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Exclusively Diamonds is thrilled to once again bring you LX Mankato, an artistic fashion and lifestyle magazine. This exciting issue features exquisite jewelry from around the world, along with artistic photography and captivating stories. This issue showcases photographer Berry Behrendt, as he has gloriously captured the essence of Audrey Hepburn for our “Behind the Lens” feature. And that’s just the beginning. Read about the globe’s leading hoteliers across the world in the “Best New Luxury Hotels.” Celebrate an iconic automobile, the Porsche 911, that was introduced 50 years ago. Also meet Pedro E. Guerrero, the personal photographer of possibly the most famous architect the world has ever known in “Documenting Genius.” Locally, we are featuring the new Mankato Clinic Children’s Health Center, “Collaboration for Children” and the Minnesota State University, Mankato Theater and Dance department, “Center Stage.” Be sure to visit us often at Exclusively Diamonds. We enjoy hearing your stories and feel honored to be a part of your special moments. Our promise is to make your experience at Exclusively Diamonds legendary, rewarding and memorable. We will continue to strive for cutting edge fashion in our jewelry while maintaining the high quality you have been accustomed to receiving. Above all, you are very important to us and we treasure your friendship and loyalty. Please enjoy this issue of LX Mankato. Blessings, ExclusivelyDiamonds.com
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Features
inside
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Community 10 Center Stage 15 Collaboration for Children Jewelry 36 Gift Guide Photography 19 Behind the Lens of
Berry Behrendt: A Tribute to Audrey Hepburn
54 Documenting Genius: Pedro
E. Guerrero
Lifestyle 28 50th Anniversary of the Porsche 911
Center Stage
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Exclusively Diamonds Gift Guide
43 New York Serenade Piano Fashion 61 Shoe Trends Travel 46 Best New Luxury Hotels Holiday 32 Signature Holiday Recipes 64 Wassail
Behind the Lens of Berry Behrendt: A Tribute to Audrey Hepburn
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28 50th Anniversary of the Porsche 911 7
cover on on thethe cover
Publisher SARAH PERSON Associate Publisher BRIANA WORKE Editor JON ROBERTS Senior Designer ANGIE HALTER Featured on the cover is the work of international fashion, beauty and portrait photographer, Berry Behrendt. Behrendt has gloriously captured the essence of Audrey Hepburn for our exclusive "Behind the Lens" feature on pages 19-27.
Project Coordinators NICOLE HIGGINS ASHLEY ANDERSON
LX: a coffeetable magazine LX® Magazine is published by LX Publications, LLC, 524 North Main Avenue, Suite 110, Sioux Falls, SD 57104. LX® accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. LX® reserves the right to edit, rewrite, refuse or reuse material, is not responsible for errors or omissions and may feature the same content on lxmagazines.com, as well as other mediums for any and all purposes. Copyright © 2013 LX Publications LLC. All rights reserved. The entire contents of LX® are protected by copyright© and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of LX Publications, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part or storage in any data retrieval system or any transmission by any means therefrom without prior written permission is prohibited. LX® and LX® Magazine are trademarks™ of LX Publications, LLC. 8
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The Odyssey - 2010
CENTER STAGE
GIVING STUDENTS & THE COMMUNITY AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE By Briana Worke
The magic of theater is all about the experience. Actors grab ahold of their audience and communicate a story that moves people to experience a variety of emotions. Some performances are meant to give humor to the audience and bring them to tears with laughter. Other performance may evoke outrage or disturb the audience. And then there are those performances that move the audience to tears, leaving them sobbing as the lights brighten at intermission or after the encore. Whatever the experience, theater is all about emotions performed to communicate.
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The Minnesota State University, Mankato Department of Theater & Dance is dedicated to two primary goals. The first is to provide students with high caliber training in theater and dance to prepare them to create theater of any kind at any level. The second is to provide Southern Minnesota with a multifaceted, high quality theatrical experience. On both sides of the curtain, this department is providing experience. Founder of the Department of Theater & Dance, Ted Paul Jr., believed that the theater was all about the experience. His motto was that theater was for the people. He was the first director of theater in the early stages of the Minnesota State Mankato Theater & Dance department in 1950, when theater was a part of the department of English. He was instrumental in developing the theater that was later named after him, Ted Paul Theater, and guided theater arts into becoming its own department in 1980, the year of his retirement. Also in 1980 he helped establish a Master of fine arts program, which made Minnesota State Mankato the first state school to offer that terminal degree. Today the Department of Theater & Dance performs 18 productions a year, allowing approximately four to five weeks of rehearsal before each production. Productions are layered one after another, one show closes and another opens within a week. This gives students upwards of four to five times the opportunity to be cast in a production than at other institutions throughout the nation. The department is a small program that plays big, which includes 13 faculty and staff and an average of 20 graduate students that gain hands on experience, including directing, producing, technical, costume design, set design and more. The box office for Minnesota State Mankato’s Department of Theater & Dance is in the top one percent in the nation for sales. Season ticket holders are unheard of in other institutions throughout the nation that are much larger than Minnesota State Mankato. Yet this year the number of season ticket holders has surpassed 1,300 before the start of the season.
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Department Chair and Director, Paul J. Hustoles is in his 29th year and has directed over 200 productions and produced over 550 productions. He is passionate about theater and is an avid attendee of plays across the country. His favorite thing about his role at Minnesota State Mankato is watching the students grow and gain functional skills for real life. Hustoles recognizes the strong community support given to the department both in attendance at performances as well as financial support to fund scholarships to students and guest actors that are hired to teach workshops and perform in productions. Hustoles attributes a lot of the success of the department to its location in a smaller community. Minnesota is in love with the arts, being second in the nation per capita for the arts, just behind New York. In 2012 alone, 40,000 guests attended the theater at Minnesota State Mankato. This is staggering with the population of Mankato being approximately 40,000. The performances give this region an opportunity to experience magical theater
throughout the year. The depth of talent this department has spans across the United States. Minnesota State Mankato comes up at the top of the list for the number of productions per year and caliber of performances. The Department of Theater & Dance performs more musicals than any other college in the country and diversifies opportunity into a number of avenues that students can learn and perform. Another reason the department has national appeal is because of the dramatic, challenging and rewarding risks that are taken on stage. When asked to rate the top five productions in the history of the department, Hustoles replied, “Maybe top five of each decade!” He remembers fondly the 2008 production of Miss Saigon. This musical tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover. What makes this production so memorable is not only the cast and crew that performed but the single scene with people fighting for a seat on the last helicopter out of Vietnam and actually having a helicopter on stage.
