Category: Q&A

Finding Gold

Upcycling project earns a Girl Scout Gold Award

Anya Merriman-Mix of Amherst, a Girl Scout and high school senior at The Dublin School, recently earned the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award, investing more than 93 hours and more than $500 in funding in organizing sustainable fashion workshops. Merriman-Mix talked about her initiative to raise awareness about the harmful effects of fast fashion and promote upcycling as a viable solution.

What inspired you to raise awareness about the impact of fast fashion and promote upcycling?

During Covid, when I was stuck in my house and trying to find things to do, I saw a bunch of people making their own tops, by crocheting them or using recycled materials. … I started doing some research around it … and into fast fashion and the impact that it has on other countries. … The fashion industry no longer operates around just four seasons; it puts out new styles every few weeks. This results in a huge influx of clothes that stay in stores for a short period, then get sent back to the countries they came from if they’re not sold. I found all this really interesting. I regularly go through my closet and donate or give away anything I don’t want, and I discovered that many donations given to places like Goodwill aren’t always bought, and a lot of it is unusable. If something gets donated and sits there for a long time, it also gets sent back [to other countries]. There’s an overflow of clothes and fabrics that aren’t needed and can’t be reused and end up in landfills. I wanted to raise awareness and make people more conscious of their clothing-buying decisions … and I noticed that many people have no idea what upcycling is when I bring it up.

How did this translate into a project for Girl Scouts, and what did that project consist of?

I decided to propose an upcycling course for my school during what’s called “J-term,” which is a two-week period in January when my school offers various courses. A couple of teachers expressed interest, and we worked together to create the course. That’s when I decided to turn it into my Gold Award project [for Girl Scouts]. … I also ran a workshop for Brownies where they made their own tote bags and dreamcatchers. What’s interesting is [the Brownies] actually took the extra fabric from their dreamcatchers and started making bracelets out of it … they took it upon themselves, which was really great to see. I’m going to teach another upcycling course at a Girl Scout summer camp this year. I also created a website, and I’ve connected with a woman in Milford who does upcycling through her company called Mountain Girl.

How can individuals who are not creatively inclined toward upcycling dispose of their unwanted clothing and fabrics responsibly?

If you can’t find someone to give them to directly, donating clothes is always a better option than throwing them away. There are higher-end thrift stores like Mother and Child that accept good quality clothes. Companies like Lululemon and Patagonia also have buyback programs where you can return old clothes for them to resell.

How has this project changed the way you think about and manage clothes in your own life?

I try not to buy clothes unless I need something specific for an event or it’s something that I truly love and know for sure that I’ll wear again. I look for higher-end brands that are moderately affordable, because they usually offer better quality.

What skills aside from upcycling have you developed through this project?

Public speaking and advocacy were significant skills I developed. I had to communicate and convince different people about my project and learn to adapt my message for different audiences, such as teachers, Girl Scouts council members and Brownies.

What advice do you have for other Girl Scouts who are working toward earning the Gold Award?

If you have an interest, start researching and brainstorming ideas. I had been passionate about upcycling for a few years, but I didn’t have much preparation or knowledge at the beginning [of the project], so I learned things as I went along. … Not everything goes smoothly all the time, but it’s definitely worth a shot. I know I’m really glad I took on this project.

Featured photo: Anya Merriman-Mix. Courtesy photo.

In the kitchen with Dave Stewart

Dave Stewart is the owner of the Blasty Bough Brewing Co. (3 Griffin Road, Epsom, 724-3636, blastybough.com), a farm-to-kettle brewery that opened its doors on the grounds of McClary Hill Farm in Epsom in early 2018. The brewery gets its name from a branch of pine known as a “blasty bough,” used by immigrant settlers in colonial America to light fires to cook their food and keep them warm during the winter. Stewart, who began home brewing in the early 1990s, said he became inspired by friends of his setting up breweries on their own farms. In addition to the beers — featuring a lineup that includes a New England IPA, a Belgian-style golden strong ale and a lightly hopped American amber ale, among others — Stewart offers a small scratch-cooked “Munchings & Crunchings” food menu at the brewery, with items like macaroni and cheese, chili and cornbread, a barbecue pulled pork sandwich, chips with homemade pico de gallo, and a Korean-style spiced brisket sandwich.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A nice set of balanced, sharp knives.

