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Into the Woods
End E R F the wi as
Fed by Sunshine, Rain, and Soil, Local Foragers Stephani and Ben Wallen Reap the Bounty of Nature Near By David O’Reilly
North of 80 Music Festival Debuts in Stony Fork Rare Motorcycles Roll into the Thomas T. Taber Museum Duck Stamp Artist Opens at West End Gallery in Corning
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Volume 15 Issue 9
16 VanFleet’s Fleet
Into the Woods
By Pamela Collins
By David O’Reilly Fed by sunshine, rain, and soil, local foragers Stephani and Ben Wallen (left) reap the bounty of nature near.
Williamsport’s Taber Museum hosts a never-before-seen motorcycle collection.
20 Silence of the Cans By Gayle Morrow
24 Forged in Fire and
Function
By Maggie Barnes
JD Hungerford sharpens his mettle with metal.
30 Betty Crocker—the
Legend Lives On
6 For Brayden’s Benefit
By Cornelius O’Donnell
No kitchen is complete without the lady in red.
By Karey Solomon North of 80 Music Festival—a small gathering for a big cause.
34 Back of the Mountain
By Bernadette Chiaramonte Late summer languor.
14 Birds Flyin’ High
By Karey Solomon The work of Duck Stamp artist Jennifer Miller (left) lands at the West End Gallery. Cover photo: Ben and Stephani Wallen, by David O’Reilly; cover design by Gwen Button; this page from top: by David O’Reilly, middle: Brayden Blackwell, courtesy Susan Blackwell; bottom: courtesy Jennifer Miller.
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w w w. m o u n ta i n h o m e m ag . co m Editors & Publishers Teresa Banik Capuzzo Michael Capuzzo Associate Publisher George Bochetto, Esq. D i r e c t o r o f O pe r a t i o n s Gwen Button Managing Editor Gayle Morrow S a l e s R ep r e s e n t a t i v e s Patti Bandy, Joseph Campbell, Beverly Kline, Richard Trotta Circulation Director Michael Banik Accounting Amy Packard Cover Design Gwen Button Contributing Writers Maggie Barnes, Pamela Collins, Mike Cutillo, Melissa Farenish, Alison Fromme, Michael Gerardi, Carrie Hagen, Lisa Howeler, Don Knaus, Janet McCue, Dave Milano, Cornelius O’Donnell, Brendan O’Meara, Jan Smith, Karey Solomon C o n t r i b u t i n g P h o t o g r ap h e r s Bernadette Chiaramonte, Diane Cobourn, Michael Johnston, Nigel P. Kent, Roger Kingsley, Christy Lamb, Beate Mumper, Peter Rutt, Jody Shealer, Travis Snyder, Linda Stager, Curt Sweely, Mary Sweely, Sarah Wagaman, Curt Weinhold
D i s t r i b u t i o n T eam Layne Conrad, Grapevine Distribution, Duane Meixel, Linda Roller, Phil Waber T h e B ea g l e Nano Cosmo (1996-2014) • Yogi (2004-2018) ABOUT US: Mountain Home is the award-winning regional magazine of PA and NY with more than 100,000 readers. The magazine has been published monthly, since 2005, by Beagle Media, LLC, 39 Water Street, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, 16901, and online at www.mountainhomemag.com. Copyright © 2020 Beagle Media, LLC. All rights reserved. E-mail story ideas to editorial@mountainhomemag. com, or call (570) 724-3838. TO ADVERTISE: E-mail info@mountainhomemag.com, or call us at (570) 724-3838. AWARDS: Mountain Home has won over 100 international and statewide journalism awards from the International Regional Magazine Association and the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association for excellence in writing, photography, and design. DISTRIBUTION: Mountain Home is available “Free as the Wind” at hundreds of locations in Tioga, Potter, Bradford, Lycoming, Union, and Clinton counties in PA and Steuben, Chemung, Schuyler, Yates, Seneca, Tioga, and Ontario counties in NY. SUBSCRIPTIONS: For a one-year subscription (12 issues), send $24.95, payable to Beagle Media LLC, 39 Water Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901 or visit www.mountainhomemag.com.
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David O’Reilly Delectable brush: Ben and Stephani Wallen don their sticks and begin their berry hunt.
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Into the Woods Fed by Sunshine, Rain, and Soil, Local Foragers Stephani and Ben Wallen Reap the Bounty of Nature Near By David O’Reilly
T
he hills and forests of northern Pennsylvania and southern New York are rightly renowned for their fishing and hunting—but not all the game lurking in the Endless Mountains and the Pennsylvania Wilds wriggles and runs. Some just sits there. So as Ben and Stephani Wallen halt their pickup on Armenia Mountain on a hot Sunday afternoon in August, it isn’t shotguns or
fly rods they reach for. “Here, honey,” she says, and hands her husband a gallon ZipLoc bag. Ben pulls tall hiking staves out of the back and hands her one. “Let’s hit as many as we can,” she says, nodding toward the countless sunlit bushes that line this gravel road in Tioga County. He nods, and starts swiping and poking his stick into the shallow gulley separating the road from the thicket. See Forage on page 8
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The Wallens, whose home is a log cabin on twenty-three acres in Gillet, Bradford County, are professional foragers. “The rattlesnakes will be under the rocks,” Ben explains to a visitor, though it’s not the timber rattlers the Wallens are seeking. Their objective today is blackberries, which Stephani will cook into a basil-infused jam and can in a professional kitchen a few days later. And maybe—just maybe—they’ll find some of those spongey delicacies that grow on decaying trees: wild mushrooms with names like golden chanterelle, lobster, black trumpet, hen of the woods, chicken of the woods, reishi, and chaga. Both grew up in the Midwest: she outside Milwaukee, where she hunted and fished, he on a Michigan sheep farm where his parents started him foraging for morel mushrooms at age three. But they got into organically grown and healthy foods in earnest ten years ago when Ben, now forty, developed a rare lymphoma and was given just one to three years to live. “I wanted to do whatever I could to help him get healthier,” says Stephani, thirty-nine. “That’s when I learned the power of food—especially mushrooms—to try to extend our lifetime together.” “One of the greatest benefits of eating wild food is that it reminds us that we are fed not by supermarkets, but by the sunshine, rain, and soil,” says Samuel Thayer, one of Feeding on nature: the nation’s leading experts on foraging for wild edibles. It identifying berries, plants, is “the oldest occupation of humankind,” he writes in one and mushrooms is only of his best-selling field guides, The Forager’s Harvest. “For part of the journey. most of our history we knew no other way of living…” Stephani Wallen shows Alas, the summer of 2020 has been “abnormally off blackberries and an dry,” across north-central Pennsylvania and New York’s impressive reishi mushroom Southern Tier, according to the National Integrated during a hunt. Drought Information System. The dry conditions have yellowed lawns, dried out creeks, parched cornfields, and withered the summer mushroom crop for professional foragers like the Wallens. Stephani frowns at today’s nearly cloudless sky. “Mother Nature and I have to have a talk,” she half- jokes. “It’s mostly berries this year,” explains Ben, who works weekdays in the oil and gas industry. He used to split his time between an office and well sites dotted across several counties, but COVID-19 has closed the office and most of his “meetings” are now online. This time of year the Wallens typically forage together two evenings a week and one day each weekend. They began by raising their own organically fed hogs and freerange chickens, and pesticide-free fruits and vegetables. Then, in 2018, soon after relocating to Pennsylvania, Stephani did a deep dive into the health and nutritional benefits of foraged foods— those wild edibles that spring directly from nature, unnurtured by humans, yielding themselves to those who know where to look and what to look for. Their teachers have been Mansfield University dietitian Mary Feeney and her husband, Mark Losinger, a passionate master forager, whom Stephani first encountered in January of 2019, when she was working at the Bradford County library. She invited them to give a public talk on foraging and found it “fascinating.” Soon after, she and Ben started Woodland Farm, a line of naturally grown, farm-to-table foodstuffs which, depending on the season, can include tomatoes, eggs, ramps, rhubarb, (2) David O’Reilly
