red fire farms heirloom tomato fest......10th annual

smoked and melted.........august 28th

bloody butcher . boxcar willie . brandywine . cherokee purple

mortgage lifter . black krim . hendersons pink ponderosa

join the new england farm 2 fork project to celebrate 10 years of the heirloom tomatoes being grown at red fire farm in granby, mass. a biodiverse farmstead with a larger satelite farm and farmstand in montague featuring 110acres.... the granby farm cultivates around 50acres and is the host to the tomato fest this year.... red fire farm has a strong presence in the boston farmer's market on thursdays and in the springfield market on tuesdays....

the chef's teaching their trade, cooking demo will feature chef peter davis of henrietta's table (the charles hotel) in cambridge, mass. chef davis has been offering new england farm food since 2001, is the host of the big pig gig, and a true farm 2 fork pioneer here in new england. he continues to inspire.... cathie albrecht from the amazing breakfast eatery in springfield, 3cafe will roundout the cook tent culinary crew.....
smoked and melted....
featuring several dishes that will be shared with the entire crowd under the cook tent...... I will demonstrate the slow and low method of oven-melting tomatoes as well as smoking tomatoes over organic applewood....

the afternoons menu.....

oven-melted red fire farm's heirloom tomato relish on skillet fried organic garlic toast with crushed garden basil, shaved home-made farmers cheese and applewood smoked sea salt..... : liquid salad- smoky misc. red fire farm's heirloom tomato broth with parsley oil and goat cheese jello..... : oven-melted red fire farm's misc. little heirloom tomatoes stuffed with heirloom plantation rice, chilis, purslane, wild fennel pollen and smoked tomato sauce.....

join us august 28th
at red fire farm in granby to celebrate their heirloom tomato harvest.....
go to- www.redfirefarm.com for more info.......

99.9 the wolf...........nassau broadcasting maine

early this morning we headed to nassau broadcasting maine at 477 congress street in downtown portland to join 99.9 the wolf's dave winsor host of community connections and the wolf mornings to discuss tnef2fp....... we got right into recording the 2 thirteen minute segments of the radio show.... knowing that dave lives on a farm among many hens and roosters made the conversation easy and the flow and tempo of the show very upbeat..... dave is very easy to talk sustainable farming and food with, he has a general interest and passion for 'living right'....... this community connections segment will air on: frank fm 107.5, the wolf 99.9, the bone 106.3, wbach 104.7, the oldies channel 870 & 1470.......... daves studio office overlooks monument square, the twice weekly home to the portland farmers market, damn what a view........! nassau broadcasting maine.......a new generation of broadcasting.......... dave winsor, we can't thank you enough for allowing us to have an airwave soapbox to shout from for twenty six minutes about the american dinner table revival, heritage breed animals (chickens), heirloom tomatoes, antique apples, pasture based livestock and economic development...... know your farmer.........!

Shaker Supper.........sustainable grub

Sustainable Grub-

traditional shaker meals changed according to the seasons and to what the shakers could grow, preserve and store... cultivating their own produce was always a source of pride... the early shakers ate simple new england fare: minced meat, bean porridge, potatoes, indian bread, cider, maple, milk, medicinal herbs, butter and cheese... as their orchards and fields expanded so did their food choices... today the only active shaker community in sabbathday lake list over twenty culinary herbs in their catalog....

the evenings gastronomic affair will consist of 6 courses- starting with a new england artisan farmstead cheese social . crispy chicken livers . country fried heritage breed turkey . the freshest mess of garden greens . shaker herb rubbed berkshire pork . spiced antique applesauce cake . squash rolls with molasses whipped creamery butter . spiced concord grape drink

come celebrate the shakers devotion to sustainable agriculture and support the american dinner table revival with chef sebastian carosi, one of three remaining shaker chefs in new england..... http://www.thenewenglandfarm2forkproject.com/

$85 per person 6pm sharp
event held at 2010 host farm- raven hill orchard

kingsford charcoal and a ford..........

henry ford, who revolutionized the american automobile industry, also invented what we all know today as charcoal briquettes........ he originally made his automobiles with large quantities of wood parts and ended up with a warehouse full of scraps........ ever the entrepreneur, ford came up with the idea of charring the discards and compressing them into briquettes..... for this job ford turned to his brother-in-law, E.G. Kingsford...... the new company sold the briquettes only at ford dealers until the 1950's, when a surge of interest in outdoor cooking and grilling prompted local grocery stores to start carrying ford's ingenious black briquettes...... although not a bit of new england history, I thought of those wondering WHERE the sooty squares came from.........

pig powder 'n butt rub..........

