Talking Food in Maine: Intimate Conversations, Season 4, is a free series of one on one conversations between host Cherie Scott of Mumbai to Maine (Boothbay) and notable culinary pioneers who have made a substantial contribution to the culinary arts in the state of Maine. We are pleased to welcome our first guest for this season, Marilou (Lulu) Ranta!

Marilou (Lulu) Ranta was born in the Philippines in 1966. She came to the United States in 1987 where she then spent a few years in North Carolina, but she ended up settling in Monson, Maine in 1997. Lulu always had a love for food and feeding others, and guests who came over would always leave with left overs. Lulu would then head to Eastern Maine Community College to get her culinary degree. She earned her degree the same year she turned 50.

In 2017, The Libra Foundation launched the Monson Arts Program where artists come from all over the world to create their art right in Monson. Lulu was asked to cook meals for the resident artists twice a day. Apart from feeding the artists, The Quarry was born. Lulu opened a Fine Dining restaurant with a prix-fixe menu with five-courses.  Lulu creates classic dishes with small twists to make them like never before.

Event Photo Credit – Sienna Renee Photography

 

Mumbai-native Cherie Scott left India at the age of 16 and moved to Vancouver, BC. After a few stops in New York City and New Jersey, Cherie has been anchored in Boothbay, Maine now for over a decade.  In 2015, she launched her culinary blog, MumbaitoMaine.com to share her signature recipes and nostalgic anecdotes of her youth in Mumbai. In 2018, 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 for 4 years. Cherie is now a guest chef instructor at the Milk Street with Christopher Kimball Online Cooking School, Boston. Cherie is the host of “Talking Food In Maine” a series of intimate one-on-one conversations with notable culinary pioneers who have made a substantial contribution to the culinary arts in the state of Maine. To celebrate Maine’s bicentennial and gastronomic talent, Cherie hosted and produced Mumbai to Maine’s podcast in 2020 showcasing some of Maine’s most accomplished culinary tastemakers. 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 and award-winning culinary brand, available nationwide on www.mumbaitomaine.com and across specialty stores in Maine.

Special Thanks to Newcastle Inn for supporting us in bringing Chef Lulu to The Lincoln!

 

Presented in partnership with King Eider’s Pub, Rising Tide Co-Op, & Your Maine Concierge

     

This is a FREE event. No tickets or reservations are required to attend.
If you are interested in supporting Lincoln Theater in our efforts to provide free programming to our community, please click here.