‘Tis the holiday season: from Thanksgiving (some would say Halloween) to New Year’s Day, friends, family, coworkers and more will gather to celebrate one or more of the festivities that comprise this time of year. For many, the celebration will center on food and traditions that herald back to our forefathers’ days or Irish ancestors (sometimes the same) while others circumnavigate the globe. At eSS&SC, we like to think that celebrations come in all shapes and sizes.
Whether it be learning how to perfect the ultimate cheese board and preparing a hearty Irish beef stew to catching the MassBee Fall Meeting and the 5th Annual Illuminate Thanksgiving event in Plymouth, this issue shares how those of us in southeastern Massachusetts celebrate this special time of year. We also uncover holiday traditions that will have us eating around the world. And we learn how to master creating the most scrumptious of apple pies. During this time of year, one might over-imbibe, and for that, we bring you hangover cures that will help you feel better and give you the nutrients you need to get your body back in sync. Offering tips and recipes on what to do with stale bread, you’ll turn this oft cupboard dilemma into culinary magic this season. And we learn how the simplest of homemade gifts turn into the most memorable of holiday offerings. For the book lovers and givers, check out John Forti’s review on Food from the Radical Center: Healing Our Land and Communities by Gary Nabhan.
Celebrations, little or large, can make our hearts sing. Sharing love, great food, and random acts of kindness is what makes this time of year so unique. Hopefully it springs us into a new year full of optimism, gratitude, and the knowledge that it doesn’t have to be the holiday season for us to lend a hand or celebrate friendship, family, and comradery with others.
At eSS&SC, we wish you many happy and merry days and eves that the holiday season brings. We celebrate our locavore community that has grown and thrived over the last ten years. It is to you we raise a glass and say…
Eat thoughtfully,
Terry Vandewater, Assistant Editor
Laurie Hepworth & Michael Hart
