Table of Contents
TO THE TALENTED PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH US
at Arrows, MC Perkins Cove, and Summer Winter,
their hard work and loyalty helped to
make Maine Classics possible
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
IN THE LATE SEVENTIES, A NUMBER OF MARKS SIBLINGS MOVED TO THE great state of Maine. They were soon calling him in his home town of Piqua, Ohio, extolling the virtues of the place. They regaled him with stories of the vast Victorian house, which they had named the Heartbreak Hotel (no doubt because of all the hippies that were having romps there), and of the great sailing and living in the picturesque town of Blue Hill. Mark soon moved to Maine and fell in love with the beauty of the land and sea so unlike the cornfields and factories of his home town.
A few years later, while we were working together in San Francisco, Mark kept telling me about how great Maine was. As a typical West Coaster I had only the foggiest, third-grade-geography notion about this far away place. But in time we vacationed there, and like legions before me, I, too, fell in love with this unique place. Soon after that we had packed our bags to move across country to open a restaurant. Eventually that restaurant, Arrows, became known to food lovers around the country, and the rest, as they say, is history.
This book is a culmination of our long love affair with this wonderful rugged land. As with any book, it involved many creative people working together in a concerted effort. Stacey Glick, our agent, must be thanked for having the vision to see what a special book this could beand for persevering in finding us just the right editor. Without the right editor no book is possible. Therefore, we must thank Geoffrey Stone for consistently and patiently guiding this book to completion. Our co-author, Rachel Forrest, has been a joy to work with. In addition to putting our thoughts into words, she has spent countless hours contacting people, planning meetings, and organizing photo shoots. While writing the book, we have spent many hours together, and now count her as a friend. We must also thank the talented Ron Manville. His evocative photos capture the spirit of Maine; besides that, hes just a great guy.
Mark and I would like to thank all of the many talented people on our staff at Arrows, MC Perkins Cove, and Summer Winter. Our executive chef, Justin Walker, spent many hours ordering food, organizing dishes, and assisting us in testing each recipe. He is a great chef and we count him as a good friend. We would also like to thank our dedicated core staff, including Danielle Johnson Walker, Janice Blanchard, Norman Dufour, and Lee Frank, who all contributed to making this book a reality.
Finally, we would like to thank the many bakers, cheese makers, oyster people, lobstermen and women, fisher folk, butter makers, and countless others who gave their time to make this a great book about a great and unique land.
A note of thanks from Rachel Forrest
WHEN MARK AND CLARK CALLED TO ASK ME TO CO-AUTHOR THEIR NEW book, I swooned. Id worked with them before in my role as a food journalist, but this was a chance to learn more about the craft of these renowned chefs, how they create great food, and how they work with all of the wonderful ingredients that come from only a few miles away. I did learn about all of that, but we were also able to deepen our friendship, which is the most precious outcome from our year of working on the book. Thank you, Mark and Clark. Thanks also to the team at Arrows and MC PerkinsJustin, Lee, and Danielle.
Thanks also to my editors and mentors at Seacoast Media Group current and past. You all helped teach me how to be a better writer at a newspaper that is dedicated to creating an environment where food journalism is recognized as important and honored. Thanks to the people in the Seacoast of Maine and New Hampshire for reading and supporting my work and helping me to make all of us more aware of the wonderful artisan food producers, fishermen, and farmers who are a part of this book. Im honored to be able to help tell their stories.
To my parents, Carol Stinnett and David Forrest, thank you for encouraging my writing from the age of five, when I first learned to write a poem. You always told me I could achieve whatever I wanted in life, and I have, with confidence, many times over. To my Stepdad, James Stinnett, thanks for all of your support and help through good and tough times. To Sonia Aviles, my stepmom, thanks for your inspirational cooking and calm. To my daughter, Avalon, thanks for saying, I love you Mom, every day and for telling me everything I cook is sooo good. Finally, for my brother, Alex, if you could be here again, I would grill you up a huge steak, well done.
FOREWORD
COMMITMENT AND INNOVATION ARENT NECESSARILY TERMS THAT go together. One can be committed to something, but not necessarily change with the times or devise anything new; one can be innovativechanging and movingbut not committed to an ideal. But commitment and innovation blend admirably and completely in the character and skills of Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier.
Ive known them for a long timemaybe even at the beginning: they probably cooked for me at Stars in San Francisco without me knowing it. I was much lower on the masthead then to be sure, and they were cooking on the line, working hard, honing their talents, refining the techniques and signature style that would eventually define them back east in Ogunquit, Maine. In 1988 they opened what was to become their landmark Arrows restaurant, followed seventeen years later by the energetic MC Perkins Cove with its mesmerizing seaside view, and then on even further into New England.
Theirs is a commitment not only to their own cherished families, but, of course, to their customersregulars and first-timers alikeand to their amazing staff. They are committed to the extraordinary farmers and food artisans and other suppliers who contribute to their success, and perhaps most importantly, to their community. They know the importance of encouraging local spirit and fostering relationships to help build and maintain their dream. After all, Maine is their home, and their love for and enjoyment of it infuses everything they do. And their commitment also comes to friendship: Mark and Clark, as they are known, have become family. To my second family, that is the amazing and dedicated staff at Bon Apptit, they have been welcome and valued contributors many times over; to my first and natural family, they have become true friends, and to me personally, thoughtful confidants. We have spent many wonderful evenings together catching up over a good meal and good wines, laughing and connecting in ways that only time around a dinner table can provide.
That their food is always innovative and delicious goes without sayingbut I will. There is never a false note, and for the two of them, the process of creating a new dish is rewarding and fun. They still take time to travel the world to discover new flavors, translating each new ingredient, new taste, and new passion to the plate. And now for you, onto the pages of this book.
Youre in for a treat. Consider yourselves lucky to have such committed and innovative friends as Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier in your home kitchen. I know that I do.