What would you have for your last meal?

Wild strawberries with raw milk whipped cream.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

The Lazy Lion in Deerfield. They’ve been around for a good long time and have stayed the course. It’s just good food and it’s an interesting setting in a nice little town.

What celebrity would you like to see ordering from the brewery?

I have to have two. Stanley Tucci, just because I think that would be fun, and then the other would be a guy named Dario Cecchini. He’s a butcher from Panzano in Chianti[, Italy]. He was on an episode of Chef’s Table, the Netflix show … and he’s kind of a larger-than-life character. … I don’t have the same kind of personality as him, but I think it would be nice to feed him.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

The newest thing that we’ve added is a brisket sandwich done in a Korean style, so it’s got kimchi and gochujang on a slightly chewy, fairly soft roll, and that’s been well-received. That’s the current favorite.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

I think people are hungry, no pun intended, for an experience. … The saying is that people eat with their eyes, and so if you present them with something and it’s beautiful, it’s going to taste better.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

A linguine with white clam sauce. It’s just something that showcases a couple of ingredients and it’s simple.

Sbricciolona (Italian lemon almond cake)
From the kitchen of Dave Stewart of the Blasty Bough Brewing Co. in Epsom, modified from Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Italian Cooking

¼ pound blanched, skinned almonds
1 cup toasted almonds
1¾ cups all purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal
⅝ cup granulated sugar
Grate the peel of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks
8 Tablespoons room-temperature butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grind the skinned almonds to a powder. In a food processor or a blender, pulse the motor on and off until the desired consistency is reached. Mix all of the dry ingredients, the ground almonds, the toasted almond chunks and the lemon peel into a big bowl. Add the egg yolks to the dry ingredients and mix it all together with your fingers. Keep using your fingers to mix in the softened butter. Smear the bottom of a 12-inch cake pan with butter. Crumble and sprinkle the dough evenly into the pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve when completely cooled and firm — it breaks up into nifty, irregular chunks. According to Stewart, it’s best served with any dark beer or dessert wine, or a cup of tea or coffee.


Featured photo: Dave Stewart, owner of the Blasty Bough Brewing Co. in Epsom. Courtesy photo.

On The Job – Annika Cozad

Optician

Annika Cozad is an American Board of Opticianry-certified optician and owner of Eyefix Family Optical in Concord.

Explain your job and what it entails.

I help my patients choose the perfect pair of eyewear. This means I need to be able to interpret their prescription and build a relationship with them to make sure their visual needs are met and they love what they wear. I also perform all preliminary testing needed to get patients ready for their exam with the optometrists. Of course, being a business owner means I get to do fun stuff like choosing frame inventory and less fun stuff like bookkeeping.

How long have you had this job?

I have been an optician for over 30 years, but my own shop, Eyefix, opened its doors in October of 2022.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

I decided to start the apprenticeship program in Germany after I finished their equivalent of high school and knew immediately that this was the perfect career for me.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I was lucky to start my career in Germany, where I attended a three-year program to become certified.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

In my own shop, it’s business casual.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

A big issue these days is educating people about buying from online retailers and the potential consequences. … Most brick-and-mortar places cannot match the price of the Eyebuydirects and Warby’s, so it’s very important to me to inform my patients about the quality of the materials they are receiving. By showing my knowledge and passion for my profession, my patients can tell that they get better service and peace of mind when they buy from me.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

I will definitely not retire being a millionaire.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

No. 1: Sometimes it takes a little while to adjust to a new prescription; give it a few days. No. 2: Not all frames are made by Luxottica, contrary to the 60 Minutes special in 2013 that is still haunting the industry. No. 3: I can adjust your glasses better than you can.

What was the first job you ever had?

