HANDLING THE HOLIDAYS WITH CHEF TOM DOUGLAS

There are a number of events surrounding the holiday from those that you plan to those that just happen! We took some time to get tips from Chef Tom Douglas, an Executive Chef, Restaurateur of Tom Douglas Seattle Kitchen Restaurant Group, author and radio show talk host. He is known for his innovative role in defining Pacific Northwest cuisine. He won a James Beard Award in 1994 for Best Northwest Chef and in 2012 he won another for Best Restaurateur. He is the author of Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen which was named the Best American Cookbook by the James Beard Foundation and KitchenAid in 2001. Later he would appear on an episode of Food Network's Iron Chef America where he defeated Chef Masaharu Morimoto.

With a number of restaurants under his belt, Prosser Farm which provides all his restaurants with organically grown produce, a catering business, an event space, a product line of sauces and spices, a cooking school and NY Times Best Selling Author, he seemed like the perfect person to get us ready for our culinary challenges as well as how to be the hostest with the mostest.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF TOM DOUGLAS: Well you know, back in Highschool, I took Home Ec and it turns out there were a lot of girls in Home Ec and it seemed like I was in the right spot! I’ve been enamored with it ever since and it has become my life’s challenge, work and passion.

AM: How do you define your style of cooking?

CTD: I would call it Northwest in a way because for us the real key is to keep it simple. For us, I’d say that we spend about 50% of our time on trying to buy the best product and then really, it’s all about getting out of the way whether that comes down to wine or fish or meat. You just try to buy the most delicious things, put them together, walk away and let people enjoy them. That’s a real Northwest style.

AM: What is the most important part of creating a successful holiday party.

CTD: The plan! You have to have a plan. I plan everything – the dishware and the wines. I buy the wine about a week in advance so I can taste them and see what kinds of foods I want to serve with them. For me, at a party, I always want to have a little sparkling wine for people when they walk through the front door so I bought the Domaine Ste Michelle Brut and I made a homemade cranberry syrup, I got some cranberry bitters at the store and I made what I like to call, a Cranberry Fizz. It’s a welcoming pink fizz cocktail that goes great with Goat Cheese Fondue which is goat cheese, cream and chives that are mixed together – super simple with grilled bread and apple slices which gives you a welcoming feeling that says, “I’m happy to have you at my house.”

AM: That sounds pretty easy for a lot of people to do!

CTD: Well, it’s super easy and I serve them in individual goat cheese fondue pots so that you don’t have the big crush! A lot of people have the one big fondue pot and it gets a little funky in there after a few minutes. With these, I can just put them around the house because they have little tealight candles under them and you can refresh them at any point and just a couple of people are eating out of them. It’s a nice way and trick to have a successful fondue party.

AM: You mentioned that you want to test the wine about a week in advance – why is this something that we should do?

CTD: Because I want to think about things and get things prepped in advance. So let’s take this Eroica Riesling for example, I tried it and it has this lemony kind of citrusy flavor. It’s a bit sweet and has nice acidity. It seemed to me that it would go with all sorts of foods and I know that in my menu planning, I want some vegetarian and some not and some gluten free and some not for dishes. So it’s all part of that process and I thought about the wine and decided on a leek and potato empanada. It’s got cheese tarragon in it which is fragrant and I just baked them off and the treat is that I can get them all made up and then freeze them raw so an hour or two before your party, you can pull them out and bake them and it feels like you made them that afternoon. Those are little tricks of the trade that help you to be a more successful party planner.

AM: How easy is it for someone to take a dish and change it for those that are vegetarian, gluten free or other kinds of dietary needs?

CTD: Well it’s super easy because just 10 years ago, it was hard to find a good gluten-free flour, now they’re all over the place and they’re really good! Gluten-free flour, pasta, you name it – the key has been into the lock on gluten- free so we have delicious foods that way. Simplicity is key and vegetarian is key too so this little fennel tart that I made – a little caramel, a little fresh fennel slices and a little gluten free fennel on top, you cook them upside down so when you pop them out you get this golden mahogany nugget of deliciousness and you can serve it just like that or you can take a nice piece of Wagyu beautiful steak like what I have here and sear it and slice it thin and put it right on top and now you have a meat eaters delight. So with the same dish, you have made a classic dish that no one has had vegetarian wise and something for the meat eater that is coming to the party.

You know that you’re going to have red wine and we have the Chateau St Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon from Indian Wells Vineyards so you need a rich dish to go with a wine like that. You’ve got a party with all of these different kinds of wines and it really helps to try them in advance and then to plan the apps to go with them!

AM: What are ingredients that we should always have at home just in case someone comes by that we don’t expect and then it becomes a bit of a party?

CTD: That happens all the time at my house – that’s so funny! There are some really good premade dough out there. I try to always keep in my freezer, a pie dough and puff pastry dough. It’s the beginning of everything good and I always keep a chunk of smoked salmon in my fridge. We have beautiful wild salmon here and it would go along with all of these wines (probably not the red one that we talked about). I always keep that around and have good crackers, a little fresh chevre (goat cheese) – those are some of my ideas on quick apps to get things rolling.

AM: What are your suggestions for dishes to make for office parties for busy people that want to look like they have spent so much time on them?

CTD: Well they have to look good right? I mean, if you’re bringing it to work, it’s going to be hours later. One of the dishes I love to make which everybody loves them is a Roasted Vegetable Salad. It goes great with a Northwest Chardonnay. Take all the different veggies – fennel, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, pepper rings – all those different vegetables, douse them with a little olive oil and pop them into a 500 degree oven and roast them off until you have all kinds of caramelized edges, and dress them with lemon juice and vinegar. Bring a bottle of the Eroica and bring it to the office as you’re going to be a hero because you have solved every problem right? You’ve solved gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan!

IG @TomDouglasCo

Read more from the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Handling the Holidays with Chef Tom Douglas in mag.

INSTAGRAM "HEALTH FOODS" THAT ARE SURPRISINGLY UNHEALTHY OR CALORIC

From Whole Foods to pricey health food stores, cafes, and coffee shops, certain foods and ingredients have become trendy among health and calorie counting foodies.  Who has not heard of matcha, Acai, cold-pressed juice, and gluten-free baked goods? In a perfect world, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could find food and drinks that are delicious, healthy and not calorie laden?  While certain Instagram accounts may have you convinced these “magic foods” exist,  Dr. Niket Sonpal is a NYC gastroenterologist and assistant professor at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine who cautions health enthusiasts to do a deeper dive into what they are eating and imbibing

Gluten-Free Baked Goods

Despite the fact that less than one percent of Americans are believed to have celiac disease, customers and food brands alike have gotten caught in the gluten-free food obsession. Dr. Sonpal explains that “To mimic the taste and texture of wheat gluten, companies will use corn, oat, and rice flours, which aren’t necessarily better for you.” One study found that participants who consumed rice-flour-based baked goods had higher levels of metals within their system than the control group, which is linked to rice’s natural arsenic and metal content.

Smoothie Bowls

Their vibrant colors and pleasant toppings give smoothie bowls the appearance of a well-balanced breakfast, but don’t be fooled: they are loaded with sugar. Unlike traditional smoothies that come in useful, portion-controlled bottles, smoothie bowls tend to be larger and have more surface area, which makes it easy to add additional toppings. For example, the Chunky Strawberry Bowl from Jamba Juice contains 590 calories and 58 grams of sugar.

Acai

Google “acai berry” and a wealth of purported benefits like weight loss and antiaging results will return. Does this trendy health food hail from Brazil really live up to the hype? Dr. Sonpal says that “While the fiber-rich fruit does tout more antioxidant properties than pomegranates and blueberries, many health claims don’t mention that it logs in 247 calories per 100 grams, 26 grams of which are carbohydrates.”  The takeaway?  Unless you are using acai at home and controlling your portions, an acai bowl could cost you almost 600 calories per serving!

Almond milk

The fact that it’s dairy-free and low in calories has made it the default milk among many people who try to eat healthily. Dr. Sonpal explains that “though unsweetened almond milk, like dairy milk, is a good source of calcium and vitamin D, it’s really low in protein. (Just 1 or 2g protein in a one-cup serving.)

Protein Bars

Protein bars, which are sometimes also energy bars, contain numerous artificial ingredients and have as much nutritional value as a milk chocolate bar. That said, some protein bars can be healthy if they contain healthy, whole, and very few ingredients that make up the bar. Dr. Sonpal cautions, “If you see upwards of 15 ingredients in your protein bar, I would say stay away from it.”

Avocado

If you look at all the salads, grain bowls, and other healthy dishes on Instagram, you'll probably notice that the people posting them seem to be eating a great deal of avocado. "Avocados are very nutritious and packed with healthy monounsaturated fats and fiber,” says Dr. Sonpal. Many Instagrammers go overboard. "An entire medium avocado contains 250 calories and 23g fat," Sonpal says. "Keep your serving size to a quarter of a medium avocado, which would be 60 calories and 6g of fat.

Veggie Chips

The pieces of actual veggies in veggie chips are so thin and processed that most of the nutrition from the vegetable is gone. “Instead, try whole-grain pretzels, baked corn chips, crackers made with seeds and nuts, or popcorn,” Dr. Sonpal suggests. To keep from turning a bag of chips or box of crackers into a meal, divide them up into sensible portions ahead of time.

Cold-pressed juices 
Cold pressed juices have risen in popularity over the past few years, and with the hefty price tag tacked on to them (one serving of juice can be as much as $12!) one would assume guzzling some would provide you with all the nutrients you could possibly need. Unfortunately for your wallets, and your diets, that is not the case. While made of whole, raw fruits and veggies, the fiber from these foods are often stripped during the juicing process. On top of that, fruits like apples can be added to cut the bitter flavor of leafy greens, which can bump the carbohydrate content up to 20-30 grams of carbs per juice! Dr. Sonpal warns that “because there is no fiber or protein in these juices, guzzling one can cause blood sugar levels to spike too, leaving you right back where you started: hungry and craving something nutrient dense. 

Matcha Lattes

Matcha is one food trend that has taken the center stage. Some restaurants offer matcha pancakes. While matcha is packed with antioxidants and provides detox health benefits that cannot be disputed, ordering up a latte may not be the magic elixir you bargained for.  A 12-ounce matcha latte from a popular coffee chain packs 24 grams of sugar and will set you back 190 calories.

Agave Nectar

Agave syrup is derived from the sweet nectar of the Agave tequila plant and is often perceived as a “natural” alternative to processed cane or beet sugar or other zero-calorie sweeteners. The syrup is touted by manufacturers as a safer sweetener for diabetics because it is lower on the glycemic index (a measurement of how certain foods affect blood sugar levels), Dr. Sonpal says that “no reliable human studies exist reinforcing this claim. Agave syrup is just like any other sweetener- no better, no worse”.

Read more the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

PROJECT HOLIDAY: TABLESCAPES AND HOSTING

The holiday season is exciting because you have the chance to see a number of your friends, family and colleagues in one place and at various gatherings within a dizzying 6 weeks. You know there are a number of events that you will attend and of course, you will be hosting. In theory, it's exciting until you realize that you will be hosting and throwing a dinner, event or a combination of the two. Before you stress out, we sat down with Camille Styles who knows a thing or two about planning events, cooking meals and being a great hostess. This event planner got her start in the industry planning events and pairing it with food. In addition to sharing her creations and tips on HGTV.com, Cooking Channel, O Magazine, Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living and more, Camille also shares her tips on her namesake site.

We took some time to talk with her about how we can tackle being a great host, the approachable way to creating tablescapes, her favorite places in Austin and her partnership with Bounty.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us how you got into the event space as we know you have done a lot with HGTV.com and your website is beautiful.

