VIDEO: How to make Irish Soda Bread
As any leprechaun will tell you, the key to good soda bread is to avoid overworking either yourself or the dough in the process. Kind of like a giant scone or biscuit, soda bread is easy and quick to make, as long as you observe some commonsense guidelines.
Whether you're starting with dough or batter, gluten, the protein in flour (activated by liquid), gives all baked goods their structure. With yeast breads, you have to work the gluten into long strands, via kneading, so that hot air can get in between them. With cakes, muffins, and "quick" breads such as soda bread, however, it's important to mix the ingredients just until they're combined and holding together.
Traditional Irish soda bread is made from only four ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, and sour milk or buttermilk, which activates the baking soda and adds a tang that masks soda's natural bitterness. This adapted recipe uses just a wee bit of baking soda and a tablespoon of baking powder, for lightness. Raisins, caraway seeds, egg, and a bit of sugar are flavorful extras.
We're pretty sure that Europeans learned the technique of leavening with carbonates instead of yeast from Native Americans, who added ash from wood fires to their doughs. In Ireland, soda bread has been a staple since the 1840s, when commercial baking soda was introduced there as a leavening agent for the country's "soft" (low-protein) wheat flours. Here in the States, it's become a cherished St. Paddy's Day tradition, whatever your ethnic heritage.
Kitchen Chemistry
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. When combined with moisture and an acidic ingredient, it quickly produces carbon dioxide bubbles, which expand when heated, causing baked goods to rise. Be careful to use only recommended amounts, however, to avoid leaving a salty, bitter taste behind.
Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate with cream of tartar (a potassium acid salt) and cornstarch (which keeps things dry). It has a bit more staying power than baking soda and has a more neutral taste. One more quick-bread tip: Don't overbake your loaf, which will dry it out, but be careful not to underbake; you don't want it to come out doughy and uncooked in the middle, either.
RECIPE
At the turn of the 20th century, despite resistance from the city's Brahmins, South Boston's official tradition of St. Patrick's Day parades began. (The first unofficial Boston parade was in 1737.)
This year's parade is set for Sunday, March 14. For details, call 617-268-7955, or visit Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade
That same year, 1901, ground was broken for the Dorchester Heights Monument--on the neighborhood's highest point--commemorating Evacuation Day. "And now the Mayflower is joined with the shamrock," intoned one speaker during the dedication ceremony.
Yes, there's a close historic tie between the monument and the parade. On March 17, 1776, the Continental army forced the British to flee occupied Boston. It was George Washington's first victory in the War of Independence, and it alerted the world that colonial Americans were not to be trifled with. Not so incidentally, that month's countersign at the sally port to the fortifications on Dorchester Heights was "St. Patrick." As a result, the people of South Boston call March 17 either St. Patrick's Day or Evacuation Day, interchangeably--or usually by both names. Tradition and history in this sea-girt urban peninsula have always been the twin glues binding Southie folk together.
The parade isn't religious, but without St. Patrick's name, it wouldn't be the same. Obviously, Patrick never trod the same South Boston ground walked by Washington, the Adamses, Hancock, and Revere. He never marched alongside President John Kennedy; Senator Ted Kennedy; governors Michael Dukakis, William Weld, and Paul Cellucci, among many others; and countless ambassadors, state officials, mayors, city councilors, and officials of other states and nations. But somehow Patrick's spirit is always summoned for his parade, even though it's now held on the Sunday preceding March 17.
The supposed Irish majority in South Boston is mostly an urban legend. Yes, Boston's redolent Irish stew of politicians was in charge for many years. Influential Irish American politicians, including James Michael Curley, even managed to get the state legislature to recognize Evacuation Day (read "St. Patrick's Day") as a holiday in Suffolk County in 1941 (made official in 1962). But Germans, Italians, Latinos, Albanians, Lithuanians, Brazilians, Cape Verdeans, African Americans, and Chinese all mix it up here, watching the parade with cheers and joy. It's not just about being Irish: It's an annual celebration of life in South Boston.
