Weekends with Yankee

NARRATOR: This week on Weekends with Yankee, senior food editor Amy Traverso travels to the Pickering House Inn in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, to enjoy one of New England's great pleasures, a delicious home-cooked breakfast at a country inn.

Then we head out for some cross-country skiing with Nordic pioneer Steve Flagg.

(Amy laughing) Back at the inn's sister restaurant, Pavilion, Amy meets with Chris Viaud, who rose to fame on Top Chef.

- Being able to work with the farmers and work hand-in-hand with picking the produce from the dirt, from the soil.

TRAVERSO: Wow.

NARRATOR: Next, we travel to southern Maine, where adventurer Richard Weiss embraces the joys of winter from the mountains to the sea.

He begins his day on the slopes of Pleasant Mountain, one of Maine's most beloved family ski resorts, and then moves on to the coast to try a little winter surfing with Maine native Jon King, aka King Kyote.

- Feeling snowflakes in your eyeballs and looking around... - Yeah.

Yeah, it gets kind of surreal out there.

NARRATOR: Richard learns how to hang ten, and Jon performs the song that landed him a spot on NBC's American Song Contest.

Finally, we move south to the island of Nantucket to see the works of Hafsa Lewis, a well-known floral designer who's known for her large and memorable installations.

So come along with us for a once-in-a-lifetime journey through New England as you've never experienced it before.

A true insider's guide from the editors of Yankee magazine.

Join explorer and adventurer Richard Weiss and Yankee senior food editor Amy Traverso for behind-the-scenes access to the unique attractions that define this region.

It's the ultimate travel guide from the people who know it best.

Weekends with Yankee.

- Major funding provided by... - In Maine, spring isn't just a gift.

It's an achievement.

This is Maine.

Forged by nature.

- New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Relax already.

- Kloter Farms-- from outdoor structures to solid hardwood furniture for over 45 years.

- On an American Cruise Lines journey, you can explore historic New England.

- Country Carpenters.

Handcrafted barns and homes for over 50 years.

TRAVERSO: Today I'm in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee.

Wolfeboro has been a summer resort since the 1700s, but it's really a four-season town.

And it's clearly winter, and I want to do something cozy, so I'm going to start my day at the Pickering House Inn because New England inns are famous for their great breakfasts.

So, chef Andrew, you are the inn's chef.

So that means you're in charge of breakfast, and this looks like granola to me.

(laughing) - It is.

Yeah.

TRAVERSO: I've had the granola.

It's amazing.

- Yeah.

So this is definitely one of our staples here.

TRAVERSO: Okay.

- It's a maple coconut granola.

TRAVERSO: Oh, so good.

- So we start with shaved coconut.

TRAVERSO: So this is unsweetened coconut?

- Unsweetened coconut, yep.

And then you're gonna put it into the oven at 350 degrees.

TRAVERSO: Okay.

- So while that's working, we want to get the rest of our stuff together.

So we start with our oats here.

TRAVERSO: Nice.

- And then we have a mixture of chopped nuts.

We have pecans, walnuts and almonds.

TRAVERSO: Great.

Okay.

- We have salt.

This is maple sugar.

TRAVERSO: Oh, nice.

- Yeah.

And then we have maple syrup as well.

TRAVERSO: Okay.

- And then we have coconut oil, too.

TRAVERSO: Ah!

Now that's... - Blend it all together.

TRAVERSO: Flavor.

That is, like, really yummy, nutty, toasty flavor in that coconut oil, right?

- It is.

TRAVERSO: That's gonna just bring it all together.

- Absolutely.

And then we're gonna finish with a zest of an orange.

TRAVERSO: Okay.

It's like a little hit of brightness.

- A brightness, yeah.

TRAVERSO: Yeah.

- All right.

Let me mix this all together.

TRAVERSO: So this is really, I imagine, super popular with guests.

- It is, yeah, absolutely.

It's definitely, uh, when we're cooking it, it, you know, fills the whole inn with that coconut smell.

TRAVERSO: It's so nice.

- Yeah.

