I’ve fallen in love with Quince and Company Yarn, sold in their flagship store Knit Wit in Portland, Maine the Munjoy Hill neighborhood. A friend and I were scheduled to have lunch one day at Duck Fat (just go and have the fries, oh, and a shake – heaven) and in she walks with this [...]
Because what could be better than homemade bagels? I must confess that years ago, before I had the hang of making bread by hand, I attempted bagels. It’s a sure thing that when someone uses the word “attempted” that the results perhaps were not stellar. And by not stellar I mean shriveled, wrinkley and hard [...]
A place where I was surrounded by cooking, creativity and learning. A submersion in the language and craft of all things culinary. I needed it. So much of my work happens with me at the helm, so to speak. Me deciding how, what, when, where, from whom and to whom. Most of the time I [...]
On these warm, sunny, fall afternoons, the girls and I walked with our bushel baskets to pick apples. We’ve an “orchard” on our “property” which translated means I occasionally trim the trees that grow wild in the field right next to our house. The apple crop this year is unbelievably abundant and even the organic [...]
I created this recipe for Curtis Custom Meats in Union, Maine several years ago. We used to buy all of our meat from them, pre-the enormous freezer full of cuts of whole pig and cow from Terra Optima in Appleton. This recipe makes a large pot of sauce – good for a big family dinner [...]
As many of your may know, Jon and I plan to lead a rebuild of the J. & E. Riggin, a National Historic Landmark, next winter. For those of you who don’t know, owning, or as we sometimes say, stewarding, one of these National Historic Landmarks is a way of life and a labor of [...]
The air was still shaking off the sharp, crisp tang of an early spring morning when we left with our deep in the back of Joe’s Subaru to receive our first nuc from Humble Abode in Cooper’s Mills, Maine. The drive through lime and kelly green farm country and past fields of dewy grass took [...]
The original impetus for traveling to Portland a couple of weeks ago was to attend an Alabama Chanin workshop. I’ve saved the best for last. Before I met her I admired the intentionality she brought to her clothing and her business, now I’m a fan. I say often about sustainability, becoming an environmental leader and [...]
Less than a week before we sail! Can’t believe we are there already. This has been the best outfitting season of our career with the perfect mix of good crew and weather and a healthy dose of experience on our part about how to do this well. The Portland Press ran the column last week [...]
The sun was bright and high in the sky as I turned the compost pile today. I find few things more satisfying for releasing aggression (not that I have any, of course) than turning a pile of garden refuse, kitchen waste and office paper into food for the garden. As I stuck my pitchfork into [...]
