Interview with Tricia Henley from Mama’s Crow Bar

The Portland Daily Sun has published an interview with Tricia Henley, the owner of Mama’s Crow Bar on Munjoy Hill.

“What kind of neighborhood needs a bar, became a question of what kind of bar does this neighborhood need,” said Henley, envisioning a place where people could meet, have a good beer, and talk about everything from knitting and parenting to politics and city planning.

Italy–>Maine Wine Connection

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes an interview with Paul Turina, a Yarmouth man who imports wines produced by his family in Italy. According to the article, Turina wines are on the menu at Paciarino, Hugo’s, and Walter’s and can be purchased at Rosemont and RSVP.

At first, he brought just enough wine to the States to satisfy family and friends. Now he travels to Italy once or twice a year to visit his family and do business with them, trying to find ways to get the word out about their wines on this side of the Atlantic.

Johnny’s Bistro in Falmouth is featuring Turina wine at a dinner on May 17.

Italy–>Maine Wine Connection

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes an interview with Paul Turina, a Yarmouth man who imports wines produced by his family in Italy. According to the article, Turina wines are on the menu at Paciarino, Hugo’s, and Walter’s and can be purchased at Rosemont and RSVP.

At first, he brought just enough wine to the States to satisfy family and friends. Now he travels to Italy once or twice a year to visit his family and do business with them, trying to find ways to get the word out about their wines on this side of the Atlantic.

Johnny’s Bistro in Falmouth is featuring Turina wine at a dinner on May 17.

Heiwa Tofu Interview

Cornucopasetic has published an interview with Jeff Wolovitz, founder of Heiwa Tofu, a Maine brand that is sold in several Portland area stores and restaurants.

Where do you get your soy beans? Are these the same beans that Lalibela Farm is using to make their tempeh?
Bob Reisner in Skowhegan. I’d like to diversify. I’ve talked to Henry Perkins about growing this coming year. Also, Donnie Webb in Pittson. Donnie cleaned Bob’s beans for me this year and would like to try growing soybeans for me. They are all great folks…I use a lot. At least 20,000 pounds this year. That takes roughly ten to twenty acres of land and will make 35,000 pounds of tofu!

Profile of Bogusha and Her Deli

Today’s Portland Daily Sun includes a profile of Bogusha Pawlazyk and her Polish deli on Stevens Ave.

This past week Bogusha Pawlazyk and Andrzej Rzycki  of Bogusha’s Polish Restaurant and Deli on Stevens Avenue have been busy with preparations for the inevitable torrent of customers in search of culinary holiday authenticity. There are pastries from the European Bakery in Worcester: makowiec (poppy seed cake), orzechowiec (walnut cake), cream cakes, and various cheese cakes. Of course there is Easter babka, which celebrates the return of eggs to the diet after the Lenten restrictions in a sweet cake made with more than a dozen eggs yolks.

Latte Art Competition & Overland Apiaries

Tuesday’s Portland Daily Sun includes a profile of Master Beekkeeper Erin Forbes and her business Overland Apiaries,

Last year, the honey that Erin collected from hives in six towns amounted to 6,000 pounds. That’s three tons. This year the hundred hives she now has under management are likely to yield 10,000 pounds. Before Scott began dabbling in beekeeping, Erin rarely used honey. A junky plastic bear from Hannaford languished in the depths of her kitchen cabinets. Now it’s white sugar that languishes there.

and an article about the TNT monthly latte art competition which is taking place at Bard Coffee this week on Thursday night.

With Bard, [Bob] Garver and co-owner Jeremy Pelkey are trying to change Portland’s perception of their daily dose of joe, and thinks that fostering a strong community of baristas will do much for the scene as a whole. “Many in this industry think coffee is an art form, a culinary experience as opposed to just ‘filling up’,” said Garver.

“I believe people are catching onto that now,” he added.

Latte Art Competition & Overland Apiaries

Tuesday’s Portland Daily Sun includes a profile of Master Beekkeeper Erin Forbes and her business Overland Apiaries,

Last year, the honey that Erin collected from hives in six towns amounted to 6,000 pounds. That’s three tons. This year the hundred hives she now has under management are likely to yield 10,000 pounds. Before Scott began dabbling in beekeeping, Erin rarely used honey. A junky plastic bear from Hannaford languished in the depths of her kitchen cabinets. Now it’s white sugar that languishes there.

and an article about the TNT monthly latte art competition which is taking place at Bard Coffee this week on Thursday night.

With Bard, [Bob] Garver and co-owner Jeremy Pelkey are trying to change Portland’s perception of their daily dose of joe, and thinks that fostering a strong community of baristas will do much for the scene as a whole. “Many in this industry think coffee is an art form, a culinary experience as opposed to just ‘filling up’,” said Garver.

“I believe people are catching onto that now,” he added.

Maine at Weiners & Portland Food Coma

Today’s Press Herald includes a profile of Joe Ricchio and his blog Portland Food Coma,

On a recent afternoon, Ricchio was enjoying lunch at Pizza Villa, reveling in it almost. Days earlier, he had survived an intense three-day kitchen lockdown to create “Buddha Jumps Over The Wall,” a Chinese meal that involves whole chicken and duck, abalone, quail eggs, bamboo leaves, dueling stocks and a shark’s fin. It was his 31st birthday and the occasion called for unbridled decadence.

and reporter Ray Routhier spent the day working at Wieners learning about what it takes to run the Commercial Street food cart.

