Fort Independence from South Boston Point (photo: Courtesy of Boston Public Library)

If you haven’t cracked the Winter edition of Edible Boston, you’re in for a treat.

For those of you who don’t subscribe or haven’t yet picked up a copy from your local food purveyor, settle for a read-through online, for this edition is indeed sumptuous, both in terms of content and graphics. A taste:

John Lee of Allendale Farm writes a brief, thoughtful musing about the “crush” to be ‘local’ and the real pressure he feels it placing on both field and farmer. The history of ginger is recounted, leading to a concise telling of New England’s traditions and a handful of gorgeous recipes. Home-brewing, cold-weather cocktails, coffee (Arlington’s Barismo), chocolate (EH Chocolatier), the bounty and the stories behind Massachusetts farmers markets, and local farmers grappling with the challenges of succession– Edible Boston offers more than enough to feed the mind, the body and the soul.

One of the features that particularly caught our eye, however, was Brian Samuels’ The New Southie, a food-lover’s log and photographic essay about the neighborhood of South Boston. Southie has such a fierce, historic, eminently Boston character. But did you know of the artisanal food-related businesses that have cropped up there? They’re flourishing, creating a nuanced local profile for Southie that now includes speciality shops, slow food and craft beer.

So, treat yourself this weekend! Both to news of the local bounty in South Boston and the rich bounty of our local food producers chronicled in this season’s issue of Edible Boston.