ATHLEISURE LIST | LITTLE CHEF LITTLE CAFÉ

Little Chef Little Café opened Nov 2019 and is known for an extensive menu that rotates frequently. Customers can enjoy a mix of healthy comfort food and baked goods with salads, soups, smoothies, bowls, rice bowls, waffle sandwiches, toasts, pastries and Filipino-inspired tacos.

In addition to coffee and tea, they have special herbal teas too, like a house-brewed ginger tea made with fresh ginger that is pressure-cooked, blended, and strained. Lemon juice and honey are added and this is a version of a Filipino Salabat. It's served hot or iced and is great since ginger is great for cleansing, healing, and has many health benefits.

For those that are vegetarian or vegan, there are options on the menu for this as well. One of the favorites is the Anti-ox Salad with kale, mixed greens, red cabbage slaw, seasonal roasted vegetables, hemp seeds, and raw pepitas. The dressing is house-made from basil, cilantro, scallions, garlic, dates, lime juice, and oil. Customers really enjoy these dressings! All dressings are made in-house and packed with flavor. There is always a vegan soup like the Hearty Lentil or Sinigang, a Filipino tamarind-based soup with tomatoes, potatoes, tofu, green beans and bok choy. And for their Filipino tacos, which are offered individually at the café or in DIY kits to go (simple and fun to make at home: 3-20 tacos with fried wonton shells or classic gluten-free corn tortillas and spicy pickled pineapple), they offer a vegan filling: Veggie Ginataang, vegetables sautéed in coconut milk, along with fillings like Pork Adobo or Chicken Adobo.

It's worth noting that nothing is fried, many items are gluten-free and dairy-free, and they make sure to have plenty of plant-based selections. The menu is rotated and offers hearty and healthy breakfast and entree options to be enjoyed throughout the week. For example, the Kale and Quinoa Power Bowl with marinated kale, seasoned quinoa, roasted mushrooms, cauliflower, toasted seed blend, green goddess dressing - you can add balsamic rosemary chicken too. Smoothies are packed with antioxidants: Mellow Yellow made with mango, banana, turmeric, cauliflower, ginger and coconut water; Orange Glow with papaya, pineapple, carrots, ginger, orange juice; Green Machine with kale, spinach, bananas, pineapple and almond milk.

In addition to daily offerings, they provide a weekly meal prep program of Paleo and Whole30 friendly meals.

As we continue into the summer months, the menu will continue to change as they stay seasonal as possible with daily specials and meal prep. You can find special drinks and food specials throughout the week.

LITTLE CHEF LITTLE CAFÉ

5-43 48th Ave

Long Island City, NY 11101

www.littlecheflittlecafé.com

IG @littlecheflittlecafé

PHOTOS COURTESY | Little Chef Little Café

Read the Apr Issue #64 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Little Chef Little Café in mag.

TASTE OF DERBY WITH CHEF DAVID DANIELSON

Known as the greatest sport in 2 minutes, The Kentucky Derby takes place the first Saturday in May. Although last year's Derby was postponed until the fall of 2020, all eyes are on Louisville this year. The Kentucky Derby consists of a number of events that lead up the big race. Derby Week and Derby Day is filled with races, fun events, cocktails and food.

We caught up with Executive Chef David Danielson who has consulted on numerous large scale special events throughout the world including Super Bowl XLV, U.S. Open Tennis tournament, Summer Olympics in Beijing 2008, Winter Olympics in Vancouver 2010, Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014, Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Lollapalooza, was the personal chef to The British Consulate General and has lent his expertise to PGA Tour events and the Grammy Awards. He is the co-author of The Bourbon Country Cook Book: New Southern Entertaining: 95 Recipes and More from a Modern Kentucky Kitchen. In addition to a number of appearances on-air nationally and locally, he was a celebrity judge on BRAVO Season 16's Top Chef.

Chef Danielson has been at Churchill Downs for 10 years. We caught up with him right before Derby Day to find out about his culinary background, why the Derby is so important, what the official menu is and how you can make it at home during your viewing parties if you won't be on site this year for the races on May 1st.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell me a little about your culinary background and how you came to Churchill Downs?

EXECUTIVE CHEF DAVID DANIELSON: I've been here for about 10 years and am classically trained in fine dining as my career began at Dumas Pere L’Ecole de la Cuisine Francaise in Chicago and continued at the Ecole Hotelier Tain l'Hermitage in France.

I continued working along with the industry's most renowned chefs in North America, Europe, the Caribbean, Asia and South America.

Before joining the team here at Churchill Downs, I was an Executive Chef at Rockefeller Center New York with Restaurant Associates and was Executive Chef of the United Nations Plaza Hotel in New York City, the Chicago Ritz Carlton, the Palmer House Hilton Chicago just to name a few.

When I was in NY, I started doing some large events and I spent the next few years doing the Olympics, the PGA, US Open Tennis and that's when it brought me here to Kentucky to be the chef at Churchill Downs. This is my 11th Derby and it's the most amazing sporting event that I have ever worked.

AM: Our Co-Founder grew up in Indiana and went to college at Indiana University so visiting Louisville regularly in the months, weeks and days leading up to the Kentucky Oaks and the Derby was filled with excitement! As the Executive Chef at Churchill Downs, what is Derby week like for you leading up to the big race typically?

EC DD: You know, like everybody else, it builds up and there is a ton of excitement. For us, it's lots of work. We have thousands and thousands of people coming through our doors. So we work, not only for months in planning and preparing for this, but then we get to Derby week and it's really about production. It's about getting everything organized and getting everything together. It's about getting with the fans and really creating an amazing experience for the whole week but certainly leading up to Derby day on Saturday!

AM: It's been quite a year, but with more people getting vacccines, we're seeing things opening up again like the upcoming Derby. What is it about the Derby that is such a great an event?

EC DD: The thing here is that it's a beautiful day out here. It's a combination of one amazing racing, it's the most exciting 2 minute sport plus amazing food, great drinks, fashion and you know you can feel the energy when people come in here. Everyone is watching the races and then you get a break. You get to make new friends, see old friends. It's really a day long party and a day long celebration. That's what really makes it unique for us.

AM: For those who will watch from home, what is the official meal for this year's derby and how can we recreate it at home?

EC DD: Every year we write a new menu and change it up. We try to give a new experience every year. One of the things that's so exciting this year is our partnership with Vidalia Onions. They are official partners of The Kentucky Derby and they are on our menu. We're featuring several of their onions in our recipes both here on our official menu as well as recipes that we have created for people to be making at home when they are watching the Derby. So that's a lot of fun for us.

AM: What is it about Vidalia onions that we should know about as it seems that much like Champagne is designated by its region, the same is true of this varietal.

EC DD: Absolutely, Vidalia Onions only come from 20 counties in Georgia and it's really a combination of the weather and the soil that makes these onions so unique and so special. They have a really great sweetness and crispness. They are really unique and different from any kind of onion. We love to showcase these amazing products. We also like the seasonality of it. They really come into season in the middle of April and then you see them in the grocery stores and they really available until about August.

AM: What are some tips that you can provide in order for those that are holding viewing festivities at home?

EC DD: One of the things that we're doing here is that we have several different dishes. We have chicken, a sauteéd chicken dish with Vidalia Onions and mushroom sauce which is really easy to make at home. But I love the versatility. We've got a black-eyed pea salad with some pickled Vidalia Onions. Then we've turned it into a chutney with some roasted down peaches putting that down over some barbecue pork sliders. There are just so many things that you can do with it that that is one of the things that we do when you're putting recipes together and looking at these menus, you're trying to find those ingredients that really stand out and make a difference when people bite into that and taste it. They say, "wow that's really something different and something that we don't see everyday." For us, that's the fun of being able to really showcase this type of product.

AM: These dishes sound great and whether it's making the official meal served at The Kentucky Derby or the one for those that are viewing at home, where can we get those recipes?

EC DC: You can visit VidaliaOnion.org and KYDerby.com at the Recipe Central. The recipes will be there and we will be sharing all of these dishes as well as some other dishes. You can see them as well as try to make what we will enjoy here at Derby or those that are meant for viewers at home that we have created.

AM: What is your beverage of choice after completing a successful Derby week of events?

EC DD: The first one that I can get my hands on haha! It's a long week. I'm usually pretty careful as we work about 20 hours a day all week. So, when it's finally over Sat. night, I get home and I usually pour myself a couple fingers of bourbon haha.

IG @KYDerbyChef

@KentuckyDerby

@ChurchillDowns

@VidaliaOnion1

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 62 Vidalia Onions | PG 60 + 65 The Kentucky Derby |

Read the Apr Issue #64 of Athleisure Mag and see Taste of Derby with Chef David Danielson in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | JUSTIN SUTHERLAND

Read the Mar Issue #63 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | Justin Sutherland in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | JUNGSIK

This month's The Art of the Snack takes us to Tribeca's Jungsik which is known as a culinary experience when dining at this Michelin 2 starred new Korean restaurant. We talked with Executive Chef Suyoung Park and Pastry Chef Eunji Lee, 2 women that continue to helm this experience through their menu. They talk about the restaurant, signature dishes, cocktails and desserts that we should enjoy when there.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into Jungsik which we had the pleasure of attending an editor event for Sweet Seoul early last year, how do you define New Korean cuisine?

EXECUTIVE CHEF SUYOUNG PARK: The definition of new Korean cuisine is as follows: It is based on traditional Korean food but combined with various ingredients and techniques of the world. We’d like to introduce different tastes and a variety of new Korean cuisine.

AM: Jungsik is a 2 Michelin star restaurant. What does it mean to have this distinction and does this affect the way that one operates when having this?

EC SP: The authority of Michelin is well recognized in the world. Thanks to the grade of Michelin, people come to visit our restaurant because they expect steady taste and service. And even some people come to taste our food owing to the grade of Michelin. So I guess the grade of Michelin has had a positive effect on us. And especially when it comes to New York, 2 Michelin star grades are worth more. To that extent, we have more responsibility to keep the taste and quality.

AM: What can guests expect when they come to dine at Jungsik?

EC SP: Jungsik of New York has been rated as a 2 Michelin star restaurant since 2013. I guess people come to our restaurant because they expect our steady efforts, unchanged taste and our own way of giving good service.

AM: When we attended the Sweet Seoul editor event, we enjoyed the cocktails and array of soju that was offered. What are 3 cocktails that we should try when visiting?

EC SP: At the moment, we are about to launch a new cocktail, "Busanhaeng". (Calvados, absinthe, Ango, Port/Omita Molasses) an updated variation of our Su-Jeong-Gwa old fashioned with Islay scotch, rye, and a spiced (Su-Jeong-Gwa) syrup. The last has yet to be named, but will be a tom collins style cocktail with Damsol (pine) soju, quina wine, calamansi, and soda.

AM: Due to the pandemic, restaurants have had their operations change to accommodate the way they interact with guests. How has Jungsik, which is truly an experience when you’re able to eat there, been able to serve guests in terms of indoor dining and how have you incorporated pickup and delivery?