I have always been fascinated by the simple alchemy by which good assertive seasonings and rubs are melded into a harmonious whole........ here in america, pit bosses use rubs with greater imagination and with a freer hand than anywhere else on the planet......... one thing is for sure- never has interest been so deep in the not-so subtle boosters of flavor...... spice sales are rocketing (up seventy percent in the last decade), and chili consumptions has gone through the roof, tons at the end of the millennium versus 105,000 tons in 1980........ as americans hunger for big-ass bold flavor foods that pack a stinging wallop to the taste buds....... anyone can grill a steak or smoke a santa barbara style tri-tip or brisket...... but cooking down right real barbecue involves an intimate ka-knowledge of fuels and fire control as well as considerable expertise in using marinades, soaks, mops, glazes, bastes, sauces and rubs...... this influx of pugnacious pigness may sound complicated, it is complicated, but one shouldn't feel intimidated............ in laymans terms- a rub is a mixture of spices, herbs, secret seasonings and often sugar that is used to give a base flavor to the meat being smoked rather than seasoning it....... usually a heavily guarded secret, rubs are applied to the meat several hours before cooking so that a marinating effect takes place...... rubs foster the formation of crust or bark as we call it...... a well-mannered rub will yield the sort of sweet, succulent, fall off the bone tenderness in ribs most of us would identify as piglicious perfection... this basic american rub may look feeble when it comes to fatty pigness but don't let its simplicity fool ya... the sweetness of dark brown sugar, the heat of the black pepper, the mellow earthiness of the paprika and the slow burn of the chipotle powder..... use this basic formula as a spring board for your own creativity...... standard pig powder and butt rub- 1/2 cup kosher salt . 1/4 cup brown sugar . 1/4 cup maple sugar . 1/4 cup paprika . 1/4 cup dark chili powder . 3 tbsp black pepper . 2 tbsp garlic powder . 2 tbsp onion powder . 1 tbsp dry oregano . 1/4 cup worcestershire powder . 3 tbsp chipotle powder . 2 tbsp dry mustard..... mix all ingredients in a stainless bowl with a whisk...... store in a mason jar..... this rub will keep for a month or two..... enjoy compliments of tnef2fp- whole hog barbecue division..... this powder was developed by chef sebastian carosi while traveling through americas deep south..... sprinkle rubs on any thing you desire to add a savory, sweet, smoky and seductive flavor profile to...... let the meat sit in the rub for four to eight hours to richen the complexity of your bodacious barbecued meats........ smoke your meats and enjoy with a cold beer and the company of your family around the picnic table.....!

monsanto the seed company.........?

