Between Mark Bittman’s recent editorial “Is It Time to Boycott Tuna Again?” and my dinner two weeks ago at The Salt Exchange, I found myself thinking about sustainable fishing practices here in Maine.  At dinner, I ordered the white fish special, which on this night was a seafood stew with roasted cod.  Delicious.

But I found myself defending my ordering choices to a friend who was visiting.  “You can’t order cod!” she said, “It’s endangered!”  I said, Noooo, here in the Gulf of Maine, we have sustainable fishing practices!  And besides, The Salt Exchange wouldn’t serve me endangered fish.  In fact, the owner, Charlie Bryon, told me that the cod they serve is actually farm raised cod from a new, local source that can actually be served ceviche style.

Later, reflecting on my implicit trust in local restaurants, I realized my knowledge of fishing practices in the Gulf of Maine is admittedly slim.  I’ve read all of Linda Greenlaw‘s books detailing the long line swordfish industry and generally trust her reports.  But Bittman’s editorial takes aim at this method, condemning the “indiscriminate” practice for catching of all kinds of sea life in addition to swordfish.

Photo by Erin Ryding

Ultimately, like a lot of the food I order when I eat out, I hadn’t given its source much thought.

So where does a diner turn when seeking information on the practices behind the food on their plate?  Asking my server never seemed like an appealing option, although it’s oft suggested.  I’d hate to turn into foodie stereotype by sniffing, ‘And where was this chicken raised?’

The Monterey Bay Seafood Recommendations are a great source, but I wanted something more local.  After all, Monterey Bay is on the West Coast!  Fortunately, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute has our backs when it comes to finding out about sustainable seafood.

Here in the Gulf of Maine, we have several sustainable fisheries.  Any fan of the Maine state crustacean will be relieved to know that the lobster population is well-managed and thriving.  Last year, according to the Department of Natural Resources, lobstermen caught a record haul of 94.7 million pounds of lobster [source].  We also have healthy populations of shrimp, haddock, cod, scallops, pollock, and hake.  You can find out more about each individual species and the fishing practices in GMRI’s Responsibly Harvested fact sheets.

Fried Haddock Tacos

If you’d like a last taste of summer, try these fried fish tacos, prepared with local cod from Harbor Fish Market. Frying the fish takes a little bit more effort, but in my mind it’s worth it. If you’d rather skip that step, the fish can easily be broiled or pan fried too.

But since fall has arrived, look forward to this warming Maine shrimp scampi. Maine shrimp are in season from early December until late February.

Maine Cod Fish Tacos
Makes 4 tacos

2 lbs. cod fillets
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup seltzer water
pinch of salt
1 quart of canola oil, for frying
1 avocado
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 garlic clove, diced
1 avocado, smashed
4 corn tortillas
shredded cabbage
red onion, sliced
lime wedges

To prepare the fish, wash cod fillets and pat dry. Mix together flour, cornstarch, seltzer water, and salt. Heat vegetable oil to 360*F in a large dutch oven or heavy stock pot. Dredge fish in the batter and fry until fish is golden brown and cooked through (about 4 to 6 minutes). Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, garlic, and avocado. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat corn tortillas in a cast iron pan. Serve topped with fried fish, cabbage, onion, and cilantro avocado sauce. Serve lime wedges for garnish.

Kate McCarty writes at The Blueberry Files and is a guest blogger. She is also a guide for Maine Foodie Tours and profiles local businesses and products featured on the tours.  If you’d like to take a tour, you can purchase tickets here.

Have you ever tried to make chocolate truffles?  Or melted chocolate with which to cover strawberries?   It goes without saying that chocolate truffles would make a nice gift at the holidays, for birthdays, or host gift.

And at least in theory, truffles are simple, yet impressive, things to make at home.  So why do so many amateur chocolatiers have trouble recreating that beautiful, smooth, shiny, snappy chocolate covering that comes from the pros?