EC SP: We offer our guests three different ways of service now. Indoor, outdoor and delivery service. When we provide our guests indoor service, we keep the tables separated from each other by 6 feet. And all of our staff wear masks and gloves all the time when they work in the restaurant. We offer our guests cutlery wrapped separately, hand sanitizer and the QR code menu because of Corona Virus. Jungsik has built some personal outdoor rooms and we are doing our best to give safe and private fine dining to our guests. We started offering delivery to our customers that they can enjoy our fine dining service at their home. It consists of three courses, starting with salad, they can have rice, a main course, dessert and Petit fours within their own private places.

AM: Prior to coming to New York, you apprenticed under Jungsik himself in Seoul. What was it like to work with him and how has that affected how you operate today?

EC SP: Chef Yim is a very creative chef, and he took me in the world of fine dining as a pupil. Thanks to him, I became a chef. I learned a lot of things from him. He taught me leadership and how to create new techniques in cooking Korean cuisine.

AM: Tell us about your culinary background and how you came to Jungsik.

EC SP: I actually got my start into the food industry by studying Food Styling and working as a Food Stylist in Seoul, Korea. I found that it didn’t suit my creative mind, and started as an intern at the Millennium Hilton Hotel in Seoul, Korea. I honed my skills at the hotel and started to look for other, more ambitious kitchens, and found a place at Jungsik Seoul in 2013. For the next four years, I widened the breadth of my skills and rose from the position of line cook to Sous Chef. To further my knowledge and experience, in 2017 I worked overseas at Ms. G’s, a high regarded Two-Hat restaurant in Sydney, Australia. Here I expanded my knowledge on all types of Asian cuisine, particularly Southeast Asian. In 2018, I came stateside to work at ATOBOY, Chef Junghyun Park’s first restaurant venture. After traveling the world and gaining invaluable experiences in different metropolitan cities, I returned to Jungsik New York’s location as the Chef de Cuisine in 2019.

PASTRY CHEF EUNJI LEE: I moved to France in 2006 for baking and pastry, INBP (The French National Baking and Pastry Institute) and Ecole Ferrandi. Then I worked for 3 years in Ze Kitchen Galerie, a one Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris under Chef Williame Ledeuil, a 4 years in Hotel Le Meurice a three Michelin-starred restaurant in that period (it now 2-stars) under Chef Alain Ducasse and Cedric Grolet. And I got an offer from Chef Jungsik Yim so I finally came to NY as an executive pastry chef at Jungsik in 2016.

AM: Back in 2019, you were named a New York Rising Star by StarChefs and you won the Art of Presentation Award, why were you drawn to working with pastry?

PC EL: I have always loved art and eating, and I think pastry is an edible art. And love to see people’s face when they’re tasting my desserts. It makes me happy. I personally look for sweets when I get gloomy or stressed, so the reason why I love my job is being able to spread the happiness in the world via my sweets with not only visually but also with flavor, in our not-so-easy lives.

AM: How do you define your style of cooking?

EC SP: My principle of cuisine is to stick to the basic and make consistent dishes.

PC EL: Korean heritage french techniques and acclimated to New York.

AM: When creating the menu, can you tell us where the inspiration for your dishes come from?

EC SP: All my inspiration comes from the ingredients and dishes I like. We all become creative when we make the best use of the past memory. All the best menus start from what we like or enjoy. They will gain popularity or recognition if we do our best with what we like and what we are able to do.

PC EL: I get inspired anywhere, anytime, by anything. Sometimes by seasonal fruits and ingredients, sometimes by visual objects, sometimes by Korean culture and food, and sometimes I get inspiration from a strange flavor or ingredient that I’ve never used so it is challenging and exciting.

AM: What are 3 appetizers that you suggest?

EC SP: Our signature appetizer would be Fried Oysters with Seaweed Aioli. Secondly, it would be our Octopus; braised octopus with Gochujang Sauce. Thirdly, it would be Korean beef tartare. The guests love our dishes because of their distinct Korean style and taste.

AM: What are 3 signature dishes we should order?

EC SP: We have the 5 and 7-course menus as our signature. Especially, as mentioned earlier, Octopus, Crispy Kimbap and Wagyu Galbi are our representative menu.

AM: Are there vegan and vegetarian dishes?

EC SP: We also give a vegan or vegetarian menu. Vegetables Jeon and Crispy veggie kimbap would be their best choice.

AM: What are 3 desserts that we should try at Jungsik?

PC EL: The baby banana, our signature dessert. It is banana cremeux, dulcey mousse, and banana baileys cake. The NY-Seoul, which is one of my favorite dessert because it exactly expresses my mingled identity, it is Korean brown rice cream, French puff pastry choux and American style of corn cookie dough. Our truffle cone is another seasonal signature dessert only for truffle season, made with black truffle ice cream & cream, in a chocolate waffle cone.

AM: What is your process like when you’re working with each other?

EC SP: We always share our opinions with each other when we try to make a new menu. Chef Eunji helps me a lot and participates in helping me make decisions for the restaurant. Chef Eunji always cheers me up and gives me strength.

PC EL: We discuss about ingredients that we’d like to use and thoughts for the menu, then taste dishes and share ideas together.

IG @Jungsik_Inc

@Eunji.Leeee

@Iam__SuYoung

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Dan Ahn

Read the Mar Issue #63 of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | Jungsik in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | AUTOMAT KITCHEN

The concept of automat dining was closely tied to the post-industrial era and the surge in white-collar workers in cities and later a popular option during the Depression-era with inexpensive staples like baked beans and mac & cheese. The food was prepared in a kitchen behind a wall of locked boxes displaying the ready-made dishes - all self-service. Diners inserted coins to unlock them and retrieve the item they wanted.

Automat Kitchen opened Jan 27, 2021 and makes meals fresh to order. Consulting Chef Quirino Silva created a modern comfort food menu with creative global twists on American classics for breakfast, lunch and dinner to appeal to modern diners. Silva created dishes that draw both on history and tradition but reflect the way we eat today, including Pastrami Reuben Flatbread; Chicken Pot Pie with vegetables, puff pastry and creamy gravy and The Wedge salad with iceberg lettuce, lardons, tomato, blue cheese dressing - just to name a few.

The menu will change seasonally and include special limited-time items too - the plan has always been to rotate menu items - right now they are doing Mac Madness (coinciding with March Mad Madness 3/18 - 4/5) with 5 new mac & cheese dishes: beef Meatballs Stuffed with Mac & Cheese Parm Sandwich with marinara, mozzarella and spinach; BBQ Brisket Mac & Cheese with gorgonzola cheese; Pepperoni Pizza Mac & Cheese with mozzarella, parmesan, mascarpone, marinara and cupped pepperoni over Mac & Cheese crust. Their signature Mac & Cheese with elbow macaroni, cheese blend, parmesan crisp, toasted breadcrumbs, scallions and crema verde will be available on its own, as well as in a Mac & Cheese Sandwich. Vegan Mac & Cheese with penne pasta, vegan cheddar, vegan mozzarella and oat milk will be offered with optional grilled tofu on top.

The user experience and process of ordering, paying and receiving the meal is based on Automat Kitchen's technology, custom hardware and software. Orders can be placed in advance online or by smartphone or at the location by scanning the QR code with a phone that will take you to ordering online.

After selecting items and entering payment information, the kitchen confirms the received order with a text. Customer's first name and last initial will appear on the main display screen above the locked food cubbies with the status "received." When order is ready, the status changes on the display to show the number of the cubby the order is in and customer receives a text with a unique code to unlock the cubby, to which they reply "open" by text (or manually enter the code on the cubby's screen). The door opens and closes automatically after the food is removed.

AUTOMAT KITCHEN

525 Washington Blvd

Jersey City, NJ 10017

www.automatkitchen.com

IG @Automat_Kitchen

Read the Mar Issue #63 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Automat Kitchen in mag.

GET FIT FOR NO KID HUNGRY

Mark your calendars as fitness lovers across the globe have the opportunity to “Get Fit for No Kid Hungry” with their favorite celebrity trainers and influencers with free livestream workout classes, including model Lily Aldridge and celebrity fitness trainer Simone De La Rue (creator of Body by Simone), as well as fitness expert and boxing trainer, Anthony Crouchelli (Liteboxer, GRIT BXING). 

 The livestream workouts will be hosted via Instagram Live and free to the public with donations encouraged to No Kid Hungry, a national campaign to end childhood hunger in America. Every $1 donated can help provide up to 10 meals to kids in need. Meal equivalency varies during COVID-19 relief. Learn more here.

WHEN: Friday, March 26 at 7 a.m. PST/10 a.m. EST

  Lily Aldridge & Simone De La Rue (they will be hosting the class together)

WHEN: Saturday, March 27 at 8 a.m. PST/11 a.m. EST

Anthony Crouchelli 

WHERE: The ‘Get Fit for No Kid Hungry’ livestream classes can be accessed via Instagram through the below handles of each participating celebrity and fitness influencer during the times specified above. 

You can join Lily Aldridge and Simone De La Rue’s workout fundraiser via @lilyaldridge or @simonedelarue.official (the class will be hosted through both IG handles), and Anthony Crouchelli’s workout fundraiser via @anthonycrouchelli. 

WHY: Due to the coronavirus, 1 in 4 kids could face hunger today. No Kid Hungry has a plan to make sure kids are fed, during this crisis and every day. Through a combination of emergency grants, strategic assistance, advocacy and awareness, the anti-hunger campaign is equipping communities across the country with the resources they need to feed kids. 

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | TIGER LILY KITCHEN

This month's The Art of the Snack takes us Tiger Lily Kitchen which is opened by Michelle Morgan. She tells about what we should expect when dining there as well as signature dishes.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your background and how you came to opening Tiger Lily Kitchen?

MICHELLE MORGAN: I’ve been in the restaurant industry for over ten years, starting as a server and working my way up to general manager. When the restaurant I was managing closed due to the pandemic, I took some time off and went to stay with my friend in Newport, Rhode Island for the summer. I was cooking every day and that gave me the inspiration to start my own business in spite of all the uncertainty. I realized that if there was a time to change my life path, it was now so I decided to pivot and open my own food business in New York City. I grew up with and have always been drawn to Asian cuisines so I wanted to offer food that is healthy yet comforting and addresses various dietary needs. All our dishes are gluten-free and many (though not all) are vegan. They can be customized with (or without) protein, including tofu, salmon, shrimp and chicken.

AM: What can guests expect from the Tiger Lily Kitchen experience?

MM: Our food is currently available for delivery and takeout only so I wanted to make the experience be more unique and memorable. I had a designer create a variety of stickers with Tiger Lily Kitchen’s name and logo elements that are applied to our delivery packages. This way the first thing our customers see is how fun and playful our style is – it’s all also very Instagrammable. Once they open the containers, the food is fresh, vibrant and flavorful. The recipes I’ve developed com-bine nourishment and comfort, and draw on various Asian cuisines.

AM: When creating this menu, can you tell us about where the inspiration for your dishes come from?