40% of seed varieties sold in the united states are owned by monsanto.......! scary isn't it......? chefs, commercial growers, small organic farmers and home gardeners alike should know about their seed sources....... do you know about your seed stock........? do you know who monsanto is and what they are responsible for.......? research this company as in depth as you can....... known for their aggressive advocacy of genetically modified crops and its dominance in biotechnology, monsanto will now have a major presence in the vegetable and fruit seed business for the first time...... we aren't talking about genetically modified seeds here, we're talking about WHO is supplying the seeds......... even if you purchase your non-gmo seed stock from a seed company that boasts a 'SAFE SEED PLEDGE' that variety may still be OWNED by monsanto....... sorry to burst your biosphere 'bubble' but that's the facts folks............... it is way overdo america must wake up and be more conscious about the source of our food.......! we are even supporting monsanto by purchasing seeds from our favorite seed companies and you more than likely are too, with out even knowing it................ check your seed supply................! protect your seed supply.................... chefs should demand heirloom, antique and heritage products be used in their menu development........... it is our job to educate the dining public further than organic and sustainable................ out of 2500 varieties that monsanto has acquired from the seminis takeover, here are several of the varieties that we KNOW monsanto owns: beans: ez gold, eureka, goldrush, kentucky king, lynx, bush blue lake 94.......carrots: nutri-red, sweet sunshine, karina, chantenay #1, chantilly, lariat..............cucumbers: dasher2, daytona, turbo, speedway, sweet slice, yellow submarine, sweeter yet................lettuce: esmeralda, lolla rossa (and derivatives), red sails, red tide, blackjack, summer time, monet, baby star, red butterworth..............melons: alaska, bush whooper, casablanca, dixie jumbo, early crisp................onions: arsenal, hamlet, red zeppelin, mars, superstar, candy...............peppers: valencia, camelot, king aurthur, red knight, aristotle, northstar, biscane, caribbean red, serrano del sol, early sunsation, fat and sassy..............spinach: melody, unipack 151spinach, bolero, cypress............squash: autumn delight, bush delicata (producer-vendor), really big butternut, early butternut, buckskin, pumpkin (aas), seneca autumn table acre...............tomato: big beef, beefmaster, first lady I and II, early girl, pink girl, golden girl, sungaurd, sun cheif sweet, baby girl, sweet million..............watermelon: royal flush, royal star (pet), stargazer, starbright, stars and stripes, yellow doll, tiger...............zucchini/summer squash: blackjack, daisy, fancycrook, sunny delight, lolita, sungreen....... They aren't done yet! recently monsanto purchased one of the largest international european based seed company..... monsanto is now the largest supplier of vegetable seeds in the world.... before agriculture became a big industry, every gardener and farmer was responsible for the availability of seed for next years crop..... with this recent merger and marketing tactics that has allowed a certain 'm'-onopoly to take over over the majority of the seed population......seed-saving is one among many tactics of reclaiming our power (and freedom) to grow our own food, and an indispensable step towards fully sustainable and secure future.......

ramps................(allium tricoccum)

sometimes called wild leeks or wild onions, this native north american forest commodity is prized by chefs across the northern half of our country..... though the bulbous white bottom resembles that of a scallion, the beautiful flat, broad leaves thoroughly set it apart....... ramps grow wild here in maine and are considered a spring delicacy and a reason to celebrate the onslaught of springs vibrant edibles plucked from the wilds (march-june)........ the deep allium flavor and pungent odor of ramps is usually compared to a combination of sulfur rich onions and a particularly strong garlic odor...... if you have ever foraged for ramps you know that the strong fragrant odor of this forest edible is one way to identify this american culinary treasure..... strong enough, in fact, even devoted ramp-lovers will advise nasal caution.........! the flavor was once described as 'similar to fried green onions with a dash of funky feet'............ ramps add wonderful and uniquely pungent flavors to a wide variety of dishes: soups, casseroles, sautees, rice dishes and potato dishes..... in central appalachia, ramps are commonly fried with potatoes in bacon fat or scrambled with free-range farm eggs and served with bacon, pinto beans and cornbread..... ramps are not around for long...... if you know a 'spot' that ramps grow naturally in your area, it is quit easy to differentiate the ramp from other imposters.... remember, ramps only grow in the early spring (here in maine we have several weeks of plentiful crops depending on your proximity), around late march and or early april, at the same time one may find the prized morel mushroom....... ramps are usually found in forested areas that are shady and sandy such as near clean water streams and creeks..... the well defined 'broad leaf' of the ramp will help you keep them separate from the look-a-like lily of the valley coming out of the ground...... and if you need to follow the strong garlicky odor...... if you manage to find some wild ramps, make sure you leave more than half of each clump so that they can continue to cultivate in that 'spot'.......... (don't give up your 'spot' - it is YOUR spot) those mountain folks of appalachia have long celebrated spring with the arrival of the ramp, believing it to have great power as a tonic to ward off the many ailments of winter, and a ramp bath was even featured in the film Where the Lilies Bloom..... these appalachian locals may have been on to something, as the selenium and sulphur-rich ramp is now the subject of intense study in the areas of cancer prevention and treatment...... a thick growth of ramps near lake michigan in illinois in the 17th century gave chicago its name, after the area was described by 17th-century explorer robert cavalier, sieur de la salle, and explained by his comrade, naturalist henri joutel...... the plant called chicagou in the language native tribes was once thought to be Allium Cernuum, the nodding wild onion, but research in the early 1990's showed the correct plant to be the ramp...... these cherished culinary delicacies seem to come and go as they please, for years a patch may be plentiful and then, suddenly, it will yield nothing at all, nada, bubcuss, zero......! I am yet to put ramps in my pipe, but I have smoked them, roasted them, sauteed them, pickled them, braised them, pureed them and grilled them....... I have eaten them right out of the ground, raw and dirty..........! when wild ramps arrive in the farmer's market in early spring or if you know of a 'spot' to find them, bring a handful home and enjoy spring in its purest form........ and remember when the trillium's bloom, look for ramps, celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring............

