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Around Aspen: Holiday parties

Mary Eshbaugh Hayes
Aspen Times Weekly
Lisa Houston, left, is publisher of the new Edible Aspen magazine and she talks with Mary Alice Palmer. (MEH)
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The winter holidays have begun with parties given all over town by socialites, nonprofits, businesses, magazines and all kinds of organizations. I’ll start with a party, given right after Thanksgiving in the Library at The Little Nell, that was the launch party for the new magazine, Edible Aspen. Publisher is Lisa Barnhart Houston, while editor is Amiee White Beazley.

The magazine will be published four times a year and will feature the growers and producers, restaurants, chefs and food-related businesses that are committed to providing fresh local goods from the Roaring Fork Valley and neighboring communities. The first issue includes feature stories about the Woody Creek Tavern, the Aspen Brewing Company, Chef Ryan Hardy of Montagna restaurant at The Little Nell, the Sustainable Setting Ranch, and sommelier Richard Betts. Reading through the magazine is like taking a stroll through the Aspen Saturday Market. There are also recipes sprinkled throughout the magazine.

Edible Aspen joins a family of edible community publications around the country such as Edible Santa Fe, Edible Hawaiian Islands, Edible Los Angeles, Edible Finger Lakes, Edible Iowa River Valley, Edible San Francisco, Edible Green Mountains of Vermont, Edible Upstate New York, Edible Seattle, etc.



It seems that growing and buying and cooking with local meats, fruits and vegetables is a movement that is taking over the whole United States.

Holding a weekend full of receptions for various Aspen groups was Terry Butler at the Residence, her boutique hotel in downtown Aspen. The night I attended, there were people from Aspen city government, various hospitality groups and lots of friends.




The Aspen Historical Society held its annual Holiday Cookie Exchange and Book Signing party, and more than 20 local authors signed their books at the gala event. Everyone took a dozen cookies and left with a dozen cookies (though many were devoured that evening at the party).

The Crystal Palace Singers gave a songfest for the senior citizens at Whitcomb Terrace while the seniors enjoyed their holiday dinner.

Coming up, the Red Brick Center for the Arts will host a new show, titled Wild Wonder Women, from Jan. 2-31. The artists’ reception will be held Thursday, Jan. 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. Featured artists will be: Janet Grenda with oil and acrylic; Ada Andelyn Christensen with acrylic and lacquer on wood; Ann Elizabeth Smock with oil and acrylic; Carrie Trippe with oil and acrylic; Piera K Uanzhja with pottery, monotypes and paintings; and Patti Bartelstein with Ilfochrome mounted on aluminum.

Undercurrent … Will be reporting on holiday parties through the next several weeks.