The Boulevard January 2010

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appy holidays, everyone! What an issue we have in store for you. On our cover is the very lovely Queen of the Food Network, Sandra Lee from Semi–Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee. We had a great photoshoot with Sandra at the Standard Hotel in NYC. She was a great choice to kick off our food issue.

Inside, all of our celebrity features have something to do with food. Editor-in-chief Jason Feinberg sat down with actress Alicia Silverstone in NYC to talk about her new book The Kind Diet, then met up with the lovable Cheers regular Norm Peterson, aka George Wendt, to discuss his new book Drinking with George, as well as his love for beer.

Celebrity chef Cat Cora from Iron Chef America cooks up a great dish for us and we also talk with Adam Richman from Man vs. Food and the Emmy-nominated Kelly Choi from Top Chef Masters.

In addition to our profiles, our Wine and Dine section is filled with great recipes from celebrity chefs Guy Fieri, Rocco DiSpirito, Anthony Bourdain, Rick Bayless, David Burke, our good friend Joe Gannascoli and many more, plus recipes from some of our favorite local restaurants.

As an added bonus, check out B Online (www.boulevardli. com). The Boulevard’s Tina Guiomar met up with celebrity chef Bobby Flay at the opening of Bar Americain at Mohegan Sun. Mr. Flay will be profiled in an upcoming issue.

Do you have photos and/or videos of celebrities or charity events? Did you know that you can upload your own photos and videos to our website? It’s simple! Go to www.boulevardli. com and register at no cost.

B part of our Space www.myspace.com/boulevardli B a Fan www.facebook.com/theboulevardmagazine B a Follower www.twitter.com/theboulevardmag

Angela Susan Anton Publisher The Boulevard

B Online www.boulevardli.com The Boulevard magazine is not responsible for errors in the featured recipes. Some recipes may contain food allergens. Warning: Eating raw or undercooked foods may increase your chances of contracting food-borne illnesses.

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Design

Mansions & Millionaires Presents

History With Style

Photography By Keith Scott Morton

The Boulevard • January 2010

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ot many people were aware of a showhouse event in the early ‘70s when Mansions & Millionaires emerged on the scene, but it didn’t take long for this new Designers’ Showcase event to capture the imagination of the public. Mansions & Millionaires was established over 38 years ago to satisfy the strong interest of entrepreneurs Carole Aronson and Arlene Travis in the grandeur of the Gold Coast period on Long Island. The two women enlisted the cooperation of the interior design industry in order to fulfill their goal. Mansions & Millionaires has become a prestigious Long Island-based service company that provides the public with a unique opportunity to visit Gold Coast mansions not generally open to the public. Long Island is fortunate to have so many residences from the Gold Coast era still available to be viewed.

La Selva, an original Gold Coast mansion, was brought to life recently by Mansions & Millionaires as a Designers’ Showcase. The design professionals who participated in the La Selva Designers’ Showcase ’09 raised the bar on their design performance while utilizing the theme of yesterday’s architecture being compatible with today’s lifestyle. Artifacts from the period of 1915 that were built into the structure of La Selva were retained, while the design became a representation of current lifestyle.

Mansions & Millionaires gave a great deal of time and attention to the 2009 presentation in order to retain the mansion’s historic integrity. The interiors of La Selva contain details depicting many of the world’s masters that include columns, intricately carved with gargoyles and critters; iron work, both delicate and outrageous; rare marble floors; a cantilevered stone staircase that floats to the second floor; Tudor Revival paneling holding an intricate carving of President Theodore Roosevelt and Renaissance paintings built into the walls and ceilings. On the exterior, garden sculpture and artifacts reported to be from the first century AD are placed esthetically. This estate was the background for Mansions & Millionaires’ last production.

Each interior designer participating in the 2009 Designers’ Showcase has stimu-

lated the senses, stirred the emotions and pleased the eye of the public. A contest to determine the Designer of the Year was sponsored by Angela Susan Anton of The Boulevard magazine. She chose a panel of five judges who selected Valerie Onor of New York City as the unanimously elected winner. Notable Awards

were presented to Susan Bloom of Locust Valley, Billy Ceglia of Sandy Hook, CT and the corporate design team from Ethan Allen. So many of the designers’ achievements were deserving of awards that two additional Producers’ Awards were presented to Keith Baltimore of Port Washington and Brooks Brothers of Manhasset.

Mansions & Millionaires has helped to shape a positive attitude toward the mansions of the Gold Coast era and the interior designers who furnish them for viewing as part of Designers’ Showcase. A sampling of outstanding Long Island mansions such as La Selva, Mill Neck Manor, Caumsett, Hempstead House, The Gables, Groton Place and Oheka have been refurbished and open to the public for charitable events during the 38 years of the

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Mansions & Millionaires enterprise.

Small companies such as Mansions & Millionaires have left a positive mark on Long Island’s populace and have influenced a resurgence in the study of the Gold Coast era and its impact on society. Mansions & Millionaires has promoted the design industry and the decorative arts and brought an economic surge to Long Island through the influx of visitors from a 50-mile radius of Manhattan.

the body and soul. My interiors are best described as Classics for Current Living – traditional elegance combined with today’s relaxed furnishings, lifestyle and technology. Color is key to me and my goal is to make your home beautiful and functional through a pleasing mix of fabrics, textures and finishes. I always add something unexpected to make it interesting and a touch of whimsy to make you smile. When you say ‘I love it here,’ my mission has been accomplished.”

The Boulevard Presents Valerie Onor, 2009 Designers’ Showcase Designer of the Year Classically schooled, well traveled and mentored by the great English designer David Laws, Valerie Onor produces work that is timely, timeless and personal. She melds an appreciation of history, a reverence for art and architecture, and a passion for beauty into functional form for modern living, creating spaces that capture the spirit and soul of her clients.

Ms. Onor says, “I have always believed that your home should tell your story, reflect your choices and be the scrapbook of your life – a joy to the eye, a lift to the spirit and a comfort for

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Design

Sagtikos Manor

300 Years of Long Island Gentry

By J.L. Masotti Photography by Russell Pratt

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an Cortlandt, Thompson, Gardiner … some of early New York’s most prominent names are connected with Suffolk County’s Sagtikos Manor. In fact, the history of the Long Island estate is a veritable social register of yesterday’s elite society, dating back to the colonial period following the Dutch governance of the region. From the 17th century until just several years ago, the stately but unpretentious Sagtikos Manor was home to members of the Island’s gentry whose family records include judges, patroons, counts, a first lady and other luminaries.

The original Lord of the Manor was Stephanus Van Cortlandt, who was the first native-born mayor of New York City, as well as chief justice of the New York Provincial Supreme Court and patroon of Cortlandt Manor. Van Cortlandt was certainly well connected; he was the brother-in-law of colonial governor Pieter

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Schuyler and the grandfather of another New York governor, James DeLancey. One of Van Cortlandt’s sisters married a Van Rensselaer, while another wed Frederick Philipse, lord of Philipsborough Manor. Some of his descendants would eventually marry into the British aristocracy.

After purchasing the land in what is now West Bay Shore from the Secatogue tribe and with a charter from the reign of William and Mary, Van Cortlandt built the oldest portion of the manor house in 1697. Following his untimely death in 1700, Van Cortlandt was succeeded at Sagtikos Manor – also known as Apple Tree Wicke – by Timothy Carll, who expanded the boundaries of the property to an impressive 1,200 acres, extending eight miles.

In 1758, the estate came into the possession of another of Long Island’s “old families,” the Thompsons of Setauket, whose

The Boulevard • January 2010

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descendants retained ownership of Sagtikos Manor well into our own time. Over the years, members of the Thompson family were united in marriage with members of the Gardiner dynasty.

Their set “married well,” explains Nancy Donohue, president of the Sagtikos Manor Historical Society. “Both the Gardiners and the Thompsons were well established even in those days,” she adds.

As a result of these alliances, the family histories became intertwined, culminating in joint ownership of Sagtikos Manor and Gardiners Island. Robert David Lion Gardiner, who passed away in 2004, was the last Lord of the Manor.

Isaac Thompson, a magistrate, married Mary Gardiner in 1772 and brought his bride to live at Sagtikos Manor. Mary was a descendant of Lion Gardiner, the first Lord of the Manor of Gardiners Island. Within a few years, the couple had enlarged the modest house built by Van Cortlandt to 14 rooms. In a 1908 letter to Sarah Diodati Gardiner, a fellow Colonial Dame named Miss Quincy refers to a white rose bush that had been brought by Mary from her childhood home in East Hampton. Although the original rose bush is gone, the Sagtikos Manor Historical Society plans to plant a white rose bush on either side of the 1772 façade this spring.

During the American Revolutionary War, British general Sir Henry Clinton, along with his troops, was an uninvited guest of the Thompsons. The bedroom used by Sir Henry was appointed with period furnishings and maintained by the last Lord of the Manor to commemorate this episode in Sagtikos Manor’s history.

It is unlikely, however, that Isaac and Mary Thompson enjoyed the company of these visitors. In fact, relations were so tense between the Thompsons and the British that Isaac was actually dragged across Montauk Highway to be hanged. With a rope around his neck, he received a reprieve when his would-be executioners realized that it just wouldn’t do to summarily hang one of the King’s magistrates. On another occasion, one of the troops took a shot at Isaac through an upstairs window, missing the judge but leaving a hole (which remains to this day) in the wall. All things considered, Isaac was successful in keeping the situation under control and he managed to preserve his estate during this tumultuous period. As Donohue puts it, “He was a diplomat.” After the war, in 1790, a former adversary of Sir Henry’s named George Washington spent the night at the manor house. By this time president of the United States, Washington slept in the bedroom across the hall from the one that the British general had earlier occupied.

In 1844, high society (not to mention the general populace) was taken by surprise to learn that President John Tyler had married Julia Gardiner, the great-niece of Isaac and Mary Thompson. Some time before, Julia had accompanied her father, New York State Senator David Gardiner, aboard the USS Princeton as a guest of President Tyler. An onboard explosion took the life of

her father and several other unfortunate people. Over the course of the following months, the president and Miss Gardiner became engaged, managing to keep the wedding plans private until the day of the nuptials. As first lady, Julia Gardiner Tyler established certain formalities, such as the playing of Hail to the Chief when the president enters a room, that prevail at the White House to this day.

Sagtikos Manor was expanded to 42 rooms in 1902 by Frederick Diodati Thompson. In her letter to Sarah Diodati Gardiner, Miss Quincy recalled ascending the elegant staircase, noting the portraits of “distinguished visitors” on the walls. She also mentioned the engraved coronets on the gateposts outside; these are still there, a reminder of F.D. Thompson’s having been honored with the title of Count by both Pope Leo XIII and Italy’s King Umberto. A portrait of Thompson, taken on the occasion of his being presented at St. James Palace during the reign of Queen Victoria, continues to gaze down upon guests in the drawing room. This Lord of the Manor was also decorated Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and Knight of St. Maurice and St. Lazare of Italy, not to mention Grand Officer of the Imperial Order of the Medjidieh of the Ottoman Empire.

F.D. Thompson traveled in posh circles at home as well as abroad. Besides being listed in the Social Register, he was a member of the New York Historical Society, Long Island Historical Society, St. George’s Society, Sons of the Revolution, Fraternity of Delta Psi and both the Knickerbocker and Union clubs. F.D. Thompson’s alma mater, Columbia College (now Columbia University), was attended by generations of the Thompson-Gardiner family (although a few members, admittedly, broke ranks to attend Yale or Harvard). The family was solidly Ivy League.

F.D. Thompson was the last Lord of the Manor to bear the Thompson surname and was succeeded by his nephew, David Gardiner. David and his sister Sarah gave a portion of their 1,200 acres to New York State. The donated corridor, along what had been Sagtikos Manor Lane, is what we know today as Sagtikos Parkway. This gesture of noblesse oblige reversed somewhat the general practice in their family history. Up until then, as Donohue observes, “They preserved their land.”

The estate is now owned by Suffolk County and is operated by the Sagtikos Manor Historical Society. In addition to the threecentury-old manor house, the property consists of a carriage house, buttery, private cemetery and walled garden. Sagtikos Manor is located on Route 27A (Montauk Highway), one-half mile east of the Robert Moses Causeway. While regular tour hours begin on Memorial Day, group tours are available by arrangement beginning in April. General information, as well as a virtual tour of the manor house, can be found at www.sagtikosmanor.com.

www.boulevardli.com

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Superfertile Launches New Line for World Foods Day

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uperfertile is back with another message-fuelled jewelry collection challenging people to consider, in this time of soaring food prices, the battle facing the developing world to feed itself.

The new collection, titled Hunger, is a range of extremely elaborate pieces that use beading techniques, but, as always, in the tradition of Superfertile, there is a difference! Staple foods such as wheat, chickpeas, corn, rice, beans and lentils have been recreated in gold and silver to highlight the priceless nature of essential foods often taken for granted every day in many parts of the developed world. Beaded in uniquely shaped necklaces and bracelets, Superfertile created its pieces to exhibit the value of food and how much some people can afford depending on their income, and how some people can afford to display their wealth and their food around their necks.

All beaded necklaces are named by their weight in grams and kilos depending on how many beads are used; the cost of each piece is determined by the weight and the work/staple food used.

Creative director Kali Arulpragasam states, “Everyone should have the right to eat and we are highlighting the massive hunger threat to many parts of the world. We have worked tirelessly to produce unique designs that have a three-dimensional sculpted quality to wow the public and get hunger to the forefront of people’s minds. The launch campaign [includes] striking visuals that highlight greed, need, wealth and health.”

The collection is also supporting Oxfam’s Global Food Crisis Appeal and some of the revenue will be donated to Oxfam to help tackle the food price disaster unfolding around the world. A spokesman for Oxfam said, “We are very grateful to Superfertile for supporting the appeal in such a creative way. More than 900 million people around the world are now going hungry and in the last year alone an extra 75 million have been added to that total because of the rising cost of food. The Superfertile collection provides an extraordinary opportunity to make the public aware of that and to help us to tackle the global food crisis.”

SuperFertile launched the Hunger collection to mark its contribution to the global event of World Food Day.

Necklaces are available for purchase online, visit www.superfertile.com for more information.

www.boulevardli.com

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The Boulevard • January 2010

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Bella at the Ball Put on your dancing shoes ...

The dance-length gown is done in icy winter white satin and the strapless bodice has clusters of crystal-studded floral motifs. The extravagant skirt swings out into a wide circle.

www.boulevardli.com

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Grace and Lace Blanc & Noir

The Oleg Cassini ball gown is made of crystal- and pearlembroidered lace overlay on an ivory satin base. The narrow waist is wrapped in black satin and diamonds.

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The Boulevard • January 2010

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The Oleg Cassini Lace Halter.

Breathtaking sheer lace over champagne-colored satin in a slim halter silhouette. Evoking the mood of the Belle Époque, her gown shapes into a pleated brush train.

www.boulevardli.com

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Make An Entrance ...

Wearing Oleg Cassini

The crystal room at the Royal Opera House is the setting for a glittering ball gown. The Aline shape of the silk gown has a wrap bodice studded in polished crystals stitched in silver in miniature squares.

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The Boulevard • January 2010

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A love affair that never ends.

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Dress, Midnight Double Face Satin Pintuck Strapless Gown with Multi Ruffle Tiers and Flounce Hem, $5,380, J. Mendel; Earrings, North Star Diamond Drop , $12,000, Ron Rizzo

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ood Network personality Sandra Lee is having lunch with us long distance-style. En route to the Wine and Food Festival in Cleveland, she eats a quick bite (yes, America, she eats!) of spaghetti and meatballs with some Italian bread before heading to the airport. While I sit in my Long Island office drinking my third cup of coffee of the day, I listen intently to the story Lee is about to tell me and the rest of The Boulevard readers – a story that, she says, she has never told anyone before.

In May, Lee was in Wisconsin to get an honorary degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse—the first one the school has given out in its 100-year history. She went out to lunch with her former high school guidance counselor, Karen, whom she had not seen in close to 30 years. During lunch, Karen looked Sandra in the eye and said, “Sandy, honey … you know there are some girls who walk in your office and they have a sparkle in their eye and a skip in their step and you just know that they are going to go somewhere and that they are going to go far?” “Yes,” responded Lee enthusiastically. “I don’t get it,” said the counselor. “That was so not you. You wanted to be like wallpaper. You wanted to fade into the background and you didn’t want anybody to know who you were.”

The comment, remembers Lee, almost made her fall on the floor. “She was so sweet and innocent when she said that, too … like ‘Honey, I just don’t get it.’ I literally laughed out loud.”

Lee, in fact, is just full of surprises. Beyond the beauty is one smart lady.

Since 2003, she has hosted her own Food Network television series, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee. Unlike other cooking programs that show viewers how to prepare dishes the traditional “from scratch,” way, Lee’s show is based on her trademark 70/30 philosophy that combines 70 percent ready-made products with 30 percent fresh touches. The idea for the show, she says, came from a cookbook she had written. “The Food Network came to me and asked me if I wanted to bring the cookbook to life in television. I certainly wasn’t shopping a television show,” she says. Her show became an overnight success and one of the highest-rated show launches in the network’s history. In 2008, Lee celebrated the 200th episode of Semi-Homemade. In May, she launched a second Food Network series, Sandra’s Money Saving Meals. The premise of the show is to save viewers 39 to 50 percent on every grocery bill. And in the fall, Lee became the first crossover talent on the Scripps Network, with HGTV’s Sandra Lee Celebrates, a show that focuses on Lee’s gardening, decorating and entertaining skills.

Like media powerhouses Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray, Lee has her own multimedia enterprise. In between filming, Lee runs her own company – SLSH (Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade) Enterprises and is editor in chief of Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade magazine. She also has written 20 books,

On the Cover and Below: Dress, Electric Purple Chiffon Gown with Cascading Ruffles and Black Mikado Ribbon, $4,380, J. Mendel

many of which have been on The New York Times bestseller list – including a memoir, Made From Scratch. In the fall, she started her own imprint, SL Books, which released three new titles: Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Weeknight Wonders, Sandra Lee SemiHomemade Cocktail Time and Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Money Saving Slow Cooking.

Lee started the imprint when she joined forces with her publishers – Meredith Publishing (the publisher of her first 17 books) and Wiley Publishing, her publisher and distribution partner, to create a hybrid imprint brand that would allow her full editorial control, creative direction and content creation. Currently, the Food Network star is working on her next four books, slated for release throughout 2010. The first will be a home and garden how-to collection.

With all her fame and fortune, Lee remains very friendly and down-to-earth. “I am just like everybody else … trying to get it done … trying to make it happen and trying to be smart.”

Ten years before she became a star on the Food Network, Lee was already a successful entrepreneur. She had invented a line of patented home, garden and craft products that she sold to Target, Wal-Mart, QVC-USA, Michaels - The Arts & Crafts Store and Lillian Vernon, among other retailers. Lee was generating revenue

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Profiles in the tens of millions and was on fire. Kurtain Kraft was her first invention – a wire rack with fabric attached to it that she originally created for her apartment when she was living in California.

Floral Kraft followed and an at-home garden line called Growing Garden. Her product lines were so successful that she was asked to anchor the on-air launch of the home, garden and craft categories for QVC-United Kingdom and QVC-Germany. “When I started my own company, QVC did not want the company spokesperson, Florence Henderson – they wanted the product inventor on camera. At the time I was 26 and felt I looked too young. I didn’t think that anyone would believe I did this. They really taught me how to be on television.”

The success also motivated her to produce the first DoIt Yourself home improvement video series, which sold over a million copies in its debut. Her product lines – she has invented 157 products to date – have garnered numerous industry awards.

Her cooking endeavors soon followed with Lee attending one of the world’s leading culinary art institutes, Le Cordon Bleu.

She learned how to apply her Semi-Homemade philosophy and shortcuts to gourmet recipes that viewers can do at home in less time and at a fraction of the cost.

As a young girl, Lee had always enjoyed doing crafts, whether

it was as a hobby or to earn extra money. “I was never a relaxed kind of kid. I was always doing, making or taking care of whatever needed to get done.”

Today, she encourages others to be creative whether they are in their kitchen, their garden or their home. “My job is to make your life easier and then figure out how to communicate that so it is palatable and doable. It is not just cooking, decorating and gardening. A lot of it is crafting and being creative. It is about dreaming about something that never existed that all of a sudden is there.”

One of the most rewarding parts of her job, she says, is having foresight. “I am good at anticipating what is to come – focusing on areas where people aren’t thinking yet and making things happen that are timely and meaningful. Money Saving Meals is a perfect example. Kurtain Kraft was another example and so was Semi-Homemade. “ Lee believes one needs to be fearless, smart and have conviction in order to pursue their dreams. A spiritual person, Lee is grateful for all her good fortune and says she often goes to St. Patrick’s Cathedral to light candles. “I have a lot of faith and spend a lot of time praying. There is no way I can possibly do this on my own. Sometimes I just look up and say, ‘Please … please.’”

Left and Opposite: Dress, Cobolt Silk Double Georgette Draped Gown with Black Mikado Robbon and Crystal Detail, $4,250, J. Mendel

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“passionate

Everyone always says you have to be about what you

do... and that is what I think

you have to do to be amazing at something.

