the community within patch of land core countertops dinner for one
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spring 2015 • vol. 18, no. 1
In the Groove
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editor’s note
Editor & Publisher Laurie LaMountain Contributing Writers Leigh Macmillen Hayes, Perri Black, Marguerite Wiser Contributing Photographers Ethan McNerney, Leigh Macmillen Hayes, Michael Berube, Brandon McKenney, BrennaMae Thomas, Ruth Mueller, Two Echo Co-housing Graphic Designer Dianne Lewis Proofreader/Copy Editor Leigh Macmillen Hayes Lake Living is published quarterly by Almanac Graphics, Inc., 625 Rocky Knoll Rd, Denmark, ME 04022 207-452-8005. www.lakelivingmaine. com e-mail: lakeliving@fairpoint.net ©2015. All rights reserved. Contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without written consent from the publisher. Annual subscriptions are available by sending check or money order for $20 to the above address.
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12 8 in the groove
by laurie lamountain
12 the community within
by leigh macmillen hayes
16 centennial hall revisited
by perri black
20 from drab to fab
by perri black
22 a patch of land
by marguerite wiser
26 core countertops
by leigh macmillen hayes
28 dinner for one
by laurie lamountain
cover photo ethan mcnerney
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ethan mcnerney
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brandon mckenney
ethan mcnerney
spring 2015 • vol. 18, no. 1
two echo co - housing
Listening to the news the other day, I was struck by how serious it was. Even the weather was news, with its threat of record-breaking snowfalls and low temperatures driven even lower still by wind chill factors. I thought, what am I thinking publishing this little mag that is so not serious? I mean, who cares about community and kitchen countertops when ISIL is lurking behind the next, inevitable act of terrorism and climate change threatens worldwide droughts, famines and pandemics? A lot of good community will do you in the face of all that! Then I thought, indeed. There will always be bad news. It seems we have an insatiable appetite for it, or at least the media think we do. Or maybe the world really is going to hell in a handbasket, but I sincerely hope not. One of my favorite Rufus Wainwright songs, “Oh, What a World,” has a line that asks, “Wouldn’t it be a lovely headline, ‘Life is Beautiful,’ on The New York Times?” Maybe if we heard a little less about what’s wrong with the world and more about what’s good, it would reverse the troubled tide that washes over it, or at least temper it. It’s for that reason that I’ll continue to publish this little mag, with its frequent topics of community, conservation, cultivation and, yes, even countertops. And if, nothing else, it makes people contemplate those precious concepts and forget about how bad things are for a while, I consider that good news. Laurie LaMountain
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In the Groove by laurie lamountain photos by ethan mcnerney
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vividly remember my first phonograph, or record player as it were. Received as a Christmas present when I was around ten or eleven, it was a very basic blue and white box that opened flat and closed with a gold latch when not in use. I could play either 33 or 45 rpm records on it. A plastic disk inserted into the center of a 45 allowed it to adjust to the spindle. An arm reached across to stabilize the records until they were dropped, one at a time, onto the turntable below. I also remember the first record I bought with my own money. Linda Crozier and Bonnie Cipriano, classmates at Presumpscot Elementary School, and I scoured the record stacks at Zayre’s for the record that we would play over and over and over, much to our parents’ dismay. Linda and Bonnie both chose The Jackson 5 single “ABC” and I chose Santana’s “Evil Ways.” The Catholic school girl in me had a sense that it was not the most wholesome choice, but something about Carlos Santana’s guitar playing and the suggestively dark lyrics was thrilling. I wore that record out. Eventually, I progressed to LPs. A big commitment, considering the price and the fact that each contained an entire album of songs, some of which I was inevitably not as fond of as others. Almost all of my albums, with the exception of Abbey Road, are more scratched and worn on Side One. I’m pretty sure, though, that the first album I sprung for was Led Zeppelin’s Black Dog and the second was Alice Cooper’s School’s Out. The latter came with a pair of disposable pink panties wrapped around the record, though this was later discontinued as the paper panties were found to be flammable.
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In almost every case, with almost every album, I could tell you the order of the songs and knew most of the lyrics by heart. When CDs came into play in the 1980s, most of us, including me, abandoned our turntables and LPs, swearing that the sound quality was much better on CDs. Turns out, after a few decades of listening to digitized music in MP3 format, we’ve come to realize there’s a depth and purity in analog music that we’re sorely missing. Neil Young feels so strongly that MP3 is the low bar for music, he’s introduced a new highdefinition digital music player called Pono that offers listeners studio-quality sound. He points out that the reason you can store
a lot of MP3 on a device is because they really have very little information in them; that they are too much of a compromise. So, either you buy a Pono (more on that later) or you can dust off your LPs and buy a turntable to spin them on, which is what more and more people, in all age groups, are tending to do. A New York Times article written by Christopher Schuetze points out that “It is not only those who still pine for the golden age of vinyl who are buying, but also those too young to remember a time when recorded music was routinely stored on a physical medium.” Rich Favia, who owns Longplayer Stereo Center in Bridgton, is old enough
to appreciate the merits of analog sound in general and vinyl in particular. A selfprofessed audiophile, Favia came to his love of sound early. He grew up in a house where there was always music playing. He recalls his father listening to classical music and opera on weekends and his mother listening to Julius LaRosa and Perry Como during the week. He also remembers taking radios apart and fixing them at a very young age. When he landed a job at a music store in New York in his twenties, he turned his passion into his livelihood. “I’m really lucky. This is play for me.” Favia established Longplayer Stereo in the Hudson Valley Region of New York State nearly thirty years ago. In 2005, he relocated the business to Maine, where he continues to sell high-performance audio components and home theater products from his showroom on Main Street. What’s great about Favia is that he understands all kinds of technology, which is invaluable when you’re as technologically challenged as I am. Years ago, I brought him a Bang & Olufsen turntable I’d bought from a friend for fifty bucks and he set me up with everything I needed to resurrect my vinyl collection—and, it was affordable. More importantly, he was still around when I couldn’t figure out which wire went to which port on my new NAD receiver and how to actually get sound out of my new speakers. These days, Favia has more and more customers coming through the door looking for turntables and he notes that they’re not age specific. There are a lot of older people out there who simply want to spin their old vinyl and a lot of young people who have discovered their parents’ collection of 1960s and ‘70s records and want to find a way to play them. Then there’s a group in between that’s very high-tech about everything and is looking for a turnable in order to transform their vinyl into digital format. They care less about the music and more about the technology behind it. Con-
“The audiophile can literally spend thousands of dollars on a turntable, but I always reflect back on the definition of high-end. High-end doesn’t have to mean high price, it just means good quality. You can get excellent quality and you don’t need to spend a million bucks.”
