Category: Q&A

In the kitchen with Greg LaFontaine

Greg LaFontaine is the executive chef and co-owner of Smoke Shack Cafe (226 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 404-2178, smokeshackcafe.com), an eatery known for serving “barbecue with a twist,” with all kinds of uniquely inspired items, like the habanero brisket melt and the maple mustard cornflake chicken sandwich. LaFontaine took over the space formerly housing Gabi’s Smoke Shack in May 2020 — previously, he served as the executive chef of Owen & Ollie’s Restaurant in Dracut, Mass., for more than a decade. In addition to its smoked meats, many of which are available as combo plates or sandwiches, Smoke Shack Cafe offers everything from fresh salads and sides to sliders, tacos and flatbread pizzas, as well as a lineup of specialty whoopie pies in a variety of flavors.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

If you’re talking in relation to the restaurant, I can’t do what I’m doing without the smoker. … If you’re talking a tool or a utensil, I like a good chef’s knife.

What would you have for your last meal?

I’d like a good sushi. There aren’t really any flavors that I don’t like.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

My wife and I, if and when we ever get to go out, we like a place in downtown Nashua called San Francisco Kitchen. … There’s nothing I’ve ever tried there that I didn’t like. They do a great job.

What celebrity would you like to see eating in your restaurant?

If I could ever get him here, [comedian and actor] Hal Sparks.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Obviously, our No. 1 thing is the smoked brisket. I’ve been here two years and I still eat it every day. … I think we make a very unique chili, and I also really like the smoked meatloaf that we do. I’m only using it in sandwiches at the moment, but come fall that’s going to be highlighted as an item, because it’s just got a really unique flavor.

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

I believe that the next big trends are going to be big companies eliminating the waitstaff format. … I just think that it’s a cost saver to their business, because it’s getting very, very hard to find help in this industry right now.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

If I get time, especially this time of year, I love to cook something on the grill. … I love steak tips, [and] as simple as it sounds, hot dogs are always great on the grill.

Homemade potato salad
From the kitchen of Greg LaFontaine of Smoke Shack Cafe in Londonderry (makes six to eight side servings)

1½ pounds fingerling potatoes
3 Tablespoons mustard
2 Tablespoons chopped scallions
3 Tablespoons chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes for 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender. Drain and cool. Add remaining ingredients and mix well to coat potatoes. Serve chilled.

Featured photo: Greg LaFontaine. Courtesy photo.

On The Job – Emily Shellenberger

Emily Shellenberger

Flower farmer and florist

Emily Shellenberger works as a farmer and florist at Live Bee, or Die Farm, a fresh cut flower farm and apiary in New Boston.

Explain your job and what it entails.

My job is a bit unusual, and I wear a few different hats. I’m what is referred to as a farmer/florist. I currently farm about two acres of cut flowers in New Boston, [where] I personally grow about 90 percent of the seedlings every year on site. I use these flowers to design for everyday occasions, weddings and events. This year we officially have been given approval to start hosting weddings on the farm, so, on top of my duties in the field, I’ll be helping to design and manage events held on site.

How long have you had this job?

I’ve been farming for the past five years and designing for four years.

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

My family and I started a pollinator project on their business land. From there, I fell in love with growing flowers and decided to expand into farming. I took a flower farming course online, but have mostly been a self-taught farmer. As time went on, I kept growing and adapting the business, which led me to take floral design courses. I now very purposely grow varieties of cut flowers that I can use for wedding and event design, which gives me the ability to provide fresh and unique offerings to my clients.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I graduated with a degree in environmental geology with the intention of working on reclamation projects. My degree has helped with the farming side of things, but, minus the flower farming course and a few floral design courses, I’ve mostly been self-taught. I’ve spent hours and hours researching farming and design, and, as it’s ever adapting, I’ve learned a lot by taking calculated risks and trying new things.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

If I’m working on the farm, it’s pretty informal. As you can imagine, I’m covered in dirt most days. I’ll dress more professionally if I’m meeting with clients or designing for weddings, though.

How has your job changed over the course of the pandemic?

There has been a huge influx of people wanting to get married or moving their weddings forward over the past few years. I’ve had to work with my brides to reschedule their dates, and have also had to scale a few weddings back to accommodate Covid restrictions.

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

How to manage time more wisely. During my season, it can get a bit overwhelming juggling all of my different duties. This year, I’ve made a better effort to try and come up with a more secure schedule so I don’t suffer from burnout.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

Farming is not easy and depends on so many variables. I’ve learned over the years to find backup supplies in case I suffer a crop failure or something doesn’t bloom on time. It can be a bit stressful, but there are ways to make it work, and my clients have been very understanding.

What was the first job you ever had?

I started working at my family business at a young age, but my first job outside of that was as a farm hand on a horse farm.

