Saturday evening my husband and I treated our youngest daughter, Emily, to dinner at Cucina Antica before her return to college. While Tim and I greeted a few friendly faces, our waitress welcomed us with baked bread fresh-from-the-oven. Before we dipped even one piece of bread into the balsamic-infused dipping oil, I had one noteworthy suggestion: save room for dessert.

What a treat - to have a chef select and specially prepare my meal - it wasn't even something on the menu (yet). This was the case at Chef Leu's last weekend. Owner Mei Wang asked if I would like to try some of the truly special plates to be featured during the restaurant's two-week Chinese New Year celebration. And the beautifully-plated steamed whole tilapia that was placed before me was a clear indication that a true celebration was being planned.

Homemade gifts are just so much better than anything you can buy in a store. Consider the following very simple recipes for your friends, neighbors, co-workers. No need to buy a container, simply wrap in cellophane (not plastic wrap) and tie with a bow. A little goes a long way. Happy holidays Shelburne!

Beer nuts and brew-aficionados have reason to rejoice this upcoming holiday and New Year's season: Matt Cohen, former brew master of Vermont's nationally known Magic Hat Brewing Company, has decided to implement the creative entrepreneurial spirit that Magic Hat entertained and open his own brewery - Fiddlehead Brewing Company - just across from Shelburne Vineyards on Route 7. Cohen's Fiddlehead Brewing Company conveniently shares space with building owner John Koerner's planned pizza parlor called Folino's.

Thanks to all the readers who discovered we neglected to list how much butter was necessary for this pie when we ran the recipe a few week's ago. So sorry! It requires 1/2 cup of butter. Here is the complete recipe, with our apologies:

Try this wonderfully seasoned sea bass dish on a cold winter's eve.

Our men were out of town, so my mom and I decided to put on some high heels and go on a date night. I was determined to go somewhere new and the only place I wanted to try was San Sai in Burlington. I had heard that they have the best sushi around so I wanted to see if the reviews were right. Oh boy... were they!

We all know that turkey will the centerpiece of our holiday meal, but it is fun to change up the sides, honoring tradition, yet adding a new twist each year. I think you will enjoy the following recipes all tested and winning my family's approval. Happy Thanksgiving Shelburne!

Do you know the happy feeling you get when you go to an establishment so often that you can consider yourself a local because the owner knows your name and your typical order? That is the feeling you get after the first time you go to dine at Archie's Grill and meet owner Dick Hess.

The Flatbread Factory and Tap Room is a neighborhood restaurant that specializes in handmade gourmet flatbread pizzas, comfort food, and excellent beer and wine on draft, all at family-friendly prices.

Most of us don't think about where our food comes from as we're taking a nice bite into it...but that is changing and it is local restaurants and their food producer partners that are making those changes happen.

Try this delicious recipe at home or stop in to meet Healthy Living's extraordinary baker, Margaret, for more gluten-free treats.

You can be a baker, eater, or runner at the 10th Annual Pie Fest & Cider House Run which will take place this Sunday, Sept. 25 at Shelburne Orchards. Prizes will be awarded by local judges Margo Callaghan, Acoy Cofino, and Chuck Ross who will taste-test 30 apple pies to select the best crust, best filling, overall appearance, and grand prize "Apple of My Eye Pie."

I can't remember the first time I stepped foot in The Dutch Mill. It was even before moving to Shelburne. What drew me in was the kitschy calling of the distinctive 1940-esque Dutch-inspired architecture on Route 7. Come on...who can resist walking into the door of such iconic design?

The spotlight was on local food production at the 10th Annual Small Farms Food Fest at Shelburne Orchards on Sunday. "On the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and as Vermont continues to shovel out from Tropical Storm Irene, it felt wonderful to pause for a minute and celebrate so many of the small farms and musicians that we have locally," explained owner Nick Cowles. "We've really been able to keep the small-town feel," Cowles continued.

The Italians have a word for it: consolidi. It means nurture and comfort. There is another word for it too: Junior's Italian - the restaurant that sustains and advances its reputation as Vermont's "Little Italy" with every plate served.

In last weeks Shelburne News' restaurant review, The Spot's hours were listed incorrectly. The hard-working crew is in fact open for business seven days a week!

Charlotte Fire Department hosted their second annual pig roast fundraiser last Sunday. Proceeds from this year's roast will help defray the cost of the department's new water rescue boat and other expenses. Plenty of Shelburne folks were on hand to enjoy the BBQ, silent auction, and live music.

While the athletes are training and competing, we invite fans and families to savor all the flavor the Champlain Valley area of Vermont offers. We have kept it easy for you to find some of the locals' favorite restaurants, boutiques, and we've even included a spa, for you road and lake warriors, which specializes in sports massage!