We'll spread this out evenly on here.

TRAVERSO: Okay.

- And as we put that in, we can check on the, uh... TRAVERSO: The coconut?

- The coconut.

See how we're doing there.

TRAVERSO: Ooh.

This is the maximum toasted... - Yeah.

TRAVERSO: Just on the edge but perfect.

- Perfect.

So we also have dried fruits.

TRAVERSO: That's just remarkable to me.

Mmm.

It just has that gentle sweetness, really lovely nuttiness to it.

Mm.

- It does.

So while that's finishing cooking, we're gonna, uh, move on to our next dish.

We have a roasted vegetable and chorizo hash tostada.

TRAVERSO: Oh, my gosh, that sounds amazing.

And... - Definitely one of our most popular.

TRAVERSO: Well, I'm going cross-country skiing a little later, so this is gonna be great energy for that.

- Perfect.

TRAVERSO: So we did our sweet recipe with the granola, and now we've got a savory one.

- Yeah.

So in our spice mixture, we have salt, cumin, oregano, some ground mustard, fennel and white pepper and garlic.

TRAVERSO: Wow, nice.

- Yeah.

We start with our roasted vegetables.

TRAVERSO: Okay.

- We have butternut squash... TRAVERSO: Mm-hmm.

- Two sweet potatoes... TRAVERSO: Uh-huh.

- And then three of our regular russet potatoes.

TRAVERSO: Oh, nice.

Okay.

- Yeah.

And we're gonna, uh, toss them with some cooking oil.

So... TRAVERSO: Uh-huh.

- This is canola.

TRAVERSO: Okay.

You can do a vegetable oil of any kind.

TRAVERSO: Right.

- Then we put those spices in there.

Give this a good mix.

Make sure they all get some of that spice mixture on there.

We're going to put it right onto our... cooking sheet.

TRAVERSO: So does this need to brown in the oven or just... - Yeah, so we just soften it up.

TRAVERSO: Okay.

- Make sure it's cooked through.

And then when we, uh, plate our breakfast, we'll get some color on it.

TRAVERSO: Oh, great.

All right.

What's next?

- So while that's going, we're going to do our sauteed vegetables.

TRAVERSO: Okay.

- So we start here with the diced onion... TRAVERSO: Uh-huh.

- As well as a diced red pepper.

(pan sizzling) So we have brussels sprouts... TRAVERSO: Uh-huh.

and then we have oyster mushrooms here.

TRAVERSO: Ooh, nice.

- Some of these starting to get a little bit of color on 'em.

Starting to get a little translucent.

We're gonna add the rest of our vegetables here.

This is gonna continue cooking until it gets soft.

In the meantime, we're also going to start the Mexican chorizo.

TRAVERSO: Uh-huh.

- We use this instead of a Spanish chorizo, get some of that nice heat in there and... TRAVERSO: So it's not just paprika, but also chili.

- Chilis, exactly.

TRAVERSO: Yeah.

Yeah.

- Chorizo go in here.

Let it brown up nicely.

TRAVERSO: Okay.

- Make sure we break up into little chunks.

Now that everything's done, we're gonna take three big scoops and put it right onto our griddle.

TRAVERSO: Okay.

(griddle sizzles) - So, as this is cooking... TRAVERSO: Right.

- And heating up as well, we're gonna do, uh, three eggs.

TRAVERSO: Oh, okay.

- Uh, sunny-side up.

TRAVERSO: These look like local eggs 'cause they're brown... - They're brown?

TRAVERSO: For New England.

Yeah.

These will cook and then get put on top.

- And then get put on top.

Yep.

TRAVERSO: Okay.

- All right.

And this here is our house-roasted salsa.

Tomatoes, red onion... TRAVERSO: Ooh.

- Garlic, jalapenos, all roasted in the oven.

And then we put it into the food processor, get it all combined together.

We're going to start with our house-fried tostada, and we get some of our hash.

Goes right... TRAVERSO: Such nice color.

Oh, my gosh.

Nice dollop of salsa.

TRAVERSO: Great.

