October Kitchen - October 2021

GHOSTS ACROSS AMERICA 3 Haunted Spots Every Ghost Believer Will Love

Stay a while at Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff, Arizona.

October is one of the best months for travel in the U.S. With mild temperatures and gorgeous, colorful leaves everywhere, there’s no better time for a cross-country road trip. Add some Halloween flair to your October vacation with these three ghostly attractions.

If you’re ever wanting to get into cookbook collecting (or want to encourage a kitchen-savvy family member!), I couldn’t tell you too much about modern gastronomy cookbooks. Although I have appreciation for their craft, my interests pique toward American cooking in the 20th century. One of my favorite cookbooks of all time is “How America Eats,” written by Clementine Paddleford, one of the great American food critics and writers. She was much more like a culinary historian and helped preserve the evolution of American cuisine in our nation. As a chef with a fundamentalist, “back to basics” attitude, I can’t think of a better way to start anyone’s collection than the classics like Clementine Paddleford’s work. Is there a monster in Pine Barrens, New Jersey? This one’s for those who love mysterious creatures. Pine Barrens is a mass of forested land that spreads across seven counties in New Jersey — and its most famous resident isn’t human. The Jersey Devil has a long, storied history and is said to be a combination of many animals: Its body is shaped like a kangaroo with wings. It has the head of a dog but the face of a horse. The creature is believed to have had a sickly start to life in 1735 and has stayed to haunt the forest’s inhabitants and even those who visit the area today. Thanks so much for reading, friends. Whether you love using the internet or have books of recipes you haven’t looked at in a while, I hope you’ll have a beautiful October and maybe even crack open a great cookbook. Or, maybe even write your own cookbook; it’s a wonderful way to leave your legacy to loved ones so they can always get a taste of your best dishes. Guests at Hotel Monte Vista have often enjoyed long stays at the downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, hotel, but not everyone leaves. Constructed in 1927, the hotel is host to a number of reported ghosts. The most well-known is an elderly woman who would spend hours rocking in the chair in her room. Today, her chair can be found moving on its own. Another popular visitor is the ghost of a bellboy who knocks on doors and announces that room service has arrived — only, no one’s there.

Visit the most haunted town in the U.S. — Waynesville, Ohio. Sure, New Orleans may have a spooky past, but it doesn’t compare to Waynesville. Many residents and visitors think this Ohio town is rife with ghosts. You may hear cries to “hurry up” at The Hammel House Inn, where many tunnels for the underground railroad came through, or you could see the apparition of a businessman from the 1800s who “never checked out.” Other sources report hauntings at the town’s historical

society, Museum at the Friends Home, including a little girl who moves toys and sits on the porch. The society leans into the local fascination and hosts regular walking ghost tours and ghost hunting classes.

... continued from Cover

Would I ever create my own cookbook? Yes! And, thanks to the prettiest girl in the whole world, I have records of every single recipe and menu I’ve ever written, spanning from my first year as a personal chef to today. Let me explain. Over my 10 years as a personal chef, cookbooks were a key source material for inspiration when I’d assemble customized menus for my clients. Recipes are not protected by traditional copyright laws; however, it is the rule of thumb for chefs to change at least two things in a recipe before you can call it your own version. These two things could be an ingredient or preparation technique, which is completely fair, in my opinion! Seemingly small changes in a recipe can make a huge difference in flavor or texture, creating an entirely different dish. Despite cookbooks having much of my inspiration material, I couldn’t take entire cookbooks with me to a client’s home when I’d cook all their meals for them. And how was I supposed to keep track of my recipe tweaks? So, I’d write down all the recipes on notecards. My then-girlfriend (now- wife), Allison, has kept and organized every single one of my recipes and menus since those days. That’s why we currently have decades of menus and recipes from my entire career.

2 OctoberKitchen.com

Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs