I Found the Lost Kitchen and the Woman from Freedom

A couple of years ago I discovered Erin French. Erin runs a restaurant in Freedom, Maine from late spring to fall each year.  She had to make some very creative adjustments during the pandemic. Joanna and Chip Gaines learned about her and their network has produced two seasons of an amazing show called "Finding Freedom" for the Magnolia Network on Discovery+. I first learned about her in an article online, discovered her cookbook, stumbled upon her series, then purchased her memoir. She is resilient, creative, and very hard working. 

She isn't a trained chef. She grew up learning to cook at her dad's diner in Freedom. She is a recovering addict and decided she needed to move forward and do what she did best... cook. It is working. She surrounds herself in her restaurant with a staff of woman friends that have no formal chef training. Her mom was put in charge of the wine. Her husband builds fires, creates cabins, and a bit of everything else. She sources all her food, flowers, pottery, and whatever else from local farms, fishermen, potters, and other local artisans.

She has inspired me so much. Last week I saw her on Ina Garten's new show "Be My Guest" and she shared her experiences and prepared one of her favorite recipes, Dad's Meatloaf. It was a popular item on the menu at his diner. Last night I prepared this recipe for our weekly Family Dinner. It was so delicious. I couldn't pick wildflowers from a Maine field or have fresh herbs from a local farmstand, but the meatloaf was enough for me. 

https://www.findthelostkitchen.com

You can just google her name and spend hours learning about this woman and all she has done for her workers, family, and the people of Freedom, Maine. It is a good story. Check out her series, find her on social media, find her cookbook, or read her memoir. You will find them all worth your time. The restaurant serves dinner four days a week. Since it is so popular they have a unique reservation system. You mail in a postcard in early spring and it is a luck-of-the-draw.

“I wanted to serve; I wanted to entertain and host; I wanted to take in strangers and feed them my love on a plate. As a woman, I felt a most innate joy in caring for people. Something that felt so natural to me, something that I craved to do.”
― Erin French, Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch

My goal in the next few years is to send in a postcard in the spring, hope to get drawn out, and go see this special place. I have always wanted to go to Maine.

Here is the link to the meatloaf recipe:

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dads-meatloaf-12434737