Food & Wine
“Chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier's delicious dishes make the most of the season's freshest ingredients- including those they grow themselves.”
Emily Luchetti, Executive Pastry Chef Farallon and Waterbar Restaurants
“In this book, Mark and Clark capture the essence of Maine’s incredible food bounty. The clearly written recipes are classics with added twists of flavor from their signature style. Cook from this book and you will feel like a culinary Mainiac.”
John Besh, Chef/Owner Besh Restaurant Group
“Mark and Clark aren't just two of the most talented chefs in the country, but two of the finest people I know. Their passion and love for local Maine cooking resonates with every delicious recipe in Maine Classics. A true benchmark for American cookbooks.”
Paul Kahan, Partner/Executive Chef of Blackbird, avec, The Publican and Big Star
“Clark and Mark define an American regional cuisine in a way that is clean and contemporary, fresh and inventive, and truly farm to chef. The book is a joy to cook from.”
Publishers Weekly, 4/18/11
"More than just a collection of recipes representative of the state, this cookbook is a love letter to the region, an homage to the local fishermen, farmers, and foragers who bring fresh food to the table. Gaier and Frasier, chefs and owners of three restaurants, are passionate about their beloved state and all it has to offer, even as the winters are long and the summers are brief. Chapters are divided by the foods' origins, and each includes a profile of a farmer, cheesemaker, baker, etc., whom the authors know personally. "The Shore," for example, includes myriad recipes for oysters, clams, and crabs (the festive crab parfait is stunning) as well as instructions on how to shuck an oyster; "The Forest" addresses fiddlehead ferns and ramps and the many varieties of mushrooms indigenous to Maine, as well as quail, rabbit, venison, and duck, and includes a traditional Mainer's Thanksgiving menu. The final chapter, "The Root Cellar," includes root vegetable recipes as well as ones for preserves and pickles. A page explains the basics of canning, with recommended resources for further instruction. The short intros to recipes offer bits of history, and the color photos throughout of food, animals, people, and landscape capture the spirit and beauty of Maine. This is a deliciously appealing book, especially for Down East locavores."
Library Journal, 4/15/11
"If lobster is the only food that comes to mind when you think of Maine, this book will broaden your cooking horizons. Though cooks will find plenty of lobster and other seafood recipes here, ingredients also come from the farm, forest, and garden. James Beard award–winning chefs at Arrows in Ogunquit, ME, Gaier and Frasier serve up dishes like Lobster Shortcake with Rum Vanilla Sauce, Grilled Rabbit with Juniper and Bay Leaves, and Bok Choy with Shiitake Mushrooms. Readers looking for an armchair trip to Maine won’t be disappointed—a plethora of scenic photos are also included."
Wine Spectator.com, 4/15/11
“Frasier's and Gaier's new book is a kind of historical document, tracing Maine's food history for the past 250 years, from Native American clambakes, corncakes–and puddings to spices culled from overseas trading to the foragers, fishermen, small farmers and artisan cheesemakers and bakers who make up the new face of Maine cuisine.”