MM: The inspiration for our menu comes from the food I ate growing up, as well as the desire to create dishes that are health conscious, addressing a range of dietary needs. My mother is from Hong Kong (she became a vegetarian at some point in her life) and her cooking largely inspired what I’m doing at Tiger LilyKitchen, like utilizing the cooking techniques she taught me. Also, I grew up inNew York City’s Chinatown going to Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian restaurants. I’ve always loved diverse Asian flavors and dishes so I’m combining them with what my mother taught me.

AM: What are 3 signature dishes that you suggest that we should enjoy?

MM: There is something for everyone on our menu, some of the most popular dishes are the stir-fried Peanut StreetNoodles with crushed peanuts, snap peas, red cabbage, bean sprouts, cilantro, scallions, red chiles, sesame seeds and oil, plus charred lime (you can add a protein, if you wish); the equally colorful and delicious Vegetable Summer Rolls with cabbage, mint, pickled carrots, daikon, cucumber, watermelon radishes and a miso sauce for dipping; and Koji Marinated Salmon with wild rice, shiitake mushrooms, pickled carrots, cucumbers, lime, sesame seeds and cilantro sauce.

AM: What are 3 appetizers and/or desserts that we should try at Tiger Lily Kitchen?

MM: I would recommend starting with our Vegetable Summer Rolls or the Chinese cabbage wrapped Steamed VeggieRolls with sauteed shiitake mushrooms,carrots, daikon, red cabbage and Chinese broccoli that are tied with carrot ribbons and come with a vinegar dipping sauce with ginger, scallion and cilantro; Grilled Japanese Eggplant with cucumbers, watermelon radish and vinaigrette; or the grilled Salmon Skewers with a lime vinaigrette.

AM: What are 3 drinks that you suggest?

MM: All of our beverages are made in-house with freshly pressed juices and herbs like the Citrus Banger with orange, ginger and Thai basil (great for the immune system!); the refreshing Pineapple with ginger and mint and Shiso Limeade.

AM: What vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free friendly items do you have?

MM: The entire menu at Tiger Lily Kitchen is fully gluten-free and very vegan friendly – with a few exceptions, most of our dishes are vegan and we do not use dairy at all. We only use ingredients from gluten-free facilities and tamari soy sauce that gluten-free. Some of the most popular are the Vegan Mushroom Pho with mushroom broth, pho noodles, Chinese broccoli, carrots, red cabbage, bean sprouts, scallions, Thai basil, chilies and lime; Kohlrabi Salad with peanut ginger dressing, sesame seeds, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, carrots, bean sprouts, scallions, peanuts and cilantro; Organic Tofu Bites with chili spiced garlic chips, sesame seeds, scallions, red chilies and tamari; the Golden Cauliflower Soup with turmeric, lemongrass and ginger finished with a swirl of Thai basil oil and Aleppo pepper or the Peanut Street Noodles I mentioned earlier.

AM: During COVID-19, many restaurants have had to pivot on how they serve the guests and neighborhoods with pickups,delivery, reduce indoor dining, outdoor dining etc. – what have you been doing during this time?

MM: I opened my business during COVID-19 and right now we are solely focused on takeout and delivery that’s contactless or with minimal contact. We currently have no indoor or outdoor seating but I’m looking for a brick and mortar location.

IG @TigerLilyKitchenNYC

Read the Feb Issue #62 of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | Tiger Lily Kitchen in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | MIFUNE NEW YORK

MIFUNE New York launched in 2017. When dining at MIFUNE New York, one can expect a completely unique 8 course tasting menu experience from the restaurant’s talented Executive Chef tag team Yuu Shimano and Tomohiro Urata. They are known for their Japanese cuisine with a modern French flair.

The menu changes every single day and is completely seasonal. Inspiration comes from whatever the chefs get that day at the farmer’s market! Past examples of appetizers that have been presented include Black AngusBeef Tataki served with a ponzu sesame sauce, and Octopus Frites, served under a green bean salad tossed in a Japanese onion dressing and a roasted red pepper-yuzu kosho sauce. Mains have included Squid Ink Seafood Bouillabaisse Rice, which is topped with a medley y of vegetables and seafood such as shrimp, octopus and clams, and speckled with dollops of creamy lobster aioli.

The concept of omakase is incorporated within the culinary aesthetic of this restaurant. Although this term seems synonomous in American culture with sushi and is thought of as a chefs choice. At MIFUNE, this term is brought into the scope of Japanese culture and broadly means, "whatever the chef recommends."

The cocktail program is curated by Shingo Gokan, who was the winner of the 2017 Tales of the Cocktail International Bartender of the Year Award. Signature cocktails, which are all cleverly named after Torisho Mifune movies, include the Oharu with Lychee-cello, Dassai 45 Nigori Sake, Grapefruit and Orange Blossom, and the SevenSamurai with Rye Whiskey, Aged Sake, East India, Sherry, Bitters, and Smoke.

The menu has an array of sake for every kind of sake drinker. Whether diners are looking for something rich and bold, or clean and crisp, we have it all. Because our cuisine involves Japanese and French influences, the tasting menu is well-paired with both wine and sake. For those who are looking to eat-in, MIFUNE currently has outdoor seating on their patio, which includes four private bubble tents. They offer their eight course tasting menu for $120 per person which changes daily.

For those looking to do pickup/delivery, they have a Friday-only, 18-course tasting menu, which serves two or three people for $130. Select dishes include Beef Tataki with garlic ponzu sauce, Grilled Eggplant with ginger dashi, and FoieGras Terrine with strawberry ginger jam and house-made focaccia. We also sell raw Japanese Miyazaki Wagyu Ribeye for guests to make at home!

MIFUNE NEW YORK

245 E 44th St

NY, NY 10017

www.mifune-restaurant.com

IG @mifunenewyork

PHOTOS COURTESY | MIFUNE New York

Read the Feb Issue #62 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | MIFUNE New York in mag.

THE ULTIMATE BITE WITH MING TSAI

We've been a fan of Chef Ming Tsai for a number of years from attending a decadent editor's event where he paired savory dishes with a premium alcohol brand, watching him on his shows sharing his love for East meets West cooking, to seeing him on a number of shows judging - we love seeing his passion when he is creating his dishes. As someone who is known for his restaurants, TV shows, cookbooks, cooking line and more, we wanted to see how he has been navigating the past few months, find out how he came to the food industry and to find out more about one of his newest projects MingsBings!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into your culinary career, you were a professional squash player and played at Yale– what is it that you love about the game and do you still play it?

CHEF MING TSAI: I am one of the most competitive people I know and squash to me is one of the most intense sports because you are enclosed in a small room with one other person and there is no-where to hide. If you are on a team sport like football or basketball you could in theory get lost in the shuffle. On a squash court, it’s two people and you’re responsible for your own actions and you control your own fate. The one curious rule is if you hit the other person with the ball you actually win the point. To someone outside the sport, you could in theory keep hitting the other person, but the other person could also keep hitting you back and they might hit you harder. Squash is a game of true sportsmanship, it’s a prerequisite.

I continue to play today mostly because I’m coaching my son David who proudly is following in my footsteps at Yale. As a side note, as a Chef, I love playing to burn a ton of calories, but it’s also a great way to get rid of stress (it’s very therapeutic), particularly right now during COVID which has hit the restaurant industry really hard.

AM: What was the moment when you fell in love with food?

CHEF MT: Apparently my first word was Nui Nai, which means milk. As soon as I could walk without falling over, which was maybe around 2 years old, I was always hanging out in the kitchen. I would watch my parents or grandparents in the kitchen cooking admiring the wok over the fire, their knives with the cutting board, but most importantly I learned early on that by hanging out in the kitchen, you'll be fed faster there. I kept coming back for more, I knew there was something about being in the kitchen that made me happy, and I was, still am and always will be hungry.

AM: When did your interest in food turn into wanting to work in the industry?

CHEF MT: I became interested in the food industry early on because my parents used to do private catering events and festivals. As early as age 10, I was frying egg rolls for thousands of people next to my grandfather. My first epiphany with food was also at age 10. My parents had friends over, unannounced because the couple happened to be driving through Dayton which is where we lived at the time. In the Chinese culture, you don’t ask “How Are You?” when greeting someone at the door, you actually ask, “Have you eaten?,” so I took it upon myself to make them my first fried rice. It by no means was my best, but in an instant when I watched all four of them, my parents and their friends, enjoying the meal, I realized I could make people happy through food. It was a true epiphany that to this day, is why I love being a chef.

AM: How would you define your cooking style?

CHEF MT: East-West, blending of techniques and ingredients that produces food that is bold in flavor and contrasting temperatures and textures that at the end of the day is inherently healthy. I’m more plant-based now more than ever.

AM: What was your culinary journey that you led to opening Blue Ginger?

CHEF MT: I cooked at the Mandarin Kitchen, with my mom. During college, I went to Paris for apprenticeships and then went to Le Cordon Bleu. After college, I moved to Paris and worked as a Pastry cook at Fauchon with Pierre Hermé. After that, I worked as a Sous Chef at the restaurantNatasha. That was the first time I was able to first blend East-West flavors in a professional sense. After two years in Paris, with the goal of opening my own restaurant one day being a good Chinese son, I went to Cornell to get a masters in Hospitality and Marketing. After I received my masters, I went to open a bunch of restaurants in hotels and ended up at the Intercontinental where I helped open 5 restaurants and 2 hotels. I realized I missed cooking in the kitchen and wanted to get back into the kitchen. That’s when I went to the Mandarin Oriental and worked at Silks. In 1990 Ken Hom was the head chef and he greatly encouraged me to keep, cooking the East-West style, it was really significant for me. Funnily enough, Silks was also where I met my best chef friend Ken Oringer. After Silks, I went to Santa Café in Santa Fe, where I did East-meets-South-west food. It was a significant period be-cause not only was it my first executive chef job, when I got my highest Zagat rating, but was also when Food Network “discovered me”. I took a liking to teaching what I knew in the kitchen and spreading my love of food to the masses. After two years though, I was ready to open my own place. I decided to move back to East to Boston and from there I opened BlueGinger in 1998.

AM: What were the biggest lessons that you learned when you opened your first restaurant?

CHEF MT: There are three big important lessons. The first is design build. The architect and general contractor have to speak the same language. You can’t build a 13-foot wall because planks of wood come in 12 feet foot pieces. You have to think about the way materials come in when you design something. A round booth costs twice as much as a square, but they can seat the same amount of people.

The second piece to this is you have to be there daily to save time and money. Plus if you are there every day, everyone works a little faster and you’ll save time with decisions and money. This helps to not only finish on time and but, will help save with your budget. The other piece to this is In-spect your space before you take over the lease really well. Make sure you drill into walls for water damage, asbestos etc. The second is cash-flow. When you raise money, if you did zero covers the first month, you should still be able to cover payroll, taxes, insurance etc. Restaurants fail because they open later than scheduled and they don’t have enough cash flow to sustain them. They don’t have enough money to pay rent, insurance, taxes even though they aren’t operating. If you open 2 months late, you have more financial pressure, so you have to do x amount of covers to pay for payroll, insurance etc. Then they start buying cheaper products or taking shortcuts and lower-ing quality and the downward spiral can’t be stopped. Make sure you raise enough money to open on time and on budget.

