Vermont may lack the ethnic diversity found in major metropolitan areas, but there are small pockets of foreign influences around the state. In fact, one couple is creating a small Turkish empire with two restaurants and a retail store.

This time, a tale of an alcohol problem, innovation and cooperation. A delightful relationship has blossomed between a Vermont beverage company and spirit maker; Aqua ViTea and Appalachian Gap Distillery . It all started with a big problem that turned into a big win.

Food, traditions and fond memories. These three wonderful things come together when you create a cookbook of family recipes. Even better, the cookbook can be used as a gift that celebrates who a family is and keeps the family's flavor alive.

With the popularity of hard cider and ice cider, one alcoholic apple product has been left in the shadows: apple brandy. But it is still being distilled in Vermont, and one maker has even opened an apple brandy tasting room!

All around the region, cooking classes seem to be gaining popularity. Some are run by local members of the community at co-ops and others are offered at resorts and feature celebrity chefs. Whether you want to learn to cook or just sharpen your skills, chances are you'll find one close by.

It has taken a while for Vermont wines to get noticed, and the crawl for the state's winemakers has been slow and steady. However, even sub-genres are now being recognized; in particular, natural wine.

Permanent + Agriculture = Permaculture. Okay, maybe that's a rudimetary way of explaining what permaculture is but, essentially, it's a more sustainable form of agriculture based on perennials - plants you don't need to replant each year. In this episode, we hear about one Vermont farmer who was unknowingly exposed to permaculture while growing up and then became enamored with it during a trip to India.

A trash dumpster was recently used as the staging area for a fine, six-course meal served in Waterbury. Adopted from concept of The Salvage Supperclub in New York, the dinner was prepared with ingredients both gleaned and about to be thrown away. The purpose of the evening in this odd setting: to create a connection between food insecurity and food waste.

During a recent round-up of summer farmers market finds, Seven Days food writer, Hannah Palmer Egan, was taken with a new spin on a sweet treat from a Chelsea dairy: gelato. The Italian-style ice cream was born around the year 1600. Fast-forward 500-plus years to present day Vermont where we find the frozen confection still being created similarly, but with a twist from Sweet Doe Dairy.

When we think of the foods from a particular culture, we usually don't pay much attention to how it's influenced and has changed as it carries to other places. But a noted cookbook author has done just that in tracking how Jewish dishes have been altered around the globe.