Most important, the St. Patrick's Day Parade has evolved into one of the largest family events for miles around. Grandparents smile and wave flags; Southie guys hold kids perched on their shoulders; Southie gals don green accessories over Aran sweaters, as do their children and their dogs. Spring is nigh at last. The parade is a memorable event for South Boston's kids and grandkids, who gaze in delight as the marchers pass before them. Twenty-five years ago, their parents were just as awestruck; they then returned to carry on the tradition as adults, and their kids will do the same. And those little ones know their stuff--just try to give a youngster something that misses the deep, rich color of the Irish flag or the particularly Kelly hue of shamrocks, and you'll hear, "That's the wrong green!" shouted in your ear.
The parade is the climax of South Boston's "season," which begins 15 days earlier with the traditional Jimmy Flaherty Kickoff Breakfast at the Cornerstone Pub. A fancier, and locally televised, breakfast follows on the morning of the parade at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. That's when Massachusetts politicians are fair game for roasting. And for at least 25 years, the president of the United States has invariably phoned in to cheer them on with a resounding "Erin go bragh!"
During this two-week period, essay contests, athletics, plays, banquets, concerts, and parties roll on continually. There's good reason for these events, referred to as "Southie times": They're fundraisers to support the parade. Residents are fiercely proud of the fact that South Boston's Allied War Veterans Council, local merchants, and residents privately raise 90 percent of the money for each year's parade--keeping it a huge but completely local event.
The parade passes parks, monuments, side streets, and more than 500,000 spectators standing 20 deep. The smell of corned beef and cabbage--really good corned beef and cabbage--lingers. The marchers laugh, wave, and interact with the crowd. They love being here. 'Tis a grand time, so 'tis, so 'tis!
For truly "green" cleaning products, try these home remedies that use common kitchen food items -- mayonnaise, vinegar, and baking soda -- as the basic cleaning elements.
1. Mayonnaise is one of the best substances for cleaning pine pitch, grease, or tar off your hands. Rub it on, let it sit for a few minutes, and clean off the spot.
2. Remove crayon marks from furniture by rubbing mayonnaise on them. Let it sit for a minute or so, then wipe with a damp cloth.
3. If the flannel backing from a tablecloth sticks to a table, remove the flannel from the tabletop by applying mayonnaise liberally to the area. Let it soak in for an hour, then wipe it off with paper towels or a soft cloth.
4. Road tar on your beautiful car? Mayonnaise will take it off without hurting the finish. Rub it onto the car and let it set for a few minutes, then wipe off.
5. To remove the residue from tape or labels on glass, saturate the sticky part with mayonnaise, oil, or peanut butter, then wash and rinse.
1. Before warm weather hits, clean your air-conditioner filter. Take the foam filter out of the grill and soak it for an hour or more in a solution of equal parts white vinegar and warm water, then squeeze dry and replace.
2. Clean hairbrushes with the most logical cleaner: shampoo. Scrub it into the bristles, rinse with water, then rinse with white vinegar to remove any soap residue. Your hairbrush will be squeaky clean!
3. Clean painted woodwork with a solution of 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1 cup ammonia, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 1 gallon of lukewarm water. No rinsing is necessary with this solution.
4. Clean vinyl shower curtains without taking them down by wiping them with a sponge dampened with white vinegar.
5. Clean windows with a mixture of 1 part white vinegar and 10 parts warm water.
6. Give your washing machine an annual cleaning by filling it with hot water, adding a quart of white vinegar, and running the machine through the wash and rinse cycles.
7. If a closet smells musty, wash it thoroughly (walls, floor, and ceiling) with a mixture of 1 cup ammonia, 1 cup white vinegar, and 1/4 cup baking soda in a gallon of warm water. Repeat if needed.
