Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/410828
14 nshoremag.com December 2014 RobinReilly has over 15 years' experience working in the photo industr y. As a stylist, she works both on and off figure; she even builds a prop or two! Her client list includes Talbots, Timberland, New Balance, and Hasbro, to name a few. Calvin Hennick is a freelance writer who has written for The Boston Globe, Runner's World, Eating Well, and other publications. He also teaches creative writing, and is at work on a novel about Haitian Vodou. Although he mostly grew up in the Midwest, he attended two years of elementary school in Rockport and spent summers visiting Salem as a teenager. Elise Sinagra Donoghue is a North Shore native and an award-winning, internationally published photographer based in Beverly. More of her work can be seen on The New York Times Best Sellers list, The EveryGirl's Guide to Life and The EveryGirl's Guide to Fitness by Maria Menounos, and at elisedonoghue.com. Elizabeth Napolitano is an editor, book author, and freelance writer living on the North Shore with her husband, Steve, and two children. She enjoys all of what the North Shore communities have to offe , and find interesting similarities and diffe ences with Boston's South Shore, where she grew up. In researching "La Vigilia," Napolitano had the pleasure of interviewing several wonderful folks about one of her favorite topics: Italian food! We Need a Little Christmas contributors From the Editor The holiday season is once again upon us: "It's time to haul out the holly, place can- dles in the window, put up the brightest string of lights, and deck the halls right this very minute!" Growing up, these fes- tive lyrics would fill my house during the Christmas season. My parents went all out for this holiday—trimming the tree with bright colored lights and handmade ornaments, draping boughs of evergreen over every doorway, placing poinsettias on every table, and hanging stockings on every mantelpiece—no less than eight for each of their children. Along with holiday classics ringing from the radio, sweet aro- mas of just-baked sugar cookies filled the house. Ribbon candy, chocolate Santas, and the proverbial fruitcake were always on hand. Christmas was truly a magical time in my parents' household. As an adult, I have tried to keep these traditions alive with my own family and friends. Making holiday cookies in every season-inspired shape imaginable, choosing just the right tree from the fields, leaving treats out for Santa and a carrot for the reindeer, and preparing an elaborate roast beef dinner complete with popovers and Christmas crackers— a quintessential New England feast with all the trimmings. In this issue, we celebrate the holidays by bringing you seasonal inspiration and stories of Christmas traditions around the North Shore. Writer Elizabeth Napolitano visits three local chefs to explore La Vigilia, an Italian Christmas Eve celebration also known as the Feast of the Seven Fishes. We visit with chef Rick Delisle of Vin- wood Caterers, who shares his favorite holiday party dishes. He admits one of his holiday party traditions is calling on one of his own chefs to come and prepare the food so he can enjoy his guests. Tastemaker Darcy Hammer offers inspiration and ideas for setting a magi- cal holiday table, creating four seasonal looks inspired by the North Shore's coast, farms, villages, and woodlands. And in our Gift Guide (page 60), we offer loads of gift-giving ideas for everyone on your shopping list. In the true spirit of the holiday season, we visit organizations that give year- round. Managing editor Kiley Jacques profiles North Shore United Way's execu- tive director Margo Casey and learns about a host of community caregivers and volunteers around the North Shore helping families in need. Writer Alexan- dra Pecci visits Peabody's Haven From Hunger's Alyse Barbash and learns of the food pantry's expansion process with the help of a local design firm Siemasko + Verbridge. We hope this issue inspires you to need a little Christmas now! Happy Holidays, Nancy E. Berry