Miss Saigon- 2008
The box office for Minnesota State Mankato’s Department of Theater & Dance is in the top one percent in the nation for sales.
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Metamorphoses - 2004
The 2004 production of Metamorphoses proved to be another outstanding, memorable production. This classic play was adapted from the poem, Metamorphoses, by the Roman poet, Ovid. In this production, a swimming pool needed to be constructed on stage to create the experience. Engineers were brought in and told Hustoles it was not possible. The play debuted on January 28, 2004, in the Andreas Theatre, with a swimming pool on stage. It was used throughout each performance. Many other productions top the list but perhaps the number one production was The Odyssey in the fall of 2010. This famous, epic poem of ancient Greece by Homer, composed around the end of the 8th century BC, gave students an experience of a lifetime. In the past, Hustoles had been a part of the selection team for the region as part of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Every four – five years Minnesota State Mankato would enter into the festival with student designed and student led productions. But in 2010, Hustoles made the decision to not be on the selection team so the performance could be entered as a participating production. The Odyssey brought back a lot of the team from the 2004 production, Metamorphoses. Over 200,000 students nationally were competing for the opportunity to be held for consideration to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. with an estimated 1,500 students participating at the Region 5 Festival. In late February, after performing at the Region 5 Festival, The Odyssey was one of four productions selected in the nation and the cast and crew was invited to the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival to perform. Forty-seven people from Minnesota traveled and performed the legendary play, The Odyssey, on April 21, 2011.
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The Odyssey - 2010
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Minnesota is in love with the arts, being second in the nation per capita for the arts, just behind New York. Year after year, the Department of Theater & Dance continues to give students and Southern Minnesota an experience. With any number of productions including Mainstage Season, Studio Season, Dance Concerts and Highland Summer Theater, the show must go on. The start of the fall 2013 semester was underway with auditioning for four separate productions on the first day of class. By the sixth day there were six productions up and running with rehearsals. It’s competitive and educational. It gives students the experience of a lifetime and Southern Minnesota an opportunity for unforgettable performances, center stage.
HIGHLAND SUMMER THEATER Highland Summer Theater is Minnesota State University Mankato’s professional summer stock theater specializing in light entertainment. Four productions are presented within a nine-week period of time, with each production getting only five days to prepare. Students in the program, along with invited alumni and professional actors make up the cast. Occasionally there is a casting for community members to participate. Minnesota State Mankato Department of Theater & Dance Chair, Paul J. Hustoles, is always excited about Highland Summer Theater and feels this is a great opportunity for a different type of Avenue Q - 2012
performance experience on either side of the curtain. One Highland Summer Theater favorite included Avenue Q in June of 2012. Avenue Q was unique in the respect that despite having only five days to rehearse, the cast and crew pulled off this complex production. Avenue Q is an American musical about the coming-of-age parable, addressing and satirizing the issues and anxieties associated with entering adulthood, complete with puppets alongside actors! Another favorite of Highland Summer Theater was the musical, The Robber Bridegroom, in June of 2007. The story is based on the 1942 novella by Edora Welty with a Robin Hood-like hero in the late 18th-century American setting. What made this production such a highlight is that one of the students starring in the production later went on to perform on Broadway.
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Collaboration for Children NEW CHILDREN’S HEALTH CENTER BRINGS SPECIALTY SERVICES TO SOUTHERN MINNESOTA By Briana Worke In the fall of 2014, Mankato Clinic will open the doors to a new Children’s Health Center, providing the smallest of patients with accessibility and convenience to receive seamless comprehensive pediatric care locally. The opportunity to bring new specialty services to Mankato under one roof provides children throughout the region with the best possible pediatric care. The state-of-the-art health center, scheduled to open in the fall of 2014, will be located south of Mankato Clinic’s existing building on the Wickersham Health Campus on the corner of Highway 22 and County Road 26. The two-level, 60,000 square foot facility will house the Mankato Clinic’s pediatric department, as well as Gillette Children’s Specialty Health Care of St. Paul and Pediatric Therapy Services of Mankato. The partnership with Gillette’s has never been available locally and will provide patients and family from this region with a convenient location, closer to home. Chief Financial Officer at Mankato Clinic, Steve Hatkin, says, “As a leader of pediatric care in the region, we aim to meet the diverse medical needs of children and their families today. Our goal is to take pediatric care to a new level by offering services that improve patients’ and families’ experiences in an environment of seamless care and enhanced access to the most comprehensive pediatric care locally.” “With the addition of Gillette to our community, many families will no longer have to travel for services such as assistive technology including orthoses, specialized seating systems and mobility devices,” Dr. Don Putzier, pediatrician with the Mankato Clinic said. “And, along with Pediatric Therapy Services’ presence
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in the new facility, it will ease initial evaluations and allow consultations right there on the spot.” Mankato Clinic will be adding specialists as well as offering services of current physicians who will be on-site to focus on pediatric needs including gastroenterology, psychiatry, endocrinology, pulmonology and dermatology. The Design Patients and their families will enjoy unique, thoughtful design elements and modern amenities in the new center to enhance access, comfort and convenience. Unique amenities that the center will provide include kid-friendly waiting and activity areas, exam rooms which feature dimmer switches for patients who are prone to migraines, family-centric for nursing mothers, childsize toilets and an outdoor courtyard. The décor’s theme is “bringing the outside in” and includes artwork that depicts nature in southern Minnesota along with other features unique to this region. The clinic will also incorporate artwork of children participating in outside activities to encourage physical fitness. The floor plan allows for more efficiency and privacy. The nearly 30,000 square feet of pediatric space on the main floor allows for 12 providers to practice at any given time, 28 exam rooms and two therapy consult rooms. The Children’s Health Center will utilize lab and diagnostic imaging services at the Wickersham Campus, allowing the Clinic to be more cost-effective. “The enhanced space will provide flexibility, making it easier to accommodate more patients and give them better access to specialty service,” Hankin said. “We will also be extending evening hours for even more convenience.”
