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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
    June 22, 2011

    Cookbook Corner: ‘The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion’

    Most people don’t need an excuse to enjoy a nice cocktail. But if you’re the kind of person who looks for a reason – any reason – to drink, Duane Swierczynski’s “The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion” (Quirk, $14.95) will give you plenty. Getting divorced? Try “The Antichrist,” a lethal mixture of Everclear, Bacardi rum, […]

  • Published
    June 22, 2011

    Food & Dining Dispatches, June 22, 2011

    GORHAM Club will try to line up a mile of donated food The Gorham High School Interact Club will try to create a mile of food Saturday from Robie Gym on South Street to St. Anne’s Church on Main Street. The food collected from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. will be donated to the Gorham […]

  • Published
    June 22, 2011

    Scraps – Stuff we’ve heard about this ‘n’ that, June 22, 2011

    • Chicago chef David Connolly has been hired by Portland’s Old Port Sea Grill to bring “a more modern approach” to its menu. Connolly will also oversee the menu and kitchen at Falmouth Sea Grill, which is being renovated. Connolly was formerly the sous chef at MK and Spiaggia, the recipient of two Michelin stars. […]

  • Published
    June 22, 2011

    Berried alive! Go forth and be festive

    GET A FIRST TASTE of this year’s harvest at one of the many strawberry festivals taking place around Maine this weekend: CAPE ELIZABETH WHAT: Third Annual Cape Farm Alliance Strawberry Festival WHEN: Kicks off 6 to 9 p.m. Friday with a lobster bake and pig roast (plus strawberry sweets, of course) at Shady Oak Farm. […]

  • Published
    June 22, 2011

    Berried alive! Strawberry recipes

    LOIS BAMFORD of Maxwell’s Farm chose these strawberry shortcake cookies as her “recipe of the year” to give to customers. She found the recipe at wearenotmartha.com. She says they “are not the prettiest cookie,” but “they do taste good.” STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE COOKIES 2 cups diced Maxwell’s strawberries 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/2 cup plus 1 […]

  • Published
    June 15, 2011

    Cookbook Corner: ‘Smokin’ with Myron Mixon’

    If you’re a fan of “BBQ Pitmasters” on TLC, here’s your chance to score Myron Mixon’s award-winning recipes and get his advice on everything from choosing the right wood to keeping meat moist for serving. “Smokin’ with Myron Mixon: Recipes Made Simple From the Winningest Man in Barbecue” (Ballantine Books, $22) will teach you the […]

  • Published
    June 15, 2011

    Food & Dining Dispatches, June 15, 2011

    BRUNSWICK Food, drink, music featured at Taste of Brunswick event The third annual Taste of Brunswick will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Seventeen local restaurants will showcase their food with tastings that include chowder, sushi, Belgian waffles, lobster Newburg, pulled pork and desserts. Sea Dog Restaurant will provide a separate beer […]

  • Published
    June 15, 2011

    Soup to Nuts: Cue the ‘cue

    Summertime is barbecue time, and this year Mainers have a record four barbecue competitions to look forward to – three of them sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society.

    Teams from Maine and the rest of the country will be competing for thousands of dollars in cash prizes and the right to enter one of the national competitions as a Maine state barbecue champion.

    Barbecue is getting hotter every day, but is just now starting to catch on in Maine. The Kansas City Barbecue Society, the largest organization of its kind, saw a 22 percent increase in membership last year.

  • Published
    June 14, 2011

    Food & Wine puts MDI on list of top ice cream spots

    MDI’s Bar Harbor location opened in 2006. A Portland store opened last year.

  • Published
    June 11, 2011

    Author Q & A: You ought to be in pictures

    What makes Maine Maine? A Northport couple tries to capture its essence in words and stunning images in the new book ‘Maine Icons.’