�

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Profiles Lee has reason to be thankful, particularly since the early days of her life weren’t so easy. Born in Santa Monica, California, Lee relocated to Washington State when she was 6 years old. At 16, she moved to Wisconsin and at 22 settled down with her aunt and uncle in Los Angeles. Growing up, her family was on welfare and food stamps. Her father lived out-of-state and her mother was sick, so Lee took on the role of caretaker to her four younger siblings. The experience, she says, made her more mature and capable and helped her become the person she is today. “I would never be able to handle what I handle if not for that upbringing. I would never have the capacity for this volume because what I do is volume. Between the three television shows, all the books, the magazines and then my own life … that is just volume. I always said I was never going to let my life live me; I was going to live it.

And I am. I am riding my life as if it were a beautiful stallion.”

When she is not working, Lee donates a good deal of her time to charity and philanthropic organizations. She is the spokesperson for Share Our Strength and is the face of their Great American Bake Sale and their Operation Frontline Classroom initiative, two programs focused on ending childhood hunger in America. “Our food banks are suffering because of the economy. People are not giving and more people are in need than ever before,” says Lee, who encourages the public to donate canned items and boxed food that are not perishable. “You don’t have to go shopping. If you have five cake mixes at home, pull out one and donate it.”

Lee has had numerous honors bestowed upon her, including the President’s Volunteer Service Award for her involvement with charitable organizations and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate for contributions made to society.

One of the people who influenced her along the way was her Grandma Lorraine. “She was a good person. She spent her whole life running community service [and] giving back while being really present with us and paying attention.” Other women she admired and feels a connection to were the sitcom mothers of her day: Carol Brady (The Brady Bunch) and Samantha Stevens (Bewitched).

“The women of the Food Network have become like those women to the new, younger viewing generation,” says Lee, who is so passionate about helping her viewers simplify their lives that she wouldn’t mind if her fans call her “Aunt Sandy,” or “Auntie Sandy,” as her nieces and nephews like to call her. “Kids are watching the Food Network. They are crazy for it. Little kids know they can watch me in the afternoon and they can go into the pantry and make themselves a beautiful little snack or early supper and be okay. To them, I am Samantha Stevens of Bewitched.”

Another role she relishes is being a semi-homemade mom to the children of her boyfriend, New York State Attorney

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General Andrew Cuomo, who has three daughters. “I am really happy to say that my sweetheart and I spend a ton of time in our house with the kids, just being normal,” she says. “We absolutely make family time. It is important. We have the kids 50 percent of the time. We enjoy them and we enjoy doing things for them.”

For the holidays, Lee is looking forward to settling into her new home in Westchester (earlier this year she moved from Los Angeles to New York State, permanently). So far, she has no travel plans. No book signings to attend. And no plans (yet) to appear as a guest on national television demonstrating how to whip up a festive treat, semi-homemade style. She just wants to be Sandy. “ I just want to stay home and do nothing,” she laughs.

Sandra, for some reason we are not convinced that will last too long…

Sandra Lee’s Apple-Pecan Bread Pudding PAM canola oil cooking spray 116-ounce loaf cinnamon bread, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 21-ounce can apple pie filling 1½ cups chopped pecans 112-ounce can evaporated milk 1½ cups heavy cream ¾ cup Egg Beaters ¾ cup packed brown sugar ½ teaspoon ground allspice Pinch of salt 2 tablespoons butter, cut into tiny pieces ¾ cup caramel topping 2 tablespoons bourbon Whipped dessert topping, thawed (optional) Coat 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir bread, pie filling and pecans until combined.

In medium bowl, whisk together evaporated milk, cream, Egg Beaters, brown sugar, allspice and salt until combined. Pour over bread mixture and stir gently until bread is saturated. Pour into slow cooker and dot with butter.

Cover and cook on low heat for three to four hours.

In small microwave-safe bowl, stir together caramel topping and bourbon. Cover and microwave on high (100 percent power) for 1 to 2 minutes or until warm. Serve bread pudding topped with caramel-bourbon sauce and whipped topping (optional).

Yields 6 servings

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On Location at:

The Standard Hotel, New York www.standardhotels.com

The Boulevard Magazine Staff : Angela Susan Anton, Jason Feinberg and Tina Guiomar Photographer: Joe Schildhorn Photo Assistant: Nick Hunt

Patrick McMullan Company

Hair /Make-up provided by: Alx Galisano Jewelry provided by: Ron Rizzo 1-516-484-0030 or www.ronrizzo.com

Fashion provided by: J. Mendel Fashion Stylist: Stephanie Molishus 1-800-J. Mendel or www.jmendel.com Available at J. Mendel Boutiques, Hirshleifer, Manhasset, New YorK

Top Row: Audra Bolton, Alx Galisano, Tina Guiomar Bottom Row: Jason Feinberg, Sandra Lee, Angela Susan Anton and Stephanie Molishus www.boulevardli.com

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Profiles

Flirting with

AliciaSilverstone and The Kind Diet

By Jason Feinberg • Photography By Victoria Pearson

28

The Boulevard • January 2010

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S

o there we were at Candle 79 in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. I offered to hold Alicia Silverstone’s drink so she could sample some of Candle 79 owner Joy Pierson’s food. I laughed to myself because a few days earlier I was holding Gene Simmons’ bottle of water so he could have a picture taken. But in a matter of minutes, I would be sitting next to one of Hollywood’s biggest female heartthrobs, not to discuss an upcoming film, but food, and in particular, being vegan.

Silverstone, known for her roles in The Crush, Clueless and Batman & Robin among many others, recently published her book The Kind Diet, a step-by-step manual for those who might be interested in toying with the idea of a healthier lifestyle. “I had just been sharing this information with friends for a long period of time, helping them with their diets. I would hand them pamphlets of information and they would say, ‘Oh my god, this is like a book.’ I would say, ‘I know, I know … someday.’”

Alicia’s book is written in a very factual and easygoing style.

She gives you the basics as to why certain foods are bad for you and how going vegan is not only amazing for your body but also good for the environment. “I did this 11 years ago for animal reasons – for good karma – and I noticed a change.” It turns out that this “big sacrifice” was helping her and wasn’t much of a sacrifice at all. “I started to research and found that there was all these athletes that ate this type of diet, and not for animal reasons, but because they wanted to be the best.” All of a sudden, Alicia noticed that she had lost weight, her skin glowed

Nature “intended us to be

vibrant beings.” page 028-030 AliciaSilverstone.i29 29

and her nails were stronger (I can personally vouch for how amazing she looks in person).

The great thing about the book is that Alicia doesn’t force the reader to throw out the contents of the refrigerator and completely abide by a strict diet. The reality is that not everyone can just be vegan. Alicia sets up three levels to attempt: The Flirt, The Vegan and The Superhero. Obviously, The Flirt is “dipping a toe into the vegan pool” to see if they can even enjoy vegan food. The Vegan, level two, includes just eating plant-based foods, no dairy. The Superhero is a level for everyone to aspire to, and those who succeed truly are superheroes. It consists of eating lots of greens, whole grains, beans, mushrooms, squash and a limited amount of tofu or soybean products.

But what about the fact that humans are omnivores?

This was a question I wondered about. Were we changing what nature had intended, and then again, don’t we do that already? “Nature didn’t intend for us to be swollen, overweight, on medication, having heart disease and having cancer,” Alicia stressed. “Nature intended us to be vibrant beings. The reason we ate meat was out of necessity. If there was nothing www.boulevardli.com

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Profiles else around, then you had to eat meat.” Today we don’t live in conditions where what we eat is dictated by our surroundings, although being surrounded by fast food establishments has caused a major heath issue, she added. “We have everything at our fingertips. So why would you choose to eat something that’s actually going to inflame your liver and make your organs all swollen and angry when you can eat these things that are going to nourish your organs?”

The chapter Becoming the Superhero is based on a macrobiotic diet but without any animal products. It consists of eating whole grains, no processed food, no nightshade vegetables and the “magic” foods like miso soup, pickles and the magical sea vegetables. Soymilk is considered a treat, as well as maple syrup and other sweeteners. In moderation, you can have fruits, nuts, salt, herbs and spices.

The Kind Diet also offers tips on eating out at any restaurant as well as some great choices of restaurants to try in New York City. There is also a variety of products that Alicia recommends, such as Light Life Fakin’ Bacon, butter, candy bars, cheeses, cookies, cream cheese, mayonnaise, meat slices, pizza, soups, etc. You can never say you’re going hungry on this diet. But the amazing thing is you can eat and lose weight, too. The food is hearty, so a small amount can fill you up. There are also great tips on exercising including walking outdoors, Pilates and yoga – exercise that is good for the body and the soul.

When I asked Alicia how she convinces the guys, she was quick to respond, not with a tricky “rope-a-dope” answer, but with a quick “chorizo tacos [and chocolate] peanut butter cups I make,” which translates to, “Guys, you won’t be sacrificing flavor for this diet.”

The recipes in The Kind Diet are amazing. If you only stick to being a Flirt, there are many recipes to try from the vegan section to the superhero section. A favorite dish is simply steamed baby bok choy with a drizzle of ume vinaigrette with gemashio – delicious. Or the pickled radishes, for which, if you attempt the Superhero version, you eat a small portion of radishes everyday, along with steamed vegetables and pickles.

The Superhero diet can really fill you up. Alicia gives an example of a seven-day sampler of breakfast, lunch and dinner. And don’t forget about desserts; there is always room for dessert.

Alicia’s favorite dessert to make, which she has shared with The Boulevard, is her Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, which she swears taste even better than the Reese’s at the supermarket.

Alicia has done a magnificent job. The Kind Diet offers just a little bit of everything that will make for a better lifestyle. The food will make you feel better, look better and just be better.

For me, as much as I would like to be Alicia’s Superhero, I’d still be fine being the Flirt.

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Alicia Silverstone’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups “Back in the day, I was obsessed with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Now I make this healthier version and they are way better.

In fact, I think they are the most ridiculously delicious things in the entire world. Look for graham crackers that are naturally sweetened or low in sugar (Healthy Valley makes a good one), and store the leftover crackers or crumbs in an airtight container for future use.” ½ cup Earth Balance butter ¾ cup crunchy peanut butter (preferably unsweetened and unsalted) ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs or 10 graham cracker squares ¼ cup maple sugar or other granulated sweetener 1 cup grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips ¼ cup soy, rice or nut milk ¼ cup chopped pecans, almonds or peanuts Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. (If You Care makes unbleached liners made from recycled paper.) Set aside.

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs and maple sugar. Mix well and remove mixture from heat. Evenly divide mixture, approximately 2 tablespoons per cup, among muffin cups.

In another pan, combine chocolate and milk. Stir over medium heat until chocolate has melted. Spoon chocolate evenly over peanut butter mixture. Top with chopped nuts.

Place in refrigerator to set for at least two hours before serving.

Yields 12

The Boulevard • January 2010

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11/24/09 10:49:09 AM

Drinking (Coffee) With

GeorgeWendt

Everybody Knows HisByName Jason Feinberg 32

The Boulevard • January 2010

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t’s 11 a.m. and I’m sitting at the Knave Bar inside Le Parker Meridien Hotel in Manhattan. No, I hadn’t been there all night. I was actually there to see “Norm” walk in the bar. As it was 11 a.m. and I was about to speak with George Wendt about his new book, Drinking with George, I wasn’t sure if it was proper etiquette to order a beer this early in the morning, and while conducting an interview. I figured I’d play it safe and wait for him to order. “Sir, can I get you something?” asked the waitress.

A silence filled the room as if people were waiting for E.F. Hutton to give financial advice. “Coffee, please,” said George. As relieved as I was, a small sigh of disappointment came over me. I think I wanted bragging rights to say I had a beer with Norm Peterson.

Coffee was fine for me (it was still early) but I’m convinced that had this been an hour later, we would have been downing Pilsners and lagers. Instead, sipping cups of joe, we talked.

After starting out in the famed Second City Theater group, Wendt went on to build an endless roster of television and movie appearances throughout the ’80s and ’90s, including Saturday Night Live where he defined one of the show’s most memorable sketches as Chicago Superfan Bob Swerski, who displayed his football knowledge and love of his favorite team … Da Bears.

From 1982 to 1993, Wendt played accountant, interior decorator and house painter Norm Peterson on the hit TV show Cheers. The character became somewhat of a cult icon: the bar patron who everyone knows and loves and whose longevity has lasted 16 years after the show ended. Wendt says, “It was Nick Colasanto who came up with ‘Let’s scream Norm’s name every time he comes in.’ He remembered, back in the day, being in a bar where everyone would yell out someone’s name when they walked in. So he is responsible for that, and it’s just one of those catchphrases, like Fonzie’s ‘Aaay.’”

Usually when I’m sitting with an actor, I’m trying to figure out which character, if any, he is like. With George, it was different.

Even though he is a very diverse actor, he is almost one and the same with Norm. As George explains in his book, there isn’t much of a difference in the character he brought to life and himself, other than that Norm disliked his marriage and apparently never got drunk. “He also had better writers,” Wendt modestly adds.

After reading his book, I would have to disagree. He has parodied Norm several times, which led me to ask him which worthy adversary would be the better drinking buddy, [The Simpsons’] Homer Simpson or [The Family Guy’s] Peter Griffin. “Oh, boy, that’s a good one.” Showing bias, George replied, “I would have to say Homer Simpson because Dan Castellaneta is an old friend from Second City.”

In true form of a lover of the brew, George explained why he wrote this book. “ I was bursting with love for beer and couldn’t sit still anymore. I wanted to give something back. Thank God I

“

Asking me to choose a favorite beer is like asking me to choose my

”

favorite child

didn’t sing a Barry White song [on Cheers].” I did notice that one thing was missing – no mention of his favorite beer. “Asking me to choose a favorite beer is like asking me to choose my favorite child,” he laughs. “I’m all over the map. I pick my beer by whim; I like it all.” Over the past decade, microbreweries have popped up everywhere in the U.S. and in Wendt’s opinion, they rank as the best place to have a beer. “It’s exploding. I’m learning so much.

By way of promoting the book, I’ve been reaching out to some Octoberfests and beer festivals. The dedication, skill and passion among the brewers and their fans and consumers really took me by surprise.”

I’ve learned a lot from Drinking with George and become a little smarter in the process. I now know the do and don’t cures for hangovers, how the Guinness Book of World Records was created, and the positive effects that beer can offer. But most importantly, I learned about the man himself, from his first casting, hanging out with fellow cast members and even facing death in the eyes on his wedding night. I told George that prior to the interview, if I were ever going to write an article on him, his book would be it.

It’s a great combination of an autobiography and barroom trivia, including more than 100 ways you can say that you’re drunk. And while we won’t be seeing a George Wendt Lager anytime soon, I can guarantee everyone will still know his name.

From Drinking with George: George Washington’s Recipe “To Make A Small Beer”(1757) Take a large Siffer [Sifter] full of Bran Hops to your Taste. -Boil these 3 hours then strain out 30 Gall[ons] into a cooler put in 3 Gall[ons] Molasses while the Beer is Scalding hot or rather draw the Molasses into the cooler & St[r]ain the Beer on it while boiling Hot. let this stand till it is little more than Blood warm then put in a quart of Yea[s]t if the Weather is very Cold cover it over with a Blank[et] & let it Work in the Cooler 24 hours then put it into the Cask -- leave the bung open till it is almost don[e] Working -- Bottle it that day Week it was Brewed."

www.boulevardli.com

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Interview with a Twilight Vampire

EdiGathegi

By Ilena Ryan

Photography by JSqaured Photography Wardrobe Stylist - Toni Ferrara Groomer - Lauren Kaye Cohen

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The Boulevard • January 2010

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I

depressed. I just wanted to take an easy class that would take my mind off it. So, I took an acting class, but it wasn’t easy! It was challenging in just the right way. It was exciting and fresh.”

Gathegi says he always had an imagination. To this day, he wakes up and creates a new character in the shower. The introductory college acting course encouraged him to use his active imagination, which triggered his life’s plan. “I thought ‘If I can do this for a career and enjoy myself and make money, then this is exactly the thing for me,’” he says. From there, he claimed theater as a major and continued on to NYU for a postgraduate education in acting. After a disappointing showcase in New York City to complete his NYU program (he did not get an agency meeting), he went to Los Angeles for the second showcase the school provided for its students.

“After New York I was hurt, but chose to process it in the right way because it’s all about the acting, it’s not about the fame,” Gathegi explains. “I go to LA to do the showcase and it’s quite different. I get a lot of attention, my first two meetings turn into auditions and I book both of them. I started my career in LA, so it was quick. Focusing on me not having a career allowed me to have a career.”

The career path has led to Gathegi’s latest role as the vampire Laurent in the Twilight saga, the newest being the

© 2008 Summit Entertainment N.V. Rights Reserved

t seemed as though everyone but Edi Gathegi knew he was destined to be an actor. Gathegi, who has appeared in films such as Gone Baby Gone, Crank, My Bloody Valentine and the immensely popular Twilight films, began his acting career in college, though the signs were there, even as a child, that he should be a performer.

Gathegi recalls sharing a bunk bed with his older brother when he was a kid. “I was on top and he was on the bottom, and I would always tell him a story to put him to sleep, so I would regale my tale of the day, my adventures with my friends or I’d tell jokes,” he says.

But his immediate family members were not the only ones who had recognized his talent. When Gathegi told his father about his decision to act, his father pulled out a school file with Gathegi’s progress report from when he was 4 years old. “It said ‘Edi is affable. He should be an actor when he grows up. He has stage presence. He has a wonderful energy,’” Gathegi recalls. “My dad shows this to me and says, ‘We’ve known this since you were 4 years old; we’ve just been waiting for you to claim it.’”

Claiming it, however, was a process. Gathegi’s plan was to follow in his father’s footsteps and attend law school after college. But when a knee injury during college basketball tryouts left him severely hurt, he looked for an outlet. “I was so

Cam Gigandet as James, Edi Gathegi as Laurent and Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria in Twlight.

www.boulevardli.com

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Profile recently released New Moon. Twilight, according to Gathegi, has become a “full-blown pop culture phenomenon.” This obsession with vampires has spread from the Twilight novels, to the Twilight movies, to television series such as HBO’s True Blood. But why?

Gathegi believes that part of the vampire intrigue is the same as the appeal of the superhero. “They have superhuman strength, superhuman speed, supernatural gifts. Vampires are a different type of superhero. I think there’s an allure in the sense of sex appeal and all that strength and power,” he says. “There’s something interesting with vampires being on the outside, and how people identify with that.”

Gathegi had an inkling, pre-production of Twilight, that this was going to be big. He recalls an initial dinner with most of the cast, producers and directors, where he made a toast. “I toasted to being on the ground floor of something huge,” Gathegi says. But the rest of the dinner crowd was not as sure, it seemed, and gave him a perplexed collective stare, which caused Gathegi to question his feelings. “Who the hell was I to think that? I didn’t know what was going to happen with this,” he says.

Then came the comic book and popular arts convention, Comic-Con, which was the moment the Twilight group, as an entire production, first understood how big the movies were going to be. “There were 6,000 people camping out waiting to see us, screaming at the loudest decibel levels,” Gathegi recalls. “There was solid evidence that this was going to be big.”

The character of Laurent is typically pegged with the reputation of bad guy. But Gathegi sees the role differently.

As he interprets it, Laurent is just a vampire doing what he needs to do in order to survive.

“It’s really just about given circumstances. He’s a traditional vampire; he eats humans to survive. That doesn’t make him bad; that’s just his nature. [Laurent is] extremely fascinated with the idea that there are vampires who have trained themselves to just eat vampires, therefore becoming vegetarians. The fact that he’s intrigued by that makes him a more compassionate vampire. He’s curious about this vegetarianism. He lives forever, he’s bored as hell, he just wants to find something fun to do and not be a jerk all the time,” Gathegi says with a laugh.

With such serious movie projects on his résumé thus far, Gathegi would like to start doing comedies, as well as roles “closer to the top of the call sheet,” he says. He also hopes to be able to play historical figures, such as Jamie Foxx did in Ray. But he won’t take a role simply for the sake of a job. For Gathegi, acting is all about his love of the craft and that is where his career will take him. “I don’t want to work just to work,” he says. “I want to work on things I’m passionate about.”

Vampire’s First Bite Martini 6 ounces Blavod black vodka 1/4 cup crushed red pepper flakes (optional) 4 cans (6 ounces each) Sacramento tomato juice or 8 medium-sized tomatoes, pureed 4 ounces olive juice 8 teaspoons fresh lemon juice Worcestershire sauce, to taste Tabasco hot sauce, to taste Horseradish, to taste Black pepper, to taste Salt, to taste 4 pickled cherry tomatoes 8 olives Optional : Create pepper-infused vodka by mixing 12 ounces vodka with red pepper flakes; allow at least 24 hours for the flavor to infuse. (The longer you allow it to marinate, the more of a bite it will have.)

Pickle your own cherry tomatoes with pickling juice, allowing to marinate for at least 3 days, or purchase them at your local market.

Combine tomato juice with olive juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, horseradish, black pepper and salt. Use a cheesecloth sieve to separate tomato mixture from pulp. Let chill for 10-15 minutes.

In a shaker, combine spiked bloody Mary juice with 6 ounces of pepper-infused vodka or the plain Blavod vodka and a cupful of crushed ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass.

Garnish with a wooden skewer of olives and pickled cherry tomatoes (alternating).

Serves 4

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The Boulevard • January 2010

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ENJOY A NIGHT OUT too marvelous for words

Gala

STALLER CENTER

2010

SATURDAY, MARCH 6 AT 8:00 PM STALLER CENTER FOR THE ARTS STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY $70 John Pizzarelli, the consummate entertainer and jazz guitarist, and Christine Ebersole, effervescent singer, film and television actress as well as Broadway Tony Award winner and star (Oklahoma, 42nd Street, Grey Gardens, Blythe Spirit), come to Main Stage with their bands. Experience the pleasure of Mr. Pizzarelli and Ms. Ebersole as they join forces for the ultimate in cool.