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Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare Services Gillette’s independent, not-for-profit hospital and clinics are internationally recognized for their work in the diagnosis and treatment of children and young adults who have disabilities or complex medical needs. They serve a unique population of children and adults whose needs require multidisciplinary specialty care. Gillette will provide this region with specialty medical care and assistive technology services in the new Children’s Health Center in its 5,000 square feet of designated space. Physicians, nurse practitioners and assistive technology professionals from Gillette will offer their expertise in: • Physical medicine and rehabilitation • Neurology • Cardiology • Gastroenterology • Orthopedics • Neuromuscular medicine • Neurosurgery • Craniofacial surgery • Orthoses (braces) • Seating systems and adaptive equipment • Plastics • Sleep issues Gillette’s specialty technology lab at the new Children’s Health Center will repair, modify, measure or make models for all types of equipment including wheelchairs and leg braces that make it easier for someone who has a disability to work, learn or play. The new center will serve as Gillette’s Southern Minnesota access point for a variety of its specialty services. Pediatric Therapy Services Pediatric Therapy Services has over 20 years of experience providing physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy to children in a kid-friendly environment. They work closely with many providers including the Mankato Clinic and Gillette. They will offer services in a specially-allocated satellite space at the new Children’s Health Center as well as continue providing services from their primary location at 150 St. Andrews Court in Mankato. Having the collaboration with Pediatric Therapy Services, Mankato Clinic and Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare Services provides this region with a huge asset. “By sharing building space, we will be able to collaborate more readily and offer more comprehensive care to families with young children, particularly those that have had special health needs or developmental concerns,” said PT/Clinic Director of Pediatric Therapy Services, Nancy Dobson. “It is a great service delivery model and we are thrilled to be a part of it.”
Children’s Health Center Photos by Sara Hughes
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Opening Fall 2014
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Snakeskin by Belle Étoile Š 2013 belleetoilejewelry.com
1660 Tullamore St. Mankato, MN 56001 507.345.1658 www.exclusivelydiamonds.com
behind the lens of berry behrendt By Lyndon Conrad Bell
a tribute to
audrey hepburn
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Photographer Berry Behrendt Styling Wouri Vice Market Editor Ade Samuel Makeup Sonja Yaso Hair Andreas Schoenagel, Artist Management (using EZ Keratin) Photographers Assitant Anna Dilthey Model Rachele Schank, Women Direct, NY
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Berry Behrendt, born in Hamburg, Germany, started his career as a photographer after touring and recording as a musician in Europe for several years. His distinctive style won him considerable demand quite quickly. In short order, Behrendt received assignments to shoot fashion and beauty spreads for a number of well-known European and American magazines, including German Vogue, Soma, Vibe, Essence and Sunday Telegraph Magazine. Behrendt has also produced images of musical artists such as Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Moby, Busta Rhymes and Bootsy Collins. While he maintains a Hamburg office, Behrendt has also lived and worked in New York City since 2001. To learn more about the man, his work and what happens behind the lens of Berry Behrendt, we commissioned him to shoot this series of photographs so we could discuss them with him in detail.
Fashion inspires me, sure, but it’s really more about the personality of the model, which I choose based on the assignment. - Berry Behrendt
Top Enekyo Pants Gucci Shoes Edmundo
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Dress Blumarine Necklace Fenton Fallon Bracelet Larucci
LX Magazine: Clearly you were going after an Audrey Hepburn theme with this shoot; please describe the process you went through to create these images. Berry Behrendt: As soon as I learned what we were trying to accomplish, the film Breakfast At Tiffany’s popped into my head and became our theme. With the Hepburn theme, we had a terrific head start because explaining to the stylist, makeup artist and hair stylist what we were going after was very easy. Everybody in fashion knows Audrey Hepburn, so we were off and running in pretty short order. LX: What did you see in this particular model that made her right for the shoot? BB: I met Rachele on another shoot I was doing and thought of her right away when this project came up. She has an outgoing personality that works particularly well for what we were going after. She’s very friendly and very lively. Even before this assignment, I had already seen an Audrey Hepburn-esque quality in her. Rachele really made the shoot. In fact I conceived the project with her in mind, so the shoot just sort of evolved around her. LX: What is the foundation of your photographic approach? BB: Fashion inspires me, sure, but it’s really more about the personality of the model, which I choose based on the assignment. My approach is also driven by the theme. You have to make sense of the clothing first, or the jewelry or whatever it is you’re featuring. Beyond that, you just have to impart a particular feel to the images. My overriding goal is to always try to do something interesting with the person I’m shooting. Ultimately, my work is driven more by the person in the image. LX: These photographs have a very definite look and feel to them, even if I didn’t know you shot them all, I would know they were all shot by the same photographer. In other words, you have a clearly identifiable style. How did you develop it? 22
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Dress Novis
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BB: Thanks for saying that. Honestly, I’m actually always debating with myself if I truly have a style. These days, there are so many photographers out there; it’s difficult to stand out. One of the things that concerns me these days is for so many photographers out there now, their work all looks the same. It’s almost as if photographers are becoming somewhat interchangeable to a degree. I’m not saying I’m any better than anyone else, but I really try to make my work look different somehow. Having been doing this for more than 20 years now, I have learned in most cases the style is dictated by the client. Of course, I like to think the nature of the look I achieve is why my clients come to me. That said, you must have a variety of ways to get there. The main thing is I do what I do, and I make sure I like what I do. Typically, if I like it, others do too, and this seems to work consistently for me. Most of all though, I try to have a believable relationship with the model—and see that relationship conveyed in the finished photographs.
