Colby Rottler of Mattapoisett is a chef, not a baker. This was professed clearly on December 29 when he gave a presentation on cooking at the Mattapoisett Public Library. Nonetheless, he was not always a chef.

            His first career – and one that he was involved in for decades – was as a banker. But like many people who are good at analytical pursuits, he had a creative part in his brain that wasn’t being fully exercised.

            All that changed when Rottler and his wife attended a dinner at a culinary school. He became enthralled with the manner in which the students presented the dishes they had made: food as theater, food as nutrition, food as gifts one gives to another.

            “I told my wife, ‘I think I want to go to culinary school,’” he said with a wide grin. He was in his early 50s; today he is a well-seasoned chef, pun intended.

            “My kids came to my graduation from Johnson and Wales,” Rottler said. And while he might have been a bit of a curiosity to the other students in his class, as well as the president of the school, Rottler shined. He was in his element.

            “The president said, ‘You’re pretty old for this,’” Rottler remembered. But as an honor student, he was also one of the best. “It was a fun thing to do.”

            Today, Rottler teaches classes at Upper Cape Regional Technical High School, primarily in food safety where he hammers home the importance of cleanliness in the kitchen.

            “Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands!” he repeated.

            Rottler’s style of cooking isn’t fussy, making the home cook feel at ease attempting new twists on old favorites such as meatloaf or macaroni and cheese, which he fed to the participants on this date. Those “comfort foods,” along with apple crumble and a soup he called “pasta fagioli” scented the air in the library’s conference room. It made a gray winter afternoon feel very warm and cozy.

            As for spices, Rottler said that, as a whole, New Englander’s don’t like the hot spices commonly found in traditional New Orleans dishes. He recommends using a small amount of some hot spices such as cayenne pepper.

            “You can always add more, but you can’t take any out,” he cautioned.

            Imparting more practical wisdom, Rottler said that while he has a large library of cookbooks, which he said he “loved”, he does tap into the worldwide library of culinary delights via the Internet.

            “I can travel through thousands of recipes,” he said.

            Rottler encouraged his audience to try different things, explore unafraid, and use up leftovers – but not after five days. Food safety dictates that leftovers should be tossed out after about five days, he said. 

            Above anything, Rottler is sensible when it comes to food preparation, telling everyone that expensive spices, unless used regularly, aren’t worth the investment and that many canned items, especially vegetables, may be used when making a main course such as a hearty soup. For his meatloaf recipe, he shared one of the ingredients: dry onion soup mix.

            When buying fresh fruits for his apple crumble, his Yankee thriftiness shown through once again.

            “I buy whatever apples are on sale,” said Rottler.

            As the participants lined up to sample the foods warming over the hot plates, Rottler continued to emphasis the concepts of food as a creative journey of trying different flavor combinations. After all, what’s the worst that can happen?

            “Just throw it out. Don’t beat yourself up,” he said, and “Try again.”

            On the point of being a chef, not a baker, Rottler explained, “Nay, I’m a chef – bakers are chemists!”

            Rottler can be found cooking for various church venues in the Tri-Town area, as well as continuing as an instructor, imparting his culinary wisdom to the next generation of chefs. But he hasn’t given up completely on the financial side of life: he is an appointed member of Mattapoisett’s Finance Committee.

By Marilou Newell

            Margot Appleton hasn’t been running cross-country races very long, but she is already gaining national recognition for her ability to put her best foot forward.

            The Mattapoisett native is a junior at Portsmouth Abbey where she attends high school. Appleton is not new to competitive sports, having been a competitive swimmer in the recent past. And while she has been running throughout high school, including coming in third in her category a couple of years ago in the Mattapoisett 4^th of July Road Race, cross-country running is still a new challenge for her.

            As Appleton’s mother Sarah shared with a chuckle, “She has been toiling away in obscurity.”

            It looks like that is about to change, Mom.

            During the Foot Locker qualifying races, which were held in four regions of the US in November, Appleton was selected to run the Northeast qualifier held in Van Cortland Park, New York. She came in sixth in her category.

            “It had been my goal all season to come in top 10,” Appleton confided. “But I was not necessarily expecting it to happen because the Northeast has no many fast girls.”

            She placed 21st last year, but this year she came in much earlier, which bolstered her resolve.

