Shakshuka is an easy, fragrant, and healthy breakfast dish. It’s as simple as simmering tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices and gently poaching eggs in one pot. Enjoy with pita or a baguette, plus, the aroma is certain to get your guests out of bed.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 ripe tomatoes, chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste
6 eggs
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
¼ cup chopped fresh mint, for garnish

Instructions

Place the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet and warm it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has softened, about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, turmeric, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste and cook, stirring continually, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the cover and cook until the shakshuka has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes.

Season the shakshuka with salt and pepper. Using the back of a wooden spoon, make six wells in the mixture. Crack an egg into each well and sprinkle the feta over the shakshuka.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook until the egg whites are set, 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, garnish with parsley and mint, and enjoy.

Excerpted from Mediterranean: The Ultimate Cookbook by Derek Bissonnette (Cider Mill Press, 2022). Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

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The post Shakshuka appeared first on The Maine Mag.

These potato candies were originally invented in Auburn, Maine, in the 1870s when a cook who worked for confectioner John Seavey at Seavey’s Sweets came up with a recipe for coconut creams—with a spud-based twist. The potato has long been one of Maine’s top agricultural products, and this confection was one of many industrious ways to use the versatile tuber. The candies, which are always cut into squares, became an instant hit. Seavey reportedly named the candies after a popular preacher of the time, George C. Needham, but I can’t help but think the name stuck due to its obvious marketing appeal, since the name explicitly states that you “need ’em.” Which, for the record, you do.

Makes about 18 large or 36 small candies

Ingredients

1 medium-sized russet potato (at least ½ pound)
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 cups shredded, sweetened coconut, firmly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Dark chocolate melting wafers

Instructions

For large candies (1½-inch square), line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper that hangs over the sides so it can be pulled out easily. For smaller candies (¾-inch square), do the same with an 8 × 8-inch pan. (Full disclosure: smaller candies take twice as long to coat in chocolate—but you do end up with twice as many!)

In a pot of boiling water, cook the potato whole until tender all the way through when pierced with a fork (this can take 30 to 40 minutes depending on the size and shape of your potato). Let cool until still warm but easily handled. Peel the potato, then put it through a ricer or food mill until smooth. (You can also push it through a standard-mesh sieve with a sturdy wooden spoon. Do not use a food processor or blender—the potato will turn out gluey.)

Measure out ⅓ cup of mashed potato. If cold, reheat the potato in the microwave, just until warm. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar, coconut, vanilla, and salt with a wooden spoon until well mixed. The mixture should be moist. If not, keep mixing until no longer dry. Press the mixture into the prepared pan and freeze for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the freezer and cut with a sharp knife into pieces. Freeze again for 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave in 30-second increments at 50 percent power, stirring in between, until melted. (If you stop heating when the chips are mostly but not entirely melted, you can keep stirring to melt the rest of the chocolate without losing the temper.) Alternatively, you can melt your chocolate in a metal bowl set over a small saucepan with an inch of gently simmering water. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water.

Remove the coconut mixture from the freezer. Remove the parchment from the pan and separate the candies with a knife. One at a time, dip the candies in melted chocolate, remove with a fork, and set on parchment or waxed paper to dry. If the chocolate starts to harden in the bowl before you’re done, you can gently reheat in the microwave. Try to pull out any pieces of coconut that fall into the chocolate as you go so the candy coating is smooth and appealing. Candies can be stored at room temperature for 2 days, or 4 to 5 in the refrigerator.

Excerpted from New England Desserts by Tammy Donroe Inman (Globe Pequot, 2022). Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

Read More:

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  How to Make Needhams
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  Picnic-Style Seekh Kebabs with Lime Juice
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  Seared Eggplant with Mint, Basil + Walnuts in Yogurt Olive Oil Dressing
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  For the Love of Shellfish

The post How to Make Needhams appeared first on The Maine Mag.

When the flames began to die back a little bit, I stuck the sticks holding the Pioneer Drumsticks firmly into the ground at an angle over the fire. We sat around watching them as they shimmered and dripped and finally began to brown. Our stomachs made pre-dinner conversation.

