Learn to make beef bolognese and more with chef Kevin Crowell of Detente in free online classes through the West Tisbury Library.

In my fantasy world of self-reliance, I would become an expert preserver.

Just as soon as I planned my annual August grab-bag menu challenge, the refrigerator broke. The same day a long-awaited new water heater showed up, along with the installer, who regretted to inform us we’d be without hot water for a day (or two, as it turned out). Our internet and cell service, both of which had been heading towards oblivion all summer, were threatening to expire altogether. This made contacting the fridge repair folks difficult. When the smoke signals finally got through, the message back was clear: You’re on a very long waiting list.

I always jump the gun — never been good at sitting still for long.

Food trends come and go. But social food issues like food security, hunger prevention, food diversity and food waste are here to stay.

Cool, frosty mornings bring most people from their beds with an appetite for breakfast, particularly those who spend their days in the open air.

Chef Deon Thomas’s Island Conch Cookery, chronicles the results, with dozens of recipes for the humble northern sea snail.