Portland man’s food memoir is an Amazon ‘Best Book’

The recently released food memoir from Portland resident David Buchanan scored a spot on Amazon’s list of the Best Books of 2012 in the Food Literature category. It ranks number 10 on the list, which includes “Consider the Fork” by Bee Wilson and “Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child” by Bob Spitz.

Published by Chelsea Green, “Taste, Memory: Forgotten Foods, Lost Flavors, and Why They Matter” takes readers on a tour of unusual varieties of fruits and vegetables and the people who grow them.

Buchanan is known locally as the owner of Origins Fruits and the guy who sells fruit smoothies at the Portland Farmers Market in Deering Oaks park in the summer.

The paperback book sells for $17.95.

AUGUSTA

Governor, first lady collect donations in food drive

Gov. Paul LePage and First Lady Ann LePage netted more than 1,500 pounds of donated food during a three-day food drive. For the second year, the LePages opened the Blaine House for three Saturdays and invited the public to bring non-perisable food.

With a haul nearly triple the amount collected last year, the LePages donated all the food to the Auburn-based Good Shepherd Food Bank, which supplies more than 600 food pantries and soup kitchens throughout the state.

To make a donation to Good Shepherd Food Bank during the holiday season, call 782-3554 or visit www.feedingmaine.org.

BRUNSWICK

Dinner theater offering will be ‘This Wonderful Life’

The Inn and Tavern at Brunswick Station will present a holiday dinner theater show, “This Wonderful Life,” on Dec. 12, 13, 19 and 20.

The show is an adaptation of the holiday classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Jody McColman, a professional Maine actor, plays every character in the show.

Show times are at 6:30 p.m. each night. The cost is $40 and includes a three-course meal with the show.

For more information or to make reservations, call (603) 953-3640 or go to innatbrunswickstation.com
The inn is located at 85 Maine St.

FREEPORT

‘Life with Bread’ to present a master bread baker

Master bread baker Ciril Hitz will give a talk at 7 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Merriconeag Waldorf School, 57 Desert Road.

Hitz will share his life experiences in “Kneading Passion: Cultivating a Life with Bread.” The talk is open to the public, with a suggested donation of $10.

Hitz, a native of Switzerland, teaches at the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University in Providence and offers “Breadhitz Workshops” at his private baking facility in Rehoboth, Mass. He has been featured on NBC’s Today Show, the Food Network, The Learning Channel and Ciao Italia.

Hitz completed his early education at a Waldorf School in New York.

PORTLAND

Outdoor farmers market drawing to season’s end

If you need last-minute items for your holiday table, head over to the Portland Farmers Market in Monument Square on Tuesday, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is the last official day of the market.

However, expect some hardy farmers to brave the weather in Monument Square for a few more weeks or longer. Last year, a couple vendors showed up every Wednesday throughout the winter.

The indoor Portland Winter Market starts up Dec. 1 and will run through the end of April, when the outdoor markets in Deering Oaks Park and Monument Square reopen for the season.

The winter market takes place at the Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St., and is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday.

Brewers to join for a ‘Who’s Your Daddy Beer Dinner’

Maine’s oldest brewers are teaming up for the “Who’s Your Daddy Beer Dinner” at 6 p.m. Dec. 6.

Five courses of gastro pub fare will be served with beers from Gritty’s and Geary’s. Brew master Ed Stebbins will speak between courses about the pairings, brewing, and the history of Maine brewing.

The dinner costs $45 per person and will be held at Gritty McDuff’s, 396 Fore St. To reserve a spot, call 772-2739.

Lobster conference will look at changes in eco-system

The UMaine-based Maine Sea Grant hosts “The American Lobster in a Changing Ecosystem: A U.S.-Canada Science Symposium” Nov. 27 to 30 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland.
The conference, which features more than 80 scientific talks, will explore how the American lobster has been affected by changes in climate and the food web of the Atlantic.

Rick Wahle, a research associate professor in UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences, is co-chairing the conference along with Andrea Battison of the University of Prince Edward Island and Paul Anderson of Maine Sea Grant.

Other speakers include Jeff Shields of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, who will discuss stressors and diseases; Robert Steneck of UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences, who will look at the changing foodweb; Michael Fogarty of the National Marine Fisheries Service, who will talk about the human dimensions of ecosystem-based management; and Lew Incze of UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences, who will discuss the connections between Atlantic lobster populations.

Registration costs $130, or $80 for students. For more information and to register, visit seagrant.umaine.edu/lobstersymposium.