A Taste of Maine (school, to eat, rich)

[fxtrader]

You all have made me hungry and I'm stuck at work. That was a Friday or Saturday night tradition at our house and both of my grandparent's. I may have to attempt to make some myself!

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by fxtrader

You all have made me hungry and I'm stuck at work. That was a Friday or Saturday night tradition at our house and both of my grandparent's. I may have to attempt to make some myself!

We had beans on most Saturday nights too. I try not to have them now.

[elston]

Other Maine food traditions?......I know Mainah posted his recipe for fried clams once.....it sounded absolutely delicous and authentic....but like too much work for me to even contemplate doing at home.....I have fried clams about twice a summer....and have not been disappointed in whats being served up in Maines diners and roadside fry shacks. There is a place on Rt 1...just before the ramp to the highway to Sanford....that had great fried seafood....and Maine Diner's fisherman platter is incredible.

We ate a lot of fish growing up.....I think the creamed salt cod with sliced hard boiled eggs...served with a boiled potato was all about Maine....tho my Grammy. who lived her entire life on Stevens Ave in Portland.... called it "Cape Cod Turkey".

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by newenglandgirl

You can't have Boston (or Maine) Baked Beans without dark brown bread made in a can.

Boston Brown Bread Recipe | Simply Recipes

Impossible to have one without the other.

I've never been a fan of baked beans
I remember I had to "clean my plate" to leave the dinner table, and on saturday night, we had beans, I knew my mother was making them, I tried my hardest to sleep over a friends house, but no luck, I had to eat the beans
and
the bread from a can, which I disliked more

I slipped the dog as much of the beans as i could, sometimes she ate them, sometimes she didnt-then I fed her the bread,,,,,the dog threw up all over the floor
that didnt go over well

I dont believe ive ever had beans since I was 16.

or the bread
but I respect others who like it....

but because of baked beans, I vowed to never force my kid(s) to each anything they dont like- and i've honored that vow

[elston]

Good for you......I didnt make my kids eat anything they didnt like either.....their mother tried....but it never works.

I did tell them the truth that if you don't eat that.....there's not much else you can have....but the option of a peanut butter sandwich was available. I also tried to take known tastes into consideration when I was planning the menu. I also had to make the budgetary limitations known as well as nutritional needs.

[Zymer]

We ate what was put in front of us, food didn't get wasted at our house and kids didn't dictate the menu. If we didn't eat it, we went hungry until the next meal...and what we didn't eat before was put in front of us again...eventually it got ate. Friday night was always fishsticks. I hated fish (still do). I learned to drown them in ketchup and chew as few times as possible.

We have a friend who adopted a kid a couple of years ago, she lets him walk all over her. He'll say he wants one thing for supper, she'll make it and then he'll say he doesn't want it, so she makes him something else. Then he won't eat *that* and she'll make him something else again until he eats something. Whatever he didn't eat gets thrown away...worst thing is, she's on the dole- only works part-time and doesn't make enough money to support herself, nevermind a kid too, so the public is paying for all the food this kid doesn't eat. I told her to send the kid to me for a few months, I'd straighten him out right quick.

[/rant]

Back to the topic...I just cut and pasted the recipe, maybe I should have done a little editing first but I was in a hurry. My apologies if anyone got shocked at the smartass way it's written.

[TheFarmingWife]

MMMM, baked beans every Saturday night with real hot dogs-skin on, and fight for the big onion floating in the beans and cooked to almost mush...
Biscuits on the side, huge ones and sometimes stuffed full of blueberries ( buying a humongous 20 lb bag of them for the winter freezer).
Venison steak
Moose heart/liver
Cowboy skillet dinner-macaroni and canned tomatoes with mustard/ketchup/brown sugar mixed in
When I lived in a cabin on the mountain, the only other person who also lived off the land, was a grizzled old guy named Red. He would bring me a chunk of salt pork in a 5 gallon bucket, in trade for letting him hunt on my land. Any beans were thrilled to sit alongside a piece of that heaven.
Pancakes. I can make them in my sleep and they are delicious. Eat with butter/brown sugar, or syrup or molasses.
There are so many others, but I am cranky tonight. :-P

Amy J

[Maine Writer]

I'm teaching a campfire cooking class this fall and will include bean hole beans. If I can get it mastered, brown bread in a Dutch oven is on the menu. Elston and Zymer, thanks for sharing your recipes. I'm going to make enough to feed 100 people so I'll have several pots cooking.

My favorite tastes of Maine are lobster dipped in Houlton Dairy Butter, a moose roast with onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots and seasonings, seafood chowder and my all-time favorite comfort food, leek and potato soup. The blueberry muffins baking right now and reading and re-reading this thread have made my stomach growl!

[elston]

MW I havent had Houlton Dairy Butter...but I do agree that lobster dipped in clarified melted butter is an unforgetable experience....I have also become a great fan of "lobster gazpacho" and it is about my fav way to have lobster on a hot summer day....outdoor picnic. I like to present it in a large glass bowl with a ladle..(punch bowl) ..it is really elegent!

Lobster Gazpacho

Ingredients: (Use local produce as available) 5 cups tomatoes, coarsely chopped... 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped... 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped... 1 1/2 cups cucumber, peeled, chopped... 1/2 cup red onion, diced... 1/2 cup olive oil... 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar... 1/2 cup lobster or clam broth or 1/2 cup vegetable juice... Juice of one lime... 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped... 1/4 cup jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced... 1 tsp. salt... 1/4 tsp. ground coriander... 1/2 tsp. black pepper... 12 oz. cooked lobster meat, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (leave a couple of the claws whole)
Directions:In batches, process tomatoes, red pepper, green pepper, cucumber, onion, olive oil, vinegar, broth and lime juice in food processor until medium to finely chopped. Stir in cilantro, jalapeno, coriander, salt and pepper and 1/2 of the lobster meat. Fill bowls with soup; garnish with the remaining lobster meat including a claw to top each serving. Serves 4-6.


Good Luck with the Bean Hole Beans!

[Radio Flyer]

Do you have any food traditions that just say "Maine" for you?



Blueberries...Specifically warm blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream. Pure heaven and pure Maine.