Salted Caramel Truffles

To start, truffles are two part: the filling, or ganache, which is chocolate, cream, flavored additives, and sometimes some alcohol (traditionally brandy) which acts as a preservative.  The filling is then covered in melted chocolate that cools into a hard shell.  The truffles can be finished with cocoa powder, chopped nuts, coconut, etc.

Traditionally, truffles are hand-rolled, which creates an uneven, textured finish.  Then, the filling is rolled in cocoa powder, which gave rise to the name truffles, since the finished chocolates look like the mushrooms of the same name.  See a resemblance?

Chocolate truffles, left; Truffle mushrooms, right

But if you’ve ever tried to make these simple beauties at home, you may have experienced some troubles.  When I ask around, I find that some people have had no trouble with melting chocolate, while others experience undesired texture and color changes in the chocolate once it cools.  And the secret to a smooth, evenly colored chocolate shell is the way in which you melt the chocolate.

In order to avoid any discoloration or texture changes, chocolate must be tempered before you dip anything into it.  To temper chocolate is to heat it and cool it to a specific temperature.  First, heat the chocolate to 100 degrees F, it’s approximate melting temperature.  This step is best done in a double boiler in order to avoid burning the chocolate.  Next, cool the chocolate to 88 degrees F (a candy thermometer is an inexpensive piece of kitchen equipment that will make this step very easy).

Chocolate covered blueberries

The chocolate should be held at 88 degrees F while you are working, dipping your ganache or your fruit (Maine blueberries, anyone?) into the chocolate. The tempering process controls the size and integration of the cocoa butter crystals. For a more detailed explanation of the science behind this process, read the Cooking for Engineers post on tempering.  And for a great basic truffle recipe, Alton Brown’s recipe won’t steer your wrong.

Kristin of Deans's Sweets

I was inspired to write about the chocolate making process by Kristin and Dean of Dean’s Sweets in the East End of Portland. They are a stop on the Culinary Walking Tour and are always happy to talk about chocolate.  If you have any questions, feel free to stop in and chat with them, as they’re very enthusiastic about chocolateiring.  And ultimately, if you’d rather leave it to the pros, you can just pick up some of their flavored truffles.  Tour participants know their version of a Maine Needham is delicious!

Kate McCarty writes at The Blueberry Files and is a guest blogger. She is also a guide for Maine Foodie Tours and profiles local businesses and products featured on the tours.  If you’d like to take a tour, you can purchase tickets here.

One of the stops on the Maine Foodie Tour of the Old Port is the Public Market House to visit Kris Horton of K. Horton’s Specialty Foods.

Pam and Kris serving local Maine cheese at the Public Market House

Kris’ shop on the first floor of the market sells local vegetables, specialty products (such as chocolate and olives), and smoked fish from around the state, which her father originally specialized in here in town.  But my personal favorite is the cheese.  There’s two cases of cheese- one full of great European and American varieties, the other dedicated to Maine cheese.

Since Kris has been there since the beginning of the Maine cheese scene (about 10 years), she knows so much.  She’s close with the cheese makers and even receives postcards from one creamery’s goats!  And Kris’ support of the local cheese industry illustrates how local vendors support local producers.  Together, they create a system that brings something as far flung as hand-made small batch cheeses from Phippsburg to cheese lovers in Portland.

Kris Horton at K.Horton's Specialty Foods

When I visited Kris’ fabulous cheese case recently, I had to try the ‘City of Ships,’ from Hahn’s End Creamery.  City of Ships (named after Bath, Maine) is the variety of cheese, much like cheddar, gouda, and feta are all varieties.  The recipe is unique to Hahn’s End Creamery, and it’s a semi-hard, aged, cow’s milk cheese.

While the Maine cheese industry is relatively young, Maine cheesemakers were recognized for their quality work the first year they attended the American Cheese Society Competition in 2007.  Ten Maine cheesemakers took home 17 ribbons, including six blue.  City of Ships, from Hahn’s End Creamery, won best in the American Made, International Style category.