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

Dedication and persistence are the key to success.

Five favorites

Favorite book: I’m currently reading Discovering Dahlias by Floret Farm.
Favorite movie: Inception
Favorite music: I tend to gravitate toward alternative and folk.
Favorite food: I’ve been getting into sushi, which I never thought would be something I actually would like.
Favorite thing about NH: New Hampshire is such a gem of a state. There’s so much to do here, and even though I’ve lived here my whole life I’m still discovering new things.

Featured photo: Emily Shellenberger. Courtesy photo.

Starting on a high note

Concord Community Music School welcomes new director

Meet Daniel Acsadi, who will begin his tenure as executive director of Concord Community Music School — and the second permanent executive director in the school’s history — on Monday, May 9.

What is your background in this kind of work?

I have almost 20 years of experience in music, performance, education and nonprofits. My education is from Cornell University, where I did my bachelor’s — a double degree — in music and economics. I did my graduate studies — my master’s and my doctorate — at the New England Conservatory of Music, and I’m a classical guitarist by training. Recently, I was employed as a faculty member at Tufts University, Longy School of Music of Bard College and Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. I was the director of The Boston Classical Guitar Society for seven years, ending a few years ago. Most recently, I served as the director of education and community programs at Powers Music School in Belmont, Massachusetts.

How did you come into this position at Concord Community Music School?

I was familiar with the Concord Community Music School through the National Guild for Community Arts Education, which is an overarching group that has been around for a while. There’s a lot of activity going on through that as part of its northeast chapter, and Powers Music School and Concord Community Music School are both part of that. I became especially interested in the school after I heard that the visionary founder of the school, Peggy Senter, retired about a year ago, and that they were pursuing a search [for a new director]. The more I learned about the school, I was just intrigued, and it was just really clear what a special community it is, and what a special organization it is.

What will your job as executive director entail?

As executive director, I’m going to be managing the day-to-day operations of the school, supervising staff and faculty and just overall being a good steward to the school’s programs and initiatives.

What do you expect to be some of the biggest challenges?

My first task will be to learn as much as possible about the school, and that’s going to take a little bit of time at the beginning, for sure. Every institution has dealt with things over the last few years both similarly and differently, but It’s encouraging to know that the community remains as vibrant as ever. Obviously, as we resume activities and hopefully turn a corner after the pandemic, we’re able to recapture a lot of the energy and a lot of the programming that stems from being together in person. Ensembles and programming where we’re making music together in groups is, of course, the best kind of music-making.

What do you hope to accomplish?

I want to support the wonderful things that are already going on at Concord Community Music School. It has an absolutely fantastic faculty, which I’m getting to know every day now as I’m preparing to start a great collection of lessons, classes and events, and this incredibly strong community that has been built around the school over almost 40 years. Some of the immediate goals are to creatively grow the programming of the school to ensure that we can best serve the region’s needs and interests musically and artistically. I also want to work on increasing the marketing reach of the school to ensure that, of course, everyone in the community knows about everything that we offer. … It’s really just ensuring that this school is a vibrant center of music making and arts and remains a pillar of the Concord artistic community.

What unique qualities or perspectives do you bring to this position?

I feel like I’m able to bring a lot of different perspectives because of my experience. I’ve been a performer, as a guitarist and chamber musician. I’ve been teaching for a long time at all sorts of levels, from beginner students to graduate students at conservatory level. I’m also a parent, so I understand the goals of parents as they try to educate their children. I’m continuing to play and learn, so I also understand the needs, goals and the love of music that adults experience and the need for music throughout our lifetimes. Finally, with my experience working in the nonprofit sector, I’m able to bring all of these perspectives. I hope that I’m able to really tie all of this together to help the school to continue to improve and flourish.

What are you looking forward to most?

I’ve heard this word repeatedly over the course of getting to know some of the people in Concord and at the school, and that is that the school is truly a ‘gem.’ I’ve gotten some glimpses at that, and I’m really looking forward to exploring and getting to know everyone in this amazing community.

Featured photo: Daniel Acsadi.

In the kitchen with Keith Wilson

Keith Wilson of Brentwood is the production chef of Dunk’s Mushrooms (313 Route 125, Brentwood, dunksmushrooms.com), which grows several varieties of gourmet mushrooms and makes weekly deliveries to multiple New England communities. In addition to making all kinds of specialty mushroom-based products like jerky, pot pies and coffee, the business offers other non-mushroom prepared items under the name Dunk’s Kitchen. Wilson and Dunk’s owner William “Dunk” Dunkerley regularly hold multi-course mushroom-focused dinners — a nine-dinner vegan series wrapped up late last year, and an omnivore series is currently underway. Dunk’s Mushrooms can also be found on dozens of restaurant menus across the Granite State. Wilson has been in the restaurant industry for nearly two decades — outside of Dunk’s, he and his wife Amber, of Stout Oak Farm in Brentwood, own The Seed Chef, an in-home catering and private event service.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A tasting spoon, because you’ve got to be tasting your own food to know what you’re doing.