8. To bring out the color in a rug, dip a broom in a mixture of 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 gallon of water, then brush the rug with the broom. No need to rinse.
9. To clean a stainless-steel pan, first rinse it with white vinegar inside and out. Then shake on enough salt to cover. Rub lightly. This cleans the pan and keeps it shiny.
10. To clean gummed-up holes in a steam iron, mix well 1/3 cup white vinegar and 1 tablespoon baking soda. Pour this into the iron and heat just until iron begins to steam. Turn off iron and empty. Fill and empty twice with warm water to rinse.
11. To clean ironwork before painting, apply a coat of white vinegar and let it dry. The mixture will evaporate, so you don't need to rinse it off.
12. To clean leather, rub on a solution of equal parts white vinegar and boiled linseed oil. Wipe off any excess with a clean rag.
13. To clean salt marks off boots and shoes, try a mixture of 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts water.
14. To clean suede, brush with a suede brush or steel wool, then wipe with a cloth dipped in white vinegar and wrung out almost dry.
15. To remove old wallpaper (nonvinyl), mix equal parts of warm water and white vinegar. Sponge a section of wall with the solution until the wallpaper is saturated. Let sit for 20 minutes, sop the wallpaper again, then peel it off with a broad-bladed putty knife.
16. Use full-strength white vinegar to clean tubs, sinks, and toilet bowls.
17. Wipe down counters and tabletops with a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water to help keep away ants.
1. A paste of baking soda and water makes an inexpensive but effective scouring powder for all sorts of cleaning jobs, from countertops to rolling pins to gold-trimmed dishes.
2. Clean painted woodwork with a solution of 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1 cup ammonia, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 1 gallon of lukewarm water. No rinsing is necessary with this solution.
3. Clean vinyl car upholstery with a damp cloth dipped in baking soda. Then wash with a mild solution of dishwashing liquid and water. Rinse thoroughly.
4. Did you run out of toothpaste? Substitute baking soda mixed with a little salt or baking soda mixed with hydrogen peroxide.
5. Do school thermoses already smell bad? Make a thin paste of lemon juice, cream of tartar, and baking soda; fill the thermos about a third full, and shake well. Allow to soak for about 20 minutes, then scrub with a cloth wrapped around a wooden handle. Rinse well.
8. It can take years for new cedar shingles to weather to match the color of old ones. To make them blend in at once, mix up a solution of 1 pound of baking soda and 1/2 gallon of water. Brush onto the new shingles, and they'll turn gray in a few hours.
9. Make your own odor-eater balls for boots and sneakers: Pour a few teaspoons of baking soda on a square of cotton cloth. Tie the ends of the cloth together and secure with a rubber band. Set one ball in each shoe overnight. The balls can be used again and again.
10. To clean a sink drain or garbage disposal, pour in 1/2 cup of baking soda and flush with very hot water.
11. To clean burned food from the bottom of an aluminum pot or pan, wet the burned food, cover with baking soda, and set aside for a couple of hours. Then scrape, wash, and rinse the pan.
12. To clean chrome, rub on a thin paste of baking soda and water. Let it dry, then buff the chrome with a clean, dry rag.
13. To clean gummed-up holes in a steam iron, mix well 1/3 cup white vinegar and 1 tablespoon baking soda. Pour this into the iron and heat just until iron begins to steam. Turn off iron and empty. Fill and empty twice with warm water to rinse.
14. To clean stovetop, glass, or percolator coffeepots, fill with cold water, add a little baking soda, boil for a minute or so, and rinse clean.
15. To clean wooden rolling pins, bowls, and cutting boards, sprinkle on baking soda, dampen with a little water to make a paste, and rub with a sponge. Then rinse well and dry with a cloth towel.
16. To get the odor of cat urine out of a carpet, sprinkle baking soda on the area. Leave it on for several hours, then vacuum it up. If necessary, repeat the process with fresh baking soda.
