Maine at Work: Sugarhouse

For the new installment of Maine at Work, Press Herald reporter Ray Routhier writes about working at a sugarhouse in Newfield, Maine.

As Debra fired up a large oil-powered evaporator (the boiler, in common sugarhouse parlance), her husband began to explain all its parts and how it works in much more detail than I can relate. Basically, the giant stainless-steel contraption had sap flowing first into a preheating area, then into a “flue pan” area, then into the finishing area before it is ready for packaging.

Maine Maple Sunday is taking place this coming weekend. It’s a chance to visit a sugarhouse in your area and see how they turn maple sap into maple syrup.

John Palanza, 89

South Portland baker and business owner John Palanza passed away last week. Palanza owned the Uncle Andy’s Bakery in South Portland for 45 years, from 1951 to 1996.

In the late 1940s, Mr. Palanza was hired by Fred Nanney, the original owner of Uncle Andy’s, to run the doughnut shop. In 1951, Mr. Palanza acquired Uncle Andy’s, growing it from a doughnut shop to a full-service bakery.

For more than 40 years, he produced breads, cakes, pies, doughnuts and assorted pastries for hundreds of loyal customers, many of whom would wait in line outside the bakery on busy weekend mornings and on holidays. The police department assigned a traffic cop to direct traffic past the shop during its busy times.

This Week’s Events: JBF Nominee’s, Wine Dinners & Events, Flavors of Freeport, Maine Maple Sunday

Monday — The final nominees for this year’s James Beard Awards will be announced today. 8 Maine-based semi-finalists were announced back in February. A wine charity event to benefit the Cancer Community Center is taking place at Grace and BiBo’s is hosting a wine dinner.

TuesdayBlue is holding their monthly wine and cheese event and The Salt Exchange is serving a 6-course Italian wine dinner.

Wednesday — the 6th Annual Dine Around the World is taking place at the Holiday Inn by the Bay.

ThursdayAurora Provisions is holding a wine tasting.

Friday — the 7th Annual Celesoiree is being held at The Portland Company on Fore Street, and it’s the opening day of the Flavors of Freeport food festival.

Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Irish Heritage Center, Wine Wise is teaching a class on Big Red wines at The Wine Bar, and the Flavors of Freeport festival continues. Whicked Whoopies will be assembling the World’s Biggest Whoopie Pie at the Maine Mall and in the afternoon there will be a wine tasting at the Rosemont Market on Congress Street.

SundayMaine Maple Sunday is taking place at sugar houses all throughout the state, and it is the last day of Flavors of Freeport.

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.

Gifford’s Ice Cream

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram included a profiles of the company and the Gifford family.

Roughly 30 years ago, Randall Gifford left the fate of his Skowhegan dairy in the hands of two of his sons, Roger and John.

They had a choice to make: Continue the dairy business, or sell their father’s company and switch to making ice cream.

It was a big decision — at the time, Gifford’s dairy was one of the largest in Maine.

Food History: 1925

A pair of vintage photos of Chinese immigrant waiters taking an “Americanization Class” have recently been added to the Maine Memory Network website. The men all worked at either the Empire and the Oriental in Portland. The Empire stood on the corner of Forest Ave and Congress Street where Empire Dine and Dance is today. The Oriental was located at 28 Monument Square in the spot that now houses the Public Market House.

Anania’s Italian

From Away has continued his vertical tasting of Maine Ham Italian sandwiches with a visit to Anania’s.

I wasn’t expect anything beyond your standard-issue Maine-style Italian sandwich, but instead, was pleasantly surprised by one of the best Italians I have yet tried. The careful balance of ingredients keeps there from being an overwhelming “raw vegetable” flavor all-too-common in this type of sandwich, and the chewy bread and surprisingly creamy and flavorful cheese will stay in my mind for a long time.

For comparison see the comprehensive list of the prior From Away Italian sandwich reviews.

Review of Pai Men Miyake

The Golden Dish has published a review of Pai Men Miyake.

Among the many starters the squash dumplings are my favorite. They seem to float like fluffy cumulous puffs with staying power–as delicate as the best type of gnocchi but loaded with flavor.  They’re cloaked with rinkosan vinegar, brown butter, and cauliflower lending an otherworldly aftertaste that remains with you quite delightfully.

Young Food Writers Competition

Today’s Press Herald includes an article about the Slow Food Portland’s Young Food Writers Competition.

Zoe Popovic, a fourth grader at Congin School in Westbrook, won the grand prize in the Grades 3 to 5 category by writing about how she can tell the seasons by what shows up in her lunchbox every day. Her family has been a member of a CSA since she first started walking. The 9-year-old’s mother, Paula Sobierajski, loads up her daughter’s lunch box every day with local foods they buy from Wolf Pine Farm in Alfred.

The full text of all three winners are online.