- Perfect.

TRAVERSO: This looks so beautiful and delicious.

And just the thing for our cold winter morning, so thank you.

- Yes, absolutely.

And thank you for cooking with me.

It's been a lot of fun.

TRAVERSO: It has been fun.

I've learned a lot.

So, a lot of people dream about kind of leaving their more urban lives and opening up an inn in the country... (chuckles) but you actually did it, and quite successfully.

So will you tell me that story of how that came to be?

- So, I grew up summers here.

TRAVERSO: Oh, okay.

- Every summer, so I was a summer kid.

And we raised our family in Massachusetts, but they were summer kids up here as well.

And we always wanted to move up here.

So we did move up in 2010 to simplify our lives.

So I have an architectural firm, and an engineer on one of my projects, as I was leaving, told me about a historic property here in town... TRAVERSO: Wow.

- That was about to go under contract and be torn down.

TRAVERSO: Huh.

- And I said, "What building?"

And I instantly knew, because everyone knew the yellow house with the barn.

And we said, "We can't let it happen."

TRAVERSO: Uh-huh.

- We bought it in March of '16.

- We started construction in April of '17 and opened in August of '18.

TRAVERSO: Wow.

- It's funny because, saving historic properties, it's amazing how many people care.

TRAVERSO: Right.

- They love history.

They do.

TRAVERSO: Right.

- And especially New England.

But I'm not a purist.

TRAVERSO: Mm-hmm.

- So, to me, it was step up the game, but don't lose the character.

TRAVERSO: Right.

- We had a five-year plan when we bought the property.

TRAVERSO: Right.

- And it was survive two years of construction, which was a little daunting.

(Amy chuckles) It was opening a business with no experience.

And then it was really stepping up on experiential.

And, literally, two weeks before the five-year mark was up, Travel + Leisure notified us we'd been rated number one in New England as the number one resort hotel.

TRAVERSO: Wow.

- And then this past year, we got number one in New England, and we're also named number one resort hotel in the country.

TRAVERSO: Wow.

That's amazing.

Well, this looks so good.

I'm so excited to fuel up for the day, and, uh... - Great.

TRAVERSO: Thank you for bringing us here, this is just a really wonderful spot.

- Well, glad to have you.

- Thanks so much for coming.

NARRATOR: Following breakfast, it's time to try out some of the impressive trails crisscrossing the Lakes Region surrounding Wolfeboro.

TRAVERSO: Hi.

Steve?

- Hi, Amy.

TRAVERSO: Hi, I'm Amy.

Great to meet you.

- Nice to meet you.

Welcome to Nordic Skier and Wolfeboro Cross Country.

TRAVERSO: Thank you.

I-- well, I'm a big fan of cross-country skiing.

I'm not an expert at it by any stretch, but I'm excited because you are an expert, clearly with the store.

- Yeah, I've been doing it a long time, 50 years plus, and we have... TRAVERSO: Wow.

a wonderful network of trails for all ability levels from beginners right through to the advanced skier.

TRAVERSO: Wow.

So where do you think we should go today on this map?

- Well, I think what we're gonna do is start right here at the warming hut.

We'll stay on the Super Loop.

We call it the Super Loop because it is super smooth... TRAVERSO: Ah.

- ...without snow, so, with just a few inches of snow, we can be skiing.

TRAVERSO: Nice.

Well, it couldn't be a nicer day to be out here.

It's not too cold, but it's kind of refreshingly cold.

- It's warming up a little bit.

TRAVERSO: Yeah.

- We've got some great ski conditions.

TRAVERSO: Beautiful woods.

- So let's strap these on and go.

TRAVERSO: Okay.

All right.

These are a little different from the ones I have at home.

- All righty.

TRAVERSO: But they look easier to get into.

- So, yeah.

So these are step-in binding.

You just-- Foot flat.

There you go.

TRAVERSO: There we go.

Yay.

- Super.

So... TRAVERSO: So I see tracks here, which is where I live.

- Yes.

TRAVERSO: Okay.

- So let's just ski right over to those tracks.

