Crafty Bastards
Faced with the never-simple task of feeding her busy family every night, food writer Leigh Belanger turned to her kitchen chalkboard, planning out her weekly dinner menus in order to keep the chaos at bay. She quickly discovered the merits of modern menu planning: it saves time and money, produces better dishes, cuts down on waste, and returns creativity to the kitchen. Most importantly, she found that a good plan preserves sanity.
This stunning and approachable cookbook is an invaluable guide for families who want to eat locally and in season but know that getting dinner on the table requires a dash of reality. Sixteen seasonal menus lay out the strategy, starting with a “big cook” and clever tips on how to use that food in new and inventive dishes throughout the week. With over one hundred delicious and inspiring ideas for family meals, My Kitchen Chalkboard provides the wit, wisdom, and adaptable recipes you need to answer that nightly question: “What’s for dinner?”
Crafty Bastards
Beer in New England from the Mayflower to Modern Day
by LAUREN CLARK
$18.50 | 6 x9 | 196 pages| Paperback | regional history
ISBN: 978-1-934598-11-5
The region that defined Yankee ingenuity has a beer heritage in keeping with its character. Brewing in New England goes back four centuries, beginning with the Pilgrims who dropped anchor in Plymouth because their supply of beer was running low. (They survived the winter, planted a crop of barley, and promptly brewed their first ale.) Making beer in New England hasn’t always been easy. Puritan housewives, industrial era beer moguls, and contemporary craft brewers alike have concocted humankind’s oldest beverage in the face of scarce ingredients, legal hurdles, and public indifference. But despite these challenges, beer has always been and continues to be a staple of New England life.
With Crafty Bastards: Brewing in New England from the Mayflower to Modern Day, former bartender, brewer, and drinks journalist Lauren Clark deepens our appreciation for beer and the challenges inherent in creating the perfect pint. Giving voice to the inimitable Yankee spirit that allows New Englanders to faithfully produce some of best beers in the nation, Clark invites readers to take a giant swig of brewing past and present.