TICKETS AND INFORMATION www.stallercenter.com or call the Box Office at (631) 632-ARTS [2787]

JOIN THE CELEBRATION, MAKE A DONATION VIP seating and tickets to a Gala Benefit Reception following the performance are also on sale.

Celebrate Stony Brook’s new President, Samuel L. Stanley, Jr. MD at a Gala Reception following the performance. Call the Staller Center Advancement Office at (631) 632-7469 for details.

The Gala supports Staller Center programs and educational activities. A portion of the donation is tax-deductible.

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John PIZZARELLI &Christine EBERSOLE

Swing, Big Band and Broadway

11/24/09 10:49:56 AM

Kelly Choi - Master of New York City

By Tara E. Butler 38

The Boulevard • January 2010

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T

he Bravo network has whipped up a delicious new recipe with Top Chef Masters, and its main ingredient is Kelly Choi. Kelly, no stranger to television, declared that Top Chef Masters is her dream job. "I loved the idea from the get-go," she said. “I live, breathe, and my purpose in life is to love and relish food and spread that joy."

While Top Chef Masters is a completely different program from its predecessor, Top Chef, I wondered if Kelly is at all compared to its hostess, Padma. “I haven't gotten that too much, but of course, she has set an amazing precedence for me and those are big shoes to fill,” she said. “But Masters has its own personality and its level of chefs is different. Also, they are competing for charity.”

While Kelly is the hostess, there are several contestants and three judges that include the iconic restaurant critic Gael Greene of New York magazine, British journalist Jay Rayner, and James Oseland, editor in chief of Saveur magazine. So what is it like working with Gael Greene, I asked. "She is a trip; we can say anything we want … and she is a great dancer!"

As for the Big Apple’s greatest eateries, “There are some really great restaurants in New York, ” Kelly said. “I love to go to Gramercy Park Tavern during the holiday season." While discussing its warm ambiance, she added that she loved the tavern’s décor during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.

Kelly’s favorite holiday foods are butternut squash lasagna, a soup-based rice cake dish which is customary for New Year’s, and of course, the traditional turkey and cranberry. For dessert, her favorite is brownies with a little wasabi or cayenne pepper sprinkled on top. As for cocktails, she loves cold apple cider spiked with wine.

Kelly received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the College of William and Mary and a master’s in journalism from Columbia University. While she admits that she has not been formally trained in food, "Food is a big part of Korean culture," she explained. Born in Seoul, Korea and raised in Virginia, Kelly reminisced about growing up and spoke fondly of her father’s commentary on every dish her mother prepared.

“My mom and I cooked together a lot," she said.

In addition to Top Chef Masters, Kelly has been the hostess of NYC TV’s multi-Emmy award-winning series Secrets of New York. In the documentary-style program, Kelly explores the well-hidden parts of New York City, such as the very top of skyscrapers like the Chrysler Building, the top of the George Washington Bridge and the inside of the subway system, just to name a few.

Kelly Choi resides in New York and truly enjoys her exciting and lucrative career in television.

Kelly Choi’s Ridiculously Easy Spicy Sweet Noodles

This is an incredibly simple recipe that makes a great base for whatever protein you want to add to it. It’s also tasty enough to stand on its own, which I've done countless times. It's always light and delicious and perfect for those times when you don't feel like really cooking.

Keep in mind that the beauty of this recipe is in how versatile it is. Use the measurements as approximations and add or subtract according to your taste.

Rice noodles or soba noodles (you can also use angel hair pasta) Gochujang - A Korean hot red pepper paste that can be found at most Asian markets Sugar Sesame oil Sesame seeds

Cook noodles according to package directions.

Drain most of the water out of noodles, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons.

Add a dollop or so of gochujang, according to taste.

(I like to add 2 dollops, which makes the noodles spicy.)

Dissolve paste in water left in pot and mix.

Pour sesame oil over noodles, about 2 tablespoons or so. Sprinkle in sugar, about 1-2 tablespoons. Mix well.

Sprinkle sesame seeds on top, and enjoy the spicy, sweet flavor!

Adding other ingredients Grilled shrimp or julienned chicken or beef is delicious.

I also love topping the noodles with cilantro or bean sprouts and squeezing fresh lime on top for a Vietnameseinspired taste. www.boulevardli.com

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Profiles

ADAMRICHMAN HOST OF MAN V. FOOD

WANTS TO KNOW: ARE YOU HUNGRY FOR MORE???

by Ruth Bashinsky • Photography courtesy of the Travel Channel

A

fan of the Travel Channel show Man v. Food, I was secretly hoping to have my own food challenge with host Adam Richman. The challenge would be a frozen yogurt face-off complete with unlimited toppings – sprinkles, wet walnuts, Reese’s Pieces, cookie dough, chocolate syrup– and a giant spoon. A frozen yogurt fanatic, I have been eating copious amounts of the frozen dairy dessert in all different sizes, brands and flavors most of my life so I was ready for battle.

Luckily for Richman, he was busy filming the show in Houston, so our challenge will just have to wait. Nevertheless,

40

Richman and I did get a chance to talk food with The Boulevard – about his fighting spirit, how he trains before a match, what it feels like when he just can’t take another bite and what is next for this high-energy, enthusiastic and extremely likable character on one of Travel Channel’s most popular shows.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Richman is more than just a funny guy with a big appetite; he is a trained actor who graduated from the Yale School of Drama. During his years as an undergrad at Emory University as a student of international studies, he kept a food journal documenting the restaurants he

The Boulevard • January 2010

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traveled to and what he learned from each trip. His passion for food led him to various jobs in the food industry.

“Going to Emory and being a Brooklyn boy in Atlanta is what actually spurred [my] keeping a food journal,” he explains.

“I did not know if I would actually be back in the South. I was exposed not only to places in Atlanta but other places around the country.”

When Richman landed the part as host for Man v. Food, he was acting in regional theaters across the country. Unlike his journal, which documented his culinary accounts that were most likely read by only a few, Richman now had the opportunity to share his enthusiasm for food and travel with an entire nation. For Richman, it was a dream come true. And for the Travel Channel, it was a new and exciting show to debut. The idea for the show, in fact, stemmed partly from the popularity of the Travel Channel program World’s Best Places to Pig Out. Each week (Wednesday’s at 10 p.m. ET/PT) Richman takes viewers on a gastronomical journey, traveling to different cities and sampling diverse fare at legendary landmarks across the country. At the end of each episode, Richman completes a food challenge and wraps the show with a faux press conference.

Even for those viewers who aren’t foodies, Richman’s on-air charisma, expressions, quirks and historical narratives are extremely entertaining. A person who thrives off the energy in the room, Richman describes the challenges he encounters as a cross between a house party, a Roman coliseum and a boxing match. “As arduous a task it may be, the spirit in the room … the love in the room is so galvanizing. The challenges become so much fun.It is just wild abandon and people are generally supportive and having a blast and for better or for worse you want to give them your all,” he says.

One unforgettable episode was the Five Bowl Firebrand Chili Challenge at Joe Roger’s Chili Parlor in Springfield, Illinois.

Viewers got the chance to watch Richman interact with the locals as he high-fived the crowd, jumped down to the floor into a split and sweat it out, as he ingested the scorching hot chili that he described as having a comet in your stomach.

“My mouth is completely numb … the bowl has no bottom but I am determined to persevere,” says Richman to the cheering crowd, as he set out to eat six bowls, but stopped at five, tying the record. Then there was the Carnivore, an 11-pound, 30-inch pizza covered in pepperoni, ground beef, Italian sausage, ham and bacon at Big Pie in the Sky in Georgia. In just under an hour, Richman consumed four slices of pizza weighing a total of four and a half pounds.

Certainly, eating good food and talking about it is not the only skill set that is required for the job, Richman also gets to

meet some interesting folks, and use his acting ability and wit.

It is not uncommon to see Richman dress in costume (he was Abraham Lincoln in one episode), engage in a swordfight or sing lead vocals with a local band: “Man v. Food ... I am just a hungry dude.”

However, no matter how hungry Richman can get, there are certain foods that he makes a point to avoid. These include: sardines, ham, the Japanese fermented bean paste “Natto” and calf’s foot jelly. It’s exactly how it sounds, a stiff jelly, considered a delicacy in Russia and Britain, that is made from a stock of boiling calves’ feet in water.

Although he frequently gets asked which challenge is his most difficult, Richman says he can’t give a definitive answer.

“Each challenge is difficult in different ways, and that is not a cop-out answer.” The Oyster Challenge at Acme Oyster House in New Orleans was a remarkable stunt. In just under an hour, Richman consumed 15 dozen oysters. Although he said the experience wiped out his taste for that particular shellfish (he has not had a raw oyster since), he did accomplish his goal. “I felt like I was in a trance. I ate 180 oysters and even saying that sounds ridiculous. I truly, truly, truly am in disbelief. It doesn’t seem humanly possible. It doesn’t seem plausible, and yet I did it.”

Even with all these wins, he has had his share of defeats, but never without a fight. The Malt Milkshake Challenge at Crown Candy Kitchen in St. Louis, Missouri did not end with the best outcome. Richman had to drink five 24-ounce malt milkshakes in 30 minutes; two glasses away from his win he had to stop.

“You want to finish and on another level you want to retain your dignity,” he says.

The Great Steak Challenge in Baltimore, Maryland at the restaurant Steak & Main was another loss for the food enthusiast, who was just 3 ounces away from winning the gold. “This was the single largest volume I’ve encountered,” explains Richman, who had to devour four different cuts of beef, weighing a total of 72 ounces, plus side dishes of vegetables and potatoes.

Looking back at that challenge, he acknowledged some hurdles.

“When you are dealing with something that is cooked, keeping it hot is an issue and reheating it obviously overcooked some stuff, so that is one of the problems we ran into this episode.”

And who can forget the 190-pound Ridiculous Burger at Mallie’s Bar & Grill in Detroit. Richman had two hours to take this gigantic burger – 220 pounds of beef that took 16 hours to prepare by a three-man crew and was topped with 10 pounds of cheese and vegetables, three pounds of bacon and three heads of chopped lettuce – down. The burger was so large that when Richman tried to hold it, he could not get an arm

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Profiles

around it. Having one man win this challenge was impossible, so he brought in some reinforcements – a 40-person crew of local eating all-stars including Detroit’s finest firefighters, wrestlers, roller derby girls, a KISS-impersonator band and a group of hockey players. When it was time to chow down, Richman grabbed his fork and knife and yelled, “Let’s eat some hamburger.” Although the all-stars started off strong, scoffing down 100 pounds of beef within the first 30 minutes, man lost this battle and food won.

The quantity challenges can get rough as viewers have seen. Certainly, one wonders how Richman is able to put away so much food in so little time. Indeed, there is a method to his madness. “The single biggest asset I have in my corner for quantity challenges is exercise," he says. "I have to work out really hard to get my metabolism revved up to the point where I am that hungry. We shoot 11 to 13 hours a day. We sometimes don’t get to the set until noon, but I don’t get to take the challenge until 7 p.m. I have to keep my stomach expanded and empty and my energy level up to sustain seven hours of filming while still staying hungry enough to be able to devour the sandwich.”

Not an easy task, but the self-educated food expert manages his challenges like a pro. “I would say the lion’s share of these challenges taste delicious. That 5-pound cheese steak in Philadelphia was delicious and so was the 72-ounce steak in Amarillo. The steak just happened to be the size of a saddle. I am having a good time, but I suppose there is really too much of a good thing.”

Richman, who is the first to tell you that he is not a

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competitive eater, just a regular guy who likes to eat, knows his limits even if the plate sitting in front of him is still piled high with food. “I made a vow and I made my mother a vow that I would never put myself in a situation where I would embarrass myself. Generally speaking, if I know one more bite will make me sick on camera, then I won’t eat it.”

Undoubtedly, Richman is vigilant about his health and handles the temptation that surrounds him with ease. “My whole mantra is that if you take steps to stay involved knowing the potentially adverse effects of what you are eating, you can truly have your cake and eat it, too.” On camera, he gives himself license to indulge and enjoy the best a location has to offer.

“Foods that are born to our ancestry and our history. This is what the show is about,” he explains. Off-camera though, Richman sticks to a diet that consists of lean protein, whole grains, green leafy vegetables and lots of water. He also works out with his personal trainer. “I would still like to remain attractive to the opposite sex,” he laughs. He also gets frequent medical checkups, which, he says, are mostly preventative. “I come from a long line of neurotic Jewish people so I talk to doctors regularly,” he jokes. “You know inherently I have to talk to the cardiologist, the gastroenterologist, and the GP.” He assures us though, that he does not have a team of physicians who travel with him.

“My weight fluctuates a bit but I am proud to say that I am still wearing the same pair of jeans I wore for the Man v. Food screen test,” says Richman who is coming up to his one-year anniversary as host of the show.

Impressive, Adam.

The Boulevard • January 2010

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EST. 2002

In mid-December, Man v. Food will wrap season two, with Richman having traveled to 20 cities. He is definitely enjoying the ride. (In season one he traveled to 18 cities). "I have met some of the finest people and have eaten some of the best food this country has to offer.

When you look at the final analysis and see that you are giving mom and pop businesses a boost, it is not such a bad way to spend your day.”

Well said.

For season three, Boulevard readers are welcome to campaign for a Long Island episode; just submit your ideas to www.travelchannel.com Hmmm … maybe I’ll get to have that frozen yogurt challenge, after all.

Below is a list of some of the food Richman’s been craving lately. “I love food I cannot get regularly,” he says.

Bon Appetit!!!

• The Italian Beef Sandwich at Al’s Beef in Chicago, Illinois.

• Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

from The Inn on Conventry in Cleveland, Ohio.

• Cheesy Poofs from Salvador Molly’s in Portland, Oregon.

• Roast Pork and Homemade Guacomole at Brasa

Rotisserie in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

• Anything on the menu at

Vegetarian Palate on

Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, New York.

MATRIMONIAL & DIVORCE LAW LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK • 2009-2010

Elliot Samuelson Samuelson, Hause & Samuelson, LLP Garden City

(516) 294-6666 matrimonial-attorneys.com Inducted 2003

Elena Karabatos Schlissel Ostrow Karabatos, PLLC Garden City

(516) 877-8000 www.soklaw.com Inducted 2004

Steven Eisman Abrams, Fensterman,

Fensterman, Eisman, Greenberg, Formato & Einiger Lake Success

(516) 328-2300 www.AbramsLaw.com Inducted 2007

Kieth Rieger

John DiMascio

Law Offices of John P. DiMascio & Associates Garden City

(516) 747-4343 www.jpdlawyers.com

Inducted 2004

Stephen Gassman Gassman, Baiamonte,

Betts & Tannenbaum Garden City

(516) 228-9181 www.nydivlaw.com

Inducted 2003

Stephen Schlissel Schlissel Ostrow Karabatos, PLLC Garden City

(516) 877-8000 www.soklaw.com

Inducted 2003

Florence Fass

Barrocas & Rieger

Fass & Greenberg, LLP

(516) 222-1350 barrocasrieger.com

(516) 742-8111 www.fglaw.net

Garden City Inducted 2004

Michael Ostrow Schlissel Ostrow Karabatos, PLLC Garden City

(516) 877-8000 www.soklaw.com

Garden City Inducted 2003

Vincent Stempel

Law Office of Vincent F. Stempel, Esq Garden City

(516) 742-8620

Inducted 2003

Inducted 2003

Read Complete Ten Leaders Profiles at www.TenLeaders.org The Ten Leaders of Matrimonial & Divorce Law of Long Island was created in first quarter 2003, with reviews through 2009, based on surveys that include interviews and peer referrals. Attorneys listed here are referred by at least three of their unaffiliated peers. Ten Leaders is administered by The Ten Leaders Cooperative, Reston, VA, and Fort Lee, NJ. This announcement complies with NYSBA Attorney Advertising Guidelines, which affirm that prior legal results achieved by an individual attorney do not guarantee a similar outcome in the future. The Ten Leaders Cooperative does not receive any referral fees from its members or their clients. Profiled attorneys underwrite the distribution of these lists and announcements. To read Ten Leaders profiles in the law, medicine and finance visit www.tenleaders.org. Copyright 2009-2010 The Ten Leaders Cooperative.

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11/23/09 6:50:47 PM

From Iron Chef to Mother of Four,

CatCora

Proves you can have your cake and eat it, too.

By Ilena Ryan

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The Boulevard • January 2010

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C

at Cora knows food. After all, she made history in 2005 by becoming Iron Chef America’s first and only female chef. Cora has a wildly successful career in the culinary world that includes television appearances, her role as executive chef for Bon Appétit magazine, cookbooks, a presence in the restaurant world and her charity, Chefs for Humanity. And she doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon.

What is impressive about Cora is her ability to sharpen her knives and move up the culinary ladder. She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), located in New York, in 1995. Her time in school was difficult. Many older European professors believed that women didn’t belong in culinary school. “They thought it was still a man’s world,” Cora recalls.

“But you persevere through that. I’m pretty stubborn that way.”

Through that tough talk, Cora’s Mississippi accent is disarming and soothing. There’s a sense of comfort about her, which is why so many people invite her into their kitchen through television and cookbooks. The warmth she exudes began with her upbringing, where family came first and food was a main focus of family gatherings.

While her family is Greek Orthodox, it’s typically allAmerican, Cora says. “It was really boisterous in our house.

Everything we did, we did big. It was great growing up in that loud, happy home. My mom especially was the glue; she was very much about sitting at the table together, turning the TV off and not having any distractions.”

It was her mother who gave Cora the direction she needed for her cooking career. By the age of 6, Cora could roll grape leaves and make Greek cookies. And while Cora planned on owning a restaurant one day, her mother suggested otherwise.

“It was my mom’s idea for me to go to culinary school. She said, ‘Why don’t you think about working in the back of the house?’

And it just struck a chord. A whole new world opened up to me.”

Pair that with a little push from Julia Child and Cora was well on her way to CIA. Cora met Child at a book signing and Child took the time to disperse advice on culinary schools. Cora later had a chance to meet with Child in her Cambridge, MA, home. “We had lunch and talked, and it all kind of came full circle for me,” Cora recalls.

When Cora was at CIA, the Food Network, which was to become a huge part of Cora’s career, was just starting to gain popularity. But for chefs in school, says Cora, it wasn’t about being on television, it was about working in restaurants, opening a restaurant, writing cookbooks and building a résumé. However, about five years after graduation, Cora did a local morning show in San Francisco. “I said, ‘Wow, I love

this!’ I got bit by the bug and got a lot of compliments on the segment [so] I sent the tape to Food Network. It landed in the right hands and a couple of weeks later, they called.” A month after her initial guest spot, she was called back to co-host a show with Rocco DiSpirito called Melting Pot. “It happened very fast,” Cora says, acknowledging, “I was very lucky.”

When it came time for Iron Chef America, the same perseverance she displayed at CIA, as well as in her apprenticeships in France, drove her to compete and win. “I really pushed myself hard. I knew coming in as a woman that I’d have to be on par with these guys,” she says. “I got in there and was able to cook as hard and fast as the guys. I earned respect from chefs in general, but also a lot of the top male chefs.”

Cora set a phenomenal example for female chefs. “That’s been my career. I was always in the trenches with the guys.

Women can cook as well as men can and I think me becoming Iron Chef proved that,” she says.

The importance of family seems to be at the heart of Cora’s career. She partnered with Macy’s to open CCQ (Cat Cora’s Que) and with Disney to open Kouzzina (Greek for “Kitchen”) at Walt Disney World’s Boardwalk Resort. Both restaurants lend themselves to family-style dining.

“I can relate to that, being a mom, being very close with my family,” Cora says. “It’s really timely in this day and age. We need to get together more; we need more family-style eating.”

Despite traveling a lot, when she is at her California home, she and her family spend quality time together. “At home, we cook very simple foods like fresh fish, since we’re right on the coast.

We just enjoy simple foods – a great hamburger is priceless.”

Cora’s family had two recent additions earlier this year when she and Jennifer, her partner of 10 years, were pregnant at the same time and gave birth just three months apart. Cora, who was pregnant for the first time, gave birth to the couple’s fourth (and, she says, final) son in July. Despite the anticipation that hormones would be rampant during the concurrent pregnancies, Cora says, “It was like being pregnant with your best friend. It was a good time.”

She wants to extend her sense of family and the importance of a home-cooked meal to those who say they can’t cook. “If you can read a recipe, you can cook,” Cora assures.

“People fear getting in the kitchen and just starting. I try to walk people through, as if I’m in the kitchen with you. Until you learn how to fly by the seat of your pants, let your hair down and be adventurous, you’re never going to let go of that fear.

It’s about taking baby steps.”

She laughs as she recalls her own worst kitchen mistake.

When Jennifer was pregnant, she craved clafoutis, a French dessert. “I was rushing and I put it on the temperature I was

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Profile supposed to and I opened up the oven and it was still loose, so I turned the oven up, and I will never do that with a clafoutis or any kind of custard again! Worst cooking mistake I’ve ever made … literally could have gone to play tennis with it,” she says with a laugh.

Cora is a strong woman who is happiest in the kitchen with her family and has made a career doing something she loves. “That’s so therapeutic for me, which sounds crazy because it’s what I do for a living,” she says. “But when I’m cooking professionally, it’s fast and furious. When I’m home, I can open a bottle of wine with Jennifer, or do homework in the kitchen with our kids [while] I’m on the stove cooking. It’s just a nice family environment. I love the quality time I have with my family.”

