Author: John Fladd

Made in NH Expo offers foodie fun and more

By John Fladd
jfladd@hippopress.com

When it comes to naming items produced in the Granite State, maple syrup might be the one and only thing that comes to mind. So prepare to have your mind blown at the Made in NH Expo from Friday, April 7, through Sunday, April 9, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown Hotel, 700 Elm St. in Manchester. According to the Business NH magazine website, the Made In NH “Try It & Buy It” Expo, now in its 27th year, will offer attendees the opportunity to discover a plethora of unique products available right here in New Hampshire.

“There will be nearly 100 vendors this year,” said Kelly Keating, Event Director for Granite Media Group, the producer of the event, in an email. “We have woodworkers, furniture makers, chocolatiers, bakers, jewelers, homemade jams and jellies, outdoor clothing, T-shirts, authors, including two children’s authors, knitters, metal work, photographers, a lavender farm, potters, all-natural face and body treatments, women’s specialty clothing, children’s clothing, candles, tide clocks, fudge, custom cowboy boots, hand-tied fishing lures and more. We also have The Libation Station, an area where attendees 21 and over with ID can sample New Hampshire-made wine, beer, mead and spirits.”

For foodies, the Made in NH Expo will offer “lots of mouth-watering treats on hand to sample. Chocolate, baklava, spanakopita, spices and sauces, coffee, cheesecake, whoopie pies, cookies, cake cups, honey, pot pies and, new this year, an ostrich meat farmer,” Keating said.

According to the Made in NH Expo Facebook page, this year’s food vendors will include Twins 4 Life Creations, featuring all-natural New Hampshire blueberry sauce and jellies made from herbal tea; Lemongrass Restaurant and Sake Bar by Chef Ooh, bringing seasonings, dressings and sauces that give food an authentic Asian flavor; Granite State Candy Shoppe, offering gourmet chocolates and super-premium homemade ice cream; The Pot Pie Bar; Van Otis Chocolate; Fabrizia Lemon Baking Co.; The Mill Fudge Factory; Thistle’s All Natural, specializing in handmade zucchini salsas; Dandido Hot Sauce; Granite State Freeze Dried Candy; Holy Moly Snacks, with thin crispy beef chips in multiple flavors and a gluten-free option; Maggie’s Munchies, offering old-fashioned New England desserts like whoopie pies; Choo-Choo’s Cheesecakes; Youla’s Bakery, bringing traditional Greek desserts and delicacies; and many more.

For those who have never attended a Made in NH event, Keating offers enthusiastic encouragement. “Coming to the Expo is a unique way to see all of the variety of unique locally made products they may not have realized are made right in their backyard,” she said. “They’ll find artisanal food and beverages, handmade crafts, home goods and more, and they can talk with the makers. They can sample food and beverages made in New Hampshire, allowing them to experience the flavors of the state. Attendees can learn more about local businesses and products made in New Hampshire, gaining a great appreciation for the local economy and craftsmanship, and support sustainability at the same time.”

For kids, Keating said, there will be a balloon artist and face painter. There will be rescue animals at the event for people to meet, and music to give a festive atmosphere. In addition, Keating said, “There will be … a full-sized airplane on display, built by New Hampshire students through a program with the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire.“

On a personal note, Keating enjoys discovering new vendors and products she may not have known about before. “It’s nice to play a role in supporting small businesses in the state and seeing the creativity and talents of New Hampshire artisans,” she said. “The sense of appreciation for all things made locally makes the Made in NH Expo a fun experience.”

Made in NH Expo
When: Friday, April 5, 1 to 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, April 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown Hotel, 700 Elm St., Manchester
Cost: adults $8, seniors (65+) $7, children (under 14) free; tickets (available online or at the door) valid for one-day admission to the Expo.
More: www.madeinnhexpo.com

Featured Photo: Past Year. Courtesy photo.

Potato Concept opens a restaurant in Manchester

By John Fladd
jfladd@hippopress.com

Branden Rainer and Lauren Lefebvre run a restaurant entirely dedicated to baked potatoes.

“We are the Potato Concept,” Lefebvre said. Aside from drinks, everything the newly opened Potato Concept (119A Hanover St. in Manchester, thepotatoconcept.com, 667-0714) serves, even salads, comes on a baked potato.

“These are classic gourmet, twice-baked potatoes,” she sid, “filled with proteins, meats and fresh salads.”

Although the Hanover Street restaurant is new, The Potato Concept has been around for three years, catering events and putting up pop-up restaurants in breweries.

“That’s how we got started,” Lefebvre said. “We’d pair up with local breweries and take our recipes with us and do pop-ups there. Breweries have very limited kitchen space and they really welcomed our food.”

The couple welcomes the chance to cook in their own kitchen.

“Our kitchen here is a luxury,” Rainer said. “We’re so proud of it; it’s ours.”

He is very proud of how their business has evolved: “We’ve got a pedigree that we’re proud of.”

While focusing so intently on one food — baked potatoes — seems as if it might be limiting, Lefebvre said their repertoire is constantly growing.

“We have curated probably 50 different recipes or so that we’ve taken to markets and fairs,” she said. “We just had a St. Patrick’s Day special with corned beef and spicy mustard.” The most popular potatoes the two sell are their Zesty Cheeseburger, “which is pretty much what it sounds like,” Lefebvre said; a PoTaco, “which is like a regular taco, but with a potato instead of a shell,” and a Buffalo Chicken Potato, which Rainer insists isn’t too spicy for New Hampshire tastes.

“We try to think of people’s palates and their level of spice,” Rainer said, but points out that Manchester diners have expanded the sorts of foods they eat over the past few years.

“Just look at this neighborhood,” Rainer said. “We have a tavern and an upscale seafood restaurant on one side of us, and a Nepalese restaurant and the Hanover Street Chop House on the other. Manchester is very diverse, and looking for new things.”

Lefebvre and Rainer go through a lot of potatoes.

“During Fair Season, we’ll literally buy a ton at a time from a farm in Massachusetts,” Lefebvre said. “We do a lot of catering; we’re always looking to take on new clients.”

After several years and countless potatoes, Rainer and Lefebvre have a well-polished system. “Lauren handles most of the food,” Rainer said. “I’m more of a sous chef and a greeter. We’ve been working with other small food businesses and we’ve had a lot of help each step along the way.”

He cites their work with Smokin’ Tin Roof (smokintinroof.com), a Manchester-area hot sauce producer. “People like a spicy potato,” he said. “It’s been an evolution.”

Lefebvre has developed their recipes on her own.

“There has been a lot of trial and error,” she said, “though thankfully not many errors.”

“We like to think of ourselves as delivering value,” Rainer said, “and potatoes are a great lunch value.”

Featured Photo: Courtesy photo.