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“An analog signal is a continuous flow of energy. A digital signal is not. It’s bits and pieces of it; it’s fragments. You can fragment this thing into the smallest amount but there’s still spaces between everything.”
venience is an essential feature of the components they choose to deliver their music. Whatever their preferences, Favia is committed to providing his customers audio components that will interface with what they may already have, along with technical know-how and experience to make them all work together as a high-end sound system. Since there are only about a dozen high-end audio dealers in all of New England, that makes Bridgton an audiophile destination. “The audiophile can literally spend thousands of dollars on a turntable, but I always reflect back on the definition of high-end. High-end doesn’t have to mean high price, it just means good quality. You can get excellent quality and you don’t need to spend a million bucks. There’s a turntable behind you that’s made in Austria that costs $300. Just plug it into an existing audio system and it’s ready to play. It’s considered a high-end turntable but a budget price piece. Will you get better sound out of the next model or two up? Yeah, definitely, but everybody has a budget. At least it’s a place to start and it’s made well. Then you get into the audiophile series of turntables,
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like the VPIs over there, which to me are the best turntables you can buy; they can range from a thousand dollars up to forty or fifty-thousand dollars,” says Favia. People who appreciate analog sound are all about quality. They will go to any length to achieve pure sound, or “audio nirvana,” and for that reason are referred to as tweakers. In an article in JazzTimes magazine titled “Tweaks . . . and Other Audio Voodoo,” author Mike Quinn puts it this way, “Within the universe of high-end audio exists a subculture. Harry Pearson, editor-in-chief of The Absolute Sound, the high-end bible, calls it ‘tweakdom,’ populated by individuals who cannot leave wellenough alone, tweaking their audio systems constantly with exotic cables, magic dots and other mysterious gadgets.” Favia considers himself a tweaker. When asked if he’s likely to sell Ponos at Longplayer Stereo, he points out that while it certainly produces better sound quality than MP3, it’s still digital, which, Young himself essentially admits, is a compromise. In another article written for JazzTimes, Mike Quinn quotes Peter Lederman, chief engineer of Soundsmith Corporation, a
manufacturer of fine phono cartridges, regarding the digital dilemma: “It is the events lost between each sample, and the multiple errors that are introduced by attempting to digitally capture, decode and filter your way back to the original analog sound that makes CDs inferior in critical respects when compared with analog. It has been said that once you take filet mignon and grind it up into hamburger, you can never find a chef that will make it taste like filet again.” While Favia realizes the scope of the digital industry and is not about to ignore it in his store, his take on it is this: “An analog signal is a continuous flow of energy. A digital signal is not. It’s bits and pieces of it; it’s fragments. You can fragment this thing into the smallest amount but there’s still spaces between everything. There are arguments out there that the brain can’t perceive that, well, a lot of people can. It’s subtle but it’s there.” Those people are the ones Favia loves to see walk through the door of Longplayer Stereo. R Longplayer Stereo Center is located at 186 Main Street in Downtown Bridgton. Reach them by phone at 207-647-8649 or find them on the Web at longplayer.com.
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We trusted one another. If things got tough, we helped each other out. Okay, so time may have warped my memory a bit, but . . . Today, it seems as though world events are pushing our desire to return to those days of yore or even create something intentional, something that reaches toward the interconnectedness of all life. Perhaps it’s something that mimics nature, where the flock continues to seek a balance between what’s good for the group and what’s good for the individual. That’s the basic concept behind Two Echo Co-housing in Brunswick, where Beston’s words ring true and “the commonweal” is the heartbeat of the community.
Two Echo Co-housing
ruth mueller
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The Community Within: Our Changing Neighborhoods by leigh macmillen hayes
Under today’s disorders there is something at work among the nations whose great importance has not yet been adequately realized—the need of men for a community to live in and live with. The hope is vague, unsaid, and unformulated, but the need is great, and there is something in our hearts which troubles us that we have lost what was once so beautifully called “the commonweal.” I suspect that if this open wound is to heal, it will have to heal like all wounds from the bottom, and that we shall have to begin at the beginning with the family and its obligations, with the village and its responsibilities, and with our universal and neglected duty to the earth. Northern Farm: A Glorious year on a small Maine farm by Henry Beston, 1948
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owerful sentiments expressed by Henry Beston. They make me nostalgic for the old neighborhood—a dead end street where we rode our bikes constantly and played SPUD under the streetlight, where we didn’t think anything of walking into our neighbors’ homes, playing kickball in their yards, sledding down their sloped
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property and cutting through on our way to the library. Coffee klatches, stay-at-home moms, borrowed cups of sugar, laundry drying on the clotheslines, sleepovers, snowball fights and monopoly games that lasted for days on end were the norm. It was a small neighborhood developed in the mid 50’s and we all knew each other.
he first time I heard about the co-housing concept was from my colleague in the Maine Master Naturalist program, Cicy Po. She spoke of shared meals and land that was co-owned. Listening to her, I envisioned a place where a number of families all lived happily under one roof. You know what they say about first impressions. The concept of co-housing is to build smaller homes clustered together and to not take up land with buildings. Cooperative management of what is owned in common is based on the Danish model created in the 1960s, when young professionals realized the benefits of sharing childcare and eventually other needs. While co-housing communities derive from this model, each implements its principles in the community’s own way. The effort to create Two Echo began in 1991, when interested parties organized the Cumberland County Co-housing Community or C4. Homeowners purchase the right to build on 50 x 100-foot lots within the larger property. Ultimately, they own the footprint under their homes. Based on the Limited Common Element concept familiar to condominium developments, they have the sole right to use the land within that lot for their own purposes. Monies raised from sales of lots allowed the C4 group to develop the overall infrastructure, including the Common House, built in 2005 when the funds were available. Walking down the dirt lane that meanders within the community, it is immediately clear that these are not cookie-cutter homes. And yet, they are tied together architecturally by the angle of their pitched rooflines. Twenty-seven houses, including three duplexes, are situated along the loop with the Common House at the center. It’s not
an exact circle, a metaphor perhaps for the fluidity of the community. “If you are expecting Utopia,” says resident Jean Konzal, “you are not going to find it here. We’re all human beings. Whatever issues and problems we have in the outside world we bring with us.” Living in such close proximity, there are bound to be different viewpoints and expectations. An underlying understanding is that civility is key and not everyone needs to be best friends. There is a common belief among many of the residents—a belief in the value of community. And interaction. “Feelings and passions can run high,” says Cicy. “And because we know and interact with our neighbors more in some ways, we have more dramatic interchanges at times. Learning to live together takes work.” The set up to foster relationships is one reason many residents choose to live here. Cicy and her husband, Frederik, appreciate that their children engage with people ages 1 to 70+. Resident Ruth Mueller says, “Older people get the benefit of interacting with kids regularly, and younger people get to know more older people than just their own grandparents.” “I chose to move to Two Echo for a number of reasons,” adds Ruth. “My daughter is very much an extrovert, and as a single working mom, I didn’t know how I was going to find the time and energy to arrange for all the social contact that she needs. When I found Two Echo, it seemed that living here would be a great way for her to have a whole community of people, including other kids in her life. It’s good for me too. It makes it much easier to meet people and become part of a community when you know that everyone is here because they want to get to know people, and be an active part of the community.” Jean and her husband, Bill, moved here about seven years ago following their retirement. “It’s a place I want to be as an elder,” says Jean. “Having a community of people of all different ages is vital to mental and physical health.” She smiles as she recalls a youngster knocking on the door to ask if Bill could come out to play. Like the neighborhood I grew up in, Two Echo is a safe place to raise kids because they know all the neighbors, many of whom they see on a daily basis.There is minimal traffic on the inner loop, allowing every-
From Brunswick to Bridgton, the concept of living within a smaller community has taken hold. Two-Echo Cohousing in Brunswick is a multigenerational community, while The Cottages at Willett Brook in Bridgton is for ages 55 plus. Both encourage that we leave a smaller footprint on the Earth while simultaneously instilling a sense of belonging. These are places where people can practice a sustainable and healthy life, while cultivating relationships that are mutually supportive.