TRAVERSO: Okay.

- They definitely make it easier.

Okay, you ready?

TRAVERSO: Yeah.

- Let's go.

(skis swishing on snow) Beautiful conditions.

TRAVERSO: Beautiful.

It's so nice and smooth.

Whee!

(laughs) - Wow, that is great, huh?

TRAVERSO: Ah, I love this!

So, tell me about these woods.

Are these-- is this conservation land?

- So there's 180 acres, approximately, of conservation land.

Back years ago, when we first started this, there was six different private land owners.

But as years went on, development was knocking at the door, and that's when a bunch of us got together, contacted Lakes Region Conservation Trust, TRAVERSO: Uh-huh.

- And they thought it'd be a great bunch of acres to preserve.

TRAVERSO: Right.

- And so now it is.

For perpetuity, it's always gonna be here.

And it's some of the best cross-country skiing in New Hampshire, right here.

TRAVERSO: How do you convert a downhill skier to cross-country skiing?

- It's good to take a break from, let's say, the downhill ski day, you know?

Maybe if it's a really cold, windy day... TRAVERSO: Right.

- ...cross-country skiing can be a lot more comfortable in the protection here of the woods.

TRAVERSO: What about people who are wary of do... you know, climbing hills without a lift?

- Well, you know, the cross-country trails that we have here, and many other Nordic centers throughout the country, they have the easy trails.

So, if you're looking to, you know, not go up a big hill and, and work real hard at it... TRAVERSO: Right.

- ...you can just stick onto the easier trails.

TRAVERSO: Yeah.

(skis swishing through snow) - Oh, this time I get the track.

TRAVERSO: (laughs) Whee!

Well, we're at end of the trail, but I don't want this to end.

(laughs) - This has been so much fun.

Thank you for coming skiing.

TRAVERSO: Oh, thank you so much.

I will definitely be back.

- You are welcome.

Can't wait.

TRAVERSO: Take care.

NARRATOR: Next up, Amy puts a cap on the day by paying a visit to James Beard-nominated chef Chris Viaud.

TRAVERSO: So, Chef, you've come to this inn, which is a big deal.

Many people know you from Top Chef and have followed your career.

When you decided to come here, what was your vision?

Because this is such a classic kind of New England inn experience.

- Well, thank you for the compliments first.

Um, it's just been an incredible journey for me to experience, kind of, my growth in cooking and as it relates to kind of where I'm located.

TRAVERSO: Right.

- So coming from Boston and knowing that I was moving into kind of, like, more country feel, I definitely wanted to make sure that I was still highlighting the food that I like to cook... TRAVERSO: Yeah.

- ...while representing coming from a city, and offering something that's very new and unique into the country-based New Hampshire kind of style of living.

TRAVERSO: To move to the country, where you have all these farms around you, how did that change the way you cook?

- It absolutely just expanded my resources, for sure.

I was able to think of food in a completely different light.

Being able to work with the farmers and work hand-in-hand with picking the produce from the dirt, from the soil.

TRAVERSO: Wow.

Now, tell me about when you figured out that you were a chef.

I think sometimes-- it's almost like people are chefs in their soul before they actually even earn the title.

- Right, absolutely.

TRAVERSO: So, how did-- how did you know this was your path?

- And I'm glad that you brought up the soul aspect of it, because I think for me, that's part of my transformation, is I didn't realize that I wanted to get into cooking.

I think cooking kind of just came by surprise and necessity of my mom wanting me to go to school.

And I was like, okay, what am I going to do with my life?

I don't know.

I like to cook, so let me try that.

TRAVERSO: Right.

Wow.

- So I applied to culinary schools.

I got accepted.

I ended up going to Johnson & Wales.

TRAVERSO: Mm-hmm.

- And it wasn't until later on in my career where I started thinking about the soul aspect of cooking.

Like, why am I actually cooking?

TRAVERSO: Right.

- And I remember vivid memories of helping my mom create, um, these delicious uh, Haitian-style dishes at home.

TRAVERSO: Right.