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Turtleneck & Pants Moschino Hat Patricia Underwood Necklace Fenton Fallon Earrings W29
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Dress Furne One Gloves Sermoneta Earrings Circa 66
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Fur & Feather Boas Adrianne Landau Gloves Caroline Amato Earrings Fenton Fallon
Hat Patricia Underwood Top Enekyo
LX: What’s your background? Did you study photography formally? How did you decide to become a professional photographer? BB: Actually, no, I didn’t study photography formally. I was a working musician for a while and started in photography as an assistant for an established photographer to supplement my income. In doing so, I learned enough to take on small assignments on my own. After a couple of years of doing this, people started seeing my work and asking me if I could shoot things for them. Truthfully, photography just sort of evolved into my career. LX: Coming up, who were some of the photographers you admired? How did their work influence yours? BB: Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton, Irving Penn and many of the other classic photographers have informed my approach. This particular shoot was definitely inspired by Avedon’s work with Audrey Hepburn. There are a number of young contemporary photographers I enjoy as well. And while their work is completely different from mine, I still find inspiration in what they are doing. LX: What was your first professional assignment? BB: My first assignment was for the photographer for whom I was assisting. It actually came about by happenstance. He was off skiing in the Swiss Alps when this big catalog shoot came in. He couldn’t get back in time, so I had to shoot it for him. Doing that shoot forced me to take responsibility for producing images for the first time. From doing this, I learned I could take the responsibility—I could actually execute a shoot. When you’re the photographer, it’s your responsibility to make sure everyone on the set is instilled with the confidence the work will turn out well. That shoot was my baptism by fire so to speak. LX: Describe your dream assignment. BB: Honestly, every assignment I get is a dream assignment these days. I really love to work. A client who respects what you do and is happy with the pictures you make is the absolute best. This, for me, is a dream assignment. I also like photographing interesting people from a variety of fields; musicians, politicians, actors—fascinating people I’d like to get to know. I suppose that qualifies too. More than anything else though, I really like what I do, so any chance I get to do it is a dream come true.
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A Tradition of Brilliance
By Lyndon Conrad Bell
In September of 1963, the world got its first glimpse of what would become the most successful sports car the planet has ever known. Over seven generations of steady development, the Porsche 911 has continually evolved in a manner in which there can be a straight line drawn between the first Porsche Type 901 show car and today’s Porsche 911 50th Anniversary Model grand touring/sports car.
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When the 911 was initially shown at the 1963 Frankfurt Auto Show, it was called the Porsche Type 901. The people running the French car company Peugeot objected, declaring their company had established the rights to use three-number model designations with a zero in the middle. Rather than get caught up in a prolonged legal battle, Porsche replaced the zero with a one. When the car went on sale in 1964, it was billed as the Porsche 911. Porsche has applied the principle of continuous evolution to the 911. In other words, rather than remaking the car from scratch every five to seven years, Porsche works to improve some aspect of the car every year, altering its aspects only to improve the performance of the model. As a result, the overall mechanical layout of the Porsche 911 is essentially the same as it was on that first Type 901 introduced in 1963. Further, the profile of today’s car mimics the original car’s almost perfectly. In fact, the shape has become so iconic, it is immediately recognizable as a Porsche 911—whether you’re looking at the 1963 car, the 1983 car, the 2003 car or today’s 2013 car. Interestingly though, the 911 is actually an evolution of an even older model, the Porsche 356, which was introduced in 1948. Although truthfully, if you want to go all the way back, both of those cars owe their powertrain layout and overall shape to the Volkswagen Type 1 originated by Dr. Ing. Ferdinand Porsche—the namesake of the company and one of the most prolific automotive engineers of all time. www.lxmagazines.com www.lxmagazine.com
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For the record, it is POR-sha—not “PORSH”.
Porsche is credited with creating the first gasoline electric hybrid automobile; one of the earliest purely electric automobiles; the Volkswagen Beetle; and the Mercedes-Benz SS/SSK range of automobiles—in addition to some of the most formidable racing cars of his time. As remarkable as all of that is, his crowning achievement—the one towering over all of the others— is the creation of the Porsche sports cars. Except…Ferdinand Porsche didn’t do the 356, nor did he do the 911. Porsche’s son, Ferry, did the 356 based on the rear-engine/rear-drive Volkswagen Type 1 (also known as the Volkswagen Beetle) his father created to fulfill Adolf Hitler’s desire for an affordable automobile for the German people. So, while we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Porsche 911 this year, the truth
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of the matter is the car’s lineage goes all the way back to 1931. Development of the actual 911 started in 1956, under the direction of Ferry Porsche. The other people key to the development of the car were Porsche’s automotive stylist son, Butzi Porsche, body engineer, Edwin Komenda and powertrain engineers, Hans Tomala and Ferry’s nephew, Ferdinand Piech—who joined the project in its latter stages to do some finishing work on the engine. Where the 356 used a swing arm rear suspension and a horizontally opposed air-cooled four-cylinder engine mounted behind the passenger compartment, it was decided the 911 would use an independent rear suspension setup to improve handling. For more power, the new car would employ a horizontally opposed air-cooled sixcylinder engine.
From its original displacement of 2.0-liters and 130 horsepower, the 911’s engine has grown to as much as 3.8-liters. Further, it now employs liquid cooling and has produced over 400 horsepower in production applications. Turbocharged racing versions have produced in excess of 1000 horsepower. As much a trademark of the car as the Porsche badge on its nose, the aural signature of the 911’s flat-six engine is uniquely distinctive. It can be argued quite successfully the Porsche 911 is more than a grand touring/sports car. It is an icon around which a cult-like following has developed. The people who love the 911 are so fanatic about the model they will literally spend hours arguing with other people about the correct pronunciation of the company’s name. For the record, it is POR-sha—not “PORSH”.
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Much has been written and discussed about the secret of the success of the Porsche 911. To date, in excess of 300 books have been produced about the car. Further, new tomes are published each and every year. The car has been examined from every conceivable angle. However, the answer to the question of the success of the 911 is actually very simple. The Porsche 911 is unique in the automotive world. Like no other automobile, it seamlessly combines opposites. With a 911 you get sportiness and everyday usability, tradition and innovation, exclusivity and social acceptability, design and functionality. Since 1963, some 820,000 copies of the model have been built over seven generations. More than just the most successful sports car in the world, the Porsche 911 is also the most successful sports racing car human beings have ever known. In addition to competing on racetracks, the 911 has also been modified for rallying purposes and proven quite successful in that area of motorsport as well. Ferry Porsche described the exceptional versatility of his masterpiece quite succinctly when he said; “The 911 is the only car you can drive from an African safari to Le Mans, then to the theatre, and onto the streets of New York.” Thanks to its continuous evolution, the Porsche 911 comes just about as close to perfection as any car will ever get. With that said, the next one will be even better, and the one following it will be even better still. What we have in the 2013 Porsche 911 is the culmination of everything the world’s most successful sports car company has ever learned about building cars—all contained in one model.