Spring is finally here. It’s not like it’s been a long, cold and lonely winter — more of a muddy, slushy, test of emotional endurance — but the idea of mild, pre-mosquito weather is a deeply appealing one.

The time has come for porch-sitting.

Maybe not for a long stretch of time — it still gets chilly after dark — but it’s definitely the start of Porch Season. Which, of course, calls for cocktails. It’s probably a little premature to break out the tiki mugs yet (that’s what Memorial Day weekend is for: action movies and loud Hawaiian shirts) but definitely something with a hint of the tropics.

Which, sooner or later, means grenadine.

If you’re not a huge fan of tropical drinks, you might not be terribly familiar with grenadine. In theory, it’s a syrup made from pomegranate juice that will lend a juicy flavor to a cocktail, typically one with five or more ingredients. In practice, it’s a bright red syrup that mostly gets added to drink recipes to add sweetness and a tropical roseyness. Think about a tequila sunrise: That beautiful ombre color comes from grenadine and orange juice playing off each other.

Is there a way to make grenadine a more active participant in your porch-sitting cocktail?

As it turns out, there is.

Making your own grenadine

Combine one part sugar and two parts unsweetened pomegranate juice in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil. Stir to make sure all the sugar has dissolved, then remove from heat.

That’s it.

This is really good grenadine. If you happen to have a bottle of regular grenadine laying around, do a taste comparison. Taste the commercial stuff. It’s fine — it’s sweet and vaguely fruity, about what you’d expect from grenadine. Now try the homemade stuff. The sheer juiciness of this might rock you back on your heels. It’s sweet, but not cloyingly. It tastes deeply purple, with a little acidity that tickles those glands under your ears that flare up sometimes when you eat sharp cheddar.

Now try the commercial grenadine again. Why have you never noticed that artificial flavor before? This tastes like corn syrup and sodium benzoate.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m as big a fan of artificial ingredients as the next man. If they make something taste better, or keep it from molding, or make it feel better in my mouth, I’m all for it.

And yet.

This homemade grenadine tastes an order of magnitude better than the commercial stuff. It’s also incredibly simple to make. There’s no excuse not to.

Pomegranate Daisy

• ¾ ounce homemade grenadine (see above)
• ¾ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1½ ounces dry gin – I decided not to go with a fancy gin this time and used Gordon’s; I think it was a good call

Combine all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker.

Strain into a coupé glass.

Ask your digital assistant to play “Everyone Come Outside” by the Pomegranates. Sip contentedly on your front steps, calling out to strangers: “Forgive the intrusion, but you’re having a Very Good Hair Day!” or “Bless you, Child of the Universe!”

The best way to describe this cocktail — an abridged version of a classic Clover Leaf — is “juicy.” The homemade grenadine shines through, and its tartness plays off the lemon juice. A botanical gin, or some other gin that takes itself too seriously, would shoulder the juices aside and demand attention for itself. A modest, workmanlike gin like Gordon’s is a team player. It makes itself known and gives the enterprise a backbone but is happy to give equal billing to the juices.

It’s a good taste to take with you to the porch.

Featured photo: Pomegranate Daisy. Photo by John Fladd.

Barley House offers a DIY approach to bloody marys

Nikki Miller likes bloody marys.

“They are full of nostalgia, and absolutely delicious,” said Miller, a veteran bartender at The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern in Concord.

She likes them so much that she has put together a weekly event on Sundays called “Build Your Bloody.”

Patrons can order a bloody mary to exacting specificity: what type of vodka — or tequila for a bloody maria — and how much of it, extra seasonings, and, of course, what garnishes they want.

“Customers like to sit at the bar and watch me make it,” Miller said.

For several years, around the country, many bars have been in a bloody mary arms race to make the brunch-friendly cocktail with more and more extreme, over-the-top garnishes, a challenge Miller doesn’t shy away from.

“People like to order it because it’s fun and they’re super-hungry,” she said. The add-ons range from the classic celery — which complements the celery salt that is traditionally part of the spice mixture that gives a bloody mary its kick— to gherkins, olives, cocktail shrimp (“the big fat ones,” Miller enthuses), pepperoncini, or sometimes “just a big hunk of cheese.” Sometimes she has garnished a bloody mary with bacon-wrapped scallops.

“We have a regular who always orders an appetizer platter next to his, because it’s a snack as well as a drink,” Miller said.

Far and away, however, the most popular garnish is the Barley House’s house-made candied bacon.

“I have some customers who are all about the bacon,” Miller said. “They are really unhappy if they don’t get two slices of it.”

Miller came up with the concept for Build Your Bloody while tending bar on New Year’s Day. It’s usually a quiet day, because any rowdy customers have been up very late the night before, celebrating. Most of the customers had ordered bloody marys, and Miller thought about how much fun it would be to set up a bloody mary bar. The idea has turned out to have legs. Bloody marys are very popular on Sunday mornings, though Miller takes issue with the idea that they are just for brunch.

“We have a stigma in our heads that it’s just a breakfast cocktail,” she said, “and that just isn’t the case.”

Aside from the garnishes, the Barley House makes its bloody marys with vodka and a house-made bloody mary mix that Miller describes as “heavy on the horseradish, with spices and pickle juice.” She recommends Tito’s vodka, which she says has a clean taste that stands up to the spice-heavy bloody mary mix.

“I like to rim the glass with Tajin,” she said, referring to Tajin Clasico, a Mexican chile-lime powder.

As she thinks about new bloody mary garnishes, Millier said, she’d like to experiment with house-pickled fresh vegetables.

“We’ve talked about putting mini-sliders on skewers,” she said.

Bloody mary how you like it
The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern
132 N. Main St. in Concord, thebarleyhouse.com, 228-6363
Build Your Bloody runs from 11:30 a.m to 3 p.m. on Sundays.

Featured Photo: Photo courtesy of The Barley House.

Shops and breweries amped for Craft Beer Week

April 7 is National Beer Day and brewers of New Hampshire will be in the midst of New Hampshire Craft Beer Week, which runs April 4 through April 13.

Breweries across the state will celebrate, working to show the beer-drinkers of New Hampshire just how good their beer is. And they are expected to double down on beer-related festivities during Pint Days, April 7 through April 13.

Nobody is more excited about Craft Beer Week and Pint Days than CJ Haines. Haines, the Executive Director of the New Hampshire Brewers Association, says she looks forward to it every year. The breweries get really creative with their new beers and ales in April, she said.

“We don’t know about particular releases until closer to the event. It’s always a surprise,” Haines said. The rumor is that this year many will have a sun or outer space theme, to commemorate the April 8 eclipse.

Haines said, eclipse aside, exuberant feelings tend to run high among brewers in April anyway; a surprising number of breweries celebrate birthdays and anniversaries during the month.