City of Ships is softer in the middle and becomes harder as you go out towards the naturally moldy rind.  The rind itself tastes very tangy and strong.  I paired this cheese with a little apricot preserves, as the grassy, creamy cheese went well with something just a little sweet.  Some mild honey would be nice too.

There are so many great cheeses being made in Maine (more than 150 varieties), from the creamy goat cheese coming out of Sunset Acres Creamery to the squeaky cheese curds from Pineland Farms.   If you need help deciding, the folks at K. Horton’s will be happy to provide samples and chat with you about cheese and many creameries sell their cheese at the Portland Farmers’ Markets.

Kate McCarty writes at The Blueberry Files and is a guest blogger. She is also a guide for Maine Foodie Tours and profiles local businesses and products featured on the tours.  If you’d like to take a tour, you can purchase tickets here.

Who doesn’t dream of selling the farm, buying a boat, and sailing around the world?  Many dream, but few follow through, and even fewer come back with a business plan.

Heidi Stanvich and her husband Mark, co-owners of Vervacious,  did just that.  They sold their house, quit their jobs, and began sailing full-time on their ketch Verve.  After a year of cruising the Atlantic Ocean in the US, the Caribbean, and Europe, Heidi and Mark launched Vervacious, making spice rubs, salt mixes, flavored vinegars, and other ‘fancy foods.’

One of the most striking things about Vervacious products is their stunning packaging.  (In fact, they’ve won the Gold award for their product design and packaging at last year’s Fancy Food show.)  These stacking, swooping bottles beg to be displayed- although I’ve heard we’re supposed to hide our spices away in our cool, dark cabinets.  With Heidi’s products, I want to proudly display them on the counter, where they can serve as conversation pieces.

I was most intrigued by her Basque Piri-Piri Table sauce and Harissa spice blends.  Piri-Piri and Harissa are both blends of spices that can vary widely depending on the region of the world.  Vervacious’ Piri-Piri is spicy, but light, a well-balanced blend of vinegar and chilies.

When I first tasted it, I thought of summer, cook-outs, and (ahem) sailing in the Med.  Even though our Maine summer is slow coming this year, I thought I would try out fish tacos with Piri-Piri sauce.  I adapted this fish taco recipe and garnished it with fresh corn, cilantro, and thinly sliced green onions and red cabbage.

Vervacious’ Piri-Piri sauce added a nice kick and brought out the cumin, and chili powder in the fish marinade.  But while I was trying it, I couldn’t stop thinking of all the other applications the sauce could have: grilled chicken, steamed shrimp, potato salad…

The other flavor I was interested in, the Harissa, influences a spice rub and a spicy mustard.  I first tried this on the Maine Foodie Tour when they mixed Harissa mustard with fresh lobster, mayo and lemon for a new twist on an old favorite.  Since Harissa is commonly associated with North African cooking, I adapted this Chicken Tagine recipe by using the Harissa spice rub to build my flavors.  The smoky, spicy undertones are perfect for this stew, served over couscous with segmented oranges.

For an even quicker version, try creating a quick pan sauce with garlic, onions, crushed tomatoes, sweet Bell peppers, and spinach.  Serve with grilled or pan fried chicken sausages over citrus couscous.  Vervacious’ Harrisa Spiced Mustard gives the light sausages a great kick.  Once again, I found myself dreaming of other applications: veggie wraps, roast pork with stewed fruit…

And I dream of sailing.  Always of sailing.  I haven’t bought the farm yet (as it were), but already I’m thinking of giving it all away and taking to the sea.  So while I stare longingly at the docks and wait for warmer weather, I have Heidi and Mark’s ‘fancy foods’ to bring the flavors of the world into my kitchen.

Kate McCarty writes at The Blueberry Files and is a guest blogger. She will be profiling local businesses and products featured on the Maine Foodie Tour.  If you’d like to take a tour, you can purchase tickets here.

The Whoopie Pie.  Is it a traditional Maine treat or a Pennsylvania Dutch one? A dessert about to undergo the same trendy treatment as the cupcake?  And above all, where do you find the best Whoopie pie?  So many questions surround this compact sweet.