Cat Cora’s

Greek Cinnamon Stewed Chicken with Wine and Garlic (Koto Kapama) 1 chicken (2½ to 3 pounds), cut into 8 pieces (legs, breasts, and thighs) 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon mixed with 2 tsp. kosher salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 5 peeled garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

46

1 large yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped ½ cup dry white wine 2 cups chicken stock or water 1 6-ounce can tomato paste 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped, plus extra for garnish 1 cup orzo, cooked according to package directions ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pat chicken dry with paper towels.

Mix cinnamon, salt and pepper in small bowl and rub chicken pieces on all sides with seasoning.

Mince three garlic cloves and set aside.

Heat olive oil in large 12-inch deep non-stick skillet over high heat.

Add chicken to oil and brown for about four to five minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set aside.

Lower heat to medium high and add onions and minced garlic. Cook for about two minutes, stirring constantly, until onions have softened and are a rich golden brown. Add wine and scrape bottom of pan to pick up any particles stuck on bottom.

When wine has evaporated, add chicken stock, tomato paste, fresh oregano and remaining two garlic cloves, chopped.

Return chicken to pan. Liquid should cover about 3/4 of the chicken pieces. Cover and simmer over medium high heat for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked. If sauce becomes too thick, thin with a little more stock.

Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve over cooked orzo sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh oregano on top.

Serves 4

For more information on Cat Cora, log onto www.catcoracooks.com.

You can also follow Cat on Twitter (@catcora) and Facebook.

The Boulevard • January 2010

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11/25/09 2:05:02 PM

Around The Town

Old Westbury Gardensth December Holiday Celebration 2009 Festive Conclusion of 50 Anniversary Year All photos by Vince Kish

Tuesday through Thursday, Dec. 15 to 17 Tea and Tour Seatings at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The tea portion of a Tea and Tour

Plan a gracious visit to the beautifully decorated Westbury House. A guided tour will follow tea and light refreshments. Reservations required. $15 adults, $12 groups of 10 or more and members. Call Angela Savino at 516-333-0048, ext. 310 for further information.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 18–20 Holiday Celebration 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 19 Children’s Holiday Crafts 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Create ornaments to decorate Santa’s tree. After the holiday celeThe decorations in the White Drawing Room bration, the decorated tree will be given to an emergency shelter for children operated by the Interfaith Nutrition Network, a Long Island-based organization that provides food, shelter, and other services to families in need.

Sunday, Dec. 20 Gingerbread House and Garden 2 p.m.

Period rooms are beautifully and exquisitely decorated with wreaths, mantelpiece drapes, topiaries, plants and other horticultural arrangeThe Study decorated for the holidays ments. Antique clothing and toys from the Westbury House collection will be on display.

Bring the children to create crafts and share their holiday wishes with Santa. Visit the gift shop for unique, hard-to-find presents.

Enjoy hot cider and cookies on the West Porch. $8 general admission, $5 seniors and children (2–12 years), members free .

Children can enjoy hot cocoa and gingerbread cookies while they decorate their very The Thatched Cottage in December own foam gingerbread house and garden.

Registration required. $10, $5 members. Fee includes materials and admission for one adult.

Marionette Show 3 p.m.

Please note: On Dec. 20, the final day of the Holiday Celebration, Westbury House will remain open until 6 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 18 The Snow Queen 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Old Westbury Gardens 71 Old Westbury Road Old Westbury, NY 516-333-0048 www.oldwestburygardens.org

Create your own snow globe and icicle ornaments.

Westbury House in December

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The Boulevard • January 2010

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Save the Date Sid Jacobson JCC Auction for Excellence Is January 30 Event Funds Innovative Programs for Special Needs When 6-year-old Peter Amendolara, who suffers from autism, started school this September, his teacher reported he was “calmer, more focused, less anxious and has a confidence about him that wasn’t there in June.” Peter’s mother, Paula, attributes much of his progress to the fact that her son attended Sid Jacobson JCC’s Camp Kehilla, a summer day camp for high-functioning special needs children and teens with autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, learning disabilities, speech and language delays and mood disorders. She said, “Camp Kehilla was a great experience for Peter and obviously, he benefited from the program. It’s so important that the JCC continues to serve the community with wonderful programs like this.”

To do so, the JCC hosts an annual Auction for Excellence to help provide funding for vital social service programs such as Camp Kehilla. This year’s fundraiser will be a 1960s-themed event held at the Sid Jacobson JCC on Saturday, January 30, 2010. Tickets are $90 per person and include cocktails, dinner, dessert, live and silent auction and a fabulous after-party.

The JCC’s newly expanded programs provide social opportunities for persons with ADHD, autism spectrum disorders

including Asperger’s Syndrome, learning disabilities, speech and language delays, emotionally handicapping conditions and other special needs in a supportive, challenging and creative environment to facilitate social and emotional skills, enhance self-image, foster interpersonal relationships and develop individual interests through socialization.

Peace sponsors of this year’s auction are Kathy and Bruce Makowsky. To become a sponsor, learn more or make a reservation, call Jeannie Cardali at 516-484-1545, Ext. 141 or 136. Reservations can also be made at www.auctionforexcellence.com.

Become a fan and follow the event at Facebook.com/SJJCCAuction2010.

Tilles Center Presents The Eglevsky Ballet in The Nutcracker Long Island’s own professional dance company, The Eglevsky Ballet, presents its spectacular full-length production of the perennial holiday favorite, The Nutcracker, choreographed by the company’s artistic director, Ali Pourfarrokh, at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts beginning on Dec. 19 and continuing for four matinee and evening performances through Monday, Dec. 21. The Eglevsky’s annual treat for the families of Long Island is danced to the traditional lush score by Tchaikovsky.

Returning to star in the professional company of 26 dancers are guest artists Violeta Angelova and Momchil Mladenov, principal dancers with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet Company. They will

dance the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier. The company is joined by a cast of 66 of Long Island’s most talented young dance students selected through competitive auditions.

Tickets for The Eglevsky Ballet’s 2009 production of The Nutcracker are $60, $50 and $35 (seniors: $57, $47, $32). Group discounts are available; call 516 299-3100.

Tickets are available online at tillescenter.org or Ticketmaster.com, in person at Tilles Center’s box office or by telephone at (516) 299-3100 or (212) 307-4100. The box office is open MondaySaturday 1 to 6 p.m. All tickets are subject to a $1.50 facilities fee.

There is a service charge for telephone and Internet orders. There are no refunds or exchanges. For additional information, call (516) 299-3100 or visit tillescenter.org.

Long Island University’s Tilles Center for the Performing Arts is located on the C.W. Post Campus, Route 25A in Brookville.

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11/25/09 6:41:33 PM

Around The Town

Tuning In With WLIW21 New York Public Television Premiering in December – Visit wliw.org for airdates

Away,” “I’ve Got the World on a String” and more.

Ed Sullivan’s Rock and Roll Classics – The Sixties From the Beatles’ American television debut to the Doors’ infamous one-timeonly appearance and more, this special focuses on music performances from the famous Ed Sullivan Show that evoke the spirit of the ’60s youth movement.

Premiering Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 9 p.m.

Frank Sinatra performs at Carnegie Hall, June 1980.

Credit: George Kalinsky

The Beatles made their American television debut in 1964 on The Ed Sullivan Show performing “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You.” Photo courtesy of Sofa Entertainment and TJL Productions

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live This special features one-of-a-kind performances from 24 years of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.

Features exclusive induction speeches by rock royalty, behind-the-scenes footage and rare jam sessions including the Beatles’ “I Saw Her Standing There” with George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, John Fogerty, Mick Jagger and Billy Joel.

Sinatra at Carnegie Hall Following the release of 1980s Trilogy – Sinatra’s triple-album comeback – the beloved baritone performed a two-week engagement at Carnegie Hall. Recorded on June 25, 1980, the concert features “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “The Gal That Got

50

lush arrangements given the distinctive Foster touch. Recorded at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, the program features special guests Natalie Cole, Mary J. Blige, Reba McEntire, the Muppets and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Straight No Chaser – Live in New York: Holiday Edition The 10-man a cappella phenomenon whose quirky version of “The 12 Days of Christmas” spawned a YouTube sensation return with a new special featuring new songs and holiday favorites, including “The Christmas Can Can” and “Hey Santa!”

Great Performances: Andrea Bocelli & David Foster: My Christmas

Guest Natalie Cole joins David Foster and Andrea Bocelli for a Christmas concert. Photo by Karl Simone

Everyone’s favorite “Hitman” David Foster joins superstar Andrea Bocelli for a Christmas concert of seasonal favorites.

Showcasing Bocelli’s soaring vocals are

Through My Eyes: The Charlie Kelman Story A profile of the most famous man you’ve never heard of – Queens, New York native Dr. Charles D. Kelman. Celebrating the jazzy double life of the ophthalmologist who changed the world, WLIW21’s new documentary traces Dr. Kelman’s tumultuous ride to success from the driven young man with dreams of pop music stardom to his groundbreaking cataract surgery procedure. Interviews with family, friends, colleagues and Charlie himself, interspersed with performance footage, tell the story of Dr. Kelman’s revolutionary work, which paved the way for today’s medical business model and led to other small incision surgeries — impacting the lives of millions. Preview video and more at wliw.org/kelman.

Through My Eyes: The Charlie Kelman Story celebrates the jazzy double life of the ophthalmologist who changed the world. Photo courtesy of Dr. Charles and Ann Kelman Family Foundation

The Boulevard • January 2010

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At the Nassau County Museum of Art

All photos courtesy of Archives of American Ilustrators Gallery, NYC Family Sunday at the Museum Sundays, Dec. 20 and 27; Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31, 1 p.m.

Parents and grandparents will find a rewarding family experience at NCMA. Every Sunday, the museum offers family tours of the exhibition and from 1:30 p.m. hands-on supervised art activities for children and their accompanying adults.

Best of all, all activities on Family Sunday are free with museum admission. No reservations are needed.

organized by American Illustrators Gallery and will travel across the country and Europe after the NCMA showing.

Opening January 10 at NCMA

many more. The works are drawn from the museum’s extensive holdings of Latin American art and from important public and private collections.

The Subject Is Women: Impressionism and Post-Impressionism The Subject is Women: Impressionism and Post-Impressionism offers a lavish viewing of works by women and works depicting women, demonstrating

Norman Rockwell Exhibition Through Jan. 3

Maria Carreno (Cuba), Mujer con caballo 23 by 16 1/4 inch acrylic on masonite,1945

Latinas!

The World of Charles Dickens, 1937, oil on canvas.

Reader’s Digest: 1937 Christmas Gift Subscription Card.

The exhibition of Norman Rockwell’s works currently at NCMA is extremely popular. Rockwell created the images that defined America and Americans, in this country and abroad. The exhibition is

In response to a burgeoning Latin American population on Long Island and the surrounding environs, NCMA presents Latinas!, a major exhibition of Latin American art. Latin art has become one of the leading voices to explore the richness of the Latin spirit and culture. In this exhibition, art created by women and images of women heighten awareness of the rich, distinctive ethnic and historic roles women played to capture the imagination, particularly their inextricable connection with sustaining and nurturing life. The exhibition runs through Feb. 28.

Represented artists include Fernando Botero, Ana Maria, Vik Muniz, Carlos Luna, Andriana Varejao, Victor Rodriguez, Roberto Matta, Fidelio Ponce de Leon and

Amadeo Modigliani Portrait of Madame Rachele Osterling 18 2/5 by 73 1/5 inch, oil on canvas, 1919

how artists of these movements and eras depict women – and how women artists depict themselves. The works include renowned masters such as Degas, Pissarro and Renoir, as well as some lesser-known artists. Also included are works by women impressionists and post impressionists including Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot and Marie Laurencin. The works selected for the exhibit are drawn from remarkable public and private collections. The exhibition opens on Jan. 10 and remains on view through Feb. 28.

Nassau County Museum of Art is located at One Museum Drive in Roslyn Harbor.

Call 516-484-9337 or visit nassaumuseum. com for information on current exhibitions, events and fees, days, times and directions.

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11/24/09 4:54:14 PM

Going Organic Without Going Broke

T

eaching children whose first language isn’t English cannot be the easiest job, especially when trying to write a 160-page book on the subject of organic lifestyles, but after more than two years of research and meetings, and a change of direction from just another exercise and diet book, the author of Going Organic Without Going Broke appeals to a very wide audience with her concise compendium of resources designed to teach us all why organic living is a practical necessity and not just a budgetary option.

The cornerstone of an organic lifestyle is organic foods produced without the use of conventional herbicides, pesticides or artificial fertilizers. No ionizing radiation, no chemical additives or preservatives and no antibiotics for livestock. The book was never going to appeal as a dry dissertation, so this organic primer evolved into a resource-rich opportunity for consumers to find out where they could get their hands on organic products without overpaying. Appealing to everyone’s innate desire for a deal, Ms. Rose Lewinson seeks out website deals, coupons and discounts to point the reader in the right direction, touching on delivery companies, stores, organic restaurants and mail order companies for pets, gardeners and many others.

Click within the table of contents to any section of the book and don’t forget to pick up the organic wine and beer, cleaning products and skin care items on your list.

In case you have never tried organic food or bought an organic product, the author’s short chapters on the origins of

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the organic movement – the turning point of World War II when mass quantities of DDT were produced to protect troops from mosquitoes that spread malaria and typhus-transmitting lice – and the problems with modern conventional farming will give you plenty of fodder to ponder as you search your local supermarket shelves for organic food.

The fact is that organic food tastes better, probably has more nutrition and certainly doesn’t have ingredients that might cause cancer or worse. Eating organic is something positive you can do for the planet, writes the author, because pesticides deplete the soil of valuable micro and macronutrients. As the earth’s supply of nutrient-rich topsoil depletes ten times faster than its replacement, all of us face a food supply chain damaged by pesticides that ultimately kill many of the organisms needed to build healthy immune systems, especially in children.

The reality is that conventional produce has become so impoverished that many of us buy pills filled with bugs normally found in dirt!

How about the worrisome chemicals in wine and beer, household cleaners, products for kids and even pets? Let’s not forget that your skin can absorb up to 60 percent of what you rub into it, so check your labels very carefully – “made with organic ingredients” is not the same as an organic product.

This book is a must download to your iPhone, eBook reader or computer. Your health depends on it. (Sample pages available at www.smashwords.com)

The Boulevard • January 2010

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Going Back To Slow Food

By Tina Guiomar

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can remember as a child eating a home-cooked meal every night. My mother is Portuguese-American and deeply connected to traditional meals. Lately, too many of us eat fast food or “convenient” frozen dinners, not realizing what’s missing from our plate: the enjoyment of a good, clean and fair meal.

Slow Food is “a non-profit, eco-gastronomic membersupported organization to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.” The criteria of Slow Food are that it be “good, clean and fair.” Good means that the food promotes a connection with the eater, offering an enhanced sense of taste and the value of the food. Clean is food free of pesticides and chemicals, doing no damage to the ecosystem and environment. Fair makes sure that there is proper compensation in the farming workplace.

With the Industrial Revolution came a significant change in food habits, both with the use of pesticides and with people working longer hours and spending less time in the kitchen and at the dinner table. Slow Food is about getting back to enjoying the process of eating – from where food comes from to savoring each bite.

There are many benefits to eating good food. We weigh less, our bodies get more nutrition and we feel better. If you grow your own food or buy it from a local farmer, the food is something in which you can take pride, right from the start. Creating traditional dishes from a personal heritage connects you to your mother or grandmother’s cooking. You cannot get the smell of fresh herbs or the taste of organic eggs from a fast food restaurant; more than anything, you taste sodium and preservatives.

Slow Food director Paolo DiCroce explained that the use of chemicals and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is damaging and altering our environment, as well as causing cancer and other diseases. GMOs are engineered to resist disease, insects and pesticides, so they support greater use of these poisons that infiltrate our water system. GMOs rape the soil of essential minerals and eventually create uncultivable soil. In developing countries, Slow Food supports the use of traditional cultivation techniques related to the conditions of the land. Instead of trying to grow non-indigenous produce, Slow Foods suggests that it is more financially and culturally beneficial to utilize plants that

Photo courtesy of Slow Food the land can sustain. Paolo explained that in a very arid area in Mexico, farmers historically produced amaranth, a nutritious grain that needs very little water. However, farming changed to meet the demand for rice and corn, which need more water, causing difficulty in production, and therefore, self-sufficiency.

Slow Food helped by bringing back the amaranth, allowing the native people to grow food for themselves and to sell it at a profit.

“They can grow this traditional food without big investment and without big help from abroad,” Paolo said.

There is the notion that clean food is expensive and takes longer to prepare than convenient frozen or fast food. “Everywhere in Europe there is pre-washed salad,” said Paolo. Including the cost of packing and shipping, “that salad costs six to seven times more than buying fresh salad in a market. It takes no more than two minutes to wash a salad; you save money and the environment. Precooked, pre-made foods are dangerous for the health; why do that? We don’t have 12 minutes to prepare a pasta dish?” Giant food corporations have a lot of money to spend on advertising the ease of pre-washed salads and precooked foods.

That doesn’t mean it’s good for you, but it is certainly good for the corporations.

Another major issue we face today is obesity. We spend $147 billion a year on medications, diets and research to cure obesity, instead of working on prevention. “If we want to guarantee a future for the next generation, we have to change the industrial model to produce and to eat [healthful] foods.”

Slow Food believes the way to resolve many of our dietary problems is to educate our children. Slow Food has helped implement the School Canteen, which establishes school gardens, shows children that it’s possible to grow their own food, and teaches the negative effects of pesticides and chemicals. “Food is pleasure.” Putting the kitchen back in the school gives children a chance to enjoy good food, enjoy each other and create a better relationship between children and food.

The Slow Food website offers an opportunity to join a local chapter (condette) to meet other members and to join in local events where fair food farmers and consumers can share ideas and get to know each other. It’s the local community chapters networking on a global scale that brings success to Slow Food, and the condette promotes the organization’s philosophy. Visit www.slowfood.com to find a local condette or to learn how to create your own. www.boulevardli.com

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Lifestyles

Food Network’s New York City Wine & Food Festival October 8-11, 2009 Photos courtesy of The New York City Wine & Food Festival 2

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1. Katie Lee and Tyler Florence at Blue Moon Burger Bash on Oct. 9.

2.Guy Fieir firing it up at the Chelsea Market After Dark on Oct. 8.

3.Sandra Lee’s Culinary Demonstration.

4. Alain Ducasse assists in plating first course of Foie Gras and Quince Terrine.

5. Ming Tsai’s Culinary Demonstration 6. Fabio Vivanni plating up the first course at the DonQ Celebrates Flavors from the Land of Rum. 7. Zac Posen, Giada De Laurentis and Marcus Samuelsson at Food Meets Fashion.

8. Jacques Torres preparing Dessert Storm at the Torres & Friends Chocolate Brunch.

For more photos please visit www.nycwineandfoodfestival.com

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11/25/09 7:37:35 PM

Dining Through Design Benefits Women’s Health Photography By Tina Guiomar

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Roche-Bobois and Artistic Tile joined forces to host a gala evening combining lavish interior design with cocktails, fine cuisine and entertainment to support North Shore-LIJ and its Every Woman Matters: A Partnership for Better Health campaign. The event helped to raise awareness for the developing Katz Women’s Hospital and Women’s Health Institute.

Guests first toured the Ritz-Carlton Residences, North Hills, designed and decorated by Ralph Lauren Home Décor.

Following cocktails, guests traveled to the Roche-Bobois furniture showroom where they enjoyed wine and appetizers amid interior design displays. Dinner, dessert and entertainment were served at the Artistic Tile showroom.

The evening included a raffle with prizes from the three host companies, as well as jewelry designer Ron Rizzo.

Mindy Miles Greenberg and Richard Johnson

Jane McCabe, Antonin Roche, Lisa Milillo and Lori DeGregoris

Renee Aversa, Angela Susan Anton, Gab Pasquale, Linda Miller, Oozo Ronen and June Ann Patrick

Alan Feinstein and Christopher Robbins

Annette Campo and Meri Sesskin

Jennifer Tinghitella, Maureen Aaronson and Andrea Bernstein

Cindy Matar, Suzanne Bonné and Doborah Martin

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11/25/09 6:11:28 PM

Lifestyles

Designer Showcase at La Selva Photography by Tina Guiomar 1

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1. Franca Floro, Al Rock, Susan Rock 2. Toni Germie, Tom Stralay, David

Sinicrope 3. Eric Schmidt, Joseph Romano 4. Library designer Denise Rinfret 5. Ernie Wohlleben, Jason Eckel 6. Jason Feinberg and Scott Neher 7. Master of Ceremonies Angela Susan Anton presenting an award to Billy Ceglia.

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11/27/09 2:26:05 PM

Style and Wellness Converge at

Annual Fall Luncheon & Fashion Show More than 600 of Long Island’s elite donned high fashion wear and gathered for the 17th Annual Partners Council for Women’s Health Fall Luncheon & Fashion Show on Sept. 24 at Sands Point Preserve.

The event raised $350,000 to benefit North Shore-LIJ’s new Katz Women’s Hospital and Women’s Health Institute. Guests mingled and entered raffles before enjoying a sit-down lunch. Following the meal, a stunning runway show showcased fall fashions, hosted by television personality and fashion authority Robert Verdi.

