"maine" news and stories

Maine's official state dessert is up for debate -- and it's turning into a war of health vs. nostalgia. The legislature is close to passing a bill, L.D. 71, that would give the crown to the whoopie pie, a dessert that has a storied history in the state, reports the Kennebec Journal. But local nutritionists say the crown should go to wild blueberry pie, since the flavorful berries are abundant in the state -- and far healthier.

The Journal article reports that lawmakers don't want to be seen endorsing a high-fat treat. "At a time when 31.3 percent of Maine's children are considered overweight or obese, do we want to glorify a dessert that lists lard as its primary ingredient?" asked Rep. Donald Pilon.

• More snow coming this week! Hunker down with some homemade soup.
• Even in the dead of winter, wild shrimp is always in season up in Maine.
• This Mainer isn't taking trans fats lying down. No, she's started a revOILution.
• Got the sniffles? Have some chicken soup...and ginger...and garlic...

Farmer's market stand. Photo: NatalieMaynor, Flickr

• Farmers' Markets, excess produce and the thrills and regulations of selling prepared foods.
• After winning a recipe contest, two home cooks get a turn on the line in the restaurant kitchens of Portland chefs Sam Hayward and Jeff Landry.
• The French may have rejected Malbec, but it's doing good business in Argentina.
• The joys of picky young eaters and standing your ground at the dinner table.
• A rundown of the "Perfect Scent Dinner," where foodies get sniffy and try to name the foods they're smelling.
• HP Hood is sponsoring an inaugural New England Dairy Cook-Off in Portland this Nov. 1.
• Recipes: Pancetta & Red Pepper Penne, Broccoli, Ricotta Salata with Fusilli, Braised Fennel, Onions, Goat Cheese with Farfalle, Creamy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe with Fettuccine, Fusilli with Mexican Corn-and-Tomato Sauce, Zucchini Custard.

Basket of cucumbers. Photo: La Grande Farmers' Market, Flickr

• When it's just too darned hot to cook, a cucumber dish can save the day.
• Wine retailers offer a dozen thirst-quenching vino suggestions, including a 2008 Star Tree Chardonnay.
• Maine's Migis Lodge offers cuisine that treads the line between elegant and casual.
• How to take a Mexican Bean and Rice Salad and lower its fat.
• We'll never be able to resist eating out now that restaurants have started tweeting about all their tasty fare on Twitter.
• Dispatches discovers a Chili Fest, an all-you-can-eat chocolate buffet, centennial farming and a shore dinner.

The Great Lost Bear celebrates their 30th anniversary this week. Photo: greatlostbear.com

A weekly look at the draft selection in beer-friendly bars across the country.

Last week, What's On Tap visited Portland, Ore., one of America's top craft beer cities. But there's another Portland on the opposite coast of the country that deserves recognition, in the great state of Maine. Despite a population that ranks 40th in the nation, the state manages to hold its own in the suds department, and is home to such well-known craft brewers as Allagash, Atlantic, Sea Dog and Shipyard.

Boasting more than 60 taps from more than 40 different brewers nationwide, perhaps the most recognizable brew-focused Portland watering hole is the Great Lost Bear. This week, on Sunday, June 28, the pub will be celebrating its 30th anniversary.

"We started adding micro brews in 1986. At that point we only had six beers on draft," says president and co-owner Dave Evans, explaining the transition to a focus on craft beers. The pub broke the 60 tap barrier about six months ago after adding some dedicated Allagash lines.

Evans insists that the Bear is more about having a great bar than about just having great beers. "We also have PBR in cans," he says. "We try to get every beer patron in the world, and we still sell more food than beer."