A heartfelt thank you to our readers

Dear NCC readers,

A few years ago, my Aunt Ada Virginia --- no children of her own, widow of a big, tall oilman --- passed away, leaving me what seemed a small fortune. Shrewd investor that I am, I blew the bulk of it on a three-week trip to Italy with my daughters to celebrate their graduation from Lyndon Institute and to see a few places our ancestors had walked. We had a blast, and we built memories that will last a lifetime. The rest of my aunt’s bequest went to starting and keeping afloat North Country Cooking. And while it was money well spent, spent it is. Alas.

I’ve had a wonderful year sharing in this literary-culinary passion. It’s been great fun, and I’ve learned a lot: chiefly, though, that I am a far better short-order cook and bottle-washer than entrepreneur, and that a bone-fide business plan probably can’t be adequately sketched out on a cocktail napkin.

Our March issue, therefore, will remain our last. Over the summer months, I will evaluate what sort of venture makes sense for NCC. Perhaps we will re-emerge as a less ambitious quarterly; perhaps a cookbook will seem both fun and fiscally sound. We'll hold our post at the stove and sink, and carry on with our blog, and see what the Universe has in store. In the meantime, I’m arranging for our subscribers to receive complimentary subscriptions to the ever excellent Cook’s Illustrated.

Thank you, readers, for believing in the magazine, for staying with us when at every turn there are more and more demands on your time and attention. I've appreciated the boots-on-the-ground support you’ve shown, and the fine work our writers and readers alike have submitted over these months. I’ve enjoyed it all, as I hope you have, and I am very grateful.

Very best,

Denise