“For some reason, a lot of breweries tend to open in April,” she says, which means there are a lot of celebration beers on tap as well.

Ali Lelleszi, one of the owners of Rockingham Brewing Co. (1 Corporate Park Dr. in Derry, rockinghambrewing.com, 216-2324), said her brewery is leaning hard into Craft Beer Week this year.

“We have a slew of food trucks visiting during the week,” she said. ”We’re also having a chili cook-off. Five of our staff are making chili with five of our beers. Customers can order a flight of chilis with a flight of the beers that were used to make them, and vote on which one they like the best.” It’s a good way, she says, to help customers learn how beer can complement food.

Customers can also take away tangible reminders of Craft Beer Week. On the first Thursday of every month, Lelleszi says, Rockingham Brewing holds an event called Ales & Alterations; customers can bring in a piece of clothing that needs to be mended, and drink a beer while they wait. During Craft Beer Week, she says, they can buy a commemorative patch and have it sewn on while they wait. “They can also buy a special pint glass as an add-on with their beer,” she says, referring to glasses commissioned by the Brewers Association and designed by New Hampshire artist Shane Buzzell of Crafty Beard Design in Plymouth. These glasses will be available at many participating breweries across the state.

Other breweries holding Craft Beer Week celebrations include Great North Aleworks (1050 Holt Ave., No. 14, in Manchester, greatnorthaleworks.com, 858-5789), holding a Make Your Own Tie Dye Party on Thursday, April 11, and To Share Brewing Co. (720 Union St. in Manchester, tosharebrewing.com, 836-6947), which will host a Thrift Shop Prom on Saturday, April 13.

New Hampshire Craft Beer Week, said CJ Haines, is about recognizing the diversity of New Hampshire’s brewers.

“It’s intended to raise awareness about New Hampshire’s brewers and the craft beers we have in the state,” she said. She says New Hampshire beer-drinkers don’t have to visit a brewery to celebrate Craft Beer Week, although she hopes they do.

“We want them to support their local beer shops. Our tagline is ‘Keep New Hampshire Brewing,’” Haines said, and she observes that anything that makes people appreciate New Hampshire craft beers is a win.

New Hampshire Craft Beer Week
When: Thursday, April 4, through Saturday, April 13, with Pint Days starting on April 7
More: nhbrewers.org/event/nh-pint-days-2024.

Featured Photo: Courtesy photo.

The faded, stained recipe is in the back of a scrapbook where I keep recipes I’ve been meaning to try. The title on the top reads, “Juanita’s Cheesecake.” I barely remember who Juanita is — the sister of a good friend of my mother’s, and I probably only met her a couple of times in my childhood. But I distinctly remember my mother saying at some point that Juanita made the world’s best cheesecake.

Juanita’s Cheesecake

Crust

About 2 cups (9 ounces / 252 g) cookie crumbs – traditionally these would be graham cracker crumbs, but any crunchy cookie will work; for this cheesecake I used America’s most under-rated cookie, Vienna Fingers

½ cup (1 stick) butter

The Body of the Cheesecake

2 8-ounce packages of room-temperature cream cheese

¾ cup (148 g) sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

The Topping

1 cup (8 ounces / 227 g) sour cream

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch spring-form pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, which will stick, now that you’ve put a layer of fat down.

Grind your cookies into crumbs. Either use a food-processor, or use a zip-lock bag and a rolling pin. You’ll quickly find that it’s more a matter of leaning in and crushing the cookies, rather than rolling them.

Put your butter in a medium-sized plastic or glass bowl, and melt the butter in the microwave. Add the cookie crumbs to the melted butter, and stir until completely combined. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of your spring-form pan. Chill in the refrigerator until you need it. If you used the rolling pin method, this will look less like a conventional graham cracker crust, and more like somebody did something terrible to some Fruity Pebbles.

Mix the cream cheese at medium-high speed until it is light and fluffy. Slowly pour the sugar in, followed by the eggs, one at a time. Let each ingredient combine thoroughly before adding the next, then add the vanilla.

Scrape down the sides of your bowl, then mix again to make certain all the ingredients have been incorporated. Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and put it in the oven to bake. Juanita seems to suggest that this will take about half an hour, but she also suggested a shallower pan, which would speed things up considerably. In my experience, the cheesecake should bake for about 55 minutes. Don’t worry about using a water bath; any cracks will be covered by the topping layer.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven when it is lightly golden-brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

In another bowl — or the cookie crust one, if you’ve stayed on top of your dishes — mix the sour cream, sugar and vanilla together with a spoon. Pour on top of your cheesecake, spread it evenly, and return it to the oven. Juanita suggests 10 minutes should be enough. My mileage says 25. This is a judgment call on your part. You just want to cook it until it is dry and solid-looking. I like it to have a little color, but that’s just me.

Leave the cheesecake on your counter for an hour or so to cool. Cover it with a large bowl if you have small children or cats. It will eventually contract, pulling itself away from the side of the pan. Remember to remove your parchment paper when you remove it from the pan.

If you’re used to today’s cheesecakes, which have strong flavors that knock you over the head with a club and drag you back to their cave, this cheesecake will be something of a revelation. It tastes exactly like what it is: dairy, eggs, and a little sugar.

This recipe did not deserve to sit alone and unappreciated since the Nixon administration.

Featured photo: Cheesecake. Photo by John Fladd.

Where to find your Easter eats

Compiled by John Fladd
jfladd@hippopress.com

It’s almost Easter and the time to place orders or reservations is fast approaching. Looking for food not made by you to enjoy over the weekend? There are many, many local restaurants, bakeries and specialty food businesses that are ready to take on some or all of the work for you. All dine -in options are for Sunday, March 31 (Easter) unless otherwise noted. Know of an eatery not mentioned here? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.

• 110 Grill (875 Elm St., Manchester, 836-1150; 27 Trafalgar Square in Nashua, 943-7443; 110grill.com) will serve special brunch menu features from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in addition to its regular menus. Options will include steak and eggs Benedict, chicken and waffles, crab cakes Benedict and several assorted brunch cocktails.

• Airport Diner (2280 Brown Ave. in Manchester, 623-5040, thecman.com) will be open during its regular business hours on Easter Sunday (from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.), serving its daily menus with specials.

• Alan’s of Boscawen (133 N. Main St. in Boscawen, 753-6631, alansofboscawen.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., which will include fresh fruit, assorted cheeses and crackers, Danishes and breads, and carving stations featuring roast leg of lamb, sliced tenderloin and Virginia baked ham. After 3 p.m., an Easter dinner will be served, featuring roast spring leg of lamb, prime rib, and tomahawk swordfish chop. Complete Easter dinners are available for takeout.