Unable to wait until they were really cooked, we each took one of them, stuck it in a roll, and yanked the hot stick out of the center. They were charred outside, raw inside, and totally delicious. We wolfed them down and wiped the grease from our mouths with our bare arms.

“The Body” in Different Seasons
by Stephen King

A lot has changed in Maine since those boys from Castle Rock walked along the train tracks to the watershed moment of their childhood. Immigrants to Maine from around the world have followed their dreams here, bringing with them a taste of home. There are also travelers who come to watch the boys on the Walk, and I listen and gather their stories and recipes too. The recipe for these seekh kebabs came from one of those travelers, long ago, when I still had all my boys around me. They were never happier than after a supper of these.

Serve with flatbreads and a green salad for a picnic-style meal that will take you back to the campfires under the stars of your youth.

INGREDIENTS

1 small yellow onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, quartered
1½-inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne
1½ pounds 80% lean ground beef
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

In the bowl of a small food processor, combine the onion, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and process until finely ground, 20 to 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed.

In a large bowl, combine the beef with the spice mixture. Using your hands, blend together, massaging the spice mixture into the meat and pounding it into a paste with your fist. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Prepare the grill. If using charcoal, spread a chimney of hot coals evenly over the grill bed. For gas, set all burners to high and heat, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Divide the meat into six equal portions about 4 ounces each. Roll each portion into a tight ball, then into a log about 8 inches long. Thread a metal or wooden skewer lengthwise through the center of each log and, using your fingertips, press and roll the logs firmly onto the skewers.

Using a grill brush or stone, scrub the grill clean if necessary. Squeeze three or four paper towels into a loose ball, drizzle with vegetable oil, and quickly wipe the grill to grease it.

Grill the skewers, covered, using tongs to turn them twice, until well charred and firm to the touch, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.

Brush the lime juice onto the kebabs and serve with the lime wedges for squeezing.

Note: I prefer the indestructibility of metal skewers; if you’re using the wooden variety, be sure to soak them in water for 2 to 3 hours before grilling.

Excerpted from Castle Rock Kitchen: Wicked Good Recipes from the World of Stephen King by Theresa Carle-Sanders with a foreword by Stephen King (Ten Speed Press, 2022). Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

READ MORE:

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  Shakshuka
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  How to Make Needhams
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  Picnic-Style Seekh Kebabs with Lime Juice
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  Seared Eggplant with Mint, Basil + Walnuts in Yogurt Olive Oil Dressing
• 
  For the Love of Shellfish

The post Picnic-Style Seekh Kebabs with Lime Juice appeared first on The Maine Mag.

Its glamorous and vaguely sinister-sounding name notwithstanding, the nightshade family boasts several of my favorite fruits and vegetables, including bell peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants, which hit peak ripeness during the hot and humid late summer months. Keen eggplant spotters at farmers’ markets will discover alternate colors—white, green, and orange, for example—as well as shapes and sizes that run the gamut beyond the familiar aubergine oblong. The great thing about eggplant is that its mild flavors and satisfying texture take on aspects of whatever you do to or put with it. Here, that’s a delicious array of flavors, from the sweet (honey) to the sour-tangy (yogurt, mustard, vinegar), to the fragrant (herbs, garlic), to the smoky (char from the grill). Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

1⁄4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced

1⁄4 teaspoon Aleppo chile flakes

Flaky sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 to 5 small eggplants (about 1 3⁄4 pounds total), such as Italian, graffiti, or any variety that looks good or is in season

3⁄4 cup raw walnut halves

1⁄2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn if large 1⁄2 cup fresh mint leaves, torn if large

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, mustard, vinegar, honey, garlic, and chile flakes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Cut the stem ends off the eggplants and cut vertically into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices. Set aside.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and cook the walnuts, stirring a few times, until toasted and almost charred in parts, about 4 minutes. Remove to a small bowl and set aside.

Drizzle the eggplant slices lightly with olive oil. With the heat still on medium-high, add the slices to the skillet in batches and let cook, flipping halfway through cooking, until charred in parts, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the eggplant to large plates or a serving platter and sprinkle very lightly with salt. Continue cooking the remaining eggplant, placing it on the platter and sprinkling with salt, until all the eggplant is cooked.

