In Our Spring 2021 Issue

“Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” - Alexander Pope in An Essay on Man (1732)

Hope may spring eternal, but it certainly was in exceedingly short supply at this time last year. Our collective heads were spinning as we tried to keep up with the latest mandated closures and changes to regulations when it came to doing business. On this page in our spring issue last year, the message was “This too shall pass.” And after quite a year, it seems to be moving in that direction. There is much work and consistent change ahead, and we all must continue to keep ourselves and those within our circles safe and healthy. Although we are not completely out of the woods, the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel has gone from pin hole to twilight before a dawn. With it, we have another feeling that has been scarce in the past year: optimism.

Some businesses didn’t survive to see the brightening. Those who have endured can take pride in their creativity and gumption to adjust their way of doing business, allowing them to keep their doors open. Zoom cooking classes and personal igloos are a couple of the more intriguing ways to endure, and Andrea Pyenson catches up with a number of businesses to learn what other steps they took to survive in “Serving Up Hope.”

Heather Bailey’s optimism has always been a strength to the point of naming her business The Optimal Kitchen. Michelle Koch shares with us Heather’s driving force and how The Optimal Kitchen continues to evolve and expand its offerings that go beyond the normal kitchen’s output in “On the Bright Side.”

At home, there’s always excitement and positivity when it comes to the upcoming planting season. That is, of course, if you’re not cooking on a research vessel half a world away and can’t keep up with the weeding. Jeff Avery is back to share his hope for this upcoming season in “Seeds of Connection.” What he looks forward to most may not even be found in the garden.

When it does come time to harvest this year, there’s a very good chance that you’ll be overrun with more bounty than you can enjoy. I mean, there’s a limit to the amount of zucchini one person can eat! In “The Bounty and the Byproduct: Reducing Garden Waste,” Karen Bento lays out multiple options for you to donate your unwanted crops before they spoil. There are also a number of ways you can put those unwanted parts of the vegetables you pick, the clippings and castoffs, to good use – some in the compost pile and some in the skillet.

As the weather softens and we begin to feel more comfortable venturing out, gems like The West End are waiting for us. Owners Jen Villa and Blane Toedt have refined this picturesque eatery to one that is a cozy feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.

Cori and I hope to see you out there with your smiling eyes as we begin to make our re-entry into polite society, because no mask can conceal the joy we’ll share upon seeing each other once again!

Oh, how we hope.