MECHANIC FALLS – Beth Frechette has always spent time cooking for others, from catering weddings for friends to making and delivering food for the ill. “The thing that brings me the most joy is that cooking is a way of loving people, a way to pleasure the people I love,” she said.

Frechette learned how to cook through a mix of experiments and lessons from her aunt. When she was young, she cooked dinner for her family. “We cooked and heated completely with wood. We had a woodstove and a big cook stove that ran on wood,” she said. Frechette described the meals she prepared as typical Maine fare, a meat and potatoes style. “Even now, I find myself going back to the old favorites.”

During her senior year of high school and college, Frechette worked in the kitchens of different resorts. “I tried waitressing, but it wasn’t for me. So I was moved back to the kitchen.”

These days, she still loves to cook for others. Whenever an employee from her husband’s veterinary hospital celebrates a birthday, she bakes a cake of his or her choice. “They all get to choose whatever dessert they want, and I will make it for them. Sometimes someone will pick a dessert I’ve never made, but sometimes the old favorites are the choices,” she said.

Sweets and salads are among Frechette’s favorite foods. She enjoys finding new recipes, and her favorite cookbook is by Betty Crocker, given to her as a wedding present. “That cookbook is a staple. I will always go back to it when I need to,” she said. A close second is “Cooking Downeast,” which she gives as a standard bridal shower gift.

When she’s not cooking, Frechette likes to quilt. She also enjoys reading mysteries, visiting art shows and art museums, and driving to different places in Maine. “My husband and I will get in the car and go driving. The destination isn’t important. It’s the journey that is the point.”

Best-ever gingerbread

Ingredients:

1½ cups sugar

3 cups flour

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ginger

3 teaspoons baking soda

2 eggs

¾ cup oil

¾ cup molasses

1½ cups boiling apple cider or apple juice

Method:

Put the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir together. Add eggs, oil, molasses and boiling apple cider. Mix well. Spread batter in a well greased and floured 9- by 13-inch pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream, ice cream, applesauce, lemon sauce or blueberry sauce.

Pork chops with pears

Ingredients:

6 pork loin chops

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon butter

1 large onion cut in thin strips (about 1 cup)

2 teaspoons sugar

¾ cup beer or beef bouillon

½ cup water

3 fresh Bartlett pears, peeled, seeded and quartered

Method:

Trim fat from pork chops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a 12-inch skillet, melt butter; add onions and cook gently until transparent but not brown. Remove onions from skillet. Add pork chops to skillet and brown well on both sides. Return onions to skillet. Dissolve sugar in the beer or bouillon and add to skillet. Simmer until beer takes on a golden-brown color. Add water. Place pears on top of chops. Cover and simmer until chops are cooked, about 20 minutes. Remove cover and simmer 5 minutes longer, basting pears with the pan sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Note: This recipe may be made with apples instead of pears. Slices of winter squash and celery are also a nice addition with the onions and fruit. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts may be used instead of pork.

Cheddar chicken chowder

Ingredients:

2 slices bacon

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup diced bell pepper (red, yellow or other sweet peppers)

2 cloves garlic, minced

4½ cups chicken broth

1¾ cup diced potatoes, peeled

2¼ cups cooked whole-kernel corn, drained canned, frozen or fresh cooked

½ cup all purpose flour

2 cups milk

¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Method:

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan; crumble and set aside. Add chicken, onions, bell pepper and garlic to the drippings in the pan. Sauté 5 minutes. Add broth and potatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add corn; stir well. Put flour in a mixing bowl, gradually add milk, whisking until blended. Add to the soup. Bring to a boil at medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Top with crumbled bacon.