Hixson, chef/owner of Brevetto in Camden, believes in making comfort food that is “inspired, not restrained, by Italian cuisine. Good food doesn’t have to be complicated,” he says. With that, Josh shares a bit about himself and offers up for our readers one of the perennial favorite appetizers at his restaurant, Brevetto mussels.
Chef Josh Hixson’s Brevetto Mussels, as served at Brevetto in Camden
Robust with a complex flavor, Josh also recommends the broth from these mussels, with a bit of added cream, as a heavenly pasta sauce!
For Josh’s recipe for Brevetto mussels, pick up the new issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine, on stands now. Subscribe now to bring the taste of Maine to your door!
Sunfire Mexican Grill is a popular Rockland eatery. Owner Pam Cota and husband Alan welcome patrons with warm smiles and a wonderful and creative menu. Their authentic Mexican cuisine using locally sourced ingredients can’t be beat. One of the greatest things about Sunfire is their staff. Their employees come from a wide range of ethnicities, all the way from Bulgaria, Poland, and Mexico and are some of the nicest people you’ll meet anywhere.
Maine Fish Tacos at the Sunfire Mexican Grill. photo by Lorena Stackpole.
In the new issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine, we talked with Pam about her food roots, inspirations, and got her recipe for Sunfire’s Grilled Fish Tacos (made with fresh haddock from Jess’s Fish Market). For this recipe, and many more, subscribe today!
In the new issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine, Portland Chef/Proprietor Erik Desjarlais of Evangeline restaurant talks about the Grateful Dead, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, GQ, and oh yes, some cooking!
Mitra’s Clabber-fed Chicken & Maine Lobster, prepared by Chef Erik Desjarlais
Read about his intriguing story, his start in the business, and get the recipe for his fantastic featured dish, “Mitra’s Clabber-fed Chicken and Maine Lobster.” Maine made, Maine inspired, all in issue 12 of Maine Food & Lifestyle!
In the new issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine, we asked Maine chefs to share their recipe versions of the “Essence of Maine.” What we learned was there is a lot of taste and talent out there! Chefs also shared some interesting and little know facts and stories about themselves, which we share with you.
James Beard Award Winners for Best Chefs Northeast, Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier of Arrows restaurant in Ogunquit, talked about the serendipity of their culinary path and their favorite recipe: Butter-Poached Maine Lobster.
Butter-poached Maine Lobster, oh my! Image © Ron Manville 2010.
If you enjoy eating, you know we are lucky to live in Maine. If you don’t believe it, just pick up the new issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine today!
“Beginnings” is an article in Issue 12 of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine highlighting some of the new food-related businesses in Maine, places like Shepherd’s Pie in Rockport, Port Clyde Seafood Company in Camden, and Fiore in Rockland.
It’s a very tasty time to be living in the state, as this article shows! Researched and written by our summer editorial intern, Chelsea Sonksen, find out what’s new in the Midcoast.
Read more in the new issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine!
Brian Hill’s Shepherd’s Pie chimichurri steak image courtesy of MF&L subscriber Bob Jobes
Maine has its own special type of crab, and its name is peekytoe. But do you know where the name originated? Browne Trading’s Jen Flock does, and she’s sharing her intimate knowledge, along with a real Maine recipe for Peekytoe Crab Linguine with Fresh Tomato and Herbs. Scrumptious.
Image © Jim Bazin, 2010.
And as always, Jen offers us several wine pairing selections to enhance our dining experience.
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