17. To help keep the odor down in a cat's litter box, sprinkle baking soda in the bottom, then add a layer of cat litter.
18. To remove a lingering odor in your microwave oven, wet a cloth with warm water, wring it out, and dip it in baking soda. Lightly scrub down the inside of the oven.
19. To remove coffee or tea stains from a cup, wet the cup with vinegar. Then dampen a rag with water, dip it in baking soda or salt, and swab out the stain.
20. To remove mustard stain from a counter, rub in a sprinkling of baking soda with a damp cloth or sponge.
21. You can clean the starch off the bottom of an iron by making a paste of baking soda and a little water, rubbing it on the iron with a soft cloth, and wiping it off with a clean cloth.
There are those who call themselves members of the L Street Brownies, the famed South Boston polar bear club that makes its home at the James M. Curley Community Center, and then there are the hard-core types like Jack Dever. Beyond the group's annual New Year's Day dip, the 70-year-old L Street Brownies president has made plunging into the chilly Atlantic a daily routine. We caught up with Dever at the Curley Center on a frigid winter day just before--you guessed it--a swim.
"We're not only the oldest swimming club in the country, we're the oldest polar bear club in the country. One time I got a call from this guy on Long Island who's from a polar bear club down there. It's like Red Sox-Yankees. He said they're the oldest, and I said, 'No you're not. We started in 1901, you're 1902. Do the math.' There's a club from Philadelphia that says they're the oldest, too. It's a friendly rivalry.
"I've been an L Street Brownie for maybe 30 years, but swimming in cold water since I was an infant. I grew up in South Boston. We went swimming in Dorchester Bay. My family would come up from the projects the first warm day, maybe April, and go for a swim. We'd swim until November. It's part of the way we grew up here. It's the thing we did.
"The L Street Brownies is more conceptual. It's the world-famous L Street Brownies. It's like Red Sox Nation; it's not a formal organization. If you say you are, I guess you are. I'm not down here taking attendance. Someone says, 'Do you have to go in all the way?' I say, 'No, if you put your big toe in, that works.'"
"I start out in the steambath, go out and swim about 10 strokes, then come back to the bath. Then I'll go out a second time, do another 10 strokes, and return to the bath. Finally, I go out for a third time and swim about 20 strokes, which is maybe about 20 or 25 yards. Then I'll hit the steam one last time. Afterwards I'll go out into the dugout and just sit out there for a half-hour just to get some sun.
"It's a little bit of a shock to the system, especially if I've come back from Florida. I need to get into the rhythm. I do a couple of flips and then come out. But it's addictive, and your body says, I want more of that.
"About seven years ago I tried swimming from one fence to the other--it's about 200 yards--just to say I did it. This was in January. I'll never do it again. I got out of the water, I thought I was checking out. It was a sensation I'd never experienced. I was delirious. You do what your body tells you to do? My body was saying, Don't ever do that again."
"We're as tough as they come. You think the 101st Airborne is tough? The Marine Corps? [Laughs] We're nuts. We're health nuts. It's not about money. I never get the flu. The salt does something. It strengthens your immune system. It lowers your blood pressure. It stimulates the heart. You get a nice buzz. One day I was walking around and it felt warm. It was 36 degrees. You tolerate things when you swim in cold water.
"We have a guy who comes down here, Tommy McIntyre, who loves the water. One day, it's cold and Tommy comes down and the [gym] is closed. So he goes a little farther and parks his car. He gets out of the water and goes back to the car, and he sees that he'd left his keys in the car. So he walks down to the state police barracks, about a mile. In a bathing suit. In bare feet. You know, you can't walk into a local pub like that; they'll throw you out. He didn't have many options.
"So he walks into the barracks, the state trooper looks at him, and Tommy says, 'I just got out of the water; I went for a swim.' The state trooper looks at him and says, 'I know.'"