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SIGNATURE
By Nichole Odijk DeMario
There is nothing like holiday recipes, those that stay nestled in recipe boxes or in cookbooks reserved for that special time of the year. When bar professional, Tony Abou-Ganim was selected to create the cocktail program at the Bellagio Las Vegas in 1998, he made sure to include something unique to commemorate the holidays—Hot Buttered Rum. “I wanted to create a signature holiday drink that would be served every year at every bar and with luck it would become a Bellagio holiday tradition," said Abou-Ganim. “I feel creating special traditions are a huge part of properly celebrating the holidays.” Abou-Ganim, whose accomplishments include, but not limited to: author of The Modern Mixologist: Contemporary Classic Cocktails among other titles, three time winner of Iron Chef America and one of two Americans to win the Bacardi Martini World Grand Prix.
Hot Buttered Rum Serves 10 to 12
Batter ingredients: 1 pound light brown sugar 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 to 2 teaspoons allspice Freshly grated nutmeg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Each drink: 1 – ½ ounce rum, preferably Mount Gay Eclipse Boiling water, as needed
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Beat together the brown sugar, butter, spices and vanilla extract until well combined. Refrigerate in an airtight, resealable container until ready to use. When ready to prepare drinks, combine two heaping tablespoons of the batter and rum in a warmed coffee mug. Add boiling water, fill to the top and mix well. Serve with a spoon. Notes: Must be served steaming hot, not lukewarm. For a non-alcoholic option, omit rum. It is best to make the batter in advance so the spices have an opportunity to mingle. Be sure to remove the batter from the refrigerator at least six hours before serving to allow it to soften. Batter may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 month or frozen for up to 2 months.
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photo: Tony Abou-Ganim www.lxmagazines.com
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Photo: Hedy Goldsmith
Maple Flan Serves 8
Ingredients: 3 cups heavy cream, at room temperature ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1 vanilla bean, split 2/3 cup sugar 1 cup maple syrup, preferably Grade B earl amber 7 extra large egg yolks, room temperature
Hedy Goldsmith, who among her many accolades, is a 2012 and 2013 James Beard Award Finalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef, author of Baking Out Loud: Fun Desserts with Big Flavors and guest on Iron Chef America. She loves adding an element of surprise to her holiday desserts.
In a large saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the syrup is reduced to ¾ cup. Keep an eye on the pot; reduce the heat if the syrup threatens to boil over.
“I love creating non-traditional, unexpected holiday desserts. Maple Flan is a great one that can be made well in advance. It’s flavor-forward and plays beautifully in the sandbox with figs, apples, pears, grapes, chestnuts and chocolate,” Goldsmith says.
Slide the pan of cream off the heat, fish out the vanilla beans and slowly add the cream to the caramel whisking until blended.
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream and salt. Scrape all the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the saucepan along with the bean. Cook over medium heat until just simmering, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes. Arrange eight, 6-ounce ramekins in a baking dish that has 2-inch high sides. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and 3 tablespoons of water and cook over low height, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear. Increase the heat to medium high and boil without stirring, 3 - 5 minutes, or until the sugar begins to turn golden brown. Gently swirl the pan over the heat to even out the color and cook for 2 - 3 minutes longer or until the sugar turns deep amber. Carefully and quickly pour the liquid evenly into the ramekins, swirling each one to cover the bottom completely.
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In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until blended. While whisking constantly, slowly pour the warm maple mixture into the egg yolks until blended. Pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Pour the custard into the prepared ramekins in their baking pan. Put the baking pan into the oven, and carefully fill it with very hot water halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Tightly cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the center of the custard jiggles slightly when the ramekin is shaken. Carefully transfer the baking pan to a wire rack, uncover the pan and let the flans cool completely at room temperature. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and cover them with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days. To serve, run a thin knife around the edge of the custards and invert them onto small serving plates.
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Sterling silver charms from $25
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Gift Guide CLASSIC
14K Diamond Cross Pendant starting at $939
CLASSIC 14K Diamond Hoop Earrings starting at $1,999
CLASSIC 14K Diamond Stud Earrings starting at $349
CLASSIC Diamond Tennis Bracelet (pricing varies according to carat weight)
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HEARTS ON FIRE 18K White Gold Lorelei Bloom Necklace $2,250
HEARTS ON FIRE 18K Yellow Gold Atlantico Circle Pendant $2,500
HEARTS ON FIRE 18K Yellow Gold Lorelei Interlocking Hearts Necklace $1,090
HEARTS ON FIRE 18K Rose Gold Atlantico Single Diamond Pendant $4,750 18K Rose Gold Atlantico Single Diamond Earrings starting at $2,975
HEARTS ON FIRE *center diamond not included
Platinum Transcend Single Halo Dream Ring* starting at $3,750
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TACORI Sterling City Lights After Dark Earrings $550 Sterling City Lights After Dark Necklace $670
TACORI Sterling City Lights After Dark Ring with Diamonds $1,840
TACORI Sterling City Lights Earrings $440 Sterling City Lights Pendant $590
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TACORI Sterling City Lights Earrings $570 Sterling City Lights Ring $560
TACORI Sterling City Lights Necklace $490
TACORI 18K Rose Gold Pretty in Pink Ring* starting at $3,680
*center diamond not included
TACORI 18K White Gold Petite Crescent Ring* starting at $4,210
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PANDORA Dark Green Pave Lights Charm $65 Facinating Green Charm $45 Vintage Allure Charm $80 Forever Entwined Charm $35 Family Forever Charm $75
SIMON G. 18K White Gold Diamond Ring* $6,930
SIMON G. 18K White Gold & Yellow Gold Wedding Band $2,090
SIMON G. 18K White Gold Diamond Ring* $4,620
SIMON G. 18K White Gold & Yellow Gold Diamond Wedding Band $2,970
SIMON G. SIMON G. 18K White Gold & Yellow Gold Diamond Right Hand Ring $3,080 40
18K White Gold Diamond Ring* $3,740
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NALEDI 14K White Gold Jada Pendant starting at $2,950
NALEDI 14K White Gold Nattie Pendant $4,170
NALEDI 18K White Gold Maxine Ring* $2,695
NALEDI 18K White Gold Darielle Ring $6,325
NALEDI 18K White Gold Helena Ring* $2,290
NALEDI 18K White Gold Heather Ring* $1,650
*center diamond not included
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Moments in Time on Luxury Piano All photos courtesty of Piano Solutions XXI
When Guennadi “Gene” Korolev established Piano Solutions XXI, he had a new vision for piano restoration. He wanted to build a “one-man shop” and be able to restore a piano from start to finish. Gene dedicated his whole life to perfecting the restoration process and now has the most innovative and technologically advanced shop in the industry. In February of 2012, Gene, along with his daughter Katherine Banyasz, began working together on a custom piano project — dubbed “New York Serenade” — featuring the most advanced technology and use of new materials on a piano. While Gene used his scientific background and great knowledge in piano technology, Katherine provided her creative input and knowledge in arts and design. www.lxmagazine.com
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The New York Serenade is adorned with 164,000 cubic zirconia stones; with every stone inserted by hand into the piano case.