fridgehenge..................circa. 2003

so many inefficient old fridges in america that need replacing, so much empty space that could be filled with monuments..... we usually suggest recycling old fridges; artist adam jones horowitz and the primordial soup company had another idea fridgehenge, built in 2003 near santa fe, new mexico....... it was built out of more than one hundred fridges in the image of stonehenge and was a popular tourist attraction.... a lot of artists are working with garbage and recycling waste into art (check out stuart haygarth's bottled water chandelier, piet hein eek's scrap wood furniture, or an entire exhibition of it at the new museum of art and design in new york) but never on this scale..... 'officials from the city of santa fe, where the sculpture was, said that it was never supposed to be a permanent fixture and following a number of complaints from neighbors, it was removed..... 'it started out as a statement about american consumerism and waste, and then it sort of became waste itself '...... though surrounded by a chain-link fence, the many colored kenmores, whirlpools and maytags already show signs of passing visitors as they add their 'art' and graffiti to this monument to man's vapid consumer appetite..... rather than being aligned with the sun and the star fridgehenge is aligned with it's own atomic power source- los alamos national laboratories to the northwest..... these sprayed and decorated metal hulks are all lined up in a one hundred foot diameter circle where they seemingly worship several inner towers.... horowitz has been quoted as calling it 'a post-modern, post apocalyptic temple to waste and consumerism..... ok, i know this 'behemoth' of recycled scrap metal (minus the freon) was not erected in our beloved new england, but boy is this cool as hell........