More fish dishes: Seafood Recipes
Starting off with a big word I rarely use, rainbow smelts are anadromous, which means that like salmon, darling of the seafood world, they spend much of their adult lives in salt water but must return to fresh water to spawn. Come December, smelts, never very far offshore, begin moving into the mouths of the many rivers and inlets along the Maine coast, most heavily in the Bath and Brunswick area.
Although they won't begin their amorous activities until spring, January and February are peak smelt-catching months, as millions of them are concentrated in coastal eddies.
Right around the December holidays, as soon as the ice is thick enough, smelt shacks begin popping up on top of Maine's frozen tidal rivers, and the annual ritual begins. If you want to try it yourself, you can rent a camp (details at maine.gov/dmr/recreational/smeltcamps). If you go, be sure to bundle up.
Now, some folks turn their noses up at these small fish. (Perhaps a not-so-fresh sardine or anchovy once landed on their plates.) But fresh smelts (2 to 5 inches long) are an oceany treat that New Englanders are quick to praise. Their delicate white meat is vaguely sweet and cucumbery. We think they're best pan-fried and eaten right away, but add a light cucumber salad and you've got a great combination, too.
See details of Sandy's home in New Hampshire.
Finding Good Stuff
Sandy Wells likes to frequent the York Antiques Gallery (207-363-5002, yorkantiquesgallery.com) in York, Maine, but otherwise prefers to attend New Hampshire and Vermont antiques shows. "High-quality dealers tend to save their best stuff for those shows," she says. She especially enjoys Antiques Week in Manchester, New Hampshire, held during the first week of August each year.
For a complete list of antiques shows and auctions, as well as feature stories and book reviews related to the antiques business, Sandy recommends the Maine Antique Digest. This monthly paper is available at many newsstands, or you can subscribe by calling 800-752-8521.
Sandy's Tips
1. Purchase from reputable dealers. (This is especially important if you're new to the world of antiques.) Not only can you usually trust what you buy from them, but they can educate you about how to discern what's authentic. It's not always easy to determine which dealers are reputable, according to Lincoln Sander, executive director of the Antiques Dealers Association of America. His advice is to use common sense, do some research, and ask whether the dealer will document the history of an expensive piece as well as guarantee the merchandise in writing.
2. Go to as many antiques shows as you can, and look, look, look. This is the best way to educate yourself.
3. Buy what you love.
4. Don't necessarily hold on to all your collections. That's part of the secret of avoiding clutter. A no-longer-loved item in your own home may make the perfect accent piece in the home of a friend.
5. Make sure you can see and display the things you love. If you have too much, many objects will wind up languishing in storage.
6. Move things around. You'll get a new appreciation for them. You get used to looking at things where they are, and after a while you no longer see them.
7. Be careful of color combinations when you display your antiques. Make sure things actually go together. It's okay to mix contemporary with old, though -- it can create a distinctive and refreshing effect.
8. Try not to scatter collection items throughout the house. They'll be more attractive and orderly looking if presented together.
9. Avoid cramming items together, though. Try to keep a clean look, letting your special items show themselves off while not overwhelming the eye.
10. Insure valuable items, listing them individually.
READ MORE: Winter Adventures
Crampons. Check. Helmet. Ice picks. Backpack. Climbing harness. Check. All geared up, Matt Shove--my ice-climbing guide from Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) Climbing School--and I hiked into the woods. "It's a short walk," Matt told me.
And three minutes later, I was facing the frozen waterfall at Connecticut's Thomaston Ice Quarry--the same slab of ice that in a few short hours I would climb.
West Hartford, where EMS's southernmost New England climbing school is located, seemed to me to be the unlikeliest place to start an ice-climbing expedition. I was amazed to be tackling this kind of outdoor adventure within 25 minutes of the State House in Hartford.