The third most important thing is who you surround yourself matters. Your team matters, they represent you. You have to find true hospitality professionals. They have to think like you and want to be in the restaurant industry. You want people that believe in hospitality and you have to make sure that every person in your organization believes that. As a chef the front of house for the customer experience is more important. For example, you could have the best food in the world, but if the service is condescending or arrogant, they won’t come back. You could have mediocre food, if the customer was entertained, treated well, the server remembered their name, it was the best service in the world, the customer will come back. You need loyalty, it makes a restaurant successful. Front of house is 70% of your dining experience, if you have the right pricing, the magic experience and the best food, it's the secret formula.

And just as important, as the leader, you have to lead by example. I’ve never walked by trash in the middle of the dining room, a cigarette or trash outside the restaurant and not picked it up. There’s no job too small for the owner. Ideally, you aren’t the only one doing it, you have to roll up your sleeves and get dirty. You have to do it, lead by example and show others how to get it done. And always use, “please and thank you”. You always have to ask, it always helps get the job done.

AM: You have won a number of awards including James Beard, Zagat and more – how important was it for you to receive the accolades?

CHEF MT: None of us are chefs to win the awards. We are chefs to make delicious food for people. The only reason having a large platform has helped is that it allows you to do more good, I’ve been able to do a lot of good because of my platform. Family Reach is an organization that provides a lifeline to families fighting cancer. In 10 years, I’ve helped raise over 8 million dollars through live charity dinners, but I’m fully aware that it’s because of my platform I’m able to do this. It’s a lot of waste of opportunity if you don’t take the opportunity to do good with it.

AM: Tell me about Blue Dragon and what people can expect when they come there?

CHEF MT: Blue Dragon has been closed since May 30th, we were proudly a partner with the Lee Initiative providing meals to restaurant workers in the Boston area. We were able to use Jamaica Mi Hungry food truck to provide thousands of meals to restaurant workers. Reality is real, where Blue Dragon is located, there is no business hence Blue Dragon is in hibernation for now.

AM: You are also the chef/partner at BABA in Yellowstone. What is this restaurant and what should we know about it?

CHEF MT: BABA is my one year old restaurant at the Yellowstone Club in Montana. I’ve always loved the mountains and Mon-tana is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I got to create a new signature dish, Tea-Smoked Peking Duck and bring back some old Blue Ginger favorites as well, plus some touches like Potstickersand shumai from Blue Dragon as well. It’s a culmination of all my favorite dishes and foods I’ve cooked throughout my career and absolutely my favorite way I love to eat. I know I’m very blessed to be able to go to Big Sky as often as I do.

AM: We have yet to try them, but we know they’re on their way – tell me about MingsBings, why did you want to offer these, what they are and will you have additional offerings as well?

CHEF MT: In 2017, my family and I received the world-shaking news that my wife Pol-ly had been diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer. While we explored medical treatment options at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Polly also made the life-changing decision to transition to a strict vegan diet with the hope of lowering inflammation by using food as medicine. As I dove into cooking all-plant based food, I found a lack of healthy savory meal replacements while strolling the grocery aisles. I was quickly disappointed by the variety and quality of the options on the market. It was in this moment that I recognized a new mission. While I created plant-based meal options to help Pollyheal as she improved, I also realized there were likely many more people out there like her who were possibly making the same changes. I continued to search and create vegan alternatives that were delicious and nutritious. After experimenting in the kitchen, MingsBings was born. The first flavor, the Original, is a veggie filled patty that launched the end of 2020 packed with watercress, red onions, shiitake mushrooms, edamame, garlic, ginger and pepitas all wrapped in a gluten-free brown rice wrapper. Found in the frozen aisle of Dave’s Fresh Market in Rhode Island (and soon other local grocery stores in MA) and online on MingsBings.com. Plus I’m so proud to say that a portion of our proceeds give back to both Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Family Reach, two organizations that are incredibly near and dear to my heart. Stay tuned for new flavors coming out soon too!

AM: I have been a fan of yours for years and remember you on East Meets West with Ming Tsai and then seeing you're on anumber of shows on Food Network, being on the Today Show for the Beijing Olympics as well as your current show, Simply Ming. How important is it for chefs to share their personality and passion for food through these shows as well as socially?

CHEF MT: I’ve always loved to teach, cooking and sports. It’s also why I love being a father. You have to love teaching if you want to be a dad. I love all the outlets to be able to continue to teach. It’s why I loved East Meets West, Simply Ming and why it’s been a lot of fun to continue to do it on social media like Instagram and latest Pinterest and TikTok accounts. It’s so important to show your authenticity, to explain where the dish was created and where it came from. The meteoricrise of social media is like the invention of the TV, but the difference is when the TV was invented, you still had to buy one to join. Now, everyone has their phone and it’s free to join. It’s scary because it’s not going to slow down. I was only one of 8 chefs on TV in the early Food Network days, now I’m one of 70,000 on TikTok, the points of entry have been removed, anyone can be a chef on TikTok, if you have one follower, you’re a success. Just like a restaurant, you have to differentiate, fortunately, I truly enjoy teaching and showing people how to do cooking hacks, cleaning a cast iron pan, how to make a simple fried rice dish. Paramount for anyone in this medium, you have to stay authentic to your craft, but it doesn’t mean you can’t play to the edges and have fun with it.

AM: You’ve also had Simply Ming cookware on HSN as well. How important has this been to your brand?

CHEF MT: I’m so happy I’m still with HSN and we’re delving into food as well. It’s a key relationship for me because I’ve always wanted to level the playing field and have people cook with the same equipment I’ve had to make the task easier. The cookware is nonstick so that less fat can be used if desired. My favorite demo is cooking salmon with no oil so the salmon doesn’t stick. I’m so excited we are going to start selling some MingsBings on HSN the next few months.

AM: COVID has definitely had an impact regardless of your vertical and the food industry has been affected – how have you navigated this time with your restaurants?

CHEF MT: I closed Blue Dragon for in-restaurant dining 2 days before the governor closed all restaurants. We remained open for take-out and proudly participated in the Lee Initiative operating as a food pantry to serve restaurant employees. We also partnered with the Jamaica Mi Hungry food truck to be able to bring more meals to surrounding Boston neighborhoods where the majority of employees live. We quickly realized it was difficult for them to come to Blue Dragon because of public transportation with COVID, so we decided to bring the meals to them. Fortunately, BABA has amazing COVID protocols for both staff and members and has safely remained opened.

AM: You have written 5 cookbooks – what is that process like and do you have additional plans for future ones?

CHEF MT: A cookbook is a major project. The reason I have not started another one is lack of time to dedicate to it. I plan on writing more, however, my next one may be more my philosophy of cooking and living than recipes, though it will still include some recipes.

AM: We’ve loved seeing your plank challenges – what was the thought behind that and why did you want to share that with your followers?

CHEF MT: Honestly it was first done as a needed distraction for not only what I thought we needed as a country, but forme as well. January being a new year, I think the entire world thinks about a new health regime. I wanted to do something that I would have to continue to do for 31 days and by putting it out there in the social media world, I knew it would help hold me accountable for 31 days. What I love about this challenge, there are no winners or losers, there are only winners. No matter how much time you do, even if you add one second, you have still accomplished something great. I was looking for positive resolutions and this was oneway to get it moving. I have loved doing it so much that I will likely continue doing it with a push-up challenge for 28 days in February.

IG @MingTsai

@SimplyMingTV

@MingsBings

PHOTOS COURTESY | Chef Ming Tsai

Read the Jan Issue #61 of Athleisure Mag and see The Ultimate Bite with Ming Tsai in mag.

NEW YEAR, N3W YOU

Read the Jan Issue #61 of Athleisure Mag and see NEW YEAR, N3W YOU in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | PEKARNA NEW YORK

Pekarana New York launched Dec 2020on the UWS with a menu that focuses on Slovenian-American dishes.

With a focus on Slovenian-American fare, they offer traditional items from their menu when indoor dining resumes that includes appetizers (Boudin Blanc, lightly fried smoked wild boar and rice sausage with hot pepper jelly and Dijon mustard on the side), mains (Slovenian Brodet known as the Fisherman’s Stew, red snapper, dayboat scallops, mussels, shrimp, squid, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes with a grilled baguette and saffron and potato aioli) and desserts (Kremsnita Cake is the famous Lake Bled cream, rum and lemon custard, topped with a delicate and flaky puff pastry).

Chef Kamal Hoyte’s dinner menu is a melding of traditional Slovenian and New American seasonal dishes with French techniques. To start, an array of appetizers includes the Truffle MatzoBall Soup with roasted chicken thighs, chicken consommé and truffle matzo balls. For a main course, we suggest the Wild Striped Bass with a butternut mascarpone puree, wild rice pilaf, maple glazed brussels sprouts and pineapple serrano vin blanc. The dessert is not to be missed with ConsultingPastry Chef Alma Rekić's Apple Wrapor “Slovenian Apple Pie” made with a baked apple roll, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla gelato.

Paying homage to the drink of great artists such as Edgar Allan Poe, Van Gogh and Hemingway, the menu spotlights four different absinthes, which are be served by the traditional drip method. Three Sazerac cocktails all feature absinthe, including the Rare Mac Sazerac with Macallan Rare Casket Whiskey Cane Sugar, Absinthe, and Peychaud's. The absinthe fountains can be seen on display at a number of the bars throughout the 6,500 square foot space.

Pekarna New York follows all CDC guidelines. Upon arrival, guests ring the doorbell. Once inside, guests are greeted, have their temperature checked, and are brought to the back-yard that is equipped with heaters and socially distanced tables. All staff is masked, and diners must be masked until seated.

PEKARNA NEW YORK

594 Amsterdam Avenue

NY, NY 10024

www.pekarnanyc.com

IG @pekarnanyc

Read the Jan Issue #61 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Pekarna New York in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | NOREETUH

This month's The Art of the Snack brings Hawaiian vibes in the East Village with Noreetuh which has been recognized by Michelin. We wanted to know more about this restaurant and connected with Jin Ahn, Managing Partner and Co-Owner. We find out about Chef Chung Chow, their signature dishes, their beverage menu and more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about Chef Chung Chow’s culinary background and the influence for his style of cooking?

JIN AHN: Chef Chung Chow worked in Thomas Keller's kitchens (Bouchon, Per Se) as well as under Chef Jonathan Benno's Lincoln as an opening Sous Chef. Influence of these mentors taught Chef Chow to work with French and Italian techniques, and focus on using the highest quality ingredients.

AM: What can guests expect when they come to dine at Noreetuh and what does the name of the restaurant mean?

JA: Guests can expect to have a different yet comforting type of cuisine at noreetuh. While Hawaiian seems very foreign, it is regional American cuisine, and once a guest experiences Noreetuh, it becomes more familiar than anticipated. "Noreetuh" means, "playground" in Kore-an. It is our aim to create an atmosphere where patrons have fun while dining.

AM: What does it mean to you to have your restaurant recognized by Michelin?