Drizzle the eggplant all over with the yogurt dressing. Use your hands to break and crumble the walnuts over the top. Sprinkle everywhere with the basil and mint. Serve warm or at room temperature within a few hours (garnish just before serving).

Excerpted from Eat Cool: Good Food for Hot Days by Vanessa Seder (Rizzoli, 2021). Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

Read More:

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  Seared Eggplant with Mint, Basil + Walnuts in Yogurt Olive Oil Dressing
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  For the Love of Shellfish

The post Seared Eggplant with Mint, Basil + Walnuts in Yogurt Olive Oil Dressing appeared first on The Maine Mag.

When they’re available, small fingerling potatoes are perfect for this recipe. Otherwise small red or white potatoes work well, cut into smaller pieces as needed for even cooking. To temper the heat of the chiles, you can remove the seeds from the slices. You can also use a milder chile instead, such as Anaheim. This can be served in small portions as a sort of tapas offering with drinks, or for two as a main course with sautéed zucchini or another green vegetable alongside. Makes two main courses or six appetizer servings.

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 475ºF.

Depending on the size and shape of the potatoes you’re using, cut them into pieces as needed: larger fingerlings in half lengthwise and/or across into pieces about 11⁄2 inches long; round potatoes in half or quarters. Small fingerlings or little “nugget” potatoes can be cooked as is.

Put the potatoes in a steamer rack in a medium saucepan set above a couple of inches of water. Cover, bring the water to a boil, and steam until the potatoes are about half cooked: a paring knife should pierce with a little resistance, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the steamer and set aside to cool and dry.

Combine the potatoes and jalapeño slices in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and drizzle
the oil over, then add the salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Gently toss well so the vegetables are evenly coated in oil. Spread them in a relatively even layer and roast until the potatoes are partly browned and the jalapeños are mostly tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and add the mussels in a relatively even layer.

Return the baking dish to the oven and roast until the mussels have opened, 6 to 8 minutes.

Scoop the mussels (discarding any that did not open), potatoes, and jalapeños into shallow bowls, spoon the cooking liquids over, and serve right away.

Excerpted from Shellfish by Cynthia Nims (Sasquatch Books, 2022). Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

• 
  Shakshuka
• 
  How to Make Needhams
• 
  Picnic-Style Seekh Kebabs with Lime Juice
• 
  Seared Eggplant with Mint, Basil + Walnuts in Yogurt Olive Oil Dressing
• 
  For the Love of Shellfish

The post For the Love of Shellfish appeared first on The Maine Mag.

Like to eat your breakfast on the go? Then these compact hand pies are the answer! Any scrambled egg recipe would work well in these pies, or you can try the recipe below. This recipe is meatless, but you can easily add some bacon or sausage if you prefer a little extra protein in the morning. The hand pies are versatile, so feel free to substitute the cheese of your choice or add some extra veggies. Leftover pies can be refrigerated or frozen, and then defrosted and reheated briefly in the oven.
Makes 6 hand pies.

INGREDIENTS
4 eggs
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature ½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
2 tablespoons sliced scallions
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
One 9-inch piecrust (homemade or store-bought) All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 tablespoon water

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Scramble 3 of the eggs in a skillet. Stir in the cream cheese, Gruyère, and scallions. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool slightly while you roll out the piecrust dough.

On a floured surface, roll out the piecrust dough to roughly 12 inches square. Cut the dough into twelve 3 x 4-inch rectangles using a pastry cutter or sharp knife, rerolling and cutting the trimmings as needed. Arrange 6 of the rectangles on the baking sheet. In a small bowl whisk the remaining egg and the water.

Top each rectangle on the baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the egg filling, leaving a
½-inch border around the edges. Brush along the border with the egg wash, saving the remaining egg wash for brushing the top. Then place or lay the remaining rectangles over the egg filling for each pie, stretching the dough slightly to fit. Press the edges of the rectangles together to enclose the filling and seal, then crimp with a fork.

Chill the pies for 30 minutes. Brush the surface of each pie with the remaining egg wash and prick a few holes in it with a toothpick. Bake until the tops are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Excerpted from The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook by Lisa Steele (Harper Horizon, 2022). Used with permission from the publisher.

