Chespeake TASTE editor and her labradoodle

It was a soggy Saturday for my birthday yesterday, but I’ve had an okay weekend so far if I include Friday.  Friday morning we launched Maryland’s newest magazine, Chesapeake TASTE, and had a lively breakfast gathering on the roof of Metropolitan Kitchen and Lounge. From the phone calls I’ve been receiving, the response on content is good and we’re only just beginning. For those blog readers who live outside our delivery area, I’m including my first editor’s letter below. If you’d like to purchase a subscription. We’re offering a special introductory rate.

Editor’s Letter

Recently I adopted a puppy. Born November 12th, the color of apricot cream, soft and fluffy with dark shiny eyes that look like chocolate covered raisins, I named her Chloe. She looked like a toy stuffed animal, when we first brought her home, but she is growing quickly. In her first three weeks at our house she gained close to four pounds. Navigating her new surroundings, she stumbles and trips when walking on uneven ground, as she grows into those large paws.  A Labradoodle, half Labrador retriever and half poodle, she is going to be a big dog– weighing approximately 55 pounds.

I also have a new job, editor of a new magazine—Chesapeake Taste. Like my puppy, it is starting out small, but I expect it to grow quickly. We have a large geographic area to cover, packed with history, spectacular scenery, and a diverse economy.

The care of Chloe has required me to focus strongly into the present, hour by hour, as I take her outside and praise her good behavior.  Frequently we go on long walks.  While we are walking, I stop to talk to neighbors and make new friends who just can’t resist petting a puppy.  I think about Chesapeake Taste, and the unusual and interesting stories we can publish about people, places, activities, and food in our region.

The wonderful thing about being a writer and living in Annapolis is that it gives you a great excuse to meet new people (even when not walking a very cute puppy) and ask a lot of questions. Focusing into the present moment, as I’ve been practicing as I raise Chloe, has reminded me to keep my mind open to all possibilities and fully appreciate the richness of each experience. As editor, I’ve learned that you can never run out of ideas because even old stories can be told from multiple points of view that provide fresh insight.

With the launch of Chesapeake Taste, this being our inaugural issue, I am fortunate to have the privilege to work with a talented team of editors and writers under the direction of visionary publisher–Donna Jefferson, the same publisher of the prize-winning Chesapeake Family magazine founded 23 years ago. It is our mission to print the real life stories of culture, community and flavor that make the Bay an inviting place to live and play.

In addition to our pages in print, there is plenty more to read. We’ve put all the resource listings, calendar events, and breaking news online at ChesapeakeTaste.com. Visit our facebook page to find out what everyone’s talking about and to point us towards more people, places, restaurants, and activities you’d like to read about in future issues of Chesapeake Taste. We’re published 12 months a year.  We’re interested in telling your stories, so please email me at: Nadja@jecoannapolis.com with your thoughts and ideas.  I look forward to hearing from you, as together we create an exciting new publication you’ll look forward to reading each month.