JA: It is an honor to be recognized by an esteemed publication such as The Michelin Guide. It's about keeping up our standard day in and day out. After all, a good restaurant must be consistent.

AM: When creating this menu, can you tell us about where the inspiration for your dishes came from?

JA: Inspiration for the dishes came from personal experiences from growing up in Hawaii, as well as exposure to food and culture from eating and traveling.

AM: What are 3 signature dishes that you suggest that we should enjoy?

JA: 1. Any one of eight Musubis we offer - my suggestion is to get the MusubiPlatter and choose four.

2. Mochiko Fried Chicken - once you get it, you'll always crave it!

3. Degustation of Hamachi - you get grilled collar, musubi and sashimi. Collaralone is worth the visit.

AM: What are 3 appetizers and/or desserts that we should try when at Noreetuh?

JA: This is still in line with 3 signature dishes, but staying on the appetizers, you should try:

1. Big Eye Tuna Poke - it is currently offered as a Rice Bowl dish, but regular guests get this as an appetizer without rice. It's one of our classics.

2. Bruléed Hawaiian Pineapple with lime zest, ‘alaea salt is a special dessert using very special pineapple from Hawaii. We-held off while reopening but were met with angry regular guests!

3. Tray of Maine Uni - if you're a sea ur-chin fan and love the decadence and the wow factor of this tray, it's a must!

AM: You have an expansive beverage program. Can you tell us about what is available?

JA: We have wines from classic regions of the world focusing heavily on French and German wines. We also carry a good amount of aged wines, including an entire page devoted to German Ries-lings with a minimum 25 years of age. Selections are approximately 300 (pretty hefty for a small restaurant in East Village), but very sensibly priced. Guests can find easy to enjoy wines mixed in with the ones a connoisseur would find fascinating. If you're craving some simple beers to go along with the fried chicken, we have draft and plenty of bottles and cans along with simple cocktails (no hard liquor here), and sake/soju.

AM: What are 3 cocktails that you suggest we should have when visiting?

JA: Soju Gimlet (with Korean spirit Soju replaced gin/vodka), POG-Mosa (mimosa made by mixing Passionfruit-Orange-Guava Nectar with sparkling Riesling), and during this cold wintertime, especially with outdoor dining, Mulled Red Wine really hits the spot!

AM: During COVID-19, many restaurants have had to pivot on how they serve the guests and neighborhoods with pickups, delivery, reduce indoor dining, outdoor dining etc – what have you been doing during this time?

JA: We have been doing just that. We have reopened after the shutdown in July and have not shuttered since. We have pivot-ed to a much greater volume of delivery and take-outs alongside our outdoor dining area, which is on its fifth version. We have had indoor dining but lost it due governor's orders - we desperately need it back.

IG @Noreetuh

PHOTOS COURTESY | Noreetuh

Read the Jan Issue #61 of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | Noreetuh in mag.

BEYOND THE CONDIMENT WITH CHEF BRANDON COLLINS

When it comes to food, we all have our favorites from sides, entrees, desserts, sauces and more. We caught up with Chef Brandon Collins who is the Mustard Sommelier of Maille, a heritage Dijon brand which also includes an assortment of mustards, vinegars etc. He told us about what his job entails, how he stays up on mustards and their variants as a whole and also shares the culinary history of this brand! He also provides insights into the healthy aspects of it as well as how it is more of a condiment and a phenomenal ingredient to use when cooking a number of your favorite foods or even enjoying it with quality ice cream!

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

CHEF BRANDON COLLINS: That’s a long one. I would like to say that I traveled to the South of France and I walked on the beaches and I had these amazing epiphanies, but honestly, the deal was, I grew up in the Midwest and I grew up in Dayton, Ohio. Basically, my Grandmother – both of them, were amazing cooks and I grew up eating really good food and realizing that at the worst times in my life, food kind of brought people together. That really ignited something in me and I realized that being around food always brought us from the farthest walks of life. If my family was away and nowhere near me, unfortunately, due to a death in the family or something – everyone could rejoice over whatever plate we were having regardless of whatever we were going through. That kind of really started everything for me.

Not a lot of kids in my area or in my school were going to culinary school to be a chef and the “rebel” in me thought that I wanted to do something that not everyone else was doing. I’m very stubborn, I get that from my mother. When I put my mind to something, I do it. So I started working at a concert venue back home called the Nutter Center which is attached to Wright State University. worked there and then I worked at Skyline Chili and I loved being able to work when I wasn’t behind a desk or a computer. That’s what really sold me 100% on it! I mean Skyline, I ate that way more then I should have –it’s good stuff!

AM: Um yeah, when you said the name, a smile and memories came together! We’re based in New York, but I had to tell the team about the beauty that is Skyline Chili. We’ve literally remade recipes to get that same test as most of our team is from the east coast so they had no idea what I was talking about!

CHEF BC: There’s something about Skyline Chili that people either love or hate– so the fact that I found another Skylinelover is a beautiful thing!

AM: Absolutely! So how would you define your cooking style?

CHEF BC: I would probably say honestly that from the get-go, I have always been very interested in the science of food. Understanding the whys and not so much the hows. So a lot of my style is driven by why do I do this and why do I do that? Why do I grill a steak as opposed to sear-ing it? Why do I like sous vide? Those are the things that are really really interesting to me. For me, it’s fundamentally driven, seasonal New American and I usually tend to focus on local and sustainable. I live in the Hudson Valley so I have an abundance, a bounty of produce and meats to work with. So that has always been the driving force behind everything that I have done culinarily.

AM: What led you to coming to Maille?

CHEF BC: So my background is in fine dining. I worked in fine dining prior to joining a company called Sodexo initially actually. That was because we had just started a family and I needed to go from working about 100 - 110 hours a week at my previous job to being able to make a kind of shift. So, I started working with Sodexo and the parent company, Unilever was my client. I then started a couple of years later working for Unilever prop-er and Maille being one of my brands, I had the opportunity to being able to start working with this Dijon mustard brand that I have been working with my entire career and it just so happened to be that I was almost at the right place and the right time. I had the confidence of my line managers who said, “hey, this is the guy for the job.”Luckily, I was given the job of MustardSommelier and having the ability to train and to figure out all of that!

AM: Can you give us some history about the brand? It’s been around since the 1700’s which is just amazing to think about!

CHEF BC: Basically, the brand truly started around 1720 with Antoine-Claude Maille and basically, the story goes, there was a plague and he was a Master Vinegar Maker. The idea was that during this plague there were these 4 thieves that had been captured and they realized that they had been utilizing a vinegar mixture that was allowing them to kind of go into people’s houses, steal from them and leave without them getting sick! What ended up happening and this is a part of the story – it’s hard to find the actual story to see if this is true, but as it goes, they were sentenced to death by burning and in order to get a lighter sentence, they gave up their vinegar recipe. Then they were actually hung instead of being burned. Which is always fun right?

Basically, he was given the rights to this and we began making “The Vinegar of the 4 Thieves” and it helped through the plague. In 1747, Maison Maille was actually founded and we became the official supplier of the court of King Louis XV at that point in time. We also opened the very first Maille Boutique in Paris during that time as well. In 1760, we became the very official suppliers in the courts of France, Austria, Hungary and Russia. That’s really cool. In 1830, we were also named the privileged supplier to the Queen of England. We were one of the very few non-British brands at that point in time, that were invited to be a supplier to the Queen. In 1845, we opened our boutique in Dijon and that’s whenever we started creating super creative storefronts and things along that line. As time has gone on and we were a supplier to Catherine the Great as well. It’s really cool because in our establishment in Dijon, we’ve been given through the division of antiquity through shipwrecks and things of that nature, actual mustard jars that were intended for Catherine the Great and Czars of Russia that had gone down. Whenever they had been found, they gave them back to us and it’s really really cool to be able to see the history and the different bottle shapes. To be able to see as we have gone on, starting out as a vinegar maker, becoming a mustard empire kind of cultish amazing high-quality brand. In ’96, we opened the boutique in Paris. We’ve been around for quite some time and it’s absolutely amazing to see all that we have been able to do. In theory, it’s 2 empires, 5 republics, 5 European conflicts, 2 World Wars and 5 currency conversions. It’s been a while!

AM: That’s so crazy! First of all, love a good True Crime tale and although I know this is more of an “as the story goes,” – the True Crime element was enjoyable and I didn’t expect you to come up with that, but that is fantastic! When you look at the website today, it has such a depth of an assortment from the vinegars, the oils, mustards, the cornichons and all of those things. How does the brand go about deciding what will be in the assortment from what will be in the main part of the line to other things that they may rotate in? Are you involved in any of that process?

CHEF BC: So, unfortunately, I’m not involved in any of that part of the process but my counterpart in Europe actually is. He sits with our leadership team so we have discussions along those lines on what is coming down the pike and do I have any input along that line. He actually overseas all of our boutiques and since we don’t have any in the US anymore, I’m kind of removed from that side of it. The main starter for any of those decisions that are made is quality. Is what we’re doing and what we’re purchasing or outsourcing, does it fit the quality and level of expertise that we are looking for whenever we launch a product. So if it’s an olive oil, ora mustard or a vinegar, we always make sure that everything we are procuring is of the best quality that we can find. We do that from our mustard seeds to our vine-gars and to our oil. As we process through the flavoring, a lot of what most people see from our boutiques in Dijon or in Par-is, our fresh from the pump mustards –from the truffles to the Sauternes wine– the rosemary honey – anything along that line, that my counterpart is in Europe and our R&S team which is based out ofChevalier. They are the ones that develop those mustards and they figure out flavor profiles and how they work as well as how it goes. Whatever is developed for the jar and is not a fresh from the pump product is going through what we see as trending, what are we thinking of for flavor profiles, what plays well with the mustard? We don’t want to create flavor profiles that are just out there and then they don’t taste well or play well with others. We go about that process the same way. Quality ingredients, how do we source them and how it tastes from day 1 to 50 to 150? It’s a really cool process and unfortunately, I don’t get to be a part of it as much as I would like to, but anytime that I’m in France – I do get to see what we’re going through and what we’re doing. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to travel this year.

AM: What is the difference between the mustards in the glass jars and the ones in the sandstone jars which are quite lovely to look at?

CHEF BC: The sandstone jars are our fresh from the pump jars. Those jars include mustards that do not contain any of our sulphites or anything along those lines. They are fresh and usually depending on the one it is, some are made from vinegar and some are made from wine. The spice in the fresh from the pump tend to be more intense and the flavor is a bit more intense that that which is in the glass jar. The sandstone jars are a whole other story of themselves. The manufacturer who creates the jars has been with us for quite some time and all of the jars are hand-made. The labels are put on by hand as well. It’s a really amazing man that owns the jar manufacturing and he’s an amazing human being. The talent that they have at the manufacturing facility is amazing. The fact that the labels are straight and perfect every single time, it’s mindboggling. It’s a cool story and they do amazing pottery to begin with, but the fact that we have been able to partner with them for such a long time which has been about100 years is amazing. The process is cool too. I believe that they have 50 employees and 33 work on the actual pots or some-thing of that nature. I’ve been there twice now and have toured the facility and to see them in action and it’s just cool. Even the color picking process is cool to see as each one goes with a launch of a specific mustard. The green was rosemary honey mustard, black is black truffle, off white is white truffle. You can also buy them individually as well.