• Alpine Grove Banquet Facility (19 S. Depot Road in Hollis, 882-9051, alpinegrove.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet from 10 a.m. through 1 p.m. Featured items include waffles with warm maple syrup and strawberries, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage home fries, slow-cooked Virginia ham with bourbon New Hampshire maple syrup, Delmonico medallions, chicken piccata, ziti pasta with tomato sauce, and Lyonnaise mashed potatoes.The cost is $35 for adults, $30 for seniors, $15 for children ages 3 to 12 and free for children under 3. Reservations are being accepted online.

• Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop (815 Chestnut St. in Manchester, 625-9544, angelaspastaandcheese.com) is taking orders for Easter treats: breads by Iggy’s Bakery, pork pie, pizzagaina (a traditional Italian Easter pie with eggs, spinach, prosciutto, and four kinds of cheese), quiches, cakes, seasonal cookies and buns, and sweet pies, including ricotta pie. Order by March 20. Pickups will be on Saturday, March 30, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• The Artisan Hotel (17 Via Toscana in Salem, 912-8450) will serve Easter brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Brunch items will include an omelet station, a smoked salmon display, a carving station, scratch-made desserts, a strawberry shortcake station and more. Tickets are $85 for adults and $25 for children, which includes gratuity, and are available online at tuscanbrands.com/store/event/easter-brunch-at-the-artisan-hotel-331.

• Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (111 Island Pond Road in Manchester, 623-2045, assumptionnh.org) will host a walk-in Easter bake sale on Saturday, March 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. inside its church hall. Spinach peta, cheese peta, Greek cookie and pastry platters and tsoureki (Easter bread) will be available for sale in limited quantities while supplies last.

• Atkinson Resort & Country Club (85 Country Club Dr. in Atkinson, 362-8700, atkinsonresort.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet from 8 to 10 a.m. inside its Legacy Ballroom. The menu will include chef-attended omelet and waffle stations, hand-carved prime rib, smoked ham, baked haddock, wild mushroom gnocchi, smoked salmon, and breakfast options, like scrambled eggs, bacon, cinnamon swirl French toast and more. The cost is $70 for adults, $30 for children age 3 to 10 and free for children under 3. Reservations are required.

• The Bakeshop on Kelley Street (171 Kelley St. in Manchester; thebakeshoponkelleystreet.com, 624-3500) offers pies, cakes and other pastries. Call to order.

• Bearded Baking Co. (819 Union St. in Manchester, 647-7150, beardedbaking.com) is taking orders for 8-inch cakes (carrot or lemon poppy), lemon dream cheesecakes (serves eight to 12 people), chocolate flourless Parisian slices, blueberry lemon or carrot cake vegan doughnuts, and Easter candy cupcake boxes, featuring assorted cupcakes topped with Cadbury egg pieces, Reese’s peanut butter cups and cookies and cream pieces. Order by May 23. Pickups will be on Saturday, March 30.

• Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way in Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will serve a special three-course prix fixe Easter dinner. Dishes will include New England clam chowder, braised lamb shank, grilled tournedos of beef, Nova Scotia halibut, crepes Suzette, and lavender creme brulee. Reservations are available from 1 to 5 p.m. The cost is $79 for adults, $42 for children under 10.

• Belmont Hall & Restaurant (718 Grove St. in Manchester, 625-8540, belmonthall.net) will serve an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet with seatings at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. The cost is $18.99 per person. Additionally, the restaurant will be open for walk-ins only that day — no reservations required.

• Birch Wood Vineyards (199 Rockingham Road in Derry, 965-4359, birchwoodvineyards.com) will serve a special Easter Sunday brunch buffet with seatings at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. Buffet items include made-to-order omelets, French toast with New Hampshire maple syrup, salmon and artichoke chowder, chicken piccata, a charcuterie display, crab-stuffed baked haddock, beef short ribs, and a carving station. Tickets are available on Birch Wood’s website and are $75 for adults, $30 for children 3 and up, and free for very small children. Each seating will last 90 minutes. Reservations must be made by Sunday, March 24.

• Buckley’s Great Steaks (438 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com) will be open from noon to 5 p.m., serving its regular menu in addition to some chef specials. Call or visit the website to make a reservation.

• Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe (436 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, 262-5929, buckleysbakerycafe.com) and (9 Market Place, Hollis, 465-5522) is taking orders for cakes, (including carrot, hummingbird, double chocolate caramel and Bunny Trail latte); 8-inch pies (including chocolate cream, Key lime, mixed berry crumble and lemon meringue); assorted breakfast and dessert pastry trays, Parker House rolls, cinnamon raisin bread and raspberry almond crumb cake. Order by Tuesday, March 26.

• The Cake Fairy (114 Londonderry Tpke. in Hooksett, 518-8733, cakefairynh.com) will be open March 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with Easter treats including eclair pie, cheesecake, cupcakes, pastry and more. All items will be available on a first come, first served basis. Check facebook.com/cakefairyn for the most up-to-date information.

• Carina’s Cakes (14B E. Broadway in Derry, 425-9620, find them on Facebook @carinas.cakes) is taking orders for a variety of specialty cupcake flavors for Easter, like Peeps marshmallow, Andes mint, chocolate chip cookie dough, Oreo, Reese’s peanut butter cup, Funfetti, toasted coconut, carrot cake and more. Orders will be accepted through Saturday, March 23, or until the shop reaches capacity. The pickup date is Saturday, March 30. Order in person or over the phone 425-9620. No texts or messages via social media.

• Caroline’s Fine Food (132 Bedford Center Road in Bedford, 637-1615, carolinesfood.com) is taking orders for Easter dinners serving four or eight people, featuring your choice of maple-glazed pork loin, pan-seared lemon rosemary chicken breast or garlic and rosemary roasted leg of lamb. All entrees are additionally served with shallot whipped potatoes, lemon honey caramelized carrots and sauteed asparagus. Several items are also available a la carte, like prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, charcuterie platters, roasted summer vegetables with dip, baby greens salad with a red wine vinaigrette, ham, Swiss and spinach or Caprese quiches, and blueberry or lemon poppyseed scones. Please place your order by 3 p.m. on Monday, March 25. Order pickup is Friday, March 29, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Castleton Waterfront Dining on Cobbetts (58 Enterprise Dr. in Windham, 898-6300, castletonbcc.com) is taking orders for a variety of to-go items for Easter, including dinner packages of spiral glazed ham or roast leg of lamb with herbs — each comes with its own sides, like vegetables, dinner rolls or carrot cake. You can also customize your Easter dinner with a la carte items, like main courses (tenderloin of beef, spiral glazed ham with pineapple raisin sauce, roast leg of lamb with herbs and roast pork loin with cranberry apple stuffing); sides by the quart (honey-glazed carrots, green beans almondine, tender spring peas with pancetta, au gratin potatoes, garlic and chive whipped potatoes, roasted rosemary red bliss potatoes, merlot sauce, mushroom demi glace, lamb gravy and pineapple raisin sauce); hors d’oeuvres by the dozen (scallop and bacon skewers, crabmeat stuffed mushrooms, asparagus and Asiago wraps, smoked Gouda macaroni and cheese bites, petite arancini, almond raspberry brie tarts and spanakopita); and baked goods (dinner rolls by the dozen, 10-inch carrot cake and 10-inch New York-style cheesecake). All orders must be placed by Friday, March 22, at noon. Pickups will be scheduled on Saturday, March 30, from 9 a.m. to noon. Email sales@castletonbcc.com or call the sales office with any questions.

