Maple Syrup, Breakfast Challenge and Vegetarian MRW

| Posted in Events, Farming

Today’s Press Herald includes an article about this year’s maple syrup season,

Warmer-than-normal days and cold nights are combining to create ideal conditions to get maple syrup season off to one of its earliest starts ever, said Keith Harris of Harris Farm in Dayton.

a piece about next week’s Incredible Breakfast Cook-off,

The Porthole’s eggs Florentine, smothered in a smoky bacon cream sauce, will be the chefs’ entry into the Incredible Breakfast Cook-off March 5 at the Sea Dog Brewing Company in South Portland. Their version of the breakfast classic has “always been a hit” with customers, no matter where they worked, Cross said.

and a listing of all the vegetarian options to be found on the Maine Restaurant Week menus.

Donuts at The French Press Eatery

| Posted in Reviews

Edible Obsessions has published a review of the donuts at The French Press Eatery.

Words cannot describe how f’ing good these are. The base of the doughnuts are dense, without being heavy and the outsides are crunchy, yet not greasy. To say that these are the perfect doughnut would not be an exaggeration. Then add on the toppings and you are well into the realm of pure gluttony.

The Boston Globe on Scratch Baking Co.

| Posted in Profiles

The Boston Globe has published a profile of Scratch Baking Co.

So they turned Scratch into a village bakery with Cheers-like camaraderie. Johnson’s got everyone’s name and morning brews down pat. Baskets of daily breads beckon in the front window, alongside a small spread of “things that go with bread,’’ including Silver Moon Creamery cheeses from Westbrook, Maine, salumi, Johnson’s well-chosen wine collection, and really good butter.

Maple Syrup Season

| Posted in Farming

Tuesday’s Portland Daily Sun hus published reports on the early start to the maple syrup season,

“We’re usually getting started to get ready to go tapping this time of year, but normally the sap is not ready to run for another week or so,” said Lyle Merrifield, president of the Maine Maple Producers Association, whose family was out gathering sap Monday at Merrifield Farm. “It seems like the weather changed so quick on us that we’re tapping; things are ready to run right now.”

and on new taps that are gentler to the trees,

In a shift from the traditional spout size of 7/16-inch diameter, producers like Lyle Merrifield of Merrifield Farm in Gorham have advanced to a spout that fits a 5/16-inch hole. The reason is to extend the life of trees.

This year’s Maine Maple Sunday is scheduled to take place March 28.

Under Construction: Local Sprouts Cafe

| Posted in Under Construction


The Local Sprouts Cafe is under construction at 645 Congress. The Community Supported Cafe is getting help from its membership for a variety of light construction projects now until the targeted opening date in April. As you can see from the photo (above) taken by Michael Barriault of PortlandTown there’s still a lot that needs to be done to realize the vision mapped out in the blueprints (below).

The left hand side of the blueprint is the front side of the building that faces Congress Street.

Review of Homegrown Herb & Tea

| Posted in Reviews

Appetite Portland has published a review of Homegrown Herb & Tea.

Drawn back to Homegrown again on Saturday, I tried one of the limited-time seasonal tisanes that had caught my eye the day before. Dense with coconut milk and the scent of lavender, the Coco-Kava was a revelation. Creamy and lightly spiced with cocoa and sedating kava-kava, the milky liquid was slightly sweet and soothing to both body and mind.

Review of Homegrown Herb & Tea

| Posted in Reviews

Appetite Portland has published a review of Homegrown Herb & Tea.

Drawn back to Homegrown again on Saturday, I tried one of the limited-time seasonal tisanes that had caught my eye the day before. Dense with coconut milk and the scent of lavender, the Coco-Kava was a revelation. Creamy and lightly spiced with cocoa and sedating kava-kava, the milky liquid was slightly sweet and soothing to both body and mind.

This Week's Events

| Posted in Events

Monday — Stephen Lanzalotta is teaching a Piatto per Tutti cooking class, and chef Jennifer Flock from Browne Trading will be teaching a Sicilian cooking class sponsored by the Institute for Italian Studies; the Old Port Sea Grill is holding a showing of art work by restaurant workers.
Wednesday — Five Fifty-Five, Local 188 and David’s are teaming up on a multi-restaurant dinner for The Telling Room; The Salt Exchange is holding a beer and bacon themed dinner.
Thursday — there are wine tastings at Browne Trading, Leavitt & Sons and Black Cherry Provisions, as well as a pair of Unibroue VIP tasting sessions at Novare Res.
Friday — Cinque Terre is holding a Tuscan wine dinner.
Saturday — the indoor Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place, and Lou Ekus will be speaking at the Museum of Art on his working teaching media skills to celebrity chefs.
Sunday — the 2010 CSA Fair is taking place at many locations across the state including Woodfords Church in Portland; Sam Hayward from Fore Street will host a showing of the movie Mostly Martha at the Museum of Art.
For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.
If you are holding a food event this week that’s not listed above, publicize it by adding it as a comment to this post.