AM: That’s really cool to know too! So you’re the Lead Chef and the North American Mustard Sommelier for the brand. What does that involve and what do you do day to day?

CHEF BC: Basically, I eat a lot of mustard! I think in general for me, I not only spread the love of Maille with who we are and what we do but also spreading the love of mustard in general. Being a Mustard Sommelier and the way that title came about, when Antoine-Claude Maillefirst decided that he would launch these boutiques, he wanted to have a Mustard Sommelier in every single boutique so that there was a specialist that could talk about the mustards. Whenever people came in asking questions, they could learn about the differences. So in my position, it’s about knowing mustards but also going through and developing recipes. Utilizing a recipe that not only uses mustard for a sandwich but how we can use mustard in a donut, mashed potatoes or any form of cooking with it as a seasoning and not just using it as a condiment. Research – I do a lot of it to find out whatever I can about mustard in general and understanding that it is referenced all the way back to the Bible and it’s the oldest known condiment that we have discovered that has been around for 3,000 years that we are aware of that has been found in clay pots in Germany. Understanding that side of it as well and understanding the subtle differences of the different kinds of mustards that are out there and why Maille is better and better from a Dijon standpoint. Dijon isn’t necessarily better than French’s or then Dusseldorf – a lot of it is personal preference. I find that all mustard has a place and a use, it’s just a matter of utilizing them correctly and I dofind Dijon to be the granddaddy of them all and hands down my favorite style of mustard.

AM: In many ways, you’re kind of like a mustard historian?

CHEF BC: To an extent. I do what I can. I kind of figure out as much as I can about the brand and about mustard in general. Understanding the seeds – living in the Hudson Valley, I don’t grow mustard because I have access to it that’s wild everywhere which is always awesome. I can walk anywhere in the fields and there is wild mustard strewn about. It’s being able to go and find that and to understand that I have friends who are wild foragers and they take me out in the woods with them to look for mushrooms and mustard greens and things like that. Again, it's making sure that I understand how it works so that when people ask me those questions, I can answer it to the best of my ability and be as educated as humanly possible.

AM: So what is the difference between mustard and Dijon?

CHEF BC: Ok, so Dijon is a mustard. Basically there are a ton of mustards in the world. You have your Dusseldorf, your hot mustards and then you have your Frenchs yellow which started originally as a creamy salad dressing. French’s was started because the man that created it thought there needed to be a form of mustard that was in the US. What actually sets Dijon apart from those other mus-tards is that it doesn’t have to come from Dijon, it just started there.

AM: Wow, I thought that Dijon was like Champagne.

CHEF BC: No, it’s not protected in that way. If you look at the back of Dijon mustard and if you look at the back of Maille, it has a simple set of ingredients. Some other Dijon mustards will include turmeric and other kinds of spices which isn’t really a true Dijon. As long as it follows by a certain set of guidelines, it can be considered a Dijon. So it has to be made with black or brown mustard seeds. That is the main mustard driver. Predominant-ly, you will find Dijon made out of brown mustard seeds because black is very volatile and they tend not to transfer very well in terms of shipping them. Then you use water, vinegar and salt. Originally Di-jon was made with verjuice which was the first press of the grape but it’s a very expensive ingredient and most people don’t make it with this anymore. We have made anniversary editions that have this in it, but it’s a lot harder to control and it’s like wine so it fluctuates a little more then vinegar. So water, vinegar and salt are crushed together. So it has to have 22%of that dry extract when all the water is removed and it can’t have more than 2%of the outer shell. So when you cut open a mustard seed, even if it’s brown – it’s still yellow on the inside. So think about mustard powder, they all look the same in general as the powder does. But it has to have less than 2% of that shell in there. Again the seeds can come from anywhere not just Dijon. One of the things that we do with Maille is that all of the seeds are non-GMO and we go through an extensive process to figure out which seeds are utilized. Other then that, that’s Dijon. So you take the seeds and you soak them in this water/vinegar/salt mixture so that they plump up and do their thing. They’re then processed to either be ground or in other ways as well. What ends up happening is throughout the process and especially with Dijon, that some of the spice is still intact. So when the grinding process is happening, the temperature is taken of the stones so that it’s not getting too hot and breaking down that spice. So heat is the enemy of heat if that makes sense. Especially when it comes to mustard. The way that we go about processing our seeds and the cool thing about it is that whenever you eat a spoonful of Maille, it will never make you cry or make you sweat. It will kind of come up through your olfactory senses and give you a little bit of a burn and dissipate back through your palette and that’s why we were so big in the courts in the 1700/1800’sis because a lot of the aristocrats wore makeup during that time and had wigs and the last thing that they wanted to have happen is to sweat through their makeup and cry in front of the commoners. The fact that we didn’t make them sweat or cry was a big bonus because of the way we process, our recipe and our ability to give them a well rounded Dijon mustard that was not overpowering and could be used in a number of ways.

AM: There seems to be a similarity in that wine has varietals and that mustard has various Dijons and mustards. In the wine world, there are set times for harvesting and picking. Does that exist for mustard as well?

CHEF BC: Well, it’s very similar to wine to a certain extent because we do have to wait for the mustard itself to go to seed.

We have a very determined window. It’splanted in the Spring it’s beautiful and yellow. Especially if you’re in the countryside of France or in Saskatchewan in Canada. Once it turns brown, that’s when you’re harvesting it in the fall. So you will get noticeable differences in regions depending on where you’re buying your seeds from. The higher quality Dijon is in Saskatchewan and in Burgundy. A lot of that is soil, temperature and things of that nature just like it is in wine. It’s one of the reasons why I think that Dijon goes so well with your Burgundy dishes. Because those dishes are heavier and being able to have this mustard cut through that is great. But when it comes playing with the flavor profiles, this will come into play because some seasons create a spicier mus-tard seed than others and there may be a different blending process that may have to take place. Different varietals of wine vinegars can change due to the flavor profiles of the mustard as well. But it’s not as drastic as a ’97 Bordeaux or a 2004 one or being affected by the California wildfires for example. It’s not as intricate as that but it can have slight variations.

AM: Obviously we love mustard on sandwiches what are some non-traditional ways that people wouldn’t think of incorporating Maille with?

CHEF BC: So people always freak out about this as my go-to answer. Really high-quality vanilla ice cream and a scoop of the Old Style Maille mustard on top of it. We don’t cut the seed as much it plays well and it’s a little bitter but it has to be a good quality ice cream. Mustard and chocolate go really well together – spice, vinegar, salt all play well with chocolate. Put it into your chocolate cake because the vinegar works well with the chemical reactions in there as well. Most chocolate cake especially when you’re doing red velvet, it contains vinegar anyways. There is some form of white distilled vinegar in there so using a white Dijon mustard as a replacement for that is something that I have done a couple of times. Also utilizing it as a seasoning which is a big one for me.

Think of Dijon as the same thing as a soy sauce, Worcestershire or a sea salt to an extent. If you add a teaspoon to a dish, itdoesn’’t necessarily have to taste like mustard. The goal is to wake up flavors and to help elevate other flavor profiles with-in a dish. Adding in some to your braises like if you are working with a short rib. Put a tablespoon into your braising liquid as you’re reducing it or after you have reduced it and see the difference in how it pops. I have added it to breads, once again not for it to taste like mustard but to give it a bit of something that makes you notice it and that there is something in there. Then there are times when you want it to taste like mustard. So I have braised chicken thighs in a whole jar of our Old Style with a little chicken stock, braised and placed in the oven, pulled them out and then put them on top of polenta or mashed potatoes. It’s absolutely killer! It’s not overpowering and when you have the fat of the potato, the stock, the dark meat of the chicken thighs – it plays so well and tastes so good. There is literally not a recipe unless you’re talking about certain desserts that I wouldn’t put mustard into. I have converted my wife into this and she says that never in a million years would she think that she likes mustard as much as she does now. Every time I make dinner she asks if Maille is in there. 9 times out of 10 I do and if I don’t, she grills me and asks if it would have tasted better with it. So then I have to go through the process of why was it that I just didn’t want to put it in there because I had had it 17 times this week or was it because I just thought it wouldn’t benefit the dish or was it that we should just put it on top? She’s been a trooper!

AM: As we’re in the holiday season, what are 3 dishes that you would do that for?

CHEF BC: Honestly one of the things that I love Dijon in is mashed potatoes and it makes everything on the plate kind of pop. Again, you don’t have to put a ton of it but it elevates every other dish on there. It’s killer as a ham glaze with Barley Malt Syrup which I have become obsessed with lately and it’s a random pick up at the grocery store. It’s a really cool molassesy – nuttiness. Those 2, herbs and chopped garlic can be rubbed on the outside of your ham once it’s about ¾ of the way done and place it on top. Let it caramelize – killer. The given is double eggs and putting it in there. Love it in vegetables especially the Old Style. You can just roast Brussel Sprouts and tossing that in there at the very end. For Thanksgiving this year, did Old Style Pickled Onions with champagne vinegar and a little bit of lemon zest and some thyme about 15 table-spoons of Old Style because it’s delicious.I had 2 onions sliced thin and brought the liquid to a boil, poured them on top of the onions. I let that set. I roasted the Brussel Sprouts with some chopped chestnuts and put that on top of it and then caramelized the vinegar mixture and added my last-minute seasoning on the Brussel Sprouts. It’s super versatile, you can put it on your stuffing or anything that you want. I’ve made compound butters to rub under chicken breast and turkeys before roasting them with our Old Style and our Originale. Our horseradish is really killer as well. Especially on the side of your charcuterie board right?

AM: It’s about lunchtime and I’m starting to think about having some myself!

CHEF BC: In talking about Athleisure and what you guys stand for, I’ve recently lost about 65 pounds and I utilized mustard a lot because it was a way for me to cut back on things that I would usually use butter or oil for. I utilized the mustard to get that flavor profile and that creaminess that I would have normally reached for a stick of butter to do that. So I went to a table-spoon of Dijon to get that flavor and its really healthy and good for you. It’s an anti-inflammatory and it’s anti-bacterial and things along that line as well. It helped me a lot in that journey as well as a means to lose weight and to eat smarter.

AM: I didn’t think of mustard as an anti-bacterial before but thinking back to the story that we started with, that makes sense!

IG @ChefBrandonC

@MailleUS

PHOTOS COURTESY | MAILLE

Hear Chef Brandon Collins on our show, Athleisure Kitchen - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multimedia companion podcast network! Subscribe to be notified when the episode drops. Listen on iHeart-Radio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, AmazonMusic, Google Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Read the Dec Issue #60 of Athleisure Mag and see Beyond the Condiment with Chef Brandon Collins in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | ALFIE'S BAR + KITCHEN

This month's The Art of the Snack takes us to Alfie's Bar & Kitchen where we find out about this organic and sustainable eatery. Chef Darren Pettigrew talks about what we should think about ordering from signature dishes to cocktails and how they have been navigating these past few months!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Chef Pettigrew, tell us about your culinary background and the influence for your style of cooking?