• Chez Vachon (136 Kelley St. in Manchester; chezvachon.com, 625-9660) will be open on Easter; it’s regular hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• The Coach Stop Restaurant & Tavern (176 Mammoth Road in Londonderry, 437-2022, coachstopnh.com) will serve a special a la carte menu for Easter with two seatings, at noon and 3 p.m., featuring items like spinach and artichoke dip, French onion soup, bacon-wrapped scallops, roast prime rib of beef, veal Oscar, lobster macaroni and cheese, baked lamb or ham dinners, baked haddock and more. Reservations are accepted via phone.

• Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks in Henniker, 428-3281, colbyhillinn.com) will serve a special three-course prix fixe menu for Easter with seatings from noon to 5 p.m. The meal will include your choice of a first course (lemon chicken noodle soup, mushroom and buttermilk soup, spring greens and Easter radish salad, baby mizuna salad or red beet deviled eggs); a main course (Greek-style roast leg of lamb in oregano and garlic, maple and cider mustard-glazed ham, prime rib smoked with pink peppercorn and rosemary, day boat scallops, rabbit pot pie or carrot spaetzle); and a dessert (Meyer lemon and raspberry chambord sorbet duo, lavender crème brûlée, strawberry rhubarb pie with ginger ice cream, maple walnut carrot cake, or an Easter chocolate trio featuring Belgian chocolate mousse, white chocolate Easter bark and a chocolate peanut butter egg). The cost is $79 per person and reservations are required.

• The Common Man (25 Water St. in Concord, 228-3463; 304 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, 429-3463; 88 Range Road in Windham, 898-0088; 10 Pollard Road in Lincoln, 745-3463; 21 Water St. in Claremont, 542-6171; 60 Main St. in Ashland, 968-7030; thecman.com) will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at each of its locations, serving their regular menus with Easter specials. Call for reservations.

• Crosby Bakery (51 E. Pearl St. in Nashua, 882-1851, crosbybakerynh.com) is taking orders for 8-inch or 10-inch pies (apple, blueberry, banana cream, butterscotch-pretzel, chocolate cream, coconut cream, lemon meringue and strawberry cream), cakes, quiches, Easter rolls and pastry platters. Order by March 27.

• The Crust & Crumb Baking Co. (126 N. Main St. in Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty items for Easter, including Shaker squash or butter rolls, vanilla-glazed cinnamon buns, pecan sticky buns, sour cream or raspberry lemon coffee cakes, hot cross buns, choreg (seeded Armenian Easter bread), quiches (ham and Swiss, asparagus and goat cheese, or bacon, broccoli and cheddar); French Canadian tourtiere; pork pie with apple, rosemary and sweet potato); sweet cakes (blueberry lemon mousse, raspberry coconut layer cake, flourless chocolate torte and others); and 6-inch or 9-inch pies (apple streusel, forest berry crumb, maple bourbon pecan, lemon meringue, blueberry crumb, Key lime, chocolate cream, maple cream or coconut cream; the latter four can be ordered with graham crusts or gluten-free almond oat crusts). Call or stop in to place your order. The Crust and Crumb will need your full name, phone number, and approximate time for pickup along with your selections. Orders must be placed and paid in full by Friday, March 22, for pickup on March 30.

• The Derryfield Restaurant (625 Mammoth Road in Manchester, 623-2880, thederryfield.com) will serve a special Easter brunch with seatings from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The meal will feature an omelet station, a carving station with slow roast prime rib and oven-baked ham, a bread station with items like muffins, croissants and rolls, a salad station and a dessert station. On the main buffet table there will be French toast, scrambled eggs, corned beef hash, bacon, sausage, fresh seasonal fruit, pancakes, baked beans, seafood Newburg and more. The cost is $36.95 for adults, $34.95 for seniors over 65 and $21.95 for children under 12. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

• Firefly (22 Concord St. in Manchester; fireflynh.com, 935-9740) will have an Easter brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and an Easter dinner from 4 to 8 p.m. with Easter favorites in addition to the regular menus.

• Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille (40 Andover Road in New London; flyinggoose.com, 526-6899) will have brunch specials from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner specials from 2 to 8 p.m., with the regular menu also available all day.

• Fratello’s Italian Grille (155 Dow St. in Manchester, 641-6776, fratellos.com) will serve a special Easter buffet with seatings at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., featuring an omelet station, a carving station, a waffle bar and more. The cost is $42 for adults, $18.95 for children age 4 to 11 and free for children ages 3 and under. Reservations are required.

• Frederick’s Pastries (109 Route 101A in Amherst, 882-7725; 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 647-2253; pastry.net) is taking orders for an array of specialty sweets and treats for Easter, like bunny cookie kits, speckled robin cakes, sheep cakes, baby chick or Easter basket-shaped cupcakes, carrot cake cheesecake cups, carrot cake cupcakes and more. Advance online ordering is recommended.

• Gauchos Churrascaria Brazilian Steak House (62 Lowell St. in Manchester, 669-9460, gauchosbraziliansteakhouse.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring rodizio meats carved tableside, along with an all-you-can-eat selection of pastries and fresh fruit, and the restaurant’s famous chocolate fountain. The cost is $39.99 for adults, $14.99 for children ages 6 to 10 and free for children ages 5 and under. Reservations are recommended.

• Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar (270 Granite St. in Manchester, 232-3323; 707 Milford Road in Merrimack, 883-7333; 524 Nashua St., Milford, 673-3939; giorgios.com) will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., serving its regular menu with chef-inspired specials. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

• Granite State Candy Shoppe (13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591; 832 Elm St. in Manchester, 218-3885; granitestatecandyshoppe.com) is offering a wide variety of pre-arranged Easter baskets available in three sizes each, featuring white, dark or milk chocolate selections. Other available items include milk chocolate peanut butter or marshmallow eggs, foiled chocolate eggs, chocolate-dipped marshmallow Peeps, pastel malted milk eggs, caramel quail eggs and more.

