Category: General News

For the new installment of Maine at Work, Press Herald reporter Ray Routhier writes about working at a sugarhouse in Newfield, Maine.

As Debra fired up a large oil-powered evaporator (the boiler, in common sugarhouse parlance), her husband began to explain all its parts and how it works in much more detail than I can relate. Basically, the giant stainless-steel contraption had sap flowing first into a preheating area, then into a “flue pan” area, then into the finishing area before it is ready for packaging.

Maine Maple Sunday is taking place this coming weekend. It’s a chance to visit a sugarhouse in your area and see how they turn maple sap into maple syrup.

Today’s Press Herald includes an article about the Slow Food Portland’s Young Food Writers Competition.

Zoe Popovic, a fourth grader at Congin School in Westbrook, won the grand prize in the Grades 3 to 5 category by writing about how she can tell the seasons by what shows up in her lunchbox every day. Her family has been a member of a CSA since she first started walking. The 9-year-old’s mother, Paula Sobierajski, loads up her daughter’s lunch box every day with local foods they buy from Wolf Pine Farm in Alfred.

The full text of all three winners are online.

The Portland Daily Sun has published a follow-up of the last week’s collection of observations by a Portland server.

“I like you a lot, but I don’t want to pool my tips with you because you’re lazy and not a very good server. Sorry if this hurts your feelings or your ego because I know you think you’re attentive. I’ve tried to tell you nicely. December 16, 2008”

The Blueberry Files has published some photos and commentary on her recent tour of the Maine Mead Works.

And maybe you’ve heard of and love Maine Mead Works too, since their popularity is on the rise. Maybe you’ve sampled their product at a Greendrinks or eyed up a bottle at the Portland Public Market’s Maine Beer & Beverage Co. But have you ever toured their production facility or sipped their mead while chatting with the staff? If not, get thee to Washington Avenue.

Portland Daily Sun columnist Natalie Ladd passes on a selection of diner etiquette recommendations/observations from a server at a Portland restaurant.

So many of Lydia’s restaurant-based observations are applicable to all aspects of life and while I am still sorting them into categories for future reference, here (with very little paraphrasing) are some of her most relevant thoughts:

Interrupting gets you nowhere. Saying, “excuse me” loudly while your server is attending to the table next to you is rude to the server and other table, and generally makes you look like an ass. December 12, 2007

Maine mushroom expert and author Greg Marley is a finalist in the International Association of Cookbook Professionals annual cookbook awards competition. Marley is a nominee in the Culinary History category for his book Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms.

Vrai-lean-uh has put together a point by point comparison and found cupcakes wanting.

I had an important realization this weekend, and I wanted to share it with you.

Namely: cake is better than cupcakes.

Everyone’s all jazzed about cupcakes, right? But cake is absolutely better.

Let’s go to the charts.

According to an article from the Press Herald,

Portland Shellfish Co. is scheduled to restart production next week at its crab processing plant in South Portland, which was shut down by federal officials two months ago because of food safety violations.

The Forecaster has published a report on the current state of restaurant health inspections in Portland and across Maine.

In Portland, where the city is delegated inspection authority by the state, some restaurants haven’t been inspected since 2007. And there is scant evidence the city has conducted required follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with food codes by restaurants that have been cited for violations.