Modox...... a Providence, Rhode Island nerve drink

in the early twentieth century, james stephen barry, 'big jim' owned and operated a beverage bottling company in providence, rhode island called modox- the new nerve drink......! modox was the flagship product in the beverage line, touted as 'the new nerve drink.' he distributed many different flavors of soda all over providence via horse and cart for a number of years........ he was extremely successful and had the barry children working at the business...... this was a time of local beverages before regional and national drinks....... you drank the local brew at the tavern and the local soda at home or at the soda fountain........ moxie, another beverage company out of lowell, massachusetts who had distribution into boston wanted to expand to become a regional soda distributor....... so at first they tried to buy modox from 'big jim.' but 'big jim' didn't wanted no part of this, he had built the company himself and was a self made man, independent and proud......... he refused to sell. moxie's next step was to sue modox for copyright infringement. both moxie and modox used an indian as their logo at that time. in the subsequent court case, two court cases ensued..... the first in boston, moxie's native turf, but modox won.......! next moxie took them to district court in new york where they prevailed......with the loss 'big jim' was put out of business with nothing to show for it- he was bankrupt (moxie had deeper pockets and better lawyers)..... after moxie won the the second case on copyright infringement, all modox bottles had to have the name ground off and many of these bottles have still survived today. remaining bottles were to be crushed for which moxie was to reimburse modox a nickel a piece for. 'big jim' tried to make a comeback with a beverage named HERB-O-PHOSA but it was too late in the game and failed........... he spent the rest of his life drinking himself to death and subsequently died in 1937, a broken man..... modox like many other beverages of the time was sold for it's medicinal value as well as for it's distinctive taste........ taste would have been similar to moxie. originally, it was bottled in the nickel-tone manufacturing plant at 17-19 mathewson st. in providence......... later on, bottling was moved to the site of the hanley brewing company (once a major competitor of narragansett ale) located on fountain street in providence......... the soda was bottled and sold directly to the public via horse and delivery carts with indians in full regalia. modox was also available at the local soda fountain or drug store, where the modox syrup would be mixed with carbonated water........ with the dissolution of modox 'big jim' set up HERB-O-PHOSA as a replacement for modox but the era of locally bottled beverages was coming to an end and eventually he went bankrupt.......... Jim Barry originally worked as a salesman for rumsford chemical works selling baking soda, one of the main ingredients in beverages at the time including moxie.......... he may have also worked at moxie after rumsford chemical job but there is no clear evidence of that......... 'big jim' created his own formulas and marketing schemes and became very successful which in turn was probably his downfall....... modox also bottled all of the traditional sodas of the day i.e. cream soda, ginger ale, root beer, sarsaparilla and birch beer......... based upon our research the earliest data indicates that modox was sold for five cents a glass and was touted as 'the nerve drink.'.......... 'big jim' continued to bottle soda into 1920's (according to census reports he was in manufacturing in 1910 and bottling in 1920).......

moxie................life, liberty and the pursuit of

on july 9th tnef2fp representatives (the carosi family) converged on lisbon falls to celebrate the oldest continually carbonated beverage in the country- MOXIE..... dubbed the 'official soft drink' of maine, the festival will feature a moxie chuggin' contest, a moxie recipe contest, a 5k road race and a huge fireworks display.............. this is the 27th annual moxie fest..... the carosi family will be proud guests of THE NEW ENGLAND MOXIE CONGRESS, a loose-knit band of moxie zealots who promote moxie's continued availability and its distinctively different taste..... (these guys fricken rock......!) our day began with us having to get all of the heritage hog meats smoked for our weekend barbecue....... heather lynn got up extra early to get the berkshire pig's ass, ribs and maine raised barnyard chicken breasts in the smoker and loaded with organic applewood to start the 6-8 hour smokin' process....... we got the meats out of the smoker at 3:45 and headed to lisbon falls 56.8 miles away..... having to be at the festival by 6pm to volunteer we stopped at THE MOXIE MUSEUM...... this mecca of all things moxie is ran by curator frank anicetti- the godfather of moxie............ off to the fest......... tucked away in a mcdonald's parking lot mainer's came together to celebrate their inherited soda-pop of choice..... (MOXIE)..... even though moxie has not been made and or bottled in new england for years the devotion to the beverage is deep-rooted....... the day was sweltering and yet breezy by maine standards, we searched over the crowd for a sip of cold refreshing contentment, nothing...... we began to yearn for a taste of the beverage elixir that we are here celebrating, but for hours we could not get our sweaty hands on a drop.......... then- there it was, the trademark orange, a can dripping with condensation and perspiration at a damn hot dog cart across the street............. heather lynn headed out to retrieve us a steamed natural casing frankfurter from shield's and a fricken can of that nose-stinging elixir with historic links to America's carbonated beverage; past, present and future........ remembering that we must consume these commodities in-order to protect their place in gastronomic history........ the hot dog could have been left at the three-wheel cart....... I can't wait to fill zanders bottle with this old-fashioned 'beverage moxie nerve food'........... can you imagine a 1yr olds reaction to a bottle full of moxie........ needless to say I wouldn't put anything that is not certified organic in my sons growing little body..... instead we indulged in our first moxie of the day..... wow, wow, woah............. having tasted moxie for over 25 years now I can't say that I have enjoyed one as much as july ninth, the year 2o1o....... the first can left me beggin' for more, the complex mix of tropical gentian root, wintergreen and carbonation with a root beer-esce flavor profile make this elixir very distinct and the consumer twisted at the reminiscent flavor of historic new england........ the hot dog sucked, by the way....... tnef2fp would like to thank- rosie bradley, director of all things moxie . debra wagner, moxie press core photog . pastor jonathan jones, volunteer coordinator and laurel dutton, moxie booth manager......... ........drink moxie new england........