CHEF DARREN PETTIGREW: I studied at the best culinary college, the Dublin Institute of Technology for the Culinary Arts in Ireland. Earning a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts, I held a sous chef position at a young age at the National Yacht Club in Dublin. The menu changed daily, offering the best fish and seasonal game in Ireland. I went to London to stage at a couple of restaurants there but ended up working at the Da Vere Grand Connaught Rooms. I was lucky enough to be a partner in my own restaurant, Stella Maris, which I had for six years. I sadly lost it after Hurricane Sandy.

AM: What can guests expect when dining at Alfie’s Bar & Kitchen?

CHEF DP: Guest can expect to eat well and relax in a comfortable, casual atmosphere. We serve elevated comfort food and are very careful about where we source our products from. Our products are mostly organic and sustainable. Guests can also expect our service, staff, and drinks to always be on point.

AM: When creating this menu, can you tell us about where the inspiration for your dishes came from?

CHEF DP: My inspiration comes from the seasons. I always look to see what’s good and available locally and at the market. The menu lightens up for spring and summer, but a couple of staples will always remain on year-round. People’s eating habits do change with the seasons.

AM: What are 3 signature dishes that you suggest that we should enjoy during the week?

CHEF DP: Our Mac & Cheese is hugely popular. It has Narragansett burrata cheese, Fresno chili and toasted panko breadcrumbs. Our Fish and Chips with a tempura batter flies out the door as well. Lastly, I would also highly recommend our Steak Frites with peppercorn sauce and hand-cut French fries.

AM: Tell us about your brunch offerings.

CHEF DP: Our brunch is very popular and has been super busy since we reopened our craft beer and cocktail bar. We execute a delicious brunch menu on the weekends. Our goal has always to over-deliver and surprise our guests with interpretations of classic brunch specials. What makes us stand out is that we offer two to three outrageous, over-the-top brunch specials which we always sell out of. We’re definitely the best brunch spot in the area and would give any other restaurant boasting the ‘best brunchin New York’ a good run for their money!

AM: What are 3 appetizers and/or desserts that we should try when at Alfie’sBar & Kitchen?

CHEF DP: Everyone loves to share our Parmesan Truffle Fries with a black garlic and truffle aioli. Our hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip with organic blue corn tortillas are also delicious. For dessert, we serve a signature individual chocolateBanoffee tarts with brûlée banana and torched marshmallow fluff. It doesn’t really get better than that!

AM: What are 3 cocktails that you sug-gest we should have when visiting?

CHEF DP: We have some really cool cocktails. Marshall Minaya is our beverage director and chief mixologist from our sister restaurant, Valerie. I would suggest The Money Clip, The Birds and the Bees, and our Purple Rain cocktail. These libations cover whiskey, gin and vodka!

AM: During COVID-19, many restaurants have had to pivot on how they serve the guests and neighborhoods with pickups, delivery, reduce indoor dining, outdoor dining etc. – what methods are you do-ing to ensure that you’re available to your community?

CHEF DP: We adhere strictly to all the guidelines, so that we can make our guests visit as safe and memorable as possible.We also offer heated outdoor dining for those who are not comfortable eating in-side.

IG @AlfiesNYC

PHOTOS COURTESY | Alfie's Bar & Kitchen

Read the Dec Issue #60 of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | Alfie’s Bar + Kitchen in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | CHEF BROOKE WILLIAMSON

Read the Dec Issue #60 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S Chef Brooke Williamson in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | WINONA'S

Winona’s launched last month in Williamsburg, BK. With a nod to this fam-ily owned business with British roots. It has a focus on clean flavors and locally sourced ingredients.

They serve breakfast and lunch in the café with dishes such as Smoked Salmon Tartine with smoked whitefish spread, pickled beets, scallion crème fraiche and everything bagel spice on rye bread; Lamb Meatballs with harissa tomato sauce, feta, labne and cilantro, served with grilled flatbread; and Nduja Grilled Cheese, aged cheddar, gruyere and garlicky broccoli rabe on sourdough.

At night, they transform into a wine bar featuring small plates including Anchovy Toast with pepitas and parsley; Chicken Liver Pâté served with pickled red onion and grilled bread; and Lamb Belly Fritters with mint yogurt and Aleppo dust.

There are also vegan and vegetarian options! For Breakfast, their oat-meal is 100% vegan, as is the avocado toast which can be prepare without the feta, vegetarians can enjoy the Brioche toast as well as the BreakfastSandwich and have the option to add avocado if they desire. For Lunch, if a vegan guest would like the grain bowl, they simply leave off the egg garnish and it is good to go. Vegetarians can also enjoy our Mushroom Risotto and Little Gem Lettuce Salad as well as the Tortilla Espanola which is available all day (tip - this is in their 'secret all day menu' along with the Scotch Egg).

The cocktails are delicious and each have their own little vibe so it depends on what you're in the mood for or what your go to beverage would be. For those who are Negroni lovers and Mezcal heads, the Spice & Smoke - a beautiful marriage of the two - equal parts smoky, bitter with a touch of chipotle is perfect. Right now, their warm cocktails - the Chamomile Hot Toddy and the Brown Buttered Rum - are everything. All cocktails are classic in essence but with a little interesting twist which makes them feel fresh and exciting yet still familiar.

All of Winona's wines are 'natural' and they seek producers who are employing organic and biodynamic practices in the vineyard and low intervention from the time of harvest. They are constantly adding to their growing as-sortments of wine.

Winona's is available on Seamless and DoorDash (and soon on Caviar), people can also order directly from their website for pick up and during week-days. Their radius for third-party delivery apps extends into Williamsburg, Bed-Stuy and Bushwick. In addition, their wines, cocktails and beers are also available to go. Their full bottle list is available to view and order on their website and all wines are priced at retail.

WINONA'S

676 Flushing AveBrooklyn, NY11206

www.winonasbk.com

IG @winonasbk

Read the Dec Issue #60 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | WInona’s in mag.

SMOKING AND GRILLING WITH CHEF DAVID ROSE

It has been quite a year and yet, 2020 continues to roll on. In the midst of a lot of uncertainty, there have been things that remind us how life was prior to living in the pandemic that has taken place across the globe. This holiday season will be a bit different than what we have experienced with us socially distanced and not partaking in holiday parties and events that we have been used to in the past. We caught up with Chef David Rose to hear some tips on how we can tackle this year's season.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed seeing you as a finalist on Season 13's Food Network Star, being a Food Network personality and a number of shows. How do you define your cooking style?

CHEF DAVID ROSE: My cooking style is kind of a mix of a couple of different things. First off, my family is Jamaican and I am from the tri-state area so there is a huge cultural melting pot. I would say that I cut my teeth in terms of cooking in the South. So you see a lot of Southern influences and twists on my recipes. But I was also classically trained in the French arts at Le Cordon Bleu where I graduated summa cum laude back in 2006 – very proud of that one right there! I would say that my cooking style is elevated Southern with a Caribbean French Twist and a bit of international influences. So I'm sort of a man of mystery and a chef of mystery! I like to keep people on their toes and to keep them guessing.

AM: The Athleisure team throughout quarantine has enjoyed a number of the dishes from Omaha Steaks so we know that they are more than just steak and chicken as they have sides and desserts. As the Executive Chef for Omaha Steaks, what is the synergy between you and the brand and what can we expect to see between you and them in this partnership?

CHEF DR: Definitely. I am a huge smoking and grilling fan and fanatic! I have about 4 or 5 grills so I think that smoking and grilling unleashes the natural amazingness and flavors that you can find over at Omaha Steaks. From one of my favorites, the Tomahawk Ribeye that nice luscious bone eye and then there is the file as well as the strips and the T-bone. You also can’t go wrong with a lobster tail as well. I’m pretty sure when offered a surf and turf, nobody ever ever said no! A lot of those things go really well together. As far as being Jamaican, you know we eat everything. Whether it be chicken, it’s beef, turkey – whatever. We love everything and you can find so many assortments of proteins from ready to eat sides and ready to eat desserts. It’s all on the web-site and I’m excited to be able to bring my Southern influence and Caribbean influence to an incredible company known for their meat and protein portfolio in order to exude and explore and to showcase my style of cooking with Omaha Steaks.

AM:We’re in holiday mode and obviously celebrations look a little different this year with virtual get-togethers and gatherings. What tips do you have especially for veteran hosts that will be putting on dinners that are slightly scaled back then what they’re used to.

CHEF DR: I think that 2020 is a year that nobody has experienced and I’m pretty confident in saying that. According to a new Harris Poll, more than half of Americans are planning to celebrate with 5or less people and 1/3 of Americans are opting or are considering Zoomsgivingwhich is through the joy of Zoom whichI’m pretty sure that everyone has become acclimated with during quarantine. You can celebrate that experience of cooking and eating even if you’re not able to do it in person but can through the magic of Zoom or other virtual platforms.

The holidays can be very anxious especially if it is the first time that you have ever cooked a turkey. We have a 10lb pre-bast-ed turkey that gets shipped to your door-step. What I recommend is that the #1mistake that most rookies make when they are tackling a turkey is not allow-ing enough adequate time for the turkey to thaw. You always want to allow for at least 3 days for that turkey to thaw. If it’s a 10lb one, you want to give it the full 3 days and if you want the crispy skin that we all love and is indicative of a turkey, you want to uncover it in a roasting rack for an additional 24hours. By doing that, it’s going to dry the skin out and give you that golden brown crispy turkey skin every single time. As far as doing all of that. We also suggest making your turkey a day ahead of time. It allows you to have a stress free, anxiety reduced day on Thanksgiving. When you do that, you want to take the turkey out, remove the breast, the thighs, the legs and the wings. The key thing is to allow the turkey to rest and come to room temperature. What you do then is put it inside of the fridge. When you remove the turkey from the fridge on Thanksgiving day, you just need to reheat it and then you’re just focusing on the sides, the appetizers and my personal favorite – the desserts. Another way to shave some time from the prep is to buy some mix and match sides from the site as there are a lot of options. We also have a great partnership with Wine.com where we have some packages that can be purchased.

I always say, that being ready, being prepared and keeping your freezer stocked with a plethora of goodness means that you’re always going to be the hero at any Thanksgiving or Zoomsgiving table.

AM: What are your go to mains and sides that you enjoy having around?

CHEF DR: One of my favorite things is a Prime Rib Roast. I think that this reigns supreme at any holiday dinner table. I just love to eat that bone when I’m done. I’m a gnawer Athleisure, I’m a gnawer. If you have dogs, the dogs will appreciate that as well. The great thing about a Prime Rib Roast is that I can be shared with families, it’s great for leftovers – you can make a prime rib sand-wich the following day. To me, nothing screams celebrations, nothing screams holidays more than an amazing Prime RibRoast. We have an amazing selection of those as well.

AM: What are some recipes that we should keep in mind as well as we are navigating this holiday season?

