Luxe Beat Magazine July 2015

JULY 2015

Minorca’s Festival of Saint John Paris Attitude

The Art of Living Well

Contents 30

38 56

Travel

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Luxe Layovers: PHL Put a Pin in it! The Indefinable Magic that is Cuba

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Experiencing Minorca’s Festival of Saint John

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Paris Attitude

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A Tale of Two Israeli Cities, Part 2 : Tel Aviv

Cuisine

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Spas / Beauty

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Feat. Contributor

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Getting Back to Nature: Austria’s Natur Hotel and Spa

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Summer Beauty Picks

Business

Dana Rebmann Featured Contributor

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California’s Central Coast Two Ways

Spain’s Exorbitantly Expensive Ham

Fashion

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Big Island Italian Style

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CityPASS: Luxury Two Ways

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26

Casa De Campo, Dominican Republic

Passion’s Meritxell Lecha Vinuesa

Art / Music

Literature

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King of the House Chili

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92

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Anguilla’s Super Villa

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35

The Waterfront: The Ultimate Orange County Experience

Since Craft Beer Has Disrupted The Industry, What’s Next?

Clementine Hunter Murals in Natchitoches, Louisiana

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Elke Daemmrich - Winner of A Luxe Beat Magazine Award

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Atlantic City Redefined

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The Art of Living Well

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Cocktail Recipes from Discovering The New York

The WantList

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Global Etiquette: E-Mail

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Quality Business: Play All Out

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Long Live You! Promoting healthy lifestyle through positive health decisions School of Booze

SHERRIE WILKOLASKI Editor-in-Chief and Managing Partner

MARALYN D. HILL Executive Editor

BENJAMIN BENNETT Creative Director

LILLIAN AFRICANO Editor

NINA AFRICANO Editor

JESSICA O’HEHIR Production Editor

LEAH WALKER Editor-At-Large

DALE SANDERS Senior Travel & Lifestyle Editor/ Director of Photography

KATHY WANAMAKER Advertising Sales

COURTNEY LOWDEN Fashion Editor-At-Large

COLUMNS

CONTRIBUTORS

Global Etiquette Maralyn D. Hill

Put a Pin in it!

Debbie Stone

Luxe Layovers Susan Lanier-Graham

Quality Business Tom Raffio

Aurelia Debbie Stone Debi Lander Dena Roche Jane Peyton Jane Wilkens Michael Janice Nieder Jenna Intersimone Jessica O’Hehir Judith Glynn Leah Walker Linda Cordair

Liz Palmer Maralyn D. Hill Michael Cervin M’Liss Hinshaw Renee Phillips Susan Lanier-Graham Tim Cotroneo Tom Raffio

Intern Kaitlyn Phillips

Luxe Beat Magazine is published in English. Our audience is a global market with global contributors. Each writes, using the form of English with which they are familiar. So you’ll see US, UK, AUS, CAN, versions, etc. We hope this eliminates any confusion on spelling.

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Editor’s Letter GLOBAL LUXURY is the focus of the July 2015 edition of Luxe Beat Magazine. Summer is here so what better way to celebrate than with a tour around the world! From Minora’s St. John’s festival, to going local in Tel Aviv, or listening to jazz in Havana, Cuba, our writers share some incredible experiences with our readers.

Our monthly columns are always a hit and this month, are readers are in for so many treats. For our Luxe Layovers fans, Susan Lanier-Graham explores all that the Philadelphia airport has to offer, including where to shop, dine and get pampered.

Marlayn Hill talks about email etiquette in her Global Etiquette piece and Tom Raffio, continues his series on Quality Business, with his feature Play All Out.

Ladies, staying healthy and beautiful this summer is a must.

Find out which products make the list in our Summer Beauty Picks and if you’re looking for the perfect spa retreat, Michael Cervin tells us about his experience at Austria’s Natur Hotel and Spa. Gentleman, we know you’re looking for simple summer food and drink options, and we have just what you need for any weekend gettogether. Craft beer and homemade chili makes for the perfect meal.

We’ve got the recipe, but you’ll have to grab your own brew.

From all of us at Luxe Beat Magazine, we wish everyone safe travels this summer!

Luxury is what you make of it.

Sherrie Wilkolaski Editor-in-Chief

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Letters To The Editor Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

Just wondering in Minnesota

Thomas O. Dublin, Ireland

As a business traveler who spends a good portion of my time in airports, I was compelled to say, “thank you” for publishing your Luxe Layovers column. It has been eye-opening for me. I had no idea there was so much to experience in an airport other than checking emails on my laptop. Great job!

Dear Thomas,

Ralph E. Manhattan, NY

I’ve been reading your magazine for about six months and I really enjoy it. Is it true that your writers actually go to all of the incredible places you cover?

Dear Just Wondering,

The simple answer is yes. It is important to us that our readers get to experience a travel destination through the eyes of our writers.

In some rare cases we will cover a story about a destination that has not been personally experienced and we do our best to call that out.

For example, Maralyn’s article Charter Luxury Private Yacht To Explore Antarctica was not personally experienced due to the cost of the trip, close to $500K and the destination location.

Thank you for reading!

Sherrie Wilkolaski Editor-in-Chief

I’m an aspiring chef and I enjoyed the article on Executive Chef Kerry Heffernan, but also like the other chef interviews. I do look forward to them when they post.

It is always a pleasure to hear that someone enjoys my work. The article that was published in the March 2015 issue of Luxe Beat Magazine, was not my first piece on the chef. He really is an impressive chef, both in and out of the kitchen.

His philanthropic work with organizations such as Share Our Strength, Project by Project, City Meals on Wheels, Kids for Kids is worth recognizing.

Maralyn D. Hill Executive Editor

Dear Ralph,

We enjoy Susan Lanier-Graham’s column as much as you do! She really does an incredible job on the research for each piece. She is a seasoned traveller and spends quite a bit of time in airports, so when we were talking about a column topic, Luxe Layovers seemed like the perfect fit. Thank you again for reading and safe travels!

Sherrie Wilkolaski Editor-in-Chief

Dear Readers, We were happy to receive some letters to the editor this month and hope more of you will continue to write to make comments or ask questions Please send Letters to the Editor to LuxeBeatMag@gmail.com Subject: Letter to Editor 7

Experiencing Minorca’s Festival of Saint John

By Debi Lander

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happiness seems to float in the air.

However, tourists just remain in the streets (as it is impolite to crash a party) and enjoy the festival drink of Minorcan-made gin and lemonade.

The libation is sold in small plastic cups all around town. Music sweeps through the air and adds to the celebration mayhem.

ention you’re going to the Balearic Islands, and you might get a quizzical look.

More likely, the four islands will be recognized by their individual names: Mallorca, Ibiza, Minorca and the least well known, Formentera. They lie off the coast of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea between the mainland and Africa. Catalan and Spanish are the official languages, but many locals understand English.

The Balearics rank as favorite vacations spots for Spaniards and other Europeans. Many tourists from the UK visit annually, but relatively few Americans. The easiest U.S. gateway is through Madrid, and then you can hop a short flight to the islands.

My itinerary began with Ibiza, known as the white island and for its nightclubs. I took a day-trip to under-developed Formentera via ferry. Later, I caught a short flight to Majorca, a fabulous island with great diversity and finally flew to Minorca, just in time to attend the Festes de Sant Joan or Festival of St. John. I landed in Mahon, the current capital city and traveled by minivan toward Ciutadella on the western end, the ancient capital and home of the Festival.

The horse-centric event begins on the Sunday preceding June 24, the day honoring St. John the Baptist and coincides with the summer solstice. That day is known as Sheep Sunday. The event features a robust young man, carefully chosen for the great honor, who portrays the Homo des Be or Sheep Man. He wears a sheepskin, a head-dress bearing a cross and walks barefoot with red crosses painted on his hands and feet. He carries a docile, pampered year-old ram around his shoulders -all day. (Apparently the sheep is kept

awake at a party throughout the night, and, therefore, the animal sleeps through most of the ceremonies.) The Sheep Man is lead by the Festival Noble (a wealthy man of the town) and Committee of horsemen to begin the events.

The entire festival follows rituals that have been in place for hundreds of years. A week after Sheep Sunday, the Committee (nobleman, priest and flag bearers), followed by chosen horsemen, assemble at Town Hall square. The dark-haired riders wear black tuxedos with tails, black riding pants, white shirts, black bow ties and hats. Most are farmers but they look elegant; many were Antonio Banderas- handsome. The horses, too, are gussied up for the occasion with decorative stars on their foreheads that contain small circular mirrors. My guide told me it was good luck to see yourself reflected in the mirror.

Once assembled, the group makes three tours of the square. At the stroke of 6 p.m. the procession proceeds toward Sant Joan de Missa, a country church on the outskirts of town, about an hour’s ride away.

Meanwhile local residents and their guests drive to the church and picnic on homemade goodies. Minorca is renown for its excellent cheeses and pastries. By 6:30 p.m., hundreds have

arrived and line the road leading to the church entrance. At 7 p.m., the hand-pulled bells start clanging and continue to ring as some 150 horses and riders solemnly prance, one by one, down the lane. They stop at the church entrance where each receives a blessing from the Bishop. The church priest is the last rider in the pageant, always preceded by a town noble in more formal attire.