cooper spring......

before our visit to this 'most talked about' maine mountain spring we swung by to visit '......THE SOURCE.....' at the poland spring complex in a heavily guarded outpost a short ways into the forest....... thee source of bottled water conglomerate poland springs....... the inn and grounds showed signs of an era gone by............ this historic majesty has seen many a US president and visitors alike........ rocking chairs on the grandiose porch and crisp green lawns are sure to invoke relaxation...... one can easily see this property in its prime........ (nice place) no time to relax, leaving this resort built on plastic bottle dollars we are off to maine's land of indigenous gems and mountain spring water we can drink without the '92 million plastic bottles a year guilt' attached to our eco-friendly beliefs..... we arrived at cooper spring...... the spring was family-owned and then given to the town of buckfield on the premise that everyone would be able to have access to it. it's kept up nicely and is in good shape...... the spring is part of the oxford county soil & water conservation district...... fred and estella pearson-cooper settled about 100ft north of the spring in 1881............ a small parking area is available right in front of the spring and some flat stones have been set up so that you can access the spring easier. the spring itself has been redirected using PVC pipes. (i know some people may not be into that, so i'm mentioning it.) the water is wonderfully cold and sweet! great quality! this spring is between the two most powerful and gem rich mines in the world. the mt. mica mine has produced abundant gem tourmaline of every color. the bennet quarry on the other side of the spring produced a 52lb morganite crystal (pink emerald). the water that comes through this spring probably has a high lithium content and is programmed by some of the most profound gemstones on earth. this is super pure energized water. it flows through the mountains or crystal mines (think about this), it's amazing! if you stored it in copper it would be called a battery. at sunset the place looks magic. here is the mineral list for the area: albite evansite manganocolumbite rhodochrosite . almandine fluorapatite mccrilisite romanechite . amblygonite - meta-autunite roscherite . arsenopyrite goethite metatorbernite rutile . autunite goyazite microcline schorl . beraunite graphite microlite scorodite . bertrandite halloysite mitridatite siderite . beryl heterosite montmorillonite sphalerite . biotite hisingerite moraesite spodumene . brazilianite hureaulite muscovite stewartite . brookite hydroxylapatite natromontebrasite (discredited) strunzite . calcite jahnsite-(camnmn) opal- hyalite tantalite . carbonate-fluorapatite kaolinite palermoite tapiolite . cassiterite kosnarite petalite torbernite . cleavelandite laueite phosphuranylite triphylite . cookeite lepidolite pollucite uranininite . crandallite lithiophilite purpurite zircon . elbaite loellingite pyrite . eosphorite manganite quartz. these rocks would scare distilled water back into stream. get to the intersection of 117 and n. whitman school road. drive to the end on n. whitman school road and turn left onto paris hill road. the spring is down on your right (maybe five or so minutes after you've turned onto paris hill. this water is incredibly cold and so damn clean... we watched many locals fill up their containers while we sat and ate salumi and and 1000 day old how-da (gouda)... this water was well worth the two hour drive... crystal, crystal clear and super clean.....

the ubiquitous maine lobster roll.........!