Construction is well under way on the Katz Women’s Hospital at both LIJ Medical Center in New Hyde Park and North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) in Manhasset. With the first phase of construction at LIJ completed in July, the new building is expected to be fully enclosed by July of 2010 and ready for occupation in the spring of 2012. At NSUH, the first phase of construction should be finished by the end of 2010. North Shore-LIJ hopes to unveil the completed Katz Women’s Hospital at NSUH in 2011.

Michael Kors Fall Collection runway show.

Iris Jackman, Heather Apfel, Erica Dresner, Lisa Merlob, Jennifer Slade, Carrie Elenowitz, Jill Mager and Robin Mallor Ruth Slade, Robert Verdi and Dayle Katz

Angela Susan Anton and Dina Lohan.

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11/25/09 6:39:02 PM

DogCatemy Celebrity Gala November 5, 2009 Cipriani Wall Street, NYC Photos by Tina Guiomar

Celebrity interviews on B Online at www.boulevardli.com

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3 1. The Rescue Ink crew 2. Prince Lorenzo Borghese and Dr. Jennifer Jablow 3. Jody Applegate and Willow 4. Henry Krieger and Freddy Krieger 5. Howard Stern and Beth Ostrosky Stern 6. Gary Dell’Abate 7. Martha Stewart with Francesca and Sharkey 8. Diane Neal with Farmer Ted and Winnie 9. Geraldo Rivera and Family with Henry Hudson and Elvis

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11/27/09 10:06:21 AM

American Liver Foundation Honors Faces of Hope at Annual Gala The American Liver Foundation’s Greater New York Division honored three individuals who have presented Faces of Hope in the fight against liver disease at the foundation’s ninth annual gala.

Jeff Mann, president of Mann Publications, received the Spirit of New York Award in recognition of his commitment to the New York City community through philanthropy and involvement with many non-profit organizations. Dr. Hillel Tobias, medical director of New York University’s Liver Transplant Service, received the Physician of the Year Award. This prestigious award is given to a physician who has excelled in the advancement of treatment for liver disease and its prevention.

The Liver Champion of the Year award was premiered at the gala. The inaugural recipient was Susan Kerr. Mrs. Kerr donated a portion of her liver to her critically ill husband Michael for his liver transplant. This selfless act has allowed Michael Kerr to not only regain his health, but has allowed him to return to a full schedule of business and family life.

The evening, hosted by John Elliot, meteorologist on CBS 2 News This Morning and CBS News at Noon, included a Fund-a-Grant which allowed attendees to raise money to fund a research grant. This was is in addition to other unique auction items.

ALF Greater New York Division board members Herb Kantor, Rich Colton, Gina Pollichino, Nancy Kantor and Anne Catalano, ALF CEO Rick Smith.

ALF Division board member Shirley Rubin, honoree Susan Kerr and ALF Division board member Gina Pollichino.

New York State Senator Carl Kruger presenting Susan Kerr with a New York State Humanitarian Citation.

Anthony Manno and wife Melissa, Matthew Hannon and Dierdre Colton enjoy the cocktail hour.

ALF supporters Howard Wenig and Debbie Blum

Carol Harrison, Patti Howard and Kelly Gerber

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Lifestyles

Hospice Care Network Hosts Crystal Ball Gala Hospice Care Network raised more than $104,000 at its 16th Annual Crystal Ball Gala, which honored Dr. Tanveer Mir, associate division chief of geriatrics and palliative care at North Shore-LIJ Health System. The event was held at the Glen Head Country Club on Nov. 7 and more than 200 guests attended. All proceeds will benefit the Marks Center and programs and services of Hospice Care Network.

Woody Frank, Honoree Dr. Tanveer P. Mir, Dede Frank and HCN President and CEO Maureen Hinkelman

Tracey Lange-Krut, Melissa Champlin, Diane Betz, Ivonne Hendricks, HCN Sr. Special Events Coordinator Chris Court and Jennifer Kitte

LICADD Golf Outing

Supports Anti-Heroin Efforts Among Long Island Teens Photos by Dana Harris

LICADD’s R. Brinkley Smithers 29th annual Golf Invitational was the most successful golf tournament in the agency’s 53-year history.

Held at the Creek and Piping Rock clubs in Locust Valley, the event raised more than $280,000 for LICADD’s drug and alcohol prevention programs. Drawing together business, community and government leaders, the tournament helped raise public awareness about the heroin crisis facing Long Island’s children. County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi joined emcee Scott Clark in praising LICADD’s 2009 Humanitarian Award recipient Nassau County Police Commissioner Lawrence W. Mulvey for his outstanding work on behalf of the community. Assemblyman Joseph Saladino added his praise and announced the award of a $2,000 grant for LICADD’s school-based alcohol and drug prevention programs.

Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds; Assemblyman Joseph Saladino; Scott Clark and Curtis Webster.

WABC-TV sports anchor Scott Clark, Robert Brian McMillian, Bonnie Devendorf, Patricia Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds, John Glaz, Ken Baridault and Capazzi Lawrence Mulvey and Tom Hamilton.

Petersen and Alex Hulse.

Deputy Chief Thomas Krumper.

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11/25/09 2:01:23 PM

Galley Impossible …

Chef Irvine Joins Marines, Sailors Aboard USS New York

By Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde Robert Irvine, host of Food Network’s Dinner: Impossible, came aboard USS New York when the ship visited Manhattan to cook for and with the Marines of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force 26 and the sailors of USS New York, many of whom are fans of the show.

Along with business partner Randall Williams, Irvine joined the cooks of the USS New York to prepare a chicken white-bean chili brunch. Inside the kitchen, Irvine conversed and joked with the troops. “Today we came here to have a little fun with the sailors and Marines in the galley,” he said. By 10:30 a.m. the dish was ready for the long line of hungry sailors and Marines invading the mess hall. Irvine joined in serving the troops.

The celebrity chef said the staff in the kitchen worked extremely well together and the day was a perfect example of what the Navy-Marine Corps team means. “What I saw today in the galley was a team, a coherent team. That cohesiveness is amazing. The camaraderie is second to none,” he said. “It’s very unusual to see a kitchen run as smoothly, especially on a new ship like this.”

USS New York, which was commissioned Nov. 7, just one day before the visit, is the newest vessel in the naval fleet. Irvine, a

former chief petty officer in the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy, was extremely impressed with the new ship’s modern features, as compared to ships on which he served.

“I love the way in which it’s laid out,” he said. “Obviously [there is] more walkway, more space [where] people can actually move around. It’s much easier for the guys when they have all their equipment to get up and down [the stairs],” he added.

After lunch, Irvine took the opportunity to autograph photos for the Marines and sailors and to spend time talking with his fans aboard the ship.

At the end of a very enjoyable visit, Irvine had a message for the Marines of SPMAGTF-26 and sailors of USS New York: “Continue to do your job. Continue to have fun and continue to always remember that people out here love you for what you do every day. God bless you and be safe. Oorah!”

Make-A-Wish Annual Golf Outing Is Resounding Fundraising Success

Photos Courtesy Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York

Tom Roberts presents Bob Donaldson with the Grand Champion At Winged Food Award.

On Monday, Oct. 19, close to 240 golf enthusiasts convened at the world-famous Winged Foot Golf Club to swing their clubs in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York.

Now in its 13th year, the golf outing, presented by The Donaldson Organization, continues to be a significant fundraising event, raising more than $480,000 to help grant the wishes of children with lifethreatening medical conditions.

To acknowledge his tireless efforts in support of the event, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York member of the board and presenting sponsor Bob Donaldson was presented with a Grand

Champion at Winged Foot award. A new tradition was started with the presentation of the exclusive Champions at Winged Foot award to Jon Gottlieb and Michael Senter, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York member of the board. This special recognition will be awarded each year to individuals or corporations for a contribution exceeding $50,000.

The day was made sweet and complete when golfers and guests “shared the power of a wish” with Wish kid Maddy and her dad, Michael, who spoke about Maddy’s special wish to go to Hawaii and how the fulfillment of the wish continues to impact their lives each and every day. www.boulevardli.com

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Lifestyles

Jean Shafiroff Hosts Luncheon for NY Women’s Foundation Photos by Amber De Vos/Patrick McMullan.com Jean Shafiroff, co-chair of the New York Women’s Foundation fall 2009 dinner Stepping Out and Stepping Up, hosted a luncheon at New York City’s Le Cirque, which featured an address by Diana L. Taylor, vice chair of the board of the New York Women’s Foundation. The foundation has increased its grantmaking by 23 percent in response to the devastating impact of the economic crisis on women and families in New York City. Stepping Out and Stepping Up was held on Oct. 14 at Gotham Hall and honored Elizabeth and Herbert Sturz, Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas D. Kristof.

Jean Shafiroff, Carolyn Sicher and Susan Cullman

Barbar Tober and Jean Shafiroff

Moms Who Kick Partners With Ron Rizzo Jewelry to Create a Healing Star Moms Who Kick, an organization that raises funds to be donated to the American Cancer Society for breast cancer research, is entering its second year.

New this year to the initiative is jewelry designer Ron Rizzo. He has partnered with Moms Who Kick to custom design a Moms Who Kick Healing Star made of sterling silver and a pink topaz to support breast cancer research.

The inspiration for the piece came from elements within the martial arts and incorporates the iconic ribbon that is tied to breast cancer support. It is a stunning representation of the strength and motivation of Moms Who Kick. The piece is being sold on a black cord for $99; and proceeds from its sale are being donated to the American Cancer Society for breast cancer research. This piece can be purchased by calling Ron Rizzo Jewelry Studio at 516-484-0030.

Moms Who Kick is a yearly breast cancer calendar fundraiser. The calendar features photos of moms over 40 who are in excellent physical condition, train hard in the martial arts and kickboxing, and this year will feature a variety of other sports. Cancer awareness information is also featured by month. The initiative is a tribute to all women who have battled breast cancer. All net proceeds go to the American Cancer Society and its breast cancer research efforts. For more information, visit momswhokick.org.

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11/25/09 6:35:13 PM

Shoebox New York Debuts New Store Design In Style

Pictured are Kenneth J. Hall, CEO NexCen Brands, Inc.; Sergio Mannino, designer and architect of Shoebox New York; Richard Kirshenbaum, founder and partner, Shoebox New York; Chris Dull, president, NexCen Franchise Management; and Arturo Chiang, shoe designer. (Photo by Shoebox New York)

Shoebox New York, the first multibrand women’s luxury footwear franchise, recently unveiled its new store design at an event in Greenvale, Long Island.

The guest list for the cocktail reception included an array of professionals from the fashion, retail and franchising industries. NexCen Franchise Management, Inc. collaborated with designer Sergio Mannino to transform the 50-year-old family-owned brand into a retail environment with the aesthetics and functionality appropriate for an internationally franchised concept.

Shoebox New York carries designs from top European and American designers, a selection of handbags and accessories that complement the luxury footwear. The spring 2010 Vince Camuto handbag collection was on display at the unveiling.

North Shore Alliance Celebrates the Environment The North Shore Land Alliance held its sixth annual wine auction and dinner in the historic 19th century barn at Groton Place in Old Westbury. The theme of the party was a celebration of environmental resources, including Long Island’s 1,180 miles of shoreline and approximately 60,000 acres of trails, gardens, farmland, woodlands, waterways and parks.

More than 200 guests tasted rare and vintage wines and bid on silent auction lots before sitting down to dinner in a clear tent.

Following the event, hardy partygoers headed for the loft of the barn to enjoy a festive “late set” featuring the local band, Mad Pursuit. The Wine Auction and Dinner raised over $150,000 for the Alliance and its efforts to protect the lands that protects our drinking water and our quality of life.

Pictured Left: Eileen Pulling, Frank Segarra, Tom Pulling and Lorna Goodman

Karl and Deborah Wellner, Garfield Miller

Ed and Karen Cortez, Angela Susan Anton and Ted Jankowski

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Lifestyles

Going Casual for Kids

Raises Funds for Schneider Children’s Hospital More than 1,500 employees of the North Shore-LIJ Health System and local businesses went casual for kids on Sept. 16, making a donation to Schneider Children’s Hospital in New Hyde Park in exchange for the privilege of wearing jeans to work. In total, the first annual Miracle Jeans Day brought in more than $20,000 for the hospital.

Miracle Jeans Day was developed recently by the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN), an international nonprofit organization that raises money for more than 170 children’s hospitals across the country.

Pictured are Michael J. Dowling, president of the North Shore-LIJ Health System with Ralph A. Nappi, president of the North Shore-LIJ Health System Foundation, and casual foundation employees.

Benno Graziani Private Gallery Exhibit Oleg Cassini Building, NYC 2

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1. Leora Shulman and Marty Shulman 2. Ken Greenfield, Lavale O’Lexa and Robert Huth 3. Cassandra Rock, Alisha Nolan, Libby Cole and Justina Kalag 4. Angela Susan Anton, Benno Graziani and Lejeune Graziani

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11/25/09 6:33:53 PM

Hospice Care Network Hosts Annual Cocktail Party

Hospice Care Network held its annual Cocktail Party at Barbara and William Kissam’s home in East Islip on Sunday, Sept. 13. Augustus and Patricia Nazzaro of Bay Shore were this year’s honorees. Guests enjoyed a catered affair by the Irish Coffee Pub, seafood raw bar, luscious libations, live entertainment and a silent auction. Nearly 200 guests were in attendance, and more than $20,000 in net income was raised for Hospice Care’s programs and services.

Event co-chair Barbara Abrami-Conti, HCN special events coordinator Chris Court and HCN board trustee Dorothy Greene

Islip Town Councilman Steve Flotteron, event co-chair Barbara Abrami-Conti, honorees Augie and Patricia Nazzaro, HCN CEO Maureen Hinkelman, event co-chair Sheri Berman and Trish Bergen of Channel 12 News

Jim Nazzaro and past honorees Kristina and Jim Nette

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11/25/09 1:58:18 PM

Wine & Dine

Vine Speak

For the Love of Wine

By Heather Muhleman

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s I search through my bottles of wine for that perfect bottle to go with London broil, I think, “Wow, I have a lot of wine.” The statement begs the question of why.” The answer, of course, is “I love wine,” which morphs back to why. Why do I love wine?

The question lingered and I thought deeper. Is it a choice to like wine? Or did “wine choose me,” as Wine Bible author Karen MacNeil said? It was a delicious idea that fate brought me to wine but what is it about wine that gets people interested, excited and hooked?

I asked people around me – friends, family, people in the wine business and sometimes complete strangers. I drank up the answers. One somewhat common thread I found was the “epiphany wine.” That’s the bottle that got you hooked, got you wanting more, got you obsessed with learning all that you can.

Some drank for a purpose “Wine is delicious, interesting, historical, and healthful for the body and soul. It is part of our cultural legacy, and [can] mark the milestones of our lives.” – John Ciambrano, sommelier (epiphany wine - 1985 Bienvenue-Batard-Montrachet from Domaine Leflaive).

“Every culture has a history with wine. It pushes away the language barrier; it goes beyond cultural differences.” – Megan Shaw, Duckhorn tasting hostess (epiphany wine - 1999 Elderton Shiraz Command).

Others drank wine because it was handy “Going to school in the Finger Lakes meant that Happy Hour happened at the wineries.” Bret Jenkins, harvest cellar intern at MacRostie Winery (epiphany wine - Nicholini cabernet).

“I got into wine by getting into beer (since) I worked at a brewery. I made my way to Napa, California, and ate at Brix: smoked rabbit with kumquat gastrique paired with Orin Swift's

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The Prisoner. From that moment on, I knew that my calling was in wine.” – Mark Brown, harvest worker at Ladera Vineyards.

And in the end, some of their words spoke far louder than mine: “It warms me up, makes me feel grown up and flirts with me. I love the moment in the night when someone goes to get another bottle. It always means that we are not quite done with each other yet and there is still so much to say.” – Ilona Siller, friend and fellow wine drinker (epiphany wine: “It was big and French.” My guess is it was a Bordeaux).

My initial answer to the question was “Wine tastes good.”

Then I thought about how I cringed the first time I drank it.

After more soul searching, I realized that wine helped turn my family’s humdrum dinners into marathon sessions of enjoying each other’s company. My father would make me try the wine, and while I cringed at first, it was amazing to me that each bottle tasted different. Wine eventually became a catalyst for conversations about life, family and happiness. In my older years, I realize that wine still has this effect on dinners. We linger longer, we talk deeper and we appreciate greater. My epiphany wine? A 1995 Clos la Gaffeliere, a grand cru from St. Emilion in Bordeaux that I picked up driving through France the summer after I graduated high school. We drank it as my celebration wine when I graduated from college and I knew it was the beginning of something great.

This holiday season is the perfect time to explore the issue by yourself or with loved ones. Why do you like wine? Why do you drink the wines that you do? Bring the conversation to your holiday tables. I guarantee that you’ll find some intriguing answers. Drink what you like and explore things you don’t know.

And as always ... cheers to amazing wine.

The Boulevard • January 2010

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11/24/09 12:01:04 PM

Charlie Palmer’s Pork Belly Pastrami Sliders

With Raclette Cheese, Cole Slaw and Russian Dressing Sliders 1 ½ pounds pork belly 1 cup salt 1 gallon water 1 cup pastrami spice seasoning (Mr. Recipe makes our special blend available by contacting Mr. Recipe at mrrecipe@gmail. com) 12 seeded rye slider buns (recipe follows) 12 slices Raclette cheese, 2 inch by 2 inch 1 head green cabbage 1 carrot, julienned 1 cup heavy cream ½ white wine vinegar ½ cup water Sugar, to taste 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, ground ½ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup ketchup 2 tablespoon cornichon, minced 2 teaspoons lemon juice Zest of one lemon, micro plane 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped Salt and pepper, to taste Special Equipment: Smoker Preparing the pork belly: Bring gallon of water to a boil and add salt. Once salt dissolves, cool brine. Pour brine into a dish and place pork belly into brine. Brine pork belly for six hours in the refrigerator, then remove and rinse well under cold water.

Pat belly dry and coat with pastrami spice. Smoke belly for one hour using hickory wood chips at 225 degrees. After smoking, place belly into a pan with a rack and add about 2 cups of water.

Cover with foil and cook at 275 degrees for six hours. Remove pork belly when fork tender. Press between two pans and cool.

Once cool, cut into 2-inch by 2-inch by 2-inch cubes.

Slaw: Place heavy cream, water, vinegar, salt and caraway into a pot and bring to a boil. Finely julienne cabbage and carrot. Once mixture comes to a boil, pour over cabbage and carrot. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool on counter. After about 30 minutes, poke three holes into the plastic and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Russian dressing: Place mayonnaise, ketchup, cornichon, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, salt and pepper into a bowl and mix well. Reserve until serving.

Plating: Place pastrami cubes onto a baking dish and cover

with a slice of cheese. Place under a broiler until cheese melts.

Place pastrami cubes on the bottom slice of roll and garnish with cole slaw and dressing. Place top of roll on top and enjoy.

Yields 12 sliders Portion size: 3 sliders Rye Slider Buns 225 grams bread flour 125 grams rye flour 10 grams kosher salt 30 grams sugar 12 grams dry yeast 25 grams butter 30 grams eggs 75 grams mashed potato 140 grams potato water 1 egg, beaten Maldon salt for sprinkling

Combine potato water, dry yeast, eggs and sugar in a measuring cup. Place the flours, salt, butter and mashed potato in electric mixer bowl. With the dough hook attachment, start mixing on low speed and slowly pour in liquid mixture. Once all the liquid has been added, scrape sides of the bowl and mix again on low until all ingredients have come together. Raise the speed to medium and allow mixture to knead into a smooth and supple dough. Remove from machine and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to double in size in a warm, draft-free place; this will take about 30-45 minutes.

Lightly flour a board and tip dough onto board. Fold dough over itself a few times before portioning dough into 30 gram (about 1 ounce) pieces. Roll each piece of dough into neat balls and place on baking sheet lined with paper. Once all dough has been rolled, loosely cover tray with plastic wrap and allow to rest another 15 minutes. Roll each piece of dough again to reshape into perfect balls. Loosely cover with plastic again. (This step can be eliminated if you’re in a hurry, but it will help to keep buns nice and round through baking.) Allow to double in size, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Once the dough has doubled, gently brush the rolls with a beaten egg and sprinkle with a little Maldon sea salt. Place in the oven and immediately turn temperature down to 375 degrees F. Allow rolls to turn a nice golden brown, with golden brown bottoms as well. This will take about 20 minutes, depending on the oven.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack.

Yields 12 to 15 buns

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Wine & Dine

Robert Rizzuto’s Holiday Recipes

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oliday entertaining is traditionally about the gathering of family and friends over food and wine.

We prepare holiday dishes, often from whatever culture you may have inherited. To help simplify these busy times, I’d like to offer some quick yet tasty appetizers to serve during your holiday gatherings. You can also add a nice touch to your holiday gathering by serving warm, mulled cider upon the arrival of your guests. The aroma and taste marries well with the appetizers.

Mulled Cider: Serves 5 1 quart apple cider, fresh 2 lemons, cut in half 2 cinnamon sticks 4 whole cloves 5 ounces Applejack or Calvados brandy Garnish: thin slices of lemon poked with four whole cloves With cheesecloth or coffee filter, wrap lemon halves, cinnamon sticks and cloves, and tie securely with string.

Place cider and sachet in a saucepan and bring to just under a simmer. Add brandy and turn off heat. Place lemon slice with cloves in a heatproof glass with 2-3 ounces of warm cider and serve immediately.