The riders leave their horses with assistants who water, feed and clean them while they enter the church for mass. After mass, the riders mount their horses to the return to the city while party-goers flock back and jam into the narrow cobblestone streets and lanes which have been lined with sand. Light bulbs hanging from wires criss-cross the alleys, and banners of red bearing the white cross of Malta drape windows and balconies. As the horsemen re-enter the city, another custom begins: the battle of hazelnuts. (I am not making this up!) The hazelnuts are said to represent kisses thrown from the boys to the girls. Nowadays, the meaning becomes rather obscure as the tossing becomes rather fierce.

During the festivities, residents of the town open their homes to extended family and friends, frequently offering lavish buffets.

A warm feeling of friendship and

The night progresses and around 11 p.m. the horses and riders again make three tours of the streets and squares. They also follow an age-old tradition for good luck and call upon certain homes by riding through the doorway, doffing their hats, and entering the ground floor rooms.

I found myself shaking my head as I witnessed two horses in one house at the same time!

The nighttime party ramps up and grows wild and crazy as Spaniards cheer: “Bot. Bot.” They are begging for the horses to rear up and lift their front two legs and the rider high into the air. The jubilant crowds swarm under the horse trying to keep its chest up. (More good luck if you touch near the horse’s heart.)

With the streets crammed like Times Square on New Year’s Eve, it is imperative to watch where you are in relation to all horses at all times.

Viewing all this for the first time is quite overwhelming, but totally thrilling.

Although I didn’t stay too late, the party continues all night with the elders and youngest riders retiring before the others. The participants have spent hundreds of hours training their horses and control their mounts with amazing dexterity.

These few days in June are the highlight of their year.

The festival continues the next morning with trials of the medieval games; time-tested games of horsemanship you might expect

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Port of Ibiza

performed in an arena. But that’s not the case in Ciutadella. The games play in the plaza near the harbor where the crowds pack in like crayons in a Crayola box. I could barely move my hands up or down my sides. No announcer is employed to call the masses to attention, just the haunting notes of the flute and drum beats of the Fabioler (herald) on his colorful, pom-pomed drum.

(If I thought the night before was frenzied, this scene cranked it up a few more notches.)

One at a time, riders begin to gallop toward a hanging ring that they attempt to capture on their long spear or lance. As they speed forward, the crowd magically parts, like Jesus parting the sea -- and defying the odds, the rider slips through. How this all happens without disaster is like the old Xerox commercial: “A miracle, Brother Dominic.” Naturally the crowd roars enthusiastically if the rider captures the ring.

Another set of feats involves two riders who mount their horses so close together the men have their arms around one another’s shoulders. They gallop at top speed, attempting to stay as one unit until they cross the finish line. Again, the crowd loudly cheers for the teams. A third game involves the breaking of a shield.

The Church - Sant Joan de Missa

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Travel Following the trials, successful competitors are awarded palm canes tied to a silver spoon. Then everyone goes off to lunch featuring -- what else, a little gin and lemonade. Soon the parade again forms at the city church and rounds through the streets. Many children attend the festivities during the day, and at times the horsemen stop to let children pet the animals.

The final contests of the Medieval Games are held in the late afternoon and draw an even larger and more densely packed crowd. I’d have to rank standing in the path of the galloping horses and riders with lances nearly as dangerous as running with the bulls in Pamplona.

But like Pamplona, Minorca is Spain, and the people wouldn’t have it any other way.

Minorcan horse festivals happen throughout the summer in the other cities on the island, but Ciutadella’s Festival of Saint John is the oldest and most famous. Regrettably, I did not see the ending ceremony or fireworks the following night.

If you get the chance to attend, do not miss it. Just don’t imbibe too much of the festival drink, be alert and you will have one of the most thrilling memories of your life.

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I

t’s interesting how quickly we acclimate to new surroundings.

What was once foreign soon becomes our new normal. With the apartment window open, I could hear the rise and fall of my building’s small, green dumpsters. Chimes from the nearby clock tower rang out from dawn to dusk with precision timing. On Sunday mornings, the silence was deafening. These sounds, along with the buzz of Vespas and squeaking of metro brakes, became the soundtrack of my September in Paris. It was a spectacular song that rivaled any by Serge Gainsbourg.

“I guess it goes to show that you just never know where life will take you. You search for answers. You wonder what it all means. You stumble, and you soar. And, if you’re lucky, you make it to Paris for a while.” – Amy Thomas I was a little late to the Paris party, but coveted living in the city ever since I first visited in 2012. I’ve returned to the French capital numerous times since that first trip, and each time I found myself more enamored than I ever believed possible. I traveled to the City of Light six times in 2014, and with each solemn taxi ride to Charles de Gaulle, I felt gutted. In July, I decided that my next trip needed to be an extended one. A few days or even a week wouldn’t do. I doubted a month would be sufficient, but it was a start.

My previous experiences in Paris were for work, which included sleeping in super-luxurious, fivestar hotels, and decadent dining in internationally acclaimed restaurants. Luggage rarely touched my hands and black cars with dark tinted windows chauffeured me to my next destination. I suppose it’s technically my reality since I’m actually experiencing it. However, that is not my real life, nor is it for most Parisians.

I’ve proclaimed Paris to be my favorite city in the world, but had I put the city on a pedestal simply because of the royal treatment I’d previously received? I felt like a month in an apartment would give me a small taste of what it’s like to live in the world’s #1 tourist destination.

Although it’s not nearly as glamorous as a luxury hotel, I crazily yearned for this sort of experience.

For my September to remember, I looked to Paris Attitude, an apartment rental company specializing in the City of Light.

I wanted to experience Paris as

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Paris Attitude

By Leah Walker

Travel

a local, rather than the pampered guest of a palace hotel. There would be no concierge to help me find a market, nor would there be maid service to bring fresh towels. No, I would have to figure out the washing machine instructions in French, and where to buy limes, (which surprisingly isn’t as simple as it sounds) all on my lonesome.

Absent would be the driver; instead, I’d navigate the metro, or walk.

I’d stayed in Parisian apartments on two previous occasions, but those were shorter trips—two to five nights. This was the first time I could completely unpack my bags.

Clothes were hung; shoes found their temporary home; and toiletries were laid out in the bathroom cabinet. For someone who’s on the road most of the time, this was a strange feeling; one in which I relished.

Not only could I fill my closet, but also a refrigerator and pantry. One of the benefits of an apartment, after all, is the ability to cook and chill wine sans ice bucket. Oddly enough, I’d missed trips to the grocery store in the sort of way that big-city transplants miss driving.

What seems like a mundane chore and necessary evil to some is most often appreciated only after absent from one’s life. Not that buying milk felt as liberating as a spur-of-themoment train to Amsterdam, but knowing that I would be in a place long enough to finish the quart of milk was.

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A little area of Paris’ 9th arrondissement became my home, if only for a little while. I had a key— an actual key—rather than a plastic, computer-coded card. I had a regular sandwich place where I was recognized. The grocery store clerks knew me well enough to know that merci and au revoir were essentially the only words I could utter in

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French. Not being able to properly communicate was a humbling experience, but in my case, familiarity bred compassion rather than contempt.

Life is not all rosy in Paris, just like every other place in the world. It’s not like there is some cocoon that envelops this gorgeous city and

protects the people in it from heartbreak or hunger. One look at those in the metro station and that image is abolished. A smile is often taken for flirtation and actual communication amongst strangers is a rarity. It’s frustrating, especially for someone who grew up south of the Mason-Dixon Line, where grins and pleasantries are exchanged even

between mortal enemies.

For a non-Parisian, living in the city is like playing checkers, without being given a set of rules. From afar, the game seems simple and even enjoyable, but taking a seat at the table is another story. Customs and communication are foreign and easily misunderstood. Navigating the red

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and black board can be maddening, filled with wrong moves and missteps.

It’s a strategic game, one that requires intensive observation and study in order to become successful.

Despite all the complexities, that September made me love Paris more than I could ever imagine. In fact, it was half way through the month that I decided to apply for a Compétences et Talents Card, which is a three-year renewable visa allowing me to live and work in France. There were miles of paperwork and multiple hoops to jump through, but in February 2015, France deemed that I had skills and talents that would benefit the country. Thus, I was awarded the coveted visa and quickly began planning my Gallic escape.

“I know so much is going to happen here, but I just don’t know how. It feels like Paris is full of so many adventures just waiting to be had.”–Rachel Kapelke-Dale In order to live in Paris, one must

have a home in Paris, and finding my slice of paradise all the way from Texas wasn’t an experience I welcomed. Rather than navigate the city’s real estate labyrinth on my own, I again turned to Paris Attitude. What I found was a cozy (small) studio in the 8th arrondissement, just steps from one of my favorite green spaces in Paris: Parc Monceau. This district is also home to the Champs-Élysées, Grand Palais, Egilse de la Madeleine. Of course, this isn’t my forever home, but right now, I’m happy to have a place to unpack, fill the fridge, and call my own.

A wrong turn or missed metro can reveal a side to this enchanting city that I never knew existed. I’m nervously anticipating life in my new hometown. But to survive and flourish, I’ll need courage, a thick skin, confidenceand a little bit of Paris Attitude.

Fellow Francophiles, stay tuned for Leah’s new monthly feature dedicated to all-things France.

She will unearth the latest, greatest, little known, classic, and up-andcoming content focused on gastronomy, hotels, bars, spas, shopping, design, wine and spirits, spas, sport, tours, galleries and culture.

I know that living in Paris isn’t some sort of fairytale where Bordeaux wine flows from the faucet and accordions provide the perfect Parisian ambiance for a stroll in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. It’s a diverse city of millions, all moving in different directions. In Paris, anything can happen on any given day, at least that’s my belief.