Courtsey Dr. Lee Stocks
Forage continued from page 7
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squash, jams, salsas, mushroom-spiced cocoas, soup mixes thought to boost the immune system, a variety of dried mushrooms, and much more. They sell mostly through Delivered Fresh, the farm-to-table home delivery service based in Columbia Crossroads. Stephani lets out a “Woo!” as she steps off the road and into the gulley, which is steeper than she realized. She sweeps for rattlers and finds none, but moments later spies a spread of flattened bushes. “Our bear’s been here,” she tells Ben. Black bears like nothing better than devouring berries and falling asleep. “They’re just big bunnies,” she says with a shrug, and they run away at the sight of humans. Still, the Wallens do a quick search of the underbrush for any three hundred-pound “bunnies” before starting their own harvest. They move through the bushes, plucking the larger, plumper blackberries and dropping them into their bags. “One of the advantages of blackberries,” says Ben, popping one into his mouth, “is you can field test ’em.” The raspberry season is over, they explain. The dry summer has left the choke cherries small and the thimble berries few. It’s hot work, and the bears and birds and racoons have already been feasting in this field. After about ninety minutes of picking they call it a day. His bag is about one-third full, hers about one-quarter. “I was talking too much,” she explains. He laughs. It’s not a big yield, but the Wallens agree that an essential part of the foraging experience is simply immersing one’s self in nature. “This is my Zen place: being in the woods,” says Stephani, whose T-shirt reads Kinda Hippie, Kinda Country. “In the woods I’m in the middle of nowhere. I hear no cars or people, just the birds and the water and the wind.” “It’s just being in the woods with my wife,” says Ben, “and the peace and quiet, and hopefully finding food to eat.” Still, they are enthusiastic about the health benefits of wild edibles. Those, together with the other organic and pesticide-free foods they raise and consume, have made a “hundred percent
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See Forage on page 10 9
Forage continued from page 9
(2) David O’Reilly
(2) Sarah Wagaman
difference” in his health, Ben says. Many wild edibles present bigger, brighter, or deeper flavors than their cultivated counterparts, says Stephani, because the soils in which they grow are so loaded with nutrients. That nutrient load can make some edibles seem sharp or bitter, says Debbie Naha-Koretzky, a nutritionist and master forager based in central Pennsylvania. “What we’ve done over many years as we cultivated greens, for example, was breed out the bitter components to make them milder tasting. But we bred out things like anti-oxidants that made them so nutritious. Bitter greens, like them or not, are good for us.” Stephani agrees. The Maitake soup she makes for Ben from hen of the woods mushrooms “doesn’t taste the greatest, but it’s an excellent immune boost,” so she tries to make it more palatable. “I cook it with chicken bone broth and lots of garlic and wild onions.” After returning to their pickup, the Wallens head down the mountain about half a mile before turning onto a narrow dirt road and into dark woods. “Mushrooms don’t like the light,” she explains as Ben cruises at about five miles an hour. He’s searching left. She’s searching right, but they aren’t optimistic. Mushrooms need moisture to grow, and this summer’s dry spell has drastically diminished their mushroom-based product line. “No chanterelle cheesecake this year,” Angels and demons: she laments. “No chanterelle rose hip jam… Stephani and Ben find “Even turkey tails,” she continues, a normally a “destroying angel” abundant, fan-shaped mushroom used to make despite this summer’s medicinal tea, “have been hard to find.” dry conditions; mentors Ben spies a chicken of the woods, but it’s and fellow foragers growing on a dead hemlock. That chemistry creates Mark Losinger and Mary Feeney display a littlea mushroom that causes gastric distress, especially known plant called the when ingested with alcohol. They keep going, Indian cucumber. scanning stumps and trunks and leaf mounds. The woods feel dark and mysterious, as if in waiting. “This is where we also find reishi and chaga,” Stefani explains, and moments later Ben halts the truck to point out the black, fourteen-inch spore ball of a chaga about eighteen feet up the side of a green birch. Prized for its antioxidant properties, chaga has no nutritional value in warm months and is harvested only in winter, when the host birch has gone into dormancy. “It’s hard as a rock,” she says. “You need a special saw to cut it.” They park the truck and clamber down a ravine toward a creek where they often find reishi mushrooms—they’re large, mahogany colored, and kidney shaped—but the normally rushing stream is a trickle today, and they find only a graytopped mushroom of the russula family with no nutritional value. Then it’s back to the truck, which Ben turns around carefully. Moments later he steps on the brakes. “There’s a mushroom,” he says. That’s an understatement. The object of his attention is white and solitary, about three inches tall, some fifteen feet inside the woods, poking out of a low leaf mound by a rotting stump. Only a few dozen of the thousands of mushroom species found in the United States are edible, and seven in Pennsylvania are poisonous. The Wallens have just found an Amanita 10
bisporigera, or “destroying angel,” one of the deadliest of all. Ingesting just half the cap will shut down the liver and kidneys, and there is little hope of recovery without intense treatment at a hospital. “Make sure you know what you’re eating,” says Stephani, who shows off the “angel’s” distinctive white veil that covers the gills on its underside. “It also smells like potatoes,” says Ben, who offers a sniff. He’s right. Like most states, New York and Pennsylvania require certification of anyone selling wild-found mushrooms. In June of last year, the Wallens took a two-day course in State College conducted by Mushroom Mountain University, based in South Carolina, which certified them after they passed an identification exam. Their advice to anyone wishing to learn foraging is to take hands-on courses or train with teachers who take them into the wild to point out where species grow, their visual characteristics, when to harvest, and how to harvest sustainably—leaving the roots in place, for example. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, meanwhile, urges beginning mushroom harvesters to avoid mushrooms with gilled caps (such as oyster and shiitake) because they can be confused with others “that are seriously poisonous and deadly.” Wild harvested mushrooms should be thoroughly cooked and never consumed raw, according to the PDA, and not show any signs of spoilage or insect infestation. Foragers should only reference guidebooks written by qualified experts, continue the Wallens, and put little reliance on websites created by amateurs. “There’s a lot of old and bad information out there,” says Stephani. And get permission before foraging on private property. On the way out of the woods they stop at a dead hemlock that has sprouted several reishi mushrooms at its base, but the near-drought has rendered them brittle and dry. “There’s nothing to harvest here,” says Stephani, but she pats the tree affectionately. “We’ll be back next year,” she tells it. See Forage on page 12