Phyllo Wrapped Apricots with Gorgonzola: Serves 5 6 sheets phyllo dough (can be found in the frozen section of the supermarket) 5 apricots, whole, dried 3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted 2 ounces walnut halves Place one sheet of phyllo dough on clean table. Brush dough with melted butter. Place another sheet on top and brush with melted butter. Repeat one more time. Cut phyllo sheets into four 5-inch squares. Discard phyllo scraps. Place an apricot on each phyllo square, followed by a piece of Gorgonzola and finish with a walnut half. Bring all edges of phyllo up to center and squeeze to seal, forming a pouch. Place each pouch on a seasoned or non-stick sheet pan. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

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Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Cobblers: Serves 5 5 (1½-inch) pre-baked tart shells 1 ounce red pepper, roasted, finely chopped 1 tablespoons basil, fresh, finely chopped 2 tablespoon goat cheese, crumbled 2 egg yolks 2 whole eggs ½ cup milk Pinch of kosher salt Pinch of ground black pepper Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine whole eggs and egg yolks in bowl. Add milk, salt and pepper and mix completely. Set mixture aside. Distribute peppers, basil and goat cheese evenly among shells and place on sheet pan. Pour in custard and fill to rim of shell. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until custard is set in the middle. Serve warm.

Smoked Salmon Roulades on Toast Rounds: Serves 5 8 ounces smoked salmon, sliced thin 1 tablespoon chives, fresh and minced 5 ounces cream cheese, whipped 10 French bread slices, 1½-inch diameter, ¼-inch thick 2 ounces butter, melted Place cream cheese and chives in mixer and beat until cream cheese has softened and chives are incorporated.

Place 10-inch by 10-inch piece of plastic wrap on worktable.

Lay smoked salmon slices along wrap, slightly touching. Leave about 2 inches at each end of wrap. Place cream cheese mixture in pastry bag and pipe mixture thinly along smoked salmon.

Spread mixture evenly over salmon. Start to roll plastic wrap up from bottom to top tightly, forming salmon into a cylinder. Tie two ends and refrigerate for at least three hours. (This may be made up to three days in advance and kept refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place French bread slices on sheet pan and brush with melted butter. Place in oven and toast until golden brown. Remove and cool to room temperature.

Remove plastic wrap from salmon. With a sharp knife, slice the roulade into ¼- to ½-inch slices, place on French bread and serve.

The Boulevard • January 2010

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11/30/09 6:23:43 PM

Rick Bayless’s Red Chile Seafood Soup Caldo de Mariscos

Making seafood soup may sound as if there’s a special occasion in the offing, but that no longer has to be true. With the wide availability of fresh seafood, this version of Mexico’s beloved, easily varied, coastal soup – even with its supertraditional, robust roasted red chili flavor – is within anyone’s reach. Epazote is available in well-stocked groceries and Mexican markets and it’s very easy to grow in pots or small garden plots.

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil 3 (¾ ounce total) dried guajillo chilis, stemmed, seeded and torn into large pieces 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fireroasted) 1 large white onion, chopped into ¼-inch pieces 2 garlic cloves, peeled 6 cups chicken or fish broth 4 medium (about one pound total) red skin boiling or Yukon Gold potatoes, each cut into eight pieces 2 large sprigs fresh epazote, if you have them Salt 1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded if necessary, or 2 pounds clams 1 pound fish (I like halibut, mahi-mahi or catfish), cut into 1-inch cubes About ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro, for garnish 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges, for serving

potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt, about a generous 1½ teaspoons.

Just before serving, raise heat to medium-high and add mussels or clams and fish. Boil briskly until bivalves have opened, usually about four minutes.

Ladle into large bowls. Sprinkle generously with cilantro and the remaining onion. Serve your steaming bowls of beauty with limes passed separately for each person to squeeze in al gusto.

Yields about 3 quarts, serves 6 For more information on Rick Bayless visit www.rickbayless.com.

Heat oil in a medium (5- to 6-quart) soup pot over medium heat. Add chilis and stir-fry until they have changed color slightly and are very toasty-fragrant, 30 seconds to one minute.

Note: Be sure not to over-toast chilis or soup will be bitter.

Scoop up chili pieces with a slotted spoon, pressing them against the side of the pot to leave behind as much oil as possible and transfer to a blender jar. (A food processor will work, but it won’t completely purée the chili.) Set pan aside.

Pour the tomatoes, with their juice, into the blender.

Add 2/3 of the onions and all the garlic to the hot pan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about seven minutes. Meanwhile, scoop remaining onion into a strainer, rinse under cold water and set aside to use as a garnish. Use slotted spoon to transfer onions and garlic to blender and process until smooth.

Set a medium-mesh strainer over pot and work tomatochili mixture through it. Return pot to medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced and thick, about six minutes. Add broth, potatoes and epazote. When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until

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11/25/09 12:13:21 PM

Wine & Dine

Jumbo Shells Make a Jumbo Success

By Bob Ronzoni Baked macaroni dishes are one category of food that has stood the test of time. Warm and hardy, these recipes are fun, economical and just right for this season. They bring out the cook’s creativity. When most people think of baked macaroni, they think lasagna al forno, baked ziti or the all-American mac and cheese. Flavor combinations are always optional and reflect the cook’s whim, but staying basic is rewarding in its own right.

The baked macaroni dish that most people have never prepared is jumbo shells. When most people say they are making jumbo shells, they buy them from the Italian store or from the supermarket. They cover them with sauce, bake and serve. I am a crusader for creating these types of dishes in the home as they are simple to prepare and more delicious than purchased varieties.

The following recipe works every time. You will see how easy it is to add additional ingredients to individualize the recipe for yourself. It’s so simple to prepare, you will never again consider “making” pre-made jumbo shells.

Jumbo Shell Recipe Simple Cheese Filling 1 package jumbo shells 24 ounces spaghetti sauce 32 ounces ricotta cheese (regular or low fat) 2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded or cubed; cubed gives a chunkier texture and is preferred) 2 eggs 1 tablespoon chopped parsley ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese Pinch of nutmeg (optional) Cook shells according to package directions. Be careful not to overcook, as the shells undergo final cooking in the oven.

Combine cheeses, eggs, parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a mixing bowl. Gently stir until all ingredients are blended. Fill individual cooked shells. The best method is to hold the cooked shell in the palm of your hand and fill with a tablespoon of filling until the shell is full and not overflowing. Place the filled shells with the open side up in a 13x9-inch baking dish to which a layer of sauce has been added on the bottom. Fill the baking

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dish with the shells touching each other but not crowding the pan. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells. Do not cover the shells with too much sauce; leave some shells and cheese showing. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and lightly cover the baking dish with foil. Bake at 375°F for about 40 minutes, removing the foil after 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Note: Additional trays can be made and frozen before baking to be used at a future date. Just remember to cover well and use within a 30-day period for best results.

Alternate Ingredients Using the basic recipe, you can add your own favorite ingredients. Spinach, walnuts, pine nuts, raisins, cranberries, broccoli, asparagus, cooked sausage, olives, sharp cheddar cheese, peppers, chestnuts and pineapple are some ideas that come to mind. The varieties are endless. Just be careful not to overpower the basic cheese filling; merely complement the recipe.

Enjoy!

The Boulevard • January 2010

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11/30/09 6:26:57 PM

Vincent’s Clam Bar

By Joseph Gannascoli

L

ong before I was an actor, I was a chef. I worked in restaurants in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Boston, N.Y., and the garden spot of the world, Brooklyn. During those stops I have met many an owner. Some were born to be restaurateurs and some were born to be out-ofbusiness restaurateurs. Rarely have I met two owners that have been in business for over 25 years and still treat every night like it’s their first one.

Vincent's Clam Bar in Carle Place is something of a paradox.

It’s simple, yet there is nothing ordinary about it. Brothers Bobby and Tony Marisi took ownership in 1983 after working as waiters at the establishment. According to Bobby, they follow a simple recipe for success: “Treat friends like they are family and family like they are friends.”

It’s not surprising that Vincent’s was voted Long Island’s Best Italian Restaurant two years in a row. Bobby and Tony are very hands-on owners. They hold weekly staff meetings to go over menu ideas, service issues and all the incidentals that arise when you run one of Long Island’s busiest eateries. To sustain a reputation like Vincent’s, constant attention to details, both large and small, is essential to maintaining excellence.

The Marisi brothers have created a dining experience that feels as familiar as an old friend. The interior décor is set back in Little Italy, with old-style cityscape murals, hardwood floors, dark wood seating and a brick oven. The restaurant is alive and always filled with patrons. It’s not uncommon to see some of Long Island’s celebrities come in for a meal, as depicted on the Wall of Fame, or to have your waiter suddenly start singing an Italian opera.

But it takes more than atmosphere and hard work to be the best in the restaurant business. Ahh, yes, there’s the food…

At Vincent’s, it starts with the sauce. Whether it’s for the pizza, the chicken parm, the lobster ravioli, the incredible meatballs or the steamed seafood combo, you are treated to Vincent’s “World Famous” sauce. “We have been using the same recipe since 1904,” says Tony. It’s a trademark of the establishment and is certainly unique. One of my all-time favorite dishes has to be the Lobster Kiss, one of the restaurant’s specialties. Baked in foil, this scrumptious delicacy releases an aroma when unwrapped that makes your mouth water and the linguine baked in a lobster cream sauce tossed with pancetta, lobster meat and scallops is a feast for your eyes as well.

But I caution you; you might not have room for dessert and that would be a crime. There’s a good chance you’ll pick your dessert as soon as you enter Vincent’s and eye the bakery display strategically placed at the front of the restaurant, but if not, I

recommend you try the homemade Napoleon – hand-whipped Bavarian cream layered with flaky pastry crust and dusted with powdered sugar. Perfection!

My hat is off to Bobby and Tony, and my stomach … that’s full!

Vincent’s Clam Bar 179 Old Country Road Carle Place, NY 11514 516 742-4577 vincentsclambar.com

Chef Jon Karp’s Frutti Di Mare (Fish of the Sea) Sauce 2 ounces olive oil 1 ounce California garlic 8 ounces domestic calamari 6 pieces North Shore Little Neck clams 8 pieces mussels 5 leaves fresh basil, chopped 2 ounces dry white wine (cooking) 16 ounces Vincent’s Marinara (25 oz. jar) 4 (16-20 count) packages shrimp 2 ounces fresh clam juice Pinch of salt and pepper 2 ounces butter 8 ounces DeCecco linguini #7 Heat oil in sauté pan, add garlic and sauté until golden. Add calamari, clams, and mussels and cook until mussels open up. Add chopped, fresh basil and cooking white wine to deglaze. Cook until clams open up, then add shrimp. Once sauce appears thick, add fresh clam juice and butter.

Follow cooking directions for linguini. Once pasta is cooked, pour sauce on top and serve.

Serves 4 www.boulevardli.com

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11/30/09 1:55:20 PM

Wine & Dine

TheSHIROExperience

By Jason Feinberg

I

remember about three years ago, a colleague from Philadelphia was staying in town and after work we decided to get some dinner. “There is a hibachi and sushi restaurant next to my hotel,” she said referring to Shiro of Japan. This was my first time at Shiro but certainly would not be my last. We opted for sushi and headed back to the sushi bar, passing the 18 hibachi tables.

You can’t just have sushi anywhere. Fresh ingredients really make the difference between filling just your appetite and “Oh my god, this is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.” I scanned the menu on my first visit and two things caught my eye, the Lobster Roll and the Millennium Roll. The Lobster Roll was fairly simple, an ordinary maki (roll) with lobster salad in the middle, and the Millennium Roll had jake (chopped shrimp and crab mixed with mayonnaise and fish egg) inside, shrimp and jake on the outside, and was lightly baked with a torch. Interestingly, I’m not a huge fan of lobster by itself and I’ve had lobster rolls before, none of which were anything great. But this night, as on every subsequent visit, I was in for something completely unexpected. I watched in awe as the sushi chef prepared my meal, a meal that was presented more as a work of art, and nothing less than culinary genius. And the taste… Well, imagine your favorite dish and try to remember the first time you took a bite; there you have Shiro.

Restaurateur Hiro Ishikawa introduced sushi to Long Island in 1979 with his first restaurant, Taiko, long before sushi popped up everywhere. His long experience in the industry, attention for detail and commitment to high-quality sushi and Japanese dishes has allowed him to create a dining experience that has resulted in people flocking to his restaurant. In 1980, Ishikawa started his own seafood distributing company to ensure only the highest quality and finest fish make the cut for his customers, customers who are treated like old friends, something that is clearly visible around the hibachi tables.

Hiro has been called upon by many celebrities to cater dinner when they’re in town. I remember one night sitting down and spotting model Carol Alt sitting next to me. Since my first visit I have been back so many times that I should own stock … so many times that there is never a need to place an order. The chefs see me, smile and chuckle, then proceed to make my rolls.

I approached Hiro to have him share his recipe for the incredible lobster roll with The Boulevard, but on second thought, I decided I’m selfish. So instead, Hiro shared another incredible dish, the nanbam-zuke, just a small sample of the creative genius that is Shiro of Japan.

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Shiro of Japan 80-40 Cooper Avenue Glendale, NY 11385 718.326.8704

401 Old Country Rd Carle Place, NY 11514 516.997.4770

www.shiroofjapan.com

Shiro of Japan’s Nanbam-Zuke A Light and Easy Appetizer

Choose eight ounces of a white fish, shrimp, chicken, beef or poultry; basically any main ingredient you like.

Cover in flour and sauté with a little olive oil or cooking oil of your choice. You can also deep-fry if you prefer.

Cut one small Spanish onion into very thin slices.

Marinade: In a large bowl combine: 10 ounces water 8 ounces vinegar 2 ounces soy sauce 2 ounces sugar Mix well, separately from other ingredients.

Combine meat, fish or poultry, onion and marinade. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. For a spicier taste, add chili powder to taste.

Serves four

The Boulevard • January 2010

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11/30/09 6:10:58 PM

Lamb Loin Chops with Mint Pesto Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri

2 pounds lamb loin chops (about 8 to 10 chops) cut individually 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ teaspoon salt Mint pesto (recipe follows) Preheat grill on high.

Rub lamb with olive oil. In a small bowl, combine oregano, thyme, rosemary, pepper and salt. Rub mixture all over the lamb.

Let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.

While chops are resting, prepare the mint pesto.

Grill lamb chops two to three minutes per side for medium rare.

Serve lamb chops with mint pesto.

Yield: 4 servings Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 6 minutes Inactive prep time: 10 minutes

Ease of preparation: easy Mint Pesto: 2 cloves garlic ¼ cup pine nuts ¾ cup fresh basil leaves 1 ½ cups fresh mint leaves ¾ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley ½ cup grated Parmesan ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil Place garlic in a food processor and pulse until chopped.

Add pine nuts and pulse to chop. Add half of the herbs and chop for 30 seconds, then add the rest of the herbs and chop.

Add in the Parmesan and salt and pepper and pulse briefly until combined. While machine is running, slowly add oil in a steady stream and process to desired thickness.

Yield: 4 servings

Scott Conant’s Black Cod

With Caramelized Fennel and Concentrated Tomatoes 12 whole baby fennel, trimmed or two regular-sized fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into sixths.

Kosher salt, to taste ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 6 to 8 whole fingerling potatoes (about 10 ounces) 8 halves concentrated tomatoes 4 6-ounce pieces of skinless black cod fillet 1 small sprig of rosemary 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Sea salt Prepare vegetables at least an hour ahead.

Up to a day ahead: Heat the oven to 350°F. Put the fennel in a small ovenproof pan and season lightly with salt. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of water to the pan, cover with a lid or aluminum foil and roast until just tender, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and roast for another 20 minutes to brown the fennel well. (The fennel can be roasted ahead of time and kept at room temperature for a couple of hours; it can also be refrigerated for a day or two.)

About 20 minutes before serving, put potatoes in a small

saucepan and cover with well-salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, cool briefly and sliced lengthwise between ¼ and one-half inch thick.

Heat a sauté pan over medium-low heat and lightly coat the bottom of the pan with a little olive oil. Add to the pan tomato halves, the roasted fennel, and the sliced potatoes and heat through.

Sear the fish: Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Season the fish with salt and pepper and, when the oil is very hot, add the fish to the pan with its better-looking side face down. Cook until golden brown, about two to three minutes. Flip the fish over and add sprig of rosemary to the pan to infuse oil with its flavor. Cook another minute or two on the second side until it is golden brown and the fish pulls away easily from the pan.

To serve: Divide the vegetables among four warm plates piling them in the middle. Place a piece of fillet on top with its better side facing up. If there is any oil left in the pan, drizzle it over the fish. Sprinkle parsley and a little sea salt over the fish and serve immediately.

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11/24/09 12:03:17 PM

Wine & Dine

Chef David Burke of David Burke Townhouse

Pan-Seared Dover Sole, Spaghetti and Squash, Black Olive Puree Spaghetti and Squash 1 yellow squash, julienned 1 medium-sized spaghetti squash 1 green zucchini, julienned ¼ pound spaghetti, cooked al dente Chopped chives for garnish Cut spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds. Season with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Flip upside down and roast in oven for 12 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from oven and let cool. Shred squash with a fork, side to side, so it forms spaghetti-shaped cuts.

Calamata Olive Puree 1 cup Calamata olives, pitted 1 tablespoon olive oil Puree in food processor until smooth.

Dover Sole ½ teaspoon garlic, chopped ½ teaspoon shallots, chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil

8 tablespoon blended oil 4 (14 ounce) portions of Dover sole In a large sauté pan, sauté garlic, shallots and olive oil. Add yellow squash, spaghetti squash and zucchini. Add in spaghetti at the very end and stir.

In a medium-sized sauté pan over high heat, add 2 tablespoons blended oil. Place one portion of Dover sole down on the sauté pan. Cook over high heat for one minute, flip, turn down the heat and let rest for 30 seconds to allow it to finish cooking slowly. Repeat process for the other three portions.

Drizzle Calamata olive puree on four 10-inch round plates.

Place one-quarter of the spaghetti/squash mixture on each plate, shaping it into a small mound. Top with the Dover sole.

Garnish with salt, pepper and chopped chives.

Serves four.

Crab Sauce Recipe From Joe Gannascoli 1 large onion, diced fine 8 leaves fresh basil 6 large cans plum tomatoes, crushed 3 cans tomato puree 1 small can tomato paste 1 cup olive oil 2 cups white wine

1 pound pasta 12 crabs, cleaned and quartered 1 bulb garlic, minced

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In large saucepot, heat oil and sauté garlic until lightly brown; add onions, sauté until soft. Drop in crabs and sauté until cooked thoroughly. Add white wine, reduce by half, add all tomatoes, stir and simmer on low heat, about 2 hours. Add torn basil, salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta and enjoy!

Serves 4

The Boulevard • January 2010

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11/24/09 12:04:04 PM

Chef Jen’s Roslyn Pumpkin Bisque

Seasonings: salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, honey, brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 cup onions, chopped 1 cup celery, chopped 1 cup carrots, chopped 1/4 stick butter 1 small pumpkin, chopped

Melt butter in large pan and sweat garlic, onions, celery and carrots. Add pumpkin, ginger and stock. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Puree mixture, holding back some of the broth to adjust consistency.

Season to taste.

Add white wine and finish with butter and heavy cream, if desired.

Serves 10 to 12

Candle Café Chocolate Mousse Pie

baking soda in a large mixing bowl.

In another bowl, combine soymilk, maple syrup, oil, water and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and stir well to combine. Pour mixture into baking pan and bake for 35 minutes. Let cool in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Crumble the baked dough and press crust crumbs into 9inch pie plate. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips.

2 quarts chicken stock or water 1 teaspoon ginger, grated

This rich, luxurious Chocolate Mousse Pie, created by Jorge Pineda, is great for any occasion. For an excellent variation, make it with a combination of chocolate and peanut butter chips.

Pie Crust: 1 cup spelt flour ¼ cup cocoa powder ¼ cup Sucanat (or other unrefined sugar) 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ cup vanilla soymilk ½ cup maple syrup ¼ cup safflower oil ½ cup water ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons chocolate chips Mousse: 2¼ cups chocolate chips 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vanilla soymilk 1¼ blocks (20 ounce) silken tofu ¼ cup maple syrup 2 teaspoons vanilla extract To Prepare Piecrust: Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix flour, cocoa powder, Sucanat, baking powder and

To Prepare Mousse Filling Place chocolate chips and soymilk in bowl. Place mixture in double boiler on medium heat over simmering water, stirring occasionally, until melted. Transfer to mixing bowl and let cool slightly.

Place tofu in blender and blend until smooth. Add maple syrup and vanilla extract and blend again. Fold into the chocolate mixture until well blended.

Pour chocolate mixture into piecrust and chill up to two hours or overnight before serving.

Makes one 9-inch pie

www.boulevardli.com

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© Photo By Kate Mathis

A Delicious, Seasonal Dish

Optional: 5 ounces white wine Butter Heavy cream

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11/24/09 12:07:42 PM

Wine & Dine

Lapin aux Olives

From Les Halles Cookbook by Anthony Bourdain Equipment: Large mixing bowl Dutch oven—or other heavy, large pot Wooden spoon Strainer Serving platter Prepping the Rabbit: In a large mixing bowl, combine rabbit legs, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, whole sprigs of thyme, rosemary and parsley, peppercorns and wine. Let marinate for two hours.

