Bake & subscribe
Photo courtesy of Simon Element

Bake & subscribe

What if I told you there was a small business, run out of a family home in Kent, Conn., that saw averages of 300 thousand people a day?

From the rural farmhouse he shares with his husband Brian Dow and small twin sons,  John Kanell is refining being a local business in a small town. On his YouTube channel Preppy Kitchen, he makes weekly cooking tutorials that draw in big view counts thanks to his 3.18 million subscribers.

“It is a bit of lark that I’m able to putter around in my kitchen, upload my videos and they go to a broader audience," he told me.

Few would see Kanell’s videos as “puttering around.” The kitchen, for one, is enormous, think more spacious Ina Garten Hamptons house than the relatable intimacy of Allison Roman’s cluttered Boerum Hill pad. A long row of spotless copper cookware line the shiplap wall, along with an ILVE jade green range with bass trim, and a endless marble island.

Kanell himself is the ideal of a J. Crew catalog model, with perfectly white teeth and an eager, instructive manner. But his videos are also tightly edited and easy to follow. A former middle school math teacher, he puts the lesson ahead of the chit-chat. "Preppy" isn't a WASP allusion (Kanell's parents are Mexican and Greek), it's a pun on being prepared.

His new cookbook however, is opening up some new, in-person experiences. "People on Youtube or Instagram comment and will say, 'My daughter is making this cake for her birthday and she loves watching her channel,'" Kanell said. Written feedback is the way he experiences his audience, but now he'll be seeing some of the real faces who tune in to watch him in his kitchen. "It's one of the reasons I'm so excited about the book tour. I'm out here in rural, beautiful, pastoral Litchfield County, and you just don't see that many people."

John Kanell will discuss his new cookbook in person at House of Books in Kent, Conn., on Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. For more go to www.houseofbooksct.com

Latest News

Donald Terance Martin

NORTH CANAAN — Dr.f Donald Terance “Doc” Martin, 86, of North Canaan, passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, at his home in North Canaan, which was his last wish. Dr. Martin was a dentist in Canaan, retiring in 2014. He served the community and their needs whether they could pay or not, and at all hours of the day and night. They do not make men like Don “Doc” Martin anymore.

Born on Aug. 27, 1938 in Walla Walla, Washington, he was the youngest of George T. and Anna Mae (McGrath) Martin’s eight children. Don proudly served in the US Navy with the Seabees during the Vietnam War. He adopted the Seabee’s “Can Do” attitude that served him for the rest of his life. Don married Lynne Horner in 1964.

Keep ReadingShow less
Paul Winter to celebrate the winter solstice at Saint James Place

The Paul Winter Consort will perform at St. James Cathedral in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Saturday, Dec. 21.

Photo by Matthew Muise

Seven-time Grammy winning saxophonist Paul Winter, with the Paul Winter Consort, will return to celebrate the Winter Solstice on Saturday, Dec. 21, with sold out shows at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Saint James Place, 352 Main St., Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

A uniquely intimate solstice celebration, in contrast to the large-scale productions done for many years in the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York, it promises to deliver everything audiences have come to love and expect.

Keep ReadingShow less
Developers withdraw application to expand Wake Robin Inn

Wake Robin Inn is located on Sharon Road in Lakeville.

Photo by John Coston

LAKEVILLE — Aradev LLC has withdrawn its application to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a special permit to redevelop the Wake Robin Inn.

In a letter submitted to P&Z Chair Michael Klemens on the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 17, law outfit Mackey, Butts & Whalen LLP announced its client’s withdrawal.

Keep ReadingShow less
North Canaan antique mall fills resale niche

The 403 Group is located at 403 Ashley Falls Road, where the old This N’ That for Habitat used to be.

Photo by Robin Roraback

NORTH CANAAN — The 403 Group Antique Market is “A hidden secret, a little off the beaten path, but worth the drive,” said Carey Field, who has a booth called “Wild Turkey” there.

“It’s a really fun group of dealers,” Field said. “A really eclectic group of antiques and the prices are reasonable.”

Keep ReadingShow less