- And that's where I wanted to kind of bring it in and connect my roots because that helps kind of elevate my story and my transformation as a chef.

TRAVERSO: Yeah.

So tell me what you love about coming here and what are you looking forward to about spending more time here?

- Coming up to the Lakes Region, there's exposure for, um, plenty of views, especially having a three-year-old daughter.

She's definitely going to enjoy sitting and spending time by the water.

TRAVERSO: Mmm.

- And just breathing, relaxing, and being in the open, fresh air.

TRAVERSO: Yeah.

Well, I'm so excited to see what you do here.

It's, it's a real, I think, shot in the arm for the region.

It's really exciting, and I can't wait to try your food.

- Absolutely, I appreciate that; I'm excited as well.

TRAVERSO: Thanks.

- Thank you.

NARRATOR: Next, Richard journeys from slopes to sea on a winter adventure in southern Maine.

He's starting the day skiing with Rachael Wilkinson at Pleasant Mountain, home to southern Maine's tallest mountain peak.

WIESE: Rachael, one of my dreams has been to ski and surf in Maine on the same day.

- Mm-hmm.

WIESE: And we're-- I'm so happy that I've come across Pleasant Mountain.

I almost feel like we're a little off the radar.

- I think that that's how a lot of people feel about us, kind of like a little hidden gem.

WIESE: We are obviously not in a ski lodge.

We are on the top of the mountain.

And so tell me a little about, sort of, the idea behind the yurt experience.

- Well, I think if you want to start your day on top of the world, here you are.

You can wake up in the wilderness.

There's nothing like spending a night out and then have the ability to have the first runs down in the morning without it being touched by anybody else.

It really can be quite magical.

WIESE: What is special about this mountain?

- So we have been in operation for 85 years this year, which is-- that makes us Maine's longest-running ski area.

We're what we call a multi-generational mountain.

So, uh, people would come and ski here, learn to ski here.

They do love to come and bring their kids back and teach them where they learned to ski.

It is just all of the different experiences that we offer such as this, that are sort of down-to-earth, but really unique experiences that make it so much fun.

Today you can expect some beautiful light powder on top of a groomed surface.

There's good visibility, but the snow's still coming down gently.

It is a pristine ski day.

WIESE: Well, this is part one of my perfect day... - Great.

WIESE: And it's off to a perfect start, so I think we should get going.

- Let's do it.

- Woo-hoo!

(wind whipping) NARRATOR: Moving on from the peaks of Pleasant Mountain, Richard travels to Higgins Beach to try a little winter surfing with musician Jon King, a.k.a.

King Kyote.

WIESE: I enjoy actually seeing that winter storm warning in effect.

- Oh, yeah.

WIESE: So, you grew up surfing in Maine, right?

- I did, yeah.

WIESE: And, so, to see about a dozen people out in the winter when it's snowy is not unusual.

- Yeah, it's grown over the years.

It's become very popular, partly due because the wetsuits and the technology has gotten better over the years.

WIESE: You know, I've surfed in warm weather.

What's the main difference now?

I know that, you know, it feels a little more restrictive with a suit on.

- Yeah, the water's colder.

(laughs) WIESE: Is there anything you check yourself for or... - It's kind of like skiing.

When your feet or fingers go numb, you know, you're kind of getting close to the end of your session.

WIESE: So the mere fact that I'm just gonna go in, I don't have any expectation of the conditions or surfing.

- Let's send it.

- WIESE (chuckling): Let's send it.

- Jumping jacks.

WIESE: Couple jumping jacks.

(laughing) WIESE: Wow.

- That's not for the faint of heart.

WIESE: Thank you so much!

You know, it's funny, when we first went in, I was thinking, wow, I'm a little cold, but once you start moving around, the cold wasn't what I was thinking.

- Just got to get the blood pumping, you know?

WIESE: Yeah, and, uh, you know, it's definitely a little different with the wetsuit on the arms, but feeling snowflakes in your eyeballs and looking around... - Yeah.

