PPH: Apples, Evangeline and Permaculture

The Food  & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes an article about this year’s apple harvest,

“We have two orchards, and at the one in Manchester, which is near Augusta, we ended up with half a crop because of the frost when we were in full bloom,” said Marilyn Meyerhans, who owns the orchards with her husband, Steve. “But the rest of the crop is good. And then our Fairfield orchard, it’s a full crop but it’s coming so early that we’re picking like crazy about a week before we should be. But they’re ready.”

a report on the Apple, Swine and Wine menu taking place all this month at Evangeline,

“Since the apples are in microseasons all through September and October, and the pig has so many parts, it will give me the opportunity to do a new preparation every day,” Desjarlais said.

Look for shaved Liberty apple with peameal bacon and fennel.

and an interview with Lisa Fernandez and David Whitten on their permaculture backyard farm in Cape Elizabeth.

Tucked into a typical suburban neighborhood in Cape Elizabeth where lawns and flower beds dominate the landscape, Fernandes and her husband, David Whitten, have done away with their lawn and packed their third of an acre lot, just two houses from the South Portland line, with a growing backyard farm.

Maine Ahead: Chef Lee Skawinski and Simply Divine Brownies

The new issue of Maine Ahead includes an article about Simply Divine Brownies and an interview with Lee Skawinski, chef/owner of Cinque Terre and Vignola.

Cinque Terre was born from Skawinski’s friendship with a physician and gentleman farmer named Dan Kary. “Our business relationship started with conversations on what Kary can grow and what I would make with it,” Skawinski says. The synergy of agricultural and culinary abilities became the seeds of Cinque Terre.

Eric J. 'Rick' Hartglass, 64

The founder of Mister Bagel, Eric J. Hartglass, has passed away.

Rick started Mister Bagel in 1977 on Forest Avenue; this location was the first and original bagel shop in the state of Maine. Today there are 12 successful franchises that he was very proud of.

For additional information read the Passages profile that appeared in the Wednesday Press Herald.

Mr. Hartglass learned how to make bagels from the renowned Ess-a-Bagel, Inc. in New York, his birthplace. He took what he learned back to the bakery in Maine, attracting people from throughout the area with his bagels.

Eric J. ‘Rick’ Hartglass, 64

The founder of Mister Bagel, Eric J. Hartglass, has passed away.

Rick started Mister Bagel in 1977 on Forest Avenue; this location was the first and original bagel shop in the state of Maine. Today there are 12 successful franchises that he was very proud of.

For additional information read the Passages profile that appeared in the Wednesday Press Herald.

Mr. Hartglass learned how to make bagels from the renowned Ess-a-Bagel, Inc. in New York, his birthplace. He took what he learned back to the bakery in Maine, attracting people from throughout the area with his bagels.

John Dennison, The Interview

Tuesday’s Portland Daily Sun included an interview with John Dennison, a longtime member of the Portland food community and creator of Portland Cooks.

In 2004 Dennison began blogging about Portland food on the international culinary site eGullet,( http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/73102-eg-foodblog-johnnyd/) pushing Portland’s potential as a town on the edge of great culinary things. In some weeks, he did as many as 200 posts, informing the avid food community that reads eGullet about the seafood, local produce and hard-working chefs that Portland can rightly boast.

Food Writing Talent

Portland Phoenix restaurant critic Brian Duff recently met with some aspiring writers at the Telling Room’s Young Author camp.

I don’t know about them, but I learned some things. For example, if someone speaks past your snack time you can simply slump off your chair and lie listlessly on the floor and they will stop. I told them that the best way to write about food was to frame each review in some pseudo-profound malarkey that is both ridiculous and quite possibly true. They wanted to know if I had tried things they had tried. Mostly I had.