A book makes an ideal gift when you can match the right title to a recipient’s personality. A book is more than just a good read; it’s an entry into another world. The right book may ignite a new passion, whether that’s a newfound love of cooking or a desire to create a cure. Or, it may provide a much-needed escape into a world of mystery or romance. As always, while you may purchase these books available online, I’d love it if possible if you’d buy at or order through your local independent bookstore. By the way, I’ll be chatting with each of the authors for more detailed posts later.
By the way, I’ll be chatting with each of the author’s for more detailed posts later.
Wild! Weird! Wonderful! Maine
Earl Brechlin’s book delivers on its name. I not-so-modestly think it’s the perfect companion to one of my Maine guidebooks. Brechlin takes you deeper into a destination, calling out its unique wonders, quirky characters, and funky occurrences. For example, betcha didn’t know that the Devil (and his dog?) left tracks in the snow near Milo. Or, how Cowshit Corner in Newcastle got its name. Or that a pair of oxen from Stetson was declared the world’s largest back in the early 1900s. Guinness record holders, famous people with Maine connections, geological wonders, and intriguing history contribute to this fun read. I guarantee you’ll smile, heckle, snort, and learn some interesting trivia to share at your next social function. Oh, and with this book, a copy of Moon Maine, and a Maine Atlas and Gazetteer, you’re good to go anywhere in Maine. (Earl Brechlin: Wild! Weird Wonderful! Maine, Islandport Press, 2020)
Lobster: 75 Recipes Celebrating the World’s Favorite Seafood
Bet I got your attention with the word lobster. If you’ve only had it boiled or steamed, welcome to a world of recipes that go far beyond the traditional preparations. Author Dana Moos wears many hats: real-estate broker, author, chef, former innkeeper. She also has a few titles to her name. These include the 2018 Maine Lobster Chef of the Year People’s Choice award and two blue ribbons from the 2018 Boothbay Harbor Claw Down competition. She won both the judge’s and people’s choice awards for Best Lobster Bite. Last summer, I enjoyed (understatement, OMG! they’re divine!) her lobster-topped wontons (called lobster wonton nachos on the menu). They’re on the menu at 727 Ocean Sunset Bar in the newly renovated and reopened Smuggler’s Cove Inn in East Boothbay. Now that I have the recipe, I can replicate these addictive bites. In the book, recipes are divided into chapters titled Starters and Small Bites; Dips and Spreads; Soups and Salads; Sandwiches and Handhelds; Tacos; Maine Courses; Lobster—It’s What’s for Breakfast; and Bloody Marys. The photos alone will have you wanting to make each dish. (Dana Moos: Lobster: 75 Recipes Celebrating the World’s Favorite Seafood, Down East Books,2021)
The Tiny Kitchen Cookbook: Strategies and Recipes for Creating Amazing Meals in Small Spaces
Annie Mahle earned renown for her skill at creating delicious meals, mostly from home-grown or local ingredients, on a wood stove in the tiny galley of the Maine windjammer Schooner Riggin. She’s appeared regularly on Maine TV shows, authored three other cookbooks (here are recipes from At Home At Sea), and appeared on this site. In this book, she explains how you, too, can create magic in the tiniest kitchen, even one without an oven. Any home cook will benefit from her wisdom, from transforming leftovers, learning how to substitute ingredients, and tips for planning and organizing. And all that comes before the recipes. Buttermilk fried chicken salad with apples and blue cheese? Yes, please! Pan-seared eggplant and kisir with walnut fig yogurt? Mmmmm! And I especially love her chapter titled Stovetop One-Pan Wonders because, really, who likes to do dishes? Here she shares tips and recipes on preparing one-pan pasta and other dishes. (Annie Mahle: The Tiny Kitchen Cookbook: Strategies and Recipes for Creating Amazing Meals in Small Spaces, Storey, 2021)