Ingredients: 4 rabbit legs 1 small onion, coarsely chopped 1 small carrot, coarsely chopped 1 rib celery, coarsely chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 bay leaves 2 sprigs thyme plus one sprig leaves only, finely chopped 1 sprig rosemary plus one sprig leaves only, finely chopped 1 sprig parsley plus one sprig leaves only, finely chopped 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns 1½ cups white wine Salt and pepper ¼ cup flour for dredging plus 1 tablespoon flour for sauce 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon tomato paste ¼ cup red wine vinegar 2 cups chicken stock ¼ pound picholine olives, pitted

The Rocker’s Swedish Meatballs (Yields about 60 meatballs) 4 eggs, slightly beaten 2 cups milk 1 cup unflavored breadcrumbs ½ cup finely chopped onion 3 pounds ground chuck ½ teaspoon dill weed ¼ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon ground cardamom ¼ teaspoon pepper 1/3 cup flour 2 cans condensed beef broth, undiluted 1 cup light cream 4 tablespoons butter

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Cooking the Rabbit: Drain marinade and reserve liquid and vegetables separately. Pat legs dry and season with salt and pepper. Dredge legs in ¼ cup flour. Heat olive oil over high heat in Dutch oven and, once the oil is hot, add butter. Brown legs on both sides until they are dark, golden brown – about 3-4 minutes per side.

Remove legs from the pan and set aside.

Add vegetables from marinade to pot and cook over high heat until they are browned and caramelized. Stir in tomato paste and remaining tablespoon of flour and mix well with wooden spoon. Cook for one minute, then stir in vinegar and reserved marinade liquid. Cook over high heat until liquid is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add rabbit legs and reduce to a simmer.

Cook over low heat for one hour or until meat is very tender.

Remove legs and set aside.

Finish and Serve: Strain cooking liquid and return to pot. Return legs to pot and bring liquid to a boil. Stir in olives and chopped herbs, season with salt and pepper and serve.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk and breadcrumbs.

Sauté onions in 2 tablespoons butter until soft. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon and save drippings for later. Add ground meat to breadcrumb mixture along with one teaspoon salt, dill weed, allspice, nutmeg and cardamom. Mix well.

Refrigerate covered for one hour. Shape meat mixture into 60 meatballs.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, sauté meatballs, about 20 at a time, until browned. Remove as browned to two 2-quart casseroles.

In skillet with 1/4 cup drippings, stir in flour, dash of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Gradually stir in beef broth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Turn off heat and add cream. Pour over meatballs in the casseroles.

Bake, covered for 30 minutes.

The Boulevard • January 2010

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11/30/09 1:06:18 PM

Todd Jacobs’ Crab Cakes with Crisp Tempura

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat 1 pound fresh Maine crabmeat, picked clean ¾ cup Hellman’s mayonnaise ¼ cup Dijon smooth mustard 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 3 tablespoons juice from fresh lemon 2 organic extra large eggs ½ teaspoon celery salt ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 cup finely diced organic celery 1 cup finely diced scallions 5 slices white bread, crusts removed 1.8 quart tempura batter After crabmeat is picked clean, use a china cap strainer to squeeze out any excess liquid. Do not squeeze the crabmeat too dry; it should still be moist. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, eggs, celery salt and cayenne.

Put bread in the food processor and pulse until

it is fluffy and crumbly. Combine crabmeat, celery, scallions and fresh breadcrumbs and mix well. Using a 2 ounce ladle as a guide, stuff it so it is mounded over and portion out the crabmeat mixture.

Press into flat round cakes about ¼ inch thick. Dust cakes lightly in flour then set aside on a sheet pan for frying.

Drop fryer baskets into oil before use. Coat cakes evenly in batter and quickly but gently lay each cake into the baskets.

Do this one cake at a time per basket and fry long enough to set the batter. Cook 1 minute Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and place in the refrigerator to cool.

Yields 18 crab cakes Portion Size: 1

H on the Harbor’s Alan Feinstein’s Favorite Appetizer 1 lb. quality goat cheese or chèvre 1/3 pound Kalamata olives, pitted and drained 1 bunch fresh thyme Few sprigs Italian (flat) parsley ½ cup balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp. sugar Pepper in mill 1/3 cup EVO (preferably Kalamata oil, but not critical.

However, use very high quality oil) Spread cheese into serving dish in one layer at least ½-inch thick. Let cheese soften or put in warm toaster oven to take out chill. Chop olives coarsely.

Cook balsamic and sugar over low flame and let it reduce by half. Let cool and set aside. Rinse gently and take thyme leaves off stems. Set aside. Do the same for parsley.

Chop herbs and toss with chopped olives. Add two tablespoons EVO to olive/herb mixture. Add half of cooled vinegar to olive and herb mixture and toss well.

Coat top of cheese with mixture.

Let set out until ready to serve.

Just prior to serving, drizzle EVO and vinegar mix over top. Give a few twists of fresh pepper.

Sprinkle remaining herb mixture on top.

Serve with crispy baguettes, croutons, etc. H on The Harbor serves it with a walnut and currant crisp. Works well with big, fruit-forward wines.

Note: The olive mixture also works well to toss with salad or add to grilled fish right before coming off the grill.

Serves 10-15

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11/30/09 1:09:29 PM

Wine & Dine

Rocco DiSpirito’s Poached Salmon

With Beets, Lemon and Broiled String Beans Photos courtesy of John Wiley & Sons and Jason Bell 1 pound fresh green beans, stems removed 2 tablespoons Bertolli extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon Amore garlic paste, or 3 garlic cloves, chopped Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 16-ounce jar Harvard beets 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1¼ pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into bite-size chunks Juice and zest of 2 lemons 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives Preheat broiler on low. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil.

In large bowl, toss green beans with oil, garlic paste, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread on prepared baking sheet and broil until lightly browned and tender, about seven minutes.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine beets and chicken broth; bring to a simmer over high heat. Season salmon generously with salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and add salmon to pot. Cover and poach until salmon is barely cooked through, about four minutes.

Add lemon juice and zest and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if necessary. Divide beans among four large serving bowls and ladle salmon mixture on top.

Look for Rocco’s new book, NOW EAT THIS!, favorite dishes you thought you could never eat - all under 350 calories. (A Ballantine Books Trade Paperback to be published on March 2, 2010)

Serves 4

For more information on Rocco DiSpirito, please visit www.roccodispirito.com.

Recipe used with permission Rocco’s Real Life Recipes. John Wiley & Sons (C) 2008.

Bryant & Cooper Salad 12 jumbo shrimp, boiled and chopped into ½-inch pieces 3 cups string beans, cooked and chopped into 1-inch pieces 4-5 beefsteak tomatoes, chopped into ½-inch pieces 1 onion, chopped into ¼-inch pieces 6 strips pimentos, minced 8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled ¼ cup red wine vinegar ¼ cup olive oil In a large bowl mix shrimp, string beans, tomatoes, onions and pimentos. Add red vinegar and olive oil and mix well.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss and serve with slotted spoon to drain. Top with crumbled bacon.

Serves Four

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Wine & Dine

A Passion for Prosecco

By Michael Goshorn

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f asked to name a top champagne producer, most of us can recite famous names like Veuve Clicquot or Moet & Chandon without hesitation. But if asked to name an Italian Prosecco, it may not come so easily. Like wines from Chianti, the name Prosecco is synonymous with Italy.

Yet this charming, sparkling wine is often overlooked when it comes time to celebrate with some bubbly. As we gear up for the holidays, why not consider a new sparkling wine that can pair with all your celebrations: Prosecco.

What does one look for when choosing Prosecco?

Prosecco is made from the grape of the same name. Though the grape can be grown all over the world, the true home of Prosecco is in the Treviso province, in the Veneto region, in northeastern Italy. Seek out Prosecco labeled ConeglianoValdobbiadene, the two quaint towns that border the growing zone, Conegliano to the east and Valdobbiadene to the west.

Prosecco from this area is the only Italian sparkling wine to hold the classification of D.O.C.G., the highest guarantee of quality and origin for an Italian wine.

For the 200 years the grape has been cultivated here, Prosecco’s producers have been dedicated to making this the best sparkler possible – easy to drink, morning to night. In the Cartizze region, steep hillsides are lined every-which-way with terraced vines resembling something of the hills leading up to

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Machu Picchu. Harvesting here is done strictly by hand. This is where some of the best Prosecco comes from. Find a bottle with Cartizze on the label and you won’t be disappointed.

This charming sparkler is made in various forms: brut (the driest), which usually exudes minerality, herbs, and flowers; extra dry (some sweetness), where you’ll find stone fruits, apple and pear; and dry (the sweetest), with notes of honey and fruit salad. Prosecco is crisp and clean, simple yet balanced.

It dances on your palate with bright and tantalizing flavors.

It plays well with others and is a great partner for all your entertaining foods – anything from the simplest of appetizers, to the perfect Sunday brunch, to roasted rack of lamb. Or it can play very well by itself – at a cocktail party or a celebratory toast. Also, it is the classic wine used in a Bellini, a cocktail made with peach purée and Prosecco.

But the best part, especially given these economic times, is that the wine is incredibly inexpensive. So why not substitute your favorite champagne with a bottle of Prosecco? It’s the diamond in the rough for you, your family and friends to enjoy this holiday season.

Michael Goshorn is a Culinary Institute of America certified wine professional and resides in San Francisco, CA.

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Travel

Enjoy a

Luxurious Resort

With World-Renowned Cuisine

By Tina Guiomar

Y

ou’re invited to exhale! On a quest to find a culinary retreat, there are key elements for a perfect vacation spot: a resort with great gourmet food and a beautiful beach location. The CuisinArt Resort & Spa is a culinary oasis bringing together a dream vacation that includes sun, sand and amazing food.

The resort is situated on Rendezvous Bay in Anguilla. The architecture is inspired by the Mediterranean, with whitewashed villas surrounded by lush vegetation. There are 93 luxurious guest rooms, suites, a gorgeous penthouse, and recently unveiled, the Villas By CuisinArt, a collection of beachfront and garden villas with their own courtyard and private outdoor patio with pool. The modern Caribbean-designed rooms offer unobstructed views of the Caribbean Sea. With two miles of powdery white sand and turquoise waters, you have the choice of soaking up the sun, swimming, snorkeling or sailing on your private beach. Or you can enjoy the resort’s infinity pool that stretches from the main building to the beach bar. Anything is possible at the CuisinArt Resort.

CuisinArt hosts one of the world’s only resort hydroponic farms. This state-of-the-art, soil-free growing process produces the freshest and healthiest vegetables and edible flowers on Anguilla. The plants require no cultivation and they’re free of airborne diseases, insects and pesticides. The crop is harvested daily, providing the purest ingredients for both the restaurants

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and the spa treatments, including tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, basil, chives, sage, mint, oregano and sweet marjoram.

Hydroponics saves water through the use of recirculation systems and drip irrigation; they recycle the drainage from the greenhouse to feed the outdoor landscape plants.

The fare at CuisinArt Resort & Spa is amazing and with a superb selection of chefs and homegrown ingredients, guests are offered world-class meals. The culinary inspiration is drawn from hints of the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and French cuisine. There are three restaurants at the resort: Mediterraneo, Santorini and the poolside Tapas Bar. Mediterraneo is open poolside for breakfast, lunch and dinner, serving pastries, smoothies, and brick-oven pizza. At night it becomes a modern brasserie. Santorini is the upscale restaurant, with a 3,600-bottle capacity wine cellar and an executive chef with more than 19 years of international experience. Executive Chef Daniel Le Guernan has infused a new spirit into the menu. He brings to the table French and Mediterranean-inspired dishes using the fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs from the hydroponic farm.

The Santorini also houses a Chef’s Table where the chef and the sommelier create a private dining experience for the guests.

The cuisine at all three restaurants is amazing; a sampling of the diverse dishes can get any foodie salivating. At Café Mediterraneo, try the Succulent Crab and Hydroponic Vegetables Gazpacho or the West Indian-Style Local Snapper

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Fresh herbs and vegetables at the Hydroponic Farm

The dazzling infinity pool that stretches to the Beach Bar.

Rehydrate at the Venus Spa with a Warmed Seaweed Body Wrap.

Seared Tuna entrée utilizing Hydroponic fresh bok choy and red peppers.

with Roasted Hydroponic Vegetables and Creole Sauce. Santorini has so many choices that guests can delight in something new every night. The CuisinArt famous Johnny Cakes with Grilled Hydroponic Vegetables and Yogurt Mint Dip has just the right combination of Caribbean soul. If you care for Japanese, try the Red Tuna Tartare with Chives and Arugula Salad. For a little Italian, experience the warmth of Pumpkin Soup with Hydroponic Herb Ravioli. Save room for dessert because no one can resist the Hydroponic Herb Scented Crème Brûlée au Feu with Biscotti and Orange Madeleine or the CuisinArt Signature Chocolate Soufflé. If you care for light cuisine, take a stroll down to the Tapas Bar to enjoy a glass of fine wine and Sea Scallops wrapped in Smoked Salmon with Wasabi and Aioli.

Making sure that the guests not only appreciate the culinary dishes but get the opportunity to learn culinary techniques, the resort offers wine tasting, hands-on cooking classes, and a tour of the hydroponic farm. The wine-tasting course is divided into two levels, introduction and advanced. It covers the history of wine, the basics of wine tasting (sight, smell and taste), identifying sampled wines, wine makers’ techniques and an introduction to wine and cheese pairing. The hands-on cooking class is a three-course lunch that allows guests to pick

The extensive 3,600 bottle-capacity wine cellar at Santorini.

their own produce and work with a chef to learn to prepare their own meals. Tour the hydroponic farm with Dr. Howard Resh, Ph. D., who manages the farm and has more than 20 years experience in plant science.

With all of the amazing food, there is a necessity for activities to work it off. At CuisinArt, there are a multitude of activities to try: Catamaran trips, bike rentals, scuba diving, a mountain bike tour of the island, bocce court, tennis, golf, a jogging path and a list of fitness classes including Pilates, yoga and kickboxing. You can also visit the newly expanded 27,000 square foot, top-rated Venus Spa to enjoy a comprehensive menu of treatments that incorporates the fresh herbs from the organic garden.

CuisinArt Resort & Spa at Rendezvous Bay is the perfect Caribbean vacation for the food-minded individual seeking a tropical vacation. The resort goes above and beyond expectations, delivering a beautiful Caribbean location, gourmet cuisine, modern food sustainability and luxury five-star accommodations. Guests who book the “Villa Escape” package receive a complimentary one or two night stay. For more information on CuisinArt Resort & Spa or to book a vacation, call 800-943-3210 or visit www.CuisinArtResort.com. www.boulevardli.com

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The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts - Mauritius

By Thorsten Buehrman

W

e flew first class with Air Mauritius from Paris and landed after a relaxing 11-and-a-half hour flight at the Sir Sewoosagar Ramgoolam International Airport on the enchanted island of Mauritius, where we were welcomed by the rising sun. The airplane door opened and I felt a blast of warm air sweep through the cabin.

Huge palm trees, the powerful, sweet smell of tropical flowers and the incredibly green hills – the perfect paradise of my mind – was here for all to see.

We met Raj Ramsurrun, our friendly, uniformed chauffeur.

He turned out to be a gem of a travel host, easy to understand and very knowledgeable. He opened the doors to the BMW 730 IL, handed us cold towels and we were on our way. During the one-hour ride from the airport to the Oberoi Mauritius through sugar fields, clean little villages and subtropical forests, we sipped fresh, cool water and enjoyed the mesmerizing scenery.

The island nation of Mauritius is located in the Indian Ocean, about 500 miles east of Madagascar. The Oberoi Mauritius is found along the Baie aux Tortues (Turtle Bay), along the meandering northwest coast, set in over 20 acres of enchanting, subtropical gardens with 2,000 feet of white, wide, sandy Indian Ocean beach. It is less than 10 miles from the capital city of Port Louis and relatively close to the small but growing town of Grand Baie.

While traditionally envisioned as a couple's destination, a place to go and get away for romance, in the past few years Mauritius has

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become more than that; it is a dream destination for family vacations and business conventions.

Within minutes of reaching the resort, we arrived at our accommodations, a luxurious villa with a natural palm thatched roof, private swimming pool and pavilion, and panoramic views of unspoiled beach and azure blue waters of the calm tropical ocean. Our romantic villa was the perfect honeymoon accommodation, or, as the Oberoi Mauritius brochure states, a place “for couples who just need to get away and recharge or rekindle the spark that brought them together.” Relaxing wood tones for furnishings, ceilings and fabrics convey the closeness of nature; however, the accommodations do not lack state-of-the-art technology.

The dining pavilion offered breathtaking views of the lagoon and the ocean. This destination resort offers two gourmet restaurants, three leisure bars, a stylish tea pavilion and a wine cellar (ideally located in old ruins). There is also a top-of-the-line health and beauty spa, two endless ocean-view swimming pools, a modern conference center, nightlit tennis courts and a couple of exquisite shops. Sunset dinner cruises on a private yacht and scuba diving excursions are available through the concierge desk.

We were ready to experience one of the world's finest spas. The Oberoi Spa by Banyan Tree is elite. We were especially impressed with the individual spa suites that offered us private plunge pools that are also available for people who prefer a

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couple's treatment. The indoor and outdoor Thai spa facilities include a chic beauty parlor, an authentic rock sauna, an invigorating steam bath, a swimming pool, a state-of-the-art workout facility and more. Traditional 'body and soul' treatments –Mauritian style – use natural, locally produced essential oils and homegrown fruits, in addition to conventional therapies.

We enjoyed the coconut husk body brush, followed by a deep tissue massage with freshly ground coconut. After losing track of time, we heard a softly whispering voice ask us to get up from the treatment tables and step over a narrow stone bridge into a hot whirlpool. Here we were given a cool, refreshing, exotic fruit cup that brought us back to reality.

We were then ready for dinner. Back at our villa, the room attendant had freshened up and left us little gifts of freshly picked flower blossoms, which scented the towels with the smell of delight.

As we entered the main restaurant with its palm-thatched roof and amazing views of the ocean, we knew we were in for an unforgettable evening. Our table was set between two pillars, giving us the feeling that we were dining alfresco under the stars.

The cuisine was a medley of delicious, creative dishes reflecting the multicultural flavors of land and sea, touched by Asian and European herbs and spices.

The romantic flicker of the candles was mirror-imaged in the water and we followed its path to the ocean, where it converged somewhere on the horizon with the setting sun. It left us breathless and looked to be the path to heaven.

When we awoke the next morning, we could have been in heaven. The room attendant had filled the bathtub with warm water and floating flowers, and the pale red orchids that had been placed on our pillows the night before were sitting on our champagne flutes on the nightstands, looking a little tipsy, perhaps.

Since we did not need to close the curtains due to the villa's complete privacy, we looked right into the ocean from our beds, without even raising our heads. The presidential accommodations are especially designed for and designated to royalty, heads of state and other VIPs. While we were tempted to dawdle, we excitedly jumped out of bed, as a much-anticipated diving excursion was on our agenda. The Oberoi Mauritius, with mountains as backdrop, opens its ocean sidedoors onto a natural maritime park with a vibrant coral reef that supports an abundance of fascinating sea life.

The resort offers a wide range of water sports, such as waterskiing, windsurfing, sailing, boating, snorkeling in the lagoon as well as exclusive destination boat trips along the coast. After a luscious breakfast served by Mr. Baboo, a master champagne saberer, and a glass of Veuve Clicquot, we were ready to conquer the coral reefs. While 'sabrage,' the art of opening a bottle with a sword is not necessarily a tradition at the resort, it is available and

performed to precision by Mr. Baboo, who beheads a champagne bottle with a single strike of his sword.

We went down to the beach on a winding path through subtropical vegetation to meet our divemaster, Stéphane de Senneville, on the beach. We experienced a wondrous, colorful and healthy water world while scuba diving within a 20-minute boat ride off the Oberoi Mauritius beach. Between crystal clear waters and exotic fish and creatures around us, we could barely believe our eyes. We are certified divers, but our two expert instructors and guides would have made the scuba adventure an unforgettable and safe experience even for first-time divers. This is a oneof-a-kind underwater paradise, rich in beautiful corals and exotic species of fish and other sea life. The crystal clear water allowed us to see everything in the most vibrant colors and allowed Stéphane to shoot amazing pictures with his underwater camera.

After our exhilarating dive, we dropped into two pictureperfect beach chairs under a postcard palm tree. The wooden beach chairs were covered with a soft, absorbent fabric and were placed in twos along the wide beach to offer a measure of privacy.

A friendly beach boy inquired after our wishes in regard to drinks, ice cream, cool towels and body lotions and offered us a neat little beach bar menu. He then suggested an alcohol-free fruit drink that we received within minutes. Later we walked into the alluring, shallow, warm turquoise waters for a swim and a little snorkeling.

The next day we were scheduled for a two-hour sunset sailing cruise. We left the beach at 6 p.m. on a small transfer boat and boarded the Oberoi Mauritius' private luxury yacht within a few minutes. We slowly pulled away from the anchorage and as the yacht picked up speed, sails were set and filled with the winds of the ocean. Hors d’oeuvres were served on silver trays with wellpaired wines. Picking up speed, we got a look at the island and the mountains from a different perspective while the sun turned the turquoise waters into bright orange-red.

General manager and world traveler Sjefke Jansen is a multicultural hospitality pro, fluent in English, Dutch and German. He worked in Australia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Singapore, and in the Maldives before he accepted the position as GM at the Oberoi Mauritius. The married father of three is charming, approachable and very hands-on; Sjefke does a fabulous job.