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A Tale of Two Israeli Cities Part 2 Tel Aviv

By Janice Nieder

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osmopolitan Tel Aviv is really having a moment.

With over 1,200 high-tech companies, it is often referred to the “Next Silicon Valley,” so it’s no wonder that their economy is booming.

What this means to visitors is a seemingly endless array of fashionable new restaurants, funky art galleries, re-purposed hipster neighborhoods and a variety of shopping choices that include everything from world-class designers to eclectic street markets. If/when you’re ever too tired to shop you can simply flop on one of the city’ golden beaches and soak up the sun.

Suite Sleep

The Intercontinental David Tel Aviv is a gleaming, light-filled, beachfront luxury hotel that makes a perfect home base for your girlfriend getaway. All your needs are met and they’ll even raise you one if you reserve one of their humongous suites with magnificent views of the Mediterranean Sea, since they comes with free access to the exclusive Club Lounge.

We took full advantage of the tasty food and drinks available throughout the day, as well as the panoramic views and smiling service. After I handed the concierge a pile of scribbled notes, she immediately organized them into a perfect day of exploring.

The spacious guest rooms are decorated in soothing earthtones, and the elegant bathrooms are filled with a generous assortment of Dead Sea products. (Shhh: I even managed to score a few extra bars of the healing soaps to bring home for gifts!)

Dining options include a buffet, a fine-dining restaurant, a seaview terrace bar and a cigar lounge. Other amenities include a fitness center, a spa, and an outdoor pool with a bar.

I tended to overindulge at the international buffet breakfasts, piling my plate with a scrumptious array of smoked fish, Israeli salads, fresh breads and pastries. I loved the hot mini-cheesecakes, topping them with their homemade sugarfree fruit jams, which I chose to believe, offset the calories.

Thankfully, I didn’t discover the addictive halvah smoothies until my last morning.

Tempting Eats

The stylish Social Club is always hopping due to its sexy black and

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wood-filled décor, fab bar scene with a roster of signature cocktails, such as the Wild Berry (Beefeater Gin shaken with fresh strawberries, homemade Tonka Syrup and Cava) and the wellexecuted bistro food, ranging from a French classic: Pate de Foie Gras with onion marmalade, to an Israeli-influenced Calamari a la Plancha served with warm fava bean and tahini.

Mizlala (“stuff your face,” in Hebrew) is hip, without rubbing it in your face. Chef Meir Adoni creates Mediterranean comfort food with a sophisticated bent, served family style at the minimalist wooden tables. We preferred to watch all the action from the long marble bar which snakes through the restaurant.

There are many tempting veggie options here, such as the rich spinach and ricota ravioli, Jerusalem artichoke cream, Jordan mushrooms, asparagus, chestnuts, sage and butter sauce -- or you can go Paleo with a Palestinian version of the steak tartar made with chopped rump steak, tahini, pine nuts, yogurt and cumin.

For an authentic dining event, sign up for an EatWith dinner. EatWith is a wildly popular culinary experience, where local foodies invite people to dine in their homes. Although it is now available in over 150 cities around the world, EatWith originated in Tel Aviv.

My friend and I took a chance and booked the “Secrets of My Magical Arabic Cuisine” which turned out to be an unforgettable evening.

Dinner was at a cozy home on the outskirts of Jaffa, where our hostess, Alia, had prepared over a dozen Arab dishes based on old family recipes. Her gracious husband, Mahmoud, was kept busy translating our raves about her food, since she does not speak English. Ask him to show you his artwork, which consists of paintings, stained glass, etc.

Insider Tip: Alia also offers hands-on cooking workshops where she’ll divulge the “secrets” to preparing an Arab feast.

Drink the Night Away

Barhopping in Tel Aviv, the city that never snoozes, is almost as mandatory as serving in the Israeli armed forces. T.A. nightlife runs 24-7, so you can easily spend the night jumping between upscale bars, hipster hangouts and massive dance clubs with international DJs.

Travel Since the concept of ‘last-call’ isn’t used here, many partyers can be found strolling the beach at sunrise.

Big spenders will love the quality cocktails served at the intimate Imperial Craft Cocktail Bar, hidden within the unassuming Imperial Hotel, where the veteran bartenders’ mission statement is to create a temple to the lost art of the cocktail -- which makes it extra nice that Imperial was recently voted “Best Bar in Africa and the Middle East.”

Shpagat (the name roughly translates to ‘spread your legs’) is another multi-purpose, duplex venue; part pop-up store, part cozy coffee house, at night it turns into a laid-back, mostly-gay-but-allare-welcome, packed dance bar.

Shpagat bar hosts a women’s night on Wednesdays featuring female DJs and artists.

Hoodna, in Florentin, is a rough and tumble spot, “decorated” with secondhand couches, wooden school chairs, graffiti walls and lights fixtures made from recycled coke bottles. Great spot to grab a seat in the alley, sip a beer, listen to the live music and people watch.

Take in the Art

The Ilana Goor Museum can be found in an exquisitely renovated 18th century building in Old Jaffa.

(Jaffa, a 20-minute walk from the hotel, is a beautifully wellpreserved old port city that has been revitalized with a recent influx of restaurants and cafés.)

The museum once served as the first Jewish inn for pilgrims en route to Jerusalem. Later it became a synagogue for Libyan Jews. It is now both the private residence of Ilana Goor, one of Israel’s most famous sculptors and artists, as well as a living museum filled with five hundred works of art created by Goor and other international artists.

Insider tip: Don’t miss the rooftop sculpture garden for a panoramic view of the harbor. Also, ask if you can take a peek at her huge copper-filled kitchen.

Meshuna Gallery is a sassy, barebones, street-art and graffitifocused gallery in the gentrified yet still gritty Florentine area.

Founded by a couple of local artists who really just wanted studio space, it has morphed into an innovative cultural center that

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promotes young underground artists from the nabe.

Insider tip: If you want to explore more of this contemporary neighborhood, sign up for The Next Florentin Urban Culture Tour with the Street Wise HebrewGuy Sharett.

Although the Design Museum Holon only opened five years ago, it is already considered one of the world’s best contemporary art museums. Acclaimed Israeli architect, Ron Arad, created the innovative structure, which resembles a giant armload of tangled red bangles. The permanent collection presents the best of industrial, fashion, textile and jewelry design, while the changing exhibitions feature everything from lesser-known pieces from the Alessi Museum to examples from the early years of bicycle design.

Insider tip: It’s well worth the 20-minute taxi ride from Tel Aviv.

Shopping Galore

With its burgeoning stylish young population, Tel Aviv has become Israel’s fashion capital with a plethora of prestigious designer boutiques (both international and local) new luxury malls, pop-up stores and open markets, all vying for the techies dollars.

Kikar Hamedina has pretty much kicked Dizengogg Center to the curb for posh shopping. Exclusive international designer stores including Gucci, Chanel and Versace surround this grassy “State Square.”

The pretty neighborhood of Neve Tzedek also offers upscale shopping, but here you’ll find mostly local designers inhabiting the quaint boutiques and galleries hidden along the winding alleyways.

Insider tip: Agas & Tamar create incredible “story-telling jewelry” from found flotsam and jetsam, ancient coins, precious stones, gold and silver. Tell them your purchase is to be a gift and they’ll wrap it in a darling handmade muslin bag.

The Carmel Market, the frenetic soul of Tel Aviv, is filled with colorful stalls selling everything from fresh-baked Yemenite pancake-like flatbread called saluf to knock-off sunglasses. Shopping for an impromptu picnic yielded glistening black olives, hummus, flaky cheese burekas, hot pita, perfectly ripe tomatoes, succulent red strawberries, shelled pistachios,

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Travel a big bag of sour candy gummies and even a dirt-cheap blanket.

My favorite shopping was at the open-aired Nachalat Binyamin Market, which is parallel to the Carmel Market. Open Tuesday and Friday only, the market offers hand-made Israeli arts and crafts at exceedingly reasonable prices for quality goods.

Some of my scores included a chunky museum-quality necklace made from polished olive wood and metal and a bunch of wallets and coin purses crafted from recycled plastic by a hubbie and wife team at Beggar’s.

But the winner for the most creative line of products is Eli Yashar, a stained glass artist. Many years ago, at a relative’s wedding, during the custom of breaking a glass under the canopy, he got the idea of placing the glass shards into the pyramid to create a souvenir of the wedding day. Today, 13 years later, he sells a variety of stained glass memorabilia created from wedding glass shards.

For help in planning your exciting trip to Tel Aviv visit the helpful Israel Ministry of Tourism website.

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California’s Central Coast Two Ways

By Dena Roche

One of two golf courses at the Alisal

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ith summer travel nearly here, California’s Central Coast area offers up both the ideal vacation for families looking to connect, or couples looking for a weekend getaway.

Here’s the skinny on how to enjoy California’s Central Coast two ways.

Family Ties

Who hasn’t seen Dirty Dancing and thought that a family trip to Kellerman’s would be a great throwback to a simpler time? While time travel isn’t yet possible,

escaping to a bucolic 1950s-style family retreat certainly is; at the Alisal Guest Ranch & Golf Resort just outside Solvang on California’s beautiful Central Coast.

The Alisal is set on over 10,000 acres and the rolling hills provide a natural playground for families looking to connect over pastimes that don’t require an electronic connection. The resort warning that bobcats and mountain lions are in the area was in the back of my head throughout the walk.

Other outdoor activities that happen on a daily basis are archery and air rifle at the Alisal Lake, tennis, cycling, and guided hikes.

There is a pool that is (naturally) popular with the kids. If you happen upon a rare rainy day, as I did, there are movies, arts and crafts, and lectures offered.