They selected Steinway and Sons unique model A-III for this challenging custom piano project. As a tribute to the Swing years in America, the artistic inspiration for New York Serenade, according to Katherine, came from the periods of the 1920's to the 1940's, when the Art Deco movement and the Swing era of jazz and big bands flourished in New York City. This custom piano is adorned with 164,000 cubic zirconia stones that sparkle with various intensity, showcasing nostalgic imagery of New York City’s familiar places like Grand Central Station, The Cotton Club, Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park and of course Steinway Hall. The lid shows the New York Skyline and a magical moon shining over the Hudson River. The designs continue thoughout the piano with overlapping images. The mystical floral-like patterns bring together images to one magnifying effect.
The soundtrack also transmits wireless on a home theatre system or highresolution sound system that enables this piano to produce the effect of a full symphony orchestra or a live jazz band entertaining. One of the most important innovations in this piano design is a trapwork made from aircraft aluminum with ballbearings in rotating points of the moving mechanism. The friction and durability of this trapwork surpasses any existing trapwork on the market today. New York Serenade is a piano made for someone with great taste for luxury, art and design. A piano that will serenade you and take you to a new world of music and elegance.
Every stone was inserted by hand into the piano case, and took the fatherdaughter duo 16 months to put into place. In addition, this piano also comes with seamless installation for Live-Performance Model LX, a high resolution sound reproducing system, with sustain and shift proportional operating pedals. A completely wireless operation with using an iPad.
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BEST NEW
HOTELS By Martin Sayers
The world may still be in the grip of recession but the globe’s leading hoteliers don’t seem to have noticed. A range of high-end resorts across the world have recently opened and offer no compromise in terms of location or facilities.
Palais Namaskar - Morocco Palais Namaskar in Marrakech is one of the newest pretenders to the title of Morocco's most luxurious hotel. This spectacular Moorish building is nestled between the Atlas Mountains and Djebilet Hills, and offers immaculately kept grounds studded with lakes, ponds and scented gardens, as well as a variety of outdoor baths, heated swimming pools and Jacuzzis. Rooms, suites and villas are available for booking, as well as two multibedroomed ‘palaces’ that include private kitchens, swimming pools and 24hour butler service. The hotel even has its own liveried private jet that is on hand to collect guests from any airport around the world and fly them directly to Marrakech.
Palais Namaskar
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Hotel Burj Al Arab
Hotel Burj Al Arab
Hotel Burj Al Arab - Dubai
This new hotel in the billionaire’s playground of Dubai has been designed to resemble a billowing sail and at around 700 feet tall, dominates the skyline. The 28 double-story floors of the hotel accommodate 202 luxury suites, with prices ranging from $1,000 to over $28,000 per night. Chauffeur driven RollsRoyces are on offer to all guests and each floor of the towering structure boasts its own reception desk, while a team of butlers provides 24-hour service. Private shoppers are on hand to ensure that guests can benefit from Dubai’s legendary shopping scene without leaving the resort and the hotel, which features six signature restaurants and its own private beach. 48
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The Shangri-La at The Shard - London
London’s most anticipated luxury hotel opening for many years has been legendary Hong Kong hotelier Shangri-La’s contribution to the incredible skyscraper known as ‘The Shard’. This new building, designed by architect Renzo Piano, is the tallest in Europe standing 70 stories tall and is scheduled to open this fall. The hotel is the first new-build, five-star hotel in the Central London area in over a decade. With 202 deluxe guest rooms, averaging more than 452 sq. ft., The Shard will be amongst the largest in the city — introducing a new standard of ‘suite-style’ accommodation to the British capital. Facilities include a Champagne bar situated on level 52, which boasts spectacular views over the River Thames and the city of London.
The Shard
Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti - Tanzania
Set in the heart of Tanzania’s famous Serengeti National Park, this property has a collection of rooms, suites and private villas that enjoy views over unspoiled wilderness. The setting offers guests the opportunity to get close to wildlife in a safe and ecologically responsible environment while still enjoying the height of luxury.
Four Seasons Safari Lodge
Featuring contemporary African architecture sympathetic to the natural landscape, the centerpiece is a two-story great house that offers several dining options with indoor and outdoor seating, which is connected to guest accommodations and a spa by elevated wooden walkways. The hotel’s large infinity pool overlooks an active watering hole that is regularly visited by a herd of elephants. St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort
St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort - USA
Heralded as the ‘most anticipated luxury hotel opening of 2012,’ the new St. Regis resort in Miami is certainly an attractive option for anyone who wants to vacation in Florida. Each of the hotel’s 243 rooms and suites features glassenclosed balconies that offer floor-to-ceiling panoramic views of the beach and ocean beyond. The location doesn’t get any better as far as Miami is concerned as the hotel is perched oceanside in the exclusive Bal Harbour district, directly adjacent to the world renowned Bal Harbour Shops and just minutes from the buzz and vibrancy of South Beach.
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Ballyfin - Ireland
Nestled at the foot of Ireland’s Slieve Bloom Mountains, Ballyfin is a Regency-era mansion that was once the family-seat of the Cootes family before being run as a school. After falling into disrepair, the site was bought by developers and the house underwent eight years of meticulous restoration before opening as one of Ireland’s most luxurious hotels in 2011. Just fifteen guest rooms are contained within this huge house, which boast 600-acres of parkland containing a lake, ancient woodland, garden buildings, follies and grottoes.
