I grew up thinking that things like scrapple, steamed crabs, and Scorchy Tawes were everyman’s staples—not just what people born and bred in the region knew and loved. But not so…
When my grandfather first brought my step-grandmother, a native of Milwaukee, to his home in Somerset County, he took her to her very first crab feast. While the other guests contently whittled away, wielding mallets and knives, she was less than amused, commenting that it was the only dinner party she had ever attended where trash was the centerpiece and newspaper was the tablecloth. While she likely chose to go hungry that night, my grandfather’s intentions were pure, reasoning that there was no better way to show his new bride what the Shore was all about.
Recalling this story got me thinking about the things that I’m surrounded by and embrace as the region’s defining traditions. You know, the classics. In this issue, we’ve dedicated eighteen pages to one hundred people, places, and cool stuff that are the icons of our region (“100 Chesapeake Classics,” pg. 89). We hope you’ll glean a thing or two from this opportunity to test your Chesapeake IQ.
In addition, we share ten oft-told myths and legends, from ghostly sightings to unidentified sea creatures, in “Strange Tales of the Chesapeake” (pg. 130). For a more poetic look at the Bay’s classic side, photographer Skip Brown treats us to his moody images of watermen (“Men at Work,” pg. 122). Also in this issue, travel with us to ever-growing Salisbury Hometowns, pg. 79) or spend an overnight Victorian-style at the Silver-Spencer Mansion in Havre de Grace (Checking Inn, pg. 71). Chef Andrew Evans gives you four warm and wonderful recipes for comfort food in Andrew’s Kitchen (pg. 147), and get the skinny on Annapolis’s newest eatery, Kyma (Traveling Gourmet, pg. 141).
Before you dive into the magazine, we’d like to share with you some very big news. CL was awarded the 2005 Magazine of the Year by the International Regional Magazine Association.
We also won the award for Best Art Direction as well as seven editorial awards. These are huge honors for us, and we hope that you’ll be as proud of us and our contributing writers and photographers as we are.
P.S. Be sure to check out our new website (http://www.chesapeakelife.com). And keep those letters coming. We love hearing from you!
