Mainers digging deep into their pantries and refrigerators are finding unusual ingredients to cook with during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meredith Goad
Many people tell Meredith Goad that she has the best job in Maine, and most of the time she agrees.
Maine has a crazy appetite for food stories, and it’s Meredith’s job to satisfy those cravings with juicy tales from chefs, food producers, local farms, and the state’s fast-growing restaurant scene. Her work appears in Wednesday’s Business section and the Sunday Food & Dining section, and occasionally, but not as often as she’d like, on the front page.
A native of Memphis, Tenn., Meredith shamelessly flaunts her knowledge of good barbecue in front of her Yankee friends. She earned a bachelor of science degree in wildlife biology from Colorado State University, then studied science writing at the University of Missouri, where she received a master’s degree in journalism. She spent the first 20 years of her career covering science and environmental news, then switched to features in 2004, just as Portland’s food scene was taking off.
Her own most memorable meal? Back in the 1980s, on assignment in Finland, she shared a dinner of reindeer and Russian vodka with Maryland’s governor and a bunch of hungry scientists.
Meredith lives in Portland, but spends much of her time off back in Tennessee - either visiting family, or in online archives, researching her family’s history.
Stuck at home? Instagram to the rescue!
Three Mainers offer virtual lessons on baking, gardening, homesteading and mixology.
Yarmouth chamber cancels popular Clam Festival
Organizers of the July festival, a longtime tradition, say moving ahead and seeking support from local businesses would not be in the best interest of the community, given the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Wrap: More ways to help, more takeout options
Gross Confection Bar opens for takeout, Walkers Maine regroups after a fire, and more virtual foodie fun.
The Wrap: Where to get take-out Easter dinner
Also, Congdon’s Doughnuts closes for the pandemic and Scattoloni Bakery closes for good.
Hop on over to your local candy shop (but keep your distance)
Show local candy makers some love by filling Easter baskets with Maine-made chocolate bunnies.
Collins and King protest firing of intelligence community’s watchdog
Maine’s two U.S. senators say they disagree with President Trumps’s decision to dismiss Inspector General Michael Atkinson, and question the timing.
Maine hotels and inns scramble to respond to lodging suspension
The industry Saturday rushes to start canceling April reservations and begin planning for an uncertain future.
Trump approves federal disaster declaration for Maine
Gov. Janet Mills says the action by the president unlocks critical federal assistance for state agencies and municipalities as they fight the coronavirus.
The Wrap: LeRoux Kitchen closes stores, Solo Cucina Market opens
The coronavirus outbreak closes some food-related businesses and forces others – including farms – to get creative.