CAMILLE STYLES: So part of my career is in events as you said. About 12 years ago, in my 20’s, I was an event planner for a catering company so I am really thankful that I was able to start as an event planner with a focus on food. I feel that number 1, food is my favorite part and the focal point to any kind of gathering and it also really taught me the nitty gritty ends and outs on what it takes to really create a great event. I got my feet wet there and fell in love with entertaining, parties, hosting and bringing people together. As a side creative outlet, I started CamilleStyles.com really as a creative project. I mean at that time, it was 10 years ago so blogs were really more of a hobby and something to do for fun on the side. Over the next year or two, it started to really pick up speed and gain an audience and as a Journalism major I have always loved to be able to right and really to use that degree to create content even if it was just for fun.

Over time, I built an audience where I was able to see that this was something that could be a full time gig and so I stopped planning events and put my time into creating content for the website. For the next 9 years, I continued to build and built a team of 7 right here in Austin – which I can’t believe that it’s been that long. I also have a few contributors from around the country as well. The content that we created it’s grown from focusing on entertaining to a number of lifestyle topics from design to interiors. But we really do keep the heart of what we do, which is about entertaining and for me it really is about those gatherings and finding ways to connect with people – especially during this time of year around the holidays. It’s about creating these feelings and spaces with those you love.

I’m truly able to do my dream job to create this kind of content around these verticals.

AM: Focusing on entertaining, what advice do you have for someone who is about to embark upon hosting their first holiday dinner with 10 people? How can we curb the anxiety that comes around hosting and making that person feel that this is an attainable task?

CS: This is a topic that is really near and dear to my heart. Entertaining is not just about bringing people together, but also being able to interact with them! Finding ways to host holiday gatherings without feeling stressed is so key because the host should be able to have fun right beside their guests. I think that for me, it all starts with making a detailed plan, especially when it comes to hosting a meal like, Thanksgiving or Christmas that has a lot of components where you are juggling a lot of different menu items. You want to hone in on exactly who is coming, making a specific plan about when they should show up, when dinner will be and of course – planning the venue. A detailed list of exact recipes, ingredients needed and most importantly, what can be done in advance so you can get as much done that’s not on the holiday so that when the day rolls around – you’re not too overwhelmed on what needs to get done.

AM: What are your go to’s that you like to make in advance?

CS: Make ahead recipe wise, there are a few things I always do, like sauces and sal ad dressings can be made a day or two ahead. I pop them in Mason Jars in the fridge. Pie crusts can be made really far in advance and you can actually freeze them. Things like cranberry sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Roasted vegetables are perfect to make a day ahead and then you can pop them in the oven to warm them up. We actually just posted Make Ahead Recipes which are perfect for holiday meals! I have a lot of my favorites in there that really showcases how important it is to do things in advance. If you are actually trying to make 8 dishes ON Thanksgiving or Christmas, you are going to be running around like a crazy person! This is the best way to maintain your sanity.

AM: In terms of tablescapes, what options do people have whether it’s going to Williams-Sonoma, your favorite department store or just going outside? People want to be able to showcase that they took time to present their meal in a beautiful and fun way.

CS: I love during this time of year to really take inspiration from nature. Where I live, we can go on a nature walk and collect branches, leaves, acorns or berries and gather them into a bowl. I’ll go to the grocery store and pick up some pomegranates and put them in a big shallow bowl to place them on the table. Anything that you can do to bring in some of those natural elements and really speak to what is happening outdoors, really speaks to the fall and season. Right now, there are a number of stores that are carrying some really beautiful faux greenery and branches – it’s such a great option for someone that doesn’t have those natural elements – to be able to place them on their table.

AM: In terms of cleaning up from such a feast, what are your tips there – should they be cleaning as they go or accept guests requests to pitch in?

CS: I’m all for guests being invited to participate in any realm except for clean up. Clean up is the one area that I think your guests should not be involved unless you have that one guest that absolutely insists. If it helps them to not feel guilty that’s ok but generally – it’s not something I would accept. When guests arrive, I want them to feel relaxed, so the kitchen shouldn’t look like a mess where they feel compelled to jump in and start cooking. For me, that’s where Bounty comes in as I pretty recently ditched my sponges as it was the one thing in my kitchen that got really gross and make my space look so messy. When you’re using the same sponge to wipe off the counters all day and to clean your utensils it just doesn’t look inviting when you see them there. I don’t want my guests to walk in to see gross dirty sponges and dishtowels when they walk in. I have my Bounty papertowels to wipe things down and to use a good cleaning spray. I can keep my pans clean as I go and it’s like using a dishtowel in that it doesn’t tear apart when you are using it and I can simply throw it away when I am done as opposed to having it out visibly. It’s my biggest cleaning hack.

AM: We know that you recently partnered with Bounty?

CS: For me, I really believe in the product and quality and I use it everyday myself. We really, at our company think really carefully about the products and brands we work with and don't have that many that we do partner with. We want to work with the ones that are integral in my life as well as within the studio as we create content. It’s always great when you have the chance to work with a brand that has a natural cohesion with the things that you are already doing. For us around the holiday season, we’re always talking about how to simplify, how to have beautiful surrounding throw really great parties without being stressed and Bounty is one of the ways that we are able to do that.

AM: With Christmas and Hanukkah and other winter holidays – people have a number of gatherings that are not as intensive as hosting a dinner. What are really simple ways that people can host to enjoy their guests while keeping it stress free?

CS: I like events where guests can jump in and have a bit of interactivity and can lighten the load on the host. So, any type of do it yourself menus like Build Your Own Flatbread Bar where you can make flatbreads and bring them out and they can put on their own toppings and they can build them themselves. It’s perfect with those that have dietary restrictions as they can ensure that they are only adding in items that work for their needs. The same with cocktails, think of a specialty cocktail and have a self-serve bar with a few recipe cards and let them mix their own for the season. I love things like that as it’s a great way to get guests mingling and to use their hands to do something. It also makes my job easier as I’m not mixing up cocktails or making individual plates when my guests are hanging out. I can jump in and enjoy my guests and create alongside them.

AM: We know you’re based in Austin, TX. Where can we find you grabbing a bite/cocktail, working out and shopping?

CS: I love this – I’m such a proud Austinite. In terms of getting a bite to eat, there are so many! I would probably say, oh my gosh I have to break it down by season. In the winter, I love to go to June’s it’s a really cozy spot on South Congress. They have an amazing Chicken Matzah Ball Soup – if you go there, you have to get it! Its so heartwarming and cozy and a fun casual environment. That’s probably my go to winter spot. In the summer, I like to sit on the patio of Laundurette and order a glass of rose and they have an amazing burrata dish and everything they do is really creative and interesting with spicy flavors. Shopping, if I had to choose one place – I LOVE, I’d say Sunroom it’s a really cool shop on South Congress that has a cool beachy vibes. They carry designers and brands that you don’t find anywhere else in Austin and their buyer buys the coolest pieces. I just feel I wouldn’t find it anywhere online and I do a lot of online shopping so when I go there, it is always an experience and different. I work out at MOD Fitness, my barre studio and I also do SoulCycle and I also love to walk and run with a good friend around Lady Bird Lake.

PHOTOS COURTESY | Marc Babin

PHOTO CREDIT | UnSplash

Read more from the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Project Holiday: Tablescapes and Hosting in mag.

TAVERN ON THE GREEN FOR THE HOLIDAYS

When it comes to iconic destinations that you have to check off your bucketlist, Tavern on the Green is one of them. It's not just a culinary destination, but it is steeped in history. Earlier this fall we had the chance to talk with their General Manager, Kelly Harbison during their Fall Apple Event. With the holidays descending upon us, we had to circle back to share the history of Tavern on the Green, it's new incarnation, focus on approachability, being a steward in the community and of course, receive a snapshot on what the holiday season is like for them going into this time of year.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us about the iconic history of Tavern on the Green?

KELLY HARBISON: Tavern on the Green is called Tavern on the Green because obviously we are located directly in front of Central Park and our building in the 1800’s was a sheepfold for the sheeps that would graze in Sheep’s Meadow which is right across the street from us. It’s really not even just historical in the 1900’s or even recently, but really all the way back to the building of Central Park where our building is a historic landmark is really influential in that kind of a growth of Central Park as a location which is really exciting for us.

Our ownership of Tavern on the Green has been since 2014. And basically, it was a restaurant for most of the 1900’s and then is was closed down for a little while and then the city really wanted to find a new owner/operator to come in that would bring the park inside. The old Tavern on the Green was really big and people were always in the Crystal Room that had all the chandeliers and such which was great and beautiful, but in the new incarnation of Tavern on the Green, we really looked to bring the park inside. We took down the Crystal Room and having that really beautiful Courtyard that really opens right up to Sheep’s Meadow and having an entrance open on that side so that people can just walk right up from being in the park and have a drink with us at our Courtyard. Our main dining room is the Central Park Room and it has a full glass front so that people can be experiencing the park while they are dining with us. Our two other rooms – our Bar Room and South Wing were really designed with nature in mind. So the original wood in the Bar Room or the leaves in the South Wing really help us to bring Central Park in and make it a bit more of an approachable place!

The Old Tavern, you would wear a suit and tie and go there for a 1,000 person gala and in the new incarnation, both the city and the operators really wanted to make it a place where everybody could come. You could still do a gorgeous wedding here in our Courtyard, but you can also stop here for lunch on a Mon if you are here visiting NYC and really have Tavern be a part of NYC as well as Central Park.

AM: We love that and we think that that is why Tavern on the Green has such a feeling for those visiting the city as well as those that live here! Because you guys have a number of rooms/areas, is the menu the same regardless of where you choose to dine?

KH: We generally for our dining room, have one menu. We have a lunch, brunch and dinner menu depending on the day and time. Additionally, we have our bar menu which is only served in our Bar Room and that has snacks and light bites if you are looking for something to nosh on while you have a nice beverage. In addition to that, we have our nice To Go Window open mainly year around although it closes in Jan. and Feb. – that’s more of a grab and go kind of thing for sandwiches and coffees for those that are walking through the park and don't have time to sit down for a nice meal. You can still have a nice lunch while you are walking by.

AM: As the General Manager, what is your role at Tavern on the Green?

KH: My role is to be the liaison of our ownership. We have over 300 staff members over a number of departments and a lot of things going on! I always joke that Tavern may be one restaurant, but it’s really 5! At any given point, we can have a wedding reception going on in our South Terrace, we can have our To Go Window open, another party in our South Wing, have a la carte in our Bar Room and Central Park Room and then have a full Courtyard with people coming in off of the Park and enjoying lunch or brunch. So it’s one building, but it’s really telling many stories at the same time. So my job is to help our ownership put that all together and what that looks like to ultimately hone in on the guest experience. I make sure that all of our departments whether it’s the front of house or back of house is firing on all cylinders and really just providing that really magical Tavern experience.

I know that you said before that people may have come here years ago – we have guests that come in that say, “oh this is my first time back since my friend’s wedding 10 years ago.” Or they will say, “I have never been here, but my grandparents got married here.” Or that their mom proposed to their dad here. There are a lot of really special family moments that we enjoy having them as Tavern moments as well and being able to speak to that. Simultaneously, being a part of NY.

We have a number of guests that live across the street on the UWS and they love having us here as their local establishment. It’s about holding those two things together and making sure that we are serving all those guests with absolute perfection - which is essentially my job and helping the management team from the front and back of house to do that!

AM: To be sure that is a huge job!

KH: Haha yes!

AM: On Nov 29th, this will be the 3rd Annual Tree Lighting for Tavern on the Green. Why did you guys start this tradition and what events will take place on this night? We know this is one of many events that will flow throughout this holiday period.