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The post Breakfast On the Go appeared first on The Maine Mag.

If you want to be more thoughtful with your imbibing or impress guests at your next lawn party, try diving into the world of cocktails. For ideas and inspiration, we asked some of our favorite Maine bartenders what they’ll be mixing up this summer. Sure, grabbing a cold beer from a cooler or walking around with a rosé-filled Yeti tumbler is easier, but this isn’t about convenience. This is about making the most of every moment—and every drink.

Old Orchard Peach

LyAnna Sanabria has worked behind the bar at Via Vecchia in Portland and Round Turn Distilling in Biddeford and runs the beverage program at Pacifico in Saco. Her cocktail is an orchard sling that uses a Bimini gin that is finished in bourbon, brandy, and rum barrels.

2 ounces Bimini BR1 Gin
½ ounce Rothman and Winter Orchard Peach Liqueur ½ ounce coconut water
½ ounce Bully Boy Rum Cooperative Volume 1
½ ounce dry vermouth
¾ ounce fresh lime juice
½ ounce simple syrup
Angostura bitters

Combine all the ingredients but the bitters in a cocktail shaker. Whip and shake, then strain into a Collins glass. Fill the glass with crushed ice. Add a float of bitters. Garnish with a cocktail umbrella, of course.

Midnight Sun

Sarah Jackson, bar manager at the cocktail bar Portland Hunt and Alpine Club, created this drink that utilizes gin, an Italian bitter aperitif called Cynar, and homemade strawberry syrup.

1 ounce Beefeater gin
1 ounce Cynar
1 ounce strawberry syrup (see recipe below) ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
½ ounce 2:1 simple syrup
2 dashes Regans’ Orange Bitters
3 cucumber slices
Soda water
Strawberry

Strawberry syrup:
16 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled
16 ounces sugar

Combine hulled strawberries and sugar in a bowl. Let sit over-night, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Strain the syrup into a jar and refrigerate. (You can save the strained strawberries for topping ice cream.)

Combine all the ingredients but the soda water, cucumber, and strawberry in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Add 2 cucumber slices, shake, and strain into a Collins glass filled with ice and top with soda water. Garnish with a strawberry and the remaining slice of cucumber.

Fever Reliever

Crispy Gai bar manager Arvid Brown is known for his unique tropical drinks, and this cocktail with coco-nut–infused mezcal, various rums, pineapple, cinnamon, lime, and nutmeg epitomizes his creations at the Portland restaurant.

1 ounce toasted coconut–infused Banhez mezcal ¾ ounce Bully Boy Rum Cooperative Volume 2 ½ ounce Leblon Cachaça
1 ounce pineapple juice
¾ ounce lime juice
½ ounce cinnamon syrup
2 dashes orange bitters
Nutmeg
Pineapple fronds

Combine all the ingredients but the nutmeg and pineapple fronds in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a glass of your choice. Garnish with grated nutmeg and some pineapple fronds.

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The post Impress Guests at Your Next Lawn Party With These Three Summer Cocktails appeared first on The Maine Mag.

“Habiba Salat is a farmer at Little Jubba Central Maine Agrarian Commons in Wales. Habiba was born in Somalia, and in 1991 she fled to a Kenyan refugee camp during the Somali Civil War. She moved to Maine in 2005. She now goes to two farmers’ markets, in Yarmouth and Norway, and often cooks Somali traditional foods like muufo corn bread. Little Jubba Central Maine Agrarian Commons is the latest step in securing farmland tenure for future generations of Somali Bantu agrarians. We chose the name Little Jubba Central Maine to describe our relationship to land, the Jubba River Valley being our ancestral farmland and Central Maine being our home now. Today in Central Maine, more than 200 Somali Bantu farmers can grow their own culturally preferred foods, such as the flint corn this recipe is made from.” —Muhidin Libah

Ingredients

2 cups Maine Grains Liberation Farms cornmeal or other corn flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon yeast
2 eggs
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

Mix together the corn flour, all-purpose flour, and yeast. Add the eggs and mix for 10 minutes. Stir in the water and mix for another 10 minutes. Continue mixing as you add the salt and sugar. Place the dough in a large bowl, and leave it in a cool, dry place to rise for three hours.