What would you have for your last meal?

I’m a sucker for really good sushi. I like the simple stuff, like a regular tuna nigiri.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

There are so many good restaurants. It’s impossible to choose.

What celebrity would you like to see trying something that you’ve made?

I’m going to go with Christopher Walken, just because, if he liked it, I’d want to hear his voice saying ‘Oh my God, this is so good!’

What is your favorite product to make for Dunk’s Mushrooms?

There’s one thing that we made a lot of last year that I really love. It’s a black trumpet maple syrup. … We had a good amount of black trumpet mushrooms from the woods around here [and] I took like four gallons of Grade A dark amber maple syrup and simmered it with all of the mushrooms in a big cauldron that we have. It has this great smoky, savory flavor that I can’t even really describe. I used it a lot to sweeten vegan cheesecakes and stuff.

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

Mushrooms, obviously. … The food system is damaged in a lot of ways, and meat production can be an issue, [but] mushrooms really help fill that void if people let them and they know how to prepare them properly. That’s part of the reason why our vegan series was so successful, because we were doing essentially what would have been meat-based meals, but with mushrooms in their place.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I’ve got four kids and a crazy schedule sometimes, so there’s a lot of meals that just kind of get thrown together. … But if it’s a rare night when it’s just me and my wife and I get to cook something for her, it’s always nice to do that. Stuffed chicken breast is what she wants me to make for her right now, because I made it at the last dinner. … It’s a goat cheese stuffed breast wrapped in bacon with asparagus.

Gorgonzola mushroom spread
From the kitchen of Keith Wilson of Dunk’s Mushrooms in Brentwood (yields about six to 10 servings)

¼ pound Dunk’s chestnut mushrooms, chopped
2 Tablespoons butter, unsalted
¼ cup red wine (sherry or port work well)
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, pulled from stem and chopped
10 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
2 to 4 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
¼ Tablespoon black pepper

Gather all ingredients. In a heavy-bottom sauce or saute pan, melt the butter. Add mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat. Cook until mushrooms turn a dark golden brown. Turn down heat and add thyme, salt and wine. Cook until all wine is reduced and the pan is dry. Allow the mixture to cool. In a food processor, combine cheese, cream, salt, pepper and the cooled mushrooms. Blend until smooth, using more or less cream depending on the consistency. Serve as a spread on toast or as a dip.

Featured photo: Keith Wilson. Courtesy photo.

On The Job – Michelle ‘Mo’ Wheeler

Michelle ‘Mo’ Wheeler

Clothing designer

Michelle “Mo” Wheeler of Merrimack is the founder, CEO and designer of Doublesolid Apparel, an online clothing store with designs that encourage conversation about mental health. A portion of all Doublesolid’s sales is donated to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) New Hampshire and other mental health organizations.

Explain your job and what it entails.

My husband often collaborates with me on the artwork, but I’m responsible for everything else, from designing products, updating the website, marketing, budgeting, SEO and everything in between. … Our designs are mainly inspired by my mental health journey, what I’ve seen, what I’ve felt and what I’ve learned while trying to live a balanced life with bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD and conversion disorder diagnosis. Our designs are intentionally bold to instigate conversation, because the stigma of mental illness keeps many of us sick and often unable to access the care we desperately need. Talking about mental illness can literally save a life; it’s definitely saved mine. As a rape survivor and a suicide attempt survivor, I want to reach as many people with my story as possible, because we’re not alone … and when we feel connected, we feel better.

What led you to this career field?

I’ve been working since I was 13. I’ve always loved to work, but over the years, my mental struggles have made it tougher to maintain employment. I began experiencing seizures and other physical ailments, which also made stress-relief difficult. I was an active triathlete, but that, too, had to change. I knew I had to feel like an active member of the community, so I combined my work as a mental health advocate and my work experience into the idea for Doublesolid Apparel and voila — I’m creating, networking and benefitting the community.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I have a degree in psychology and a certificate in photography … but none of that was required to do what I’m doing now. I’ve built up skills from the many different jobs and training I’ve had throughout life, and I figured out a way to do what I wanted to do, at my age, without starting all over again.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

It could be sweats, pajamas or a polka dot skirt with fishnets and my Doublesolid favorites. It depends what I’m doing. If I’m in a meeting, that’s one type of outfit. If I’m at home designing, that’s another.

