It’s the time of year people start craving pancakes drenched in maple syrup and find themselves watching the bounce between daytime and nighttime temperatures, praying for a good sap run.

This Sunday, watch for steam coming out of the sugar houses because it is Maine Maple Sunday, the time when maple syrup producers open up their doors to the public for tastings and demonstrations.

We usually run stories on how the season is going and share ideas for what you can do with all that springtime sweetness besides pour it over pancakes and ice cream. This year, inspired by a maple latte from Arabica, I decided to take a look at maple drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

This is the time of year that you’ll want to try maple syrup with everything, from the last of the butternut squash to your afternoon tea. “Maple Sugar: From Sap to Syrup, The History, Lore, and How-To Behind this Sweet Treat” by Tim Herd, a Pennsylvania naturalist, is one of those “Everything you always wanted […]

Ali Perkins, a senior from the Merriconeag Waldorf School in Freeport, had never given much thought to being a food writer – she wants to be a teacher.

But there she was last Thursday night, standing on stage before a crowd at the Space Gallery in Portland, reading her essay about a hike that taught her about wild Maine foods.

In the audience was her grandfather, a key character in her essay.