First, Matt led me through the "baby steps" of ice climbing--literally. With 1-1/2-inch crampon spikes strapped to the bottoms of my boots, I practiced walking on a flat slab of ice. Then I progressed to walking on an angled surface. (Imagine picking your way to your mailbox across a sheet of ice in your driveway.) Nearby, a huge wall of icicles cascaded from above--and climbing it would be my final task.
But before I could tackle that, I had to learn to use my tools. After graduating from my lesson in walking with crampons, I experimented with the correct technique for applying my ice axes, one in each hand. With a flick of the wrist, I made contact with the face of the frozen wall. Its nooks and crevices, like cavities in teeth, were the sweet spots, where the pick (the axe's pointed tip) sank in and bit. Practicing this while standing on the ground was simple--but of course, I needed to go up ... and up.
At the top of the waterfall, Matt anchored a fixed rope and dropped the ends below. On each climb, one end of the rope would attach to my harness through a belay device as a safety, with Matt on the ground keeping the other end taut in case I fell or needed to rest--both of which eventually happened, more than once.
After performing the ritual "On belay?" and "Belay on!" safety check, ensuring that Matt was ready for me to climb, I kicked the toe of my crampon into the ice and tapped the axe in my right hand into an inviting crevice. Then I stepped with my left foot, kicked my toe into the ice, and secured my other axe.
My body was heating up, and my muscles were tense. My eyes searched for the next crevice. Little by little, I climbed to the top of the ice.
Ice climbing, like most outdoor adventure sports, is best learned from a certified instructor. I don't think I'll be Matt's most memorable student, though. That award goes to the 73-year-old man who decided it's never too late to learn a new sport--and proved it by climbing his own slab of ice with Matt all winter long.
For more information Eastern Mountain Sports Climbing School 800-310-4504 emsClimb.com
NOTE: In 2010, Chinese New Year is celebrated February 14 and it begins the Year of the Tiger. Celebrate with Chinese Dumplings, Firecracker Beef, and Happy Shrimp.
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Long after the bubbly and the noisemakers are all gone, the Chinese community here in America and around the globe begins to think about its own New Year celebration, based on thousands of years of ceremony and revelry.
For Joanne Chang, a Boston restaurateur, the New Year is about connecting with her roots.
"Gong He Fa Tsai," says a little boy, bundled in layers of down and wool clothing, to an older man reading a newspaper on Kneeland Street in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood. He says it again, and the man looks up, smiles, and reaches into his pocket for coins. "All the kids have to say is 'Happy New Year' and they get coins or candy," says Joanne, chef and owner of Flour Bakery & Cafe and the recently opened Myers + Chang restaurant. During the two-week celebration, the neighborhood welcomes dragon dancers and elaborate parades, fireworks that light up the sky, and family get-togethers centered around a time-honored cuisine.
Joanne and her fiance, Christopher Myers (her partner at Myers + Chang and co-owner of Radius, Great Bay, and Via Matta restaurants), own a loft condo on the outskirts of Chinatown. "We love Asian food," says Joanne, "and if we're not cooking it at home, we're eating out at one of the great restaurants within walking distance. That's what propelled us to open our first restaurant together." This year, Joanne's mother, Sue, and her dad, C.Y., are visiting from Texas. It's a perfect opportunity to cook all day and have a few close friends over.
"The shopping is easy," notes Joanne. "There aren't a ton of ingredients for so many dishes."
"It's a lot of chopping," says Sue, "but the cooking is fast. I like to be in the kitchen with Joanne, getting ready before everyone shows up. She knows the food -- she doesn't need me anymore -- but it's a good reminder of her roots, and we have fun."
While making dumplings, Sue scoops the ground-pork stuffing into doughy wrappers and deftly shapes them into perfect half-moon packages. "I've been making these dumplings ever since I was married, some 40 years now," she says.
"My mother made them differently," adds C.Y. "Slowly, Sue's tasted a little more like my mother's, but still with her own touch. I wonder what Joanne's will taste like 40 years from now."
