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Experience the big, bold flavors of Thailand in Albany

The LaGrange Team

Fall runway trends How to secure your passwords

Plants for the not-so-green thumb

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a taste of

Culture

Living in a small community normally means your dining options are limited. So, when Supreeya Lopez had the opportunity to open a Thai restaurant in Albany, Georgia, she went for it. And, since opening the Lemon Grass Restaurant two years ago, she has introduced the big, bold flavors of Thailand to a city in need of a new, exciting food option.

A native of Bangkok, Thailand, Lopez explains, “I came to the United States when I was 13 and I met my husband, Geronimo, in college.” The two then moved to Albany where they operate two successful Mexican restaurants. However, Lopez saw an opportunity to bring something unique to the community through Thai cuisine.

“There are so many Chinese restaurants in the area; I wanted to do something different. Fortunately, Geronimo was willing to help me get it started,” she continues.

Those who have never tried Thai are certainly missing out. Thai cuisine is flavorful—curry, chilies and peppers give it a bold kick while lemon grass, cilantro and other herbs balance the dishes. “Most of our business comes from word of mouth. Friends bring their friends to try. We are always glad to let our customers taste samples, though I tell people, ‘Once you have a good curry, you crave it’,” she says.

Today, the Lemon Grass attracts a more subdued group of clientele compared to the family’s Mexican restaurants. Consisting mostly of business professionals, Lopez says her customers enjoy the quiet environment and appreciate her knowledgeable staff. “Many of our customers come here for business meetings. They like that it is quiet and they enjoy the Thai flavors. I had one customer who was down from Atlanta for a business meeting during the week. He came in with his family the following Saturday. I asked him why he drove all that way and he told me he couldn’t find authentic Thai food where he lives,” she continues.

Lopez takes the authenticity of her meals to heart. “It is surprising how many of our customers are concerned about where their food comes from. Of course, everything we cook is fresh and we do not use MSG at all. While many Thai restaurants will substitute heavy cream, we only use coconut and almond milk. It costs a little more to use authentic ingredients like these, but I am not going to sacrifice the quality of my food,” she explains. People with health concerns also find Thai food to be an excellent choice. “Thai is a healthy alternative. It is gluten free and nothing on our menu is fried. Many of our ingredients are organic and all of our meals are prepared fresh every day.”

At home, Lopez and her family enjoy meals from across the globe. “I like to cook all sorts of things—French, Mexican, whatever. I’ve made sure my two daughters appreciate good food as well. Whether they are at a five-star restaurant or eating from a taco truck in Mexico, they enjoy tasting different things. Next year, I plan to take them to Bangkok so they can experience the Thai culture first-hand,” she continues.

Lopez says her favorite is the Thai hot seafood with basil and chilies. But, for the Thai novice, a red or yellow curry dish gives a warm introduction to a unique food experience.

Click here

to visit the Lemon Grass Restaurant on Facebook.

Thai SPICES

Herbs and spices are an important part of Thai cooking.

When used in combination, they help achieve a balance of the four essential Thai tastes: salty, sour, spicy and sweet.

BASIL Essential in every Thai kitchen; different types include sweet basil, Thai basil and holy basil

CHILIES

More than 10 different varieties are used, varying in size and color

KAFFIR LIME

The peel and juice are used as flavoring while the leaves are used in soups

TAMARIND

The juice is a main souring agent in Thai food and is an essential ingredient of several dishes; both fruity and refreshing while having a tart and sour flavor

GARLIC

Large amounts are used in Thai cooking; Thai garlic is smaller and more pungent than most garlic

GALANGAL A relative of ginger,

the roots add valuable nutrients and depth of flavor to many Thai dishes; has a lemony flavor and is best used in soups

TURMERIC

CILANTRO

Bright orange roots are used for coloring in yellow curry; forms part of curry pastes and also used as marinades for meat

Roots, stems, leaves and seeds are used in Thai cooking adding freshness to dishes

CARDAMOM

Used in both savory and sweet dishes, the seeds give off a cool, refreshing aroma; used as a garnish for Indian foods and as elements of curries and pastes

LEMON GRASS

Looks like coarse grass and has a lemon scent; used in various ways – can be chopped and pounded or cut into long pieces and “bruised” (bent and kneaded or even lightly cut in several places) to release the scent and flavor for soups and curries

SURVIVAL OF THE

Succulents Weren’t born with a green thumb? Say “hello” to succulents – one of the most forgiving types of plants that even the poorest gardener can keep alive. Because of its prosperous reputation, the succulent is becoming today’s most popular choice for Southern and indoor gardeners.

Members of the cactus family, succulents vary in shape, size and texture with leaves (also known as spines) growing rounded, needlelike, berrylike, ruffled or spiky. And, the color variations of succulents seem almost endless, appealing to all gardening styles: blue, green, pink, yellow, white, variegated and even black. Covered in what appears to be hair or glossy wax, some succulents such as jade and panda plant have an enticing “touch me” quality.

Originally discovered in the arid regions of southwestern Africa and India, succulents easily adapt to the elements, mimicking the cacti’s ability to store nourishing ingredients in their stems, roots and leaves. That is why the word “succulent” in Latin is “succos,” meaning juice. Their spines serve to condense moisture in the air so it drips onto the ground, providing the plant with vital water.

