In 2009, Amber Lambke and artisan brick oven baker, Michael Scholz, purchased Skowhegan’s old county jail and transformed it into a gristmill for cleaning and processing grains for bakers, brewers, and chefs across the northeast. Beginning operations in 2012, it is now home to the largest mill in Maine using the traditional stone milling process, spurring the revival of grain production here in the state. Working with over 100 local farmers, Maine Grains processes all-natural and certified organic whole grains and oats on an Austrian stone mill and sells them under the Maine Grains label to retail locations throughout the Northeast, as well as award- winning restaurants.  Amber Lambke is also the founding director of the Maine Grain Alliance, a nonprofit geared toward preserving regional grain traditions from earth to table. A driving force behind Maine’s sustainable foods movement, she has been a leader in bringing economic vitality back to Skowhegan by reviving the region’s grain growing and processing industry.

 

Talking Food in Maine is hosted by Mumbai-native Cherie Scott, who left India at the age of 16 and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. After a few stops in New York City and New Jersey, Cherie has been anchored in Boothbay, Maine now for over a decade. Cherie writes a culinary blog, MumbaitoMaine.com, to share her signature recipes and nostalgic anecdotes of her youth in Mumbai. Cherie was invited to join a lineup of notable guest chef instructors at Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School where she curated an exclusive, regional Indian cooking series. In the heart of the pandemic, Cherie launched her signature line of gourmet Indian simmer sauces: makhani, saag, and caldine. Inspired by her family’s heritage recipes, these simmer sauces are masterfully crafted in small batches and simmered for hours with an infusion of freshly roasted and ground spice blends. Mumbai to Maine is Maine’s first Indian-inspired culinary brand, available nationwide on www.mumbaitomaine.com and across specialty stores in the state. Cherie will be teaching her debut cooking class at the Christopher Kimball Online Cooking School this spring.

 

Lincoln Theater is located at 2 Theater St. in Damariscotta. More information is available on our website at www.LincolnTheater.net.