THE HYGGE TIMES
November 2017 Edition
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.� - Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own I chose this quote as we enter the holiday season, which, to me, is all about dining well. To me, dining well doesn’t necessarily mean eating abundantly or luxuriously, but sharing meals with friends and family. What I love most about the holidays in hospitality is providing the setting for friends and families to reconnect and recharge. These special moments are all about sharing thoughts, love, and after enough to eat and drink, rest! By Jenny Pura
THE COOK’S NOOK
By Ashley Sinon, Server at Agern
Headlining a double feature this issue with twice the Nordic spirit are two of our very own MeyersUSA chefs! Meyer’s Bakery Bread and Baking in the Nordic Kitchen By Claus Meyer First up is MeyerUSA’s namesake, founder, and leader Claus Meyer whose newest cookbook, Meyer’s Bakery, written with big support from Rhonda Crosson and the whole baking team, is completely focused on the singular goal of baking ridiculously good bread. Eighty step-by-step recipes and colorful photographs span all matter of breads including: rye, enriched, wheat, and whole-grain. Also included are helpful chapters on what to do with leftovers and fix it solutions should unforeseen problems arise. A chapter called Other Baked Goods seems an intriguing addition sure to be a treasure trove tucked quietly near the end of the book. The only way to find out Claus’s yeasty secrets? Read for yourself on November 7th when Meyer’s Bakery is released online and in stores everywhere. Here’s to hoping there’s marzipan!
The Hygge Life: Embracing the Nordic Art of Coziness Through Recipes, Entertaining, Decorating, Simple Rituals, and Family Traditions By Gunnar Karl Gislason & Jody Eddy Next is none other than Agern’s Executive Chef Gunnar Gislason with his new book The Hygge Life: Embracing the Nordic Art of Coziness Through Recipes, Entertaining, Decorating, Simple Rituals, and Family Traditions. More than just a cookbook, The Hygge Life illustrates how best to foster the comfy feelings of hygge in everyday life. When asked to describe his new literary adventure Chef Gunnar called the book “Simple and down to earth, with casual food.� The key to achieving true hygge is curating comfort with loved ones and the way to discover how lies in this beautiful book. Cook up something warm and cozy this November 14th with The Hygge Life!
Both of these incredible books are currently available for preorder and will hit bookstore shelves soon, so be sure to stock up on your hygge spirit in time for the holidays!
THANKSGIVING SHAPSHOTS: WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT THANKSGIVING? 1. Silva (Hostess “The Restaurantâ€?) - My favorite part about Thanksgiving is being together with my family. None of us live in the same country so when we finally manage to coordinate and get ourselves together, it’s always a great time. Family and good food (especially pumpkin pie) is always a good combination!! 2. Amanda (Cook GNFH) – My favorite part of Thanksgiving is spending time with loved ones. There is something special about having everyone together to share great food which is usually traditional Spanish food in my household. Thanksgiving also marks the start of the Holiday season for my family, you can already hear the Christmas music playing in our house. 3. Gabriel (Systems Specialist) – I am a big foodie so Thanksgiving holds a special place in my heart. Besides the great food, my favorite part of Thanksgiving is having all my family come together to enjoy one another’s company. (Side note follow my food Instagram eatwith_gabe đ&#x;˜Š) 4. Ivy (Cook GNFH) – Thanksgiving is a reunion of sorts for my family. My favorite things about Thanksgiving are having family gather from all throughout the world, telling stories, sharing memories of the past, and sharing great food. 5. Rasmus (Chef de Cuisine) – Growing up in Denmark Thanksgiving was never a deal. However, my opinions were changed once I experienced Thanksgiving in the states for the first time last year. Experiencing traditional foods such as whole turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, and cornbread was terrific! Also the importance of coming together as a family something that speaks volume of this holiday. 6. Nitan (HR) – As a kid, I always looked at Thanksgiving as a few days off from school and never anything significant. As I got older, I realized just how important the meaning of Thanksgiving is. Family has always been a prominent aspect of my life, so to have a holiday that brings a family together resonates significantly with me.
THE HYGGE TIMES MY FAMILY’S CORNBREAD STUFFING RECIPE by Justin Appleby, Cook at GNFH My name is Justin Appleby, working exactly where? I’m from Rochester New York and just recently graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. On my days off you can find me in china town eating steam buns or dumplings. The recipe is actually one dating back to my great grandma’s recipe that she used to make when I was a kid but would always sneak in gizzards instead of ground meat or sausage. • 2 cups chopped celery • 1 cup finely chopped onion • 4 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread, toasted • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning • 1 cup chicken broth • 1 egg, lightly beaten • 1 lb of Ground Meat or Ground Sausage • 1 ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper • 2 Tablespoon Honey Preheat oven to 325°F. Cook sausage then drain. Remove Sausage and cook the celery and onion in large skillet over MEDIUM-HIGH heat 8-10 minutes; mix with sausage. Spoon into large bowl. Add cornbread, parsley, seasoning, and cayenne; mix lightly. Add broth and egg; mix just until blended. Spoon into lightly greased 2-quart casserole; cover. Bake 45 minutes or until thoroughly heated, uncovering after 35 minutes. Drizzle with honey right before serving.
NOVEMBER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Have you taken advantage of the company sponsored paid Volunteer Time Off this year yet?! ‘Tis the season of giving! It’s the time of year where we count our blessings and give something back in return. Many food banks, shelters, hunger foundations and dozens of other organizations are seeking for volunteers. Below are some of the volunteering opportunities in November! CAUSE: Hunger Key Word: Mobile Pantry The Lincoln Square Community Center (LSNC) at Goddard Riverside is partnering with the WestSide Campaign Against Hunger (WSCAH) to conduct a mobile food pantry. The food pantry was launched in October and will take place once a month serving 180 LSNC members. Volunteer at the next food pantry event on Thursday, November 16th from 9:30am - 1:30pm. volunteermatch.org/search/opp2815134.jsp CAUSE: Food Education/Children & Youth Key Word: Spoons Across America Help Create Healthy Food Explorers: Volunteer with Food Educators in NYC Elementary Classrooms across the NYC boroughs. Working directly with children, teaching cooking skills, and as-
November 2017 Edition
sisting in the kitchen where appropriate. All volunteers receive training at the Spoons Across America offices (630 Ninth Ave @ 44th St in Manhattan), and are required to attend one of the following training dates: Monday, November 6: 6:00pm-7:30pm Monday, November 13th: 11:30am-1:00pm If you are enthusiastic about healthy eating and children’s programming, they welcome extended commitment as well as one-time volunteers! They will work around your schedule! volunteermatch.org/search/opp2811351.jsp CAUSE: Hunger/Community/Senior Key Word: Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Serve Thanksgiving Meal to Seniors: Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, widely recognized as one of New York’s premiere human services providers, is a 123-year-old settlement house that provides an extensive array of effective and integrated services on the East Side of Manhattan. Volunteer to serve a special holiday meal at our annual Thanksgiving Dinner Dance for Older Adults on Monday, November 20, 4:30pm-7:30pm. This festive evening will include delicious food, live entertainment and dancing. volunteermatch.org/search/opp2802055.jsp How A New Culinary Center Trains Brownsville Residents for Careers In Food The Brownsville Community Culinary Center is a café, bakery, and culinary training program in Brownsville, Brooklyn that trains community members for culinary careers through a 40week apprenticeship program. Philip Hoffman, executive director, Lucas Denton, it’s co-founder and content director, and Rodney Frazer, chef educator at the program, join us to discuss the program. We will also hear from JohnnyMae Robinson, an advisory board member, as well as some of the group’s participants. wnyc.org/story/brownsville-community-culinary-center/
CONGRATULATIONS, AGERN!
By Katie Bell, General Manager at Agern It’s been a tough 2017 for us and for many - which makes retaining our Michelin star a massive cause for celebration. We are so grateful to our teams - culinary, dining room, and behind the scenes - for their energetic dedication to our reopening and to creating the special restaurant Agern is every day. A thank you to our amazing guests who have supported us and cheered us through this process, and a thank you to Michelin for the honor of being listed among so many incredible restaurants. We are so proud to be part of the NYC community. Ja tak!
THE HYGGE TIMES FOOD TRIVIA!!
By Lillian Lin, Business Operations Manager at MeyersUSA Just because we all work for a restaurant group doesn’t mean we know everything about food. Two months ago, to send off our summer intern Molly, Rasmus, Kenny, a few Meyers friends, and I went to a game food trivia at the Museum of Food and Drink “MOFAD” in Williamsburg. The trivia had three rounds, and the top teams won a tab to the bar next door. Being food lovers, we naturally answered all the culinary questions without much trouble. But when it came to pop culture and history, we were challenged. What chain store started in Massachusetts and was originally named “Open Kettle” (Hint: It’s a donut)? Which three foods did Notorious BIG sing about in Big Poppa (Hint: Welch’s grape)? In the end, we placed 5th… out of 16 teams!! It wasn’t bad, but we wanted that bar tab! Determined to win, we gathered an even larger team and went for a 2nd round last month. This time, we had close to 10 people, including Matthias (Andersen), Irfan, Nitan, and Donna (former recruiter)! We even ordered pizza delivery to the event and “bribed” the host with a slice. Some questions we got quickly – What’s the scale used to measure spiciness (Scoville)? Some were harder – what’s the oldest restaurant in NYC (hint: steakhouse). The hardest of all was the wine round, where Rasmus guessed the region & variety of white wine after a blind tasting! Many slices of pizza and spilled beer later…we came in 4th !! This means next time; we’ll win 3rd !!! We’re always looking for more people to join the team… Let me know if you want to join! MOFAD hosts this once a month, usually on Tuesday nights. It’s $25, and you get three drinks! mofad.org/events
ON RIGHT, Cartoon by Christian Paulino, Server at The Restaurant of GNFH
November 2017 Edition
DAY IN THE LIFE: DARNELL WAITERS
By Cristian Mejia, Beverage Runner at GNFH Meet Darnell Waiters. He’s currently a runner at the Great Northern Food Hall. He also holds another job outside of the food hall. Before he joined the food hall team he was a Steward Supervisor at Agern. He has two daughters, one is 9 years old and his second daughter is 7 years. On lives in Atlanta and the other in Los Angeles. On most of his free time he used to spend time with his celebrity daughter before she signed a contract with Walt Disney which she relocated to Los Angeles and Darnell also works on music on his free time. He recently shot a music video. If you don’t know about his music, I’m pretty sure he’ll tell you about it. He says that his daughters are his everything. Darnell also enjoys watching sports in his free time. He takes his job very serious, you can see by his work ethic that he’s a hard worker for the food hall. He’s an integral part of the Food Hall team.
THE HYGGE TIMES
DELIVERY STORK SIGHTINGS
We would like to welcome the newborns being introduced to the world by staff at MeyersUSA! -On October 9th, Xavier Curtis, Inventory Control Manager at the Great Northern Food Hall, became the father of a little girl named Eva Amelia Curtis. -On October 15th, Daniel Bren, POS System Assistant, became the father of a boy name Oliver Daniel Bren.
NAME Brown, Janet Klein, Alexander Gallegos, Justin Bragg, Shameen Alcantara, Adriana E Mejia, Cristian Negron, Jeremiah Pollard, Ezra Jones, Mark
Congratulations on first time fatherhood and all the best to your family!
NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS
NAME Roller, Justin Maloney, Naisha Chander, Nitan Hernandez, Jesus Silverstein, Jessica Villafane Gonzalez, Jayson G Andersen, Jeppe Kil Huerta, Guillermo Boelt, Jonas Abramowitz, J’aime Lacey, Patrick Seruga, Nejc Pitter, Odayne Mosley, Kirby Sung, Kenny Gallegos, Justin Reynolds, Beverley Stewart, Keneil Vandersteen, Eric Daniel Medina, Melody
LOCATION Agern GNFH MeyersUSA GNFH Agern Agern GNFH GNFH GNFH Norman Rhubarb Agern GNFH Norman MeyersUSA GNFH Agern GNFH Norman GNFH
November 2017 Edition
NOVEMBER ANNIVERSARIES LOCATION GNFH Meyers Bageri GNFH MeyersUSA GNFH GNFH GNFH Norman GNFH
DATE 1-Nov 3-Nov 7-Nov 9-Nov 9-Nov 11-Nov 11-Nov 21-Nov 29-Nov
TITLE Barista Barista Food Hall Attendant Manager Legal Affairs Food Hall Attendant Beverage Runner Food Hall Attendant Manager Food Hall Attendant
NOVEMBER HR HOURS
DATE 1-Nov 3-Nov 7-Nov 8-Nov 9-Nov 9-Nov 11-Nov 12-Nov 13-Nov 14-Nov 14-Nov 14-Nov 15-Nov 18-Nov 18-Nov 18-Nov 18-Nov 20-Nov 27-Nov 30-Nov
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS ENDS ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH AT 2:00AM! Sunday, November 5, 2017, 2:00:00 am clocks are turned backward 1 hour to Sunday, November 5, 2017, 1:00:00 am local standard time instead.
HYGGE TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD
Claus Meyer...Publisher, Chairman Angela Wang...Executive V.P., Talent and Inclusion Hannah Kramer...Executive V.P., Editorial Committee Jenny Pura... Editorial Page Editor Christine McGrath... Editorial Page Editor Ashley Sinon... Journalist Nitan Chander... Contributor Erin Massano... Contributor Cristian Mejia... Contributor Christian Paulino... Contributor Justin Appleby... Contributor
Not ready to commit to the Committee? Come meet us anyway at Almanak (GNFH) on 11/7 @ 3:30pm