Kathy D'Agostino

I have to admit that November isn't exactly my favorite month. It's a time of frosty breezes and solitude. When I was young, the harvest had been completed and all the farm machinery had been put away by November. With the intense work over, the fields that had been vibrant green and full of promise in spring had turned stark and brown.

I recently went to my family physician. At each appointment, patients are asked about food insecurity. I admit I just dismiss the question. But for many, it can't be dismissed.

I remember coming home from school in September and being greeted by the smell of whatever my mother was canning — tomatoes, pickles, relishes and more. Every vegetable from the garden was being preserved. As a result of living through the Great Depression, my mother never wasted anything. Anything not canned was frozen.

August can be a lot of things to a lot of people. For some, it's the last hurrah of summer, with final trips to the beach and lingering sunsets.

I'm realizing that as I age, I still can prepare some recipes from memory, recall profound emotional events and remember joyful moments — oh, those escapades full of laughter that will be etched forever in my heart. I remember one spectacular moment in particular, when I was about 7.

While pondering a theme for this month's column, I kept remembering the summers of my childhood. When we were in grade school, there wasn't a feeling in the world that could compare to hearing the last bell ring for dismissal and the start of summer vacation. It was pure freedom.

May has arrived. We made it through another winter and, in my opinion, there isn't anything more beautiful than seeing the month of May arriving and breathing new life into Maine.

Amazing goodies always came out of our kitchen during the Easter season. This was a time of celebration, and my grandmother's influence was all over every dish.

I set out to make a light recipe this month to celebrate the beginning of spring, then it occurred to me. Who am I kidding? March in Maine is very much a winter month.

The holidays are over, all the goodies have been eaten or given as gifts, holiday decorations are put away, and once again home has some semblance of order and calm. For many, though, something is missing from all this zen: chocolate.