Bourdain in Maine 3

Hilary Nangle
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Best story on Bourdain’s Maine tour I’ve seen yet is in today’s Bangor News. It details his visit to a baked bean suppah in Milo, hometown of his cameraman/cinematographer.

Snip:

“‘I’ve had beans, I’ve had baked beans and pork and beans, but these are some pretty damn good beans,” Bourdain said. “It’s the first time I’ve been to a bean supper, I can tell you.”

Of Maine in general, Bourdain said the first thing that struck him was until he arrived in Milo, he had yet to meet a single person who was actually from Maine. “Portland, Rockland, everyone we met was a displaced person from someplace else,” he said.

End snip.

Bourdain in Maine 2A

Hilary Nangle
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Duckfat sighting has been recanted, but Conte’s is confirmed.

Economy versus environment

Hilary Nangle
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Economy versus environment

Interesting story in today’s Wall Street Journal about rockweed harvesting in Washington County. I shot these last summer, in Jonesport.

Sea & ski & slide for the roses

Hilary Nangle
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Sea & ski & slide for the roses

If you’re one of the many skiers and snowboarders who really don’t need a humongous resort, miles of trails, high-speed lifts, and the prices that go with, then you might want to check out Camden Snow Bowl, in coastal Camden, a town better known among yachtsmen than skiers.

The Snow Bowl exists in a time warp, with a vintage A-frame base lodge and retro food and ticket prices. The reward for riding the pokey chair or creaky T-bars is a cruise down nautically named trails that ebb and flow down the 950-foot vertical, delivering glimpses of island-salted Penobscot Bay. In addition to skiing and riding, the town-owned Snow Bowl has terrain and tubing parks,  a toboggan chute, and ice skating on Hosmer Pond.

After this weekend’s storm, it’s bound to have great conditions. As is its toboggan chute, home to the annual North American Tobogganing Championships (registration is still open for this year’s 20th annual slide for the roses). The championships, held the first weekend in February, is the winter wing-ding in Camden.

Image from Camden Snow Bowl.

That blue moon? It's a Maine thing…

Hilary Nangle
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No, really! This Bangor News article tells the whole story, but here’s an excerpt:

In the 1946 article, the author “interpreted what he read in a publication known as the Maine Farmers’ Almanac … and declared that a second full Moon in a calendar month is a ‘Blue Moon,’” the Farmers’ Almanac Web site states.

Once in a blue moon…

Hilary Nangle
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That’s tonight folks. Not only is it New Year’s Eve, it’s also the second full moon of the month. So as you create your New Year’s resolution list, put on the seemingly unobtainable, wish for the good things that happen only once in a blue moon. World peace would be a good one, and working toward it by reaching out a bit more in your travels, going beyond your comfort zone, talking to that rather odd fellow seated on the adjacent counter stool or instead of donning the headphones, starting a conversation with the person seated next to you on the plane…

See you next year.

Old World Gourmet withdrawal

Hilary Nangle
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Today’s the last day until May, so if you can’t live without those chocolate chip cookies, go purchase a gazillion to keep in the freezer.

And, meats in the deli case (and probably a lot of other items) are 50% off. Stock up for that New Year’s Eve party. Then join me in withdrawal symptoms from those cookies (I only purchased two).

Not familiar with this little outpost? It’s at Freeport’s Big Indian. Need I say more?

Bacon truffles?

Hilary Nangle
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I took my friend Kayt Sukel, a Germany-based freelance writer covering travel and food (She travels with her son Chet and contributes to TravelSavvyMom, check it out, among other places) on a foodie tour of Portland’s East End, yesterday, stopping in at my favorite haunts.

We began with lunch at Duckfat: fries (of course!). Now Kayt’s a worldly traveler, and she thought these among the best she’s ever tasted. “It’s the seasoning,” she said. And I agree. It’s just perfect.In addition,  I had the tomato-fennel soup, Kayt the smoked squash soup special (which she proclaimed I must have the next time it’s on the menu–consider that an in-the- know recommendation).

Next stop, DeansSweets, across the street. We sampled an in-the-testing-stage bacon truffle. Dean thinks it needs more smokiness, perhaps more salt. We agreed on the smokiness, not sure about the salt. Most of Dean’s truffles are not only nut free (actually all are nut free), but also gluten free, which allowed Kayt to buy some for a gluten-sensitive relative who always seems to miss out on the goodies.

Then we perused Rabelais‘ books, where I requested For all the Tea in China, by friend Sarah Rose and due out in March. It’s an industrial espionage story about tea (I kid you not). Should be a good read; watch for it.

Off to Two Cats: Me, a chocolate-chip cookie (of course); Kayt, a whoppie pie.

From there, we waddled off to Micucci‘s, where the line for Stephen’s pizza rivaled that for Duckfat’s fries. I stocked up on some necessities (prosciutto—is this the only place in the state that knows how to slice it?) and purchased some right-of-the-oven luna bread for each of us to take home (love that stuff).

Final tour stop: Homegrown Herb and Tea. I love this li’l place that’s so clearly without either a caffeine or sugar buzz. It exudes good karma. R.E.L.A.X., sip, enjoy, chill. And do order the kava kava January special made with lavendar and coconut milk and cocoa and too many other good tastes. Mmmmm. And home we went, me armed with Bresca blend tea and lavender shortbread and Kayt with a sniffle remedy for a Saturday bride with a red nose. Sarah can whip up a tea for any malady; I swear by her migraine tea.

New Year’s Eve X 2

Hilary Nangle
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Can’t get enough of that New Year’s Eve midnight joy? Experience it twice, in Eastport.

The first city in the U.S. to see the sun rise drops the ball, err make that sardine and maple leaf, twice, once each.

See, it’s like this. Eastport shares much history and culture with St. Andrews, NB, Canada, its neighbor across Passamaquddy Bay. St. Andrews is in the Atlantic time zone. So, at 11 pm Eastern time, which is midnight St. Andrews time, a giant maple leaf drops from the top floor of the downtown Tides Institute (okay, it’s only three stories, but it works). Then, one hour later, when it’s midnight eastern time, down comes the sardine, a symbol of the seaport’s heritage. New Year’s Eve in Eastport? Why not, it’s twice the fun.

Maine maple walnut pie

Hilary Nangle
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Since I’m in a baking frenzy, thought I’d share the recipe for Maine maple walnut pie. It’s delicious anytime, but it’s especially fun to make during maple season, perhaps with syrup acquired on Maine Maple Sunday Weekend.

Maine Maple Walnut Pie

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup  granulated sugar

1/2 cup  firmly packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup  butter, softened

3  eggs

1/2 cup  light cream

1/4 cup  Maine maple syrup

1/4 tsp  salt

1 cup  walnuts, broken into pieces

1 tsp  vanilla

9-inch  unbaked piecrust

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• In a saucepan, cream the granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter.

• Add the eggs and beat well.

• Add the cream, maple syrup and salt.

• Cook over low heat for five minutes, stirring constantly.

• Remove from the heat, and stir in the walnuts and vanilla.

• Pour into the pie crust, then bake for one hour.

Serve this topped with real whipped cream or ice cream (preferably Maine-made, such as Gifford’s).

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