Joanne and Christopher's space is all about tall ceilings and minimal yet well-thought-out furnishings. "We have a large table, and we don't like things too fussy," says Joanne. "We like simple, white plates so you can see the food and the decorations -- traditional flower blossoms and citrus fruits -- without being over-the-top or gaudy. You can really go crazy with banners and all kinds of red and gold stuff."
It would be easier, and certainly a good way to celebrate Chinese New Year, to phone one of the many numbers on the trifold take-away menus tucked away in a drawer somewhere -- but a little time in the kitchen goes a long way toward mother-daughter bonding and showing your good friends a little something about Chinese tradition.
Start with our free downloadable menu with recipes for Firecracker Beef, Happy Shrimp, Fortune Cookies, and more.
RECIPES
Read more: Bonus Recipes from Innkeepers
Half the charm of a night spent at a cozy inn or bed-and-breakfast is the home-cooked feast the following morning. Innkeepers are known for their kitchen magic, especially when it's the first meal of the day. All too often, though, they're far too busy with the logistics of running a small business to enjoy the fruits of their own labors.
There's taking care of the guests and their own families, booking reservations, doing the laundry, maintenance, and marketing, and more. A few years back, though, a small band of Maine innkeepers decided to do something about all that.
Today, the owners of four Rockland, Maine, venues--The Berry Manor Inn, the Old Granite Inn, the LimeRock Inn, and the Captain Lindsey House--are pooling their talents as the Historic Inns of Rockland, Maine, an association that promotes each of their properties and their charming coastal town. Among other tasks, they work together to plan events that would be cost prohibitive (not to mention too much work) as solo operators. And when they meet, especially in the winter when things are less hectic around this bustling seaside community, they like to prepare a meal, too.
"We're all known for our breakfasts, but never get to eat each other's food," says Berry Manor co-owner Cheryl Michaelsen. "So instead of lunch, we now have breakfast meetings. The food is great. Sometimes we test out recipes and often end up serving each other's food at our inns. We're good at sharing. The camaraderie is strong, and we all get to do what we do well, and that benefits our overall goal. "
"We use the downtime to look closely at our businesses," says Joan Hantz, who runs the Old Granite Inn with her husband, Ed. "We all have strengths, and we bring those strengths to the association, so there isn't a lot of repetition, and everyone is involved in a way that makes sense for them."
Frank Isganitis and PJ Walter left corporate America for coastal Maine for all the familiar reasons. Shortly after getting the Lime-Rock Inn underway, they immersed themselves in their new community. "Through this small association, we can leverage all of our strengths, while still taking risks--calculated risks," Isganitis notes. "And although our styles differ, our core values are all the same."
To that point, each member has assumed responsibilities that reflect his or her gifts. Isganitis is the networker; Walter manages a lot of the technical and computer projects; Michaelsen handles much of the marketing and many organizational tasks; Ken and Ellen Barnes of the Captain Lindsey House bring to the table nearly three decades of running businesses in the area (including the historic schooner Stephen Taber), plus Ken's considerable talents as an illustrator; and the Hantzes offer their skills in graphic design and copy editing. Each inn is state-certified as an environmental leader, and owners can buy commodities such as heating oil together.
"There's a lot to do and see here," says Ken Barnes, "and not just in the summer. We have three really great museums, plus art galleries and boutiques. It jumps here in the warm weather, but winter is nice too. We want people to know that, so we use an economy of scale to get attention for all of us."
True, they compete for guests, but each property has its own particular features and location--and, of course, its own special recipes.
Read more: VIDEO: Innkeeper Ed Hantz makes ginger scones Bonus Recipes from Innkeepers Rockland Events
We know it's more than a bit hackneyed to say, but choosing the top five chocolate makers in New England was a tough job and someone did have to do it: An embarrassment of riches indeed. From the coast and interior of Maine to the western corner where Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York meet, to the cities of Boston and Providence and Hartford, to the back roads of New Hampshire, we tried to leave no chocolate mold unturned. We enjoyed every cocoa-rich bite and are grateful.