KH: The holidays here are about a month and a half of events at Tavern on the Green. We start with Thanksgiving Week. We do over 1500 people for Thanksgiving that Thursday and obviously, we know that that whole weekend is really a fun food and beverage weekend for everybody. That Saturday, we start our Holiday Brunch so our Executive Chef, Bill Peet puts together a $70 prix fixe menu that really focuses on the holiday and celebration and we run that menu every Saturday and Sunday through New Years. So coming off of that week, we head into the celebration of Christmas and all the holidays. So one thing that we do is participate in Winter’s Eve which takes place on Nov 26th at Lincoln Center which kind of brings together all of the restaurants out onto the street. We set up little kiosks and it allows us to be a part of the neighborhood and welcoming in the winter celebrations. This flows right into the Tree Lighting which takes place on Nov 29th and I’m so excited about it!

One of the things that I really love about it is, that yes we are in this iconic city, at an iconic restaurant, but we also try to be a good local steward of our community as well. Our charity partner for both the Winter’s Eve event and this Tree Lighting event is the West Side Campaign Against Hunger - a hyper local charity that really does amazing work around issues of hunger and scarcity right in our backyard. They run a food pantry which is set up like a grocery store and it allows people that need that food support to be a customer and get the kinds of things that they need for their families versus just giving boxes of food to them. It’s a really classy and respectful way for you to help someone out while making them feel valued at the same time. We love partnering with this organization for these reasons. So all of the money we raised for the donations from the delicious apple cinnamon donuts and delicious hot chocolate dipping sauce that was made for the Winter’s Eve event will be given to the West Side Campaign Against Hunger and similarly on the evening of the Tree Lighting Ceremony, we will host students from their Chef's Training Program who will be giving out soup and and raising money as well. Once again, we’re tying in this celebratory Tree Lighting into something that is a little greater than that and a bit more about the reason for the season – I think they say!

From the decorative side, we have a decorator that comes in who starts on Thanksgiving night at 1am to put up all the decorations.

AM: Oh wow!

KH: Oh yes, he’s right up in there! We will have over 12 Christmas Trees all over the building in addition to the beautiful one that is in the Courtyard that is 20 feet tall and has over 20,000 ornaments. There’s also 10,000 lights that we put up all over the eaves and the outside of the building and then really fun kinds of nooks all over the building. We have this white fireplace and we’re really playing up this cute Christmas Village in that area. We have Toy Soldiers when you come into the front and Chef Peet is putting together a full-scale Tavern on the Green as a gingerbread house. We have some lifesized elves in the Courtyard that are really fun to take a picture with. Finding these nooks so that people can take pictures of those great moments is really important to us.

Finally, for the Tree Lighting event, we will give out Chef Peet’s famous hot chocolate, spiced cider, warm cider, Christmas Cookies, gingerbread and apple cinnamon donuts. These will be complimentary to our guests for this event as we want our guests to enjoy the evening with us from 5-7pm. Our entertainment for the evening is the LaGuardia High School which is right around the corner from us. So we’re happy to have these talented young people to come celebrate with us!

AM: This sounds amazing! Will you continue to partner with West Side Campaign Against Hunger throughout the holiday season?

KH: We do events with them all of the time! I actually meant to mention an event we did the Tues after Thanksgiving …

AM: Yes Giving Tuesday

KH: Yes – on Giving Tuesday we donated 5% of our gross profits to West Side Campaign Against Hunger as well. We’re really happy to be engaging with them and the work that their Executive Director is phenomenal and the work that they do is amazing. It’s really important with the work that they are doing and it is being done in an amazing way. It’s about raising people up and doing charity in a way that helps people move themselves forward too.

I mentioned the Chef's Students that will be participating in the Tree Lighting, that’s a jobs program right? We come to them, they learn a skill and that helps them with their families to continue to succeed as they go forward. It’s an amazing way to serve the community. We work with this organization all the time so at the Apple Garden event you were at earlier this fall, one of the apple items had a $1 from every Waldorf Salad went back to them and we really look to find ways to donate to them as well as to incorporate them into what we do at Tavern. A couple of those Chefs Students who will be working at the Tree Lighting will actually be here all day with us by working with Chef Peet to see how a kitchen runs, helping with some prep work and really taking their classroom experiences in this charities kitchen to this big open kitchen on Tavern on the Green to give them that experience.

AM: That is truly amazing and the students must be excited for that experience!

What would you consider to be a classic holiday dish that people enjoy at Tavern on the Green as well as a cocktail to enjoy during this time of year?

KH: Oooo we have so many! In terms of a classic dish, we have a Tomahawk Steak that is served with Truffle Macaroni and Cheese which is as decadent and I mean that in the best way! It’s perfect for a cold Dec. night. Our beverage program is great as we do seasonal cocktails throughout the year and for the holidays we have some really beautiful Mulled Spice Cider which is delicious and served hot. We have a spiced Eggnog which is amazing and we can do those versions styled for the kids as well. We really searched far and wide for this Eggnog recipe and our Beverage Director joked last year that he really perfected it. This is the Tavern version and that Eggnog is really the way to celebrate this holiday.

AM: We feel that the holidays wrap up with New Year’s Eve essentially. What are you guys doing this year?

KH: We do. We’re really happy to do New Year’s because it is a really beautiful space to do it in. You can see all the fireworks that they do over Central Park. Once again it’s bringing in that Park and NYC experience right into Tavern. This year, we are doing it a little differently with an a la carte experience that will start at 4:45pm until 6:45pm. We want to be really approachable for everybody so maybe it’s a family with 2 really young kids and they want to celebrate but their kids need to be in bed by 8pm. We want to provide something for them.

So in the beginning we will have a normal lunch service and our evening will be a really fun celebratory affair with open seating so that people can have fun but then enjoy seeing the ball drop at home on TV. They can have an early celebration with us.

Starting at 9pm, we have our full 4 course meal with seating so you purchase your ticket by buying by table and it is yours for the evening. There will be live entertainment at the Bar Room and our Atrium so there will be several different party areas. The idea is that you will have a beautiful meal, then we will have passed desserts so once you finish the first part of the meal, your table is your home base, but then you can enjoy exploring the restaurant to bring in the New Year celebration!

IG @TavernOnTheGreen

Read more from the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Tavern on the Green for the Holidays in mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW | RICHARD BLAIS

Richard Blais trained under phenomenal chefs from Thomas Keller at The French Laundry, Daniel Boloud and Ferran Adria and then took the runner up spot on Top Chef's fourth season. Seasons later, he won Top Chef: All Stars. Richard continues to be a judge on Top Chef as well as a number of guest appearances on Food Network. In addition, his successful restaurants include: Juniper & Ivy and The Crack Shack.

With the holidays starting this month, we wanted to talk with Richard about what we should have on hand in our cabinets, how can we make great leftovers, and what he is up to that we should keep an eye out for.

ATHLEISURE MAG: With the holidays coming up, what are ingredients that are always good to have on hand regardless of whether we’re making our appetizers, mains, sides and desserts?

RICHARD BLAIS: Salt is a given! My personal favorite is Morton Fine Sea Salt as it gives any dish – appetizer, main, side or dessert – that additional flavor boost needed to upgrade your Thanksgiving meal.

AM: What is the key to proper planning when making our holiday meals?

RB: Getting ahead! Don’t be afraid to start the work a week ahead if possible! Stock, sauce, gravy, cutting vegetables, and getting as much done in advance of the day of eating!!!

AM: What are common ingredients that can be used for sweet and savory dishes that we may be surprised to know?

RB: Salt of course really wakes up any dessert! I love cinnamon in savory dishes as well!

AM: After an epic holiday meal, how can we breathe life back into our turkey in a new way for leftovers?

RB: I’m a big fan of upcycling your Thanksgiving leftovers. The go-to at my house is to take dinner’s leftover sweet potatoes and turn them into breakfast waffles. My kids are big fans of this too!

Leftover Sweet Potato Waffles

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp Morton® Fine Sea Salt

1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (recipe below)

1/2 cup melted butter

2 cups milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs, separated

1 cup Pomegranate seeds

1 cup toasted, Pumpkin seeds

1 cup your favorite granola (or recipe below)

1.5 cups crème fraiche, whipped (or whipped cream)

2 tsp apple pie spice

1 tsp Morton® Coarse Ground Sea Salt

Directions

· Preheat your waffle iron and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

· In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, Morton® Fine Sea Salt, sugar and cinnamon.

· Beat the egg whites in a mixer or with a whisk, until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

· In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, vanilla, melted butter and egg yolks.

· Add wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until fully incorporated.

· Fold in sweet potato and egg whites.

· Spray all sides of waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray, pour batter into waffle iron so that it fills the shell completely.

· Close waffle iron lid and wait for notification that it is finished (likely, a beep)

· Open iron and remove hot waffle.

· Serve with a handful of pomegranate, pumpkin seeds, granola, and a dollop of crème fraiche, as desired.

· Finish with a dusting of apple pie spice and Morton® Coarse Sea Salt.

Mashed Potato Recipe

Ingredients

1 ea large sweet potato

1 tsp Morton Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp olive oil

Directions

· Preheat oven to 350 F.

· Rub sweet potato with Morton Kosher Salt, black pepper and olive oil and wrap tightly in aluminum foil.

· Bake in a baking dish in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until fork tender.

· Remove from oven, peel once cool enough to touch, and mash with a fork.

Granola Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup slivered almonds

¼ cup honey

¾ tsp Morton® Coarse Sea Salt

1 tbsp browned butter

Directions

· Preheat oven to 250F.

· Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and pour into a baking dish.

· Cook for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes to toast evenly.

· Remove from oven and let cool.

· Use handful of granola to top the waffle, as desired.

AM: What does a Richard Blais Thanksgiving meal look like?

RB: A few variations of turkey! A traditional roasted one and then something experimental for that year. This year I’m in Italy, so maybe porchetta for thanksgiving! And lots of sides! Mac and cheese, braised greens, homemade bread, but always CANNED cranberry jelly! Don’t judge!

AM: What tips do you have in making a moist turkey that guests will enjoy?

RB: The key to a moist, flavorful turkey – it’s all about the brine! Brining really helps to lock in the birds’ natural juices. My tips on bringing – ask Alexa. With the Alexa skill, Morton Brine Time, you simply call out for help and you get step-by-step answers to all your brining questions.

AM: We know that you enjoy truffle hunting – any tips that you can give us when we have the opportunity to do so?

RB: You need time, a good guide, and an amazing dog. I’m no expert, but I forage regularly in California for all sorts of wild foods, and I recommend it as a fun family hiking activity. Just know what you are grabbing and consult a field book, or expert always!

AM: We know that you are a busy guy with a number of restaurants, appearing on shows etc., but when you’re home, where would we find you grabbing a bite/cocktail, working out and doing a little shopping?

RB: I travel so much I feel like it’s hard to pin down a routine, but I call North County San Diego home. You can find me running a trail or foraging when I’m not in the restaurants.

PHOTOS COURTESY | RICHARD BLAIS

Read more from the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know with Richard Blais in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK

Read more from the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack in the mag.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PROBIOTICS FOR MEN?

What Are The Benefits of Probiotics For Men?

We hear so much about probiotics and healthy eating, but do you have any idea what probiotics are, and why you should be taking them?

The health and wellness industry is always introducing new products onto the market, but probiotics have certainly stuck around for a good few years now. There is a good reason for that - probiotics have been proven to have a range of benefits for overall health and wellness, especially for the gut. Of course, further studies will need to continue, in order to ascertain whether there are any possible side effects, and the extent of the benefits too.

For now however, we simply know that probiotics are beneficial, but what are they?

Probiotics are actually bacteria and yeasts. Whilst that might sound troubling, it’s actually a good thing! Probiotics are healthy bacteria. Your body needs both good and bad bacteria to create a natural, harmonious balance. The good bacteria helps to stop the bad bacteria from running riot and causing disturbances, and also ensures smooth running of your overall digestive system.

