Maine Restaurant Week running Oct. 24 through 31

If you can’t get enough of Maine restaurants during Harvest on the Harbor, there’s always Maine Restaurant Week to look forward to beginning Sunday.

This is the second Restaurant Week of the year, and it will run through Oct. 31. More than 50 restaurants have signed up to offer three-course meals for $20, $30 or $40.

For a list of participating restaurants, go to www.mainerestaurant week.com.

STANDISH
Forum on hunger to be held tonight at St. Joseph’s

The Campaign to Promote Food Security in Cumberland County will hold a public forum tonight to gather public opinion on hunger and food insecurity in the region.

The forum will be held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at St. Joseph’s College.

The 60-member coalition, sponsored by Greater Portland United Way, TDBank, Preble Street and the Muskie School of Public Service, convened in January because of a significant increase in the number of emergency food requests.

The coalition has drafted six “strategic community goals” accompanied by specific recommendations to reduce food insecurity and increase sustainable supplies of healthy food. Its final report will be released in December.

A recent study of food pantries in Cumberland County revealed that over the past year there has been a 42 percent increase in people served.

PORTLAND
Demonstrations aplenty at Harvest on the Harbor

LeRoux Kitchen will be offering free demonstrations throughout the Harvest on the Harbor festival in its second-floor kitchen at 161 Commnercial St.

On Thursday at 11 a.m., Suzie Rephan will be making triple chocolate fudge brownies, chocolate chip brownies with white chocolate peppermint icing, and butterscotch blondies with chocolate chips. That afternoon at 3:30, Rick Suydam of Gryffon Ridge Spice Merchants in Dresden will be making vindaloo curry with pork, Gujarati dal curry and basmati rice with black cardamom.

The baking lessons continue on Friday morning at 10:30 with Heavenly Lemon Angel Food Cake with homemade vanilla ice cream and berries marinated in balsamic.

At 1 p.m. Friday, learn how to make Moose River Corn Chowder from Kate Gooding’s “Black Fly Stew: Wild Maine Recipes.” Gooding will be on hand to sign her books and offer tastings of her Creamy Goat’s Milk Peanut Butter Fudge.

At 4 p.m., Michael Sanders and Russell French will answer questions and sign copies of their new book “Fresh From Maine: Recipes and Stories from the State’s Best Chefs.”
At 10 a.m. Saturday, Shauna Osteen from Baker’s Confections will make two kinds of whoopie pies. At 1 p.m., Bob Walsk will make Cod Caribbean.

At 4 p.m. Saturday, Craig Guy, LeRoux’s wine and beer buyer, will show how to make great homemade pizzas. In past years his creations have included a white sauce seafood pizza and a reuben pizza made with sauerkraut and pastrami.

Reva Davis from Wusthof Cutlery will be conducting a knife-sharpening seminar from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday. Bring one knife to be sharpened at no charge, and up to two more for $3 each. Proceeds benefit the Preble Street Resource Center.

Contrast in taste of organic, industrial meat on display

Taste the difference between sustainable and industrial meats at a special event Oct. 30.

Deborah Krasner, author of “Good Meat: A Complete Guide to Cooking and Sourcing Sustainable Meat,” will lead a guided tasting of various meats and sign copies of her bool from 3 to 5 p.m. at The Quimby Colony, 769 Congress St.

Included in the tasting will be local beef, pork, chicken and lamb, placed side by side with industrially-raised versions of the same meats.

here will also be some specially-produced meats available, including clabber-fed chicken and island-raised lamb.

There will be a $5 cover charge for this event. Reservations can be made by calling Rabelais at 774-1044, or send an e-mail to info@RabelaisBooks.com.

Krasner is a writer and food professional who lives in Vermont. She won a James Beard award in 2003 for her cookbook “The Flavors of Olive Oil.” She appears regularly on NPR’s The Splendid Table.

Taste sampling of vodka flavored with fruits offered

Sample Skyy vodkas naturally infused with ginger, pineapple, passionfruit and raspberries at a tasting from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at The Salt Exchange.

The tasting costs $10 per person and includes hors d’oeurves specially prepared by the restaurant. Reservations are not required.
Future tastings will include Scotch on Nov. 24 and brandy and cognac in December.

 

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