Lisa Johnson

The Merrow family of New England have altered their business over the centuries, from a general store to a gunpowder maker to a sewing machine manufacturer to a maker of technical apparel. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 182-year-old company has shifted gears to increase its production of personal protective equipment (PPE). ...

Sherry Pocknett, the food and beverage manager at The Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center in Mashantucket, Connecticut has some devoted fans. A quick peek at the museum’s Instagram feed reveals Chef Sherry's hearty venison stew, a side of salmon roasting over an open fire, and clam chowder with the comment, “I love Sherry's cooking! ...

There’s nothing like a trip to change how I see my everyday life. If circumstances permitted, I would travel far, wide and often. It’s great to journey away and experience different sights, smells, tastes and experiences. I return feeling relaxed, renewed, refreshed and with a new appreciation for home. ...

No need to holla! Galit (pronounced “Ga – leet”) Schwartz knows she has something special with her challah. Schwartz is the founder and owner of Power Café , a new café and bakery in Watertown. She takes custom orders for challah — regular, whole wheat or egg free. Jelly donuts, muffins, and more are available too. ...

In the Boston area, it’s not so unusual to eat African food, but it’s often at an Ethiopian restaurant, or maybe Moroccan. Africa is a vast continent. Its true size, according to an interesting comparison, shows that it’s about as big as China, India, the United States, and most of Europe put together. Yet our experience with African foods is often confined to very few countries. It doesn’t have to be this way. Massachusetts is home to many restaurants with roots in West Africa ...

Until recently, Rockport was synonymous with the beach for me. But a free candy-making demonstration was intriguing enough to take a drive up the coast on a rainy and humid autumn morning. The weather is important because, as third generation candy-maker Dan Tuck explained during the demonstration, “moisture impacts candy making.” ...

The battle of North Shore vs. South Shore rages on here in Massachusetts. A recent Boston Magazine article comparing the two regions concludes, "You’re either one or the other. And once you make your choice, there’s a good chance you’ll never cross over to the other side."

This ongoing land squabble goes all the way back to colonial times, according to the article. The Pilgrims went to Plymouth; the Puritans went to Salem. Two separate colonies were formed ...

The culinary team at Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical High School (BP) makes award winning seafood chowder. Taking second place at the 2015 Great Chowder Cook-Off in Newport, Rhode Island was all in a day’s work for these busy students. ...

“Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.” Hippocrates was on to something when he said that. In order to work well, our bodies and minds need nutritious food. Not that eating should be merely a fueling function. Food should be enjoyed, too, and sometimes even satisfy a decadent craving – I see you, rice pudding! ...

The New Garden Society brings horticulture classes to Bridgewater State Hospital.

Over the past two years, eating fresh and local has become much easier at the Conway House, a homeless shelter in Middleborough, Massachusetts, thanks to The New Garden Society—which, according to co-founders Erika Rumbley and Renee Portanova, helps disadvantaged youth and incarcerated adults transform their lives through the art and science of growing plants. “We're building a bridge from state prisons and dete...