As a man, why should you consider taking these healthy bacteria as part of your daily routine? Let’s check out some of the benefits of probiotics for men.

Probiotics Help to Treat And Prevent Diarrhoea, Caused by Antibiotics

If you are prescribed antibiotics by your doctor, you are at risk of developing diarrhoea, caused by that medication. Probiotics can help to prevent this from occurring in the first place, if you’ve been taking supplements for a while already, and can treat it if you’ve suddenly developed it. We all know how annoying and inconvenient diarrhoea can be!

Probiotics Help to Lower Cholesterol Levels

Do you have an unhealthy diet? Or, do you have a family history of heart issues and high cholesterol? According to Staci Gulbin RD, probiotics could help to lower your cholesterol levels, and therefore lower your risk of developing serious heart-related conditions in the future. Of course, you’ll need to take probiotics in conjunction with a healthy diet too.

Probiotics May Help to Reduce Anxiety And Depression

There is some suggestion that taking a regular probiotic supplement could lower your risk of developing anxiety and depression, and could also help to reduce the effects if you do suffer with it already. There are two main strains which are associated with this benefit, namely B. Longum, and Helveticus.

Probiotics Help With a Variety of Digestive System Conditions

The stressful and busy lives we lead these days can cause stomach upsets and conditions, such as diverticular disease and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). If you suffer from a gut issue, taking a regular probiotic could help to relieve your symptoms and cut down on the chances of a flare up from occurring. Soothing IBS symptoms is one of the most well-known benefits of probiotics overall.

Probiotics Boost Your Immune System

Giving your good bacteria amount a boost means a better immune systems. Studies have shown that those two take a regular probiotic supplement, or those who get a good amount of natural probiotics in their diet, fall foul of the common cold much less frequently as a result. This is useful for anyone who seems to be prone to catching every virus doing the rounds during the winter months, for sure!

Probiotics May Help You Lose Belly Fat

There are certain probiotic strains which are thought to help with weight loss, particularly around the belly area. L. Gasseri is one of those strains, as well as B. Lactis too. Obviously this needs to be taken in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular exercise, but the probiotic supplement could help you to target where you want to lose the weight from, more effectively than otherwise.

Probiotics Help to Cut Down on Ulcer Development

There is one particular type of bad bacteria which has been considered conductive to ulcer development, i.e. Helicobacter Pylori. By taking a regular probiotic, you are giving your body more of the good bacteria to fight this strain, and several studies have shown that by doing this, you reduce the chances of a H. Pylori infection, and therefore cut down your chances of developing an ulcer, when you lead a healthy lifestyle overall.

Probiotics Help With Gut Health Overall

Overall, probiotics are beneficial for your gut, and this ensures that you have less stomach upsets and more regular days when you don’t have bloating, excess gas, or any other gastric disturbances which cause upset and distress. Again, we live busy and stressful lives and all of this can contribute to a lifestyle of grabbing the quickest meal possible at the end of the day, perhaps not chewing your food enough and causing indigestion. When you follow a healthy diet and lifestyle and incorporate probiotics into it, you will find that your gut health is optimum as a result.

By choosing to incorporate probiotics into your life, you need to decide whether to go down the natural route, i.e. within your diet, or by taking a supplement. You won’t struggle to find a wide range of different supplements on the market, with tablets, capsules, and yoghurt drinks available. If you choose to up your probiotics content in your diet, you need to focus your attention towards live yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kale, fermented foods, kombucha, miso, dark chocolate, traditional buttermilk, and other foods which are known to be high in natural probiotic content.

Many people find it difficult to get their full amount of probiotics from diet alone, which is why supplements are so popular these days. Remember to show around for the best supplement for you, and to always seek the advice of your doctor before you start taking any new kind of supplement, which you haven’t taken before. There isn’t a lot of evidence to suggest major side effects of probiotics, but at the same time, not a huge amount of studies have been done into this either. A quick chat with your doctor will give you the information you need, to be able to decide whether probiotics are the best choice for you or not.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

#TRIBEGOALS

Read more from the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see #TribeGoals in mag.

GRAB YOUR FORK AND KNIFE WITH JORDAN ANDINO

This month, we focused on foods and festive gathering as we begin to head into the holiday season. Our Nov cover is graced by Celebrity Chef and Owner of FlipSigi, The Original Filipino Taqueria, Jordan Andino. In addition to running his two fast casual restaurants on the UES as well as in its flagship, West Village location - Jordan is a man on the move! He has been named Zagat's 30 Hottest Chefs Under 30; was noted as one of People Magazine's Sexiest Chefs; he's hosting his second season of The Cooking Channel's Late Nite Eats; he has had numerous guest appearances on shows including: Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, Rachel Ray, Worst Cooks in America and more. Jordan merges his world of chef, TV Personality and entrepreneur seamlessly.

We took some time out of his busy schedule (this week alone included a launch party for his pop up restaurant in Brooklyn and a dinner he is preparing in conjunction with James Beard) to talk about his career and of course to rock great menswear that is in line with his vibrant personality.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you know that you wanted to be a chef?

JORDAN ANDINO: I began cooking in kitchens since I was 9 years old with my father, as that was the best way for me to be able to hang out with him as he was always there since he was a professional chef. I remember one day when I was around 12 standing next to him and he was a man of few words, but he pointed out the other people in the kitchen that were in their 20’s and 30’s and he said, “Jordan, you are better then any of them!” I was taken aback but it really stuck with me when he said that. That's when I knew that this is what I wanted to do!

AM: Tell us about your culinary journey and what chefs/restaurants you were a part of as you made your way to launching your own restaurant.

JA: I was really fortunate to learn the business and techniques from my father. One of the chefs that my dad trained eventually went on to Jean Georges. Because of my connections there, I was able to work there and then go on to Spago with Wolfgang Puck at Spago in LA. I also went on to work with Thomas Keller at French Laundry in Napa.

AM: How would you define your style of cooking?

JA: I would say that my cooking style is Mediterranean with a French influence for sure.

AM: Tell us about FlipSigi. When it opened what was your vision behind this restaurant?

JA: I really wanted to introduce Filipino food to NYers via my grandmother’s recipes and give them tastes of the food that I love and keeping it familiar by including it in burgers, burritos and rice bowls. I wanted to bring my personality into the restaurants by being able to having fun energetic music, a vibrant mural and a high energy personality. I really wanted to kick off our first location in the West Village to show that this style of food would do well here and that's what I set out to do!

AM: Are there differences between Flip Sigi in the West Village and the one on the UES and is there a meaning behind the name?

JA: Nope the menus and the experience is the same at both locations. Well, it’s pretty simple, Flip is slang for Filipino and Sigi means ‘Go,’ so essentially it means Go Filipino.

AM: We know that you are opening up a new restaurant that will be a pop up. Tell us about this and how long will the pop up be?

JA: I’m pretty excited about our pop up that is at The Royal Palms Shuffle Board Club in Brooklyn. We have been open for about a week and we will run through the middle of Jan.

AM: What is the hope for this pop up?

JA: Well hopefully they like the pop up and we can continue to be there!

AM: How did Late Nite Eats come about and what is it about this show that drew you in to being a part of it as you are currently in your second season.

JA: I remember when I was talking with the executives at the network and we were throwing around ideas of doing a show. I knew I wanted to do a show where I could travel and introduce people to bars and their menus.

About two months later, I got a call and they were like, "do you want to host a show that focuses on bars/restaurants in the late night scene?"

I have been able to travel all over the US doing this show and being able to see whats out there and what's trending which is fantastic.

AM: Are you part of the cannabis cooking movement?

JA: I am really intrigued by it and interestingly enough, my business partners and I have been talking about it as I think that it is the next movement in terms of the culinary world.

AM: What is your style with that in terms of flavors and effects in savory and sweet specialties and will this be something that you will bring into your restaurants?

JA: Well I am still in the R&D phase and that's why I am excited about planning the menu and participating in this dinner tomorrow for James Beard. It's a great way for me to learn and try out! Since I'm still in R&D at this point, there are still a lot of legalities to figure out.

AM: We loved hanging out with you on the shoot, seeing you pop into the kitchen to make a few dishes and bringing out your inner model – you also have a great personality as evidenced by seeing you on shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Beat Bobby Flay, judging on Chopped etc – how important is it to you to be able to share your brand on these shows?

JA: First and foremost, I am a chef and today, it’s important for me to be out there to be able to share who I am as well as to promote my restaurant. Being on a number of shows allows me to do that and being on Instagram and all those networks allows me to continue to amplify me to a wide audience. It’s definitely important in addition to everything else that I am doing.

AM: Tell us about your personal style as we know via your Instagram, you can definitely rock fun colors.

JA: What can I say, my personal style is vivacious, colorful and high energy and I love my clothing to reflect that vibe – I’m a pretty happy guy.

AM: With all the things that you have going on, we're struck by how humble you are.

JA: Well I'm appreciative of everything that I have. I love what I do and although I am driven and can be hard on myself, I am thankful for what I have been able to achieve.

I know what it is to work hard and to come from humble beginnings and to know what it takes in order to be successful!

AM: Where would we find you grabbing a bite/cocktail here in NYC, shopping and of course working out?

JA: I love to go out – when you think about having 21 meals in a week, I probably eat out for 20 of them! When I’m not in my restaurant and want to grab a drink, you’ll find me at dive bars - I love them! I love to exercise – I love running in Central Park when I can, I’m all about cardio and weights and work out about 5 times a week. I fucking love Equinox as it’s the best gym in the world! I also love to skate. A lot of times I skate from Flip Sigi’s UES location to my West Village location which is about 10 avenues over and about 100 streets down!

AM: With the New Year around the corner, what projects can you tell us about that will launch/be released next year that we should keep an eye out for or should we just keep an eye on your social to find out?

JA: I’m excited about a number of things coming up! In a few days I have a new merch line coming out under my brand Fork Knife which will include tumblers, hats, wallets etc that are in really fun vibrant colors and goes right along with my personality! I am working on a book and I am working on another show that will be coming out!

AM: What’s on heavy rotation on your playlist to cook, entertain, workout and about town?

JA: My music taste is fun and eclectic and is like what you would hear if you were in my restaurants! If you went through my playlist you'd see that I have: Drake, Miguel, Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine, Marvin Gaye - Ain't No Mountain High Enough, J. Lo - Ain't It Funny!

IG @Fork_Knife

| CREDITS - COVER, PG 22 - 25 | AVIATOR NATION Velvet Sweatshirt | MAVI JEANS Denim |

| PG 16, THIS PG + BACK COVER | PARAJUMPERS Outerwear | AVIATOR NATION Velvet Sweatshirt | MAVI JEANS Denim |

| PG 18 - 20 | ANUAR LAYON Simpsons Leather Jacket | HANRO Muscle Tank |

| PG 30 - 31 | ANZ Cardigan | MAVI JEANS Denim |

Read more from the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Grab Your Fork and Knife with Jordan Andino in mag.

TALKING HARVEST AT SONOMA CUTRER WITH WINEMAKER ZIDANELIA ARCIDIACONO

Last month, we ran a feature that focused on World Sake Day, which really is a celebration of kicking off the harvest season of sake in Japan. This month we're focused on the harvest of Pinot Noir and took some time to chat with Zidanelia Arcidiacono who is the Assistant Winemaker at Sonoma-Cutrer. You may also know of her from her previous position at Little Black Dress Wines. We wanted to know about her start in the industry, what takes place during harvest season, why it's such a hectic time of year and how she takes time for herself.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about when you knew you wanted to be a winemaker?

ZIDANELIA ARCIDIACONO: I was born in Texas, but when I was 3, my family moved to Mendoza, Argentina, a known wine region. I loved hearing from winemakers about their stories and how passionate they were. As a teen, I knew I wanted to be in a career that allowed me to be creative as well as to be scientific! In Mendoza, I got to meet people in the wine industry and saw that they enjoyed their work. It was like a lifestyle and not a job.

