Dishing Up Maine: 165 Recipes That Capture Authentic Down East Flavors

NOTE - This review refers to the Kindle version of  Dishing Up® Maine: 165 Recipes That Capture Authentic Down East Flavors . I have not seen the print version. Dishing Up® Maine: 165 Recipes That Capture Authentic Down East Flavors  features 165 recipes presented in seven chapters. While each chapter is listed in an interactive Table of Contents, individual recipes are not. Luckily, the publishers did think to include an Index that is also interactive, not as functional as a complete listing of individual recipes as part of the Table of Contents but certainly more well thought out than many I've seen. Those chapters are -1. Starters, Snacks, Sandwiches and So On2. Fresh From The Farmer's Market3. The Chowder Pot, Soup Tureen, and Other One-Pot Wonders4. Maine-Style Meat and Poultry5. Jewels of the Sea: Fin Fish and Shellfish Maine Style6. For the Breakfast Table, Bread Box, and Pantry7. Delectable DessertsI've noticed complaints from born-and-bred Mainers that  Dishing Up® Maine: 165 Recipes That Capture Authentic Down East Flavors  isn't "real" Maine food, and frankly, looking through these recipes I find that I must agree that such things as Jalapeño Johnnycakes Topped with Smoked Fish, Limed Lobster and Melon Skewers, and Lobster Salad with Roasted Corn Salsa are a million miles from traditional Maine food.Growing up we spent a good chunk of every summer in Maine. Friends owned a large dairy farm mid-Maine and several cottages at the shore. We picked bushels of blueberries, baked pies, collected eggs straight from the hen and always indulged in a huge traditional clam bake on the rocks in front of our favorite cottage on Bailey's Island - all you could eat clams, lobster & corn all around. If there was melon it was watermelon, chilled in the bathtub and served in huge wedges. Corn came on the cob, not as part of a salsa and nobody had ever heard of a jalapeño.Times have changed. Back then there was no such thing as frozen blueberries. Corn could be had just a few weeks a year and the same was true of almost everything else that you see in the produce department today. If you wanted lobster you drove to the shore and ate them there or rushed home with a bunch, if you lived within a few hours drive. Food was very, very regional - and truthfully, that was part of the delight. Today it can be hard to tell from a restaurant menu or the contents of the grocery store if you are in Vermont, Virginia or even points west.Maine has changed too. Clams aren't as easy to find as they once were. The mussels that were considered "trash" fit only for the destitute are today big business in Maine - and mighty fine eating. Maine lobsters ship all over the country and beyond. The big dairy farms have disappeared from Maine just as they have from Vermont and many of our newer residents came from "elsewhere" - including Brooke Dojny, author of  Dishing Up® Maine: 165 Recipes That Capture Authentic Down East Flavors . These days those farmers that remain produce "artisan" produce, meat and cheeses. So, to those who would complain that these are not their mother's or grandmother's recipes, I would point out that the title says "authentic flavors" - not "traditional recipes."Still, a fair few of the recipes you'll find in  Dishing Up® Maine: 165 Recipes That Capture Authentic Down East Flavors  are reasonably traditional. Leave the thyme out of Brooke's recipe for Classic Down East Haddock Chowder and you'll have exactly the same chowder our grandmothers made. Milky Maine Steamer Chowder is traditional right down to the evaporated milk, as are the Molasses-Baked Maine Yellow-Eyes and the Sedgwick Potluck-Supper Apple Pie. Okay, now I'm hungry . . . .Grandma's $0.02 - Times change and what we eat changes with the times. Authentic doesn't have to be "traditional."  Dishing Up® Maine: 165 Recipes That Capture Authentic Down East Flavors  is chock full of authentic flavor, what you might call New-Maine Cuisine. Yum!Recommended

Lots of beautiful pictures of the recipes and scenes of Maine. Each page includes an entertaining sidebar about what makes each recipe a Maine food. It makes it fun to read and a unique twist to a cookbook. Guaranteed to inspire trying new dishes or cook familiar ones.

This is a lovely cookbook filled with not only Maine recipes but also information on local customs and restaurants. I am subtracting one star from the Kindle edition. This is because while the chapters are listed the individual recipes are not. There is an alphabetical index in the back but that is not as helpful as looking at a chapter titled soups and having them all listed. This is a common problem with published cookbooks that are then formatted for the Kindle.Again nice assortments of recipes, information and full color photos. I'm just not sold on Kindle cookbooks. It's just too time consuming to browse or find that certain recipe you want.

My husband and I just purchased a beautiful piece of property near Blue Hill Maine. When I saw this book, I thought it would be neat to have a copy at the new house. It has since become my favorite cookbook. The recipes are uncomplicated and unpretentious - no hard to find ingredients or time consuming steps - just good down to earth wholesome foods suitable for both casual family dining as well as entertaining guests. The format makes it easy to read and (occassionally) modify amounts or ingredients to suit my family's tastes. So far everything I have made from it (and that's plenty) has been really good. In addition to lots of great recipes, the author includes good info about restaurants, traditions and lore of Maine. As my husband said, "This book is just fun to read!"My favorite recipes so far - "My Best Creamy Coleslaw" and "Paella Cleonice".

Book arrived in excellent condition, as advertised.

I was sitting in the Tasty Tart in Winthrop, ME when I picked up this book. I immediately noticed all of the interesting recipes that were attributed to the cooks and eateries in that area. Real Maine recipes are really from Maine so I had to have a copy. I can't wait to give is a ride. Besides loving the book I would recommend that if you are in the Winthrop area stop at the Tasty Tart on Main St. You will get a taste of Maine that is unique and delightful.

This book brings you all the fresh flavors of Maine: not just seafood, but fresh produce as well. The recipes are clearly written and not too high on the difficulty scale. They are flavorful and creative, but the accent is on the fresh appearance and taste of the food itself, rather than on the elaborateness of the preparation or the showmanship of the chef. Dozens of beautiful color photographs supplement the flavors and aromas to bring a little of Maine into your kitchen, where ever you are.

This book lacks much pictures of food. I ordered this as a keep sake of my travel to Maine. I like seeing pictures for inspiration but it just didn't have much pictures of the recipes.

Brings back remembrances of Maine.