While some chefs make a straight shot into the culinary world, there are those like Chef/Owner John Stowe of Rockland’s Rustica Cucina Italiana who take a more circuitous route.
After years of travel and working at various professions, John found an opportunity and a niche in the former store Market on Main on Rockland’s bustling Main Street. When the Rockland business came up for sale, John and his wife considered the venture and took the plunge.
Years of on-the-job-training brought John to his current place in the Rockland community. Read all about his travels and learn his story in the new issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.
Chef John Stowe’s Grilled Chicken and Broccoli Aglio e Olio.
image for MF&L by Lorena Stackpole
Rustica Cucina Italiana has a wide variety of authentic Italian cuisine offerings to satisfy all diners. Chef John shares one of his restaurant’s most popular dishes, Grilled Chicken and Broccoli Aglio e Olio, in issue Number 13 of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine. Subscribe today!
When you think of a quintessential Maine restaurant, you think of an amazing view of the harbor complete with boats, buoys, and sea breezes. And of course, you think of great food. You get all of the above and more at David Cooke and Nancy Wood’s Rockland restaurant Amalfi on the Water.
What makes Amalfi stand out from the crowd? Menu tems you won’t find anywhere else, like paella and mousakka. And unlike many local restaurants, Amalfi is open year round to serve their loyal regular customers through those long winter months when many local restaurant choose to close.
Chef David Cooke’s Seafood Paella with Chorizo Sausage at Amalfi On The Water
image for MF&L by Lorena Stackpole
Amalfi’s community commitment is strong, as is their love of Mediterranean cuisine crafted from the freshest local ingredients. As their website states: “A View to Remember, Food Not to Forget.”
Read about Amalfi on the Water and get their authentic recipe for Seafood Paella with Chorizo Sausage in the new issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine. Subscribe today!
In the new issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine, writer Nancy Griffin talks to Scott Yakovenko, chef/operator of the new Slipway restaurant in Thomaston. He discusses his early culinary beginnings in St. Thomas, and his return to Tenants Harbor and Port Clyde where he ran both Cod End and the Dip Net.
After some time recently in Camden running Port Clyde Seafood, Scott was on a search for the perfect place for rustic dockside dining. He found it at the site of the former Harbor View Restaurant in Thomaston.
Bouillabaise at Scott Yakovenko’s Slipway Restaurant in Thomaston.
Scott opened The Slipway this spring, and has been busy ever since serving up a great menu to a large following. He recently added a very popular wet bar to the end of his dock, and reservations are recommended!
Bill Zibylit, Scott Yakovenko, Owen Ostergard with a freshly caught halibut.
The Slipway has a full liquor license, and Scott maintains a strong emphasis on fresh seafood and local products. (Check out the gorgeous 40-pound halibut photo with Scott and his crew Bill Zibylit and Owen Ostergard above.)
Learn about Scott’s training in international cuisine, and get his recipes for Maine Mussels with Dijon and Fresh Herbs and Grilled Maine Lobster with Mustard Scallion Beurre Blanc in Issue 13 of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine, available now! Purchase it online and Subscribe today!
“Scabechi is an Aruban dish of pickled fish. Unlike seviche, which is raw pickled fish, scabechi is made with fish that has been seared and cooked through. Scabechi should be made ahead and refrigerated for at least 24 hours before serving to allow the fish to pick up the flavors from the marinade. This is the perfect dish to prepare ahead of time for a hot summer day picnic.”—Michael Salmon
image: frechrevolutionfood.com Continue reading “Scabechi (Aruban Pickled Fish)” »
Lynn Archer is something of a celebrity in these parts. She single-handedly threw down Bobby Flay in a match up in Buoy Park in Rockland two summers ago with her “King of Lobster Clubs”. Since then, she’s been continuing to do what she loves, cooking at her beloved Brass Compass Café in Rockland. That is, until a business opportunity and a chance to provide jobs in her community inspired her to add to her already adventurous life.
Lynn Archer at her new restaurant, Archer’s On The Pier.
image © Jim Bazin 2011
Lynn recently took helm of the former Boathouse Restaurant in Rockland, transforming it into her new restaurant, Archer’s on the Pier. Calling The Brass Compass her “grown child,” Lynn refers to Archer’s on the Pier as her “new baby.” With seating capacity for 150, a wraparound deck with gorgeous view of Rockland Harbor, and a menu that supports the local bounty of the state, Lynn is full sail ahead.