The Oberoi Group has been led to its present global status by the vision of Mr. P.R.S. Oberoi. Educated in India and Europe, his multicultural vision is apparent, and under his leadership, personalized service dominates his resorts’ focus. Worldwide, there are precious few privately owned luxury hotel groups that can compare to the Oberoi Group. For more information about Seven Stars and Stripes Reviews, go to www.sevenstarsandstripes.com.

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Music

JoePerry Have Guitar, Will Travel

(With or Without Steven Tyler) And He’ll Bring Some Hot Sauce Too

By Jonathan Clarke

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Center for the Arts in Concord, NH called Dream On: An Intimate Evening With Steven Tyler. In another, separate interview, Perry said he and the rest of the band were “knocked back on our heels” when they heard this but Perry did not rule out Aerosmith using another lead singer. Then, just the other night, Steven Tyler, unannounced, jumps onstage at Perry’s Fillmore New York At Irving Plaza show, performs “Walk This Way” and says to the crowd, “the breakup...it just ain’t true.” Is it all marketing and hype? Or is this really a permanent vacation?

Jonathan Clarke – Joe, first I have to ask you, given all the injuries and ailments of the guys in Aerosmith during this past year’s tour, did you ever think, perhaps halfway

© Photo by Ross Halfin

M

ick and Keith are The Glimmer Twins. Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, The Toxic Twins, a reference to the Aerosmith leaders’ reported tales of decadence, debauchery and drug use living the ultimate rock ’n’ roll lifestyle. Others call them Those Bad Boys From Boston. But this was in the band’s early years. They sobered up and put out the career-reviving Permanent Vacation in 1987 and became America’s greatest rock ’n’ roll band, going on to sell a reported 150 million albums over the years, winning four Grammy awards, 10 MTV awards, and are now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band had been working on putting out a new studio album recently (their first since 2001) and had also toured frequently, including a tour this summer that saw the band resembling more of a baseball team with so many members on the disabled list. Almost every band member suffered some sort of illness or injury at one point or another during the 2009 tour, culminating in Steven Tyler’s very serious fall from a stage in South Dakota in August, injuring his head and shoulder, which resulted in the band canceling the rest of its tour. Which brings us to this interview. At the time Joe Perry and I sat down to talk, the tour had just been cancelled and we were getting together to talk about the new Joe Perry Project album, Have Guitar Will Travel, and his other gig, Chef Perry. But as of this writing, Steven Tyler has recently given an interview to another magazine stating that he wants to focus on “brand Tyler,” and already has a solo gig scheduled for January at the Capitol

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through the tour, you know, maybe the tour was a bad idea?

on the first two Project records and he also filled in for Tom Hamilton in Aerosmith when he was having some downtime.

JC – The title of the album, Have Guitar, Will Travel, is Joe Perry – You really can’t foresee these things happening; you have to plan for the best. Since the band revived itself and came back strong, it’s now 25 years I think since that time, I think we only missed, like, two shows.

To have such a run of good luck, odds are something was bound to happen at one point or another. A lot of people tweet us and say, you know you guys are getting too old, etc. etc. I just don’t buy that. Hey, I fell off a stage 25 years ago and I was a lot younger then. Steven’s accident this year was just that, an accident. He has an amazing voice with amazing resiliency and I have seen him fall off stages three, four times before, and it’s always because of bad lights or that he just got too wrapped up in his performance. The band is not breaking up, contrary to a lot of rumors.

Everyone in the band wants to make a new studio record and make it the best one we’ve ever made. Then we want to go back out on the road and do another world tour. The band is totally 100 percent there to do that. We just need Steven to take some time and get better. I know his throat is back 100 percent because he’s singing great.

JC ­ – It’s probably killing him and everyone else in the band that you can’t tour right now.

JP – He lives to play. And we figure, well, we’ve cancelled these shows now, so why don’t we just really give it a nice long stretch and a hiatus and let everyone get really healthy, so that’s basically what we are doing. Aerosmith isn’t going anywhere.

JC – So, now is as good a time as any for Joe Perry Project version 2.0 then?

JP – Yes, the last Joe Perry Project album was ’82 or ’83, I guess, right around when I met Billie, my wife, on the set of a video we were doing. But this version right now is a band, and pretty much, the band that played on the new record will be on the road with me. Plus David Hull will be there, too. He was

pretty appropriate for your lifestyle.

JP – The bottom line is I pick one guitar, got the clothes on my back, and that’s it. And the guitar that I really have been playing for the last four years is the one with my wife painted on it. It sounds amazing and has a real wide variety of sounds, which is great if you want to jam.

JC – You found your lead singer for this new Project album on YouTube?

JP – Yes, my wife was surfing around one day and came upon this guy Hagen from Germany and told me, you have to hear this guy sing, and I was blown away. It’s funny, when I contacted him at first, he didn’t believe that it was me. I literally had to hand my cell phone to Jimmy Page, who I was hanging out with at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame event in Cleveland, and have Jimmy tell him it was in fact me. So finally he came over, we got together, changed lanes and floored it. Plus, he’s a really nice guy. The lyrics on this version of Project are a lot more personal and a little darker, but it still rocks from front to back. We split the vocals down the middle. We even have an instrumental on the album. But to take this record out on the road, I wanted a singer that would allow us to play any song we wanted. Whether it be an Aerosmith song, a Joe Perry Project song, or a cover song. And when I think about the last rehearsals we had, I get goosebumps. This is a real kick-ass band, but I’ll let the music do the talking.

JC – How about your alter ego, Chef Perry, and the hot sauces?

JP – My oldest son runs the food company, but I taste test every product. It’s available at JoePerry. com. We’re going to be launching a macaroni and cheese. My wife said it’s got to be mac and cheese, just because we have made enough over the years to feed two armies making it for our kids. We’re going to try and make this a little hipper mac and cheese, too. But right now, the Joe Perry Project is going to come and rock your town, big or small, because as far as I’m concerned, they’re all big. www.boulevardli.com

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Health

Dentist to the Stars

Dr. Bill Dorfman Helps Your Smile Sparkle and Shine

By Ruth Bashinsky

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C

elebrity cosmetic dentist Dr. Bill Dorfman works on the teeth of some of the most admired faces in Hollywood, from Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan, and Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne to Nick Lachey, Usher, Nia Long, Julie Benz and the cast of Desperate Housewives. He is also a best-selling author and has appeared as a guest co-host on the syndicated daytime talk show, The Doctors, talking about dental health.

Dr. Dorfman will be the first to tell you that having a fantastic smile does not necessarily mean you have healthy teeth. Genetics and the environment play a big role in the health of your pearly whites. “If your parents and grandparents had bad teeth, chances are you will, too,” he says. “However, there are things you can do if you are not blessed with good teeth. Being more diligent about the maintenance and care of your teeth is a great start.”

Dr. Dorfman, whose good looks and million dollar smile makes him look like a celebrity himself, is prominent in his field for bringing innovative techniques to aesthetic dentistry. His company, Discus Dental, Inc., is a leading manufacturer and distributor of tooth whitening, oral hygiene and aesthetic dental products. Zoom!, an in-office whitening system that whitens teeth six to 10 shades lighter in just over an hour, and Breath Rx, a complete line of breath-freshening products, are some of his latest products.

Some of the aesthetic procedures, Dr. Dorfman performs that can transform anyone’s smile include; bonding, tooth colored fillings, crowns, bridges and dental implants, among others.

For this month’s special food issue, Dr. Dorfman, who is probably best known for his stunning dental transformations on the ABC hit series Extreme Makeover offers some valuable advice to The Boulevard readers on ways they can keep their teeth healthy and their smiles white and bright.

When it comes to food, it’s better to go natural. However, there are no foods off-limits, including sweets, he explains.

“Virtually anything can cause decay if there is sugar in it. Sugar is not just white sugar or cane sugar. There is also sugar in starch. All these things that feed bacteria will cause decay. The detrimental part is not eating these foods, but letting your teeth bathe in the sugar.”

To prevent tooth decay, Dr. Dorfman, who brushes and flosses his teeth at least five times a day, recommends brushing your teeth each time you eat. However, if carrying a toothbrush around with you is not realistic, flossing is the next best thing.

Minimizing the amount of time sugar sits on your teeth is important. Dr. Dorfman, who has three children of his own, advises parents to stay away from candy that children can

suck on for hours because that will contribute to tooth decay.

Chewing gum and sucking on breath mints are okay, as long as they are sugarfree. The best rule of thumb: everything in moderation.

One of the worst cases of decay he has ever seen was on a 40-something woman, who worked as a real estate agent. His client was obsessively compulsive about her breath and would suck on mints all day long. The mints had sugar in them and they were slowly rotting her teeth. As a result, she needed six root canals.

For infants, babies and toddlers, he advises no milk before bedtime. “One of the worst things a parent can do is put their child down at night with a bottle of milk. The milk acts as a base of sugar and feeds the bacteria and the children end up with decay all over their teeth.” His recommendation is water as a substitute if your child needs a bottle during the night.

Smoking is one of the top things to avoid and is probably one of the worst things you can do to your teeth, says Dr. Dorfman. Nicotine causes teeth to turn yellow and brown and it eventually burns the teeth. It can also cause cancer, especially oral cancer. Dorfman often advises his celebrity clients who do smoke to try and kick the habit.

Also problematic, staples such as coffee, tea, soda, red wine and even soy sauce all contribute to the discoloration of teeth. “Teeth are porous and not many people realize that if you soak your teeth in these highly-colored liquids, your teeth will absorb some of the color.” Red wine is a common one. It can make your teeth reddish in color, but that usually dissipates. His recommendations are to drink clear soda over colored ones, add a touch of milk to black coffee and if you happen to enjoy drinking wine, just visit your dentist more frequently to get your teeth cleaned and whitened. He recommends the Zoom! dental whitening system as a way to reverse the staining.

Additional tips he offers to keep your teeth healthy and your smile intact is to avoid using your teeth as a tool. “I can’t tell you how many teeth I end up doing crowns on because people opened packages with their teeth. A person’s mouth is not meant to open packages. Scissors are meant to open packages.”

Biting your fingernails is another big no-no. Chomping on popcorn kernels and even chewing on chicken bones are all detrimental to your teeth. Bottom line: “You should not be opening things, biting things, carrying things and cutting thread with your teeth.”

To ensure that you are going to a qualified cosmetic dentist and getting the best care, Dr. Dorfman recommends visiting the website of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry at www.aacd.com.

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Health Barbara Capozzi, D.O., CNS

Flu Review Seasonal Influenza and h1n1

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nfluenza, or seasonal flu, is caused by a virus, as is H1N1.

The H1N1 virus was formerly referred to as swine flu because it resembles an illness that pigs get, but it spreads the same way seasonal flu spreads – through respiratory droplets when a person who is sick sneezes or coughs. Precaution, education and vaccination can help minimize the number of people affected.

Flu etiquette Flu etiquette is fundamental. Carry a pack of tissues. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze and toss the tissue in the trash, not back in your pocket or on your desk. Wash your hands with warm water and soap or use a hand sanitizer that is preferably 62 percent alcohol. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your bent elbow to prevent the virus from getting on your hands. Try to avoid touching your face. Remember that the virus can also live on surfaces such as a computer keyboard and mouse, cell phone or any handheld devices. Don’t share utensils, finger food or personal items such as Chapstick.

Symptoms: cold or flu?

Sudden onset of fever, fatigue, dry cough, muscle aches, headache and chills are typical flu symptoms, while sore throat and stuffy nose are more commonly seen with a cold. Sneezing may be part of a cold or flu. The flu typically makes you feel lousy and weak. Burning, watery eyes and a runny nose often accompany flu. Chest discomfort and cough may result in complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia. This is unlike a cold, where chest discomfort is mild and the cough is less intense. The complications of a cold are also less severe. Nausea and diarrhea can be seen in children with seasonal flu or H1N1. Flu symptoms can last seven to 10 days, but can leave you fatigued even longer.

What to do

or school until 24 hours after the fever is gone. It’s best to call your doctor if you have flu symptoms. The doctor may prescribe antivirals that do not kill the virus but decrease the duration of symptoms.

Nutrition and sleep As always, it’s important to eat well. Lean protein from poultry, meat, fish and dairy help maintain strength; fruit, vegetables and whole grains help your immune system. If you have decreased appetite or nausea and vomiting, it’s important to stay hydrated.

Suck on ice chips and drink sips of clear fluids or ice pops. Dairy products may aggravate nausea and contribute to mucus. As you start to feel better, advance to bananas, rice, applesauce and dry toast. Remember to give your body the rest that it needs – aim for seven to nine hours a night.

Speak to your doctor to see if the seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine are right for you.

Barbara Capozzi, DO, CNS is board certified in family practice, is an Associate Professor at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and a guest on cable television’s Ask the Doctor, CNN, Channel 55 News, Channel 4 News and Television One-Live.

Many schools and workplaces advise you to stay home if you have fever, cough or shortness of breath. Do not return to work

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The Boulevard • January 2010

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Health

Fitness Corner

By Pam Polestino

F

FeedingInto Fitness

itness enthusiasts who want the best results combine healthy eating with their fitness routines. Living on the North Shore of Long Island, we have many fabulous restaurants to choose from. My students are always expressing concerns about where to go out for dinner to eat as healthily as they would at home. There are many places to choose from where the chef will specifically cater to your dietary needs.

Limani, located on Northern Boulevard in Roslyn, is a traditional Greek restaurant. Chef Peter and owner Reno Christou told me that there are no unreasonable requests in preparing a gourmet meal. The sous-chef handpicks fresh produce and seafood daily. Whole wheat pita is brought to the table along with chickpea and eggplant spreads. The spreads are packed with flavor and have fewer calories and fat than butter.

The Greek salad has very little olive oil and is seasoned to taste.

You find no oil sitting at the bottom of the plate, which means you are not consuming unwanted and unneeded calories.

Whether you choose grilled octopus, shrimp, or the catch of the day, you are high protein/low fat. The seafood is grilled, so you are not wasting calories on added fats. You can also request the fish to be weighed so you know exactly how many ounces and calories you are consuming.

Thinking quality and not quantity can help you avoid overindulging. For dessert, share a delicious Greek yogurt garnished with sliced almonds and walnuts and drizzled with natural honey. Greek yogurt has protein and can satisfy even your sweetest cravings.

The contemporary Japanese restaurant Nissen in Woodbury is a great place to dine for high protein/low fat, and low or no carbohydrate diets. At its upscale sushi bar, Chef Andy will make your favorite roll any way you like it. If you are watching sugar, choose steamed brown rice. If carbohydrates are to be avoided, choose the cucumber. Sashimi is the perfect protein to rebuild muscle. Edamame, tofu, seafood and salad are all excellent choices for low-calorie healthy eating. Ordering dressing on the

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side eliminates many unnecessary calories.

If you want to stay at home without cooking, you can call Joanne's Gourmet Pizza on Northern Boulevard in Roslyn. Bear in mind that it's not just pizza! Owner Rino DiMaria has always been involved in fitness and takes pride in the healthful options he offers his customers. My top picks are whole wheat pizza made with low fat mozzarella, which is carefully calculated at 5 grams of carbohydrate per slice and tastes fabulous; whole wheat pizza with a light marinara sauce and grilled chicken (the chicken is baked, never fried); and the grilled vegetables which are crisp and flavorful. Salads can be ordered with any of your favorite ingredients. Be sure to always order dressing on the side.

Remember: Stay focused on a diet of vegetables, proteins and good fats. When feeding into fitness, calories count, so overeating even the healthiest of choices can set you back. The combination of training your body and healthy eating is key to looking and feeling your very best.

Call Fitness Professional at 646.261.3350

The Boulevard • January 2010

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Health

Health Watch Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum

Taking Control The Holiday Eating Plan

W

hen someone says, “I’ll take the lesser of two evils” or truly believes that they are “Damned if you do or damned if you don’t,” that is probably the person who is going to gain weight during the holiday season. Feeling doomed before you even begin is a common problem, especially among those who find it difficult to manage their weight and take care of themselves.

I frequently have a conversation about the eating plan during this time of year. Inevitably, it leads to negotiation: “I will only have one cookie, so I can eat a little extra turkey …” This odd rationalization is intended to make oneself feel better, when it is simply a case of self-sabotage. I recently read a brilliant statement: “Getting healthy is not a punishment. It is a gift.” Getting healthy by not overeating isn’t punishment; it is learning how to take care of yourself.

So much about this is simply reframing what is going on. What happened to “Just do it” or “The time is now”? We negotiate between our brains and our minds, our hearts and our souls, between knowing what is best for us and knowing what we want. Holiday time is a time for celebration, being with friends and family, and enjoying the parties, the dinners, the gatherings. Culturally, food is just a part of the party, so I would say the best strategy is to plan ahead rather than allowing a little indulgence to create an extra 10 pounds by January.

Recently, a younger patient of mine who was seeing me for an irregularity in her heartbeat came on a day when she was feeling healthy. It is always a treat to see people when they are at their best, as I often see them only when they are feeling sick. Like many entering this holiday season, on top of the typical stresses she had recently lost her job. Being a stress-eater, we talked about her holiday eating strategy, and, specifically, identifying her emotional triggers so she could manage them prior to indulging and increasing her weight, cholesterol and blood pressure,

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possibly triggering her abnormal heart rhythm. I suggested a way we could reframe her habits so she could sit at the table and celebrate all the joy of the season and things to be thankful for.

Instead of tackling the big diet plan that fails year after year, plan to do one thing to change how you handle each eating situation. Drink a glass of water before eating to decrease your appetite, skip the eggnog, don’t add extra salt, have just a bite of dessert and enjoy your progress and the self-care you are providing. It can be simple if you can simplify the eating plan.

In my patient’s eyes, I saw a glimmer of empowerment over her health. I asked her if she thought an eating plan with small changes was something she could accomplish. She replied, “Walking down the street without feeling like I am going to pass out makes the rest of my life seem pretty manageable.”

Simply said…Just do it.

Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum is the director of Woman and Heart Disease at the Heart and Vascular Institute at Lenox Hill Hospital, New York.

The Boulevard • January 2010

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Cosmetic Surgery Today

By Stephen T. Greenberg, MD, FACS

N

The Latest Technology

ow is the perfect time to consider what you can do for yourself to make a significant and immediate improvement in your appearance. Do you ever look in the mirror and find yourself disturbed with the loose skin on your upper arms? Have you noticed an increase in the cellulite on your thighs? Are those dark, puffy circles under your eyes more noticeable than they were before?

Have you seen a difference in your breasts after childbirth or just with age? Studies have shown that 90% of people agree with at least one of these questions! Why wait any longer, now is the time to improve your appearance and gain back that youthful confidence in yourself.

Many procedures can effectively eliminate the signs of aging and dramatically improve your body tone. Most of us notice the loose skin under our arms as we age, especially if we had a significant weight loss. It is a known fact that the effects of time leave both men and women with the loss of skin tone. An “arm lift” (Brachioplasty) can be your salvation. Although loose upper arm skin is most often related to weight loss, even those of average weight can experience this as a result of the natural aging process. If you were ever overweight, you more than likely developed heavy upper arms. After weight loss, skin often fails to tighten, and so it sags. This arm lift procedure is performed to remove excess skin to restore a more youthful appearance to the arms. The results of this procedure are long-lasting and can produce a dramatic and significant improvement in the appearance and the firmness of the upper arms leaving you with a more youthful and firmer looking arm contour. Why not wear those sleeveless tops and strapless dresses and be able to show off, with confidence, younger looking and thinner arms that are toned and firm. Another procedure that is very effective in returning that youthful look is an ‘eyelift’. Eyelid surgery can be done to correct drooping upper eyelids, puffy fat pads in the upper and lower eyelids and sagging lower eyelid skin. Known as blepharoplasty, this procedure involves removal of fat and excess skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids leaving your eyes with a more youthful and smoother look. This eyelift procedure will get rid of the bags under your eyes and takes

years off of your appearance.

More and more women are considering breast augmentation, and in order to help them visualize how they will look after surgery, I now offer the exciting Portrait 3D imaging system. The Portrait 3D system photographs a patient’s body before her breast procedure, and creates an exact three dimensional replica of her body on screen. By examining this model with my patients during consultation, they can actually visualize the expected result in advance of an actual surgical procedure! The photo-realistic result can be viewed from all angles, and implant size can be adjusted to most closely meet a patient’s needs. For the first time, women can select implant size, shape, and position based on the expected outcome on their own body. This new and exciting technology continues to increase patient satisfaction by providing more predictable results.

If you decide that this isn’t the time for cosmetic surgery, but would like to look younger, the combination of the latest injectables and highly advanced laser options can freshen up your face and give you a youthful appearance. The newest laser treatment available today, “Trinity”, is a three-in-one noninvasive laser skin rejuvenation system that will reverse sun damage, remove wrinkles and tighten skin. Combining the laser treatment with a “Liquid Facelift” ( Restylane®, BotoxCosmetic® or Juvéderm injections), replaces lost volume and erases wrinkles creating the perfect skin rejuvenation program.

Keep in mind that Special Financing is available to help you afford the procedure that will transform you into a new person!

Dr. Stephen Greenberg is a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in cosmetic surgery. He is director of New York’s Premier Center for Plastic Surgery with offices in Woodbury and Manhattan. For a complimentary consultation, call 516-364-4200. If you have a question for Dr. Greenberg, please e-mail docstg@aol.com or listen to his radio show on Saturday nights at 10 PM on KJOY 98.3 FM.

www.boulevardli.com

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