• The Hills Restaurant (Hampshire Hills Athletic Club, 50 Emerson Road in Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com/the-hills-restaurant) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, March 31, from 9 a.m. to noon, featuring French toast, waffles, muffins, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, yogurt, brown sugar Easter ham and more. The cost is $25 for adults and $12 for children, and reservations are being accepted online.

• The Homestead Tavern & Restaurant (641 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, 429-2022, homesteadnh.com) will serve a limited menu for Easter, accepting reservations from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. They will not offer brunch.

• Jamison’s Restaurant (472 Route 111 in Hampstead, 489-1565, jamisonsrestaurant.com) will serve a special Easter brunch starting at 11 a.m., with items that include slow roasted prime rib au jus, oven-roasted turkey breast, pesto-crusted lamb leg, stuffed haddock and glazed spiral ham. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

• KC’s Rib Shack (837 Second St. in Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net) will serve its annual all-you-can-eat Easter buffet from noon to 6 p.m., featuring starters like bacon Sriracha deviled eggs and fruit salad; meats, like smoked pit ham, beef brisket, pulled pork, spare ribs and smoked chicken; sides, like green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, corn casserole, cole slaw, applesauce and cornbread; and a variety of desserts. The cost is $32 for adults, $15 for children ages 5 to 10 and free for children under 5. The buffet is by reservation only, and the regular menu will not be available.

• LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101 in Amherst; 14 Route 111 in Derry; 672-9898, labellewinery.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet at both of its locations — seatings are at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. at each. The buffet will feature an omelet station, a pancake station, and a carving station featuring ham, sirloin and smoked salmon. The cost is $85 for adults, $35 for children ages 3 to 12 and free for children ages 2 and under. Reserve your table online.

• Lago (The Inn at Bay Point, 1 Route 25 in Meredith, 279-2253, thecman.com) will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., serving its regular dinner menu with Easter specials. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

• Lakehouse Grille (Church Landing at Mill Falls, 281 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Meredith, 279-5221, thecman.com) will be open serving breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m., followed by its dinner menu with Easter specials from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

• Makris Lobster & Steak House (354 Sheep Davis Road in Concord, 225-7665, eatalobster.com) will serve a special family-style Easter brunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring items like fresh fruits and cheeses, a salad bar, a carving station with prime rib and applewood-smoked ham, and other main-course dishes, like maple Dijon glazed salmon, lamb souvlaki and pasta primavera with a garlic wine sauce. The cost is $36.99 for adults, $31.99 for seniors and $14.99 for children ages 12 and under.

• Mike’s Italian Kitchen (212 Main St. in Nashua, 595-9334, mikesitaliannh.com) will be open from noon to 5 p.m., serving its regular menu in addition to some chef specials. Call or visit the website to make a reservation.

• Mile Away Restaurant (52 Federal Hill Road in Milford, 673-3904, mileawayrestaurantnh.com) is taking reservations now for Easter, featuring dishes including roast leg of lamb, honey-glazed ham, sugar shack pork, maple salmon, chicken piccata, and a baked eggplant Parmesan tower. All dinners are $49 and include an appetizer, an entree and a dessert. Call for reservations.

• Mr. Mac’s Macaroni & Cheese (497 Hooksett Road in Manchester, 606-1760, mr-macs.com) accepts orders for both hot-and-ready and take-and-bake trays of macaroni and cheese, as well as macaroni salads, assorted green salads, desserts and more. Placing orders at least 24 hours in advance is appreciated.

• Nelson’s Candy & Music (65 Main St. in Wilton, 654-5030, nelsonscandymusic.com) is offering all kinds of specialty sweets and treats for Easter, like hand-poured chocolate mold bunnies, chocolate bunny pops and family-sized bunny boxes, which include assorted themed chocolates, jelly beans, molasses peanut butter zippers, chocolate-dipped Peeps, foiled chocolate eggs, fruit slices and caramel- or chocolate-covered popcorn.

• The Puritan Backroom Restaurant (245 Hooksett Road in Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com) will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., serving its regular menu in addition to some Easter specials, like baked ham, roast turkey and roast lamb. Reservations for parties of six or more are being accepted. Walk-ins are welcome, but between noon and 4 p.m. there will not be room for any large parties without a reservation.

• Queen City Cupcakes and Giftshop (816 Elm St. in Manchester, 624-4999, qccupcakes.com) is offering a special Easter menu of seasonal cupcakes for pre-order. This year’s Easter cupcakes include Cadbury creme, strawberry shortcake, pistachio, carrot cake, and robin’s malted egg. Please order by Wednesday, March 27. Orders will be available for pickup on Saturday, March 30, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• The Red Arrow Diner (61 Lowell St. in Manchester, 626-1118; 137 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 552-3091; 112 Loudon Road in Concord, 415-0444; 149 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Nashua, 204-5088; redarrowdiner.com) will be open during its normal hours on Easter Sunday at all four of its locations, serving a special pit ham dinner with mashed potatoes and carrots.

• The Red Blazer Restaurant and Pub (72 Manchester St. in Concord, 224-4101, theredblazer.com) is offering pickup service for Easter holiday meals, featuring their famous egg lasagna. All orders need to be placed by Tuesday, March 26, by 2 p.m. and picked up on Saturday, March 30, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

• Simply Delicious Baking Co. (176 Route 101 in Bedford, 488-1988, simplydeliciousbakingco.com) will take Easter pre-orders until Saturday, March 23. Pre-order from Simply Delicious’ seasonal staple menu or Easter specials, which include lemon blueberry scones, banana bread, lemon bars, strawberry rhubarb pie and a new crushed cookie cake. The seasonal staple menu includes a wide selection of scones, quickbreads, cookies, pies and cakes. Pickups will be on Saturday, March 30, during shop hours 8 a.m. to noon. When placing your pre-order, please choose a time during those hours that is most convenient for pickup.

• Tilt’n Diner (61 Laconia Road n Tilton, 286-2204, thecman.com) will be open during its regular business hours on Easter Sunday (from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.), serving its daily menus with specials.

• Tuscan Market (9 Via Toscana in Salem, 912-5467, tuscanbrands.com) is taking orders for a variety of items for Easter, including family-size dinner packages, each serving six to eight people and featuring your choice of bone-in spiral ham, carved roasted turkey breast or boneless roast leg of lamb. A variety of specialty options are also available a la carte, like half trays of scratch-cooked lasagna, pizzagaina (quiche-like ricotta pie with Italian meats), pecorino-stuffed artichokes, risotto and sausage-stuffed bell peppers, chocolate chip ricotta pie, 8-inch carrot, chocolate or strawberry cakes, tiramisu squares and Italian Easter breads with two or three eggs. At least a two-day advance ordering notice is preferred. Pickups will be on Saturday, March 30, from 10 a.m. through 5:45 p.m.

