Peggy Grodinsky

Staff Writer

Peggy Grodinsky has been the food editor at the Portland Press Herald since 2014. Previously, she was executive editor of Cook’s Country, a now-defunct national magazine that was published by America’s Test Kitchen. She spent several years in Texas as food editor at the Houston Chronicle, seven years at the James Beard Foundation in New York, and a (magical) year as a journalism fellow at the University of Hawaii. Her work has appeared in “Best of Food Writing” (2017) and “Cornbread Nation 4: The Best of Southern Food Writing” (2008).

Food, Recipes

Tetrazzini is a creamy one-pan pasta hit, with or without chicken

by G. Daniela Galarza The Washington Post December 26, 2021December 16, 2021

A can of beans, pureed in a blender, makes a creamy sauce without any cream for this take on the Italian-American classic.

Food, Recipes

I tried hot Dr Pepper, and it’s better than you might think

by Emily Heil The Washington Post December 26, 2021December 16, 2021

Dr Pepper promoted the steamy concoction for decades, and now the vintage ads are cropping up on social media. But it’s more than just a laugh.

Food, Green Plate Special, Recipes

Green Plate Special: Winter salads deserve a spot in your kitchen

by Christine Burns Rudalevige December 26, 2021May 14, 2026

No juicy, peak season tomatoes or tender kernels of just picked corn, but winter salads in Maine can offer heft, crunch, tang and charm all their own.

Arts & Entertainment, Books

Bedside table: A book that ponders, what if?

December 26, 2021December 23, 2021

“I am head of the new Read Between the Spines Book Club hosted at the Bibliophile Bookshop & Coffeehouse in Raymond. We currently have 45 ladies and one man in our book club. Bibliophile is also a new locally owned bookshop that our entire area has fallen in love with. “Anyway, Read Between the Spines […]

Arts & Entertainment, Books, Review

The danger of American nostalgia for World War II

by Robert Kaiser Special to The Washington Post December 19, 2021December 15, 2021

Romanticizing that war has led us to seek another just as “good,” Elizabeth Samet writes.

Food, Green Plate Special, Recipes

Green Plate Special: Making pasta is a tasty way to spend quality time with kids

by Christine Burns Rudalevige December 19, 2021May 14, 2026

Cavatelli doesn’t require any special equipment and, with this recipe, you might get them to eat their broccoli too.

Arts & Entertainment, Books

Bedside table: Hometown on the page

December 19, 2021December 15, 2021

“‘Mill Town,’ by Kerri Arsenault, is about the towns of Rumford and Mexico, Maine, mostly, as well as the writer’s family. I enjoyed and understood this book very well, as I am from the same area. “The book covers a lot of territory, including the Rumford paper mill over many years, and the pollution it […]