When the dough has risen, form the dough into balls. Shape them into round, flat breads. Place on a hot griddle, and cook for 10 minutes, flipping the bread when it starts to color. Muufo is done when it’s cooked through and reddish brown in color.

Excerpted from Maine Community Cookbook, Volume 2: 200 More Recipes Celebrating Home Cooking in the Pine Tree State by Margaret Hathaway and Karl Schatz (Islandport Press, 2022). Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

Read More:

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  Shakshuka
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The post Muufo Corn Bread appeared first on The Maine Mag.

This pairing, which brings together mushrooms and saison, is all about the umami experience. The brewery recommends its “seaweed saison,” which is brewed with Maine-grown organic wheat, oat, and spelt from Maine Grains and locally harvested dulse, kelp, and Irish moss seaweeds, which are then fermented with Brettanomyces. You should be able to find a local savory saison that pairs just as well, as many brewers are experimenting with alternative grains and umami ingredients in their beers.

Ingredients

1 pound wild mushrooms, preferably oyster, trumpet,
and lion’s mane, cut into bite-size pieces
4 tablespoons mild extra-virgin olive oil
1 head garlic
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons light cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4½ cups vegetable stock
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (optional) 3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 baguette, halved horizontally and cut into 8 slices 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add the mushrooms to the prepared baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and toss to coat. Cut the head of garlic horizontally in half and rub both cut sides with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add to the baking sheet with the mushrooms and roast for 20 minutes, or until the mushrooms start to brown at the edges. Continue to roast the garlic, as needed, until browned all over. Let the garlic cool, and once it’s cool enough to handle, peel it and discard the skins.

In a small bowl, whisk together the light cream and cornstarch until no lumps remain. Set aside.
In a deep pot, combine two-thirds of the mushrooms with the peeled roasted garlic, the vegetable stock, and black and white pepper, if using. Use an immersion blender or food processor to purée until smooth then place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Slowly incorporate the cream and cornstarch slurry, stirring continuously. Return to a boil and continue boiling until the soup is thick, about 1 minute. Stir in the rest of the mushrooms and the leaves of the fresh thyme.

When ready to serve, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Spread butter on one side of each baguette slice then add to the skillet, buttered side down, and toast for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown.

Divide the bisque among bowls and serve hot with the toasted baguette.

Excerpted from The Craft Brewery Cookbook: Recipes to Pair with Your Favorite Beers by John Holl (Princeton Architectural Press, 2022).

Read More:

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The post Roasted Mushroom and Garlic Bisque with Pan-Toasted Baguette appeared first on The Maine Mag.

The motivating factor for this recipe was a big box of wild Maine blueberries from the previous year’s harvest that needed eating. But there were other incentives. “Ployes” are a dish native to Maine and New Brunswick. They are similar to a crepe or a pancake but made with heartier ingredients. This recipe calls for buck-wheat flour as a sort of nod to the historic ployes while also calling upon the March maple syrup harvest.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup buckwheat flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking pancakes
1½ cups blueberries
Powdered sugar
Lots of maple syrup
Salted butter, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine. In another medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, lemon zest, milk, vanilla, and melted butter. Whisk to combine. Make a well in the center of the bowl with the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine without overmixing. A few lumps will only make your pancakes better.

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Heat up a cast-iron frying pan or griddle over medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and let melt.

Place ¼ cup of the batter onto the griddle and drop a few blueberries on top. Let cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Once bubbles start to form, flip the pancake and cook for another minute or two. As each pancake is finished, move it to a heatproof serving platter or plate and place in the oven to keep warm. Meanwhile pour some syrup in a little saucepan and place over low heat to warm. Once you’ve got ten pancakes, place a few on each plate with a dusting of powdered sugar and a heavy serving of maple syrup. Serve with a crock of room-temperature salted butter.

Excerpted from Modern Country Cooking by Annemarie Ahearn (Roost Books, 2020).

Read More:

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The post Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes with Maple Syrup appeared first on The Maine Mag.