I was looking for an excuse to visit The Spot, a renovated 1950s gas station repurposed as a hip and healthy casual restaurant on Shelburne Road in South Burlington. Particularly appealing was the authentic retro vibe and the al fresco bar between the pumps that seemed too much fun to be missed.

Faster than one could say "gouda," the 1,750 tickets for this year's Vermont Cheesemakers Festival at Shelburne Farms were sold out by early July.

Blend blueberries, brown sugar, ginger and 1/2 of the coconut milk in blender until frothy. Pour remaining coconut milk into four glasses, and slowly add the blueberry mixture to each, stirring gently to achieve a blue and white swirl effect. Garnish with toasted coconut and a few blueberries. Cheers!

New Mex, Old Mex, Tex Mex, Cali Mex... Mexican food is likely one of the earliest examples of "fusion cuisine": the native Incan, Mayan, and Aztec staples such as corn and beans, met with Cortez and Spanish rice in the early 1500s.

Summer is filled with family picnics and barbecues, but you need to make sure that those burgers and pasta salads aren't served with a side of bacteria.

Arecent dining experience at the Bearded Frog convinced me of this: Chef Andrea Cousinea is the Queen of Umami. The taste sensation known as umami comes from the Japanese words umai, meaning delicious, and mi, meaning taste.

There were no mosquitoes, bunk beds, or s'mores in sight. Instead, there were mixing bowls, blueberries, and butter by the pound. "Baking Camp" week was the brainchild of Shelburne resident Heather Friedrichsen who opened her doors to ten 4th-6th grade "campers" for a culinary adventure.

What does one serve the first lady of the United States for dinner? And what does one serve her guests who have paid $5,000 each for that evening's meal?

It was Thursday lunchtime and the employees at Wind Ridge Publishing were tired, hungry, and in need of a treat. I went upstairs and asked who would like to order take out from Marco's.

Consider having your children create their Father's Day gift this year with an all day celebration of food. I do not know a child who doesn't like to crack an egg or mix ingredients in a bowl. It does require a bit of patience, but I guarantee you they will be smiling and feel so proud of serving Dad something they cooked, and Dad will feel loved and honored on his special day.

The phrase, "To quarrel with your bread and butter" means to act contrary to your best interest, to scoff at that which procures your living, to show poor temper by throwing your bread and butter to the ground.

As many readers may know, according to its menu, the Shelburne restaurant Barkeaters gleaned its name from the English translation of the Mohican word Adirondack.

The Farm Effect begins in the driveway to the Inn at Shelburne Farms: the curving dirt road makes its way through lush fields and under the watch of open-armed trees. In just a couple miles, the slow drive and gentle curves lead you through the trees near Church Woods to the Inn, where the frenetic world has dropped away.

Friday at lunchtime, the sun broke through the clouds and we skipped out of the office to have lunch at the Lake View House for an end-of-the-week treat; and it really was just that - a treat.

Leunig's Bistro & Café is home to a very special fundraiser on Mother's Day, May 8. Ten percent of all meal proceeds will be donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) on Sunday: Leunig's will be open 9 a.m.-10 p.m. In addition, Leunig's will be raffling off a dinner for two with all raffle earnings coming to RMHC as well.

As Tim, my husband and dining companion, and I pulled into the Windjammer parking lot on Friday evening before 5 p.m. we were surprised to find a place to park. Truth be told, Tim and I are regulars of the Upper Deck Pub, the 100-seat restaurant within a restaurant, and finding a parking space on a weekend night, no matter how early, is not usually that easy.

Ham is certainly a good choice for a traditional Easter meal, and I must admit it is tempting to just unwrap one of the local maple spiral hams and let it sit out for a few hours before serving. No cooking necessary. On the other hand, slow cooking a leg of lamb sounds equally appealing, even if it takes four hours until perfect tenderness.

Out-of-this-world food hardly seems an appropriate epicurean hyperbole when most of the food served at Pauline's Café is thoughtfully sourced close to home. Committed to procuring fresh local foods, including a variety of local meats and artisan cheeses, Pauline's Chef-Owner David Hoene also enjoys using fruits and vegetables cultivated in Vermont farmers' fields.

There is a bit of snobbery in those of us who have lived near the sea: we don't eat restaurant seafood unless we are within an easy drive from one of King Neptune's large estates. Fortunately, Kim and Al Gobeille, the owners of the Burlington seafood restaurant Shanty on the Shore share this point of view.

I walked a little faster and stepped a little lighter to make my way across the windy brick walkways of Church Street Marketplace to reach my anticipated destination: Leunig's Bistro & Café.

My family has eaten at La Villa at least twice a month for the last 16 years, since it opened in 1995; and to date, not one of us has tasted everything we desire on the menu...yet.