AUGUST, 2010

THE
STURBRIDGETIMES
THE CHRONICLE OF STURBRIDGE COUNTRY LIVING
MAGAZINE

THE FIRST ANNUAL

BEST OF
GREATER STURBRIDGE
AWARDS
BALLOT ON PAGES 20 & 21
COOKING&EATING
Follow the sun
to The Red Maple Inn
in Spencer
By Richard Murphy
George Washington never got to stay at
the Red Maple Inn. He did get to attend a
reception there during his well documented
visit to Spencer in 1789. Of course it was
not the Red Maple Inn then. Even if it had
been, he would have had to wait until the
21st Century for the revolution.
Revolution in cuisine, that is.
Chef Shari Alexander, like George may
14 THE STURBRIDGE TIMES MAGAZINE
go down in history herself. Shari has
brought the “Food of the Sun” to Western
Central Massachusetts. Getting here has
been a long odyssey. From New York City,
the Hamptons, Florida, Europe, and
Mexico to our little corner is a voyage
through time and space.
She did not start out in the restaurant
business. She had been an artist and fash-
ion designer as well as trying her hand in
other fields. What was it about being a chef
Outdoor
Porch Dining
Available
Ready, Set, Go!
Anchovies
are those things
people eat around
in an antipasto.
They do have
a strong flavor.
Not everyone
loves them.
Not everyone
has been to
the Red Maple Inn.
that got her? As Shari put it, she “walked
through many doors but did not want to
stay until she found her comfort level in
food.” It was the combination of, “skill,
knowledge and camaraderie.” The cama-
raderie is big with her. She has not met a
chef unwilling to share.
That comradeship is much in evidence
at the cooking school Shari hosts at the Red
Maple. Tom Schaudel, impresario of sever-
al of Long Island’s great restaurants has
taught here with Shari. Another chef,
George Hirsch, has filmed three of his
George Hirsch Living it Up! shows at the
Inn. Bravo TV’s Top Chef finalist, Miguel
Morales has also shared his secrets in
Spencer.
The cooking classes are well attended by
devoted gourmets, but that is not all that
happens at the Red Maple. the Sturbridge
Times Magazine was privileged to attend an
intimate class of three friends from New
York City celebrating a birthday of one of
their number. Nina was being feted by
Diane and Zandra. Together, they chose
the cuisine. Melida Benoit would serve as
Shari’s assistant.
The event held surprises for everyone.
The most remarkable aspect was the conver-
sion experience. No, we are not talking
about people joining a cult. Rather, learn-
ing to enjoy the taste of something you
never thought you could like. There are
many of our countrymen and women who
consider themselves gourmets yet possess, if
not a phobia, at least an aversion to some
delicacies. Shari changed that with her
artistry.
Anchovies are those things people eat
around in an antipasto. They do have a
strong flavor. Not everyone loves them.
Not everyone has been to the Red Maple
Inn. Shari blended the anchovies with sour
cream and a tad of heavy cream and pro-
duced anchovy butter that went on crostini
topped with basil leaf. No one in our small
company did not enjoy the little fish they
might have previously scorned.
There were two other items that Shari
turned people around on. If you were sen-
tenced to death, it is doubtful you would
order food that contained bleu cheese
and/or portobello mushrooms for the last
meal. They are even more an exotic taste
than those anchovies. No matter, Shari was
up to the challenge. As she said, “Teaching
cooking is about not being afraid.”
A Portobello mushroom, with the gills,
was grilled. Meanwhile, a sauce with bleu
cheese was made. Other ingredients includ-
ed heavy cream and sherry. An egg yolk was
added as a thickening agent as well as to
modify the color. When the sauce was
poured over the mushroom and served, the
unbelievers had their epiphany. As Nina
said, “You won me over. I was not a mush-
room person, or a bleu cheese person!”
There were other revelations. In the
kitchen was a pan with what looked like a
burnt offering. They were roasted peppers.
THE CHRONICLE OF STURBRIDGE COUNTRY LIVING
 © 2010 STURBRIDGE TIMES PHOTO BY RICHARD MURPHY

ABOVE, NINA, CHEF SHARI

ALEXANDER, DIANE AND ZANDRA
MIX IT UP IN THE KITCHEN AT
THE RED MAPLE INN. Fine Lines
Nina, Diane and Zandra pulled the
charred skin off to reveal the tender pep-
per and the exquisite aroma.

