Category: General News

Plate magazine interviewed Portland Hunt & Alpine Club chef Stan Dzengelewski for an article about charcuterie boards.

For inspiration, he draws on his experiences cooking with his family and with other chefs. “For example, I use a lot of fish sauce in meat dishes,” he says. “This comes from both my background in Asian cuisines and my Italian grandmother using things like anchovies to enhance a braised lamb or pork. A little goes a long way, and if you’re doing it right, people notice the deep umami without knowing where it’s coming from. Also, if you can find good miso, it works in nearly everything.”

The Bangor Daily News has published an article about the USM Food Studies program.

“If we’re thinking about the food system as not just the food on our plate but what goes into the food on our plate, we have all sorts of questions that we need to ask,” said Kristin Reynolds, visiting professor of food studies at USM. “The strength of this interdisciplinary approach enables us to really look deeply into the whole of the system rather than taking just one part.”

Fyood Kitchen has succeeded in meeting their $16.1k goal on Kickstarter with time to spare.

Fyood Kitchen operates a “cooking competition that challenges teams to transform mystery ingredients into creative dishes without recipes” at Fork Food Lab.

the Press Herald Maine chefs traveling this winterhas published an article about to gather new ideas for their restaurants.

The trips satisfy more than just a chef’s appetite for good food, although simply eating a variety of dishes is always a major goal. They also benefit customers because chefs return home filled with new ideas for expanding their menus and ways to make their food more authentic.

Whether it’s as simple as a new coat of paint or a more in depth kitchen remodel, the slower months at the start of the year are when some restaurant temporarily close to do renovations that set them up well for the rest of the year.

Here are a few we’ve heard of:

Local 188 – closed for a few days in early January to remodel and reconfigure their open kitchen.

David’s – closed earlier this month and expects to reopen in February. The renovations will include “hand-forged artisan iron work, decorative etched stainless steel, reclaimed wood, new lighting and a refreshed open view into the kitchen”

Caiola’s – the new owners plan to close February 19 to renovate the dining room and kitchen in the 11-year old restaurant. During their final weeks they will “bringing back some of the Caiola’s favorites that you have known from over the years. Come and say good-by with some familiar flavors.”

Evo – plans to close January 29 through February 2 to improve their ventilation system.

Artemisia Cafe – is nearly finished with renovations to their kitchen that began in December and expect to reopen very soon.

Fyood Kitchen has launched a $16,000 Kickstarter campaign to help grow their community cooking competition program.

Today’s Press Herald includes a feature story about Maine food trucks that are making the transition into a traditional restaurant or adding a brick and mortar venue to their business plans.

So it was a no-brainer that when he and his wife, Jenna Friedman, decided to open a food truck in Portland, they settled on serving Middle Eastern food. CN Shawarma, which advertised its food as “Arabian BBQ on wheels” when it debuted in June 2014, proved so popular that the developers building the new apartment complex at the corner of Anderson and Fox streets in East Bayside approached the couple and asked if they would be interested in opening a restaurant in the building.

The Food & Dining section also reports on Maine native Amber St. Peter who has a career as a vegan food writer from her home base in LA..

Fettle Vegan is now known for both, as well as being on-trend in terms of both ingredients (think jackfruit, cauliflower and chickpeas) and dishes (fig + almond chia oat pudding; San Pedro style fish-less market tray; and shredded kale and Brussels sprouts salad).