Yeah, it gets kind of surreal out there, especially on days where-- there's a bunch of people out today, but when you're out there by yourself, and it's snowing, that's something totally special.

WIESE: So, King, I know you're a good surfer, but I hear you're a great musician.

- (chuckles) Right on.

Uh, yeah, we're gonna swing by my buddy's studio, and I'll play some tunes for you.

WIESE: All right.

Let's dry off and head to the studio.

- All right.

(playing "Get Out Alive") - I wanna hate you (voiceover): You could say I started playing instruments when I was a little kid.

I took guitar lessons early on.

I grew up with music in the house.

My dad's a guitar player.

WIESE: So you were, this past year, on a NBC show.

What was that?

- It was called American Song Contest, and Kelly Clarkson, Snoop Dogg hosted it, and we shot it out in L.A.

From a musician standpoint and a songwriter standpoint, it was really amazing to get my music on a world stage like that.

Got to release a song on Atlantic Records.

It was awesome.

WIESE: Have you ever been out surfing and a thought came into your head about what I'd like to perform or write or a lyric?

- For me, surfing is clarity.

It's a way to just kind of forget a lot of stuff and focus on one thing.

But in between the waves coming in, there's time to think.

And that's the, that's the craziest thing, when you're out in the ocean completely alone, and you never know what's gonna come into your head.

But, like, yeah, it's always there because it's a part of me.

If we could only get out alive.

NARRATOR: We continue south to make a holiday visit to the island of Nantucket and meet Hafsa Lewis.

Hafsa's large-scale floral installations have become a part of the community's aesthetic.

The island has inspired her creations and we get an insider's look at her most celebrated work.

- We help businesses stand out by using flowers.

So we create large-scale floral installations to really help brands tell their story through flowers.

Flowers speak sort of a universal language.

They express remorse and signify joy and happiness all at the same time without saying a word.

I wanted my work to make people feel something.

And the only way that I thought I could achieve that, is if it were big.

So that's how, like, installations started.

The story of the Brant Point wreath, the tradition was started in 1997 by Master Chief Jack Downey.

He went out to 'Sconset.

He foraged a bunch of grapevine and he wove it into a wreath, and he secured it with some rope, and he threw some silk flowers on it, and he hung it on the lighthouse.

When I was approached to help with the wreath, it was by one of the Coast Guard wives several years ago, and she asked if I had any interest in helping, you know, them put flowers on the wreath.

I was like, "Yes, of course."

To see my design on something that big that so many people can enjoy.

You know, people get engaged in front of that and take their family portraits.

And people that visit, you know, they round the Brant Point bend, and they're taking photos from the boat.

It's really special.

It's a really special tradition.

I don't know many places that have something like that.

So, to be a part of that has just been, like, such an honor.

I think that Nantucket is naturally inspiring just because it's such a creative place.

There's so many people to bounce ideas off of.

I mean, being surrounded, you know, by the ocean, definitely being immersed in nature, and there are a lot of female entrepreneurs here and people who are, like, I'm witnessing, like, create their own niches, their own businesses.

Like, they're doing the things that they love.

They're doing the things that they're passionate about.

I hope that when people see any of my work, it makes them feel something good.

I hope it transports them to a memory or evokes an emotion.

For me, it's just really important that, um... that it f-- that they-- that it makes them feel something.

NARRATOR: For exclusive videos, recipes, travel ideas, tips from the editors and access to the Weekends with Yankee digital magazine, go to weekendswithyankee.com and follow us on social media @yankeemagazine.

Yankee magazine, the inspiration for the television series, provides recipes, feature articles and the best of New England from the people who know it best.

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Call 1-800-221-8154.

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Closed caption funding provided by... (seagulls squawking, waves crashing) Major funding provided by... - In Maine, spring isn't just a gift.

It's an achievement.

This is Maine.

Forged by nature.

- New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Relax already.

- Kloter Farms-- from outdoor structures to solid hardwood furniture for over 45 years.

- On an American Cruise Lines journey, you can explore historic New England.

- Country Carpenters.

Handcrafted barns and homes for over 50 years.