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Many people tell Meredith Goad that she has the best job in Maine, and most of the time she agrees. Maine has a crazy appetite for food stories, and it’s Meredith’s job to satisfy those cravings with juicy tales from chefs, food producers, local farms, and the state’s fast-growing restaurant scene. Her work appears in Wednesday’s Business section and the Sunday Food & Dining section, and occasionally, but not as often as she’d like, on the front page. A native of Memphis, Tenn., Meredith shamelessly flaunts her knowledge of good barbecue in front of her Yankee friends. She earned a bachelor of science degree in wildlife biology from Colorado State University, then studied science writing at the University of Missouri, where she received a master’s degree in journalism. She spent the first 20 years of her career covering science and environmental news, then switched to features in 2004, just as Portland’s food scene was taking off. Her own most memorable meal? Back in the 1980s, on assignment in Finland, she shared a dinner of reindeer and Russian vodka with Maryland’s governor and a bunch of hungry scientists. Meredith lives in Portland, but spends much of her time off back in Tennessee - either visiting family, or in online archives, researching her family’s history.

Latest
  • Published
    March 28, 2012
    Michelle Obama, Enda Kenny

    Eat as she says, not as he does

    Thomas Jefferson was probably one of our foodiest presidents. After all, when he fell in love with dishes in France and Italy, he’d have the ingredients shipped over here. That’s how Americans got macaroni and cheese, which was a popular dish overseas in the late 18th century. Michelle Obama is known for her kitchen garden […]

  • Published
    March 28, 2012

    Occupy Maine plans protest during Obama fundraiser

    PORTLAND — While campaign donors are gathering at the Portland Museum of Art on Friday for dinner with the president at $7,500 to $30,800 a plate, Occupy Maine will be forming a soup line outside. They’re calling the event a “Soup or Pac.” (Get it? Super Pac?) The group, calling itself “Occupy Obama’s Ritzy Fundraiser,” […]

  • Published
    March 28, 2012

    Food & Dining Dispatches, March 28, 2012

    STATEWIDE Margaritas restaurants ready to celebrate 25th anniversary Margaritas Mexican restaurants in Maine are celebrating their 25th anniversary with parties held simultaneously Friday at every location. The parties will feature retro music, hourly giveaways of $25 gift cards, trivia and a “Two for $25” promotion that offers customers two entrees and an appetizer for $25. […]

  • Published
    March 25, 2012

    Handle with care: Many people ignore guidelines

    Industry rules can only go so far, food safety experts say, and can’t protect consumers from themselves.

  • Published
    March 25, 2012

    Close to home: Neighborhood butcher has new appeal

    Buying meat and produce locally doesn’t guarantee they’re any safer, but there’s comfort in knowing the food source is near at hand.

  • Published
    March 25, 2012

    Public health ‘detectives’ tracked clues to illness’ cause

    Discovering salmonella was just the beginning. Investigators found victims, patterns, genetic fingerprints – and a complex mystery.

  • Published
    March 25, 2012

    Smooth selling from here on out

    Need to put your house on the market? Fixes like removing wallpaper and refinishing floors may help attract today’s finicky buyers with their ‘move-in ready’ mantra.

  • Published
    March 25, 2012
    20120316_RealEstate

    Buyers drawn to walkable neighborhoods with a community vibe

    Despite the struggling real estate market, there are some Portland-area neighborhoods where houses are selling better than others. Realtors say that, generally speaking, these are walkable neighborhoods that provide a sense of community. These are places where you can walk to a coffee shop, school or grocery store. “People are choosing to live downtown and […]

  • Published
    March 21, 2012

    Cookbook Corner: ‘The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes on Earth’

    Who knew you could make trail mix in a slow cooker? That’s what Jonny Bowden and Jeannette Bessinger have done, along with illustrating how slow cooker recipes can not only be quick, but good for you. Bowden and Bessinger, the authors of “The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes on Earth” (Fair Winds Press, $24.99), have […]

  • Published
    March 21, 2012
    20120316_SoupNuts

    Soup to Nuts: Get real– maple syrup, that is

    Besides its undeniable deliciousness, maple syrup – the genuine article, that is – has all kinds of good things going on, including a boatload of antioxidants.