Vermont Travel Notes

The Alchemist Pub and Brewery in Waterbury is planning some extensive kitchen renovations and will therefore be closed from Monday, May 4 through May 11. They will be reopening Tuesday May 12 unless their projects go as well as mine do.

With these new renovations, Chef Jeff is planning to bring some new items to the menu. I can hardly wait to see what those will be. The Alchemist blog says that right now, he's off to his home town of Cincinnati to learn more about making Cincinnati chili and to hunt turkeys. Hmmm - is that trip related to new menu items?

(c) 2009 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn

Photo courtesy of Laughing Moon Chocolates

Laughing Moon Chocolates is a wonderful little store in Stowe VT which makes and sells an extensive line of chocolates using mostly locally produced ingredients.

Laughing Moon is offering workshops this spring and summer on how to make chocolates. These Chocolate Experience Workshops are intended for recreational users who would like to learn how to make their own candy at home. The cost is $150 per person. For more information and to register, contact owner Leigh Williams at (802) 253-9591.

Friday May 1
Chocolate Dipping Experience Workshop
6:00-8:00pm
A two-hour hand-on workshop on how to cook truffles, melt and temper chocolate, and hand-dipping.

Friday, June 26
Marshmallow Making Workshop
6:00-8:00pm
A two-hour workshop on how to make homemade marshmallow, prepare them for dipping, and hand-dip them in milk, dark and white chocolate. How to prepare S’mores or mix it with caramel or truffle centers.

Friday, July 10
Chocolate Dipping Experience Workshop
6:00-8:00pm
Same as the May 1 workshop above.

Friday, August 14
Local Bounty Workshop
6:00-8:00pm
Two-hour workshop highlighting Vermont made specialty foods including Mitzi’s Fresh Mountain Breakfast, Boyden Valley Winery, Rock Art Brewery, Green Mountain Distillers, The Nutty Vermonter & The Sweet Crunch Bake Shop. Thee will be instruction on how to make peanut butter using fresh Virginia-grown peanuts and work with other locally made foods to create chocolate specialties. Prepare homemade centers and hand-dip them in chocolate. Also, how to use fresh local blueberries and raspberries, and how to make make chocolate at home.

Laughing Moon Chocolates has created a niche by incorporating locally produced foods into their chocolates. They make truffles with Boyden Valley Winery Big Barn Red Wine, Green Mountain Distillers Sunshine Vodka and Maple Liquor, Flag Hill Farm Pear and Apple Brandys, and Rock Art Vermonster Beer. The store offers chocolate covered homemade cookies baked by the Sweet Crunch Bake Shop in Hyde Park, and using Mitzi’s Fresh Mountain Breakfast and The Nutty Vermonter’s Triple Nut Butters.

Even if you don't want to attend the workshops, you should visit the store just to see how good it smells! There is a great selection of chocolates to meet every taste. Online ordering is available on the website too if you can't wait to get here and try them.

(c) 2009 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn

Photo courtesy of River Arts

If you're a cheese lover, perhaps you should look into making it yourself. You may have wondered if it's easy to do. Here's your opportunity to find out.

River Arts in Morrisville VT is holding two days of cheese making classes this coming Friday and Saturday.

You will have the rate opportunity to learn how to make Mozzarella, Cheddar and Ricotta. The cost is just $35 for one day or $55 for two days. You can sign up on the River Arts website or call them at (802) 888-1261.

"River Arts is a nonprofit organization that brings the energy, creativity and experience of the arts to all ages. We serve the Lamoille Valley of Vermont from Hardwick to Cambridge, from Eden to Stowe."

(c) 2009 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus

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This Saturday, April 4, Mount Snow in southern Vermont will be hosting its Winter Brewer's Festival.

The event starts around 2:00 pm and continues into the evening. Some of the brewers on hand will be Magic Hat, Allagash, Long Trail, Harpoon, Rock Art, and Red Hook, Stone, North Coast and Budweiser.

Admission is $12 for adults age 21 and older and it includes a free first drink and free Mount Snow pint glass.

There will also be live music and a BBQ.

(c) 2009 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus

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Can kids really cook? You bet they can! And very well too.

You can watch and sample the results at the 2nd Annual Junior Iron Chef VT this Saturday, March 28, at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction, Vermont.

This is a state-wide competition by members of the Burlington Food Council. It is also a fundraiser for the Burlington School Food Project and VT FEED farm to school education program.

Celebrity judges will score the meals prepared by teams of students from middle school and high school.

For spectators, the event offers activities for the people of all ages including cooking demos, food vendors, a farmers' market, and prize raffle. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Admission is $3 for adults or $5 per family.

(c) 2009 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn

Ben & Jerry's Homemade ice cream 7th annual Winter Festival is tomorrow, March 7.

Their factory tours will be free of charge and they will have games, ice cream (!), snow sculptures, food, sugar on snow (melted maple syrup poured over snow), and a gift sale.

Umiak Outfitters will be there offering snowshoe tours, along with food samplings from Cabot Cheese, Red Hen Bakery, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and Cider House BBQ Restaurant.

The event is at the Waterbury VT factory on Route 100 about 3/4 of a mile north (toward Stowe) from exit 10 on Interstate highway 89.

(c) 2009 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus Inn