Couples Connect

For couples looking for a romantic A bit of France at Brander Winery

getaway, the Central Coast serves up beautiful scenery, luxury hotels, great farm-to-table food, and wine.

Lots and lots of wine.

While not as famous as an area a bit further north, Central Coast wines made a big splash, thanks to the movie Sideways. While Pinot Noir put this area on the oenophile map, many other varietals grow well here.

I start my afternoon of tasting at Sunstone, a property that looks like a bit of Tuscany, but the limestone that built it actually came from a small village in France, and the wooden beams and roof tiles came from a lavender factory once owned

by Queen Victoria. The wines are made from organic grapes, and I’m surprised at some of my favorites; like the 2013 Grenache Blanc, and the Rose. Couples can even stay at the villa on property. Tres romanitque.

From a Tuscan villa built with French stone, to a French looking country home owned by a Swede. Brander wines was my other favorite that we visited. The label is known for its Sauvignon Blanc (and the first we tasted), sourced from Brander’s estate vineyard in Los Olivos. It’s the first time I have sniffed “cat pee”...err...I mean...“gooseberry”, in a Sauvignon Blanc. I say that to my friends who couldn’t believe I came up with that until I Google it, and show them how common a smell it is.

Nose withstanding, the wine tastes good, and the 2014 is the 38th consecutive vintage for this wine; clearly a lot of people like...ahem... gooseberry. Being a red wine girl normally, I like the F/Red, a smooth blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,

and Shiraz.

The quaint town of Los Olivos is so charming, one almost feels like it’s a movie set. There are plenty of tasting rooms including Saarloos & Sons, which does a wine and cupcake paring. Red velvet and Pinot anyone?

But I’m here for lunch with a girlfriend who works in town, and she expertly guides us to the Zagat-rated Petros in the rustically luxurious Fess Parker Wine Country Inn & Spa. The weather was cool enough to sit by the roaring fire and enjoy a big bowl of Avgolemono soup, and great conversation.

Speaking of towns out of a movie, the nearby Solvang is even more so.

Settled by a group of Danes looking to escape frigid Midwest winters (Smart Danes) Solvang literally means sunny field. Over 100 years later, the town still screams Denmark: from the architecture, to Danish pastry shops, to a copy of the famous Little Mermaid statue.

Naturally, there is a windmill on the main drag. As I wander around town, poking into places like the independent Book Loft and Hans Christen Anderson Museum, I’m stunned by the amount of Asian tourists. My girlfriend tells me that Solvang is especially popular in China, and that the town is a major tourist attraction. She wasn’t kidding, a quick check proved that it gets over one million tourists a year, making it a major attraction in the Sunshine State. One can even buy lederhosen if one is so inclined.

No matter the type of vacation you’re looking to do this summer, the Central Coast is sure to please all.

Sunstone Villa

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Travel

CityPASS Luxury Two Ways

CREDITS: NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM - AMY DREHER; AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY - AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY; EMPIRE STATE BUILDING - EMPIRE STATE BUILDING; STATUE OF LIBERTY - NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE

By Lillian Africano

E

veryone loves a bargain.

CityPASS is a genuine bargain, a book of admissin tickets to major tourist attractions with savings of up to 50% compared to the combined regular box office prices. But even better: CityPASS ticket holders have the luxury of saving time and the convenience by skipping ticket lines (no matter how long they are) and heading straight for the entrance of whatever attraction they’re visiting.

Some years ago, I became a hero to my family when we used my New York CityPASS booklets to visit the American Museum of Natural history during a school holiday period. Yes, I knew this wasn’t a great time to

visit a top attraction in a busy city crowded with visitors. But when else do you take a school-age child to visit a museum without having him skip school?

Anyway, when we got to the museum, the line was horrendous, snaking down the block as far as the eye could see.

We were, to say the least, discouraged.

But wait – the guard called out: “CityPASS holders, this way” – and just like that, we cut the line! Next, we cut another line – the one to buy tickets.

There was a special window for CityPASS holders, and all we had to do was hand in our coupons and receive an admission ticket, along with an appointment for the Rose Center (planetarium) show. My family seemed

to believe I had performed some sort of urban magic to get us into both the museum and the planetarium in just a few minutes, with a minimum of fuss, on a day when scores of people were waiting to get in.

Fast forward to our next experience: the Empire State Building Observatory.

This time, because the weather was cloudy and chilly, the line was fairly short, but still we sailed through with what seemed truly like VIP treatment.

Once again, my family was impressed, especially as the audio tour was included in our ticket.

The newest CityPASS for New York City, (adults, $114; youths 6-17, $89), includes the Empire State Building, the

American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Three more attractions are included and these involve choices: The Top of the Rock Observation Deck or the Guggenheim Museum; the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island or a Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise; the 9/11 Memorial & Museum or the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. The New York City CityPASS booklet is valid for nine consecutive days.

CityPASS booklets are now also available in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Southern California (booklet is valid for 14 consecutive days), Tampa Bay and Toronto (Canada).

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Casa De Campo Dominican Republic

By Liz Palmer

C

asa De Campo, one of the Caribbean’s legendary resorts, boasts six restaurants and three award-winning golf courses, one being the top golf course in the world, the Teeth of The Dog. That’s just the beginning and the Casa story tells the tale of constant evolution and corporate contribution.

Casa de Campo translated means “homes from cropland,” and the real beginning started in the late 1960s with the success of the Gulf + Western sugar mill operation at La Romana.

Alvaro Carta operated the largest producing mill in the world at the time and was interested in investing profits into impoverished parts of the island. Alvaro Carta decided to bring in designer Pete Dye to design a hotel and golf course. Originally the plans were drawn up for an area just outside Santo Domingo, but Dye focused on an area near the La Romano Sugar Mill.

Dye started building an Executive Course for the employees of the Sugar Mill; in walking the Caribbean coastline, he realized that a course along the shore was something special. This course was hand-built by over 300 Dominicans. Coral rock

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breeding and training horses. Altos de Chavon, a village showcasing Dominican art and culture was completed and features many cafes, restaurants and a 5000-seat Grecian style amphitheatre inaugurated by a Frank Sinatra HBO televised special on August 20, 1982.

In the mid-1980s the property was sold to the Central Romana Corporation and Carta’s dream started to take off in a whole new dimension which is still expanding to this day.

In many ways the story of Casa de Campo in 2015 is being rewritten again. was chipped by sledgehammer and soil was carted in by wagon.

The course was originally called Cajielies, which refers to the cashew trees in the mountains;, the name was changed to “Teeth of The Dog” when Dye heard locals refer to the sharp coral rock, which looked like canine

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teeth, as diente del perro (teeth of the dog in Spanish). Teeth of The Dog officially opened in 1971 with seven of the most spectacular holes in golf along the shore of the Caribbean.

By 1974 the Casa De Campo resort opened as an executive retreat for Gulf + Western Employees and a

private airport was built at the resort to accommodate CEOs and other executives who arrived by private jet.

Over the next ten years Casa has evolved into a resort for many reasons. Prince Maharajah Jabar Singh helped start organized polo,

Casa de Campo’s resort community is spread out over 7,000 immaculately manicured acres which include: the main hotel, guest rooms, world-class spa, riding stables, polo, tennis, an immaculate private beach, marina, Altos de Chavon – a cultural village with amphitheatre, seven restaurants and several neighbourhoods of privately

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owned villas with many pampering amenities. Casa de Campo has its own real estate brokerage onsite and helipad. You actually get a golf cart to manoeuvre around the property when you check- in. Accommodations are everything one would expect of from a world-class hotel and Casa de Campo did not disappoint. We stayed at one of the elite guest rooms, which was conveniently a twominute golf cart ride to the main building and faces out onto one of the greens.

Amenities include 42-inch flat screen televisions,marble vanities, iPod/ iPhone docking stations, espresso coffee machines and L’Occitane products in the bathrooms.

Hidden away in the tropical foliage of Casa de Campo is Casa de Campo Spa; it’s a true sanctuary for renewal. Everything at the spa speaks to the body, spirit and mind being one and being in total alignment. It is delivered by exceptional practitioners, in worldclass facilities and one client described the spa as “an incredible spa experience that truly lifted my soul.”There are seven spa suites, each with a private shower with a Zen garden. With a local twist, indigenous ingredients are used such as Dominican Coffee exfoliation, Fruity-Herbal Body Wrap and Choco Body Mask. A true indulgence!

There are seven restaurants in and around Casa de Campo to indulge in.

The three main dining experiences are La Caña by Il Circo (Steak, seafood with a good selection of wine) overlooking the pool and spa area, Lago Grill, a full-service restaurant with alfresco dining and Beach Club by Le Cirque, an elegant beach front dining experience featuring Le Cirque-trained chefs.

Other popular restaurants include La Piazzetta, a gourmet Italian dining experience at Altos de Chavon, La Casita at the marina, where seafood and tapas are the draw and Chinois with breathtaking views at the marina and which serves up panAsian flavors, Cantonese specialties and Japanese sushi and sashimi.

My top two were the Beach Club

by Le Cirque with two outstanding signature dishes: Lobster Salad and Grouper, and La Piazzetta both for their top service, wine list and overall dining experiences.

At Casa de Campo we found an excellent equestrian center which staff is on hand for lessons in English or Western-style riding and jumping.

For ages seven and up, three ponies rides are available on Anita, Juanito or Miguelito. We did a trail ride around the polo fields and saw some teams at practice.