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Forage continued from page 11
The Wallens concede they are “pretty good when it comes to mushrooms,” but “we’re still learning about plants and berries,” says Stephani. “There’s so many we’ve still never seen.” Half the fun of foraging, says Ben, “is finding something you’ve never seen. Then you come home and put your nose in a book for half an hour learning about it.” Still, nothing beats having mentors in foraging, and for that Ben and Stephani still turn to their friends and original teachers, Mark Losinger and Mary Feeney. Their simple house, somewhere between Asaph and Westfield, fronts a dirt road high in the hills and backs onto state forest. • “He doesn’t bite!” Mark shouts as their giant German shepherd, Zap, bounds off the front porch to greet a newcomer. Zap just wants you to pull the plastic chew toy out of his mouth, but Mark has a better idea. He pulls up a chair on the porch and plops down opposite. He sports a trimmed beard and a braided, hip-length, chestnut colored ponytail. “You’re gonna taste our yard!” he
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announces, smiling broadly and instantly displaying his near-messianic passion for foraging. “There are flavors your tongue has never tasted and cannot buy in any store.” Mary, who’s standing nearby, nods in agreement. “There are just some foods you can’t describe to say ‘this tastes like asparagus, or a green bean,’” she says. A Ph.D. dietitian, she’s director of the nutrition program at Mansfield University, where she teaches nutrition and epidemiology. The lack of rain has made this “the worst summer I can remember for mushrooms,” says Mark, but he can barely contain his excitement over the treat he does have in store. He lifts a cloth napkin from a plate to reveal seven oblong yellow fruits the size of kumquats “This is North America’s finest fruit that no one knows about,” he says. “In our opinion,” says Mary. “This is a mayapple,” he continues. “It doesn’t ripen in May and it’s not an apple. That’s the part of the wild food thing— they get these names.” Mary explains that the plant, known as American mandrake, “shoots up in spring when we’re looking for morels, but doesn’t ripen until mid-August.
And all of the plant except for the ripe fruit is poisonous.” In a typical summer they harvest mayapples by the bushel but—thanks to the lingering dry spell—the seven on the plate are all they have this year. They want to share one, but foraging protocol dictates that a forager first samples any wild edible he or she is about to offer. Mark cuts one in half to show the fleshy white pulp and seeds, and sucks these into his mouth. He savors the gooey flesh and spits out the seeds. “It’s the best!” he exclaims. “I mean, unequivocally.” And he can barely contain himself as their visitor bites into the skin of one and sucks in the goo. “Banana?” he asks. “Pineapple? Mango? Peach?” He’s right. It’s amazing. It tastes like all of them at once. Moments later he’s crushing the hull of a little beaked hazelnut with the butt end of his foraging knife to share, and reminiscing about the spruce tip ice cream he made early in the year. “It tasted like green springtime.” Then it’s down off the porch to sample some of the bergamot leaves, or bee balm, growing near the house—it tastes like See Forage on page 32
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For Brayden’s Benefit
North of 80 Music Festival—A Small Gathering for a Big Cause By Karey Solomon
W
hen Brayden Blackwell was born in January 2011, he was three months early, weighed two pounds, five ounces, and wasn’t breathing. CPR ruptured his lungs. But a very long hospital stay, first at Arnot Ogden Hospital in Elmira, and then at Janet Weis Children’s Hospital at Geisinger Medical Center at Danville, saved his life. In the first week, medical personnel closely observing the newborn thought they saw something different about his features and told his parents he might have Down Syndrome. But Brayden’s difficulties were rarer—a genetic analysis discovered his eighteenth chromosome was ring-shaped rather than straight. Parts were missing. Today, the nine-year-old is a beautiful little boy—not verbal, though he knows how to giggle. He has delays but he’s making progress, and he’s easily described as a very happy child. He sees thirteen different medical specialists. He needs daily nursing care because he’s still dependent on a 14
feeding tube. “They said he would never walk but he’s running now,” his mother, Susan Blackwell, says, adding he’ll do better after he has heart surgery to address an inadequate pulmonary valve. She’s hoping this will happen soon—before flu season. In America, eighteenth chromosome abnormalities were only differentiated from Down Syndrome in 1996—and, twentyfour years later, research is still in its infancy. To help raise awareness and money for the Houston-based Chromosome 18 Registry and Research Society, and because she loves running, Susan organized Brayden’s Trail of Strength, an annual August 10K hike/ run through the Tioga State Forest. This year, despite a smaller-than-usual turnout, participants raised 800 dollars for research. One of the winning runners, surgeon Michael Haraschak, is also a music lover. He approached Susan after the 2019 run and offered to help organize an even larger event, a something-for-everyone festival with live music, camping, a 5K run, and a
fishing derby for children. Called Brayden’s Benefit, the inaugural event, the North of 80 Music Festival, will be held for a limited live audience from September 25 to 27, at Stony Fork Creek Campground outside of Wellsboro. When they began planning at the beginning of 2020, it seemed all the needed elements were aligned for the perfect event. The campground is not only a beautiful natural setting for an outdoor music event, it’s also acoustically felicitous, as fans and musicians have noted during the annual Hickory Fest music festival that normally takes place in August (the 2020 festival was cancelled due to concerns about COVID-19). The campground wanted to have another music festival there. Michael, with friends involved in many notable area bands, knew the best people to approach about performing. Some bands even reached out to him to ask to be part of the event when they learned about it. Near the campground are logging trails
PINE CREEK VALLEY perfect for running. Michael’s wife, Tracy, and son, also a Michael, are both fishing enthusiasts (Tracy is currently training to become a deputy waterways conservation officer) and offered to work on a fall fishing derby for children, to be held Sunday morning. “I want the festival to be about more than music, and I see it as a great opportunity to raise awareness about Brayden and Chromosome 18,” Michael says. While many of the bands have had to readjust personnel due to the challenges of this year, they’ve been flexible and supportive of this event. “Everyone understands we don’t know what things are going to be really like,” Michael says. Organizers are prepared for contingencies, trying for a very limited, socially-distanced audience, and while they’re expecting to lose money on the event, they hope they’ll be able to build on this year’s festival when circumstances are better. Although they were originally hoping to pack the campground, Michael is complying with Pennsylvania’s mandates on gathering and, as of press time, is holding to the requirement of no more than 250 people—that includes bands, personnel, and audience. If these restrictions are lifted before the festival, as everyone hopes will happen, more people will be able to attend. The space is also large enough to allow for social distancing, so he’s confident it can happen safely. And, he adds, “One of the reasons I wanted to go forward is to get the word out—what we’ve worked for is to get people to know about it.” One of the core musicians, Mike “MiZ” Mizwinski, says helping Brayden is a large reason for why he wanted to be there. “When I heard about what a rare condition it is, I knew it was a good thing to do. When an organizer of a music festival has an event for a good cause, I think it gives the event a higher meaning,” he says. “It makes us feel good about being there, and makes the people who are there feel good.” MiZ, who has played on stages across the country, will be performing with a four-piece band. He describes his music as “a blend of rock and roll, Americana, blues, country, and folk.” He has a particular love for the music of Nobel Prize laureate Bob Dylan and is known for his renditions of Dylan’s music. The musical lineup also includes Downstream, Nefarious Funk, Scott Turner, Dave Brown and the Dishonest Fiddlers, Dave Brown playing solo acoustic, Serene Green, Forc, Chapel Street Junction, Gabe Stillman, Van Wagner, Eaglemania, and Slightly Askew. Attendees will also have a chance to learn more about Chromosome 18 anomalies. Susan has created displays presenting information, noting that “the research group encourages parents to help because they’re a small nonprofit.” “I don’t know whether it will benefit Brayden now in his lifetime, but it will help others,” Susan says. Find out more about the Chromosome 18 Registry and Research Society at chromosome18.org. Visit braydensbenefit.com for the most current information on the event and to purchase tickets. Tickets will also be available at the gate. For camping information, contact Stony Fork Creek Campground at (570) 724-3096 or go to stonyforkcamp.com.
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VanFleet’s Fleet
Williamsport’s Taber Museum Hosts a Never-Before-Seen Motorcycle Collection By Pamela Collins
M
otorcycles resonate with different people for different reasons, riders and non-riders alike. Maybe that throaty exhaust note unwraps memories of Dad’s old bike and times shared together. Or that maroon and gold color scheme bounces a memory backward, to days of college and a first true love. That glint of chrome could be reminiscent of a restlessness borne in youth lying silently dormant and unfulfilled, still. At the Thomas T. Taber Museum in Williamsport, you can ride through your own mystical, magical, two-wheeled memory lane at the new Harley-Davidson vs. Indian Wars exhibit. Running through September 20, this show features prime examples of the named marques, as well as other manufacturers, dating from 1920 through 2019. Area resident Duane VanFleet loaned a part of his private collection to the museum to help illustrate the back-and-forth (and continuing) battle between these two major American motorcycle manufacturers. As with most things motorcycling, though, these bikes represent more than value, or rarity, or singularity. They represent memory
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and emotion. As Duane tells it, the exhibit also illustrates the tale of two brothers, their collective passion for racing and motorcycling, their journey from having, then losing, then regaining, and their story of literal “brotherly love.” Keith VanFleet, Duane’s brother, restored many of the antique beauties on display. His enduring love affair with motorcycling began before he could even drive—when he started racing motocross at fourteen. Duane, in true little-brother fashion, often tagged along when Keith visited his motorcycling mentor, a Scranton neighbor who worked on bikes. The motorcycling bug bit the brothers hard, but, as often happens, receded at times as adult responsibilities gained priority. But the absence/growing fonder cliché proved true, and not only have the VanFleets begun buying and restoring motorcycles, but many of these bikes in the collection are also the exact ones they owned. They also still race. Duane enjoys ice racing, and they both complete in the Race
of Gentlemen, a drag race run in the New Jersey shore sand using vintage motorcycles every fall. Keith usually rides a 1937 eightycubic-inch Indian factory racer with twin carbs and a Bonneville cam for that race. Duane rides a 1942 Harley-Davidson WR TT Factory Racer (of which there are fewer than ten known examples), once raced by the legendary Al Knapp. Both bikes are in the exhibit. “It’s the perfect mix of crazy,” says Keith, “You have to know where to draw the line. I get beat every year, but only by a wheel.” Keeping an elderly machine in racing form presents challenges, but, he continues, “there’s nothing I like better than grabbing a seventy-year old machine that’s worn out and run[down], and you can make it new and competitive. I just love this old stuff.” The old stuff in the collection will whizz, putt, or race visitors down their personal memory lanes. Keith says the oldest bike, a 1920 Cleveland, kick-started the restoration challenge and remains the most difficult motorcycle he’s ever restored. “The
welcome to motor was locked up, the connecting rod broken. I had to cut the fuel tank in half and put a modern tank inside it. I welded the connecting rod.” He says the Cleveland operates okay, but the ride isn’t necessarily smooth. “You bounce all over the place,” he chuckles. Actually, all of the collection’s bikes run, as the VanFleet brothers aren’t inclined to coddle prissy, pristine show bikes. In fact, Duane is planning to race a Harley-Davidson 1937 Salt Flat Drag bike for the vintage world record this year at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Silvery sleekness drenches its long, stretched frame and chromed front end, and the bike looks like a rebellious teenager rather than an eighty-three-year old senior. The Flathead engine provides the only clue to its true age, but one doesn’t doubt that it will go fast, because it will. The exhibit lets one examine and compare the technological changes Indian Motorcycles and Harley-Davidson underwent throughout their lifetimes, as the two American companies competed in the race to make better bikes and grasp consumer loyalty, even to the present day. Prime representatives in the collection from Indian include a 1941 441 Indian four-cylinder. Boasting seventy-seven cubic inches, the squarish four-cylinder motor looks unconventional, but beautiful, perched underneath the marooncolored tank with matching swooping fenders and tan leather seat. A 1945 Indian Sport Scout used forty-five cubic inches to make twenty-five horsepower and reach speeds up to 85 mph. Another Sport Scout, this one from 1940, once belonged to local racing legend and AMA Hall of Fame Member “Fast” Eddie Fisher, whom Duane calls “one of my idols,” a former Indian factory racer turned Triumph factory racer (he won Laconia in 1953), who, at ninety-five, still rides. To read more about “Fast” Eddie Fisher, visit https://issuu.com/mountainhome/docs/november_2018. Bikes representing Harley-Davidson include a 1941 G-model Servi-car three-wheeled delivery vehicle; a 1937 UL side-valve Flathead; a 1946 Knucklehead; a 1960 blue and white Duo Glide (bought and sold by Duane three times); and a “peas and carrots” 1981 Heritage AMF Shovelhead resplendent in its green and orange paint scheme. One H-D model in the collection tells a special story. The 1942 Knucklehead EL replicates exactly the bike the VanFleets’ father, Ernie, had owned and then sold when he started his family. Duane and Keith found and restored the bike, then presented it to Ernie and mom Florence two years before Ernie died. With its shiny paint and springer front-end, the motorcycle tells a story far greater than a simple restoration, or a fast machine, or an expensive racer. It tells a tale of history, of family, of lost love, found love, and enduring love. Clothes, oilcans, advertisements, and other items round out the collection, which also includes several fine examples of British motorcycles. Find the Harley-Davidson vs. Indian Wars exhibit at the Thomas T. Taber Museum, 858 West Fourth Street. For more information visit tabermuseum.org.
