In Our Fall 2022 Issue

Grist for the Mill

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” —Winston Churchill

Every Late Fall issue we like to feature local enterprises that are taking care of business here in the Capital Region—by making a difference. We kick things off by introducing Allie B’s Cozy Kitchen, where proprietor Kizzy Williams-Francisco dishes out comfort, love and plates of soul food she learned how to make from her mother growing up. Food is our common ground, and alongside it, Allie B’s is serving up change in the West Hill community of Clinton Avenue in downtown Albany.

Our Edible Voices guests are Jasper and Beth Alexander, restaurant professionals who oversee the restaurants under Business for Good’s (BFG) Hospitality umbrella. BFG has donated more than $6 million in grants over the past two years, focusing on a diverse range of causes, including: food insecurity, education inequity, domestic violence, housing instability, social injustice, mental health and animal rights.

In the summer of 2020, Jammella Anderson took it upon themselves to launch Free Food Fridge Albany. Jammella told regular Edible contributor Kathleen Willcox: “The problem isn’t having enough food to feed people here; the problem is giving the people who are hungry access to the food that will otherwise end up in the landfill.” Free Food Fridge Albany is now up to 10 fridges across the Capital Region in Albany, Troy and Schenectady. Read about the good work they are doing and how you can help.

With the Mohawk River as a backdrop, Arthur’s Market Cookbook Club gathered and had a picnic that featured one of our personal favorites, Bread Toast Crumbs by Niskayuna resident Alexandra Stafford. Try the Peasant Bread or any of the other recipes—it will probably become a staple in your kitchen like it has in ours.

Our Edible read book review is To the Last Bite: Recipes and Ideas for Making the Most of Your Ingredients by Alexis deBoschnek, who shares recipes featuring ingredients found in local grocery stores.

Every person has within themselves the ability to do good. And every good deed has a ripple effect—like throwing a pebble into a lake—and continues to grow until you have a whole movement of people doing acts of kindness.

This issue celebrates a few of the businesses here in the Capital Region doing such good work, won’t you join them and help however you can?