one to move about freely. And similar to the Danish model, there’s always someone available to rely upon when needed. As an intentional community, the homeowners pay a homeowners’ association fee and co-manage the property they hold in common. It is expected that everyone will participate in the community in some way but residents are allowed to embrace the communal activities to varying degrees. In this place, the co-housing concept extends to the outdoors. Part of the shared property includes 72 acres of conserved woodland and agricultural fields traversed by a network of trails. And then there are the gardens. Individual gardens border the access road. More gardens surround the Common House and village green. Born a city girl, Jean admits she wasn’t much of a gardener before moving here. “We lived all over the country,” she says. “I always tried to garden, but never learned how to take care of the soil. People here know how to garden. I watch what they do and do the same.” It’s become her passion. All agree that the co-housing community has been a powerful experience. Cicy says, “Our kids have had many lessons about respect and kindness that we didn’t directly plant for them as their parents. They found these lessons around the loop. We also fortuitously found friendships here that we think are life lasting.” Ruth adds, “To me, this way of life just makes sense. We all have access to our fields and woods and gardens—far more than any one family could afford. I don’t think I would want to go back to living in a regular community again.” “We are so happy to be part of this community,” says Jean. “We know we made the right decision—we’re around kids, younger adults, people we can learn from. Aesthetically, it fills my soul. There are things to do and people to interact with.” I suspect Henry Beston would heartily approve the commonweal of Two Echo. lakelivingmaine.com
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It’s an example of one model that could work anywhere—even in a conventional neighborhood.
The Cottages at Willett Brook
nother take on Beston’s concept is developing in the lakes region. The Cottages at Willett Brook off South High Street in Bridgton, being built by Main Eco Homes and developed by Justin McIver and Mark Lopez, will feature energy-efficient detached homes for active adults age 55 plus. This isn’t the elderly housing of yesteryear. Part of the premise behind this concept is one of people at the same stage of life sharing leisure-time interests and pursuits, thus creating a neighborhood ambiance. For baby boomers, this sort of community provides an opportunity to meet others and stay engaged at a time when you no longer have kids in school or necessarily work full time. It doesn’t mean that you have to be retired to live here. Nor does it mean you need to slow down. There will be resident-driven social opportunities and the community is located close to all that Bridgton and the surrounding area have to offer, from the lakes and hiking trails to golf courses and ski areas. The on-site club house will provide a communal place to congregate and pursue new hobbies while meeting like-minded people. It’s also about simplifying one’s life. As Justin says, he often asks potential homeowners how many outfits that hang in their closets they actually wear. My own “uniforms” flash through my mind as I realize I should consider de-cluttering my life. Living with less can be liberating. It provides more time to spend with others and explore outdoors. Being basically a kid-free environment, (yes, your grandchildren may visit), this community offers the opportunity to live among and learn from peers. In today’s world, 55+ includes a variety of people— both age wise and experience wise. This is Maine, where isolation and social exclusion are often a challenge—and we are New Englanders, after all. At The Cottages, one can maintain his or her personal autonomy, but mix it up with a vibrant, companionable dimension. The plan for this concept is to ultimately develop sixty affordable “mini eco” homes on a 29-acre track of land held in common near St. Joseph’s Catholic Church that will become a collaborative community.
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photos: michael berube
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As planned, there will be six cul-de-sacs, each consisting of ten houses centered around a community garden. There are two blueprints available for the stick-built singlefloor homes—one at 600 square feet and the other, 640 square feet with a screened-in front porch.
