From the Publisher: Winter 2023
In this issue, I’m honored to pay tribute to restaurant owners for their ethos and dedication to survive during the pandemic while providing service to their communities and above all, a safe and healthy place for their employees. In the article “Restaurant Revival,” Maria Buteux Reade shares the firsthand stories of those who through perseverance have reengineered their business post-pandemic to survive and revive. Featured are Hen of the Wood in Burlington, Misery Loves Co. in Winooski, The Crooked Ram in Manchester, Mulligan’s at Stratton Mountain Resort, and Johnny Seesaw’s Restaurant at Seesaw’s Lodge in Peru. The Pitcher Inn in Warren is featured in “Last Bite.”
Maria also met with the incomparable Andrew Molen, chef and restaurateur. Read the interview in “Edible Voices” on his esteemed background, and the passion and energy he and his business partner, Troy Caruso, bring to Ludlow. In VT Advocacy, we learn about the amazing work done by Reinbow Riding Center that enhances the lives of children and adults with cognitive, physical, and behaviorial challenges.
In “What’s Cooking” we share spicy and smoky recipes using chocolate from Puerto Rican native chef Miguel Calderón. And because comfort food is what we yearn for this time of year, we provide dumpling recipes by Barefoot Books in Edible for KidsTM and pasta and sauce recipes from Sarducci’s Restaurant in Montpelier and Lago Trattoria in Newport.
I remember as a little girl, my dad always kept a box or two of chocolates in our home. The boxes contained an assortment of fillings: jelly, coconut, fruit and nut, and others, but I was only interested in milk chocolate filled with creamy caramel—and many milk chocolate goodies looked the same. I would study the beautifully placed items in their organized wrappers and very carefully take my best educated pick, without disrupting the paper. I would bite into a very small corner with anticipation, and if it was not my favorite, I would place it carefully back in the wrapper, camouflage my bite, and choose another—hoping to get it right. This of course infuriated my father when he would end up choosing a half-eaten piece of chocolate that I placed back in the box. I recall with great sentiment that on Valentine’s Day, my dad always bought me flowers and my very own box of chocolates.
In Laurie Caswell Burke’s “The Sweet Life,” indulge in reading about creators NU Chocolat in Burlington, Mother Myrick’s Confectionery in Manchester, Laughing Moon Chocolates in Stowe, and Birnn Chocolates of Vermont located in South Burlington.
To quote Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates,” full of surprises. Hoping 2023 is a great year of joyful adventures. Turns out I like jelly-filled, coconut, and nut chocolates as well!
Marcia Lissak
