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Monthly Archives: January 2008

The Portland Food Map

19-Jan-08

I was alerted to this a while back: The Portland Food Map provides a great way to visualize a lot, and I mean a lot, of food resources here in Maine’s largest city. Among other things, the list of ethnic markets alone is worth the visit. I had no idea there were […]

The Kindness of Strangers

15-Jan-08

On days like today, I feel a little bit like Blanche DuBois in Streetcar Named Desire. Say it with me, kids, full of languorous summer heat and a slow Southern drawl:
Ah’ve always depaynded upon the kaindness… of strayngers.
My little VW Golf is a great city car, in the summer. I can haul most […]

Brunch at the Farm, with Carrot Muffins

08-Jan-08

Sunday was warmer, but still grey. The farmer invited us to come have brunch with him. On the menu: spinach fritatta, little pancakes made in a biscuit pan, and carrot muffins I’d whipped up that morning. And coffee, of course, strong and sweet.
We wrapped ourselves up in blankets and discussed exotic fruits, […]

Roasted Garlic White Bean Dip

07-Jan-08

We went to a potluck and clothing swap hosted by our downstairs neighbors. What lovely people, what a wonderful time! The highlight for me was finding a good home for some of my old “dress-up” clothes, stuff that I used to wear out clubbing. We don’t really go clubbing anymore.
I’d whipped up […]

Friday Recipe Roundup: Alton Brown Edition

04-Jan-08

Via Slashfood comes some great news today: Alton Brown has signed on for another three years with Food Network. This is great news! His simple, classic approach to food has made cooking good food from real ingredients a reality for me. I hope we have his quirky, blonde brand of cooking […]

Simplest Chicken Soup

03-Jan-08

Everyone knows how to make chicken soup, right?
Wrong, wrong, wrong. If everyone knew how easy this was, why on earth would there be cans of salt lining grocery shelves, passing themselves off as “chicken soup?” No thanks.
I used the dark meat leftovers from Sunday’s roast chicken. The legs and thighs were […]

Pumpkin-Maple Cookies for the New Year

02-Jan-08

We have now eaten all of the cookies, brownies, pecan toffees, butterscotch balls, chocolate Santas, and miniature candy canes in the house. The holidays are officially over, and I’m going through sugar withdrawal.
We had most of a can of pumpkin puree in the fridge, left over from eggless muffins. Because I was […]

Six Ways to Gain Confidence in the Kitchen

01-Jan-08

Happy new year!
A friend of mine told me that in 2008, he would like to be more confident in the kitchen. He’s been considering taking a cooking class to help. Not a bad idea, really.
But here’s the problem: it depends on the class. Many cooking classes I’ve read descriptions for only […]