Have you been missing Maine shrimp on the menu at your favorite restaurants? Here’s why:
But it’s turned out to be an even bigger bust than anybody anticipated. The shrimp catch has been meager, resulting in a short supply for processors and higher prices for consumers. The season is on course for the smallest harvest in more than 30 years, and possibly since 1978 when the fishery was shut down altogether.
Today’s Press Herald explore the science and personal opinions on how styrofoam cups impact the flavor of coffee,
Coffee tastes better in a Styrofoam cup. Really?
Really, say some folks concerned about Portland’s proposed ban on Styrofoam containers. But is it a fact these folks can prove? Or is it all in their heads? The answer, according to a trio of scientists with lots of initials after their names, is yes — and yes.
Food writer Meredith Goad was has filed a report from the MRW Signature Event,
Matt and Jackie Schumacher of Yarmouth had fun trying the dessert, but said their favorite entry was the beignets from David’s Opus Ten. They weren’t the only ones raving about the beignets. The fried sweet treats, served with peppered strawberry, won the People’s Choice award for desserts for the evening. Chef Bo Byrne of David’s Opus Ten said he was “absolutely floored.”
and the Marrine Stewardship Council has certified the Maine lobster industry as sustainable.
The state’s lobster fishery got the international Marine Stewardship Council’s Sustainable Seafood Certification. That distinction, which recognizes ecologically sound practices from the harvest to the consumer, will help in the marketing and tracking of Maine lobster, according to the state Department of Marine Resources.
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes articles on the Maine maple syrup and dairy industries, as well as an article on how changes in acidity and water temperature are affecting Maine fisheries.
Today’s Press Herald includes a survey of chefs and food writers about standout dishes from the past year,
This week, in honor of Maine Restaurant Week, I asked local chefs, food writers and food bloggers to name the best dish they’ve had in a Maine restaurant over the past year.
Some of them couldn’t resist waxing poetic about an entire meal. Others cheated a little and named two dishes.
an article about the 2013 lobster market,
With last year’s glut of lobsters and plummeting prices still a vivid memory, Maine lobstermen are hatching strategies to cultivate new markets and more customers for the state’s leading fishery.
and a report on plans (or lack thereof) for the South Portland farmers market.
The South Portland farmers market, which was established in 2011, is without a home for the upcoming summer season, according to its manager.
The annual Food Issue of Maine magazine arrived in subscriber’s mailboxes yesterday. Inside you’ll find:
Taking his cue from this week’s feature article on New England groundfishing, Portland Phoenix restaurant critic Brian Duff has sampled fish dishes at Three Buoys, Taqueria Tequila, Old Port Sea Grill and Taco Escobarr.
At Taco Escobarr they give seasoned pieces of firm pollock a very light fry. A white sauce adds just a touch of tang, some slaw lends a bit of sour, and thin slices of radish give some bitterness. At three for $10 they run a bit more money, but you get them on house-made corn tortillas — which have good flavor but could use a touch more sear on the grill.
Working Waterfront has published an article about the short Maine Shrimp season.
The move to cut the shrimping season wasn’t a surprise. The previous shrimping season was cut short after just a few weeks, and summer surveys showed that the Northern shrimp population is in trouble. The survey found that shrimp were small in size in general and that two year-classes were absent, said Michael Waine, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator with the commission. The results were surprising, even for a fishery known for boom and bust cycles.
“We’ve had similar situations, but we haven’t had two absent year-classes in a row,” Waine said.
This week’s Portland Phoenix includes an article about Port Clyde Fresh Catch and Salt & Sea, the state’s 2 Community Supported Fisheries.
To boost the stocks of endangered fish, instead consume Maine’s underutilized ones, perhaps by joining a community-supported fishery, or CSF. It’s the same concept as community-supported agriculture, where members pay farmers a lump sum in advance for weekly baskets of vegetables. Port Clyde Fresh Catch launched the country’s first CSF, a shot in the arm for Maine’s last ground-fish fleet between Portland and Canada.
The Food & Wine section in today’s Press Herald includes an article about Maine dayboat scallops.
Sea scallops are so delicious, Brawn and other scallop experts say, that fishermen always claim they are best eaten raw, right on the boat.
“When you have a really, really fresh scallop, it has an ocean flavor,” Brawn said. “When it’s raw, it has a really good texture, and it doesn’t have a fishy flavor at all. Scallops in general, relative to other seafood, are mild, but Maine scallops particularly are very mild. It’s almost a shame to cook them because they’re so good raw.”
MPBN has aired a piece on the Maine diver scallop fishery and the new harvesting rules being put in place.
It may be that lobster is Maine’s most popular seafood. But there are those who, if forced to choose, would opt instead for the Maine scallop – and more specifically, the diver-harvested scallop. But these delicacies have been under increasing pressure, and landings have been at historic lows in recent years. This week, scallop season opened under a new management system, which sets out a 10-year time-frame designed to restore this highly-valuable fishery.