From Contemporary to
A dish of clams in shells, shrimp and
scallops over pasta was prepared. Shari
shared her technique. She used chicken
broth as it is very delicate and the clam
broth would be too clammy. Pinot Grigio
was added to good effect. New England Colonial
It would not be fair to say that the
whole afternoon had been leading up to
The finest in custom cabinetry
the next dish. Everything that had gone and furniture for kitchens,
before was something that shone all by
itself. Still, the colors of the Sun meme baths and entertainment.
was only enhanced. Pork is beloved in
Tuscany in summer. Shari prepared it in
a manner not often seen in our region.
One side was covered in parsley to mois- Paul J. Girouard, Cabinetmaker
ten, the other with flour to protect it on
the fire. When it was prepped as Shari 508.347.3645 — www.finelineswood.com
Continued on next page Open Weekdays 8:00 - 4:30 — Saturday 8:30 - 11:00 — 4 Old Stagecoach Road, Sturbridge, MA
THE CHRONICLE OF STURBRIDGE COUNTRY LIVING THE STURBRIDGE TIMES MAGAZINE 15
Chef Shari Alexander’s Red Maple Inn
Continued from previous page
desired, it was given to the Grillmeister. More about
him shortly. When brought back in, it was done yet not
overdone. The reviews were more than favorable for the
mouthwatering meat.
In truth, it would be impossible to do justice to Chef
Shari’s work that afternoon. Her knowledge of the sub-
ject matter is encyclopedic. The informal session for
the three women was both informative and satisfying,
not the least because it was hands on.
Of course there are the more formalized sessions of
the Red Maple Inn Cooking School. As class size is lim-
ited to 12, these are intimate sessions. The next three
are, Shari & Julia - Julia Child’s Kitchen on August 26,
Fabulous Fall Favorites, September 15, and
16 THE STURBRIDGE TIMES MAGAZINE
International Holiday Table, October 6 and 13th.
Maybe you just like to eat and were never good in
school? Well, there is a Red Maple program for you. A
classic movie and a three course dinner are on tap on
Saturday nights, all for a moderate price. Movies com-
ing in August, Rear Window, The Maltese Falcon,
North by Northwest and Dial M for Murder. Heavy on
the Hitchcock, three out of four. It is gourmet cuisine
and what can be described as a gourmet movie for
much less than one could expect.
It is all in a beautiful setting. The Red Maple Inn at
217 Main Street in Spencer is the refuge from the hectic
lifestyle lived by Shari and the aforementioned
“Grillmeister” in NYC and the Hamptons. The
Grillmeister is only an aspect of his persona. He is John
Bills, long a tenor with the Metropolitan Opera in New
York. John, married to Shari, has sung with the great
voices over a long career, including all three of the
Three Tenors.
The Inn has only had five owners which according to
Shari, “may explain why it has survived in such excellent
condition for some 230 years.” It is all exquisitely dec-
orated. The John Celio wall murals celebrate the Town
of Spencer.
When you are at the Red Maple Inn, the experience
is not to be rushed, but don’t wait too long. Shari and
John are not kidding about the food of the sun. When
winter approaches they will be in Mexico. Shari is the
chef/director of Flavors & Magic. Flavors and Magic is
a culinary and cultural tour of the Spanish colonial
town of San Miguel Allende and environs. John is the
Assistant Artistic Director of Opera San Miguel.
You can learn more about the Red Maple Inn at
http://www.theredmapleinn.com/. Heck, if you want
to escape our winter and join them in Mexico, go here,
http://flavorsandmagic.com/.
If you saw it here,
please say you saw it
in
The Sturbridge Times
Thanks!
THE CHRONICLE OF STURBRIDGE COUNTRY LIVING