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Linda Stager
Travis Snyder
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Mary Sweely
Beate Mumper
Bernadette Chiaramonte
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Christy Lamb
Gillian Tulk-Yartym
Linda Stager
Transitions
B
y this time of year, some of the birds have moved on, some of the grasses and flowers have gone to seed, and the days are noticeably shorter. It could make you sad if you let it. Don’t! The ninth month is half summer, half fall, and all glorious. Step outside into September and you’ll see that it’s true.
Jody Shealer
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Mother Earth
The Silence of the Cans By Gayle Morrow
L
una (Luna Lovegood is her full name) is one of our cats. She showed up in the driveway one hot afternoon about four years ago. She was emaciated, sickly, and, we thought, well on her way to that great catnip patch in the sky. We gave her a safe place to rest and be comfortable for the time we thought she had left, and waited for what we believed would be the inevitable outcome. She fooled us. She got better. As her health improved, Luna revealed herself to be a very outgoing and social feline, interested in all kinds of things, and, for such a teeny kitty (five or six pounds, max), remarkably full of herself. She once went nose to nose with a black bear, she has made the neighbor’s German shepherd run for cover, and, when the chickens are out in
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the yard, she has a great time making them squawk and flap. She’s a busy girl. Luna’s had chronic respiratory issues since she found a home with us, but they never seemed to affect her mood, her agenda, or her dining habits. While she did favor the occasional spoonfull of Stoneyfield Farms plain organic yogurt, she would turn up her miniscule nose at the treats and canned food the three other kitties enjoyed; her dining MO was to sample bits of dry food from their dishes (even though it was all the same kind of dry food), sort of like the feline version of a progressive dinner. A little here, a little there, yum! But right around the time the coronavirus hit the news, Luna stopped eating. She stopped drinking. It was as though a switch had been shut off. She’d
look at her food and water like she didn’t know what it was or what she was supposed to do with it. She stopped playing. She didn’t want to chase Lucy, one of our other cats, up the stairs, an activity which had been one of the most fun things on her daily to-do list (Lucy, who is at least twice Luna’s size, chooses to flee from her much smaller nemesis, yowling as though her whiskers are being jerked out one by one). She spent hour after lethargic hour under the woodstove. I took her to the vet. Once, twice, several times. She had pills. Many pills. For many days. Have you tried to give a cat a pill? It is not a one-person job, despite the breezy assurances from the vet techs that “all you have to do is…” She had hydration See Silence on page 22
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treatments. She had blood work that was inconclusive in some areas, and even more inconclusive in others. There was no definite diagnosis except that she did test a mild positive for Lyme disease. Sponsored by the Hmmm. Maybe better than Kitty Corona, which I was pretty sure Canton Volunteer was a thing, but maybe worse. More pills. More time under the Fire Department woodstove. I’d crouch down next to her to watch for the shallow aka The Fall Fling Festival rise and fall of her gaunt little sides—yeah, she’s still breathing, Admission is a donation at the gate that goes back into but I don’t know how or why. Some evenings she’d come up on the community through various outreach programs. my lap, and some nights she’d curl up next to me in bed, but by this time she was practically ethereal, nothing much more than a puff of air. 10:00am–5:00pm I expected each morning to find her dead. Throughout the days and weeks she wouldn’t eat or drink on her own, we’d fill a plastic syringe with canned cat food and 10:00am–4:00pm squirt it into her mouth (again, not a one-person job). We gave her water the same way. She hated it, absolutely hated it. But at DISTINCTIVE CRAFT VENDORS least she was getting some nourishment. Maybe there was hope. CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY AREA • FESTIVAL FOOD But maybe not, as friends were also reporting an unusual spate of animal health issues—there were vomiting dogs, coughing horses, DAILY LIVE ENTERTAINMENT cats in other homes who weren’t eating or drinking. One of my horses developed a snotty nose (big nose, lots of ick). It felt like the Twilight Zone meets All Creatures Great and Small. One evening, in desperation, as I watched Luna look confused and mournful at her food dish, I opened a can of evaporated Route 14 South • Springbrook Road • Canton, PA 17724 milk—something she’d never before shown any interest in—and poured out a little for her. Miracle of miracles, she drank some. FB: Canton Fire Department’s Pumpkin Festival Then she drank more—can after can. I promised I’d buy her a cow if she would just keep on taking nourishment. A few days later, I opened one of those fancy, schmancy cans of kitty paté—again, nothing she’d ever even deigned to WeWe invite everyone from everywhere to come invite everyone from everywhere to come sample—and put a little in a dish next to her evaporated milk. A “Experience Bradford County!” second miracle. She ate. “Experience Bradford County!” It’s been seven months and Luna is back to her old self—in spades. She has resumed her habit of munching on dry food from all the kitties’ dishes. She’s gained weight, she’s playing, she’s chasing leaves and chickens in the yard, she supervises me when I’m doing things outside, she’s waking us up at 5 a.m. because she Adventure Awaits Awaits wants—well, who knows what she wants, she just wants—and PostcardLike Adventure she’s back to chasing Lucy up the stairs. Streets Awaits Remember that scene in The Silence of the Lambs, when Clarice Starling is talking to Dr. Hannibal Lecter about her childhood? She’d heard lambs screaming—they were being slaughtered—and History she was recounting to Dr. Lecter her unsuccessful efforts to save one & Heritage Fairs from that fate. In his creepily prescient manner, the good doctor & Festivals wonders about her motives for trying to save Catherine Martin, the young woman abducted by Buffalo Bill, and also destined for History slaughter. Does fledgling FBI agent Clarice think that maybe she & Heritage won’t be tormented anymore by dreams of screaming lambs if she Kayaking can rescue Catherine? I don’t know, Clarice says. I don’t know. & I thought Luna would lose her enthusiasm for canned food, Hiking Fairs as all her other pre-illness behaviors have returned, but she has Postcard& not. She knows the sound of the can being opened, and she knows Like Festivals when it’s time for that food to be in her dish. I’ve shared my life Streets with many animal friends, and it always hurts like hell when I lose one. But I saved one this time, and if the cans are never silent, Kayaking that’s OK.