We’ll start with the easy one- here in Portland I like to get my Whoopie on in my neighborhood at Two Fat Cats Bakery.  This East End bakery is locally and independently owned and focuses on the sweeter side of baked goods.  They have delicious pies, cakes, cookies, and of course, the Whoopie Pie made with their own home made marshmallow creme filling.

And maybe I moved to Maine at just the right time, but Whoopie pies seems to be gaining in popularity.  I vote they’re going to shove the cupcake and the macaroon out of the national dessert spotlight.  Just like those two treats, Whoopie pies lend themselves to creative flavor combinations (the most intriguing one I’ve seen being Jalapeno Cornbread with Savory Bacon Filling) and outsized versions both miniature and the world’s largest.

Our friends at Cranberry Island Kitchen, on Danforth Street in Portland (www.cranberryislandkitchen.com) just beat Bobby Flay in the whoopie pie showdown with their unique pumpkin whoopie pie!   They offer a boatload of flavored varieties in unique shapes from Maine, using a recipe from who else but “grandma”

And of course, what is without controversy these days?  The whoopie officially became the state treat in February after lawmakers sensed a brewing battle over whether the Whoopie or wild blueberry pie should become our official state dessert.

Nobody should have to chose between desserts, so they both got official designation, with the Whoopie pie becoming our state treat and the blueberry pie our state dessert.  Whew.  Now I can have my Whoopie and eat it too.

Kate McCarty writes at The Blueberry Files and is a guest blogger. She will be profiling local businesses and products featured on the Maine Foodie Tour.  If you’d like to take a tour, you can purchase tickets here.

Trying to find the best lobster roll in Maine is like trying to find the best pizza in Manhattan.  Everyone has an opinion- from a favorite shack on the way to up to camp, a place off the beaten path that only the locals know about, or the tourist stop with the line stretching onto the bridge.  These choices are not based on taste alone, but imbued with a combination of nostalgia, the thrill of the hunt, and ideas of what constitutes a “proper” seafood joint.

Two Lights Lobster Shack Lobster Roll

But rather than wade into the mire of opinions, I’m going to make one at home.  In my own kitchen, the view may not rival that of Two Lights Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth, I know my order will come just the way I like it.

I started with Fore Street chef, Sam Hayward’s, recipe, but skipped all the stuff that made it “fancy.”  I prefer my lobster rolls straight up- just cool, fresh lobster, mayonnaise, shredded lettuce and a toasted split-top bun.

For your lobster, you can either start with a live lobster or fresh lobster meat.  Fresh lobster meat is a more convenient, but also more expensive.  In Portland, you can get both live lobster and fresh picked lobster meat at Harbor Fish Market on Custom House Wharf (off Commercial Street).

Photo by Corey Templeton of portlandmainedaily.blogspot.com

Next, decide if you’re a Connecticut style or a Maine-style type (no, this doesn’t have to do with Sperry Topsiders vs. Bean boots); that is, do you like your lobster meat topped with melted butter or lightly mixed with mayonnaise?

Aside from fresh lobster, another crucial part of the lobster roll is the bun.  They’ve got to have a good buttery toast on them.  Coat the outside of the rolls with melted butter and toast in a cast iron skillet until they’re golden brown.

Once you’ve got your lobster meat (either mixed with mayonnaise or not), add some shredded lettuce- preferably iceberg or Boston lettuce- to your toasted bun.  Stuff the bun will all the lobster it can handle and either drizzle with melted butter or sprinkle on some diced chives.

Photo by everythingisbetterwithbacon.blogspot.com

Are you still curious where to find the best lobster roll?  For local options, visit Maine Travel Maven, Hilary Nagle’s Favorite Maine Lobster Shacks or Joe Riccio’s round up in Maine magazine.  View this slideshow to see what Bon Appetit Magazine thinks is the best lobster roll in America (and surprisingly none of them are in Maine).