Maine isn't called Vacationland for nothing................ Tourist, foreigners and family vacationers have been flocking to Maine's 3,500 miles of coastline to enjoy numerous weathered cedar-shingle shacks, awning covered take-out windows, and freestanding seasonal restaurants where the menu revolves around one single ingredient................LOBSTER..........for nearly as long as the waves have been crashing on the rocky shores. After all, it takes a hearty amount of comfort food to get Mainer's through those endless winter months when the temperature can regularly dip below zero for days at a time........ My family has been coming to Maine since shortly after we landed in this country back in the early 50's from Northern Italy...... The most obvious payoff when in Maine comes in a red shell with two claws. Served steamed, broiled, stuffed, country fried, or mixed with a touch of Hellman's mayonnaise and piled high in a top-loading classic New England hot dog roll, the lobster is king........ you'll find it on menus up and down the coast in it's quintessential shack on rickety wharfs teetering over the sea below. Suffice it to say that the best place to find a great lobster roll is in Maine, hands down... and you don't have to try very hard, along the coast at least, you will find lobster rolls everywhere- even at Subway and McDonald's. Saying who serves the best is nearly as dangerous as playing in Whitey Bulger's South Boston traffic......... But here are a few lobster roll contendah's...... The Sea Basket in Wiscasett, Fat Boy Drive In in Brunswick, The Clam Shack in Kennebunkport, Maine Diner in Wells, Harraseekett Lunch & Lobster in Freeport and Nunan's Lobster Hut in Cape Porpoise.... DISCLAIMER: as you read this transmission, please keep in mind that this is only OUR opinion.... That may help explain why I may not like a roll that you may thoroughly swear by like a blood oath to the Patriarca Family.......... (RIP Raymond Sr.) For one thing, I like a simple roll without much dressing or garnish- nothing but bite sized chunks of cool, refreshing lobster meat, maybe with a tiny bit of Hellman's Mayonnaise and freshly squeezed organic lemon juice. A single leaf of delicate lettuce is acceptable, but I'd rather not find any celery, crunchy lettuce such as Iceberg, or anything else for that matter in the salad... The bun should be a top-split New England classic grilled on both sides in butter. I like a fully-packed roll, but not so damn full that I have to eat it with a fork first. After all a lobster roll is a sandwich, and I want to pick it up like a sandwich and eat it. I like to get a mix of perfectly grilled buttery roll and sweet succulent local lobster in every goddamn briny bite.............! 90% of the nation's lobster comes from Vacationland, but the HOMARUS AMERICANUS, or Maine Lobster, wasn't always popular. Before the 1800's, only the poor, orphans, and servants consumed lobster. There was even a law forbidding Maine State Prisons from serving lobster to inmates more than once a week, since it was considered cruel and unusual punishment..... Turn of the century 'rusticators' who summered in Maine, like John D. Rockefeller, helped transform the lobster from lowly bottom feeding crustacean to a seasonal delicacy....... Entrepreneurial lobster pound owners lit fires and set up crude outdoor kitchens, selling impromptu boiled lobster picnics to the moneyed elite sailing the Atlantic Coast... The lobster shack was born.....! Support a long-standing Maine made New England tradition, support your local lobstermen, fishermen and native clam-digger......... remember- do not purchase your mud bugs (lobsters) from anywhere but Maine Waters..... this means do not purchase your lobsters from Canada................!!! Having purchased bugs from multiple sources and locations up and down Maine's craggy coast, we find sweet, succulent, hard-shell and soft-shell alike............................. Maine is the place to over-indulge in an American tradition-HOMARUS AMERICANUS on a butter grilled roll with a dab of mayo...... Some Lobster company's worthy of their salt: small point lobster company, arundel lobster company, muscongus bay lobster company and kennebunkport lobster company....

'......it is apparent to serious shellfish eaters that in the great evolutionary scheme of things, crustaceans developed shells to protect them from knives and forks.......................' -author- calvin trillin

Del's Frozen Lemonade......circa. 1948

If you are not from Rhode Island it may be hard for you to understand Autocrat Coffee Syrup, Sfogliatelle, Narragansett Ale, Clam Cakes, Haven Brothers, The Hill, Buddy Cianci, Joe Onions, Baby Shacks, The Saint, Cabinets, Raymond Patriarca (jr too), Constantino's Venda Ravioli, Cassertas Pizza, Modox (not Moxie), The Awful Awful and most of all Del's Lemonade.......

Shouldn't there be a location on The Hill for christ sakes...