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Forged in Fire and Function JD Hungerford Sharpens His Mettle with Metal By Maggie Barnes
J
D Hungerford has discovered his life’s work, an impressive feat at any age, but particularly when that life is only twentytwo years long. While apprenticing with a cabinetmaker in Gillett, Pennsylvania, JD had a chance to work with metal. That moment sparked a passion that now burns at 2,000 degrees in his blacksmithing shop in Breesport, New York. Learning such a skill is a slow process, he says. The memory of the first thing he made still makes him cringe. “A small hunting knife from a saw blade. It was terrible.” Those first skills have grown into an impressive catalog of custom-made items from chef ’s knives to hunting and fishing supplies to high-end tools. He calls it “tool art,” and it has its foundation in the 24
functional demands of the country life he was raised with. “Hunting, fishing, firewood…all the things I grew up with,” he says. “That’s how I want my creations to be used.” Functional and beautiful are not opposing concepts to JD. He excels at making pieces both lovely to behold and practical for years. He watched all the videos he could, observing and learning from the techniques of others. In 2018, he came across an application for the History Channel show Forged in Fire—think of it as a baking competition for blacksmiths. He admits he applied “as a sort of joke.” “Then they called and things happened really fast,” he remembers. After testing his skills against three other blacksmiths, the final challenge was to produce a medieval
(2) Courtesy JD Hungerford
Shaping his future: JD Hungerford crafts round tapered handles on a lathe and (right) proudly displays the crossbow he made that won the Forged In Fire competition.
crossbow. JD was confident, as he had made crossbows before, though not quite as elaborate as what the show wanted. Confident or not, he was still shocked when he won the $10,000 first prize. “The orders flooded in after that, from all over…California, Maine, Australia, Mexico…it was crazy,” he says. “Took me months to catch up.” JD’s business is very much a customized experience. Buyers give him the details on the size, style, and functional use for a piece and he heads into the workshop to produce it. As a one-man operation, he does not yet have a formal inventory of items, so it’s still a per order process. Depending on the specifications, getting an order to completion can take anywhere from three to thirty hours.
The most popular request is for kitchen knives, from the basic home model all the way to professional. He often uses stainless steel, as it is the right weight and durability. But his personal preference is for something called Damascus steel, a high-end carbon whose properties bring forth beautiful markings on the blade when melded by skilled hands. “It leaves a wavy etching on the blade that is really nice,” he says. “Damascus is all-around awesome.” The handle of such a knife is hardly an afterthought. Customers often bring in wood that is special to them and JD incorporates it into their order. “I try to source as locally as possible, but definitely within the United States,” he remarks, noting that the recent trade conflicts haven’t impacted his business very much. His favorite piece is an eighteen-inch presentation dagger, but his true passion is for things more tool than art. “Things like fantasy blades are popular, and that’s fine. But it’s not what interests me. The best thing my customers do is send me a photo of the knife being used. That’s the best compliment.” While trying to make the most of his fifteen minutes of fame, JD is still working full time as a machinist. “I do the day job, then head to the shop and work until my eyes give out,” he laughs. To enhance his skills, when he has free time, he tries out new techniques and looks in on what other blacksmiths are doing. September brings a new development for Hungerford Blacksmithing that JD is very excited about. “I’ve gotten new equipment and I’m going to start doing folding knives,” he explains. “I’ve been working for a while on a new kind of locking mechanism using ball bearings, and I think it’s going to be really good.” The holidays are his busiest season, and he tries to work on a two-month lead time for orders. As for the cost, that runs the same gamut the production time does. Kitchen knives run from $150 to $350. That precious Damascus steel jumps it to between $300 and $600 dollars. Hunting knives have such a wide range of styles they span the spectrum from $150 to $600. JD’s long-term hopes include a storefront and a distribution relationship with outdoors/gun stores. All that would be a little tough to handle as one person. “Someday, I’d like to hire some help, but folks like that are hard to find,” he says, noting that blacksmithing is a slow-developing skill learned at the knee of an accomplished practitioner. His combination of function, personality, and art is more intuitive than taught, so JD is probably going to be on his own for some time. There is one thing he regrets about appearing on Forged in Fire— they kept his winning crossbow. “I’d really like to see it again,” he says. Someday, there may be time for a visit. But right now, JD has his fire blazing and his hands full. Hungerford Blacksmithing is in Breesport and can be found online at hungerfordblacksmithing.com or by phone at (607) 331-0937. There is a contact form to fill out if you are interested in commissioning a piece. You can also follow JD on Facebook and Instagram. If you are thinking of a Christmas gift, best move quickly. And if you aren’t in the market right now for a knife that will probably outlast you, you can show your support for our very own blacksmithing champion by buying a T-shirt. Maggie Barnes has won several IRMAs and Keystone Press Awards. She lives in Waverly, New York.
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(4) Courtesy Jennifer Miller
Duck, duck: some of Jennifer Miller’s paintings (clockwise from top left) Drake, Fading Light, Sharp Intensity, and A Moment Of Peace.