Cioppino Archer, one of Lynn Archer’s special dishes at Archer’s On The Pier
image © Jim Bazin 2011
Read all about Lynn Archer’s philosophy on cooking and life, her new restaurant, and get her recipe for Cioppino Archer in the new issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine! Subscribe today!
Travel the world over, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a spot as serene, as beautiful, and as delicious as Maine. But don’t take our word for it. Ask Andrew Zimmern, star of the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern.
In the new issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle, Andrew has many positive things to say about his adopted home state, including a touching tribute to his dad, who resides in Portland, and the highest praise for many of our favorite local chefs and restaurants. He shares his long history with Maine, his favorite haunts, and some outstanding Maine recipes, like one for Sweet and Sour Bangkok Style Lobster with Red Chiles.
Andrew and Bob Zimmern (Andrew’s father) enjoying some Maine Chowdah.
Whether dining out at restaurants like Hugo’s, Fore Street, or Back Bay Grill with his dad or hauling lobsters with the Greenlaw Family on Isle au Haut, Andrew thinks Maine is where the flavor’s at.
Captain Linda Greenlaw and Andrew Zimmern hauling traps on Isle au Haut.
Don’t miss this in-depth article with great images. Subscribe today to Maine’s original and only true food magazine!
We’re excited to report that the new issue of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine prints this week! Issue 13 will be available soon! On the cover, we tease you with our lobster dinners at Cod End in Tenants Harbor.
As always, we offer recipes galore from several Maine destinations. Engaging feature articles complete with gorgeous photography await your every turn of the page.
In this issue: Travel Channel Andrew Zimmern’s Maine Connection, including his favorite Maine restaurants and recipes; Old Vines Wine Bar in Kennebunk, and The Stolen Menu Café and The Union Grill/Bluff Pub in York; Amalfi On the Water and Rustica Cucina Italiana, both well-established Rockland restaurants; two new eateries: Scott Yakovenko’s Slipway in Thomaston and Lynn Archer’s Archer’s on the Pier in Rockland, and much, much more!
Certified Master Gardener Maryann Blaisdell shares her love of gardening in her debut column. Editorial Assistant Chelsea Sonksen offers a tribute to Rock City Coffee and explores the Magic of a Full Moon Supper at Saltwater Farm.
Come sample some more of the good life in Maine. Subscribe or give the gift of good taste to those you love!
One of our favorite greens to grow is arugula, which is so versatile—delicious warm or chilled. Its sharp, peppery flavor complements the sweet, briny taste of Maine clams, which are similar to the tiny Adriatic clams favored in Italy.
image: sunjournal.com Continue reading “Maine Sweet Clams with Risotto and Arugula” »
It’s Maine wild blueberry season, and here is another great Maine blueberry pie recipe!
image: foodforpoems.blogspot.com Continue reading “Maine Wild Blueberry Pie” »
This prizewinning recipe from Lisa Wood of Sisters Restaurant at Eggemoggin Landing, Little Deer Isle, is one you’ll want to make at home.
Maine Lobsters image © 2010 Jim Bazin Continue reading “Maine Lobster & Goat Cheese Stuffed Shells” »
We wait for this! Oh, do we anticipate the long-awaited first sweet and succulent bites of fresh, native Maine corn!
It takes awhile to get our fill of corn on the cob; we boil it, serve it with our lobster bakes, grill it with chile butter, and eat it raw. But before too long, most cooks are thinking of ways to gussy it up and maybe get it off the cob and into a recipe or two. I like a good Southwestern corn salad with black beans, corn pudding with a ham dinner, but my favorite is the delicious corn fritter.
Southerners seem to do fried food best, and here is a wonderful recipe for Southern style corn fritters. Sprinkle with a little finishing salt or fleur de sel and you’re “good to go.” Everyone will love these! Makes a nice appetizer, but serve them hot out of the pan.
image: mainecottage.wordpress.com Continue reading “Native Maine Corn Fritters” »
Now that the hot weather is upon us, we’ve had several requests for cold and chilled soup recipes. Not surprising! Who wants to slave away in the kitchen over a hot stove this time of year? These soups are unique in that they allow you to savor the summer garden’s harvest in some truly refreshing ways.
Here is a link to the chillin’ hits from blogs past to cool you off:
CHILLED SUMMER SOUPS
(And to learn more about our featured restaurants, check out the links below.)