Here are Yankee's Top Five, followed by 15 more outstanding choices, followed by lots of readers' suggestions.
Ballotin Chocolates In a word, bonbon. It's ridiculous how much chocolate-y goodness is imbued in one bite. We like to share, but it took a lot of moral and ethical pondering to offer even a taste from the pale blue box kept hidden in our desk. Simultaneously elegant, rich, serious, and fun. 16 Unicorn St. Newburyport, MA 978-465-3800 ballotinchocolates.com
Daily Chocolate Located in Vergennes, Vermont -- a town that could be a Hollywood set for a small Vermont village -- the name comes from the daily ritual of chocolate-making that takes place. The cream, butter, and maple syrup in their products come from local sources, but the cherries marinated in port wine and the macadamia nut clusters are unearthly. 7 Green St. Vergennes, VT 802-877-0087 dailychocolate.net
Chocolee Lee Napoli is a talented, if not peripatetic, pastry chef who kicked around a number of Boston kitchens until last winter when she opened a wee place of her own. Her handmade truffles are filled with the current darlings of the chocolate world, chiles and espresso, as well as tried and true -- hazelnuts and Grand Marnier. Truffles are just the tip of the cocoa iceberg; on weekends, she makes chocolate-dipped beignets. 83 Pembroke St. Boston, MA 617-236-0606
Unbridled Chocolate A friend offered these one night as an after-dinner treat and we were hooked, making a pilgrimage two days later. Many of Alan Crofut's creations have an equestrian theme as a nod to his love for horses, but his big-bellied little Buddhas, chocolate stars, and frogs are all about quality, true flavors, and whimsy. 135 Main St. Marlborough, NH 603 876-4700 unbridledchocolates.com
Cocoapelli Former carpenter (roofs, not Karen) Jonathan Spillane put down his saw to make chocolate -- we are ever-so-glad he did. Each of his handmade wonders are made by Spillane himself. His flavored ganaches are heady little wonders. 9 Willow St. Natick, MA 508-655-1195 cocoapellichocolates.com
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Five was our agreed upon number for top honors, however one can never have too much chocolate. Here are 15 more -- for a total of 20 -- outstanding choices.
Lake Champlain 750 Pine Street Burlington, VT 800-465-5909 lakechamplainchocolates.com
Harbor Sweets Palmer Cove 85 Leavitt St. Salem, MA 800-243-2115 harborsweets.com
L.A. Burdicks 47 Main Street Walpole, NH 800-229-2419 burdickchocolate.com
Knipschildt Chocopologie Cafe 12 South Main St. Norwalk, CT 203-854-4754 knipschildt.com
Candy Manor 484 Main St. Chatham, MA 800-221-6497 candymanor.com
Taza Chocolate 561 Windsor Street B-206 Somerville, MA 617-623-0804 tazachocolate.com
Bridgewater Chocolates 559 Federal Rd. Brookfield, CT 800-888-8742 bridgewaterchocolate.com
Belgique Patisserie & Chocolatier 1 Bridge St. Kent, CT 860-927-3681
H. Mangels 107 River St. Milford, CT 203-783-9770 hmangels.com
Laughing Moon 76 South Main St. Stowe Village, VT 802-253-9591 laughingmoonchocolates.com
Munson locations throughout Connecticut Main Store & Factory 174 Hop River Rd. Bolton, CT 888-686-7667 munsonschocolates.com
Berkshire Bark Sheffield, MA 413-229-8120 berkshirebark.com
Hauser Chocolate 59 Tom Harvey Rd. Westerly, RI 888-599-8231 hauserchocolates.com
Ava Marie 43 Grove St. Peterborough, NH 603-924-5993 avamariechocolates.com
Wilbur's of Maine 174 Lower Maine St. Freeport, ME 207-865-4071 wilburs.com