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A summer inspiration: Yankee fettuccine and mussels

A summer inspiration: Yankee fettuccine and mussels

By Jim Bailey theyankeechef.blogspot.com My inspiration for this dish comes from summertime fare, healthy thinking and the Italian favorite known as carbonara. I wanted the flavor of carbonara, with the Yankee twist, and the smell and taste of the rocky shoreline that we in New England enjoy, as do my beloved Italian friends and chefs. […]

GMUHS's O'Neil named VT counselor of year; Chester Dems elect new officers; Aegis Wind expands

GMUHS’s O’Neil named VT counselor of year; Chester Dems elect new officers; Aegis Wind expands

Pam O’Neil, guidance director for Green Mountain Union High and counselor for grades 10, 11 and 12, has been named the 2013 recipient of the James F. Cawley Award as the Outstanding Vermont School Counselor of the Year by the Vermont School Counselor Association. The VSCA is a statewide organization that, according to its website, […]

With an artist's eye: A close look at the Biker Tattoo and tattoos

With an artist’s eye: A close look at the Biker Tattoo and tattoos

Iron Adventure Run Tattoo In the military, a tattoo can be any display or show, a parade. In everyday life, a tattoo is a design inked on skin. On Saturday, Aug. 24, Chester played host to the Iron Adventure Run Tattoo, which saw hundreds of motorcyclists and their rides roll into town. At the same […]

Ushering in winter with New England apples in snow

Ushering in winter with New England apples in snow

By Jim Bailey theyankeechef.blogspot.com In one sense, it seems as though we just finished winter. But in another, winter’s snow seems to have been many, many months ago. So with the crisp air abounding and the prelude of winter being played, I thought I might bring some ‘snow’ in as the refrain. I would highly […]

Annual Peru Fair draws out the crowds

Annual Peru Fair draws out the crowds

The skies were blue, the weather warm, perfect for the 34th Annual Peru Fair on Saturday, Sept. 28. This old-fashioned town fair  actually started life in 1979 as the World’s Largest Tag Sale. Now, however, it boasts more than 100 vendors. And it draws folks from all over for food, fellowship and fun, as well […]

Playhouse gets zoning board OK; Duke leaves WPTC

Playhouse gets zoning board OK; Duke leaves WPTC

By Cynthia Prairie The Weston Zoning Board of Adjustment has granted the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company a conditional use permit to build a new theater complete with parking spaces, driveway and landscaping on the 5-acre Walker Farm property at the corner of Route 100 and Chester Mountain Road in Weston. ON THE COVER: Architect Jim […]

OooOooO! It's time for some spooky, scary good reads

OooOooO! It’s time for some spooky, scary good reads

By John Hoover You’re sitting alone in your living room late one night, the only illumination the pool of light produced by your reading lamp. You’re engrossed in the thriller you’re reading when you hear a creaking sound as if someone is walking on the floor above you. But no. It’s just your imagination, so […]

Cut the carbs with a spaghetti squash primavera

Cut the carbs with a spaghetti squash primavera

By Jim Bailey theyankeechef.blogspot.com I  love changing it up. I love taking a beloved recipe, such as a great primavera, and adding, subtracting or altering it in a way that is equally tasteful, but takes some of the fat, calories and sodium out of the mix. With the recipe below, not only have I reduced […]

Smiling faces fill Chester's 39th Annual Fall Festival

Smiling faces fill Chester’s 39th Annual Fall Festival

The  sun shone bright on Saturday, and broke through a cloudy Sunday, enough to keep food vendors and craftspeople busy and shoppers and tourists visiting the Rotary Club of Chester’s 39th Annual Fall Festival on the Green. Craftsmen and women from Chester and beyond dotted the Green, demonstrating their art. Filling the air were the […]

In-season apples complement this grilled cheese sandwich

In-season apples complement this grilled cheese sandwich

By Jim Bailey theyankeechef.blogspot.com I adore the taste of apple, cheese and any smoked meat, and this  next recipe hits the spot! With apple season in full picking mode right now here in New England, grab whatever apple trips your trigger. I have always adored the soft, sweet flavor of Macintosh apples in this grilled […]