World-class polo has come to the Caribbean. There are three polo fields: one practice field and two for matches.

Casa de Campo is best known for its three Pete Dye-designed golf courses, namely The Links, The Dye Fore and considered by many to be the top 18-hole course in the Caribbean and one of the top in the world, Teeth of the Dog. This course has seven holes along the brilliantly colored Caribbean Sea. One of the golf pros told us “most of the world’s great oceanside courses play along high cliffs; the Teeth of the Dog is ocean level, and you’ll feel the spray of the waves on a couple of holes.”

Other Activities Water sports such as boating, fishing river sailing, ocean sailing, kayaking, snorkeling and Scuba Tennis at La Terraza Tennis Center

with 13 Har-Tru Courts Jim McLean Golf School Bicycle rentals Fitness Center with Cybex equipment, treadmills, stationery bikes, free weights with an area dedicated to improving golf performance Shooting Center with more than 200 stations for sporting clays as well as three trap and skeet layouts A 150-slip Marina & Yacht Club facility with upscale shopping Supervised children’s programs

Power Patrons

Bill Clinton - Former US President Elizabeth Taylor - Actress Luciano Pavarotti - Famous Tenor Carolina Herrera - Fashion Designer Shakira - Singer Gloria & Emilio Estefan Musical Icons Marc Anthony - Singer Enrigue Iglesias - Singer Jimmy Carter - Former US President Puff Daddy - Famous Rap Singer George HW Bush - Former US President Greg Norman - Professional Golfer

and Course Designer Jean Chretien - Prime Minister of Canada Nick Faldo - Professional Golfer & Course Designer Karim Ostreicher - Princess of Austria Mikhail Gorbachev - Former Leader of the Soviet Union Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley were married at Casa de Campo.

At Casa De Campo you have the very best of everything: fabulous accommodations, gourmet dining, world-class sporting adventures, pampering spa treatments and personalized guest services.

You might even bump into an international celebrity or dine under the stars beside one of the world’s financial moguls or politicos.

Casa de Campo 1-800-877-3643 or (305) 856-5405 www.casadecampo.com.do Twitter: @casadecampo Facebook: Casa de Campo Resort

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Travel

Anguilla’s Super Villa

By Tim Cotroneo

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O

n Anguilla’s most private piece of Rendezvous Bay oceanfront sits the ultra-luxurious Arushi Villa. This marbled white five-bedroom residence features 15 distinct vantage points showcasing epic views of the neighboring island of St. Maarten.

Within seconds upon entering the villa’s Mediterranean-style living area, breathtaking million dollar views start coming at you in waves.

Arushi Villa is oceanfront living at its finest. Your villa’s Olympic-sized pool, Eden-like garden and uberprivate beachfront are the only things between you and the Caribbean Sea. When faced with the choice between constructing everything one could hope for in an island dream home versus choosing the perfect ocean

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setting, the owner threw caution to the trade winds before declaring: “In the case of Arushi Villa, why not enjoy the best of both worlds?”

Remarkable Views of the Caribbean Sea

Anguilla’s world-class reputation for beaches was not lost in the Villa Arushi grand plan. An obsession with the color turquoise is evident every time you glance outward beyond the miles of glass standing between you and Arushi’s air conditioned interior.

The kitchen, dining room and living area combine custom comfort with ever-present ocean views. A flowing floor plan accented with Caribbean elegance makes the Arushi Villa main level a cohesive gathering center.

The more you explore Arushi Villa, the more it becomes obvious that architect Oscar Farmer sought to

maximize what this pristine Caribbean acreage had to offer.

A residence with ocean views at every turn was first and foremost on his priority list. Privacy with convenience became Arushi’s no-compromise cornerstone. Also, you’ll find no fewer than five coliseum-sized bathrooms at Arushi Villa. Adding to the bath “wow” factor are vaulted ceilings, skyscraping indoor/outdoor showers, a soaking tub and push button amenities. By day two of your stay, you’ll realize your Arushi Villa interior is the stuff of dreams.

Your Wish is Their Command

You may ask: “What level of service accompanies your villa lifestyle?”

Arushi Villa is represented by Properties in Paradise, a longstanding Anguilla real estate company whose roots are steeped

in five-star Caribbean hospitality management. Elaine and Bruce Hearn coordinate the Arushi Villa butler service, landscaping, chef selection, housekeeping, security, and transportation.

Like a magic genie, once your Villa Arushi reservation is made, the Hearns’ goal is to ensure a one-ofa-kind Anguilla vacation. One of Elaine’s favorite sayings is: “Your wish is our command.” The openended service menu ranges from hassle-free pickup at the airport, arranging a picnic on one of Anguilla’s scenic beaches, on-site spa treatment and transport to a special dinner. If you like, the Hearns will arrange a wakeup call so you can start your day watching an extraordinary sunrise on your own private bedroom terrace.

Travel Room for You at the Top

The Villa Arushi second floor and rooftop terraces are as pleasing as the main floor, only from a much higher vantage point. As an appetizer, look directly behind you and gaze at the Greg Norman-designed Cuisinart Golf Course. Then turn back and take in the surroundings of your Olympicsize swimming pool, the beautifully landscaped gardens, your private beachfront and the majesty of the ultra-turquoise Caribbean Sea. Something as simple as your first sip of morning coffee becomes a magic memory from this exquisite secondstory perch.

The second floor and rooftop terraces are viewpoints that are a notch above dramatic. Step out from one of the two master bedrooms and you’ll discover not one, but two sounds.

Your no-lose choices are serene silence or crashing ocean waves.

As you go skyward to the rooftop terrace, take a moment and absorb Anguilla’s awesome natural beauty.

It’s during this moment of reflection that you realize there’s room for you at the top at Villa Arushi. www.arushivilla.com/ propertiesinparadiseaxa.com/

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Luxury & ELEgancE

with ocean views from every window.

Each suite has a separate sitting and sleeping chamber with a king sized bed and a luxury private bath.

Wake up to beautiful breakfasts served by our lighthouse keepers in the cozy kitchen with fireplace and ocean vistas.

Our living quarters are outfitted with the latest modern technology including wifi, LED televisions, and USB ports.

Come and stay...

Surround yourself with sweeping panoramic views of Maine’s Atlantic Coastline and bask in contemporary luxury and design. The custom millwork, beautiful moldings, coffered ceilings and marble bathrooms are the ultimate in craftsmanship. The views from every window are dramatic, 360 degree ocean views. The Cuckolds is a unique experience, receiving each guest in contemporary luxury through layers of bespoke craftsmanship and design. All honoring the sense of place and Cuckolds history.

Reservations Toll Free: 855.212.5252 www.innatcuckoldslighthouse.com

Photos by Darren Setlow

Travel

The Waterfront The Ultimate Orange County Experience

By Aurelia

A

s a travel writer who loves the salt of the sea, the warmth of the afternoon sun and the drama when the orange orb sets in the evening, my taste tends to be for Mediterranean destinations. Imagine my delight this winter when I did not have to cross the seas to satisfy my longings for a touch of European ambiance. I found the perfect atmosphere and unparalleled service at the Waterfront Beach Hilton Hotel, Huntington Beach, California.

Long a favorite of locals, Huntington Beach is a superb choice as a travel destination, no matter what time of the year, but for those of us who live in the Northeast, it is an ideal choice in the winter.

The architecture of the resort has a Mediterranean feel sprawling over more than 22,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space of understated elegance.

Poets use a bridge as a metaphor for paradise and to reach it, one must cross over. I wondered if the hotel’s architects had this in mind, because to experience the beauty of the Pacific Ocean, one must take a short walk over a bridge. Once over, you step onto a lovely beach that seems to go on forever, and literally stretches over ten miles. If you do not care to head directly for the beach and wiggle your toes in the sand, as I did shortly after I checked in, (I could not restrain myself— I walked in snow that morning) you can

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When Indy’s Libertine Liquor Bar landed on Esquire’s “Best Bars in America” list, it was acknowledgment of not only a bar, but a scene that has been building. From our breweries raking in gold at the Great American Beer Festival to our chefs stirring up buzz over our dining scene, Indianapolis is serving up more than the race cars and hoops we’re known for. Take a long weekend and discover the Midwest’s best kept secret for yourself.

For what to see, do, and eat, go to VisitIndy.com | BLOG: DoingIndy.com | FOLLOW US: @VisitIndy

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stroll along what is said to be the longest concrete pier in existence.

When you are a guest at this splendid resort, you will have access to many amenities, including the pleasure of reserving your own fire pit on the beach. It is the only place in Orange County where you can do this, and locals “in the know” will come to the Waterfront to do exactly that. There are very few pleasures as satisfying as sitting on a beach chair at night in front of your own fire pit (bonfire ring), watching a sunset as beautiful as you will see in the Mediterranean and, of course, roasting s’mores (a traditional campfire treat consisting of roasted marshmallows on a bed of chocolate between two graham crackers.)

The Waterfront Beach Hilton Hotel is owned by the Mayer Family and is incorporated as MayerCorp.com. It opened twenty-five years ago, and plans are to open another complex near by the summer of 2017, featuring two hundred luxury rooms and a roof-top terrace and event space. The new complex will accommodate the many visitors-local, national, and international-who see Huntington Beach as a popular travel destination as the hotel is ideal for escapes, family holidays and conferences.

Huntington Beach is famously known as “Surf City, USA,” and epitomizes the “California Dreaming” ideal of endless sunshine, endless summers,

and wide, sandy beaches.

