Blog Archive May, 2008

Gay Island: Home to the Best Oysters in Maine

Submitted by Kathleen Fleury on Tue, 05/27/2008 - 9:34pm.
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I've had them three times now: perfect, meaty, clean, oceany morsels that feel like silk in my mouth. The first time was a fortuitous recommendation from the staff at Billy's in Thomaston (see a complete write-up of the pub in the May 2008 issue). I quickly downed half a dozen. The second offense was there again, when I dragged my mother - who I knew would love their small

The Fall of the Crown Pilot Cracker

Submitted by Kathleen Fleury on Fri, 05/23/2008 - 4:21pm.
Crown Pilot Crackers are no longer made by Nabisco.


In response to the PPH article about the demise of the Crown Pilot Cracker, Down East Senior Editor Jeff Clark:

"It was just over ten years ago that we Mainers thought we'd saved the Nabisco Crown Pilot Cracker, the unsalted, hard-baked, absolutely vital accompaniment to chowders that has been a Maine and New England tradition for more than two centuries. Now Nabisco, which was bought by Kraft eight

Lobster Primer

Submitted by Kathleen Fleury on Wed, 05/21/2008 - 10:23am.

Lobster is on my mind. I'm indulging in my first clambake this weekend to kick off the summer season, but before I crack the claws, I thought a brief moment dedicated to the lobster was in order.

Some of us might need a refresher on how Maine's lobstermen catch these little ocean bugs. Check out the video to the right from the Ready brothers at Catch a Piece of Maine.

For more lobster lore:

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A Wild Game Feast on Toddy Pond

Submitted by Kathleen Fleury on Tue, 05/20/2008 - 9:37pm.
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When I think of Maine food I think lobster and blueberries, fiddleheads and potatoes. Siggie Cognetta and her team up in Toddy Pond, on the Blue Hill peninsula, think beaver, moose, and venison. Which is why, when I went up to the third annual Wild Game Feast a few weeks ago, I was prepared to sample many fruits of the forest - I just wasn't prepared to like them so much.

The Ice Cream Wars

Submitted by Kathleen Fleury on Thu, 05/15/2008 - 2:25pm.
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Everything is green outside my window, the thermometer is rising above that crucial 70 mark, and all I can think about is ice cream. Well, how much I want it, to be precise. And ice cream is hot, at least in the news. From the recent brouhaha in Portland all the way to New York City, ice cream brawls are bubbling up everywhere this spring. Last week the PPH reported that "City Councilor Kevin Donoghue's

First Fiddleheads

Submitted by Kathleen Fleury on Mon, 05/12/2008 - 9:31pm.
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I have to admit that this past Friday was my first experience with fiddleheads. For years I had imagined what they tasted like. An earthy asparagus, I told myself. Or perhaps a tougher, more-bodied spinach. Being back in Maine in May and cooking for myself, the forces finally aligned and it was time. I bought a bag at Fresh Off The Farm on my way home and voila.

Well, actually, I had been searching for recipes earlier that day. I didn't know how to cook the squirrelly plants! I immediately

The Scoop: Brevetto Kitchen & Wine Bar in Camden

Submitted by Kathleen Fleury on Thu, 05/08/2008 - 3:16pm.
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The Place: Brevetto Kitchen & Wine Bar

Location: The Knox Mill, Camden; 43 Mechanic Street (the restaurant overlooks the mill pond and the "falls" at the section of the river
created by the old dam and millworks, long defunct).

Hours: Monday through Saturday 5 to 10 P.M.

Contact: 207-230-0111

The Basics: Josh Hixson, co-owner of the Sage Market in Rockland Brevetto (and now also in

Down East Food Update

Submitted by Kathleen Fleury on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 6:47pm.
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The June 2008 issue of Down East features Rockland's wine bar, In Good Company. See below for a few more photos, courtesy of the chef/owner, Melody Wolfertz.

Got Moxie? Check out the latest video on

Make Spring Lamb Stew with Kathy Gunst's latest blog and recipe while you learn about kitchen karma.

A Tale of Two Maines

Submitted by Kathleen Fleury on Thu, 05/01/2008 - 4:41pm.
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To a certain extent, Maine has always been divided. From the Indian Wars to modern day high school sports rivals, there has always been a tension between east and west, north and south. These days, though that tension may be more disguised, I-95 is still undoubtedly a fault line of sorts between coastal and inland, ocean and mountains, and… clambakes and maple syrup?

That's right, the tension between the rolling woods and the rocky coast has been articulated by the traditional food