A real potboiler

There’s nothing like good, old-fashioned country cooking, and locals consider Phyllis Hutchins of Chapman the master. For years, Phyllis and her husband, Leonard, ran the OxBow Lodge in the Aroostook County town of Oxbow. Now, her recipes are available in a new cookbook, “Sixty-Five Years of Country Cooking – and Still Stirring.” It includes such favorites as Caramel Ice-Box Cookies, Chicken Stew and homemade Macaroni and Cheese. As for Phyllis, she still cooks for family, friends and Aroostook Area Agency on Aging fundraisers. The book was typeset and illustrated by hand, and it’s available at Oxbow Wreaths/Deep in the Woods Gift Shop for $14.95, or by mail order for $18.95. To order, send a check or money order to Oxbow Wreaths/Deep In The Woods Gift Shop, 685 Oxbow Road, Oxbow 04764, or call (800) 639-9588.

Loosening the belt

If you plan to slip into something more comfortable – something with an elastic waist, perhaps – after tomorrow’s turkey feast, you’re not alone. A recent survey of American men and women ages 21 to 60, conducted for Pepto-Bismol, found 61 percent of respondents admit they have unbuttoned their pants or loosened their belt after a big meal – and this was true for both men and women; 72 percent regretted instances of overindulgence and acknowledge they’ve uttered the phrase, “I’ll never eat or drink like that again.” Of course, that was before they saw the pumpkin pie.

Holiday cheers

Imagine sitting in on a Food Network taping. You can have a similar experience, minus the cameras, during a wine dinner at Pairings in Winterport. The next dinner will take place at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. Chef Robert Waldron will prepare and discuss the meal in Pairings’ large, open kitchen. The menu includes Creamy Roasted Garlic Soup with a Red Pepper Coulis paired with Winterport Winery Apple Wine; Grilled Pears and Pistachio Crusted Goat Cheese over Mixed Greens with a Raspberry Vinaigrette, paired with Winterport Winery Dry Pear Wine; an intermezzo of Cranberry Wine Sorbet; Roasted Cornish Game Hen with Wild Rice Risotto, Mushrooms, Acorn Squash and an Orange and Pomegranate Demi-Glace, paired with Winterport Winery Dry Blueberry Wine; and for dessert, Vanilla Bean and White Chocolate Bread Pudding, paired with Winterport Winery Berry Chocolate Wine. For more information or reservations, which are required, call 223-0990.

Tidbits is hungry for news about local food products and events. Send your Tidbits by mail to: Bangor Daily News, attn: Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor ME 04402-1329; by fax to 941-9476; or by e-mail to kandresen@bangordailynews.net.