Pastries and pages

Some of Gabby Rios’s favorite cookbooks.
Photo by Gabby Rios


Some of Gabby Rios’s favorite cookbooks.
‘What Are You Reading?” explores the lives of our local community through the books they love. In this edition, we meet Gabby Rios, a pastry chef whose journey from high school baker to a.m. sous chef at White Hart Provisions is flavored by heritage, passion, and a deep respect for the culinary craft.
In her junior year of high school, Gabby Rios discovered she had a knack for baking. “Holiday Collections” was one of the first cookbooks Rios spent time with, learning how to perfect brownies, cookies, and especially cupcakes.
For International Food Day at her high school, she made a classic French chocolate truffle. This memory marks the beginning of her decision to be a chef.
Rios applied to several culinary arts schools and attended the Art Institute of New York City where she majored in pastry arts.Upon graduation she worked at the Mayflower Inn, located in Washington, Connecticut, where she immersed herself in the unknown — artisanal breads, pies, quiches, etc.
Driven by the never-ending pursuit of knowledge, she applied to be a pastry chef at The White Hart Inn.
For her interview, she was asked to prepare three types of cookies and two plated desserts. Her chocolate chip cookies and brownies were such a hit that the recipes are still used at Provisions today.
Rios takes great pride in her team in the kitchen. She invests time in training each member, not only to ensure consistency in their work, but also so they may go home with the skills to cook for their loved ones.
Rios finds a deep satisfaction and pride in feeding the community with food that is of quality, with food and ingredients that she believes in.
Rios's newest project is developing and executing the menu for “Taco Tuesdays.” As a Mexican woman, she is proud to create and execute a menu that celebrates her roots. The goal is to represent her culture’s food and flavor with unwavering authenticity.
“I am doing taco night as a kind of ode to my history, and ode to my heritage.”
One of the many cookbooks that inspired Rios is “Norteña,” by Karla Zazueta. The author is from the northern region of Mexico, the same region Rios's family calls home. In these recipes Rios dances with the nostalgic memories of her childhood, recalling visits to her grandmother in Mexico who also cooked meals written down on a page from another woman with similar tastebuds.
This past Christmas, Rios's mother gave her a copy of “Holiday Collections.” She uses the recipes — with some minor tweaks — finding honor in upholding tradition.
Some of Rios's other favorite cookbooks include:
“Mosquito Supper Club,” by Melissa Martin
“Six Seasons,” by Joshua McFadden
“Kismet,” by Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson
“Diasporican,” by Illyanna Maisonet
“Nopalito,” by Gonzalo Guzman and Stacy Adminano
“Mi Cocina,” by Rick Martinez
Provisions at the White Hart Inn is located at 15 Under Mountain Road. in Salisbury and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Olivia Geiger is an MFA student at Western Connecticut State Universiry and a lifelong resident of Lakeville.
This story has been edited to reflect Gabby Rios's corrected name.

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Millerton News
Canaan Carnival
6 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park
Old Time Bingo
6 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park Pavilion
Fire Truck Rides
6 to 10 p.m.
Canaan Carnival
6 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park
Old Time Bingo
6 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park Pavilion
Fire Truck Rides
6 to 10 p.m.
Canaan Carnival
6 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park
Old Time Bingo
6 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park Pavilion
Fire Truck Rides
6 to 10 p.m.
4th Annual Fly-In - CANCELLED
New England Accordion Museum
9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Canaan Union Station
Canaan Union Depot Museum
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Canaan Union Station
Canaan Carnival
3 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park
Barbecued Chicken Dinner
5 p.m. until sold out
St. Martin of Tours
4 Main St.
Canaan Fireman’s parade
6 p.m.
Bed Race
Following parade
Main street in front of
St. Joseph’s Church
Fireworks
Around 9 p.m.
Ambulance Buffet breakfast
8 to 11 a.m.
New England Accordion Museum
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Canaan Union Station
Canaan Union Depot Museum
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Canaan Union Station
Nathan Miller
Joey Duncan decorates his bicycle at the Irondale Schoolhouse on Saturday, July 11, in anticipation of wowing visitors and spectators as part of the kickoff parade for Millerton’s nine-day 175th anniversary celebration.
MILLERTON — The village’s 175th anniversary celebration kicked off Saturday, July 11, with a full day of activities for children, families and attendees of all ages.
Millerton will spend the next week celebrating its anniversary, commemorating the village’s history since the arrival of the Harlem Valley Railroad in 1851, a moment that the village’s founding fathers and historians have long heralded as the birth of the community.
The Saturday’s main event was the parade, which rolled down Main Street around 4 p.m., marking the official start of the nine-day celebration. About 200 people gathered along Main Street’s sidewalks and beneath the shade trees in Veterans Park to watch.
More than two dozen craft vendors set up shop in Eddie Collins Memorial Park on Saturday, selling a myriad of handmade goods ranging from decorative to practical including pottery, jewelry and soaps.
Also taking up residence in the park was a community flea market. Millerton and North East community members peddled gently used items at the park, and two residents in the village signed up to have yard sales put on a map of the town for interested shoppers to go visit.
The day included a dedication ceremony at the Town of North East’s Highway Garage, where town officials dedicated the building to the late Bob Stevens. Stevens served as the town’s Highway Superintendent for more than 20 years at the time of his death in March.
Millerton resident Tim Watson was sitting in his wheelchair underneath the shade at Veterans Park around 2:45 p.m., waiting for the parade to start. He said the week-long celebration coming to fruition and the crowd downtown that came out to celebrate demonstrated a strong sense of community.
“This is a perfect example of community support,” Watson said.
Eloise Pickering
Children enjoy a spin in a carnival ride at the 2025 Fire Department Carnival in Millbrook.
MILLBROOK — This weekend, evenings in Millbrook will be filled with rides, games, live music, food, and a celebration put on by and for the local volunteer fire department.
Wednesday, July 15, Millbrook will be hosting their annual Millbrook Fire Department Carnival. Lasting four days, the event culminates on July 18, with a parade down Franklin Avenue starting off the evening.
The proceeds from the carnival go to the firehouse. The money helps fund the day-to-day operations, maintains equipment, and provides training.
“Every person who attends the carnival is helping to support our volunteers,” said Millbrook Fire Department Captain and President Kelly Tomasulo.
The event will be located at 3323 Franklin Avenue from 6:00 p.m. to midnight each day. There will also be new food, including gluten-free options, and wine added to the bar booth.
“The continued generosity of our community is what makes it possible for the Millbrook Fire Department to provide the high level of emergency service our residents and neighboring communities have come to rely on,” Tomasulo said.
Past Chief Chris Hawks is the parade marshall this year, joined by the fire station dog, Tyson. Millbrook Mayor Peter Doro will also be walking in the parade with his three children.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our community together as a family, and I’m looking forward to sharing that experience with them while honoring the dedicated volunteers who do so much for Millbrook,” Doro said.
The Millbrook Fire Department answers around 1,000 emergency calls each year.
“They serve our community every day with professionalism, courage, and dedication,” Doro said.


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