As planned, there will be six cul-desacs, each consisting of ten houses centered around a community garden. There are two blueprints available for the stick-built single-floor homes—one at 600 square feet and the other, 640 square feet with a screened-in front porch. Visiting the model home recently, I was surprised to find it felt more spacious than I had expected. Both house designs feature open ceilings and an open concept kitchen/ living room, two bedrooms (or one bedroom and an office/den) and one bath with a walk-in shower. A foyer, closet space, stacked washer/dryer and kitchen island, plus foam board and spray foam insulation are part of the package. There are upgrades available, including granite countertops and solar panels, the latter which would eliminate the heating and cooling bill and reduce the total utility bill from approximately $1,200 to $400/year. Each cul-de-sac will have garages that residents may rent. RV and boat storage will also be available. A club house will feature an up-to-date kitchen, two bathrooms, a meeting/entertainment room, fitness facility and solar panels. This will also be the home of mailboxes, thus giving residents a place to interact on a daily basis. The plan provides an opportunity for you to own your own home and 5-7,000 square-foot lot within the greater community. A monthly HOA fee will cover maintenance of the grounds, plus management of shared spaces and the club house. Toward the back of the property, closer to Willet Brook, a walking trail will connect with the snowmobile/ATV trail that leads toward Willet Road and provides easy access to Pondicherry Park. In both the co-housing and 55+ active neighborhoods, residents can make a real contribution to the community right outside their front doors. Or back doors, which was the case where I grew up and to this day the neighbors remain part of my extended family. As happens in any space where people live in close proximity, there will be personality conflicts, communication difficulties and perhaps power struggles. But out of conflict can come creativity, along with new friendships and a new lifestyle. With intention you can live within the community. R FMI: Two Echo Co-housing, twoecho.org The Cottages at Willow Brook, www.BridgtonLiving.com lakelivingmaine.com
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Centennial Hall revisited
by perri black • photographs by ethan mcnerney
“It has been said that, at its best, preservation engages the past in a conversation with the present over a mutual concern for the future.” william murtagh, first Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places
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hat a difference a year makes! In spring of 2014, I wrote about the rejuvenation of the Centennial Hall in Denmark. At that time, the building was down to lath and bare beams and the “monuments men” crew was just beginning to work on the windows. And, it was very cold. Since then, the Hall, which was built in 1876 to mark the nation’s one-hundredth anniversary, has been transformed and preparations are being made to open it to the community this summer. The owner of
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the Hall has a great interest in the region’s mills and early industrial history, which will be showcased in a museum on the first floor. The spacious second floor will be used for meetings and other activities, as well as smaller exhibitions and displays. Collaborating with the Denmark Historical Society and Denmark Arts Center to host public events that raise awareness of local history is also on the agenda. Some of the main attractions for the intended museum on the first floor are two early 20th-century box-making machines
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that were used to create wooden shipping crates. These particular machines came from an apple orchard in Acton, Maine, but they would have been common throughout the state in the latter 19th and early 20th centuries. The newer machine has been restored and is operational, thanks to a copy of the original manual by the manufacturer, W.S. Doig of Brooklyn, New York, that was found online. These and other yet-to-beinstalled machines will be run by pulleys turning on a central shaft that is powered by an electric motor installed below the stage on the second floor. Piled near the box machines was a collection of wooden crates that were probably made using a similar machine, perhaps even at the box mill that once stood behind the Centennial Hall. When I walked through the front doors this February, a year after my first visit, I immediately noticed the cheerful yellow walls and elegant six-over-six windows with wavy antique glass—and then I realized it was warm. The comfortable climate is due to the highly efficient, state-of-the-art, 160,000 BTU Kedel wood pellet boiler heating system, one of the largest of its kind in New England. The system also provides heat for the farmhouse next door. I am not generally interested in heating systems, but this one is fascinating. Wood pellets are stored in the barn behind the Hall and whooshed through pipes to the boiler in the basement via a modified whole-house vacuum system. The boiler heats water, which is then pumped through pipes embedded in the concrete slab under the first floor and up through baseboards on the second floor. Hot water is also piped through an “air handler” in the attic, where it is converted to hot air and circulated through ceiling vents to heat the second floor. Everything, from the pellet supply to fuel consumption and heat output, is computerized and can be monitored on site and remotely. The result is a comfortable ambient air temperature and a warm floor! The bannisters and spindles on the elegant, wide stairway leading upstairs are made from modern stock but are very close to the originals. The spindles used for the shorter side stairs leading up to the stage are original and their antique mahogany bannisters were donated by local people. Although it is not original, the Hall now has an elevator to accommodate any visitors who do not wish to use the stairs.
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How fitting that [Centennial Hall] will provide a venue for community activities and, at the same time, house a museum preserving the town’s past and future generations. The original floorboards on the second floor were made from yellow birch, but they had deteriorated so much they could not be salvaged. They have been replaced by boards made from red oak, which is common to the area. The beaded boards below the central stage were made from Douglas fir imported from Oregon, as indicated by the lumberyard stamps on their reverse sides. It was common practice in the late 19th century to stimulate the national economy by importing wood from old forests in the West to be used for construction in the East. The most striking feature in the Hall is the proscenium arch above the stage on the second floor (see photo). Evidence suggests that the molding on the sides and the top of the arch was never installed. The interior surface of the arch was finished with a band of red oak, but the side facing the room was only finished with plaster. The decision was made to complete this presumably unfinished project, and the restoration crew embarked on the lengthy and technically tricky process. First, a template of the arch’s curve was made on which to form the molding. Long, thin strips of red oak, twenty-five in all, were then cut and clamped together so they could be run through a molder to create the same profile as the other moldings. Once the molding was shaped, the strips were bent around the mold, glued together, and clamped tightly so they would dry in the correct shape. The result is a glorious arch that appears to be made from a single piece of wood and looks as though it has always been there. I’m sure the original builders would approve.
Smaller details throughout the Hall have not been overlooked. Period reproductions of industrial lighting fixtures hang in the downstairs room and some of the original ceiling lights grace the second floor. Other lights are reproductions of similar original fixtures from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as are the decorative metal heating vent covers. A Boraxo soap dispenser and olive green Ajax paper cup dispenser, both from around the 1930s, have also been installed in one of the bathrooms. Even the Exit signs, with hands pointing the way out, are based on fonts and styles from the early 1900s. Now that Centennial Hall is in the finishing stage, an official opening has been tentatively scheduled for late June. A local family has donated an 11’ x 17’ painted stage curtain depicting a mill on the edge of a dam across from the Hall in what is now the town’s Bicentennial Park. The curtain is currently stored in the old Grange Hall on Route 107 and it is very fragile so preserving it and relocating it to the Centennial Hall is a major project. It is unlikely to be displayed for the opening, but it will be a centerpiece of the museum when eventually installed. The restoration of Centennial Hall has truly been a community effort, and although it will remain in private hands, the building is intended to be used as a public space. Many local residents have donated materials and artifacts that have been used in the restoration and the work has been done by very talented area craftsmen. How fitting that it will provide a venue for community activities and, at the same time, house a museum preserving the town’s past for future generations. R Tim Barry and crew, foundation & slab; Dana and Cole Watson, building jacking; George Skoglund and crew, stone work; Bosworth Electric, electrical; Collins Plumbing & Heating, plumbing; Stacy’s Burner Service, wood pellet boiler; Paul Kiesman and crew, foam insulation and plastering; Bob Wiser, general contractor; Jeremy Twombly-Wiser, window restoration; Bill Shimamura, head carpenter; Colin Hebb, Paul Ferland, Nick Rehmert, painting/plaster repair/window restoration; Jim Brake, painting/plaster repair/wallpaper; Ron Roof, plastering; Kim Pearson, painting; Chris McKenzie, painting; Jeff Kingsley, painting; Scott Proctor, flooring installation and finishing
Douglas M. Griffin, VMD, CVA Diane Shively, DVM
We are a full-service hospital— open 6 days a week. Specializing in acupuncture and Chinese medicine, oncology and geriatric medicine.
554 Roosevelt Trail Windham, Maine 207-892-7575
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b a F o t b a r D From by perri black
To learn how Annie Sloan brought new life to this chest of drawers visit: anniesloanpaintandcolour.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/dialogue-with-chest-of-drawers.