AM: Can you share your journey into the wine business?

ZA: I began my career by working in the lab at Bodega Cruz de Piedra while attending university in Mendoza. I earned my bachelor’s in Enology and traveled to the south of France to the Cave cooperative Les Vignerons du Pays d’Enserune, working in their cellar for harvest. I decided that I wanted to travel and work in California and after some time applying, came to Sonoma-Cutrer, where I was hired as an Enologist for that season’s harvest. I love this region and although after a time, I moved on to the same position at Fetzer winery. In time, I became the Winemaker for Fetzer Reserve Wines and Little Black Dress within a few years. Coming back to where it started, my knowledge of making reserve wines allows me to create Sonoma-Cutrer’s Pinot Noirs.

AM: Can you take our readers through a quick process of how Pinot Noir at Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards is created?

ZA: The harvest is the craziest time of year that has a lot of intensive work. For Pinot Noir, we begin in late Aug and are completed by the end of September/early October. We analyze and taste the grapes and when we feel the flavor is right and it has reached it’s peak, we bring in our crew to pick which is at 2am and continues until the early morning so that it can still be obtained while cool. The process involves handpicking the grapes so that we can get the juice. They are placed in tanks and we have about 50 that I taste, professionally of course. After production, the rewarding part of the critical harvest season is that within these weeks, we have been able to create great varietals in this process and ultimately, being able to see how others enjoy this work.

Once the fruit is brought to the winery, we chill it further in our cooling tunnels. These tunnels are the only ones of their kind and are essentially a blast chiller that has the ability to bring the temperature of the grapes down to 50˚in 45 minutes. Having our fruit cool helps it retain its flavor, avoid harsh extractiveness and reduces the potential for oxidation during processing.

Still touched only once, the cool fruit travels to the sorting tables where the clusters are hand – not machine – sorted. This is a highly, labor-intensive step in the process but it ensures that only the grapes of the highest quality make it to the press. Once the grapes fill the press, it slowly and gen- tly crushes them helping us avoid extracting bitter tannins. The cool, golden-free run juice from the press is sent to tanks where it is allowed to settle for 24 hours. After racking, yeast is then added to the tanks before the juice is sent to French oak barrels to complete the fermentation and maturation of the wine.

AM: Do you have any suggestions on what types of wines people should be drinking this fall/winter?

ZA: I never like to tell people what they should or shouldn’t drink. I can say what I like to drink! I always feel bad when people come to me and they are nervous to tell me that they like to drink a Chardonnay with a steak! I love having pizza and wine which is a great combination. If that’s what you like to do, you should do it without question! There are so many great varietals and it is all about what you enjoy! Enjoying wine is about a memorable moment and who you share it with.

AM: When is the best time of year to visit?

ZA: I don't want to be selfish, but the the best time of year is the harvest! People are able to come and enjoy the vineyard as well as to find out why and how we do what we do. I love when we talk to children letting them know how we make these juices and that it’s science and chemistry that makes this all happen. They are always amazed at that!

AM: With such an attention to detail and varied facets of your work? How do you take time for yourself to stay balanced?

ZA: I’m pleased that I love what I do. I didn’t want to work a job where I felt happy that I could take a break. I love wine and even when I’m not working, if you ask me about it, I love being able to tell others about. I enjoy drinking it. Of course, I love spending time with my friends and family as well as they are important.

Read more from the Oct Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Talking Harvest at Sonoma Cutrer with Winemaker Zidanelia Arcidiacono.

BINGELY BOOKS

THE VEGAN 8
Brandi Doming
Oxmoor House

Veganism is definitely on the rise with a number of people changing their diets to this lifestyle for all of their meals or incorporating it into a few meals each week. It's also good to be mindful of those that eat this way when you're selecting restaurants or meals that you make at home for those that adhere to this diet.

Brandi Doming, a popular blogger, became a vegan after her husband had health issues. Her focus on overhauling her family to this food method led to this book which focuses on recipes and ingredients that are simple, family friendly, plant based and dairy free (most are oil-free, Dairy-free, gluten-free and nut-free - when they're not, Brandi provides alternatives).

In addition, the 100 recipes in this book have 8 or fewer ingredients (not including items such as salt, pepper and water)! Meals span from breakfast to dessert.

BREAKFAST
The Editors of Extra Crispy
Oxmoor House

We've all heard that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Now in Breafast: The Most Important Book About the Best Meal of the Day, the editors of Extra Crispy drive this point home in their new book about this meal. Throughtout the book, they focus on breakfast as well as brunch.

In addition to having recipes (obviously), there are a number of stories, how-tos as well as hearing new ingredients and secrets to some of your favorite breakfast items for some of your faves such as Entenmann’s Cake Doughnuts and Taco Bell Crunchwraps - to make at home!

In addition, they go into the origins of a number of breakfast stories, such as scrapple and share how you can brew barista quality drinks from the comfort of your studio or loft! This breakfast educational tool includes 100 photos, illustrations and craveable items.

ELEVATION
Stephen King

Scribner

Stephen King takes us to his beloved town of Castle Rock, Maine with a tale about a man with mysterious issues who ultimately brings a small town together even though there are differences within those that live there.

This riveting, eerie and moving story centers around Scott Carey who has been losing weight over time, but he doesn't look different. Whether he is in his clothes or out, he weighs the same. He doesn't know what to do, but reaches out to his trusted doctor, Bob Ellis.

In addition to his issues, he lives next door to a lesbian couple who wish to open a restaurant. Although he has an issue with their dog leaving his business on his lawn, he finds the town's reaction to them and their business upsetting and wants to help this couple. His interest and unlikely alliance with the couple as well as his strange condition begin to create a scenario where despite the town's issues, they begin to come together and get past the worst parts of themselves to create social progress.

Read more from the Oct Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Books in mag,

THE ART OF THE SNACK | GAME TIME EATS

Read more from the Oct Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | Game Time Eats in issue.

5 QUICK TIPS IN MAKING HEALTHY YET DELICIOUS SNACKS

We all know that losing weight is not an easy feat. With the holidays soon approaching, shedding excess weight becomes even harder. We are always bombarded with various diet plans, but it all boils down to making sustainable, informed choices. It’s all about creating perfect decisions, and there is no better choice than eating a healthy snack.

It is easier to say than to implement, right? When you are going out on a vacation or business meeting, you don’t always know what constitutes a healthy snack. That is why this article has come to your rescue! This article will provide excellent tips to help you prepare a slim and smart snack suitable for your weight loss needs. There are a series of crucial decisions you have to make when renovating your kitchen. No kitchen is considered to be complete without modern cooking appliances.

Choosing the right cooking appliances can be an uphill task, especially when you don’t know where to start. This article will help you select kitchen ovens, refrigerators, sink and dishwasher amongst other cooking appliances. If you want to learn more about the best cooking appliances, then visit https://yourcookingexpert.com for more details.

5 Simple Tips for Healthy Snacking

1. Match and Mix

Your diet is personal. Although we have general guidelines to follow, our eating habits are unique and not universal. Maybe you consume more fat in your breakfast than an average person. If that is the case, you need to include that in your afternoon snack. Your gut will probably react with something nutritious and delicious like walnuts. Making healthy snacks are as easy as limiting specific foods and combining them with other micronutrients. Snacking using a single food can be dangerous. Match and mix for healthy, smart snacks.

2. Reduce Simple Carbs

We all understand that sugar has adverse effects on our health. You might have already started to cut out sweets, candy, soda, etc., but many times we don’t remember those simple carbs can be dangerous. They behave like the normal sugars only that they are burned quickly by your body and won’t leave you satisfied for long.

Let’s take a typical example. A sandwich is a quick snack for many people. It contains a lot of lean proteins; it has a beautiful appearance when packed in a paper. One slice of bread contains 15 carbs, but it does not exceed the macros. White bread contains processed wheat, and that could probably be the source of those carbs. To avoid this problem, you can add some proteins in the salad, vinaigrette dressing and dark greens.

3. Have a Pre-vetted, Go-to Healthy Option

Sometimes making perfect snacking choices boils down to having healthy options in your hand. Preparing meals is a hard task for many people, but preparing snacks are a little bit easier. Adding something simple like carrots can make a significant difference in your snacking. If you require something healthier, there are various pre-vetted options such as Espresso Obsesso offers balanced macros in a simple package.

4. Remove Troublesome Ingredients

Sometimes pre packaged snacks help people to eat healthily, but certain ingredients blow them off. For instance, Trail mix is full of complex carbs, fruits and nuts, but they add something such as M&M to make it more enjoyable. But removing M&M from your snack could be the best option. If you want to reduce your sugar consumption, you need to keep off from those delicious morsels. That could help you save a lot of carbs and calories!

5. Begin with the Meals

A surefire way to make sure you over-snack is avoiding eating enough food during the previous meal. Snacks should be easy, quick and sufficient food to make it to the next meal. Therefore, if a snack in between your meals ensure that you consume enough food during your main dishes.

Snacking is hard. But this article aims to make it easier, by providing top-notch snacking tips that will help you prepare healthy snacks. If you follow the snacking tips outlined above, you will be able to suppress those midday hunger pangs effortlessly. This article has provided five simple tips for healthy snacking that readers wanted to know.

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5 ICONIC ITALIAN FOODS THAT CAN TAKE YOU STRAIGHT TO ITALY

As an Italian myself, I can say with the utmost certainty that Italians love their food. Each bit of cuisine is a combination of different flavors that blend together in harmony. There are Italian restaurants everywhere, but few make you feel like you’re inside grandma’s kitchen. You know a good Italian restaurant when those are the words that leave an Italian’s mouth. Between the sauces and spices, the pasta, the meats, there is something unique in every dish that would please even the harshest of food critics.

Journey to Italy?

You don’t need to take a trip to Italy to experience the art of true Italian cuisine. Some of the best Italian food can be found right here. The authenticity of these different dishes can take you on a journey. You may even feel like you’ve been transported straight to Italy.

1. Focaccia Bread

The Focaccia al Rosmarino, or rosemary focaccia bread, is a simple, Italian classic. This baked flatbread resembles pizza, without the sauce and cheese. It is flavored with delicious herbs and is delicious dipped in olive oil. If you aren’t a fan of tomatoes, this table favorite is an excellent choice.

2. Burrata

You can never go wrong with the Burrata Pugliese. This lovely antipasti starter takes a few of the foods we love and combines them into a dish that will dazzle your taste buds. The burrata cheese is served with juicy cherry tomatoes, micro arugula, dried cranberries, and white balsamic dressing. This is a dish that pairs wonderfully with crispy Italian bread.

3. Lasagna

If you’re looking for the meat, lasagna has it. This take on a traditional lasagna dish combines homemade spinach pasta with a meat-based Bolognese sauce and béchamel, a white sauce derived from milk. The two sauces are combined between each layer of the pasta for an intricate blend of flavor. If you would like an additional flavor trip, try it with Parmigiano cheese.

4. Ravioli

Ravioli is a personal favorite, a very simple dish of pasta stuffed with cheese. However, the Ravioli alla Bergamasca takes the simple and intensifies it into a delicious blend of ricotta cheese, mild Italian sausage, fennel, and garlic. It is topped with a cherry tomato sauce and shaved Pecorino cheese. By this point, I’m sure you’re seeing a trend. We Italians love our cheeses.

5. Pizza

Pizza is probably one of the most iconic Italian foods. Though Americanized, pizza was actually invented in Naples centuries ago, and it exists to this day. It is like the focaccia, a flatbread, though it is covered with a tomato base and mozzarella cheese. There are a variety of toppings that have been added to pizza over the years. Still, you cannot get anything more authentic than a Napoli pie.