The White Barn Inn, Kennebunkport: Chef Jonathan Cartwright’s Chilled Pea Soup
Local 188, Portland: Chef Jay Villani’s Melon Gazpacho
Thomaston Café: Chef Brian Beckett (pictured below) with his Chilled Berry Soup
image by Jim Bazin
Hartstone Inn: Chef Michael Salmon’s Chilled Summer Gazpacho (pictured below)
image by Jim Bazin
Fresh haddock and homemade tartar sauce, that is why you all like it so much. We have lightened the sandwich up a bit over the years. No longer breaded, it is dusted with some seasoning, baked in the oven, and served piping hot.
image: rememberwhendiner.com
Lily’s Fish Sandwich
Kyra Alex, Lily’s Cafe & Wine Bar, Stonington
Tartar sauce:
1 cup mayo
2 dill pickle spears, chopped
½ Tablespoon horseradish
½ teaspoon dill
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Squeeze of lemon juice
¼ teaspoon paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
4-5 ounce haddock fillet
Cajun spice or smoked paprika
Kosher salt
Olive oil
2 pieces of toasted whole grain bread
Tartar sauce
Lettuce
Tomato
To make tartar sauce:
Combine ingredients and mix well. Makes about 1 cup.
To make sandwich:
Place haddock on baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and smoked paprika or your favorite Cajun spice blend. Roast in 400˚ oven until flaky and moist, about 10-12 minutes. Serve on toast with tartar sauce, lettuce, and tomato.
Makes 1 sandwich.
Rhubarb is one of the first crops of spring, when it usually appears in dessert pies, often with strawberries. This recipe features it in a savory dish. You can substitute 3 small ducks or chickens for the quail, in which case you should split the birds and allow a half for each person. Cooking time should then increase to about 15 minutes per side. This dish goes well with chive mashed potatoes.
image:cookingpanda.com Continue reading “Grilled Quail with Rhubarb Compote” »
When I go to purchase fresh mussels, I always look for shells that are closed with a fresh “sea” aroma (not a fishy one). If the shells are open, it means the mussels are not fresh and are beginning to die. Soak the closed mussels in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes to allow them to purge any sand or grit that may be inside the shell. Gently scrub the shells to remove any debris from the outside and pull on the beard (stringy part protruding from the inside) to remove it and discard. The mussels are now ready to cook.
image:ctbites.com Continue reading “Coconut-Steamed Mussels” »
People are always amazed that we can grow lemongrass, an essential ingredient of Southeast Asian cooking, in Maine. Actually it grows quite well here; it needs very little care and doesn’t seem to interest Maine’s many bugs.
Lemongrass is typically used in savory dishes, but we also make lemongrass tea, sorbet, and ice cream. This chicken is easy to prepare and perfect with steamed jasmine rice and sweet-and-sour fennel salad.
Continue reading “Lemongrass and Lemon Roasted Chicken” »
The strong, piney taste of rosemary goes well with lamb. It’s also one of those herbs, like oregano and marjoram, that you can dig up in the fall and move indoors for the winter. Then you’ll have it fresh in the spring, when lamb is at its best.
To grown rosemary indoors, pick a plant that’s not too big, say a foot or so high. Water it well, then dig out enough of the roots and soil to fill a 10- or 12-inch round pot; they like to be a little root bound, so better to have a pot that’s slightly small rather than too large. Water it again after positioning it snugly in the pot (you may beed to add a little potting soil) and transfer it to a sunny spot in the house. Don’t let it get too dry and be sure to bring it outdoors again in spring, because rosemary can’t really survive indoors year-round. (You can replant it in the ground or keep it going in a large pot.)
image: userealbutter.com
Continue reading “Spring Lamb Loin with Rosemary” »
Curry oil adds an unusual twist to Melissa Kelly’s succulent lobster salad. For this recipe, the curry oil needs to stand overnight, so plan accordingly. Maine lobster, fresh asparagus, and micro greens… welcome spring!
Continue reading “Maine Lobster and Asparagus Salad with Curry Vinaigrette” »
Cod is a sweet, delicate fish that in New England is often overpowered by butter, bread crumbs, and stuffing. We like to pair this northeastern classic with Far Eastern spices. This is great served with baby bok choy with chives.
star anise image: lowfatchick.wordpress.com
Continue reading “Sautéed Maine Cod with Burnt Tangerine and Star Anise Sauce” »
Our congratulations to Krista Kern Desjarlais of Portland’s Bresca for being named a Best Chef: Northeast finalist for this year’s James Beard Awards! This is a tremendous honor for Krista, Bresca, and Maine!! We wish her all the best as winners will be announced on May 9. Krista is the only finalist from Maine in any category this year.
image of Krista Kern Desjarlais by John Patriquin/Portland Press Herald Staff Photographer
Continue reading “Krista Kern Desjarlais Named 2011 James Beard Finalist” »
