Sweet potato sandwich pops with flavor March 26, 2018 by Cheryl Wixson on Columnists, Food, Lifestyle, Maine Dish The March issue of Bon Appetit magazine features several pages that are devoted to how to build a finely crafted sandwich. It’s the architecture that makes it sing … the balance of flavors and textures. If seeing is a prelude to eating, the photographs of Green Goddess Tuna Salad, an open-faced Scandinavian smorrebrod and Fried …
Sweet on sweet potato muffins March 12, 2018 by Cheryl Wixson on Columnists, Lifestyle, Maine Dish, Recipes I have an affinity for freshly baked muffins. At the very inkling of dawn, I love to turn on the oven, assemble ingredients and mix up a batch. The kind of muffin varies, and is highly dependent upon the ingredients on hand. Frozen wild blueberries or raspberries are family favorites, along with chopped apple, pumpkin …
Bologna’s pride: Bolognese sauce February 12, 2018 by Cheryl Wixson on Columnists, Food, Lifestyle, Maine Dish Every cuisine has its signature sauce, and the staple of northern Italy’s Bologna is a thick, full-bodied meat sauce. Ragu, as the Bolognese call their celebrated sauce, is characterized by a mellow, gentle, comfortable flavor that marries gastronomically well with a broad noodle slightly wider than fettuccine known as tagliatelle. In her book “Essentials of …
On Super Bowl Sunday, dip into blueberry sauce, salsa January 22, 2018 by Cheryl Wixson on Columnists, Food, Lifestyle, Maine Dish Maine wild blueberries are a superfood, and our family enjoys more than 100 pounds of these tiny, intensely flavored, berries every year. Packed with antioxidants, this blue food relieves the body from the oxidative stress of free radicals. And wild blueberries may be one the best foods for protecting our brains as we age. When …
Spicy noodle salad tasty enough for multiple meals January 7, 2018 by Cheryl Wixson on Columnists, Food, Lifestyle, Maine Dish In the depths of winter when we just don’t feel much like cooking, our household eating strategy is quite simple: Cook once. Eat twice! When the inspiration to cook a meal strikes, I’m sure to prepare enough ingredients (cook once), to become the star of another meal, (eat twice). Roasted root veggies from supper become …
Culinary comfort in a bowl December 25, 2017 by Cheryl Wixson on Columnists, Food, Lifestyle, Maine Dish A whirlwind visit to Hong Kong and the rush of the holidays had me yearning for the comforts of food. It had to be soup: simple, hot, fragrant, bone-building, spicy and creamy …. a cup that restoreth the culinary soul. For a while I ate turkey stock boiled with thin slices of carrots and laced …
Feast on sea scallops in Mornay sauce December 11, 2017 by Cheryl Wixson on Columnists, Food, Lifestyle, Maine Dish There are dozens of delicious scallop casserole recipes, but baked scallops in Mornay sauce is a family favorite. Perfect for entertaining, this dish can be assembled as early as a day in advance, and then cooked right before serving. For an elegant supper, I like to bake and serve the casserole in individual dishes, even …
Norway’s Crocker family still concocting plum puddings November 27, 2017 by Cheryl Wixson on Columnists, Food, Lifestyle, Maine Dish Every family has its culinary Christmas traditions; the classic chocolate roll cake buche de Noel, warm and fragrant mulled wine, spiced pfeffernusse cookies, crunchy, sweet baklava and savory Swedish meatballs. Often passed down from generations, these treasured recipes are a glimpse into the traditions or cultural role that food plays in our lives. Food historians …
See ya pizza, this dough is for calzones November 13, 2017 by Cheryl Wixson on Columnists, Food, Lifestyle, Maine Dish Since the “hurricane storm,” calzones, a stuffed, half-moon shaped pie, have become a regular menu item in our house. The dough, really just pizza dough, can be purchased at most markets in the frozen food section. The fillings, things like savory sausages, ground meats, spicy robust sauces, cheeses and fresh chopped veggies, are easily adapted …
Draw warmth from lobster corn chowder October 31, 2017 by Cheryl Wixson on Columnists, Food, Lifestyle, Maine Dish There’s nothing like a driving rain and gale force winds to whet one’s appetite for a hot chowder. Just imagine the comfort of wrapping your hand around a warm mug and inhaling the earthy, steamy aroma of the broth. With your spoon, slowly savor the creamy taste on your tongue, gently chew the perfectly cooked …