Welcome Home

With Italian dishes you get both quality and quantity from any chef. Why? Honestly, because we love food. It reminds us of home, and we would like to welcome you into it. So join us for an Italian journey and enjoy the food. Just make sure you’ve saved room for dessert!

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GUIDE TO CHOOSING THE BEST WORT CHILLERS

If your beer has gotten to a place where it's honestly pretty good, but not quite where you'd like it to be yet as far as flavor and quality, then you might want to consider looking for a wort chiller sooner than later. They can improve the quality of your beer by leaps and bounds quicker than you realize.

Wort chillers function to instantly chill your hot wort combination to yeast rising temperature, assisting to lessen oxidation & resulting in an excellent-tasting beer. This process additionally cuts down on the probability of bacterial development which can spoil even the most meticulously brewed beers.

However, deciding on the right one for you can be a daunting task especially when there are numerous types in the market. Here's what you should consider when shopping for one of your own.

1. Only Buy Wort Chillers From Top And Trusted Brands

When it comes to items like wort chillers, it really pays off to go with trusted brands that have built solid reputations for providing quality at affordable prices that won't break the bank. For instance, there are companies which have been producing the very best counterflow wort chillers money can buy for years and years, so you really can't go wrong with them.

Don't forget to pay attention to consumer reviews as well, especially in regards to individual models! Researching what other homebrewers did and didn't like about a particular item will help you determine what's right for you better than any sales pitch or advertisement ever could.

2. The Type of Chiller Best For Your Needs

Wort chillers come in two basic types:

> Immersion

> counter-flow

Both types get the job down and get it done well, but you may find that one fits more easily into your personal routine than the other does. Immersion chillers are simple, cheaper, and easier to clean and sanitize. On the other hand, counterflow chillers work better at minimizing the amount of time the wort spends in the temperature "danger zone" when it's more susceptible to infection. They also get the job done more quickly than the immersion type.

Some homebrewers like to start with an immersion style wort chiller because of budgetary concerns and because of the ease of use and then upgrade to counterflow chillers later on down the line. However, you may decide that counter-flow is the better option for you right off the bat.

3. Compare Prices Online Before You Make A Purchase

While it's possible to locate used wort chillers for excellent prices, you can just as easily buy new ones if you check out what's available online. Online equipment suppliers don't have to pay for expensive overhead costs the way brick and mortar shops do, so they're free to pass the savings on to the consumer.

In conclusion, when you know what to look for in advance, even shopping for complicated items like wort chillers becomes a simple process, so don't let the newness of the concept intimidate you! They represent the perfect opportunity to send the quality of your homebrew into the stratosphere and your only complaint will be that you didn't have yours a lot sooner!

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CELEBRATING RICE | ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PLANTS WE ALL USE

Rice is the oldest known food and is still widely consumed today. It is the primary staple food of more than half the world’s population -- more than 3 billion people.

Genetic studies conducted in 2001 revealed that all forms of Asian rice, sprang from a single farming region that occurred 8,200–13,500 years ago in the Pearl River valley region of Ancient China.

From there, rice spread to farms in South and Southeast Asia and was introduced to Europe through Western Asia, and to the Americas through European colonization. To this day, rice is grown anywhere there is water much like is has been grown in Asia on flooded terraces adjacent to wetlands and riparian zones.

Rice is Life

In many cultures, rice is a symbol for life and fertility, which is how throwing rice at weddings became a global tradition.

In India, rice is associated with prosperity and with the Hindu goddess of wealth, Lakshmi.

In numerous countries, the word rice is interchangeable with the word food.

In China rather than asking “How are you?” people will say “Have you had your rice today?” to which one is expected to say “Yes, of course”.

Chinese architects during Ming dynasty (1300-1600) used rice in the walls of the city of Nanjing to add strength and stability to the cement.

The name for the Toyota automobile company translates as “Bountiful Rice Field” and is associated with luck and fortune. The Japanese brand, Honda, translates to “The Main Rice Field”.

Rice is Important Everywhere

Today, rice provides 20% of the world’s dietary energy supply, while wheat supplies 19% and maize (corn) 5%. In many countries, particularly in Asia, rice accounts for more than 70% of the calories people take in.

The average American consumes 25 pounds of rice per year, four of which come from beer. Asians eat as much as 300 pounds of rice annually, while individuals in the United Arab Emirates consume about 450 pounds.

While rice is classified into short, medium and long grained, there are more than 40,000 varieties of rice that are grown on every continent except on Antarctica.

Nearly 85% of the rice consumed in the United States is grown on small family farms across the six rice-producing states: Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas. A barrel of rice weighing about 170 pounds, sells for $17 in Mississippi, which is down from $18 last year. Half of the rice produced in the U.S. is exported, and American farmers seek greater access to foreign markets where rice prices have been rising. In the Philippines, prices are at an all-time high, and government leaders are scrambling to stabilize the markets. The farmers are doing really well, but the high prices hurt poor families.

Rice and Nutrition

Rice is a complex carbohydrate, that also contains protein and many important vitamins and nutrients that are needed to maintain a healthy, balanced diet:

• Rice as a complex carbohydrate, an important source of fuel for our bodies. Simple carbohydrates—like those found in white bread—digest quickly and provide a short burst of energy. But complex carbohydrates provide a more even, steady source of energy.

• Rice is low in calories and is a good source of protein. It contains the eight essential amino acids, which help the body break down food, repair body tissue, and perform many other key functions.

• Rice is loaded with vitamins and nutrients. It contains thiamin, niacin, phosphorous, iron, potassium, and folic acid.

• Rice is one of the few foods that are non-allergenic, has no sodium or cholesterol and barely any fat. Unlike most carbohydrates, rice is naturally gluten free.

• Brown, wild, or basmati rice are healthy choices for diabetics. They have a lower glycemic index than most other carbohydrates, are more slowly digested, absorbed, and metabolized, causing a lower and slower rise in blood glucose levels. Harvard researchers have found that Americans who eat two or more servings of brown rice a week reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 10 percent, compared to those who eat it less than once a month.

Rice—It’s Not Just for Dinner

Cooking isn’t the only way to use rice. It’s also great for craft projects, decorating, and household chores. Try these 10 creative uses for rice:

1. Make a heat or ice compress.

Need to put heat on a sore neck or aching back? How about an ice pack to relieve swelling or help soothe a headache? Simply put a few cups of uncooked rice in a sock, and either heat it in the microwave or put it in the freezer. When microwaving, start with 1.5 minutes. If it’s not hot enough, add more time in 30 second intervals.

2. Dry water out of electronics.

If you’ve dropped your cellphone in the toilet or spilled water on your iPad, rice can be a lifesaver. Fill a bowl or Ziploc bag with rice, place your device inside, and let it sit overnight. The rice will slowly absorb the water and often leave it good as new. (Sadly, this might not work if you’ve spilled soda, juice, or other sugary beverages on a device.)

3. Decorate with it.

Looking for a creative way to hold silk flowers in place inside a vase? Instead of Styrofoam or glass marbles, fill the bottom of the vase with rice. Add a pop of color by dying the rice with food coloring first. This is also a great way to liven up clear candle holders. Make layers of multicolored rice, and place a tea light candle on top.

4. Keep your salt shaker unclogged.

Prevent salt from clumping in the shaker by putting a few grains of rice on the bottom before filling it up. The rice absorbs any moisture and keeps salt flowing freely.

5. Help fruit ripen.

Tired of waiting on produce to ripen? Place it in a paper bag with ½ cup of uncooked rice. By absorbing moisture, rice will help speed up the ripening process so your fruit is ready to enjoy sooner.

6. Clean your coffee grinder.

For coffee lovers who prefer freshly ground beans, a burr grinder is a must-have kitchen accessory. But after many uses, these appliances end up covered with an oily residue that looks dirty and can make coffee taste bad. For a cheap and easy way to clean it, grind ¼ cup of rice for about a minute. The oils and leftover coffee should cling to the rice residue. Dump this out and wipe the grinder with a damp paper towel.

7. Clean coffee pots and glass vases.

To remove residue and stains from glass coffee pots and vases, add a few tablespoons of rice to hot water and liquid soap, then shake and swirl until it’s clean. The abrasiveness of the rice helps to remove tough stains.

8. Sharpen the blades on your blender.

If blender blades are getting dull or rusty, correct the problem by the pouring ½ cup of rice into the blender and running it for a couple minutes. (Don’t forget to put the lid on first.)

9. Make rice glue.

A popular art supply in Japan, rice glue dries hard and is nearly transparent, making it ideal for paper crafts. You can buy it pre-made or make your own at home. You’ll need one cup of rice (preferably a sticky variety like sushi rice or basmati) and three to four cups of water. Combine these ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until it begins to look like oatmeal. If it’s not the right consistency, add more water and keep boiling. Remove from heat and let it cool. Then push the mixture through a sieve to remove any larger pieces. (You can also put it in the blender.) Pour into a jar and refrigerate between uses.

10. Make noise makers for kids.

Put uncooked rice in a closed container, such as a cup with lid, plastic egg, old pill bottle, or two paper plates that have been glued together. Then send them outside to make music!

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EATALY'S CHEF COLLABORATIONS WITH CHEF ADAM HILL

The month of Sept is always a hectic time of year as it's summer's last hurrah, NYFW kicks off Fashion Month, football season begins and fall is embraced with it's transitional style and food festivities! As we finished our final show of NYFW SS19, we found ourselves enjoying Eataly's Chef Series, which is a collaboration of chefs including Chef Daniel Boulud, Chef Marc Forgione just to name a few, with Manzo's Chef Adam Hill. We took some time to talk to Chef Adam to find out about how he got into the industry, his work at Eataly's open kitchen Manzo, sourcing and sustainability and of course the Chef Collaborations.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us when you knew that you wanted to be a chef.

CHEF ADAM HILL: Believe it or not, probably when I was 10 years old. I started watching this show and it was before Food Network. There was a show called Great Chefs of the USA and The World. It was a very dry show and was not at all created for a 10 year old. It wasn’t like Emeril Live and didn’t have any kind of flash to it. I remember one day in particular that my dad went out for a business meeting and he came back a little over an hour later and I was still sitting in front of the TV fascinated by it! I started cooking dinner for my family at the age of 10 or 11. My mom took a job at night and even though I was the youngest in the family, I started cooking for my 2 older brothers, my mom and my dad. From there, I just fell in love with it. I started reading cookbooks at the age of 11 or 12. It got me at a young age!

AM: That’s a huge part of your culinary journey! Where else did you go and where did you train prior to coming to Eataly?

CHEF AH: I started my Lucibello’s in West Haven, CT. I started working there at the age of 16 as a dishwasher and prep cook. I worked there for about 2.5 years while I was still in high school. I ended up working my way up to prep cook full time. From there, I did some line experience also and working the hotline – starting at a young age. I also worked at a Country Club called The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, CT and I was at The Culinary Institute of America at the Rec Center – a student run restaurant called, The Courtside Café. It was simple things for students like burgers, fries, chicken fingers and cheesesteaks. It’s things that students want to eat when it’s not part of the curriculum. Even with that, after working there a couple of months, I became Student Manager – it was a good learning experience because at the CIA every 3 weeks, you have a new class. So you might be PM for 3 weeks and then in 3 weeks you might be learning Breakfast Class which starts at midnight but ends at 8am or 9am. So every 3 weeks, our staffing would change at Courtside so I got very good at teaching people because your staff may change.

Sometimes you go from having 15 available cooks to 10 and you have to figure out how to make it work with the schedule. Maybe someone has never worked a set station and you have to teach them how to do it and to pick it up as quickly as possible. That definitely helps. When I graduated from CIA, I worked at Chipotle for 6 months and I wanted to learn how they ran their business, how they did their ordering and their overall philosophy. It was also a great experience. My whole plan was to work there as that would be the job that would pay the bills and then train at other kitchens when I had free time. But once I became a manager, they said I couldn’t do that because I needed to have open availability and if I was trailing someone when I had a day off and they needed to call me in if someone couldn’t make it – it would be a problem.