CHEF DR: What I would recommend is that you want to go and brine the turkey to add additional flavor. These pre-basted turkeys are already pre-brined. They have their brown sugar, their honey and so it’s not just about the flavor but the color so it has that golden brown deliciousness. Now some of my personal flavor recipes is that I love doing compound butters. They're great for steaks, they’re great for roasts and I recommend if you want to get that juicy lush turkey breast, is make that. A compound butter is a fancy way to essentially say a butter with herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage and garlic. To get that re-ally juicy and luscious turkey breast, you take that compound butter and you slide it under the skin and slather it all over the breast. Now what that does is that when that turkey slowly cooks and we know that that fat of the butter is where the flavor comes in – it just makes it taste amazing with great texture 10 out of 10 times.

AM: Like you said earlier, 2020 no one can say that we have ever seen anything like this! How do you plan on ringing in the New Year?

CHEF DR: I think everyone is looking for-ward to ringing in 2021 and what I’m planning on doing is having a nice Prime RibRoast, maybe a filet or Ribeye on the grill– one of these amazing food packages where you can’t forget about your libations! For me, a nice glass of bourbon and just enjoying one of my favorite pairings– steak and bourbon. You can’t go wrong with that.

IG @ChefDavidRose

PHOTOS COURTESY | OMAHA STEAKS

Hear Chef David Rose on our show, Athleisure Kitchen - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multimedia companion podcast network! Subscribe to be notified when the episode drops. Listen on iHeart-Radio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, AmazonMusic, Google Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see Smoking and Grilling with Chef David Rose in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | AMIGO BY NAI

This month's The Art of the Snack focuses on a savory destination from Chef Ruben Rodriguez who has taken culinary inspiration from his home in Galicia, Spain. NYer shave the ability to enjoy a number of the dishes he grew up eating from his mother's kitchen in Spain. In addition, he gives us the scoop on the restaurant group that he is creating as well as a bit on Nai Tapas and his newest venture, Amigo by Nai.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Chef Ruben Rodriguez, tell us about your culinary background and the influence for your style of cooking?

CHEF RUBEN RODRIGUEZ: I spent my days growing up in my mother’s restaurantMerendero Cave in Galicia, Spain, where I learned some of my mother’s coveted secret recipes. Being from Galicia, you will find that in any of my menus I make sure to highlight my culture in some way. NaiTapas is my first restaurant and I opened it ten years ago after working in numerous NYC kitchens around the city. My style of cooking continues to change and now I’m really focused on clean flavor profiles with strong presentations. I like the ingredients to speak for themselves on the plate.

AM: Before we talk about Amigo by Nai, you’re currently celebrating your 10-year anniversary with Nai Tapas. Tell us about your menu and the ambiance here.

CHEF RR: Nai Tapas is my ever-evolving love letter to my mother and grandmother, as I spotlight a number of their traditional recipes. However, I am constantly experimenting with flavors and different techniques to continue to grow as a Chef. My menu is divided into modern tapas and traditional tapas with an option to do a tasting menu, which I always suggest as it allows for our customers to really get the full Nai experience. I’m a serious chef, who doesn’t take himself too seriously, so at Nai it’s all about playful presentations and flavors that pop and surprise my guests.

AM: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to create Amigo by Nai and when did it launch?

CHEF RR: Amigo by Nai has always been in the back of my head, as I knew I wanted to create a fine dining taqueria while infusing my Spanish heritage into the ta-cos served. I found a spot that I loved, which is just a few blocks away from Nai Tapas and then ironically enough a few months later I came across a video of Billy showcasing his tacos and speak-ing about his heritage and the tradition behind the famed carnitas recipes. I jumped on a plane to Los Angeles to meet Billy and discuss a collaboration. From there, the Amigo vision began to take form and we launched in October.

AM: This restaurant is a collaborative one with Carnitas el Momo – how did this come about and why have you guys combined your efforts in this venture?

CHEF RR: We just got together to talk about the collaboration after I saw his video and the stars just aligned. On the menu you will see his carnitas as well as our collaboration taco with the Amigo, which is pork belly, citrus gastrique and red salsa brava. Apart from those, as mentioned I always want to incorporate my Spanish heritage into each of my menus, so you will find the four other tacos feature those kinds of ingredients.

AM: What can guests expect when they come in to dine at Amigo by Nai?

CHEF RR: At Amigo by Nai you can expect a completely different taqueria experience. We are trying to push the envelope and create tacos that have more of a fine-dining feel complete with incredible signature cocktails from our Beverage Director Niko Hagerty, who I have literally seen grow up in my NaiTapas kitchen.

AM: When creating this menu, can you tell us about where the inspiration for your dishes came from?

CHEF RR: My inspiration will always stem from my heritage and consistently playing with different flavor combinations and techniques. Something that I love to do too is I will draw the dish before trying to create it in the kitchen. The menu at Amigo By Nai was something that took a while to formulate, always ensuring that I was paying respect to the culture.

AM: What are 3 signature dishes that you suggest that we should enjoy?

CHEF RR: I would suggest you try the Rabo, oxtail, red mojo and shishito peppers with an optional side of consommé; Gambas, shrimp, garlic sauce, aioli and red cabbage; and a vegetarian taco with the Coliflor, shawarma roasted cauliflower with avocado-lime chimichurri and Marcona almonds.

AM: What are 3 appetizers and/or desserts that we should try when at Amigo by Nai?

CHEF RR: When it comes to my new apertivos menu the Esquite De Maiz Gratina-do, husk sweet corn, Panela, Oaxaca and Manchego cheese with panko crunch, applewood smoked bacon, Serrano pepper and cilantro; Taco Crujiente De Cordero, braised lamb in a nixtamal hard shell tortilla with majorero cheese, garlic aioli, salsa brava and cilantro; and Pescado Frito, fresh Atlantic cod and squid with Pedro Ximenez sherry vinegar and garlic aioli are all a must!

AM: What are 3 cocktails that you suggest we should have when visiting?

CHEF RR: Everything that Beverage Director Niko Hagerty serves is truly amazing, but if I had to pick three, I would say the hunt for Red October with Michter’s bourbon, apple brandy, allspice, apple, lemon, honey and cinnamon; Athena Goes To TheMarket with Green chili-infused vodka, Greek feta washed singani 63, pistachio oil, fresh dill, lemon, ginger and celery salt; and What Happened To 8th Street with wasabi infused Dewar’s white label scotch, sea salt and sesame seaweed, green chartreuse, matcha, coconut and Aztec Chocolate.

AM: During COVID-19, many restaurants have had to pivot on how they serve the guests and neighborhoods with pickups, delivery, reduce indoor dining, outdoor dining, etc – what methods are you doing to ensure that you’re available?

CHEF RR: We are available for delivery on GrubHub and pick up, and we have a great selection of tacos by the pound, which are perfect for game days or small home get-togethers with friends. We also offer bottled cocktails and bottles of wine. When it comes to our outdoor space, we have a beautiful set up of tables that guests can feel safe and secure in, which are equipped with heaters as we head into the colder months.

AM: You’re launching a new restaurant group, Nai Management LLC. What restaurants are currently within this brand and are there new restaurants that we should keep an eye out for?

CHEF RR: Nai Management LLC will en-compass Nai, Amigo by Nai, the Spring 2021 launch of Avoa, meaning grandmother in Gallego that will serve as an all-day café plating farm to table tapas in the back with coffee creations from Coffee Project at the front, and a num-ber of other concepts that I have already started to lay the groundwork on.

IG @RubenBoilsOctopus

@NaiTapas

@AmigoNYC

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | Amigo by Nai in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | STICKY'S FINGER JOINT

During the summer of 2019, Athleisure Mag's team headed to the Liberty National Golf Course for The Northern Trust tournament. The night before the tournament launched we were treated to a fun party at the course and got our first taste of Sticky's Finger Joint which is known for their sauces and chicken.

Since 2012, this eatery has grown from it's Greenwich Village location and now includes 13 locations between NorthJersey and an array of neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn. They have also been featured on Food Network's 3 Days to Open with Bobby Flay. This month, they will be opening their 14th location in Philadelphia.

It’s worth noting that their fried fingers, grilled fingers and bite-sized poppers are made from farm-raised, antibiotic and hormone-free chicken (and their mushroom poppers are made from crimini mushrooms, vegan tempura batter and panko breadcrumbs). They use local ingredients to make their 18 different homemade sauces inspired by cuisines from around the world. Between all those choices, plus sandwiches, wraps, salads, nachos and French fry baskets, there are literally quadrillions of different theoretical options on the menu.

SFJ also offers vegetarian fingers that are made with a mushroom-based protein. They have the following sauces that are vegan: Nashville Numb, SalsaVerde, and Thai Sweet Chili.

SFJ is available for delivery and takeout at all our locations.

Earlier this year, SFJ started RandomActofStickys where they donated individually packaged meals to first responders. In addition to sending meals on behalf of their own guests' inquiries and local hospitals, they partnered with NoshesforNurses, led by Jill Zarin and Ally Shapiro to send meals to nurses and first responders that were nominated by their fans. From this initiative, they donated over 800 meals.

For their most recent store opening, they ran a campaign called Basket4Basket and matched the number of small baskets sold in partnership with Boys and Girls Club of Harlem. They donated over 300 meals to kids going back to school

STICKY'S FINGER JOINT

Visit Sticky's Finger Joint for locations.

www.stickys.com

IG @stickysfingerjoint

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Sticky’s Finger Joint in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #59 NOV 2020

ATHLEISURE MAG | NOV ISSUE #59

In this month’s issue as we continue into the fall, our Nov Issue #59 is covered by one of Athleisure Mag’s favorite EDM artists, SOFI TUKKER. Our virtual cover shoot showcases fun vibrant fashion worn by the duo ranging from varying forms of lounge and WFH looks. We talk to them about their musical background, how they came to working with one another, a number of their achievements and how they have navigated these past few months by continuing to stay connected with their fans and their upcoming econcert that takes place on Dec 4th! This month we interviewed Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst who is also a full time correspondent for EXTRA. We talked about her competing in the pageant system, recently crowning Miss USA 2020 at Graceland earlier this month. In addition we talk about her work in law, her focus on social justice and the importance for empowering women. We’re fans of BRAVO’s Million Dollar Listing franchise and this month, we interviewed Million Dollar Listing LA’s Tracy Tutor to talk about her work in the residential luxury market, being a broker in a competitive industry, how she balances her life as a mom, her focus on fitness and how she empowers women. Just in time for Thanksgiving and the upcoming holidays, we talked with Chef David Rose, Food Network Personality and Executive Chef of Omaha Steaks. He talks about how we can still celebrate even thought our holidays will look a little different. He provides tips and his go to meals that he enjoys smoking and grilling. We also talk with Chef Ruben Rodriguez in this month’s The Art of the Snack about his latest restaurant, Amigo Nia. He shares his culinary influence, what you can expect when enjoying pickup and delivery as well as his plans as he heads into 2021.

This month, our cover SOFI TUKKER shares their 9PLAYLIST as well as providing a fun video of their 9MIX. Normani shares her favorites and why in our 9LIST STORI3S.

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag here.