You Gotta Love It! You gotta love it! At leaste that's what Chefs Roger Bintliff and Traci Avello think, along with host Hope Cohen left to right, as they share the bounty of Maine with TV viewers. (Photo Barbara Martin)

Cameras are rolling once again in Edgecomb. The crew from "Chef's Kitchen," a cable broadcast cooking show, filmed nearly 20 segments this week for broadcast across the country. Once again, armchair chefs will be able to mix it up in the kitchen with the cream of the television cooking crop.

"Chef's Kitchen" is nationally syndicated, and is the brainchild of Steven Horn, long time producer and advertising professional. Roger Bintliff, owner of Bintliff's Ocean Grille and Sheepscot Harbor Inn, has been a visiting chef on the program for several years. And even with his fingers in so many other pies, he continues to refer to himself as "just a chef."

Bintliff purchased the Mostly Maine gift shop building on Route 1 with a long wish list of ways that this site could be used to introduce the wonders of Maine to the lower 47 states and bring those lucky enough to live here closer together.

In fact, Bintliff just beams when the subject of Maine is brought up… usually by him.

"We are so fortunate to live in this pristine part of the country with abundant fresh air and food," he said, during a break in the taping last week. "This program is just one of many ways we have of showcasing the beauty of Maine."

Bintliff said he plans to use the site to offer cooking classes and seminars for cooks of all skill levels. For those from away, the classes will serve as an introduction to Maine's special charms. He also has plans for a cooking school that will be affiliated with the New England Culinary Arts Forum.

He also plans to dedicate part of the building to resurrect the old general store concept for the town of Edgecomb to enjoy. It will be stocked with some wicked good Maine eats and give locals a place to meet, greet and complain about black flies and traffic.

But hold on to your hats. All those Bintliff brainstorms just never stop. He wants to showcase more than just good recipes made with fine Maine products through this new venture. "As tourists come up to enjoy the great food, they'll fall in love with the beauty of the area," Bintliff said.

And he believes that visitors will find it to be a very short leap from good food and great scenery to igniting a fascination with the history and culture of the midcoast.

"We have such a fascinating past along the coast. We have our ship building history, the lobster and fishing industries, old forts, and antiques," Bintliff said. You can tell he's sure there is something out there for everyone.

"I'd love to go to a town like Wiscasset to film a segment in Tucker Castle along with some of the antique stores and lovely old homes," he continued. "We could do that in several towns along the coast, like Camden, to share the wealth of this area with others."

On the third day of filming, Horn was directing a local chef from Wells, Traci Avello, owner of Avello's Pastries. Her mission that morning was to teach viewers how to make gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and gluten-free pizza.

Horn said that they like to feature both local and international chefs. Although most of his shows originate in Philadelphia, he's gone on the road to open windows to frame other parts of the world for viewers.

"We recently launched a show in the Black Forest in Germany," Horn said. "That area features fine cuisine from several of the countries nearby. But I am very excited about continuing this project with Roger."

Bintliff gives credit to his "phenomenal partners" when compliments are turned in his direction for his efforts to promote Maine.

"We have a lot of great people to work on this project and have received encouragement from the state," he said. "And just look around!"

Interested viewers can see the show aired locally on Channel 8, WMTW, at 5 p.m.