Fahgeddaboudit.......Slurpin' this cool refreshing sour mixture of frozen lemonade, sugar and real lemon pieces sends you into a Tony Soprano like rant about how good Arti Bucco's hand-made Potato Gnocchi truly are............................! if you have never experienced Del's Lemonade, you must do so............. the history of Del's is deep rooted in RI history, purveying frozen lemonade since 1948.......... making several pilgrimages back to Providence to over indulge in killer Italian pastries and dough based foods, I always find myself on Atwell's Ave. staring over at the Piazza Depasquale to see the majority of the residents of 'The Hill' scurrying to kiss the hand of a 350lb. gray haired old Italian man with a tight fitting Armani suit, a sparkling diamond filled Rolex Presidential and two HUGE goons posted at each shoulder, guarding over every move the man makes........ this means that I am on 'The Hill'.............. where I was born, where I come back to time and again.............. having lived and worked on 'The Hill' for several years one never gets bored of this mob run sector of the city......... I am forever grateful I was born in Providence, even though we lived on a sprawling farm in Smithfield to live off of the land like true Italo-American immigrants.................... down on the farm........................ very similar to Great-Grandfather DeLucia who made the first Del's Lemonade in 1840, Naples Italy. During the winter he carried snow into nearby caves and insulated it with straw. When summer arrived and the world famous local Amalfi lemons were ripe and at the peak of their perfection, he would mix their juice with just the right amount of sugar and snow. Thus making the first Del's Lemonade that he would sell at the local Farmer's Market. Fruit ices are very popular in Europe, yet none is more loved than the concoctions made from fresh Amalfi lemon juice...... Grandfather Franco Delucia brought his fathers recipe to America at the turn of the century. Angelo Delucia, his son, began work on a machine to produce the frozen lemonade, and the method of making it a consistently excellent product. In 1948 Del's Frozen Lemonade acquired its name and the sole product sold at a little stand in Cranston, RI. Soon, Angelo designed the first mobile units in order to sell Del's Frozen Lemonade anywhere in the little state of RI.

Like all things that SCREAM.................RHODE ISLANDAH, Del's will remain a part of my families history for decades to come..................! For today is my fathers birthday (july 5th) so we enjoyed a traditional RI Clam Bake and I managed to hit Del's three (3), three (3) times.............. each time enjoying a whole damn quart......... thats three (3) quarts.................. I love you Autocrat, but you can feel me........! three times in one day........

bond mountain spring, maine

our family (sebastian, heather and baby zander) frequently travels up west road toward ray schicoloni's cherry knoll farm (a great source of pastured local lamb) to reach the lush green forests and rolling hills of southern maine's tiny town of newfield to get our weekly drinking water...... our drinking water is still bubbling fresh from a hole in the earths surface....... lewis and clark- eat your damn hearts out.........! at 823 feet it is an easy hike up to the summit of bond mountain, home to this historic 'town' spring which is acclaimed by the Three Rivers Land Trust as one of the last clean 'roadside' springs in york county..... deep rooted in rich glacial soil, bond mountain was also a major ski area back in the late 50's and 60's until mechanical challenges forced the resort to be closed..... the summit of the mountain features the rocky remains of the Thomas Bond homestead (circa. 1820) and a small cemetery plot believed to contain the graves and remains of Thomas Bond, three of his wives and some of their children....... several of new england's leading paranormal research groups and society's have done extensive research in the area to study any paranormal activity around those buried there........ your best bet if trying to find this '.....old faithful....' of natural mountain springs is to program your GPS to 322 bond mountain road, newfield, maine; it will take you to TAPS (thurston and peters sugarhouse), travel several hundred feet past the sugarhouse and on your left hand side you will see the spring and the small wood platform to rest your jugs on while filling them........bond mountain spring is ruffly 8.5 miles from our humble place of abode, we make several trips a week for this clean, crisp and thoroughly refreshing local mountain spring water........ there is a hand-painted sign stating that there is the potential for the springs water to be high in bacteria certain times of the changing seasons and a phone number for 'drinkers' to call for information about the spring....... take a drive one day and discover bond mountain spring....... bring a couple of jugs and fill them to the rim with mountain freshness.......... this is where we pay tribute to those person or persons that are responsible for informing us about this reliable source of mountain spring water- ryan z & von nida

latitude: 43.62202 - longitude: -70.90117