Fresh pineapple explosion fuses sweet and tart

Fresh pineapple explosion fuses sweet and tart

By Jim Bailey theyankeechef.blogspot.com There aren’t many desserts where I can honestly say the flavors explode in your mouth. But here is one of them. Not only is fresh pineapple sweeter than canned, but when you caramelize the brown sugar, tint it with a New England taste treat in maple, then combine all this with […]

Add depth, crispness to the humble clam cake

Add depth, crispness to the humble clam cake

By Jim Bailey theyankeechef.blogspot.com “Use just four ingredients.” That’s the mantra I heard over and over again from my father, who heard it from his father, who heard it … I grew up believing clam cakes should be prepared with clams, cracker crumbs, clam juice (or liquor) and eggs. They are formed and fried in […]

Playhouse plans for year-round performances with Walker Farm expansion

Playhouse plans for year-round performances with Walker Farm expansion

By Cynthia Prairie The Weston Playhouse Theatre Company is planning to expand its theatrical offerings to year-round with a new cultural center at the 4.9 acre Walker Farm, just north of its Weston Green main stage. The company, which attracts audiences from throughout the northeast, currently stages shows from late spring to early fall, offering […]

Zabaglione? Sabayon? It's delicious in every language

Zabaglione? Sabayon? It’s delicious in every language

By Jim Bailey theyankeechef.blogspot.com What’s the difference between zabaglione and sabayon? Absolutely nothing! Besides the former an Italian translation of the latter, which is a French translation of the former … you know what I mean. The original recipe calls for whole eggs, while the more contemporary thinking is using egg yolk only. I find […]

Dust off those school reading lists for some marvelous classics

Dust off those school reading lists for some marvelous classics

By John Hoover When I was in high school, we were required to read a list of books each year in English class. Somehow I managed to get by without reading most of them (I was not a very good high school student). Since those days so long ago, I’ve gone back to that abandoned […]

It's a sin to kill a mockingbird, and a shame to miss this 'Mockingbird,' now at the Weston Playhouse

It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird, and a shame to miss this ‘Mockingbird,’ now at the Weston Playhouse

By Karen Zuppinger There are few things more Southern than sweet tea, molasses on hot buttermilk biscuits or Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Arguably one of the most influential novels of the 20th century, and one of the best film adaptations of all time, what could a stage production offer that the book and […]

Bake a zesty Key Lime pie

Bake a zesty Key Lime pie

By Jim Bailey theyankeechef.blogspot.com To anyone who gets riled up about this “delicate” pie recipe, please visit my new website, www.theyankeechef.com, for more information on and alternative recipes for Key Lime Pie. You may be surprised what one can do to lower the cholesterol and add even more flavor to this fiercely protected Key Lime […]

Chester's Cheyenne Prescott places 2nd in 10th Keene Idol

Chester’s Cheyenne Prescott places 2nd in 10th Keene Idol

By Karen Zuppinger KEENE, N.H. Seventeen year old Chester resident Cheyenne Prescott is this year’s 2nd place winner of the 10th annual Keene Idol singing competition. Bested only by industry vet and former “The Voice” contestant, Michelle Brooks-Thompson, Prescott’s vocals and stage presence stood out on a night when all seven finalists brought their A […]

Beggars Chicken fit for an emperor

Beggars Chicken fit for an emperor

By Jim Bailey theyankeechef.blogspot.com Here’s one for the poor man. The origin of Beggars Chicken, although seemingly far-fetched, is undoubted. In the early 19th century in China, a  starving man was wandering the streets in search of food. He found nothing, not even scraps that was usually thrown out the door for  passing dogs and […]

Create stories with Bonnie Watters; Norman presents memoir; Jelly Bean Tree moves; erosion program discussed; BRAM benefit gala; and African drumming in Proctorsville

Create stories with Bonnie Watters; Norman presents memoir; Jelly Bean Tree moves; erosion program discussed; BRAM benefit gala; and African drumming in Proctorsville

Aug. 24: Bonnie’s Bundles 45th Anniversary finale Bonnie and Lew Watters of Bonnie’s Bundles Dolls will host their final event of their 45th Anniversary Celebration from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24 at their home, 250 North St. in the Stone Village of Chester. Admission is free and guests can arrive at any […]