Maple Sugar

| Posted in Farming

Poor weather conditions the past couple years have constrained supply of maple syrup. Maine syrup producers are adding capacity in anticipation of this year’s season in hopes of capitalizing on the market conditions, according to an article in today Maine Sunday Telegram.

“The largely mom-and-pop operations don’t tap sugar maples until the sap starts to flow, usually around the third week of February.

But this year, maple syrup fever is raging across the state thanks to a shortage of the sweet amber liquid. This January, prices have soared and syrup makers are racing to increase production, laying new sap lines and preparing to tap more trees than ever before.”

Maine Maple Sunday is taking place on March 22nd this year.

Beer, Food & Tuscany

| Posted in Events

BeerBloggers.com has posted details on the 12 Stouts After Christmas menu that will be on tap at Novare Res starting this Monday. Later in the month on January 25 Novare Res is joining forces with  Rob Evans at Hugo’s on a beer dinner ($95 per person) at the Middle Street restaurant.
This Spring, Chef Evans along with colleagues from Texas and Arizona, are hosting a culinary vacation in Tuscany ($2149 per person). Travellers will “stay at one of two elegant villas on a 1000 acre Tuscan estate” and “Join Three Great American Chefs as they introduce you to the Culinary Wonders of Tuscany.”

Eat the View Update

| Posted in General News

Today’s Press Herald has an update on Roger Doiron’s campaign to get the next administration to plant a vegetable garden on the White House lawn.

“I like to think of the White House as America’s house,” Doiron said in a telephone interview Wednesday, “and I think it should have a vegetable garden. … One of the first things John Adams, the first president to live in the White House, did was to plant a vegetable garden.”