The premier issue of Maine Ahead magazine includes interviews with Alan Cook, Executive Chef at Twenty Milk Street, and Ron Hodge, CEO of Hannaford, as well as articles on Laughing Stock Farm’s use of recycled cooking oil to heat their greenhouse and on Shipyard Brewing. Be aware that you’ll need to register for a free account to access the articles online.

The January issue of Down East heralds 31 “people, places & dishes not to miss in 2010”. Here’s the list of Portland listings from the article:

• Seafood in the pan from Street & Co (1-4)
• Hot Suppa! (8)
• The BLT at Blue Spoon (9)
• Bob Garver, co-owner of Bard Coffee (11)
• The Corner Room (12)
• The cheese puffs from Hugo’s (14)
• The buttermilk panna cotta from Bresca (17)
• The mac & cheese from Five Fifty-Five (18)
• The Touchable, a cocktail invented by bartender John Myers (19)
• The mashed potato pizza from Otto Pizza (20)
• The mussels at Fore Street (24)
• The farm to table menu at The Farmer’s Table (26)
• Portland’s Dining Scene (31) – a brief look back prior to the current culinary boom at the contributing factors that got Portland restaurant culture to where it is now.

The January issue also includes a Maine Wedding Guide. Leslie Oster from Aurora Provisions and Craig Williams from Churchill Catered Events created the winter and fall wedding menus that appear in the article on wedding eats.

An article in today’s Press Herald surveys local caterers that specialize in vegan, vegetarian and other alternative dietary preferences.

Gone are the days when health-conscious party planners had to worry about whether the event’s caterer knew how to maintain a gluten-free kitchen or spot the myriad foods in which non-vegetarian ingredients lurk. Now local hosts and hostesses have the luxury of hiring an expert.

Chow Maine reports on some planned changes at Duckfat including a kitchen renovation this winter and an expansion in 2011.

But in 2011 Portlanders can expect another Duck Fat. It will be a slightly different model. “A bar version, gastropub style version, with a bar, fries and more bar-type food. The new one should be able to make production fries that can be shipped to other locations.”