All Entries in the "Community and Arts Life" Category

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 […]

Two Southern VT arts centers get Rural Development grants
USDA Rural Development has awarded Community Facility grants to two Brattleboro non-profits: New England Center for Circus Arts Inc. and Latchis Arts Inc. “USDA is pleased to support the Brattleboro arts community and creative economy that is serving as an economic engine to inspire innovation, create jobs and re-energize the community,” said David Robinson, acting […]

Toddler playset finally goes up at the Pinnacle
Click any photo to launch the gallery.

UPDATES: DRB on Dollar General; Ballinger’s stinkin’ Kickstarter campaign; Winston art is selling
The five-member Chester Development Review Board decided at its meeting on Monday, Aug. 12 that it would begin deliberating the Dollar General case on Thursday, Aug. 29. The meeting is not open to the public. In April 2012, the DRB had approved the construction of the proposed 9,100-square-foot Dollar General store. But opponents of the […]

Simple and delicious chicken with glazed apples
By Jim Bailey theyankeechef.blogspot.com Ever wonder why that little triangular tail is always left on the whole chicken? (Yeah, I have never wondered either.) But it’s called the pope’s, the cardinal’s or the sultan’s nose. Whatever its origins — and there are many stories about it — it was a derogatory term. This little wedge […]

Tapping Into Local Talent: Southern VT youths light up Weston stage
By David Lampe-Wilson The theater is often referred to as “the fabulous invalid.” But it hangs on through an ongoing infusion of new audiences and new artists. What keeps theater alive and kicking – at least in Weston, VT – is its closeness to the community, says Steve Stettler, a producing director with Weston Playhouse. […]

Nine Junker Studio works dress up Sculpture Walk at Guilford Welcome Center
Nine metal sculptures from Junker Studio of Chester are on display at the Guilford Welcome Center, Vermont’s main visitor center that has played host to almost 5 million visitors since 2006. The nine pieces include Woodstock, Payne and Elise Junker’s life-sized and brightly painted moose, which usually stands on the front lawn of their Gallery […]

‘Blessed Plot’ in Weston; WOOL block party; FOLA silent film; senior citizens picnic; flea market; & hospital golf tourney
Aug. 15: ‘This Blessed Plot’ premieres at Weston Rod & Gun Club This Blessed Plot, the latest work by Obie-winning actor/writer Marc Wolf and starring Wolf, will run Aug. 15 through Sept. 1 at the Weston Rod & Gun Club, 982 Route 100, Weston. Co-written by Wolf and Robert Westfield, This Blessed Plot explores the […]