Around that same time, Eataly opened and I started working at the Flatiron location when it opened 8 years ago. I started working at Il Pesce as a line cook and became a sous chef there and then I wanted to do something new, and then about a year and a half/2 years later, I came to Manzo as a line cook and worked my way through the stations. After 2 years, I became sous chef and after about 2 years I became the chef here for 3 years. So I have been at Eataly ever since it has opened and I have been able to stay here so long because there is always something new here, a new challenge to learn and everyday, everyweek there is something new and different going on. It’s great to run your own restaurant while fitting in with the Eataly structure.

AM: What’s an average day like for you at Manzo?

CHEF AH: I don’t know if there is ever an average day especially in the restaurant business and especially at Eataly.

On average, I come in and check in with the sous chef to make sure that we’re on the same page as far as running the specials, double checking with what the line cooks are doing, always walking around and talking with everyone tasting everything to make sure it tastes right before we go into lunch or dinner service. Talking with the General Manager to make sure we’re on the same page in terms of specials and changes to the menu. As we go into service making sure that we are expediting service and that food comes together at the same time. Making sure it’s right before it goes out. As we are getting through service, making sure that we are cleaning up and that everyone is taking their breaks.

The best way to explain the difference between being a cook and a chef is that a cook is a player on the team, but when you are the chef, you have to be the coach and it’s hard for some people to make that adjustment because when you’re the chef, it’s no longer about being the best player, it’s about making sure that your players are doing the best that they can and that your cooks are as well prepared as they can be. Making sure that as a chef, we’re always teaching and always having people think about the next step and training the person behind them to make sure that they are getting ready for a new station. For example, today walking kind of slow so that the person who is on salad station is learning on veg station and maybe the person on veg station learns how to grill meat and the person on meat station begins to learn on pasta. Some of the more advanced people can do the chef thing. It’s all about teaching and making sure that the cooks know that it’s not just a job to them, but that they are learning as much as they can while they are here. In this business, when people aren’t learning, they will put in a year on their resume and they will go elsewhere. The more that you can keep them invested and buying in, it keeps them engaged and hopefully you have a good succession plan so that you have a full circle of training happening.

AM: We truly enjoyed attending a recent Chef Collaborations dinner at Eataly where the menu was created by you and Chef Gabriel Kreuther. What is the purpose of the chefs series that took place there and how did it mold the menu as you partnered with different chefs through this series?

CHEF AH: We had this idea about a year ago as we had done a renovation of Manzo’s dining room. The kitchen is now in the dining room and it was an idea to help cross promote Manzo as well as the guest chefs, with some of the proceeds going to charity. It was a great opportunity for our guest chefs as well as for me to work with them to learn different styles of cooking.

The style of food and chefs definitely brings a different flavor each time. We recently changed the format because when we first did it we had the guest chef’s dish and a dish from Manzo’s menu, but as we continued through the series in the next round – we changed it to be a 4 course menu. So it was a dish of ours, either on the menu or off, a dish from the guest chef, the main course was a collaboration between the 2 chefs and then having the dessert course. This way was much better for the series to run for example at the dinner you attended, Chef Kreuther and I had a great overlap as he is from Alsace and there is some overlap with Alsace cooking and Italian cooking. One of my favorite things on the menu is Testa (it translates to Head Cheese in English, but it’s Pig Head) and I wanted to showcase this as it’s about responsible sourcing and eating sustainably and sometimes using just the pork chop or just the pork tenderloin – everytime an animal dies – the whole animal should be used. To utilize pigs head, it goes along with that ethos. If an animal is going to lose its life, no part of the animal should go to waste. That’s a big part of Alsatian cooking and Italian cooking. For the first course, I wanted to do a mix of Alsatian style and Italian style so the Testa was already Italian and Italian cooking uses a lot of sweet and sour components, which is also true for Alsatian cooking with the German influence. So I wanted to do the sweet and sour cherries and then for the main course, it was a similar idea. We wanted to a trio of pork – the braised pork is kind of Alsatian by braising it in beer which is also common in Northern Italian cooking. The polenta and green tomato sauce was a little sweet and a little sour. When you ate it, it didn’t feel forced there was enough of an overlap between the Alsatian and Italian cooking that it comes together naturally. That’s what those dishes should feel like and if you do a little digging into it – it makes sense historically and the customer finds it enjoyable, accurate and traditional.

AM: What was it like for you to create and work with these chefs throughout this series?

CHEF AH: There have been different challenges. It’s interesting to see the chef’s different styles and influences. Like, Chef Marc Forgione’s influence was a late night French Dip, but deconstructed so there was a carpaccio of dry aged rib eye and there was an au jus component – there was a horseradish sour cream component to it and it still felt natural together. But when you heard the story behind it, it was like cool that makes sense. Culinary-wise there is always a different technique, so there was a dish with Chef Daniel Boulud that was made with clams and andoulie which was very popular. We did a pork belly with kimchi that was pretty successful – so it was interesting to see the techniques and sometimes when we would get the recipes, they were more informal, where others were more precise down to the gram. Overall, it has been fun to learn about the chef’s history, their inspiration for the dish and their style of cooking. In every one, there has been a different learning experience.

AM: For you dishes that you created, how did you go about deciding what it was going to be and what ingredients that you would be using? Do most of them come from Eataly that can be purchased there?

CHEF AH: For the most part, yeah! I would say that when I do a dish, you can purchase the products here at Eataly, but it also depends on the flow of the guest menu that the chef wants to do. If they want to do an antipasta, then maybe we do a pasta. If they want to do a pasta, then it doesn’t make sense for us to do a pasta for the four course tasting, so we will try to do an antipasta. The collaboration is always the main course and it’s about finding that balance and that the flow of the menu is natural.

For this month, the whole menu had a country feel to it. Chef Kreuther’s dish had the apple cider braised rabbit with saffron butter, so we liked this idea of refined rustic cooking, and I love Testa so I thought that would work and he loved it too. So we agreed on this dish which flowed well with the rabbit and then for the main course, pork 3 ways was simple and elegant and continued the sweet sour play.

When we did the collaboration with Chef Akshay Bhardwaj from Junoon it was very natural. We tried to incorporate some thing that were very common in Indian cooking and in Italian
cooking. Naturally, you wouldn’t think that they would go together, but we did a Saffron Risotto with yellow lentils and lamb cooked two ways and this was really successful and I liked the dish a lot. It was because the lamb that we did, one part of it was Sicilian style and the other way was an Indian style where we had marsala and chili peppers and a lot of depth of flavor. We had Sicilian style lamb belly was cooked with garlic and herbs. The risotto was obviously Italian, but with the saffron in there it had the Indian approach along with the yellow lentils. When you ate it all together, it didn’t feel forced, you just loved the taste
playing well together.

AM: Although this series has come to an end, will there be another?

CHEF AH: I’m not sure. I mean, I know that the rest of the year maybe not, but perhaps next year. I know there is an Eataly launching in Las Vegas so maybe this is something that we could do there. It will be a new concept in Las Vegas so maybe getting people to be aware of this location, they can bring in other chefs that are established in Las Vegas through this series. Overall, we loved the concept and I think that going into the end of the year, we will be more focused on truffles and getting our menu ready for the winter.

AM: How many times a year does the menu change at Manzo?

CHEF AH: Constantly ha! It’s an organic thing. You change the menu based on seasonality, availability, for example we recently took off summer squash because it’s fall and even though it’s a bit early to put winter squash on the menu, we can’t call out to summer squash because it’s not summer. Tomato season is winding down so even though we love selling heirloom tomatoes and caprese, we can’t run it all year and it’s not true to the Italian cooking philosophy.

Somethings that are on the menu are mainstays and they don’t change too much like some of the steaks we have – it doesn’t go out of season. But it’s the garnishes that might change and as we go into the winter, we want to make our menu more comfort friendly, so tomato based pastas aren’t so friendly with truffles so we do more butter and cheese sauces because it goes great with truffles. Just keeping the menu flexible for things like that is key.

AM: What are your favorite dishes that you like to create at Manzo?

CHEF AH: Well that’s a tough question! I like doing something that is traditional but a little bit different. A good example of this is the lamb shank that’s on the menu right now. In the spring
time in Italy, much like we do a barbeque here in the US with a whole roasted pig on a spit, they will do lamb in the same way over an open fire. You eat it as soon as it comes off the fire.
You dig into it when it is so hot that it burns your fingers and it’s so hot, but you eat it any way because it is so delicious. The dish translates to “lamb that burns your fingers” – we do a version of that, but it’s not the whole lamb because we’re not going to sell a whole lamb. So we do lamb shanks and it’s marinated with white wine and olive oil, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest and a little anchovy. These are all traditional flavors and we slow cook the lamb for 24 hours and then we cool it down. When the customer orders it, we coat it with salt and sugar and we roast it so it gets crispy on the outside and when you cut into it, it’s crunchy and juicy
and falls off the bone. When you dig into it, it burns the roof of your mouth or your fingertips and it pays homage to the original. There's a story to it and it’s kind of modernized in a way that makes it appropriate to sell into a restaurant. You might sell 10 a day or 2, but if you cooked a whole lamb everyday, that wouldn’t be sustainable.

AM: That sounds really good – we’ll have to try it!

CHEF AH: Well you should come in soon as we’ll be taking it off of the menu soon as it is more of a spring or summer dish.

AM: Oh no!

CHEF AH: Realistically, we probably could change the garnish on it to make it feel more wintery, but the overall story of eating lamb in the spring or the summer time outside in the piazza where people gather around – is just like having a suckling pig for a barbeque – you think of it as more of a summery thing.

AM: Are you constantly thinking of different dishes and coordinating with the sommelier as well as your pastry chef?

CHEF AH: Yeah usually for pastry, there is some sort of collaboration between the party chef and myself, but I try to leave Chef Rebecca to have more creative freedom there and just make sure that it is something that we can execute consistently. As far as coming up with a new menu, we work with Central Kitchen. It’s like a group of chefs that oversee all restaurants at Eataly. I’m the Chef at Manzo, but then there are a team of 5 chefs at Central Kitchen which oversees all the restaurants as another set of eyes. If we weren’t all under one roof like Chef Wolfgang Puck who has 10 restaurants, Wolfgang isn’t in every restaurant every day, but he has a trusted team of people he meets with I’m sure that make sure things are going to plan, food costs are looked after and that the menu makes sense. The same can be applied here with our Central Kitchen, as they are not in everyday but they are making sure things are ok.

AM: How do you define your cooking style and how does that marry with the ethos of Eataly?

CHEF AH: That’s a good question. I like simple food that is well prepared. I like making something that is the best version of something that you have had before. Like, finding what it is that people don’t like about food or something that they could potentially like. A lot of people say that they don’t like mushrooms and when I was younger, I had a lot of bad mushroom – just thrown on pizzas with no seasoning and they got squishy and it’s a texture thing that grosses people out. I love mushrooms now and what changes them is when you get them a little crispy and mix them with a little garlic and butter and thyme. There are only 3 or 4 ingredients but it makes a lot of difference. Eggplant is another one if you eat it and there isn’t enough salt and you roast it – again, it’s a texture thing. If you get it a little bit crispy and roast it in a really hot oven, a good amount of garlic and oregano – people will eat it and the hugest compliment to me is when people tell me that they don’t even like eggplant but they ask me what I put in it to make it taste so good. I like to keep it simple as you don’t need to throw the kitchen sink on eggplant but if you find the right flavors to highlight it and to make sure the texture is correct – people can change their minds about it.

