ROCHESTER, Vt. -
Rochester, Vt., looks like most small towns on the Fourth of July; there's a parade, a reading of the Declaration of Independence and a cookout. And like most proud Americans, they're very selective with who handles the grill.
Reporter Susie Steimle: How many Budweisers have you had today?
Chet Baxter: Oh, more than I should've.
Steimle: Does that help?
Baxter: Yes, it does.
His name Chet Baxter-- Rochester's resident chicken master. His cooking utensil-- a watering can. And his recipe-- a secret.
"I can't tell you what's in there, I'm sorry," Baxter said. "It's an age-old secret passed down from chicken cookers to chicken cookers."
He won't even tell his grandchildren.
"They moved to Virginia, so I won't let it out of Vermont," he said.
A description of the flavor is just as difficult to get out of him as the recipe is.
"Kind of like a full moon at night or a blazing sunrise, similar to that," Baxter said.
He says the Fourth of July is the perfect time to come together; something people in Rochester were forced to learn to do this year. Much of southern Vermont was rocked by Tropical Storm Irene. Rochester was arguably one of the hardest hit towns in the state, something Baxter says people will never stop talking about.
"Forever I can see people grayer than I am talking about it," he said.
Bill Bowen says for him the Fourth of July is about just being an American.
Oh and that recipe you're looking for? He'll tell you.
"Vinegar, water, butter and salt," Bowen said.
For this community, the Fourth is all about something familiar; faces, family and fireworks. In Rochester it's their own recipe which at the end of the day tastes like chicken.
