Category: General News

Food photographer Stacey Cramp has posted an entry on her blog about mushroom foraging,

This isn’t to say that you should go about foraging without a care in the world. If you’re thinking about mushroom hunting get several books (I find it useful to consult a variety of guides as the information and pictures they provide vary), study specimens carefully before even thinking about eating them and seek someone with mushrooming experience to take you on a guided walk. As Marley says, “Nothing can boost confidence better than seeing a mushroom in the hands of a knowledgeable person.” Starting with one or two easy-to-identify varieties is a good idea and then, if you like, you can try to expand your list each year.

MPBN aired a news segment today that warns about the risks of eating wild mushrooms without adequate training to identify those that are safe to eat,

The damp weather in recent weeks has led to a bumper crop of wild mushrooms. They’re sprouting everywhere from remote woods to the side of soccer fields. And for recreational foragers the temptation to pick from the bounty is overwhelming. But Maine public health officials say amateur pickers are taking a serious risk.

and the Urban Farm Fermentory has posted some photos from their recent guided mushroom walk in Gorham.

According to a report in the Bangor Daily News, the Portland City Council’s Health and Recreation Committee met earlier this week to consider a change to the Farmers Market ordinance to allow hard cider to be sold. While not on the agenda the discussion also considered whether to allow raw milk to be sold at the market.

On Tuesday, the committee was slated to discuss adding hard cider to the list of products that can be sold at the farmers market. The proposed change comes in part in response to the recent passage of a state law that allows permitted farm winery operations to sell certain alcoholic beverages at farmers markets statewide.

David Buchanan attended the meeting and told the committee he plans to team with Eli Cayer of Urban Farm Fermentory to sell hard ciders at the farmers market and he thinks the allowance of the alcoholic product could be a further boon for the market.

For additional commentary and reporting see articles from in the Portland Daily Sun and from The Golden Dish.

Today’s Portland Daily Sun provides some advice on bringing children to restaurants.

Generally, if there is mac and cheese listed (the kind without lobster and truffles) or any variation of deep-fried Twinkies, the place tolerates toddlers and stoned college students. If you can’t pronounce the majority of the gilded menu, Open Table it someplace else.

According to a report from The Forecaster, chef/owner Krista Kern Desjarlais will be adding lunch service at Bresca starting later in October.

Bresca Day will be European in style, open from late morning to mid-afternoon with fresh pastries, salads and local seasonal fare, she said Monday. Customers will be able to take the food to go or sit in with their children and friends. Coffee and espresso drinks will be provided by Matt’s Coffee of Pownal.

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram reports on the recent social media impersonation of Harding Lee Smith on Facebook and Twitter.

When Portland chef Harding Lee Smith appeared to send a Twitter message to Zapoteca restaurant calling the eatery “disgusting,” “gross” and other things that can’t be printed here, the restaurant’s owners had reason to be puzzled.

And so did Smith.

Turns out, Smith wasn’t the one tweeting from the @HardingLeeSmith account or posting on a similar Facebook page set up under his name.

The October issue of Maine magazine includes:

• an article about Zapoteca, “Although there are as many opinions as there are styles when it comes to outstanding Mexican cuisine, anyone would agree that Zapoteca’s creative menu and superlative tequila selection are a long overdue addition to Portland’s ever-growing dining scene.””
• profiles of three Maine coffee roasters: 44 North, Rooster Brother, and Matt’s
• an eating guide to South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough: The Cheese Iron, Aroma, 158, etc.

The articles aren’t online yet so you’ll need to find a paper copy at your local newsstand.

Bard Coffee is highlighted in the latest issue of Fortune magazine as one of of the most promising cult coffee brands in the nation.

City government is considering a change that would allow alcohol to be sold at the Farms Market.

Small-scale vintners, brewers and cider-makers would be allowed to sell their products at the Portland Farmer’s Market under a proposal before the city council’s Health and Recreation subcommittee today.

As drafted, the plan would amend the city’s Farmer’s Market rules to allow sale of fermented beverages such as beer, wine and hard ciders as long as the seller held a state license and met conditions to sell at the city’s farmer’s market.

Buy Local has published the list of nominees for the 2011 Indie Biz Awards. The nominees include: Local Sprouts, El Rayo, Local 188, Silly’s, Rosemont, Dobra Tea, the Portland Farmers Market, Sebago Brewing, Dean’s Sweets, Y-Lime Cupcakes, Coffee by Design, Allagash, The Honey Exchange, and Micucci’s.

Voting is now open, and the awards presentation is scheduled to take place October 18.