Help for Haiti

Several Portland restaurants are raising money for the relief efforts in Haiti.

Indoor Winter Farmers’ Market Coming to Portland

Today’s Press Herald reports on a new indoor Winter Farmers’ Market for Portland. According to the article, it’s scheduled to open on February 13 it will be located at 85 Free Street and will take place on Saturdays 10 am to 1 pm.

…it won’t be bound by city restrictions that prevent vendors such as bread bakers and fishermen from selling at the summer markets in Monument Square and Deering Oaks, said Larry Bruns, who coordinates the Portland Farmers Market.

“It’s going to be a very different market from what Portland’s used to,” said Dean Zoulamis, who runs the Mother Oven Bakery in Bowdoinham and is part of the group that’s organizing the Free Street market. “This will be a much more diverse market.”

This Week’s Events

Last week’s famine of food events has turned into a 13 item feast this week:

Tuesday B. Nektar Meadery is at Novare Res for a tasting, Churchill Catered Events is teaching an Italian cooking class, wine dinners are taking place at Bar Lola and Walter’s.

Wednesday — Black Tie Bistro is teaching a cooking class and Black Cherry Provisions is providing a class on wine and food pairings for Indian cuisine, spicy foods, bloomy cheese and smoked meats.

Thursday Kitchen and Cork is holding a wine tasting and there will be a wine dinner at the Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth.

Friday BiBo’s Madd Apple Cafe is holding a wine dinner.

Saturday — Wolf Neck Farm is hosting an apple preservation workshop, Vignola’s 4th Annual Beer & Cheese Tasting is taking place, pick-up for the Port Clyde Fresh Catch Maine shrimp CSF is at El Rayo in the afternoon and the 3rd performance of the Dual Site psychogeographic dinner theater is Saturday night.

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.

This Week's Events

Few as they are, here is a list of events taking place this week:
Tuesday — The 69th Annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show is taking place Tuesday through Thursday at the Augusta Civic Center.
Wednesday RSVP is holding a wine tasting.
Saturday — the Scarborough Wine Outlet is holding a wine tasting.
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.

Immigrant Food System Knowledge

The Portland Daily Sun has a report on a United Way program taking place on Friday to educate immigrants about “avoiding unhealthy foods, how-to’s on using kitchen appliances and even an explanation on following a recipe

The 90-minute forums will be held at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at United Way headquarters at 400 Congress St. The morning session will focus on adult nutrition while the afternoon session will center around adolescent and teenage nutrition. Both events are free and open to the public.

Theater/Food Collaborations

There’s a report in this week’s Portland Phoenix about the Of Farms and Fables collaborative effort between farmers and theater to “foster a civic conversation about local agriculture, farming, and the future of small family farms in Maine.”

Over 12 weeks starting in May, Open Waters will bring three artists to three Maine farms — Wm. H. Jordan Farm of Cape Elizabeth, Broadturn Farm of Scarborough, and Benson Farm of Gorham — for residencies that will engage artists in farm work and farm workers in acting and storytelling. The cultural exchange will culminate in the summer of 2011 with an outdoor performance by both theater artists and farm workers, which will draw its audience into a conversation about our land, agriculture and food, those so basic and so sublime elements of how we live.

For those of you looking for a food/theater fix now check out this month’s “psychogeographic dinner theater” taking place at The Whitney Art Works.

Anthony Bourdain at J’s and Street & Co.

According to a Press Herald news update, Anthony Bourdain was in town on Saturday. His Portland eating itinerary included J’s Oyster Bar (see photo) and Street & Co.

[J’s bartender Sandy] D’Alfonso said Bourdain sampled the restaurant’s steamed clams, oysters and mussels. Bourdain’s crew “interviewed him, and he had someone with him who lived in the area,” D’Alfonso said. “They interviewed a couple of the people that work here. He had a good visit as far as I could tell.”

Bourdain’s camera “crew told the staff at J’s that the Portland episode [of the TV show] would be on in April”.

For a first-hand account you can listen in to the Dining With the Duleys radio show on WMPG on Tuesday night at 7:30.

This Week's Events

WednesdayBlack Tie Bistro is teaching a cooking class.
Thursday—Sea Glass Restaurant is holding a 5-course dinner featuring wines from the Cellardoor Winery.
Friday opening night of the Dual Site “psychogeographic dinner theater” taking place at Whitney Art Works.
SaturdayLeroux Kitchen is holding a wine tasting, the next pick-up for the winter farmers’ market will be in Deering Oaks Park, and there’s a Jam Workshop taking place at Wolfe Neck Farm.
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.