All your shopping and entertainment needs will be met on the town’s famous and very lively Main Street, home to a dazzling variety of cafes, restaurants, boutiques, surf shops and street fairs. Music plays from all the clubs and pubs, setting the atmosphere for the vibrant Huntington Beach lifestyle, all just a short walk away.

I was visiting relatives who lived in nearby Newport Beach and Laguna Woods, and I found it very convenient to invite them to join me for breakfast and lunch. It was a very relaxing way to catch up on each other’s lives in a serene atmosphere while enjoying the freshest and most delicious food; we had a choice of dining outdoors by the pool or in the spacious dining room.

It was my birthday and we celebrated with lunch. The Caprese Sandwich recommended to me had buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, basil pesto, mixed greens and prosciutto on a ciabatta roll and was indeed a tasty treat; my brother said he would come back to the hotel just for the Shades Pub Burger, and my cousin confessed she was now “hooked” on the fish tacos.

The Waterfront has an arrangement with its neighbor, the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa, for its guests to use the facilities of the

Pacific Waters Spa and I took advantage of this. (Why not treat myself to a birthday gift?) Did I mention the hotel’s service is impeccable? When I asked about the Spa, the concierge called and made the appointment and within minutes a golf cart was there to drive me the short distance to the Hyatt. I was greeted

by Claudia Hiatt, Spa Group Concierge, who showed me to a locker for my fluffy robe and slippers and then to the steam, sauna, and whirlpool. Bliss.

The Spa itself is worth the visit to Huntington Beach. The architecture is Spanish with an Andalusian flair and has the feel of a private estate.

After my treatments, I relaxed alone in a private courtyard with lush, tropical foliage, soothed by the sound of falling waters. I read for more than a hour. When I was ready to leave, the golf cart awaited me and I was so relaxed that I took a nap and did not want to leave my room upon awakening. I ordered a light meal of crab cakes, melon salad and wine, and as I finished there was a rap on my door. I was not expecting my brother or cousin and when I opened the door, a waiter stood before me holding a tray and asking if he could come in.

He placed the tray on the table and removed the cover to reveal a large piece of very sumptuous looking chocolate cake. There was a note and I opened it to be wished “Happy

Birthday” by Tammy Thurlow, the chef concierge.

I will always remember my birthday at The Waterfront Beach Resort.

After a perfect day with my family, relaxing hours at the Spa, an evening meal and dessert that just “hit the spot,” I snuggled under the sheets and comforter and had one of the best sleeps in recent years.

The next morning when I checked out I mentioned to Ms. Rachel Butler, the morning concierge, that I had a wonderful stay and that the bedding was unusually comfortable. She said each room has the “Hilton Serenity Collection” bedding and the purpose is to “make each room a sanctuary.”

I told her the purpose was achieved, indeed, and the comforter and other bedding had to be the best on the market. I asked if it was possible to buy this bedding for my home, and she said this is a frequent request of guests and gave me links to websites.

The order has been placed and I await delivery. I will not be able to hear the sound of the Pacific Ocean from my room at home, but I can snuggle under the softness of my very own “Hilton Serenity” comforter. If you cannot go to the sanctuary, you can make the sanctuary come to you. It is a way of crossing the bridge to your very own idea of paradise. Good Night and Please Do Not Disturb.

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Travel

Atlantic City Redefined

By Jenna Intersimone

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A

s I drive into Atlantic City on a bustling sunny Saturday afternoon, with the air heavy with the promise of short dresses and tall drinks, there is an invisible cloud that hangs above.

Although I know it lingers behind sad “cash for gold” signs, dark back alleys and mahogany boardrooms with hopeful sellers, I don’t immediately see it beneath the flashing lights and well-dressed people in the casinos.

Behind closed doors, the future of Atlantic City is uncertain. Within 18 months, four casinos in the legendary town have turned off their

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last fluorescent light. Throughout the past eight years, profits have plunged by $2.34 billion dollars, having started 2006 making $5.2 billion, then cutting revenue almost in half.

I find this to be a sad story for the city that once ran the show against prohibition, where rules were negotiable and freedom was rampant during the 1920s. Gamblers and drinkers waved their hand to the conservative ruling and instead, threw around their glamour and glitz alongside their whiskey drinks and dancing women. Without the cloud of prohibition to ruin its weekends, Atlantic City quickly became “The World’s Playground.”

The golden days came to an unfortunate end around World War II and the city quickly became overrun by poverty, crime, unemployment and corruption. However, as the issues surrounding Atlantic City have become more prominent with the loss of jobs and industry, the city has only become more committed to launching a turnaround.

So what is to become of the iconic Jersey Shore destination? The future remains uncertain, but read on to find out what developers have in mind to bring Atlantic City into what they, and I, hope will be its greatest era yet.

The Tropicana, one of Atlantic City’s

most popular casinos, isn’t going down without a fight. A $50 million upgrade has launched, which features jaw-dropping renovations and a state-of-the-art gym. Some of the older areas of the legendary casino have been redone and renovations are currently underway for the north tower’s 434 hotel rooms. Also, an open-to-the-public AtlantiCare LifeCenter fitness center is in the works; it will have half-a-million dollars of the best equipment available in the 12,455-square-foot space, including Cybex weight machines, a fully stocked cardio wing and two hardwood exercise studios designed with floating floors to limit stress on joints. The Tropicana is hoping that these upgrades will bring

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Northeast clientele away from faraway destinations and back to Atlantic City, as happened in the city’s glory days.

Big upgrades clearly aren’t just reserved for big hotels; dazzling lights are coming to the boardwalk to make way for some glitz as well as practical public safety in the darkening city. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority approved $12.5 million in bonds to finance 164 new LED light poles that will not only add some sparkle, but will also illuminate some of the more ominous spots of the of the four-mile-long wooden promenade which have been left darkened after the closing of four casinos in the area. These high-tech light poles will include interactive and decorative features that will not only keep passing tourists safe, but will also serve as family-friendly entertainment, a new focus for the

city which has always been known as a gambling destination Another big hotel in Atlantic City, The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, is also about to get some expensive updates. A new nightclub is coming to the glitzy hotel, as well as an outdoor entertainment venue, at a combined price tag of $14 million.

By teaming up with Live Nation, the Borgata plans on bringing top performers to the venue, Festival Park, which opened June 13 with a daylong music celebration. Some of the biggest DJs in the world as well as a series of Electric Dance Music parties will be found at the venue, another way of creating fun without the presence of gambling in the city -- which has experienced a huge loss of the once-formidable industry.

Not that the partying is over yet; the Borgata’s MIXX nightclub will be replaced by a new nightclub that will have a big-city, upscale feel created

by renowned New York architectural firm Josh Held Design, whose earlier projects include Marquee Nightclub in New York, TAO Restaurant and Nightclub in Las Vegas and Voyeur Nightclub in Los Angeles. The Borgata hopes that these high-end upgrades will bring guests looking for some dancing and drinks back to the city by the shore.

The beachfront area is getting a makeover of its own, as one of the tallest observation wheels in the country of its kind will soon be found there alongside some of the vintage features. A $14 million 205-foot-tall observation wheel with 40 enclosed, climate-controlled cars and WiFi access is currently being built in Melara, Italy and should be delivered to Atlantic City

by December. As one of the tallest attractions of its type in the United States, it will provide riders with a 15- to 20-minute panoramic view of

the Atlantic Ocean as well as the developing city skyline suspended atop a 30,000-square-foot expansion of Steel Pier. With views like that, why stay inside a stuffy casino?

Things definitely haven’t been easy for Atlantic City. As the gambling industry has changed, the need for Atlantic City to change has evolved as well, and it has become obvious that there are simply too many casinos and that the market needs to correct itself and adjust to the actual number of gamblers who travel to betting centers.

Atlantic City is seeing that it needs some other attractions to keep families headed to the Shore spot, an effort they are pursuing with the abovementioned renovations and changes to come. Only time will tell if these efforts come to fruition, transforming the city into a tourist destination known for more than just gambling.

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CREDIT HERE

Luxe

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Travel

Layovers: PHL

By Susan Lanier-Graham

PHL Terminal A West at night.

Photo courtesy Philadelphia International Airport

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R

emember the days when the thought of an airport layover brought shudders and a sense of dread? Today’s airports are breaking out of that mold — and breaking all the old rules — to offer bespoke services to modern travelers. From luxury lounges, modern spas and art museums, to wine bars, gourmet restaurants and markets filled with fresh produce, airports around the world are revolutionizing the travel experience.

Discover a new place each month for your next luxe layover.

Philadelphia International Airport: PHL

PHL—Philadelphia International Airport—opened in 1940 as Philadelphia Municipal Airport with just four carriers. Today, PHL is owned and operated by the city of Philadelphia and services not only the country’s sixth largest metropolitan area, but the entire country along with most of Europe and the Middle East.

There are now 27 carriers at PHL with service to 130 domestic and international destinations. PHL is only about 7 miles outside the city center. During your layover at PHL, you can find just about anything you need or want. There are 170 food, beverage and retail outlets. There is also free wi-fi and nearly 1000 power charging outlets located across the five terminals. Travelers at PHL have access to The Virtual Library when they connect via the public wi-fi. This free collection of more than 27,000 ebooks is provided by the Free Library of Philadelphia.

B, C, D and E (if you arrive at Terminal F, walk to Terminal E to get the train).

SEPTA’s Airport Regional Rail runs every 30 minutes from the airport to the city center from 5:09am to 12:09am with return trips from the city center between 4:25am and 11:25pm. The trip is $8 cash each way.