Birds Flyin’ High
The Work of Duck Stamp Artist Jennifer Miller Lands at the West End Gallery By Karey Solomon
“B
irds are really magical to me for many different reasons,” says Jennifer Miller. “Seeing one out in the wild in its habitat, to even catch a glimpse of one is pretty special.” Some species are more shy than others, which makes it particularly rewarding when this happens. “But seeing them in a bird sanctuary or aviary is also amazing,” she adds. “They’re no longer stressed around people, so you see them differently.” The wider world will have an opportunity to see them through Jennifer’s eyes in an exhibit of her work at the West End Gallery, 12 West Market Street in Corning, from September 4 to October 8, 2020. (In these special circumstances, people will also be able to enjoy her paintings online at westendgallery.net.) Jennifer is a full-time, mostly selftaught artist who lives and works just outside Olean. In 2014, one of her paintings of a ruddy duck was chosen as the winner of the
26
annual Federal Duck Stamp Competition. “It was a tremendous surprise and honor,” she says. “The year I won, I selected the ruddy duck out of the list—artists are given a choice of five different species of waterfowl to paint—as I have a soft spot for this cute and strange little stiff-tailed duck.” She observed them in the wilds of western New York, and was able to take a closer look at them in the aviaries of a private waterfowl enthusiast, as well as at the National Aviary of Pittsburgh. Her painting was reproduced on U.S. postage stamps and posters available in the 2015-2016 year. “Winning also means after you win you represent the program to an extent,” she explains. “In the year your stamp is the winning stamp, they’ll have you go around the country to a few places, and you’ll meet all these people who are important in the conservation movement. It’s been a concern to me even since I was a little kid. It led me to research more deeply
into conservation issues and the complexity of what’s going on in the world.” And it is indeed complicated, made more so by recent changes in the Migratory Bird Act and the Endangered Species Act, as conservation has become more political. She worries about the future of some of the ducks who’ve been pictured on stamps over the years as conservation rules have eroded. But for Jennifer, it’s not about politics, it’s about the birds. “I have loved birds since I was a young child. Some of my very earliest memories are of being fascinated with them. I cannot quite tell you why, they’ve always just been a love of mine.” She studied them independently from the time she was very young, augmenting her observation with library books and then internet resources, as well as the mentorship of other artists. Many of her paintings show you the world from a bird’s perspective. Look closely and you’ll see the ruffling of feathers, See Miller on page 28
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Kara Walker: Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated) On Loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Kara Walker, Signage Station, Summit of Maryland Heights, 2005. Lithograph and screenprint on paper. Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment 2008.19.1.15
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Courtesy Jennifer Miller Stamping for conservation: Jennifer Miller’s ruddy duck was chosen as the winner of the annual Federal Duck Stamp Competition in 2014. The Duck Stamp image was reproduced from an acrylic painting. All of the imagery on the Duck Stamp is reproduced from her work, and the markings and text were added by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Miller continued from page 26
the particular posture and demeanor of individual birds leading the eye into their habitat, personality, the sense of each in its own universe. You can almost reach out and touch feathers whose texture teases the eye. Feathered beings populate her fantasy work as well, in her paintings of dragons, gryphons, and other creatures at home in the air. She also creates realistic masks in a size larger than the heads of actual birds to fit over the heads and rest on the shoulders of full-sized humans. With articulated beaks able to move with the wearer’s jaw, she sees creations like “Wendy,” a pileated woodpecker, and “Metis” a northern spotted owl, as an educational outreach tool, especially useful for teaching children about birds. No description in words can do justice to these. The amazement of seeing them, even with the limitations of a computer screen, will remain with you. And her own nest is feathered with birds, so to speak. “I’ve had the good fortune of having pet birds my whole life, and currently live with several rescued parrots as well as a flock of chickens,” she says. “People give up their parrots. They don’t have time for them. Parrots can be difficult to live with if you’re not prepared for them. They get surrendered quite often and need someone experienced to take them in and home them. Or sometimes the parrot will 28
outlive the owner. One, unfortunately, came to me because a friend passed away.” Her second-floor deck is home to several bird feeders, occasionally visited by unusual species. In addition to the feeders, she tries to plant enticing flowers for the birds to enjoy feeding on, like coneflower and coreopsis. A few years ago, Jennifer was thrilled to be able to see several evening grosbeaks at her feeder. “Their population has really plummeted, so that was really exciting,” she says. The bird feeders are both a joy to her and a source of inspiration. But asked whether she has a favorite bird, she responds as one might expect from an artist. “It’s like asking whether I have a favorite color,” she objects. Jesse Gardner, owner of the West End Gallery in Corning, notes the gallery has represented Jennifer’s work for about five years. They receive hundreds of applications from artists who want to show with them, but, she says, “When we first received Jennifer’s application…wow! As soon as we looked at her portfolio it was apparent her skill was phenomenal. Her paintings are so unique, it just hit us the moment we saw the first image. “In part, what’s consistent in Jennifer’s artwork is her artistic voice and her ability to artistically capture a peaceful moment in time in a beautiful way. Those moments of beauty many of us forget or don’t truly see or
stop and appreciate. She brings that to the viewer. Her work reminds us there’s beauty all around us. And that provides respite and offers hope, something I believe many of us need right now. Certainly, her work is stunning. I think I have three myself, in my personal collection.” For Jennifer, one of the best artistic rewards is sharing the bond she feels with wild creatures with a broader audience. “I think it’s exciting anytime someone has an interest in wildlife and birds to make that connection,” she says. “It’s one of those things I think is lacking in our human experience in this modern era.” If people who see her work become motivated to experience the wild world first-hand, she’s connected with the viewer as well as the subjects of her art. “To get people to take that first step, as long as people are respectful in giving animals their space, seems to [lead to] more love and respect for our natural world,” Jennifer says. Contact West End Gallery at (607) 936-2011. See Jennifer’s show and more of her work at westendgallery.net and at her own website, featherdust.com. Karey Solomon is a freelance writer and needlework designer who teaches internationally.