And, their leaves’ surface pores, or stomatas, help minimize water loss. That’s why it’s OK to neglect them on occasion – they can water themselves. In fact, best practice for caring for these sturdy plants is letting the soil dry out between waterings.

For some gardeners who prefer traditional flowering plants, beauty may be in the eye of the beholder when it comes to succulents. But, don’t disregard them just yet. The large selection of succulents can add interest to any garden. For beginners, try planting a few as companions amongst brightly colored flowerbeds or add height with a potted succulent arrangement.

And, don’t worry if you’re lacking an outdoor space for planting. Succulents equally enjoy the dry humidity and warm conditions found in most homes and can adapt to lower, indirect light.

Succulents are tough, attractive and have interesting and varied foliage. Add these hardy plants to your home or flower garden and you’ll think your thumb has changed colors.

SOURCES: About.com & Better Homes & Gardens

MEET THE LAGRANGE TEAM RICKY RODRIQUEZ Commercial Banker “After work today I am playing nine holes of golf with my 21-year-old son where we will be discussing the upcoming college football season.”

MARLENE RHODES Market President “I plan to take the dogs for a walk in the park near our house and cook a new Indian recipe that I want to try!”

TAMMY COX Mortgage Banker “When I am not working you will find me spending my time with my husband of 25 years, Wendell, and our two daughters, Carmen and Christian, and their fiancés. We love to camp, fish, kayak and most anything related to outdoors. But most of all, we just enjoy spending time together as a family.”

SARAH WEBB Customer Service R

“My plans for after today are to go hom and start packing f family beach trip. Y are leaving Wedne go to St. George Isl Florida. I can’t wait

Rep.

work me for our Yay! We esday to land in t!”

We got to know the LaGrange team members better by asking them this simple question:

“What are your plans for after work?”

SUSAN MOORE Customer Service Rep. “I have a bit of a commute to and from work daily. I like to make a healthy, light dinner for my son and myself. He is so considerate to ask how my work day went. Finally, at the end of my day after watching a bit of TV or reading, I know it’s time to take our dog for a good walk to wind down.”

KIM BANKS Branch Manager “I have a 40-minute drive back and forth to work, so I sing with the radio going home to relieve any stress I might have. I have to be alert to take care of my 27-year-old disabled veteran son that lives at home with me. We live on a farm in the country and I try to cook meals with vegetables from the garden.”

KELLI MICKLE Mortgage Processor “I will be going home and spending time with my husband and 3-year-old son.”

Trends

Take a cue this fall from fashion designers across the globe. From New York City to Paris and London, here’s a sneak peak of what’s on the trendy horizon and our tips for incorporating them into your own wardrobe.

AROUND THE WORLD

NYC

Tonal Dressing: Keep it simple for fall with muted dressing from head to toe. A few of the savvy designers to present this elegant look include Hugo Boss, Narcisco Rodriguez and Marc Jacobs.

Our Tip: Translate this trend into your closet by purchasing pieces in a single color palette such as cream or other neutrals.

SOURCE

PARIS

Sportswear: Presented in both fleece and mesh fabrics on the runways, the athletic esthetic is inspiring designers this season.

Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Miu Miu bring a cool, dynamic sportswear vibe to the runway.

Our Tip: Sport your athletic side with a zip up puffer jacket or lace up wedge tennis shoes.

SOURCE

LONDON

More is more! Vibrant colors, matching skirt sets and color blocking are anticipated to be a prevalent trend this fall. Designers such as Temperley London, Burberry and Peter Pilotto feature these prints and lively colors.

Our Tip: Look for head to toe jewel tones and busy patterns.

SOURCE

PASSWORD SECURITY

Every day, every minute, fraudsters are attempting to gain access to your personal information. It is up to you to be the frontline defense. The first step is keeping your passwords secure.

As our lives become more web and mobile based, there are more requirements for passwords.

Passwords act as the keys to the locks that safeguard our information, but unlike the locks on our doors, every day someone is trying a new key for our password locks. All it takes is one successful breach and we can find ourselves in serious trouble.

Here are some simple steps to keep your passwords secure:

1.Password Complexity

The first thing a fraudster will do is try to use a simple word easily associated with an individual through public information. Often we find ourselves using a password that is simply the name of our pet or names of our close relatives. Try using nonsensical and random words, replacing letters with numbers and adding special characters. Start by changing “Rudy” to “RODY!”

2.Password Length

Length is the real secret to a safe and secure password. The shorter the password, the fewer fields a fraudster has to guess correctly. Using trial and error on a password like “R0DY!”, it would take a fraudster approximately 2.15 hours to crack. Now, let’s lengthen this password to enhance its complexity. An easy tip is to use a phrase and only use certain letters from that phrase, while adding numbers and special characters.

Let’s use the phrase, “Rudy likes stealing oven mitts from the counter,” using the first letter of each word, adding special characters and substituting some letters with numbers. We would get “1R!50MFTC4.” This new complex, lengthy password would take a hacker 1.899 millennia to break.

3.Physical Security

Passwords should not be open to anyone. The best way to safeguard your password is to commit it to memory; never save passwords on your computer and do not leave passwords written down around your PC. If passwords are keys to your locks, why would you leave the key in the lock?

For more information regarding password security, check out www.eheritagebank.com or give us a call at 1-800-227-7989.

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