You can also purchase an Individual Independence Pass for $12 or a Family Independence Pass (good for up to five people) for $29. Both passes, which you can get on the train from the conductor, provide unlimited travel for a day on SEPTA buses, trolleys, subway and Regional Rail.

Airport Clubs & Lounges

There are a number of lounges located at PHL, although some of them are only open during the times that international flights are boarding. The lounges include: • American Airlines Admirals Club in the B/C connector; accessible via elevator near Gate B2 and escalator in the B/C connector; open 5:30am to 10pm • American Airlines Admirals Club in the Terminal F hub (upstairs); open 5:30am to 10pm • American Airlines Admirals Club near Gate A15, accessible via elevator; open 5:30am to 9:30pm • American Airlines Admirals Club near Gate A4; open 5am to 7pm • British Airways Galleries Lounge near Gate A14; open 3 to 7pm • Delta Sky Club, Terminal D; open

5am to 7pm • Qatar Airways Privilege Club near Gate A14; open 8am to 10:30am • United Club in the C/D connector; open 5am to 7:30pm.

Several of the clubs offer single day admission. You can get free beverages, snacks, reading material, internet connection in all lounges.

The American Airlines Admirals

The Airport Layout

There are five terminals at PHL. You can easily walk between Terminals A, B, C, D and E via a series of moving sidewalks. If you need to connect via Terminal F, which houses US Airways Express (now American Airlines), there is a continuous free shuttle from Gates C16 and A1 to the hub at Gate F14. You can also walk from Terminal F to Terminal E, but you will go out of security. There is an interactive terminal map online here.

If you have a longer layover and want to explore the city a bit, there are several options. You can rent a taxi or hire a car service at the airport.

Follow the signs to ground transportation. If you want a hassle-free way to see the city, you can hop on SEPTA Airport Regional Rail, which is accessible via walkways between the terminals and baggage claims at Terminals A-East,

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Terminal F at PHL Airport.

Photo courtesy Philadelphia International Airport

Travel

Aerial overview of PHL at night

Club also offer meals for purchase and premium alcohol for purchase in addition to the complimentary snacks and house liquors.

Food and Drink

There is a wide variety of foods available at PHL, from sit-down dining to grab-and-go sandwiches and snacks. My favorites include Sky Asian Bistro, Legal Sea Foods, Cibo Bistro & Wine Bar and Vino Volo.

• Sky Asian Bistro serves more than 30 wines by the glass along with a selection of Asian beers and teas.

You can select from the full menu offering sushi, sashimi, rolls and Asian cuisine. Sky Asian Bistro is located near Gate C17.

• Cibo Bistro & Wine Bar serves up Italian meals and a selection of Summer Brew Series at Local in Terminal F. Photo courtesy Philadelphia International Airport

wines, beer and spirits. The sit-down restaurant is located near Gate B4.

• Legal Sea Foods, located in the B/C Connector, serves a full menu of seafood specialties from raw bar to chowders, scallops, shrimp, salmon, lobster rolls and some pretty incredible desserts.

• Vino Volo is an upscale wine bar and bistro offering a nice selection of wine, beer and spirits along with artisanal cheeses and cured meats.

You can also do a wine tasting with a wine flight here during your layover.

There are Vino Volo locations near Gate A17, Gate B9 and in the B/C food court.

• Local in Terminal F, featuring the food of Philly local and Iron Chef Jose Garces. The menu is locally sourced and paired with custom cocktails or local beers.

• La Tapenade is an all-day café that serves international dishes. Located in the International Terminal A-West, it starts the day with pastries and coffee, then continues serving lunch and dinner featuring homemade chutneys, Tzatziki sauces, roasted vegetables, sandwiches and fine cheeses.

Shopping

PHL offers a variety of shopping opportunities. Most retail shops open at 7am and remain open until

10pm, although shops in Terminals D and E close earlier, at 8:30 or 9:30pm.

You can find everything from Brooks Brothers clothing to Pandora jewelry, Tumi luggage and Swarovski crystal. There are international and duty free shops in Terminal A-West (the International terminal). For a complete listing of shops, check online at philamarketplace.com or check out one of the directories in the airport.

For Fun, Relaxation and Pampering

There are several ways to relax at PHL, from pampering yourself at the spa to resting in your own private suite or checking out the amazing artwork on display throughout the airport.

If you are looking to relax, head to one of the three XpresSpa locations.

There are three PHL locations—one near Gate C18, one in the D concourse and a third near Gate F25.

You can get manicures, pedicures, facials, foot massages, hand and arm massages or even full body massages.

You can book as few as 15 minutes or as much as 90 minutes. The spa near Gate C18 is open from 7am to 10pm daily; the concourse D location

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Outside view of PHL terminal. Photo courtesy Philadelphia International Airport

is open from 7am to 8pm; the spa near Gate F25 is open 7am to 10pm.

In 1998, PHL established its Exhibition Program to bring art to the airport through a series of rotating exhibits located throughout the airport. You will also find several permanent art pieces on display. You can go to maps.phl.org/phl/ to view the interactive map that lets you create a customized Healthy HeART

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CREDIT HERE

There is usually some type of entertainment in the terminals.

During the winter, there is a program of live music, artist’s demonstrations, caricature painting and free bags of popcorn as part of the “Oh, Say It Ain’t Snow!! Weather the Winter Blues at PHL” campaign.

During the summer months, the customer appreciation program Just Plane Fun runs June through August with daily live entertainment. One of the popular events is the Summer Brew Series, which takes place throughout the airport where travelers get a chance to sample local beers and food to a backdrop of local musicians entertaining the crowds.

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Walk to explore the art while you get moving during your layover.

There is a variety of artwork for both adults and children, ranging from historical displays to glasswork, paintings, and sculptures.

Some of the not-to-miss permanent exhibits include: • Cloudsphere by Mei-ling Hom in the Hammerhead Rotunda of Terminal E. You can read more about the artist’s work at www.meilinghom.com/ portfolio/public-art.

• YOU ARE HERE by Ellen Harvey and Jan Baracz in the Terminal F Hub. Read more about this beautiful glass wall at www.broadwayworld.com/.

Rest Your Head

If you’re looking for a quick rest between flights, you can head to the Minute Suites in the A/B Connector.

These private suites each include a sofa bed, pillow, blanket, 32″ HDTV with computer capabilities, keyboard, mouse, DirecTV, free WiFi, sound system with NAP26Tm audio program for power napping, alarm clock, desk and office chair. Rooms are available for $38 per hour with $9.50 per 15 minutes for the first

two hours or $7 per 15 minutes after two hours. If you have a longer stay, you can book 5 hours for $120, 8 hours for $150 or, if want to stay overnight inside the terminal, you can book an overnight 8 hours at the flat rate of $130.

If you prefer to rest your head in a comfy bed with full hotel amenities, head to the Philadelphia Airport Marriott, connected to Terminal B via a direct skywalk passage. The hotel has one-bedroom suites and a concierge level with two queens or a king. There are day rates available in addition to regular overnight rates. The rooms are soundproofed, so you never know you’re sitting alongside the active runways while you snooze in comfort.

The hotel includes the Aviation Grill, which is open 6am to 12:30am daily, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and snacks.

Philadelphia International Airport is ever evolving and working to improve the visitor experience, so be sure to check online at www.phl.org for the latest updates before setting out on your trip.

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a t u P t i n i Pidnefinable Magic

The In a b u C s i that tone

By Debbie S

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ny reason is a good reason to visit Cuba. Maybe it’s the island’s legendary music that’s the allure. Perhaps it’s the colonial architecture and wonderfully preserved history that offers the appeal. Or possibly, the country’s political situation is of great interest to you. Then, of course, there are the people.

Comprised of a colorful melting pot of cultures from Spain, Africa, Asia and elsewhere, they represent diversity at its finest.

Cuba has been a forbidden fruit for Americans for more than a half-century and the mystique surrounding it has continued to grow over the years. It has captivated our attention and piqued our interest, which is why I jumped at the chance at visiting our neighbor to the south when given the opportunity. The main reason I decided to journey to this complex country was to satisfy a long held burning curiosity, coupled with the sense of urgency I felt in regard to unknown future events. Put it bluntly: I wanted to see Cuba before the Golden Arches and Starbucks made their entrance.

For those Americans who want to explore this unique destination, it’s legally possible, but you still must play by the rules despite the recent thawing in relations between the U.S. and Cuba. If you go, you will need to participate in an educational, cultural or religiousoriented program that fosters people-to-people experiences, operated by one of the dozen or so companies that have licenses to bring U.S. citizens to the country.

Though the idea of being on a tour might deter you, know that it’s the only way at present to get an up-close and personal look at this enigmatic and fascinating place.

I chose to join a music and artsthemed tour entitled “Jazz in Havana” with Insight Cuba, a non-profit organization that has a stellar reputation for providing quality programs. The company is the most experienced provider of licensed people-to-people Cuba travel in the industry. It has sent over 12,000 Americans to Cuba since its inception in 2000 and is a pioneer in this arena, offering a broad selection of tours spanning the country. My fellow travelers, twelve total, were a diverse group, but we shared one common quality – curiosity – plus we all had Cuba at the top of our travel bucket list.

It’s only a mere 93 miles from the

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U.S., yet Cuba is a world away. Leave your Western certainties behind as you travel to a land that seems frozen in time, and where expecting the unexpected is the optimal attitude to embrace. Each adventure you’ll have, and I guarantee there’ll be many, from crazy midnight rides with cab drivers who spend more time practicing their English and less time with their eyes on the road, to wandering down shadowy alleyways at night in search of unmarked private restaurants, will serve to increase your understanding, while confounding your perceptions, of this country.