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The Alpina Gstaad The Alpina Gstaad
The Alpina Gstaad – Switzerland
This luxury hideaway in the heart of the Swiss Alps represents the first luxury hotel to be built in the exclusive ski resort of Gstaad for over 100 years. Although new, the hotel has been built in traditional Swiss style, with all the stonework handcrafted by local stonemasons. Alpine herbs and flowers have been planted in the lush gardens that surround the property. The Alpina boasts attractions such as a wine tasting room, a cigar room, a private cinema and a 25-meter indoor lap pool, while its spectacular location ensures incredible views of the surrounding mountains from every room. The hotel will also host the first Western European location of the renowned Japanese restaurant MEGU.
Palace Hotel Tokyo – Japan
This contemporary Japanese hotel occupies the most enviable position in Tokyo – right next to the moat that guards the Imperial Palace, home of the Japanese royal family. The 23-story property cost $900 million to build and the 290 guest rooms are all built on the palace side of the building to offer uninterrupted views across the Imperial gardens.
Palace Hotel Tokyo
Guests can also avail themselves of seven restaurants, the first Evian spa in Japan and an in-house shopping mall that features seventeen high-end retail outlets.
Palace Hotel Tokyo
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Amanzoe - Greece
The Amanzoe is perched on Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula and boasts 38 guest pavilions that are all built on different levels to ensure privacy and allow for uninterrupted views across the sparkling Aegean. Each pavilion has its own courtyard featuring marble walls and a private terrace, while guests also have access to the hotel’s private beach, as well as restaurants, a library and an art gallery.
Dusit Thani - Maldives
New hotel openings tend to go unnoticed in the tourist Mecca of the Maldives but the Dusit Thani Maldives is something special. Encircled by a reef that supports an abundance of marine life this exclusive resort is housed on its own private island and is also close to Hanifaru Huraa — a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve renowned as a feeding ground for manta rays and whale sharks. The complex also boasts the largest swimming pool in the Maldives, while guests are able to enjoy a unique spa experience thanks to the Devarana Spa, which features six treetop treatment pods nestled amongst the leaves high above the island. Amanzoe
Dusit Thani Maldives
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Documenting Genius Architectural Photographer Pedro E. Guerrero By Lyndon Conrad Bell
Faced with the prospects of a future career as a bilingual clerk at a department store or a carryout boy at a supermarket, 20-year old Pedro Guerrero left his childhood home in Mesa, Arizona to learn a craft at which he would be accepted for who he was, rather than what he looked like. His quest took him to Los Angeles, where he enrolled in the Art Center College of Design. Fate has a way of leading us to our destinies, and for young Pedro, fate chose the path of photographer. Without a hint the field would become a passion for him, Guerrero enrolled in photography classes there, largely because he had no experience in any of the disciplines offered. Well, that and all the other classes were full. Guerrero says after exposing his first roll of film, developing it and printing his first image, he knew photography was what he’d be doing for the rest of his life.
ve uerrero Archi © Pedro E. G
Thanks to that realization, we have some of the most beautifully crafted and carefully detailed photographic images of some of the 20th century’s most gifted American architects— including Frank Lloyd Wright—but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
In 1939, Frank Lloyd Wright hired 22-year-old Pedro Guerrero as his resident photographer, the start of a collaborative bond that would last until Wright’s death in 1959.
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Guerrero studied photography at the Art Center; however by his own admission, he was in all probability, the worst student the school ever had. The Art Center College of Design was geared for commercial artists, and while Guerrero ultimately became quite celebrated for his commercial work, he was more intrigued by art photography. In fact, an administrator at the school once told him that even though Guerrero had come there to learn, he was defying the school to teach him. Whether Guerrero was already aware of his own path, a rebellious individual, or a combination of the two is difficult to say. But ultimately, he became disillusioned with the school. After studying there for only two years, Guerrero returned to his home in Arizona. Still working with his cameras, but moping around the family home, Guerrero’s father—who had been following the career of Frank Lloyd Wright—suggested young Pedro go to see Wright and inquire as to his needs for photographic services. Guerrero knew very little about Wright, other than the fact he was an architect. Further, Guerrero knew very little about architecture. He had seen a photograph of Wright, and he had also seen a photograph of Wright’s Pennsylvania house, “Fallingwater”. But other than that, he really didn’t know much about the man. This, as it turned out, was quite fortunate.
© Pedro E. Guerrero Archive Guerrero photographed Mr. Wright taking a tea break at his exhibition Sixty Years of Living Architecture in New York City in 1953.
Guerrero said if he’d had an inkling of how accomplished Wright really was, he would have been embarrassed to go see him. So it was a highly inexperienced and wholly unaccomplished 22-year old Pedro Guerrero introduced himself to Frank Lloyd Wright—one of America’s most revered architects—as a photographer. Which, by the way was the first time he’d ever introduced himself that way in his life. However, it wouldn’t be the last. With an extremely thin portfolio—but excellent timing— Guerrero was invited to come in and show Wright what he could do. By his own admission, Guerrero had the world’s worst portfolio. The school had tried to train Guerrero to be a commercial artist, but he had focused on fine art instead. Because of this, his portfolio contained such jewels as an image of a girl and a dog, as well as a dead pelican on the beach with a beer can. Fortunately though, Guerrero had also done quite a bit of artistic female nude work, which intrigued Wright. The two developed a rapport and within 15 minutes Wright had invited Guerrero to start work—that very day. What Guerrero didn’t know at the time was Wright’s previous photographer had just eloped with one of the apprentices, leaving Wright without photographic services.
© Pedro E. Guerrero Archive Mr. Wright appeared without shaving for this portrait in 1947. Guerrero had to move the camera back to conceal his stubble.
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With a charge to photograph everything he saw on the site, because everything there was important to Wright, Guerrero was hired as Frank Lloyd Wright’s photographer. An almost unbelievable situation, Guerrero’s good fortune really demonstrates the extreme value of timeliness—as well as being willing to work for very little money. 55
Guerrero said Wright told him the pay wasn’t much, but he could live at Taliesin West and use Wright’s camera. Guerrero later found out the pay wasn’t anything, but he said it didn’t matter—after all, look where he was. Working for Wright was the equivalent of getting a postgraduate degree in commercial photography. Interestingly though, the direction Wright gave Guerrero was very minimal. All he told Guerrero was he wanted to recognize the work as his own. Wright eschewed bird’s eye views, worm’s eye views, and abstract views. He wanted to see the work the way he drew it. Given Wright drew from a sitting position, this meant Guerrero shot from eye level more often than not. Further, as much as possible, he shot Wright’s designs in their entirety because Wright wanted to see as much of the architecture as possible in one shot.
