Are you looking for some new ideas to spruce up the cocktail hour over the holidays, when friends and family will be visiting?

Noted local chef Chris Sprague (author of "Chris Sprague's…

Patricia Moroz is an artist. She makes sculptures that delight people. Photos are taken of them, and people gush over them. Then they eat them.

Transport yourself to France at Boothbay Region Adult Ed on Monday, Dec. 8. Join Nathalie Gorey and learn…

When your kitchen and dining room come back to some semblance of order and the hundreds of plates, glasses, serving bowls, pots, pans, wooden spoons, whisks, glasses, coffee cups and silverware…

On Friday, Nov. 7, at the FARMS Community Kitchen, Peter Arnold and Peter Fischer introduced their exciting new aquaculture business, Maine Fresh Sea Farms, with an…

For those of us who are lucky enough (or not) to be in the Boothbay region for the fall/winter, many eateries do remain open either the entire offseason, or a good…

What are some delicious but easy ways to prepare squashes, turnips and cabbage for a small group, or perhaps only one or two persons?

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Maine Made 2014, a unique consumer show featuring Maine-Made products, will take place at the Samoset Resort in Rockport on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $5, children under…

Sea vegetables, grown by Maine Fresh Sea Farms in the Damariscotta River, will be the focus of an evening program Friday at the FARMS Community Kitchen (…

If you have suffered through pastry mishaps or wondered what to do about runny pie filling, join instructor Debra L. Arter for an evening of pie making in “My Oh My, Love That Pie…

Here it is the first week of November and we are on the heels of the craziest, busiest time of the year. I know there will be days when even I whine "I'm too tired to cook."

That's when I…

The smell of fresh bread baking is almost irresistible, and so is the upcoming Central Lincoln County Adult Education course Bake the Night Away offered, Thursday, Nov. 6 from 5 to 8 p.m. at…

Do you have any idea what the two most popular fresh veggies are in the United States? Come on, take a guess. Corn and tomatoes are common guesses, but they won't win you the prize. Potatoes and…

Happy National Chicken Month! Yes, we have another food holiday to celebrate and given that chicken is my favorite protein to cook (and eat), I have my party hat on…

There were 28 entries to the pumpkin dessert contest at Skidompha Library on Saturday, Oct. 11 as part of the Pumpkinfest weekend in Damariscotta.

DAMARISCOTTA — Another last blast of summer came through Sept. 28 for the 13th annual Pemaquid Oyster Festival on the shores of the Damariscotta River at the historic Schooner Landing Restaurant…

My home office was in dire need of a thorough fall cleaning, so I took the afternoon and got on the ball. I am a very organized person, but it always puzzles me how I can find so many bits and…

Three of my favorite veggies seem to get a bad rap from a lot of people and I suspect part of the reason they don't like broccoli, cauliflower or eggplant is that they've only had them improperly…

Getting kids to eat a healthy breakfast is always a challenge. According to the "Healthy Children" website, it is estimated that between 8 and 12 percent of our younger kids going off to school…

I walked into one of our local farm stands the other day and the sweet smell of peaches nearly bowled me over.

Oh my, dinner was inspired by that incredible aroma!

Choose peaches that…

I guess the USDA National Agricultural Statistics folks failed to count my family in their estimate of how many tomatoes the average Joe or Jane ate in 2011. The numbers they…

Wandering through one of our local farm stands the other day, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the late summer harvest — golden peaches, a myriad of green color — cukes, string beans, zucchini…

I popped the sushi oyster roll into my mouth.

I was intrigued first by the textures — rice, fried oyster,…

I wonder if I am the first food columnist who quotes John Milton to lead you into a wonderful “foodie and friendship” story? Milton coined the phrase “silver lining” in …

I advocate using fresh herbs whenever possible, but that being said, there are times when dried herbs do work very well. And you can make your own dried herb blends that are…

Picking strawberries at one of the many “pick your own” fields is a summer tradition for Peter and me. That tradition just went out the window with a crash when I found myself with…

I remember when an ice cream container (it was always square or rectangular, no matter the size) had just a few words printed on it describing the ingredients. Now it is like…

Darn! Wish I’d been in the Lanesboro, Minn., area on June 8 for the annual rhubarb festival. There was a tasting contest featuring pies, crisps, cakes, soups, chutneys…

Here comes summer! Hold onto your hats because here it’s time for black flies, yellow pollen, and cars, trucks, buses, boats, and planes chock-a-block full of tourists. (And don’t…

There is much dissension among asparagus lovers as to which spears are better: thick or thin.

It is thought by some that thinner spears are tastier…

Today I am going to dispel a well circulated myth about food columnists, bloggers and chefs, so hang on to your aprons: The answer is no, we don’t cook fancy-schmancy meals seven…

Happy National Burger Month! Yes, the merry month of May has been designated by some foodie as the month to honor burgers. Americans eat more than 25 billion hamburgers…

My inbox is overflowing this week, and I’ll admit to a bit of spring cleaning fever. I’ve tackled the bits and pieces…

OK, Mother Nature, can we have a little more sunshine to boost the mercury just a tad higher? We are back from the winter digs (where it was 86 F when we left) and are busy beavers with inside and…

An old Russian proverb states “Love and eggs are best when they are fresh.”

Lucky me, as Peter and I come up to our…

I’ve been so busy getting ready to make the trek from Florida back to my beloved home state of Maine that I forgot to wish you a happy Pecan Day on April 14. I do apologize! So nuts to the column…

When I hear “Easter dinner,” the first picture that pops into my head is my father carrying a huge glazed ham to the dining room table and of course, everyone ooh-ing and ahh-ing as he placed it…

Garlic — hate it or love it? Scientific evidence supports the idea that we should all eat lots of it. Garlic apparently has a molecular mechanism that may offer some true health benefits. The…

The frozen tundra of North America is starting to thaw (maybe?) as we inch closer and closer to the first day of spring. And as the temperatures begin to rise, so does the sap in maple trees. The…

The topic for this column was inspired by a reader’s question regarding a particular spice blend she’d seen listed in a recipe she wanted to try. When…

On Wednesday, Feb. 26, Chef Peter Varns once again exhibited his skills to the Organ Society/Belles of the First Congregational Church of Wiscasset. He is shown with the finished…

My dear friend Nancy is one of those women who have done it all: former executive for Target stores in the Midwest; cooking school instructor; private chef;…

Maine's Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Fairs, cosponsored by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) and local Maine groups, are part celebration and part education, as…

My bachelor son Scott emailed me an SOS last week asking for some new recipes to expand his repertoire for one-pot meals done in his Crockpot. (And yes, he does have a Crockpot, but by law a slow-…

Here’s a bit of info sure to make all chocolate lovers happy: Researchers have concluded that if you regularly treat yourself to chocolate then you are most likely a very generous person.

In…

Did you know that pancakes have a couple of pretty interesting back stories? They were mentioned numerous times in the Bible (by several different descriptions) and in 1399, King Henry IV chose…