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ilinda Zink is a woman who loves to paint. Transforming old furniture, yard sale finds, and clunky, outdated hand-me-downs into fashionable, decorative pieces using Chalk Paint ® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan is her forté. Fully embracing the Annie Sloan motto of “Endless Possibilities,” Mindy doesn’t limit herself to furniture; lamps, boxes, picture frames, fabrics and anything else that takes her fancy become canvases for her brush. The impressive results of Mindy’s efforts can be seen at Half Moon Antiques, her “new twist on an antique shop” located at 686 Roosevelt Trail (Route 302) in North Windham, which also features vintage tableware, linens and home décor. Developed by one of Britain’s most popular interior designers, Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan has become an international brand sold exclusively through certified dealers around the world. In addition to meeting exacting retail requirements and undergoing specialized introductory training, Annie Sloan Stockists are also required to attend mandatory training sessions twice a year. It is a big commitment, but Mindy loves sharing her passion with her customers. Besides being one of only five certified Chalk Paint ® Stockists in Maine, Mindy offers weekly classes in her workspace at Half Moon Antiques to teach people how easy it is to use Annie Sloan products to create their own painted treasures. With intriguing names like “BYOP” (Bring Your Own Piece), “Having a Bad Chair Day” and “Revamp Your Lamp,” the classes last about four hours. At the end of most sessions, each student takes away a finished piece to display proudly at home. All the classes follow a standard curriculum developed by Annie Sloan so they will be the same, whether you take them in Maine, Montreal, Manchester or Melbourne. I met Mindy a couple years ago when she had just opened her shop and I was impressed by her enthusiasm. I was also intrigued by her painted furniture so I headed out one Saturday to take the introductory class, Chalk 101. I’ve always refinished furniture the traditional way that my dad taught me: stripping or sanding a piece down to the bare wood, then staining, painting, varnishing and waxing it (usually with rather messy, toxic materials) until the desired effect is reached. The results are beautiful but the process can take days, or even
With names like Arles, Provence and Florence, the colors evoke the rich history of the places for which Annie Sloan named them. weeks, depending on the piece. Mindy showed me a new way to produce impressive finished pieces in just a few hours. In Chalk 101, we learned four basic techniques to create different finishes using the paints and waxes. Although we worked on pieces of plain wood molding for this class, Chalk Paint ® can be used directly on any surface, such as metal, ceramic, plastic, glass, and even fabric. No prep is required, except to clean the surface of dirt, dust and grease. The paint will adhere to any finish, including older paint, wax, varnish, lacquer and shellac. Kitchen cupboards, walls and floors can also be revitalized with Chalk Paint ®. It can even be used for outside projects made of cement, brick and mortar. Once it is covered with a finish coat of wax or lacquer, the paint is permanent, waterproof, and will even inhibit rust. Water-based Chalk Paint ® gets its name from its smooth, opaque, velvety matte finish. It is odorless, non-toxic and low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Most of the 32 available colors are made from natural ingredients and all are designed to coordinate well with each other. With names like Arles, Provence and Florence, the colors evoke the rich history of the places for which Annie Sloan named them. While the paint itself is quite thick, it can easily be watered down to create translucent washes for a wide range of effects. It dries quickly so mul-
tiple coats can be applied in a minimal amount of time, and clean-up is a breeze—a little Dawn dishwashing liquid and warm water does the trick. During the class we applied the paint to our molding samples using hefty boar bristle brushes, handmade in Italy. Some techniques required smooth coats of watered-down paint, while for others we slapped on layers of thicker paint straight from the can and produced textures with brush strokes and stippling. The paint is very forgiving and can be worked with water, even after it dries, to create interesting “distressed” finishes. When the desired paint effect is achieved, a top coat of clear or dark brown wax is applied with another thick bristled brush and buffed to complete the finish. The wax actually brings out the depth of the colors and really makes them pop. Clear wax enhances the pure color while the dark wax produces a subdued antique look. The clear wax can even be mixed with the paint to produce other colors for specific projects. Once dry, the wax resists stains and rings from wet glassware. A quick once-over with a damp cloth or a bit of Pledge restores the finish to its original beauty and, like the paint, a little Dawn and warm water cleans the wax out of the application brushes. I was amazed by the versatility of Chalk Paint ® and especially impressed by its ease of application, quick drying time and simple clean-up. We only touched on a few basic techniques in the class and it will be fun to experiment with other applications in the future. Apparently, a “crackle” effect can be achieved by layering different thicknesses of paint and manipulating their drying times using a hair dryer. I would also like to try creating various textures using thicker paint and a range of brushes, or maybe adding some sand to the paint. My mind is filled with endless possibilities . . . R Spring is a time of renewal. Take a look around your house—do you see a cheerless chair, a lamp that’s lost it, or some kitchen cabinets in crisis? Chalk Paint® may be the solution and one of Mindy’s inspirational classes could be the start of something beautiful. For product information, visit AnnieSloanunfolded.com or ChalkPaint.com. For class schedules, visit Half Moon Antiques in Windham or on the Web at halfmoonantiques.net. lakelivingmaine.com
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A Patch of Land by marguerite wiser photos by brandon mckenney
Nationwide, most farmers are approaching retirement age, but Maine, despite being the most geriatric state, has seen an increase in young farmers choosing one of the oldest occupations.