I worked at a little fast food place called HellBurger, and it was hell. I am not cut out for the food industry.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

One of my previous managers … told me to treat every patient like they are special. Fit them like you’d want your family member to be fitted.

Five favorites

Favorite book: The Good Fairies of New York
Favorite movie: Back to the Future
Favorite music: I listen to anything, but these days mostly to The Black Crowes station on Pandora.
Favorite food: German comfort food
Favorite thing about NH: It’s green and just rural enough.

Featured photo: Annika Cozad. Courtesy photo.

Beach read

Jill Piscitello discusses her new novel, A Sour Note

Author Jill Piscitello talks about her new mystery novel set in Hampton Beach, A Sour Note.

What is A Sour Note about?

A Sour Note features Maeve Cleary, an unemployed event coordinator, coming to terms with the public end to her engagement with a famous morning news host. Thanks to a social media darling’s corpse turning up behind her mother’s music school, Maeve’s plan to recover in the privacy of her childhood home is upended. As suspicion surrounds her and a few friends, media interest peaks again. While following a trail of clues, she fends off help from a clairvoyant cousin, butts heads with a no-nonsense detective and toys with the idea of allowing a bit of romance back into her life.

What inspired you to set this story in Hampton Beach?

My family has visited Hampton for decades. The Natural Resources Defense Council included Hampton Beach on its list of safest and cleanest beaches in the country several times, and the April 2023 issue of Country Living named it one of the eight “classic beach boardwalks.” … I was walking along a stretch of ocean when the idea for A Sour Note first arose. What better place for a mystery than a beach setting offering more than a scenic view? Sure, the beach is beautiful. However, it’s the people, food and entertainment that create a buzzing hive of activity to fill pages with.

How did you incorporate the unique atmosphere of Hampton Beach into the story? How did you strike a balance between the light, summery setting and the tension and suspense required for a mystery?

Hampton Beach is unique because it offers something for everyone. Arcades and a stretch of playground entertain children for hours, adults have endless choices for food, and live music plays every night. The sun, sand and sights set a carefree background in stark contrast to Maeve’s dangerous search for a murderer.

How did you blend the book’s magical elements with the grounded reality of the murder investigation?

A large percentage of people believe in some aspect of psychic ability. Many claim to experience premonition or déjà vu. Maeve wavers between skepticism of her cousin Calista’s clairvoyance and entertaining the idea she might have a gift. Though I enjoy reading paranormal cozies, I wanted a story that people could relate to. Doesn’t everyone know someone who claims to ‘have a feeling?’

What motivated you to venture into the mystery genre? How did you approach writing a mystery compared to your previous works?

My previous books fell within the sweet holiday romance genre. I love watching couples find their way to happily ever after and am a huge fan of the Hallmark Channel. … I plan to revisit the romance genre as an author, but in my heart, I’ve always wanted to write mysteries. I’m not sure who is more responsible for this aspiration — my mother for introducing me at 12 years old to Mary Higgins Clark, or the author herself for sucking me into each and every word of the books that kept me reading late into the night. Writing the first draft required a significant amount of planning and research. In romance novels, shifting back and forth between the two main characters is easier than balancing a larger cast of voices demanding to tell their own stories.

What do you hope readers will take away from A Sour Note in terms of entertainment and emotional resonance?

I’m hoping readers enjoy an intriguing tale filled with unexpected twists, friendship, strength, love and likable characters they look forward to revisiting time after time.

Can you give us a glimpse into what readers can expect in the next two books of the series?

The second book will be set during the fall after most of the tourist crowd has left for the season. Calista will have a much larger role in the story. The third mystery is still in the outlining stage, but we will see Maeve’s mother pursuing a romantic relationship while her daughter solves another case.

Featured photo: Jill Piscitello. Courtesy photo.

In the kitchen with Adam Donnelly

Adam Donnelly of New Boston is the executive chef of the Riverside Grille (737 River Road, New Boston, 384-2149, riversidegrillenh.com), which opened in January. Known for its eclectic modern-American menu, served alongside a full bar in a family-friendly casual setting, Riverside Grille offers items like burgers, wraps, sandwiches and flatbread pizzas in addition to plated steak and seafood dishes. Donnelly is originally from Goffstown and has several years of local restaurant experience, mostly specializing in classic French and Italian cooking.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

The easy answer is to say a French knife, but it’s because it’s true. You can use it for almost anything.