Stay tuned for more ideas on how to prepare other classic Maine seafood dishes, but with a twist!

Kate McCarty writes at The Blueberry Files and is a guest blogger. She will be profiling local businesses and products featured on the Maine Foodie Tour.  If you’d like to take a tour, you can purchase tickets here.

I love condiments.  Who doesn’t?  They take a meal (hopefully good to begin with) and elevate it to something great.  A little dab, a little schmear- condiments can brighten your dish with all their different flavors.

So imagine, if you will, a store full of condiments!  Stonewall Kitchen in the Old Port of Portland is a condiment lovers’ dream come true.  They make not just “traditional” condiments like ketchup, mustard, and relishes, but also jams, jellies, maple syrup, salad dressings, sauces, and chutneys.  It’s like they can see inside my fridge.

Of course, the star of the show is the Maine blueberry jam.  Made from Maine-grown lowbush berries, this jam is sublime.  I picked up the 20th anniversary edition- a Blueberry Champagne jam.

The addition of champagne to these already sweet, but tart berries lightens up the jam.  The flavor of the berries really shines through, and I immediately thought of different ways to eat it.  Like stirred into yogurt…

or just spread on some buttered toast.  And of course my mind wanders to baked goods.  I used this recipe from King Arthur Flour (another New England business!) to make these lemon sugar scones.

The scones were good on their own, but once topped with some Stonewall Kitchen Blueberry Champagne Jam?  Sublime!

And jams and jellies are where the founders of Stonewall Kitchen got their start.  Together, Jim and Jonathon decided to make and sell their jams at a farmers’ market.  Twenty years and hundreds of types of products later, they’re one of Maine’s biggest Small Businesses.

So stop by the shop in the Portland Old Port sometime, located at 182 Middle St. to sample some of these Maine made products using local ingredients.  If you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself loading up your refrigerator door with Stonewall Kitchen’s delicious products.

Some news!  Maine Foodie Tours has partnered up with Stonewall Kitchen to offer an exciting lineup this Summer 2011.  Each Wednesday, they will offer together a walking tour/shopping spree of the fabulous farmers market in Monument Square, followed by a cooking class and luncheon on the premises of Stonewall Kitchen, starring local fresh seafood and just purchased fresh produce.  Guests may purchase tickets by visiting the Portland store at 182 Middle Street, or by calling 879-2409, and will receive a 10% discount on all purchases after the class.

Kate McCarty writes at The Blueberry Files and is a guest blogger. She will be profiling local businesses and products featured on the Maine Foodie Tour.  If you’d like to take a tour, you can purchase tickets here.

In our August newsletter we posted a recipe for Seared Maine Scallops and Sun gold Fresh Herb Salad. Did you give it a try, or do you have a favorite way of preparing your scallops and a fresh salad? We’d love to hear your methods and see pictures of your adventures in the kitchen with scallops.

In this month’s newsletter we introduced a lemon beer recipe. If you tried it, let us know what you thought. Do you like it?

Q: After a trip to K. Horton Foods one foodie expressed how much they loved the raw milk cheese and wondered, “why doesn’t all cheese get made this way?”

A: If you love raw milk cheese, you will find a lot more of them from European importers. Here in the United States the government heavily regulates raw milk. In fact, in many US states it is illegal to buy or sell raw milk. Most American milk undergoes a pasteurization process where the milk’s temperature is raised to kill potentially dangerous bacteria. Because the government is concerned about bacteria, the FDA requires cheese makers to age raw milk cheese for 60 days before the product is allowed on the market in the States. So your wonderful, tasty, raw milk cheeses are usually imported from France for example and carried at specialty stores. So if you have a small dairy farm here in the US you either have to pasteurize your milk before you make cheese or age it for sixty days, which is a long time to wait for cheese!

If you are interested in exploring some lovely raw milk cheese make sure to check out K. Horton Foods at www.khortonfoods.com or give them a ring to see what they have in stock, 207.228.2056.