• Van Otis Chocolates (341 Elm St. in Manchester, 627-1611, vanotis.com) is offering pre-arranged Easter baskets available in small or large sizes and featuring items like chocolate bunnies, Evangeline’s caramel corn, chocolate-dipped Peeps, foiled Oreos, jelly beans and Easter egg foils. Most of those items are also available to order a la carte, in addition to other Easter-themed goodies, like milk or dark chocolate Swiss fudge eggs with or without pecans, dark chocolate coconut cream fudge eggs, Easter-decorated chocolate-covered Oreos, and edible baskets made with chocolate and filled with foiled candies.

• Ya Mas Greek Taverna & Bar (125 Bridge St. in Pelham, 635-4230, yamasgreektaverna.com) will serve a special Easter grand brunch buffet with three seatings, at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., featuring Greek and American specialties. The cost is $55 for adults and $35 for children. The restaurant will also hold an Easter grand dinner buffet with seatings at 4, 6, and 8 p.m. also featuring Greek and American specialties. $75 for adults, $35 for children. Tickets are available on eventbrite.com.

• Yankee Farmer’s Market (360 Route 103 East, Warner, 456-2833, yankeefarmersmarket.com) is taking orders for holiday meats while supplies last, including pastured pork tenderloin roast, boneless leg of lamb and smoked ham roast. Order online for pickup the week of Easter Sunday.

Featured Photo: Courtesy photo.

First, travel to somewhere people don’t know you. You can try this at home, but frankly, convincing people you already know that you have a mysterious past is an uphill slog. You can pretend you have a history of things like knife-fighting in an alley in Eastern Europe, but your friends and family will remember the time you walked into a telephone pole, or laughed so hard as a kid that milk came out of your nose.

When you get there, pepper your conversation with small clues to a worldly past. If anyone asks what you do for a living, say vaguely, “I’m in imports and exports.”

If your brain cramps up in a conversation, and you can’t think of a word, say, “I forget how to say that in English.”

If there’s a loud startling noise — a busboy dropping a dish, or a seagull screeching suddenly — adopt a martial arts stance, then relax it very slowly, looking conspicuously from side to side.

Ask a bartender for something really exotic, something you know she won’t have, then “compromise” with this:

The Alias

2 ounces peach-flavored whiskey – I like one by Whiskey Smith; Crown Royal makes one, too

1 ounce orange juice – fresh-squeezed is really good; you only need an ounce, so you can take out your inner rage on half an orange, if you want to; alternatively, if your supermarket sells fresh-squeezed juice near the takeout coffee counter, that would be super-excellent

½ ounce orgeat (almond syrup)

large pinch of black pepper – if you don’t like the look of black specks of pepper swirling through your drink, white pepper will work almost as well, but the black pepper will make you look more exotic and dangerous

5 ounces (give or take) plain seltzer

Clear your mind, and open yourself to your instincts. This is what an unpredictable, mysterious stranger would do before mixing a drink.

Pour the whiskey, orange juice and orgeat over ice in a cocktail shaker. Grind some pepper over the top. Ask your digital assistant to play the theme to Mission: Impossible. This will bump up your shaking game by at least 20 percent. Shake for at least 30 seconds.

Strain over fresh ice in a Collins glass. Top it off with seltzer. Stir gently.

Garnish with a paper cocktail umbrella. Sip with a straw, which probably won’t make you look any cooler but will keep you from accidentally jamming a paper umbrella up your nose. If you want more spy music to drink a couple of these to, look up “Sneaky Spy Music for Writing Heists and Mysteries” on YouTube and play it in the background.

If it weren’t for the pepper and a back note of whiskey, this would taste a lot like a tropical soda. It’s deceptive, the sort of drink a mysterious stranger would drink in order to throw any enemies off their scent. Goons in trench coats will look for a tough guy in a nice suit drinking straight whiskey, or a woman in an exotic evening gown drinking a martini, not a relaxed-looking bystander in a concert T-shirt, drinking an umbrella drink.

Peach has an affinity for almonds and for black pepper. Orange juice gets along with almost any other fruit. The base flavors for this drink get along very well but are on the sweet side on their own. Instead of adding lime juice or bitters to offset the sweetness — which would cover up some of the more subtle flavors — the plain soda dilutes it and gives it some sparkle.

If anyone asks what you’re drinking, you can say, “Oh, just a little something I picked up in Mandalay….”

(It’s a city in Burma, if they ask any inconvenient follow-up questions.)

John Fladd is a veteran Hippo writer, a father, writer and cocktail enthusiast, living in New Hampshire.

Featured photo: The Alias. Photo by John Fladd.

New Hampshire celebrates Maple Weekend

Each year, on the third weekend in March, the maple producers of New Hampshire celebrate Maple Weekend, a statewide event to share the maple syrup making process with the public. Dozens of local producers will hold open houses on Saturday, March 16, and Sunday, March 17. According to Andrew Chisholm, President of the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association, this maple weekend is very important to New Hampshire’s maple producers.

“There will be lots of unique opportunities for visitors to see a multigenerational tradition, first-hand,” Chisholm says. “For us, this is like the Super Bowl and Daytona 500 wrapped up into one.”

The participants represent a wide spectrum of producers, from large operations that produce several thousand gallons of maple syrup to hobbyist producers who finish the season with less than 100.

Big or small, one thing that all the maple producers agree on is that this has been a rough year for maple production.

The weather hasn’t cooperated. According to Darcy Lefebvre of Peterson Sugarhouse in Londonderry, maple producers need a combination of cold nights and warm days to collect enough sap from maple trees to make syrup.

“It’s been a really weird winter,” she says. “It’s been either too frigidly cold this winter, or the nights have been too warm.”

According to Emily Sliviak, the operations manager for Ben’s Sugar Shack in Temple, this will probably be a short maple season as well.

“If the weather continues to be this warm, the maple trees will wake up and start to bud; that leads to some ‘ropey’ [off] flavors,” she said.

According to Christopher Hicks, owner of the Sugarhouse at Morningstar Farm in Plaistow, this is not an isolated phenomenon.

“This is shaping up to be an especially tough year,” Hicks said. “It’s an El Niño year,” he explained, referring to a weather pattern that often blows mild weather into New England. “It’s affecting producers all the way up to the north of the state and into Quebec. That’s farming, though; last year there was too much rain for us to harvest much hay, and the year before that there was a drought.”

Hicks said there are a lot of factors that affect the quantity and quality of sap.

