Q & A

FIVE MINUTES WITH CHERIE SCOTT

The Boothbay–based founder of culinary blog/podcast Mumbai to Maine on her late foray into Indian cooking, the mother of all spice tins, and the pots she never puts away.

Cherie Scott of Mumbai to Maine in her Boothbay kitchen
INTERVIEW BY JEN DEROSE
PHOTOGRAPHED BY RYAN DAVID BROWN

I collect…

Indian cookbooks. I left India when I was 16 and didn’t know how to cook a single Indian dish until I was 32. I love Sonal Ved’s Tiffin because it demystifies Indian cooking. A tiffin is a stainless-steel lunchbox every school kid uses. When I open this book, I am transported back. $35. shermans.com

I always set my table with…

a splash of color! We splurged on these hand-blown glasses by Ron Hinkle when they were sold at Edgecomb Potters. Each one is a work of art.

Before the dinner party I always…

dim the Mason-jar–style chandelier we scored at Pottery Barn years ago. It hangs over an oak table in our kitchen and adds to our country aesthetic

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My go-to cookware is…

Staub and Le Creuset Dutch ovens. They conduct heat exceptionally well and I can go from stovetop to oven using one vessel. My husband built a cabinet for them beneath our range but, to be honest, they rarely get stored away. Staub cocotte, from $259.99. acooksemporium.com

Right now, I’m working on…

Mumbai to Maine’s gourmet Indian simmer sauce collection, which will be out in December. Warm them up and serve over steamed basmati rice. $9.95 each. mumbaitomaine.com

There’s no such thing as…

too much kitchen storage. We have 21 custom cabinets, including one with an integrated plate rack that showcases handcrafted china from Maxwell’s Pottery in Portland. Souleo Provence plates, from $28. maxwellspottery.com

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My favorite kitchen essential is…

a masala dabba, or multi-container spice tin. It is essential for keeping freshly ground spices, like turmeric, garam masala, and Kashmiri chili powder, at your fingertips.