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

Patience with myself. I want to learn everything right now, and that’s impossible. I keep learning, and I’ll keep making mistakes, but that’s all part of creating something. The symptoms of my mental illness cause me to question myself constantly and feel less-than and unworthy. Having patience with myself is crucial to my success as an entrepreneur, and that’s a hard thing to accept and learn.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

It’s tough for me to do this as I never feel adequate. It may not seem like much, but for me to take something I created and put it in front of others scares me something silly. Nevertheless, I put my heart and soul into it all, so having anyone interested in it is mindblowing,.

What was the first job you ever had?

I can’t remember if it was cleaning rooms at the Abbot Inn or [working at] Dunkin’ Donuts in Hudson. Regardless, it was back in the days of aluminum ashtrays … and me having to wear a terrible uniform made of polyester and sandpaper.

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

My husband, Chad, my biggest supporter and the other half of Doublesolid’s design team, constantly reminds me that I can do whatever I set my mind to. Having that support helps to keep me going and reaching beyond the stars.

Five favorites

Favorite book: The Grapes of Wrath
Favorite movie: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Favorite music: Elvis Presley and Sex Pistols
Favorite food: Italian
Favorite thing about NH: Its peacefulness and beauty

Featured photo: Michelle ‘Mo’ Wheeler. Courtesy photo.

The bigger picture

NH Travel and Tourism director joins national travel board

Lori Harnois, director of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs Division of Travel and Tourism, has been elected to serve a two-year term on the U.S. Travel Association’s board of directors. She talked about the opportunity and the intersection between her work in New Hampshire and the part she plays in national issues.

What is your background in travel and tourism?

This is my second time serving in this role as director of travel and tourism for New Hampshire. I [returned] at the end of February 2020, a month before Covid hit. Before that, I was working for Discover New England, which is a marketing organization that promotes the New England region as a travel destination to the overseas traveler. Before that, I was in this role I’m in now. I feel fortunate that I was able to come back to this role to promote the state that I live in and tell everybody why New Hampshire is a great place to come and visit.

What does your role as director of New Hampshire’s Division of Travel and Tourism entail?

Our department’s role is to promote New Hampshire as a travel destination, both domestically and internationally, for the purposes of increasing business, the business economy and the workforce, all centered around travel and tourism. We head up all the marketing efforts that promote New Hampshire as a travel destination, like the state’s website visitnh.gov and a guidebook on New Hampshire that’s given out to travelers, encouraging them to come here. We’re also responsible for a grant program that provides assistance to chambers of commerce and other destination marketing organizations, such as Ski NH, the White Mountains Attractions Association and the Lakes Region Tourism Association, to help them pay for their marketing efforts. Since the pandemic, we’ve also been helping [the state’s industries] work through workforce issues by encouraging people to consider moving and living … playing or working here, and we’ve been trying to help the tourism industry recover, because it was actually the industry that was hit the hardest as a result of the pandemic.

What is the function of the U.S. Travel Association board of directors?

It’s a fairly large board — at least 125 people, I’d say — with CEOs from a variety of different organizations, such as Expedia and Disney World, as well as [representatives from] states, like myself. … Some of the main issues this national organization has focused on are things like reopening the international borders during the pandemic; workforce … and the importance of international workers; … and trying to help the [tourism] industry recover from the pandemic … by encouraging [a return to] in-person meetings and traveling for business. … The board meets three times a year. … We just had a meeting two weeks ago.

What are some of the issues the board discussed at the last meeting?

Promoting the U.S. as a travel destination to international travelers for the purposes of restarting international travel was a big priority that we were discussing. We talked about the international workforce … and how to speed along the visa-processing time, because there’s quite a lag right now between when someone applies for a visa and when they can actually come here to work. … We talked about how we can change the [public’s] perception of jobs within the tourism sector and [show that] there are good-paying jobs, not just low-paying jobs, and that there are opportunities to grow and climb the ladder quickly. We talked about updating and maintaining our country’s infrastructure, like our roads and our airports, to increase travel mobility; how technology plays a role in that; and how we can do it in the right manner to [meet] the need for sustainability.

How does being on the national board inform your work in New Hampshire?

There are a lot of things on the national scale that we look at and think about how we can mimic those efforts at a state level in New Hampshire. … There were also breakout sessions for state tourism directors like myself, where we were able to talk about what we do, what’s been working for us and how we can potentially take some of those ideas and implement them in our own states.

How does representation from New Hampshire inform the national board’s work?

Being part of the U.S. Travel Association board of directors allows New Hampshire to have a voice on a national level … and express our concerns on certain issues. … I can take stories from the companies here in New Hampshire and share those with people in the U.S. Travel Association, who can then communicate to Capitol Hill what is going on in the states and what issues need to be addressed … with some type of policy change. That’s how New Hampshire has a direct impact [on a national level].

Featured photo: Lori Harnois

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