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Betty Crocker’s Guide to Easy Entertaining by Meaghan O’Malley-https://www. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeaghan/4939124896/in/photostream
Betty Crocker—the Legend Lives On No Kitchen Is Complete without the Lady in Red By Cornelius O’Donnell
I
magine my surprise many years ago when I learned that the woman on the box of cake mix, the one with the red outfit, the white scarf tucked into the v-neck, and medium brown hair done in finger waves wasn’t a real person. Betty Crocker was birthed in the ’20s, the 1920s (she doesn’t look 100!) that is, by the General Mills advertising agency that promoted the company’s products. And she is still with us, as the publication of two recent cookbooks bearing her name attests. The newest cookbook, Betty Crocker Lost Recipes: Beloved Vintage Recipes for Today’s Kitchen, was published in 2016, and the latest Betty Crocker Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know How to Cook from Scratch, was also published in 2016. I must admit to just a jigger of food snobbishness, but when I told a real food snob the title of this column she roared back
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with an emphatic “What! Who?” I had her look through them, and she borrowed one for a recipe she wanted. And why? The recipes are clearly written and even a teen can make the dish. The cans of soup are (mostly) gone. The pages are rife with healthy-for-you dishes. I was charmed. The “vintage” book even has a two-page feature that chronicles how Betty’s look has changed over the years. If you’re looking for something to divert your mind from these stressful times as well as to feed your family, these books are a toothsome answer. As you’d expect, Gold Medal, the General Mills product, is the flour de jour in the recipes, but strangely is not mentioned by name in the list of ingredients. Neither is Bisquick, a product which was probably concocted by Betty’s staff. You will, however, find Bisquick, as in
quick biscuit, in some of the Crocker recipes. I recall my mother using this—a lot. We all loved dumplings, and they were quickly made using Bisquick. A Song for Mrs. Crocker What we all need in our kitchens these days is the lilt of a song wafting through, and likewise the wafting of wonderful aromas coming from the oven or cooktop, preferably an old family favorite. I have suggestions for both. First the music. I remember my brother and I making fun of the boxed product my mother used by singing as many verses as we could muster to the tune used on the TV action show Davy Crocket, our juvenile voices blurting out: “Betty, Betty Crocker, Queen of the one-pot meal.” Or words to that effect. This could drive you nuts. Yes, Mom was a saint.
Remember tuna noodle casserole? I do. And you’ll find it here amidst old favorites like popovers, scalloped potatoes with ham, Swedish meatballs, three bean casserole, molasses crinkles, and a quick cranberry punch. Of course, these are in the twentieth century books, along with canned soups that make gravy, canned and frozen vegetables, and a smattering of health-focused info and ideas. The Cookbook Collector in Me I became obsessed with dear Betty and found more of her books at book sales and online. I had to disguise myself. Serious cooks (read snobby) just did not read or let on that one actually cooked by those books. One of them that made me want to learn more about Betty is a slim volume called Easy Entertaining. It came out in 1959 and is full of advice on that topic—along with recipes. I paid one dollar for it at a book sale. It’s filled with easy recipes that can be made ahead so you only leave the table once the main course is consumed, Of course there are the hors d’oeuvres to be passed after the guests settle down. It makes sense to have a buffet or “potluck,” and this little spiral-bound book is bubbling over with ideas you can use today. Cider punch anyone? Here goes.
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2 cups orange juice (I’d use fresh squeezed) 1 cup lemon juice (again, fresh squeezed is best) 4 cups apple cider 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar Combine juices with sugar, mix well, and pour over ice cubes. This will make 12 servings: It’s perfect for an autumnal get together. Add a shot of vodka or gin to each serving to give it a kick. Betty left this step out.
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A Show of Hands Another B.C. book I must mention is the 1950 Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book, probably passed on by a relative or found in a used book sale. It includes a few color photos, the most interesting of which showed the extensive Minneapolis test kitchen and closeups of some of the food with mid-century modern table accessories. No doubt, cookery books were starting to be more user-friendly. As many of you know, I spent many years teaching cooking. And while the class (and yours truly) were waiting for water to come to a boil or a skillet to reach the right temp, I would start talking cookbooks. “How many of you made your first dinner via a Betty Crocker cookbook?” A tidal wave of hands shot up, especially from seniors. (Joy of Cooking was sometimes a winner, sometimes a runnerup.) And I remember hearing about a clever person who arrived at a bridal shower with a large box filled with Betty’s cake mixes and a copy of her newest tome. And after delving into the latest, I believe that one will be able to “cook from scratch” (without too much head scratching) as the cover of the book promises. A feature of this book is that it is spiral bound and lies flat on the counter. In this mucho heavy volume are sections devoted to “Heirloom Recipe and New Twist.” Get your hands on a copy and you’ll see Betty in a new light—but with the same red suit and touch of white around the neck. You’ll probably have to go to a vintage store to find that red outfit, however. Chef, teacher, author, and award-winning columnist Cornelius O’Donnell lives in Horseheads, New York.
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Mountain Home magazine is looking for talented writers and reporters for a variety of assignments in northern Pennsylvania and the Finger Lakes region. Join the team of one of the most honored regional magazines in America, with a Pulitzer-nominated staff, 100,000 readers and more than 80 awards for writing, photography, and design. Competitive freelance pay, steady assignments, and opportunities for growth.
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May day: Mark Losinger shares one of his seven-only mayapples while explaining its unique flavor and backstory.
David O’Reilly
WRITERS WANTED
Forage continued from page 12
oregano—and into the woods to see “a plant you’re not gonna see in any book.” With Mary and Zap on the path ahead, he crouches over a cluster of low, whorled leaves rising out of the ground on a stringthin shoot. These are “Indian cucumbers,” he explains, and cuts at the base carefully before pulling up a white, inch-long root as thin as cooked spaghetti. He breaks off a bit, pops it in his mouth, and hands over the rest. It’s crunchy and tastes, yes, like a burst of cucumber. We sample sheep sorrel’s lemony tang, but ignore the oxeye daisy leaves that grow in abundance in their lawn, whose flavor he finds uninteresting. “I could eat half the stuff here,” he says, “but I don’t want to.” To the untrained eye, he observes, the kings of the forests might seem the physical giants, like oaks and hemlocks. “But look down at the things like bloodroot,” which can grow for hundreds of years and yields compounds used in a variety of important medicines. “There is so much regarding wild food,” he says, “that most people have been trained to neglect.” Readers who wish to contact the Wallens may do so at woodlandfarmspa@gmail.com. Contact Mark Losinger at mushroomgod@frontier.com. He also hosts the Pennsylvania Foragers Club on Facebook. Debbie Naha-Koretzky is at (908) 456-1681 and on Facebook. David O’Reilly was a writer and editor for thirty-five years at The Philadelphia Inquirer, where he covered religion for two decades. He and his wife, Birnie, moved to Wellsboro last fall.
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B A C K O F T H E M O U N TA I N
Late Summer Languor By Bernadette Chiaramonte
E 34
nd of summer simplicity! That was the theme I searched for on a beautiful foggy morning. Red building, fog, and purple thistle...yes, it fit the essence!
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