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rennaMae Thomas and Brandon McKenney are part of a growing trend of young farmers. The couple’s path circled the hemispheres before they settled in Denmark, Maine, to farm. This spring, Patch Farm will plant a wide variety of certified organic vegetables—just about anything that will grow in this area. They also tend a flock of hens that produce eggs for sale. Patch Farm will market produce at the Bridgton Farmers Market and through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). A CSA provides farmers with money in the spring, when funds tend to be low, and in turn, the farm provides members weekly shares of produce throughout the growing season. The couple is also excited to open a roadside stand at their farm on Route 117. Brandon grew up in Parsonsfield, Maine, and previously worked in photojournalism. His experience with a camera is evident in the beautiful pictures on the farm’s Facebook page and in their weekly newsletter to CSA members. BrennaMae is originally from Minnesota and grew up spending time in her mother’s garden. Her great-grandfather was a dairy farmer, and her mother has always wanted to farm. Her interest in farming expanded after she spent four months “WWOOF-ing” in Ireland with her sister. WWOOF or World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is a work-exchange program that allows people (called WWOOFers) to work on host farms in trade for room and board. After her experiences in Ireland, she adjusted her path toward a life in farming, eventually convincing Brandon to join her at Sunbreak Farm in Olympia, Washington. The couple then began a “year of endless summers,” chasing the growing season around the globe to New Zealand’s austral summer and back, learning from others before beginning their own farm here in Maine. They have grown vegetables on leased land in Hiram for the past few seasons, but recently began a lease-to-own deal on the property in Denmark. The traditional 19th century farmhouse and barn sit at the crest of a hill, overlooking cascading fields and woods. A tractor is parked in the driveway, and a new greenhouse is under construction behind the home. The 70 acres that the partners are acquiring has a great history of community. The land has not been farmed since 2002,
but was previously Netherfield Farm, an organic operation growing vegetables and herbs and raising sheep. Prior to that, the Denmark Equestrian Club owned the land. Brandon suspects that the 20 acres of fields had mostly been used for pasturing animals. On the property there is also a reliable well. They’ve heard stories that during droughts when other wells ran dry, neighbors were welcomed to the farm’s water. BrennaMae and Brandon value this history, saying, “It really jives [sic] with us wanting to have a good community and being a big part of that. It was just really great to know that this house and this land has had a good history with the community.” They hope that Patch Farm will continue this land’s legacy, and it seems that they are already off to a great start. While farming in Hiram, they gave surplus food to a local food pantry, and have offered donation as an option for CSA members who cannot pick up their weekly share of produce. BrennaMae explains, “We’re really interested in getting to know the people around us, and being able to feed the people in our community, which is why we’re not particularly interested in marketing into Portland.”
“Being able to meet so many people is so awesome. I never really realized that in becoming a farmer, especially the type of farmer we are, that we would be inviting so many people into our house . . . it’s so cool to have people from all walks of life coming to you and saying ‘I think you know something that I would like to know.’”
Farming in rural Maine is not an easy thing to do, especially starting out. The challenges make it nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time. BrennaMae laughs, saying, “If this was all really easy, everyone would do it. It’s one thing to know how to plant something. It’s another thing to know how to plant something and to sell it. And to have it taste good. And to have it go over well.” The couple cite time and finances as their biggest challenges. They both find that there is never enough time in the day to get everything done. And they talk about the misconception a lot of people seem to have that farming starts in June and ends in September, leaving the farmer time to sit by a fire reading seed catalogs and eating stewed peaches all winter. Brandon says that in reality, they have about one month “off” from work, generally around the Christmas holidays. This time is used to set the stage for the next growing season, doing the nitty-gritty that makes the season flow. These tasks include planning fields, starting seeds in the greenhouse, building a walk-in cooler, putting plastic on the new greenhouse and many, many more chores. When thinking about all that there is to do, BrennaMae notes, “There are a lot of fires in farming, and you’ve got to choose which ones to put out in what timely manner.” This also extends to the financial aspects, such as deciding between investing in new equipment and hiring an apprentice. While they get the farming business firmly established, the couple takes turns working off site during winters. But full-time farming is what they really want to be doing. BrennaMae speaks for both of them when she says, “ There’s no other way we’d rather spend our days.” Brandon adds, “It feels good to go to bed at night and just feel absolutely exhausted.” Another challenge they face is farming with a budding family. “Our big thing is wanting to keep farming with our family,” she says. They’ve known quite a few farmers who have struggled to continue farming while raising families. The couple want to make sure that they are sustainable as a business, and as a family, for the long haul. “We really believe that you need three generations for it to function,” she adds. With Brandon’s family nearby, his mother is a huge help in watching their young daughter, Ainsley. BrennaMae’s mother is in the process of moving closer. lakelivingmaine.com
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Flower Show Look for these and other farmers, growers and producers at the 2015 May Fair, presented May 15-17 on the Fryeburg Fairgrounds. Lake Living is proud to be a sponsor. Look for us there, too! Patch Organic Farm Brandon McKenney & Brenna Mae Thomas Denmark, ME 612-269-3457 patchfarm.me@gmail.com http://facebook:patchfarm.me Hancock Family Farm Geoff & Gina Hancock Casco, ME 207-831-1088 eat@hancockfamilyfarm.com
Despite the challenges, Brandon tries to find ways to make monotonous tasks fun. He has been known to sprint down long rows to put protective row coverings on tender plants. BrennaMae loves the seasonality of farming, and the way their diet can follow the available food. In the winter all she wants are meat and potatoes for warmth, in the spring, fresh greens for vitamin C, in the summer, water-rich tomatoes and cucumbers to combat the heat, and in the fall, good root vegetables with high caloric counts to prepare for the upcoming winter. Patch Farm has been influenced by many of the farms the couple has worked on and they still seek advice from others. They have also learned from workshops and programs offered by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), the nation’s oldest and largest organization of its kind. Patch Farm is certified organic, a farming practice that MOFGA defines as, “a locally sustainable, low-input technique for raising crops and livestock.” Organic farming limits the exposure of food to pesticides and herbicides, while keeping the health of the soil and environment in mind. In addition to learning about farming, they have begun to teach what they know to WWOOFers who come to stay with and learn from them. This part of farming was somewhat unexpected to BrennaMae. “Being able to meet so many people is so awesome. I never really realized that in becoming a farmer, especially the type of farmer that we are, that we would be inviting so many people into our house … it’s so cool to have people from all walks of life
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Banks Family Farm Kathy & Henry Banks Denmark, ME 207-452-2045 kathykbanks@yahoo.com Pie Tree Orchard Farm Mgr. Dan Cousins Sweden, ME 207-647-9419 FB pietreeorchard www.pietreeorchards.com coming to you and saying ‘I think you know something that I would like to know.’” One of their protégées is Spencer Colburn, a long-term WWOOFer who has been with them for the past few years, and they are incredibly proud of how much he has grown and learned. They expect to host more WWOOFers in the coming seasons. To them, farming is, “Not just cultivating your farm, it’s cultivating people. It’s cultivating your community.” This season Patch Farm plans to grow about two to three acres of mixed vegetables, increase their CSA membership and establish a roadside farmstand. They’ll expand their flock of laying hens, have recently acquired goats, and hope to plant fruit trees and perennial berries. For the long term, they want to install a commercial kitchen in their home in order to produce value-added products, such as goat cheese, fermented foods, cured meats and other canned goods. Overall, their goal is to produce as much food as possible and to sustain their family and their community off this patch of land. Young, energetic, farmers like Brandon and BrennaMae are helping to cultivate a promising future for farming and community here in western Maine. R
Hummingbird Farm Cindy Tibbets Turner, ME 207-224-8220 hummingbird@megalink.net http://hummingbirdfarm.net Wholesome Holmstead Trenholm Family Winthrop, ME (207) 395-4784 wholesomeholmstead@gmail.com http://wholesomeholmstead.com Fly Away Farm Ward Family Lovell, ME 207-446-7352 Chase Street Soap Co. Jess Glendinning Bridgton, ME 207-451-0105 soaplady@chasestreetsoapco.com FB: chasestreetsoap A Small Town Bakery Julie Cundiff Wayne, ME 04284 207-685-3818 asmalltownbakery@gmail.com www.asmalltownbakery.com White Gates Farm Hank & Heather LeTarte Tamworth, NH 603-662-7538 http://www.whitegates-farm.com/
Premium Grade Hardwood Green & Seasoned
Order Now! Green firewood delivered this spring will be ready to burn by fall Maine’s most abundant natural resource. Call to place an order or order on-line:
207.452.2157
www.khiellogging.com
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ranite, marble, soapstone and other natural countertop materials are versatile and blend well with both contemporary and traditional home styles. Plus, they have an inherent beauty not duplicated in man-made products.