© Pedro E. Guerrero Archive Taliesin West: This was one of Guerrero most dramatic photographs of Taliesin West. This 1940 view of the drafting studio shows the extravagance of the reflecting pool, designed to add both beauty and utility.
After Mr. Wright’s death, Architectural Forum assigned Guerrero to photograph the house in Bethesda, Maryland, he had designed for his son, Robert, in 1953. © Pedro E. Guerrero Archive
David Wright’s house in Phoenix © Pedro E. Guerrero Archive
Fortunately, this nicely dovetailed with Guerrero’s vision, so he found Wright quite easy to please. For Guerrero, the buildings were essentially large sculptures and he photographed them on that basis.
© Pedro E. Guerrero Archive Shot in 1947 for a House and Garden feature, this photograph never appeared because Mr. Wright did not have enough other postwar work to show.
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When World War II started, Guerrero served as a photographer for the Army Air Corps. Upon returning, he resumed his work with Wright. However, his photography had by then also attracted the attention of a number of other architects—as well as fine artists. Sculptors Louise Nevelson and Alexander Calder commissioned Guerrero to document their works, as did architects Philip Johnson and Marcel Breuer. Still, out of loyalty to the man who gave him his first break, Guerrero avoided working for a lot of different architects until after Wright died in 1959. A number of prominent magazines also gave Guerrero assignments based on his work with Wright. These included Architectural Forum and Harper’s Bazaar, as well as House and Garden. He also authored a number of books—among them; Picturing Wright: An Album from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Photographer and Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey.
In 1962, Guerrero traveled to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to photograph the functional kitchen of the fabled Julia Child.
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Swathed in her plaid shirt, Indian vest and trademark scarf, sculptor, Louise Nevelson gazes at her artwork.
Alexander Calder posed with a stabile named Sabot (French for shoe) in 1976 in front of his huge Saché studio.
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M or e n a B a c c a r in for H ea rts on fire. heartsonfire.com 877-PERFECT
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This time of the year brings about a particularly special feeling when it comes to fashion. The fabrics are richer, the cooling temperatures allow us to layer on all of our favorite pieces in one outfit, and—let’s face it—from flats to pumps and booties to boots, the shoe options are endless. Fall 2013 runway shows have long concluded and now it's time to start shopping our favorite trends. For most ladies, that starts with the shoes. Designed for the modern woman who appreciates sophisticated craftsmanship and is always at the forefront of fashion, the Carolinna Espinosa brand has launched the company’s first collection available to U.S. shoppers, which offers a perfectly curated selection of shoes exemplifying this season’s key trends, all designed of the highest quality Italian materials.
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Flashback to the 80s and 90s anyone? Pointed toe shoes are making a serious comeback in 2013, without the chunky platform. The smaller heel allows for a more sophisticated sleek look. They go great with skinny jeans, cropped pants, and dresses which is hard to say about most styles, so we hope this style lasts a long time. Carolinna Espinosa has many styles to help you obtain this look, with strappy pumps to retain lady-like sophistication with a playful, sexy touch as you step out on the town this fall. Scarlet Pump $275 Lilou Pump $255
Briana Pump $325
Edith Flat $295 Women everywhere seem to be ditching their high heels on more occasions than ever before to give their feet a much-deserved break. This season, flats take on a more stylish look as fun textures and details are added to simple silhouettes such as calf hair and bow accents, making flats much more than just that extra pair of shoes you tote around, in case your feet start to ache mid-day.
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Boots of any height, from small ankle bootiess to the highest models are in fashion. Tall boots took a back seat for a while but this season the most coveted styled boot is once again over the knee and tall boots. Colorful looks with accents is the look most spotted on models at the fall 2013 runway shows. With ankle booties being a trend that’s not likely to fade, this season it’s all about the details when it comes to this easy, transitional fall shoe.
Jenny Bootie $350
Kimmie Boot $525
Elliot Bootie $395
This season, tomboys everywhere are poised to become the most stylish girls around, with boyfriend shoes. Have fun with your flats this season, with a perfectly dainty, yet understatedly chic shoe for every day. Serena Smoking Slipper $245
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photo: AGfoto
Keeping A Past Tradition Alive
Wassail (pronounced WAHS-ul or wah-SALE) - It’s a noun, a verb and even a salutation. The word comes from the old Anglo Saxon ‘wes hal’ meaning to be whole, in good health. By the 12th century, it had become the salutation you offered as you raised your glass for a toast. Also known, Wassail is a time-honored drink served during the winter holidays, including Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Twelfth Night (concluding the Twelve Days of Christmas). It is especially popular in northern European countries, where it originates. It’s a hot drink that is made with holiday ale or hard cider with sugar and rich spices like cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg and sometimes even includes baked apples. Traditionally it is served in a large bowl, known as a wassail bowl. These bowls were originally hand-crafted from wood, pewter or silver. You may have heard the Christmas song “Here We Come A Wassailing” and wondered what wassailing is. Wassailing is an old English customary ceremony that involves singing and drinking to the health of trees, to ensure a good cider apple harvest for the following year. But many wassailers just skipped the trees, and instead went singing door-to-door, exchanging good wishes about the neighborhood with a bowl of drink—much like caroling today. It was a way of celebrating the season and toasting to friends, so the wassail bowl has become something of a symbol of community good will and hospitality. Most commonly, Wassail resembles cider in our modern day. However Wassail can refer to a mulled wine. Mulled wine, usually a red variety and infused with cinnamon, cloves and citrus, is also a seasonal favorite because of its warming qualities. Other liquors have known to been added to versions of mulled wine like vodka, rum and brandy. As you gather with loved ones, keep the tradition alive by pulling out a big pot or a slow cooker, simmer up a batch of Wassail and enjoy the sweet, warm and comforting smells of the season. “Cheers. Wassail.”
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