Roxanne Quimby’s goal is to preserve the landscape of Maine’s North Woods forever, but controversy has been sparked by those who want to retain use of that land. In the early summer of 1975, 24-year-old Roxanne Quimby arrived in northern Maine, having driven across the country with her boyfriend, looking for a place to homestead. […]
recipe
Breakfast & Brunch
French Toast
What could be simpler? A few eggs, some old bread, and maple syrup — voila! Yes, French toast. This morning stalwart most likely got its name from the French dish pain perdu — “lost bread” — a poetic way to say “stale bread.” And slightly stale bread is one of the keys to good French […]
When Courtney Hunter sees her friends toss out leftovers, she shudders. “This is the best part!” she cries. Courtney takes leftovers to a new high. Her friends call her cooking specialty “Yankee chic.” Today, in her efficient Jamestown, Rhode Island, kitchen, Courtney is working with the pot roast she made for dinner the night before. […]
Yankee
Homegrown: Fresh Morels
Although you can find dried morels year-round, their fresh counterparts have a very short growing season and are available in New England only from late April through the first week or so of June. These prized mushrooms look a lot like brown sponges on sticks — but their flavor is delicate and earthy, well worth […]
Food
25. Yankee Pot Roast
The Griswold Inn 36 Main St. Essex, CT 860-767-1776; griswoldinn.com Even the phone number touts the Revolutionary heritage of this charming inn, with its dark wood and gleaming brass. The pot roast is flavorful and tender from slow oven braising — a proud standard bearer of this Yankee tradition. RECIPEDelivered Daily: New England Recipes and […]
Maine Made Products Center 461 Commercial St. Rockport, ME 800-762-8895; cheese-me.com Durgin-Park uses small pea or navy beans, seasoned with salt pork, molasses, and mustard (see the recipe below), slow-cooked, while State of Maine brand (at Maine Made Products Center) uses soldier or Jacob’s cattle beans, seasoned similarly (but often without the pork). RECIPEDelivered Daily: […]
Rhode Island
10. Apple Cider
Appleland Orchard 135 Smith Ave. (Rte. 116) Greenville, RI 401-949-3690 Since unpasteurized cider can legally be sold only at the orchard that presses it (a handful in New England still do this), it’s a 40-year-old tradition to trek to Appleland in the fall. The cider is an unbeatable blend of Macs, Empires, and Delicious apples, […]
Magazine
7. Boston Cream Pie
Omni Parker House 60 School St. Boston, MA 617-227-8600; omnihotels.com In addition to its famous Boston scrod and Parker House rolls, this hotel’s kitchen is said to have invented this custard-filled, chocolate-glazed sponge cake (see the recipe, right). Sometimes nothing but the original (in these elegant surroundings) will do. Massachusetts’ legislators agreed, making Boston cream […]
Main Dishes
Best Cook: Italian Pot Roast Recipe
Courtney Hunter of Jamestown, RI, Best Cook for March/April 2008, learned to cook in Italy and it shows in her exquisite crossover recipes, like Yankee Stracotto, or Italian Pot Roast (below). Read more about Courtney and her recipe for pot roast ravioli. Do you know a great New England home cook? Click here to nominate.Delivered […]
Appetizers
Recipe: Roasted Vegetable Salsa
Roasting, a quick and easy process, amplifies the natural sweetness in vegetables and takes salsa to new levels. Dry heat at high temperatures draws water out of the vegetables and concentrates the natural sugars for robust, full-bodied flavors. For even roasting, cut the vegetables to about the same size — the smaller the cut, the […]
Side Dishes
Mashed Potato Variations
Want to add a twist to your spuds? Here are some tasty extras to try for mashed potato variations: 1. Toss peeled parsnips, chopped turnips, or a few handfuls of cauliflower florets in with boiled potatoes and mash according to the recipe below. 2. Mince 3 or 4 garlic cloves and sauté in unsalted butter; […]
Side Dishes
Mashed Potatoes: Easy Does It
Everyone loves mashed potatoes, right? But how many of us love our own mashed potatoes? Whether they’re too lumpy or too soggy, or we like the taste but they’re laden with butter, sour cream, and milk, there’s always room for improvement. Potatoes are greedy little things, and they’ll take as many rich additives as you […]