Granite
Intense pressures deep within our planet generate extreme temperatures that can melt rock, which then rises upward through the Earth’s crust. As the rock cools slowly over millions of years, it can form the coarsegrained texture of granite that may eventually add color and warmth to your home design. Three minerals are commonly found in granite: feldspar (typically off-white or shades of red, orange, brown or occasionally green), quartz and mica. These occur in different proportions and other minerals may also be present, thus giving each slab its own unique variation in color and texture. Patterns, swirls and streaks formed by the visible grains create granite’s naturally varied appearance. Grays and whites are currently popular and some people prefer leathered granite over polished. Polished stone features a sleek, slippery surface with a glossy, mirror-like finish. The shine comes from the natural reflection of the stone’s crystals after they have been finely ground with abrasives. This finish reduces the size of surface pores, making it less permeable to liquid. Unlike the granite we find in our stonewalls and bald mountain tops, the true colors and depth of crystal structure in the natural stone pop with a polished finish. A new trend gaining popularity is the
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Core Countertops by leigh macmillen hayes
leathered finish. For those who find a polished finish to be too glossy, a leathered finish may be the answer. The subtle texture is created by running a diamond-tipped brush over the surface, giving it a slightly rougher feel and appearance. While the stone retains its natural color, it isn’t as vibrant as those with a polished finish. It hides fingerprints and smudges, and sells at the same price point as the polished. Pros: Natural color, durable, non-abrasive, stain resistant, heat tolerant, easy to clean Cons: Porous, stains if not sealed Care: Seal every fifteen years
Marble
Marble is a simple metamorphic rock formed from limestone that’s been subjected to intense pressure and heat due to tectonic plates shifting in the Earth’s crust. The heat promotes uniform crystals while pressure helps to develop the streakiness or marbling effect. This classic stone has been used by sculptors and builders for generations because it’s not as hard as granite, making it easier to carve. In a kitchen, it adds sheer elegance. Bakers especially love it because it remains cool and their dough won’t soften when worked on marble. And like granite, no two slabs are alike because of its crystalline nature and veins of mineral deposits. Normally, marble is white, like Italian marble. Tints of coloration are a result of minerals or other impurities that may be present—including hues of black, gray, yellow, green and pink. Different finishes, including polished and leathered, are also available for marble. One thing to consider is that marble develops a
patina with use. For some, this adds to its overall character. Pros: Heat resistant, durable, large patterns Cons: Scratches easily, porous, vulnerable to stains Care: Seal, wipe spills immediately
Soapstone
Soapstone is a metamorphic rock made of mineral deposits. It consists primarily of talc, giving the rock a soft, slippery feel for which it was named. The inclusion of other magnesium rich minerals adds to its hardness and its mode of formation makes it dense and naturally non-porous. Because of its soft properties, it has long been a favorite for carving, beginning toward the end of the Stone Age. Native Americans created bowls, smoking pipes and cooking slabs, making it perhaps the oldest countertop in use. The stone has a milky or powdery look and is translucent to opaque with colors varying from pure white to charcoal gray. Like marble, it develops a patina with use, meaning the color may darken as it ages because it reacts to oil in our hands and the cooking oils we use. Adding mineral oil to the surface will advance the patina. Soapstone offers a humbler look than granite and marble, yet adds subtle beauty to a room. Because it has a naturally honed surface, fingerprints don’t show. It’s available in smooth or leathered finishes. Pros: Pliable, non-porous, heat resistant, does not stain, easy to clean, sanitary Cons: Scratches easily Care: Erase scratches with gentle sanding and mineral oil R
choosing a countertop
D
rive along Main Street in Bridgton and you can’t help but notice the granite slab yard at Stone Surface. Owner Greg Smith has been in the building trades and stone industry for fifteen years. His downtown shop features a retail store, in-house design team, and indoor/outdoor workshop where templates are created and all the grinding and
cutting is completed. While the granite slabs stand out, Greg also works with other countertop materials, including natural quartzite and some engineered stone. Today’s kitchens are not merely places to cook a meal. They’ve become the room where we congregate with family and friends. Gorgeous countertops can transform that room. Color, pattern, surface texture
and sheen, the choices are many. Whether you are remodeling, giving your kitchen a facelift or starting from scratch, let the countertop take center stage.
Mix and match do you prefer one type of countertop for the entire project, or a couple?
What should you consider when making the choice?
Maintenance how much TLC are you willing to give it?
Edge treatments should you stick with the standard or choose a fancy edge?
The countertop you ultimately choose is not just a piece of a slab. It becomes a piece of art that is unique to you and your house. It’s all very personal.
Overall appearance what complements the look of your home?
Function how will you use it?
Durability can it withstand the wear and tear of your daily life?
Budget what can you afford?