What would you have for your last meal?

Mac and cheese. Always has been and always will be. … You can always mess with it a little bit and do it how you want.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

It’s Firefly [American Bistro & Bar] in Manchester. They are old friends of mine and great owners. I learned more from Chef David [Becker] when I was younger than anyone else and I attribute a lot of what I’ve done to those relationships.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at the Riverside Grille?

To be honest, I would much rather see the members of my community enjoying themselves. We have been missing a gathering point for our communities and I love that people can do that here. Especially in a small town like this, I think it’s really important.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

I would love to say it’s the new app sampler or the Mixed Grille, but it is definitely the grilled stuffed chicken. [It has] fresh spinach and feta cheese, topped with roasted tomatoes and a garlic cream sauce. It’s got everything you want in a dish.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

I have really enjoyed that people are getting back to basic homestyle dishes — classic Americana. The culinary world got pretty pretentious for a while and I think it’s kind of returning to its roots now.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I really like to cook breakfast for my kids [ages 9, 8 and 7] in the morning. They have been picky up until now, but they’re really opening up to new things. Cheese omelets are their newest favorite.

Tasha’s pan sauce
From the kitchen of Adam Donnelly of the Riverside Grille in New Boston

Any cut of steak to your liking
Red wine
Pinch of garlic
Pinch of rosemary
Pinch of thyme
1 cup beef stock
1 to 2 Tablespoons butter

Sear the steak in a cast iron pan and finish it in the oven. Remove the steak and deglaze the pan with red wine. Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme and simmer for a minute. Add the beef stock and reduce by half. Take off the heat and add a couple of tablespoons of butter. Swirl until melted. Stir it up and serve.


Featured photo: Adam Donnelly, executive chef of the Riverside Grille in New Boston. Courtesy photo.

On The Job – Brian Callnan

Power coalition CEO

Brian Callnan is the newly appointed CEO of The Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, based in Concord, which empowers local communities to choose their energy sources, collaborate with utilities to upgrade energy infrastructure and provide inclusive electricity supply rates and services to all program participants.

Explain your job and what it entails.

I’m lucky enough to help spread nonprofit power opportunities for communities throughout New Hampshire.

How long have you had this job?

I just started and couldn’t be more thrilled with everyone I’ve met at CPCNH so far. It’s a great organization.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

I’ve been dedicated to the public, nonprofit model of delivering electricity for 20 years. I started out in Vermont with a focus on energy efficiency and quickly found myself working on securing renewable power options for municipal utilities and cooperatives.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I focused on resource economics in college and found that it really helped with my choice of work. Continuous training has kept me energized in this ever-changing industry. Training has helped me learn about the many different ways to meet the needs of distributed energy resources like solar PV and electric vehicles as more and more folks adopt these technologies.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

I should probably wear a tie more often, but somehow they went missing.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?  

We have so many opportunities to provide great service to our communities, and finding that we need to focus on the ones with the greatest benefits first has become a challenge.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

Try to find the smartest people you can to work with, even if they don’t have the exact skill set you need.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

That you get to work with some really great people. We have some excellent minds in the industry that are working hard to make long-lasting change that focuses on the clean, efficient use of electricity. It’s a lot of fun to work with them.

What was the first job you ever had?

I started working at 13 for a sawmill right across our road. I moved a lot of lumber with my best friend that summer.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

Always include an idea you at first don’t like; it may end up being the best for everyone.

Five favorites

Favorite book: I love the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov
Favorite movie: Polar Express around Christmas
Favorite music: The In Sound from Way Out! Beastie Boys album is often playing.
Favorite food: My wife’s chicken paprikash
Favorite thing about NH: Our skiing in the winter and our lakes in the summer

Featured photo: Brian Callnan. Courtesy photo.

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!