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Do Not Poke the Pies

Canning Spaghetti Sauce in a Pressure Canner

My love for fresh, local tomatoes cannot be overstated. But (and I feel I'm making a bit of a canning confession here), I think preserving tomatoes in a way that captures their sweet, in-season taste can be a struggle. Preparing tomatoes for canning is always a process, no matter what method or recipe you use. In years past, I've canned crushed tomatoes ; whole, peeled tomatoes; and basil-garlic tomato sauce , all in a boiling water bath canner. This method requires the addition of bottled lemon juice for safety, which (as much as I've tried to convince myself it doesn't) imparts a tart flavor. So if you're going to go all out - peeling tens of pounds of tomatoes, scooping hot tomatoes through a food mill, lots and lots (and lots) of dripping tomato juice - you'd better be sure that when you're finished, you have jars of something you're excited to use. So this year, I pressure canned spaghetti sauce. The peeling process is still necessar

First Look at Regards in Portland, Maine

Regards opens tonight—a new restaurant on Congress Street in Portland where Emilitsa was. The chef is Neil Zabriskie, formerly of Little Giant, and co-owned by his wife Kimberly Lund and Cameron Lewin, also formerly of Little Giant. The menu was described to us during the Friday night preview as "L.A.-meets-Maine" and has a strong seafood focus with a big selection of tequila and mezcal. The menu definitely belies the cold temperatures we've had in Maine lately, but still felt hearty enough to enjoy on a January evening. I started off with a delicious Paloma cocktail and a beautiful plate of raw Japanese yellowfin tuna, buttermilk aguachile (chili water), and onions ($18). This dish was one of my favorites, with its rich broth and silky herb oil. I loved the bite of the raw onions too. Next came charred cabbage, anchovy caesar, white kimchi salt ($16) followed closely by a salad of endive, brown butter & soy, bosc pear, sheep gouda, hazelnuts ($18). The bitter ch

BBF Travels: Little Havana, Baltimore

This Blueberry Filer traveled to Maryland with her new man to meet the family and to be a tourist in Baltimore. My restaurant request: Little Havana's , my bar request: One Eyed Mike's . I wasn't that hungry, and my research failed to unearth that Little Havana's Sunday Brunch deal of $16.95 per person with unlimited Bloody Mary's and Mimosas until 3pm. But ordering a sandwich I didn't want seemed like a small price to pay to sit on the waterfront deck with friends in the 75˚ and sunny weather. We all had the Cuban sandwich and I ate half of it; more committed eaters cleaned their plates. Little Havana is one of my favorite spots in town, just because of the waterfront deck, the warehouse feel, and the great draught beers and Mojitos. I have no idea if I'd feel this way if I lived in town - it's very close to Federal Hill, so judging from the brunch clientele (lots of madras shorts, neon Ray Bans, and some sleeveless shirts, ugh), it mi

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