            “I am hoping to come in top 10 again next year,” she said.

            This past summer, Appleton added swimming to her training routine along with running just about seven days a week. All of that hard work paid off. Having ranked in the top 10 in the Northeast region, Appleton qualified for the national event held in San Diego on December 14.

            The Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships began in 1979 when the company was called Kinney Shoes and owned by F. W. Woolworth. Corporate moves through the decades renamed the event and changed it to Foot Locker in 1993.

            It is the longest-running national cross-country race for high school students.

            The top ten student runners from each of the four regions, 40 girls and 40 boys, are invited to San Diego for the event. The students are primarily selected from preparatory high schools.

            Appleton said they arrived in San Diego several days ahead of the race.

            “I did not feel my best leading up to or during the race,” she said, “but it was an opportunity to race with some of the fastest girls in the country, so I tried to make the most of it.”

            Even though it was a difficult challenge, she said, “I had so much fun.”

            Appleton finished in 22nd place with a time of 18:07.3 – just about a minute behind the winner, Marlee Starliper from Wellsville, Pennsylvania, with a time of 17:03.6.

            In fact, it was the first time any female runner has come in at 17 minutes, and the first time two female runners had done so. Sydney Masciarelli from Northbridge, Massachusetts, came in at 17:18.7.

            Appleton will, no doubt, be striving to improve her pace. After all, she did exceptionally well, given her health wasn’t the best at the time. My bet is she’ll shave seconds off that time, next time.

By Marilou Newell

            For many local families and friends, the annual Helping Hands and Hooves Christmas morning swim has become a tradition – a growing tradition, according to the Mattapoisett-based non-profit organization’s director, Julie Craig.

            “This year was our best year yet,” she shared.

            And the weather could not have been more agreeable as several dozen hale and hearty participants stood on Mattapoisett’s Town Beach awaiting the signal to plunge into the freezing seawater.

            Buzzards Bay this time of the year has an average temperature of about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. But taking the bite out of the cold water was a bright sun in the nearly cloudless sky. One could actually feel the heat of the sun; a tiny bit, anyway.

            It wouldn’t have been a Christmas Day plunge without folks showing up dressed for the occasion in Santa suits, ‘ugly’ Christmas sweaters, fancy glittery neckties, and even a festively-dressed family dog.

            Several intrepid bow-wows galloped into the salty brine following their humans.

            Lou Casi of Mattapoisett attended the event with his son, Cabley, and nephew and first-time Christmas day swimmer Nate Syer, who was visiting from North Carolina. The 12-year-old boys sprang in and out of the water, no problem. Dad did okay, too, just a bit slower on the return.

            The four-strong Foley family, along with their fur babies Annie and Breezin, were enjoying the party atmosphere. Breezin, a black lab, thought the whole event was just for him.

            The event’s only challenge was the extreme low tide. This condition required the swimmers to slog out rather far before they reached enough depth to actually get fully wet. With screams, shouts, and with joyous laughter, the plungers appeared as a single unit moving quickly forward and back, grabbing towels and warm robes from their support teams onshore.

            The event, while providing much-needed funding for the programs offered at Helping Hands and Hooves, also demonstrates to the community the need for enrichment, social opportunities, and the practice of daily living skills for those with developmental and cognitive disabilities that age-out of publically-funded education programs upon reaching the age of 22.

            The programs offered at Helping hands and Hooves feature therapeutic horseback riding to assist in building confidence and self-esteem, as well as physical coordination and interaction with others.

            Pat Goss, whose son Brendan has been attending programs at Craig’s Aucoot Road farm for the past 16 years, told The Wanderer during last year’s Christmas Swim, “There isn’t much for them once they reach a certain age.”

            At Helping Hands and Hooves, cognitively and physically challenged adults have the chance to be outside, enjoy interaction with others, and experience the special therapeutic benefits animals provide humans.

            Craig’s partner, Debbie Dyson said, “Many come from group homes where they don’t have a great deal of opportunity to socialize outside that setting.”

            Dyson explained that at the farm the clients are happy, as evidenced by their demeanor, smiles, and overall joie de vivre.

            To learn more about the programs and funding opportunities available at Helping Hands and Hooves, you can visit www.helpinghandsandhooves.org.

By Marilou Newell