As I write I am amazed by the change of seasons as always. All the trees on our property have shed their colors and now bright sunlight shines through every window. It almost seems more summery than summer, until you step outside of course and face the welcome chill. The waters I plunge in are getting much colder as well and we’re eagerly awaiting the first of hopefully, many snowfalls. I realize not everyone agrees, but for me it’s not winter without a calm white blanket consuming the forest at least a few times!

We’re trying to up our recipe game this issue and offer you two sets of recipes. The first, Warm Winter Recipes, comes from Ari Laing of wellseasonedstudio.com, featuring slow braised lamb ragu and a standing rib roast. The second, Here’s How! Cocktails, is from Willa Van Nostrand, of littlebitte.com, and features delicious winter cocktails you’ll surely want to try!

We hope to keep you engaged over the winter with great reads we’re sure you’ll enjoy. We talk with Jonathan Lynch at the Beamhouse in Glastonbury, Anna Lathrop at Gourmet Galley in North Stonington/Niantic, and Patrick Griffin and his wife Garnet McLaughlin at Trigo Wood Fired Pizza in Willimantic. We also dive into The Marvelous World of Mushrooms from Rosemary Ostfeld. We could write about mushrooms in every issue as the world of fungi is so expansive. Maybe we will!

Welcome to our new advertisers this issue – Grey Sail Brewing in Westerly, Rhode Island; HydroCat Microgreens in East Hampton; and Isaiah Thomas Books in Cotuit, Massachusetts. These are all full year advertisers, and we sincerely appreciate their support. Be sure to show them some edible love!

I hope you have wonderful holiday plans ahead and a full larder to carry you through the dark winter months until Spring! See you then!

Best, 
R. Shane Kennedy 
Publisher/Editor