“No one studies philosophy if their parents can help it.” So says Eric Weiner in the introduction to his delightful new book, “The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons From Dead Philosophers.” He knows that pitching a modern audience on ancient teachings is a hard sell, but he’s got to try. Because in these […]
Leslie Bridgers
Columnist
Leslie Bridgers is a columnist for the Portland Press Herald, writing about Maine culture, customs and the things we notice and wonder about in our everyday lives. Originally from Connecticut, Leslie came to Maine by way of Bowdoin College and never left. She joined the Portland Press Herald in 2011 as a reporter and spent seven years as the paper’s features editor, overseeing coverage of arts, entertainment and food.
Posted inRecipes
A pecan-crusted trout that’s baked – not fried – satisfies that craving for buttery, crispy fish
I love a fried fish fillet, but sometimes can’t face the mess: the egg wash, the flour/cornmeal coating and the skillet of hot oil. So, when that craving strikes, especially on a weeknight, I turn instead to the oven and rather than flour or cornmeal, I coat the fillets in finely ground nuts. After a […]
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Posted inArts & Entertainment
Deep Water: ‘Independence,’ by Robert Petrillo
Maine poems edited and introduced by Megan Grumbling.
Posted inReview
Movie review: Another ‘kooky’ movie from Miranda July? ‘Kajillionaire’ is that – and so much more
Fans of Miranda July know what they’re in for when they settle in to watch one of her movies. Since her 2005 feature debut “Me and You and Everyone We Know,” and her follow-up “The Future” in 2011, she has become the kind of writer-director whose work inevitably seems to be described as “quirky.” Whereas […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Movie review: Sherlock who? Millie Bobby Brown is terrific in the clever ‘Enola Holmes’
Amy March, Scout Finch, Lisa Simpson … you never know what you’re going to get in a younger sister, and Enola Holmes is as surprising as any of them. Bursting forth from Nancy Springer’s young adult series “Enola Holmes Mysteries,” which focus on the younger sibling of Sherlock, Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective, Enola provides […]
Posted inFood
Every fall, I celebrate the Moon Festival with mooncakes. This year, I’m ordering them online
People may be all about pumpkin spice lattes for fall, but for me, it’s not complete without mooncakes. Chinese people around the world eat them in celebration of the Moon Festival, or Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Oct. 1 this year. The festival is all about “family reunions and expressing love to the faraway family […]
Posted inRecipes
Let’s bring back tiramisu, a classic dessert that deserves more love
Tiramisu is a polarizing dessert. Mention it, and people may squeal with delight or recoil in disgust – there’s no in-between. In “The Oxford Companion to Italian Food,” author Gillian Riley is unsparing, “At its best, in small quantities, a fine dessert, otherwise a gross, overrated indulgence.” With all due respect, Ms. Riley, I disagree. […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Put your sleuthing cap on with ‘Enola Holmes’ and these 8 other Sherlock adaptations
The game is afoot, ol’ chap! Netflix has released “Enola Holmes” and before we get any further, let us assure you that was the first and last attempt at British parlance you’ll read here today. It’s just hard not to get swept up in the tweed suits of it all (or the restrictive Victorian-era dresses […]
Posted inRecipes
Gingery carrot-apple pancakes welcome fall with a subtle sweetness
These are not typical flapjacks with bits of apple and carrot mixed in for seasoning. Here, the produce leads the way with mounds of shredded green apple and carrot bound into tender, lightly browned skillet cakes with just enough egg and whole grain flour to hold them together in pancake form. The inherent sweetness of […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
How ‘Schitt’s Creek’ became the most beloved comedy on TV
If you knew what “Schitt’s Creek” was in 2015, you were likely one of two things: a huge fan of co-creator Eugene Levy and his fellow “SCTV Network” alum Catherine O’Hara, or Canadian. That’s because the sitcom, about a wealthy family forced to relocate to an unfortunately named town after being defrauded out of their […]