Does your family enjoy hummus, the Middle East spread or dip traditionally prepared with mashed chickpeas, lemon, garlic and sesame seeds or oil? Our tribe has always consumed vast quantities of the addictive mixture, often on toasted pita wedges or chips, or as a dip for crunchy, garden vegetables. Food historians have multiple theories about …
Popsicles are a frozen treat enjoyed by all ages. Unlike ice cream, where air is incorporated into the product while churning the mix during the freezing process, frozen ice pops, or “popsicles,” are a liquid that is “quiescently” frozen or frozen while at rest. The popsicle we enjoy today was invented in 1905 by an …
Now that summer is officially here, I’ve been hankering for a good bowl of corn chowder; thick, creamy, sweet and rich, flecked with fresh herbs, plump kernels of yellow corn and soft pillows of perfectly cubed potatoes. Chowder isn’t often something that one thinks of as a summer food, but when the fog rolls in, …
Of all the world’s vegetables, asparagus are probably the most prized and elegant. Food historians date this perennial plant’s young shoots, which appear in the first warm and wet days of spring, as early as 3000 B.C. in Egypt. By 1469, asparagus were cultivated in French monasteries and greenhouses and enjoyed by the upper classes …
Here in Maine state waters, the halibut season runs this year from May 18 until June 13. Recreational fishermen may harvest five halibut per boat per season, whereas commercial fishing vessels may land a maximum of 25 halibut per year.
Of all the herbaceous perennials that have accompanied my household every time I’ve moved, the rhubarb plant is the oldest. A member of the buckwheat family, the first rhubarb cultivar traveled to New England via European settlers. The plant was cultivated in Asiatic countries for many centuries before being introduced to Europe in about 1600. …
Fried rice is a meal-in-a-bowl; typically a dish of cold cooked rice that is stir-fried with a mélange of colorful diced vegetables and often meat. A deeply satisfying bowlful, fried rice can be eaten as a snack, as street food, or as a glamorous addition to a banquet-style meal. The perfect foil for leftovers, fried rice adapts to a wide variety of tastes and textures.
To make ideal chowder, you need to follow a few simple steps, as texture, taste and mouth feel are equally important.
“Maine Dish” chef Cheryl Wixson devised an almond biscotti recipe after searching for a gluten-free treat. She also had an abundance of slivered almonds to use.
Sadly, aside from Peter Rabbit, the rest of my family is really not completely in love with cabbage. Sometimes called the workhorse of the winter kitchen; cabbage is one of the few green vegetables that can be stored from harvest in the fall until spring in my root cellar. The first cabbages were brought to …
By Cheryl Wixson When my Meyer’s lemon tree, heavy with fruit, started falling over and out of the pot, I knew it was time to harvest. With the daylight hours growing longer, the spindly branches were practically growing out the window, and new flower buds starting to form. This “tree,” at least 10 years old, …
Last week, my culinary students at Deer Isle-Stonington High School prepared and served a harvest lunch for their 120 classmates and staff. It was a heroic effort that involved the whole school and spanned over two weeks of preparation. Students roasted five Maine-raised turkeys, picking the meat off the bones, making stock and preparing gravy. …