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for many. The latter requires advance planning, shopping and occasionally elaborate preparations. Then, there’s the attendant stress that comes with cooking for others, at least there is for me. Cooking for one allows more spontaneity and frees me from the fear of flops. It’s an opportunity to get creative with what I have on hand. That bottle of ume plum vinegar at the back of my cupboard comes out of hiding and proves itself an excellent accent Even if you eat to stir-fried kale with most of your meals in steamed brown rice. the company of othEating alone also ers, there are inevitably provides the opportutimes when you’re faced nity to give full attenwith the prospect of by laurie lamountain tion to the meal you’ve dining alone. While the lovingly prepared for inclination to reach for yourself, without the a box of cereal and a distraction of conversation, television or books. If it’s not something carton of milk can be strong on those occasions, I would argue that you do often, you may at first feel a bit awkward, but I can attest to it doesn’t take a lot more effort to create a simple, but surprisingly the fact that it gets easier and more enjoyable with practice. Over the good, dinner for one instead. years, by choice or circumstance, I, like MFK Fisher, have “learned Furthermore, I find there is an element of creativity in preparing how to care for myself, at least at table.” R a meal for myself that I seldom experience when preparing a meal
is for dining alone … and so am I, if a choice must be made between most people I know and myself. This misanthropic attitude is one I am not proud of, but it is firmly there, based on my increasing conviction that sharing food with another human being is an intimate act, which should not be indulged in lightly. from An Alphabet for Gourmets by MFK Fisher
Dinner for One
beet root and warm goat cheese salad
The only real effort in preparing this salad is cooking the beets, since fresh, cooked beets are what make it sing. If you have a pressure cooker, it takes just 20 minutes. You can also cook several beets in advance and refrigerate them to save even more time. 1 medium beet root, cooked and peeled mixed salad greens handful of walnut halves, toasted 4 1/2” disks of goat cheese, warmed homemade vinaigrette Cut cooked beet root into 1/2” slices and then stack and cut the slices crosswise into 1/2” sticks. Depending on how much you like beets, or how hungry you are, half a beet may be enough for one salad. Toast the walnuts until they are just fragrant and golden brown. Transfer to a bowl to cool and place the goat cheese disks on the still hot tray used to toast the walnuts. Scatter the beet root over a plate of fresh mixed greens, such as Olivia’s Organics. Prepare vinaigrette by combining two tablespoons extra virgin oil with a splash of white or red wine vinegar and a smidge of Dijon mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir or shake to emulsify. Drizzle vinaigrette over greens and beets and then top the dressed salad with walnut halves and warmed goat cheese. Perfect with some crusty bread and a glass of Tuscan red.
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perri’s easy free-form pasta with no-cook “sauce”
Use whatever vegetables you like and what you have on hand, as long as you can eat them raw. You can also experiment with flavored olive oils (basil oil, chili oil, etc.), usually used for dipping. If you do, you might want to dilute them with plain olive oil and omit using any other herbs. 2 - 4 ounces pasta 1/2 - 1 fresh ripe tomato, chopped
several black olives, sliced 1-2 scallions, sliced handful of baby spinach, baby kale, arugula or other fresh greens freshly grated Parmesan, asiago or cheddar cheese extra virgin olive oil salt (preferably coarse sea or kosher) freshly ground black pepper a few torn fresh basil leaves or a sprinkle of dried basil (optional)
Boil water with a little added salt in a medium-sized pot. While water comes to a boil, chop the greens, if they are not already small, and set them aside. Chop the tomato, olives, and scallions and put them together in a medium-sized bowl. Grate cheese and set aside.
I invented a great many different salads, of fresh lettuces with fresh herbs and vegetables, of marinate tinned vegetables, now and then of crab meat and suchlike. I learned a few tricks to play on canned soups, and Escoffier as well as the Chinese would be astonished at what I did with beef bouillon and a handful of water cress or a teaspoonful of soy.
Once the water boils, add pasta and cook according to package directions. When it is done, reserve about ½ cup cooking water, drain the pasta and return it to the pot still dripping. Add the greens to the hot pasta and stir. The heat should wilt them a bit. Then add the chopped vegetables and a couple tablespoons of olive oil on top. Toss so everything is evenly distributed. Add some of the reserved pasta water if it seems too dry. Add basil (if using), salt, pepper, and more olive oil according to taste. Transfer to the bowl you used to hold the chopped vegetables, top with as much cheese as you want, and dig in! Suggestion: Cook more pasta than you will need for one meal. Coat it with a little olive oil so it won’t stick together and save it in the fridge for pasta salad (if you use a suitable pasta shape) or reheat for another meal with the no-cook sauce. Of course, you can increase the recipe to accommodate more than one diner and experiment with ingredients.
poached egg on potato pancake
While this recipe looks like a lot of work at first glance, you can make these homemade potato pancakes for a crowd and then freeze any leftovers for a future single supper that can be prepared in just 8 minutes. This Fine Cooking recipe yields 18 to 20 pancakes. 2-1/2 lbs. russet potatoes (4 medium) 2-1/2 tsp. kosher salt corn or canola oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 large egg 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper Grate the potatoes in a food processor fitted with a grating disc. Transfer to a colander and sprinkle with 2 tsp. of the salt. Let drain over a sink, tossing occasionally. Meanwhile, replace the processor’s grater disc with the chopping blade and add 1 Tbs. of oil and the onion, egg, flour, baking powder, remaining 1/2 tsp. of salt and
mfk fisher
pepper to the food processor bowl. In batches, using your hands, squeeze liquid from the shredded potatoes. Combine the potatoes with the other ingredients and process for 10 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and process for an additional 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Over medium-high heat, warm 1/8 inch of oil in a large skillet until the surface shimmers. With a soup spoon, place four mounds of the potato mixture into the hot oil and flatten them slightly with the back of the spoon until they are 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until pancakes are a deep golden brown. Carefully turn them over with a slotted metal spatula and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and gently blot excess oil. Continue to cook pancakes in batches of 4, adding oil as needed. During that time, in a shallow pan with a cover, bring an inch of water almost to boiling. There should be small bubbles forming on the bottom of the pan. Carefully crack a fresh egg into the water, cover the pan and remove from heat. Set the timer for exactly 4 minutes. Remove the egg from the water with a slotted spoon and place on top of the hot potato pancake. Serve with a drizzle of Sriracha sauce or sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you happen to have smoked salmon on hand, a slice of it between the pancake and poached egg makes it worthy of Escoffier. Once they cool, any uneaten pancakes can be placed in a single layer in a freezer bag and frozen until ready to reheat in a toaster oven on frozen pizza setting for 8 minutes.
reuben panini
2 slices hearty bread, Borealis multi- grain or Italian are my preferred choice for panini 3 slices good quality corned beef 2 slices swiss cheese sauerkraut extra virgin olive oil sauce 1 Tbs. mayonnaise 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp. horseradish generous squirt of Sriracha
Preheat panini grill to medium-high. Rinse sauerkraut and squeeze excess water from it before placing in a basket to steam over boiling water for about five minutes. Assemble panini by placing corned beef on a slice of bread and spreading a generous amount of sauce over it. With tongs or a fork, pile steamed sauerkraut over the corned beef and sauce. Top with two slices of swiss cheese and the second slice of bread. Brush the top slice of bread with olive oil and place face down on the heated grill. Brush the face-side-up slice of bread with oil and lower the panini grill lid. Grill until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted—about 5 to 7 minutes. Cut panini in half and enjoy with a kosher dill pickle and cold craft beer. lakelivingmaine.com
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