“The trees aren’t developing their sap now,” he said. “That all happened last summer. They [the maple trees] need a lot of sunlight and water to develop the sugars that go into syrup.” Over the past couple of years, he said, New Hampshire has gotten a lot of one or the other, but not in the right ratio for sap production. This year Hicks is expecting to produce a little more than 10 percent of the syrup he would in a good year.

“I’ve heard that some farms are getting as much as 50 percent, but that’s not what anyone hopes for,” Hicks said.

Dale Smith, owner of Mt. Crumpet Farm in New Boston, is excited by the changes in the maple syrup this year. Even though there is less of it, the syrup this year is darker than usual, with a stronger maple flavor.

“Early-season sap makes a lighter syrup,” Smith said; it gets darker throughout the season. This year’s syrup has been darker from the start. He likes that. “Everyone thinks they like lighter syrup,” he said, “but in blind taste tests, almost everyone prefers the dark.”

You get the feeling, talking to maple producers, that they really enjoy what they do. They get to spend time outdoors, working with their hands and producing a tangible, delicious product. But most of them seem especially excited about the equipment they get to work with. Darcy Lefabvre says that the No. 1 item on Peterson Sugarhouse’s “I Want” list is a reverse osmosis system, which can remove up to 40 percent of the water content from sap before it even gets to the boiler that cooks it down into syrup.

“We’re trying to do a little bit more each year, and we’d love to have reverse osmosis here,” she said.

Emily Sliviak agrees.

“We have one of the largest R.O. systems in the country,” she said. “It’s really advanced; we can control it from our phones. It’s a real game-changer.” She says that going out to the sugar house in the middle of the night used to be one of those things that a farmer just had to do. Now she and her husband have a better chance of sleeping through the night.

Marc Fortin of 2 Sappy Guys in Bedford puts it more succinctly: “There’s so much equipment to play with,” he said, “so much shiny equipment….”

This year’s Maple Weekend is shaping up to be a big one. Christopher Hicks, one of the biggest maple producers in the state, with almost 10,000 taps in operation, is enthusiastic about Maple Weekend.

“We’re expecting between 6,000 and 7,000 visitors this year,” he said.

Emily Sliviak said Ben’s Sugar Shack is planning several activities, from wagon rides and sugar-on-snow to tours that show visitors how the syrup is produced.

“We start tours every 10 to 15 minutes,” she said. “We take visitors out to see how we collect the sap — our plastic lines and some of the old-fashioned buckets. They have a chance to watch us boiling [the sap into syrup], and we give out samples of the syrup and some of our maple products.”

Marc Fortin is excited about showing off his operation.

“We’re not usually open to visitors,” he said, explaining that because he produces such a small amount of syrup — he estimates about 50 gallons this year — he doesn’t boil frequently enough to have regular hours. “We’re hobbyists,” he said.

Levi St. Germain of MapleSaint in Deerfield is looking forward to a relaxed experience at his open house. “People come, get to see the evaporator working, and ask a lot of questions,” he says. “Some people stay for a couple of hours; some stay 10 minutes.”

Like many maple producers, Peterson Sugarhouse has diversified its products from traditional maple syrup.

“We’re looking forward to sharing our candy, maple pecans, and our bourbon barrel-aged syrup,” Darcy Lefebvre said. Other producers mentioned maple cotton candy, maple barbecue sauces, spreadable maple cream, maple kettle corn and even maple hot sauce.

Maple producers in general are excited advocates for how versatile maple syrup is. Christopher Hicks likes to use it on the grill.

“We make two types of maple mustard,” Hicks says, “but we make a maple-garlic barbecue sauce that will knock your socks off.”

Dale Smith likes using it as a dipping sauce for sharp cheddar cheese: “You get that whole sweet-salty thing going, and it is fantastic!” he says.

Emily Sliviak likes a maple pulled pork sandwich with sliced ham, called a Boss Cuban sandwich. Darcy Lefebvre has two favorite uses for maple syrup: on ice cream, and in cocktails. “The other night, I had a bourbon Old-Fashioned, with maple syrup instead of simple syrup,” she said. “It was a revelation!”

Sugar houses

Here are some of the sugar houses participating in this year’s Maple Weekend, according to nhmapleproducers.com, where you can find more locations across the state.

• 2 Sappy Guys (324 Joppa Hill Road in Bedford, 860-7992) Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days with tours of the maple sugar bush and sugar shack, according to their Facebook page.

• Ackerman Brothers (137 Amherst Road in Merrimack, 714-9784)

• Babel’s Sugar Shack (323 Hurricane Hill Road in Mason, 878-3929) Open both days, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association’s website.

• Ben’s Sugar Shack (8 Webster Hwy. in Temple, 924-3111, bensmaplesyrup.com) Ben’s is open every weekend in March, Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with tours and samples, according to a Facebook post. The Temple location also has a deli/cafe selling breakfast and lunch.

• Blue Roof Sap Camp (6 Carter Hill Road in Canterbury, 234-5067, sugarbonesfarm603.com)

• Blueberry Hill Sugarworks (31 Blueberry Hill Road in Raymond, 300-6837, wickedsappy.com) Open both days, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to their website.

• Briar Bush (160 Briar Bush Road in Canterbury, 809-6393, briarbushfarm.com)

• Brookview Sugar House (154 Gage Road in Wilton, 731-5214)

• Dill Family Farm (61 Griffin Road in Deerfield, 475-3798, facebook.com/DillFamilyFarm)

• Ice Mountain Maple (276 Queen St. in Boscawen, 341-4297, icemountainmaple.com)

• Lamb’s Maple Syrup (228 Shaker Road in Canterbury, 783-9912) Open Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association’s website.

• LMP Maple (6 Jump Lane in Hudson, 781-539-2087)

• MapleSaint (28 Lang Road in Deerfield, 235-7167) Open both days, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association’s website.

• Meadow Ledge (612 Route 129 in Loudon, 798-5860)

• Mt. Crumpit Farm (207 Lull Road in New Boston, 325-5900)

• Munson’s Maple (44 Blueberry Hill Road in Raymond, 303-8278) Open both days, according to the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association’s website.

• Peterson Sugarhouse (28 Peabody Row in Londonderry, 247-5289)

• SMD Maple Syrup (6 Falcon Drive in Merrimack, 978-815-6476, facebook.com/SMDMapleSyrup)

• Sugar House at Morningstar Farm (30 Crane Crossing Road in Plaistow, 479-0804)

Open both days, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be a pancake breakfast both days, fresh cider doughnuts, maple dogs, farm animals and syrup production, according to the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association’s website.

• Sunnyside Maples (1089 Route 106 North in Loudon, 783-9961, sunnysidemaples.com)

• Windswept Maple Farm (845 Loudon Ridge Road in Loudon, 435-4003, windsweptmaples.com) Open both days, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to their website.

Featured Photo: Courtesy of Ben’s Sugar Shack.