I would not have thought there was any engineering involved in preparing a hot dog.

But I realized quickly – as I tried to sell franks from a cart called Wieners on Commercial Street last week – that there definitely is. The spatial relationship between the dog, the bun, the onions, the relish, the ketchup and the mustard is a delicate thing that cannot be trifled with.

My problem was, I trifled.

I would not have thought there was any engineering involved in preparing a hot dog.

click image to enlarge

Ray Routhier tries to get the squiggle of mustard to look just so as he works the hot dog stand of Jess Cady-Giguere in Portland.

John Ewing/Staff Photographer

click image to enlarge

Jess Cady-Giguere demonstrates her method for assembling a hot dog and condiments at her cart, Wieners, in Portland.

John Ewing/Staff Photographer

ABOUT THIS SERIES
MAINE AT WORK takes an interactive look at iconic, visible or just plain interesting jobs done by folks in Maine. Reporter Ray Routhier shadows a worker or workers, reports what he sees and tries his hand at some of the job’s duties.
IF YOU’D LIKE to suggest a job to be explored in this feature, e-mail rrouthier@pressherald.com or call 791-6454.
THIS WEEK’S JOB

TITLE: Hot dog seller and owner of Wieners, a cart at the corner of Dana and Commercial streets on Portland’s waterfront.
WORKER: Jess Cady-Giguere, 27, of Portland.
HOURS: Roughly 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at least five days a week.
DUTIES: Towing the cart, buying supplies, preparing the cart, and cooking, selling and presenting hot dogs, sausages and chili.
SURPRISING FACTS: Cady-Giguere sometimes has to work in the rain just to make sure people know she’s still in business and to keep her spot. Also, putting a hot dog in a bun, with condiments, is surprisingly hard to do without touching them directly with your hands.
PERKS: Being outside on the waterfront on beautiful days and being able to take your dog to work.

But I realized quickly – as I tried to sell franks from a cart called Wieners on Commercial Street last week – that there definitely is. The spatial relationship between the dog, the bun, the onions, the relish, the ketchup and the mustard is a delicate thing that cannot be trifled with.
My problem was, I trifled.

Maine at Weiners & Portland Food Coma

Today’s Press Herald includes a profile of Joe Ricchio and his blog Portland Food Coma,

On a recent afternoon, Ricchio was enjoying lunch at Pizza Villa, reveling in it almost. Days earlier, he had survived an intense three-day kitchen lockdown to create “Buddha Jumps Over The Wall,” a Chinese meal that involves whole chicken and duck, abalone, quail eggs, bamboo leaves, dueling stocks and a shark’s fin. It was his 31st birthday and the occasion called for unbridled decadence.

and reporter Ray Routhier spent the day working at Wieners learning about what it takes to run the Commercial Street food cart.

I would not have thought there was any engineering involved in preparing a hot dog.

But I realized quickly – as I tried to sell franks from a cart called Wieners on Commercial Street last week – that there definitely is. The spatial relationship between the dog, the bun, the onions, the relish, the ketchup and the mustard is a delicate thing that cannot be trifled with.

My problem was, I trifled.

I would not have thought there was any engineering involved in preparing a hot dog.

click image to enlarge

Ray Routhier tries to get the squiggle of mustard to look just so as he works the hot dog stand of Jess Cady-Giguere in Portland.

John Ewing/Staff Photographer

click image to enlarge

Jess Cady-Giguere demonstrates her method for assembling a hot dog and condiments at her cart, Wieners, in Portland.

John Ewing/Staff Photographer

ABOUT THIS SERIES

MAINE AT WORK takes an interactive look at iconic, visible or just plain interesting jobs done by folks in Maine. Reporter Ray Routhier shadows a worker or workers, reports what he sees and tries his hand at some of the job’s duties.

IF YOU’D LIKE to suggest a job to be explored in this feature, e-mail rrouthier@pressherald.com or call 791-6454.

THIS WEEK’S JOB

TITLE: Hot dog seller and owner of Wieners, a cart at the corner of Dana and Commercial streets on Portland’s waterfront.

WORKER: Jess Cady-Giguere, 27, of Portland.

HOURS: Roughly 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at least five days a week.

DUTIES: Towing the cart, buying supplies, preparing the cart, and cooking, selling and presenting hot dogs, sausages and chili.

SURPRISING FACTS: Cady-Giguere sometimes has to work in the rain just to make sure people know she’s still in business and to keep her spot. Also, putting a hot dog in a bun, with condiments, is surprisingly hard to do without touching them directly with your hands.

PERKS: Being outside on the waterfront on beautiful days and being able to take your dog to work.

But I realized quickly – as I tried to sell franks from a cart called Wieners on Commercial Street last week – that there definitely is. The spatial relationship between the dog, the bun, the onions, the relish, the ketchup and the mustard is a delicate thing that cannot be trifled with.

My problem was, I trifled.