Two of my favorite people on the planet were born in November: my mom, Virginia Zavatto, and my nephew, Christian Gueits. Born a day apart on the calendar, these creative, kind Scorpios always remind me that being open to the world and its wonders, and ready to give back of yourself even in small ways, is a pretty great way to approach life.
I think this, our annual Thanksgiving issue, has that spirit humming through its pages. That’s certainly true in stories like the one I got to write about CAST’s Festival of Trees (p. 56), the yearly event where our entire community comes together to create (and compete for!) the coolest Christmas trees and wreaths you’ve ever seen. It’s an event that’s months and months in the making, with volunteers working to pull together the ultimate winter wonderland at Treiber Farms in Peconic. For us, this story was a year in the making: We sent shutterbug Barbara Lassen to shoot last year’s glorious display of holiday magic to get you all excited for what’s to come this year (and all the funds that will be raised to help your neighbors in need via the excellent work done at Southold’s CAST).
I’m such a cookbook hound that I recently placed a moratorium on myself, not allowing the purchase of any shiny new recipe compendiums without first making use of what’s already on my shelves. It got me thinking about old cookbooks — not just the ones my mom used that are chock-a-block with notes in her pretty, swirly penmanship on old, yellowed pieces of paper, — but ones even older than that, which speak to a specific time and place in our local communities. Charity Robey, Shelter Island resident and chair of the Culinary Historians of New York, eagerly accepted an assignment to seek out old community and historical society cookbooks. You know the kind: sold at your local history center or found tucked on a shelf at your parents’ or grandparents’ house. What she learned about us and what we’ve been eating (p. 70) is a fun, and sometimes delicious, look at who we are and where we’ve been.
Stephanie Villani learned about the very cool methods of flower drying at North Fork Flower Farm (p. 82) — they actually grow flowers specifically to dry for fall and winter bouquets and wreaths! — and also got to talk with CAST’s new executive director, Erica Steindl, about the things on the North Fork that make her light up. Parker Schug hit the highlights of the most important meal of the day at Mugs on Main and got to check out the new digs of Nicolette’s for the Home in Southold. And I got to pop the cork on New York’s newest wine movement — Cab Franc Forward! (p. 40) — right in time to help you out with stellar sips for your Thanksgiving table. Oh, and speaking of, you’ll definitely want to make Doug Young’s mashed potato casserole. Just be sure to whip up a little extra because… leftovers mean love.
I like where our curiosity brought us in this issue and I hope you have a fun time exploring it all with an open mind and heart.
Happy November, friends.
Amy Zavatto
Editor-in-Chief