At home, I would say that I don’t cook strictly Italian. I cook some different things. The other day, I was kind of sick so I made some noodles with a lot of garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce – because when I’m sick I want to eat a lot of garlic which is good for your immune system. That’s not traditional anything – just ingredients that I like to cook with. My style is very simple and focuses on seasonality and it matches up with Eataly because our whole style of cooking is about paying respect to the traditions of Italian cooking.

“The best way to explain the difference between being a cook and a chef is that a cook is a player on the team, but when you are the chef, you have to be the coach and it’s hard for some people to make that adjustment because when you’re the chef, it’s no longer about being the best player it’s about making sure that your players are doing the best that they can an that your cooks are as well prepared as they can be.”

— Chef Adam Hill

AM: When you’re not cooking, how do you take time for yourself?

CHEF AH: I like watching football a lot and now that it’s football season, I’m very happy! I’m a Steelers fan. I like to go out with friends and it’s tough in the restaurant business as we don’t all have the same time off. Usually, when we get out of work at midnight, we’ve been cooking all day so we want to eat now because we haven’t all day. Sometimes we’ll go out for late night drinks and to grab a bite and since we're close to Koreatown, we go there as it’s open super late. A lot of people who don’t work in the industry are surprised that when we get out of work we don’t want to cook fancy food, we want comfort food. Like a pot of rice and bulgogi is great. Different kimchis and vegetables that are just stripped down and it’s not messed with too much. You want to be full and happy. I love Bonchon late night with their fried chicken wings. We try to go out once a week to go to the bars which turns into going to Koreatown for some Hot Pot or Korean barbeque. Late night tacos are a go to for me as I love Mexican food.

If I have a day off, I’m just doing laundry and relaxing. I’ll clean the house and if it’s on Sunday, then I am going to be a lazy couch potato and watch football!

IG @ChefAdamHill @EatalyFlatiron

PHOTO COURTESY | Eataly Flatiron

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Eataly’s Chef Collaborations with Chef Adam Hill in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | RUM MEET FALL

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | Rum Meet Fall in mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW | GET READY FOR WORLD SAKE DAY

Sake (pronounced SAH-kay not SAH-kee) fans rejoice, we sat down with Benihana Inc.'s Senior Director of Beverage, Alfredo Martinez to find out about RA Sushi, World Sake Day, how this rice wine is brewed and a few misconceptions about this beverage in this month's Something You Should know!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us about RA Sushi, which we know is under Benihana Inc, the parent company to RA Sushi, Haru and of course, Benihana. Also tell us who you are and what you do at RA Sushi.

ALFREDO MARTINEZ: I’m the Senior Director of Beverage for all of the 3 brands that you mentioned as well as Samurai which is a concept here in Miami. We’re very lucky to have various brands. Benihana which everybody knows – we cook in front of you. RA Sushi, is the wild child. We are high energy, vibrant environment that is built on a strong happy hour with very innovative sushi. If you ever have a chance to go, we will be very happy to take care of you. It just so happens that during October, we will celebrate Nihonshu No Hi or World Sake Day and it’s just a world wide celebration day of Japanese food and culture. We’re thrilled to share a little bit of that which starts on Oct 1st and we will have specials such as $1 hot sake, Spiked Sushi Roll which is a brand new roll that we have where the tuna is marinated in sake and there is a sake pairing with it. We’re thrilled for people to try it.

AM: For those that aren’t familiar what is the process of making sake, are there varietals and in making it – is more like a wine or a beer?

AM: That’s a great question. The misconception comes when people call it a rice wine but it is actually brewed more like a beer. Since that is the case, it means that it is going to have some
of the elements of beer making. The important things to remember about sake is that there are only 4 ingredients various varieties that you can choose from), water – which is very important so the sake depending on where it is brewed in the North of Japan or the South of Japan you’ll have different qualities of water which are all amazing – but one may be a little bit more heavier, softer or sweeter depending on water content and it will have a big impact on what sake will taste like. Then you will have different kinds of yeast, which the makers will have to select the right kind to go with the rice that they are using, and koji – a special Japanese mold that will help with the brewing process and the fermentation process. Sake is the only beverage in the world that goes through a complex fermentation, but most importantly it’s sulphate free, gluten free as well. The craft and mastery of the sake creations are what we try to showcase at the restaurant to have a varied assortment for our guests to try that come from all over Japan as well as the US.

AM: Is there sake production in the US?

AM: Absolutely, you have breweries that are popping up everywhere. You have some very established ones in California and Oregon. Now we’re also seeing some are popping up in Minnesota, Tennessee and Texas. There is a lot of interest in learning more about this very special beverage because it is very versatile with food. That’s another misconception that you should only drink sake with Japanese food. It goes well with things such as steak, cheese, even dessert! There is a sparkling sake that we have at RA Sushi that we actually create mixology with that, but also as a great way to just finish your meal.

AM: What are some of the sake drinking traditions and what do you guys have going on at RA Sushi for World Sake Day?

AM: What we try to do with the celebration is to train our servers and to share with people this experience. On Oct 1st, we have Sushi 101 Classes where people can come in to learn not only how to make sushi, sushi rice, how to pair it together, but also we pair it with sake. We also include traditions. For example, if I am sitting with you, it’s never appropriate for you to serve yourself sake. I would serve you as it’s important to embrace hospitality and that’s what we do in our restaurants. The other thing is that sake is used at various ceremonies and rituals like weddings, sumo matches, etc. When we open a new restaurant, we will break a new cask of sake to celebrate the fact that we have just launched a new property.

AM: Should it be enjoyed hot or cold and are there certain sakes that should only be consumed one way?

AM: Another good point! We have been used to drinking it hot, but it’s another misconception that it should be enjoyed this way as it’s best slightly chilled or room temperature. It depends on the type of sake. The best type of sake in my opinion to warm is the fuller body or Junmai. When it’s warmed to the perfect temperature it becomes a little sweeter and softer. The more delicate sake should be enjoyed chilled because you are eating lighter types of food with it. That would be my recommendation.

AM: You talked a little about this earlier but how is the Spiked Sushi Roll made?

AM: The culinary and beverage teams put our heads together and tried to think about how the best way to celebrate sake month in Oct could be. Our chefs came up with a sushi roll where the tuna is marinated in sake and its rolled with seaweed and rice and we top it with two kinds of tuna, white and red. We then pair it with a Nigori sake which has been infused with cucumber. So of course, when you're ordering this sushi, we are going to card you – so bring your ID! You’ll also experience the rich flavors of Nigori sake with the tuna.

AM: How is it celebrated in Japan?

AM: Well basically, it’s more of a cultural celebration. This event really marks the start of the brewing season of sake. There are a number of small celebrations in the houses because people are saying goodbye to their loved ones before they go to the breweries to produce this beverage for days in a row. They have to be there everyday.

AM: So how long is the brewing season?

AM: It can go anywhere from 4 weeks to 8 weeks and then there is an aging period. So all together, it’s 6 months for it to be brewed. It's meant to be drank within a year. For our restaurants, that's why there is such a big dynamic in how we change our menus. It’s a great opportunity to try different styles because they are all going to be a little different.

AM: How do you toast someone or say cheers on World Sake Day?

AM: When you come to our restaurants, we have a lot of things going on during the whole month of Oct! But when you are with a group of friends, you just raise your glass and say kanpai! That’s the traditional way to say it in Japan.

IG @RA Sushi

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know | Get Ready for World Sake Day in mag.

OLIVE OIL ROAD WITH CHEF SEAMUS MULLEN

A few weeks ago, we met Chef Seamus Mullen at the Olive Oils from Spain where he kicked off the Olive Oil World Tour. Known for Spanish cooking and his love of olive oil, we talked with this restaurateur of Whirlybird + Greens and El Colmado and author of Real Food Heals. He shared why olive oil is so important to him, being a fitness enthusiast and his commitment to giving back via Chefs Cycle to ensure that he fights child hunger.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about how you got into cooking and decided this was a field that you wanted to work in.

CHEF SEAMUS MULLEN: Growing up on a farm I was always around really good ingredients, in fact both of my grandmothers were excellent cooks and I started cooking at a really young age with them. When I got into high school and needed a Summer job to earn money, I started working in a pizzeria and that was really the beginning of being around food for me professionally. After college, I threw myself into professional cooking and I’ve been doing it ever since.

AM: We love olive oil - tell us about how you embraced it from a cooking perspective?

CSM: Olive oil was something that we always had in the house, growing up, but we only used it for vinaigrettes. When I was 17 I went to Spain for a year abroad and lived with a Spanish family that was totally food-obsessed. Being in the kitchen with my host mother really turned me on to how fundamentally important olive oil is to Spanish cuisine and I totally fell in love.

AM: How did you connect with Olive Oils from Spain?

CSM: I’ve spent a fair amount of my career in Spain and I think it would be fair to say that Olive oil is really the foundation of Spanish cuisine. My early love for the olive oils of Spain has stayed with me throughout my career and I really can’t imagine cooking without it.

AM: What are the benefits of utilizing olive oil for health reasons?

CSM: There are so many health benefits of cooking with olive oil, from its anti-oxidant properties, to its naturally anti-inflammatory qualities, it’s a fundamental ingredient in the healthy kitchen. As an oil that is high in monounsaturated fat, olive oil helps the body produce healthy cholesterol. And most importantly, it’s incredibly delicious!

AM: Tell us about your restaurant in NYC and what are some of your favorite dishes that are perfect for the summer.

CSM: Summer in NYC is all about the produce. We get some remarkable fruits and vegetables this time of year. Lately I’ve really been into a very simple salad of sliced peaches with herbs, fresh ricotta cheese, a sprinkle of sea salt and a healthy dose of extra virgin olive oil from Spain.

AM: We have done various interviews with Chefs Cycle and know that you participated in this - how important is it for you to be involved in philanthropic/wellness events of this nature?

CSM: I think it’s really important to give back. As a chef, our job is to feed people and with 1 in 3 kids facing food insecurity in the US I feel compelled to work to fix what is a solvable problem. It also has the added benefit of getting chefs out and moving and healthier!

AM: What is it about cycling that you enjoy and what other workouts do you enjoy doing in addition to this?

CSM: Cycling has been a part of my life for a really long time and there’s so much I love about it. First and foremost, riding a bike is fun! It’s also a great way to get around, in fact I go pretty much every where in the city by bicycle. If I’m riding my mountain bike, it’s my meditation, I’m focused just on the moment, taking the woods, the trees, the outdoors. On the road bike it tends to be a bit more social, riding with friends, taking a break from the hectic pace of the city. And, of course, it’s the best way to see another country! I love cycling in Europe, riding through vineyards and olive orchards.

AM: If we were planning a culinary trip to Spain - where are 3 regions that we should go to and where/what should we eat?

CSM: I would definitely go to Catalunya, and not just Barcelona, but check out La Costa Brava, some of the most beautiful coastline in the world and delicious, delicious food.

Then head up into the Pyrenees for a completely different experience, it’s very alpine, the mountains are gorgeous and the food is hearty and delicious. And then I’d head down to the coast and take a trip west. Skip the Basque Country (because everyone knows how great the food is there) and head to Galicia for the best seafood in all of Spain.

AM: You made a simple dressing that was olive oil based, can you share this recipe with us?

CSM: I always make my dressings in this ration: 1/3 vinegar to 2/3 Olive oil. For this vinaigrette I whisked together 1/3 cup of sherry or red wine vinegar with the juice and zest of 1 lemon. Added a drizzle of honey, 1 clove of garlic grated on a micro plane, some sea salt and pepper. Then drizzle in 2/3 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain and you’ve got a delicious vinaigrette that is perfect on a simple salad or drizzled over some grilled vegetables.

IG @SeamusMullen

Read more from the Aug Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Olive Oil Road with Chef Seamus Mullen in mag.