Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108Hungry Eye 78 p o r t l a n d monthly magazine from top: courtesy vinland; meaghan maurice (2) get our full yearly supply of ginger, turmer- ic, and coriander, all of which are incredibly powerful and surprising flavors. Coriander is just the seed from cilantro, so a farmer friend of mine lets his cilantro go to seed and deliv- ers us bags of green coriander seeds, which are even more delicious than the best dried seeds I’ve had. Coriander is the key seasoning for our mussels. It occasionally shows up on our raw beef, and it’s in our bar program. “We put cranberries to use all year, but it’s very exciting to get fresh ones, and I hear it’s a big year for them. We make a cranberry and ginger compote for our cheese plate that people rave about. “As we start getting some real frost in the ground, the parsnips turn very sweet and all the root crops reach their peak, in- cluding beets, carrots, and celeriac. Those sweet parsnips, along with the turmeric and ginger, combine to make my favorite dessert, our parsnip custard. I sneak a bite after service pretty much every night we have it available. We serve sunchokes with monkfish. Cold weather also brings out the best in cabbage. We’re brewing up some re- ally good sauerkraut. “Then there are the wild mushrooms. Hen of the woods, chicken mushrooms, hedgehog mushrooms, matsutake. Fall is the best season for wild mushrooms, which are by far my favorite targets for foraging. It’s hard to find time to get into the woods, but you can bet I’ll be out there when the hens start popping out. We use some cultivated, but there’s nothing like the wild stuff.” Levi’s enthusiasm is catching. “I hard- ly know where to begin with squash, I love it so much. I’ll just say this. Somebody in Maine should really do what Stony Brook does in New York and make delicious, Aus- trian-style squash seed oil.” ITALIAN TRADITION “For me, Northern Italian food is suited for the fall and winter months,” says Scott London, chef at the new wine bar Rosso- bianco tucked into the West End’s Bram- hall Square. “Much of the cuisine is based on rich dishes with butter and cheese–very comforting in the cooler months.” Rossobianco, cozy with cappuccino-col- ored walls and a hand-built wooden bar and wine racks, is co-owned by David Levi and Colleen Callahan. Local produce, meat, and seafood are used to fashion Northern Italian dishes, but the wine list is international. London quit a job at Bath Iron Works to attend the Au- guste Escoffier Culinary School in Boulder, Colorado. He later staged (apprenticed) at two restaurants in the Fri- “Those sweet parsnips, along with the turmeric and ginger,combine to make my favorite dessert, our parsnip custard.I sneak a bite after service pretty much every night we have it available.“ –David Levi uli region in northeastern Italy, where he learned the tenets of the cuisine. “The colder the water gets here, the bet- ter the shellfish get. A nice steaming bowl of cozze (mussels) and perhaps seared cape- sante (scallops) are definite. Squash and mushroom soups are fantastic in the fall. We love mushrooms, and we use the aran- cini (fried balls of risotto) to really show- case that flavor profile. Hearty grains also go great with mushrooms and with savory herbs such as rosemary and thyme.” S ure enough, on a recent visit, the fea- tured arancini were con funghi–rich and earthy with oyster mushrooms and Grana Padano cheese, and just the thing with a glass of Costieres de Nimes chardon- nay. Crostini topped with hake rillettes were another seamless fusion of sustainable local fish with continental preparation. “An herb that screams fall is sage. Sage, winter squash, and brown butter is simplic- ity at its best.” FEAST FOR THE SENSES “Cooking with the seasons is a real adven- ture,” says chef Ben Jackson at Drifter’s Wife wine bar on Washington Avenue. He sums it up: “The pure pleasure of tasting something for the first time in a year is real. “I find inspiration in the moment. It’s Turmeric-infused cocktail Meg Mitchell of South Paw Farm and her locally grown radicchio,left.