Editor's letter

Dear Readers,

After a lively summer and a fantastic fall, it’s chilly again. Now’s the time to cozy up inside (but do get outside, at least a little bit every day. The fresh air will do you good!). On those days when you just cannot get warm enough, a trick I use—if I have time—is to escape into my kitchen and cook or bake something. Moving around the kitchen takes my mind off how drafty and cold my house tends to be, and the resultant warmth from the stove or oven just toasts me right up.

This issue of Our Country Home spotlights the kitchen with stories that focus on the heart of the home. Jude Waterston contrasts the tiny kitchen in her first apartment to the generous one she’s now blessed to use. And her stuffed eggplant recipe is a great way to warm up your own kitchen. To warm up your insides and create family memories, check out Hunter Hill’s recipe for lasagna.

Barbara Winfield shares tips on how to refresh the look of your kitchen if you don’t have the budget for a total renovation (hint: paint, hardware and lighting are all relatively affordable fixes). Then again, if you do have the means and the motivation for a remodel, Amanda McCormick shares her interview with designer Rachel Acevedo, touching on all the latest trends in kitchen design.

If you want inspiration, check out the story on 21 Aspen Way, a house right here in Narrowsburg, NY, that has not only a killer indoor kitchen, but a fabulous outdoor one as well!

Churning out family favorites to feed your crew, while keeping toasty by the stove: That’s probably the best part of the colder seasons. So grab a hot beverage, thumb through this issue, and get cooking!

All the best,

Jane Anderson