The first thing you might notice upon arrival are all the vintage Americanmade cars roaming the streets.

There are hundreds of these museum pieces such as Chevy’s Bel Air and Impala models, Ford Thunderbird, Plymouth Belvedere and Mercury Monterrey among others. They’re vestiges from the 1950s when they were brought into Cuba before the

style with the top down, hands over their heads, as if they’re on an exhilarating roller coaster ride. And if there’s a catchy salsa tune playing on the radio, even better.

You’ll be surprised to find that a number of these classic cab drivers are well-educated folks. One man we met was actually a trained clinical psychologist, who unfortunately could not earn enough money at this profession to support his family.

Another was a professor of sports, who also had the same problem.

Driving a taxi provides a way for these individuals to make ends meet, as their previous jobs netted them on average a meager $25 a month.

The second observation you will probably note about Cuba is the dilapidated state of its older buildings. Many lie in ruins and tatters and are in desperate need of repair. In some quarters of Havana, for example, it feels like the city is crumbling down around its residents,

U.S. declared a trade embargo in 1960 that stopped all imports. From that point on, innovative Cubans found ways to keep these prized vehicles in operation despite not having the necessary equipment.

Over the years, they have been painted and repaired countless times with rebuilt engines and mismatched parts, while their ruined interiors are now hidden underneath ingeniously redone upholstery.

Obsessive care has kept many of the cars in remarkable shape, considering their extensive use, primarily as taxi cabs. Instead of nostalgic wheels and collectors’ items, however, they are the livelihood of their owners who depend on them for their major source of income.

as there are actual piles of fallen bricks littering the streets.

Occasionally, you will see someone trying to clean up the debris -- one guy with a shovel and a wheelbarrow making little to no headway on a monster-sized heap. In other locales within this UNESCO-listed town, however, the safeguarding of the country’s historical legacy has been an active pursuit, with preservation of its colonial treasures a priority.

Grand squares, stately homes and cobbled walkways provide a glimpse of the opulence that once reigned supreme within this lively metropolis. Though the structures are timeworn and shabby, they still manage to retain their magnificence, like dignified, aging dowagers.

Visitors love these bright, candycolored cars and are drawn to them like magnets. They are in fierce demand and tourists enjoy the experience of cruising through Havana convertible-

Cubans live their lives in the open.

This practice will become very apparent during your visit. It’s behavior that’s typical of populations residing in warm

weather locales, where the majority of residents lack air conditioners and often have small, cramped homes or apartments. Cubans, however, are also very social people who have a deep sense of community. The atmospheric streets of Havana are always bustling and teeming with people. Parents walk their kids to school, then make their way to work or to shop at the markets. Teens hang out together in noisy groups just like they do in other parts of the world. And older citizens sit on benches or on stoops chatting with one another, while watching the scene unfold in front of them. Then there are all the street vendors and shopkeepers who are out in full force promoting their wares. Aromas of tropical fruit and flowers mix with those of tobacco leaf and gas from the ancient vehicles that clog the roadways. There’s also a musty, mildewed odor that’s pervasive, especially in and around the older areas of town. At first, you are hyper aware of these clashing scents, but within just a few days, they become a natural part of the backdrop.

The musicality of the people is also very obvious to everyone who visits the island. Cuba is a rhythm nation with a world famous music scene that is one of the country’s biggest draws.

You can feel it everywhere you go -- in established venues where performers fill the air with bata and maracas, in the neighborhoods where radios blare with Afro, jazz, rock and rap beats and in the streets when the buskers serenade passersby with their Spanish guitars. The island pulsates with music. It’s an energizer and inspirer.

It’s the heartbeat of the people.

On Insight Cuba’s “Jazz in Havana” tour, you’ll be immersed in music and ushered behind the scenes to discover the history of these beats, while engaging in meaningful dialogue with musicians, music teachers and others eager to share their knowledge. Our group visited Abdala, Cuba’s top recording studio, where we were treated to a private jazz performance by the band Real Project. It was a truly special experience, as the group played several original compositions and then took the time to tell us about themselves and their musical influences. Another day we heard the Alejandro Falcon Trio perform on the patio of Espacios Restaurant. Once again, this was a private show exclusive for our group with an opportunity for dialogue. In the evenings, there was more music with famed jazz pianist Roberto Fonseca and his band giving a stellar

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performance at the Hotel Melía Cohiba. We also heard from the influential musician and musicologist, Alberto Faya, who provided us with an overview of Cuban music, emphasizing its strong relationship between preserving culture and preserving life. “We Cubans,” he said, “breathe music all the time. It’s so much a part of the cultural fabric.”

In addition to music, the tour also incorporated dance and art, with excursions to see Afro Cuba, a colorful and dynamic Afro Cuban dance troupe with eye-popping physicality, and the Santa Malia Jazz Dance Project. The latter is comprised of a group of dancers ranging in age from 65 to 87 who perform traditional jazz choreography in the home of Grammyaward winner, Chucho Valdes, one of the country’s most renowned rhythm kings. These senior citizens’ passion and spirit, not to mention their agility

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and talent, is remarkable. Their love of dance is contagious and during our visit they had everyone on the floor strutting their newly acquired Latin dance moves.

It’s not just the adults who are involved in the arts, but also the children who are carrying on these vibrant traditions in the schools and after-school programs. In the village of Matanzas, for example, a new community project offers children the opportunity to learn Cuban and Spanish dance. Other activities include guitar and voice lessons, and classes in basic etiquette. The kids take immense enjoyment in performing for visitors and the pride they have in their accomplishments is testament to the success of the program. Another project we visited was geared towards youth living in Centro Havana, a more high risk area of the city, and involved the art of

paper mache. Founded by Lazaro Salsita, a noted painter and lithographer, the program teaches children how to make art using recycled materials and papiermâché . They are then free to keep whatever they make or they can choose to sell their creations on site. Salsita’s house is a veritable papier-mâché museum with hundreds of items lining the walls of every room.

Finally, when it comes to art, a visit to the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana is a must. There are two buildings: one houses an international collection and the other focuses on works by Cuban artists. The latter contains an impressive range of pieces from Cuban surrealism and contemporary abstracts to landscapes, sculptures and politically-charged works. It’s an eye-opener to the moods and

Travel reflections of Cuban artists through the years, who chose to express their reactions to a variety of historical, political and social events.

Food is an integral part of any society and Cuba is no different.

You’ll notice that Cubans view mealtimes as social gatherings and reasons for extended family and friends to get together. Though our group had been prepared to expect the food to be bland and repetitive, we were pleasantly surprised to find this not to be the case. We encountered much more than the Cuban dietary staples of black beans and rice. Cuban cuisine is a fusion of Spanish, African and Caribbean flavors. There are also some Chinese influence, especially in Havana. We sampled an array of tasty options, from fresh grilled fish and ceviche to homemade pastas and paellas.

And every meal is finished off with a cup of strong Cuban coffee or espresso. As for libations, there are many favorites, from the proverbial mojito and Cuba Libre to the daiquiri and El Presidente, among others.

The daiquiri was popularized by the bar La Floridita and championed

by Ernest Hemingway, who was a regular visit to this renowned watering hole in Old Havana.

A statue of the famed writer is installed next to the bar and photos of him dot the walls. The venerated establishment and its lively scene attracts visitors from around the globe.

One of the best ways to enjoy Cuban food is to dine at a “paladar,” a small, family-run restaurant, usually in a converted part of a home. These charming, intimate settings are a wonderful way to experience a meal, where you’re guaranteed to get authentic, local cuisine, great service and an unforgettable ambiance that often includes live music.

It’s the people of this unique country that will leave the most lasting impression on you. Despite being oppressed and economically depressed for so many years, they remarkably still retain a sense of optimism and joie de vivre. They are warm, open and hospitable to visitors, eager to talk about current events and share their culture, as well as their hopes and dreams for the future. It’s through such cherished interactions that you will experience the true spirit of Cuba.

For more information about Insight Cuba’s tour options to Cuba, visit: www.insightcuba.com.

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Spain’s Exorbitantly Expensive Ham

By Judith Glynn

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a unique and nutritious fat around the muscle.

he world’s best ham is the super-premium jamón Iberico de Bellota. Acorns are key to its flavor and marbled fat.

Artisan producers contribute generations of tradition to the curing process. But it’s Spain’s very own black pigs (that can’t stop eating) that keep the breed in the royalty category of gastronomy.

Benefits of Acorns and Fat

“These hams are good fat to eat.

Even Michelin chefs fall in love with our fat,” Cancio said with assurance.

“A lot of it comes from the acorns.”

The color of the fat is different. It’s slightly pink. The wafer-thin slices are served at room temperature with the meat and its surrounding fat glistening on the plate. Studies support the good-fat-to-eat theory associated with jamón Iberico de bellota and its oleic acid content over 55%. That amount increases the good HDL cholesterol and reduces bad LDL cholesterol in the blood. Only virgin oil has higher oleic acid content.

When over 300 windows are manually opened and closed several times a day at the Arturo Sánchez e Hijos factory in Guijuelo, Spain. It’s a tradition that dates back three generations. Even the company president participates. He instinctively knows the airstream from nearby Sierra de Gredos and Sierra de Béjar mountain ranges is essential to cure the brand’s artesano hams.

They hang nearby, dangling off hooks, and are identifiable by their pata negra (black hoof) as a gold standard of Spanish gastronomy.

Each ham has been rubbed with sea salt and does not touch the one beside it, which allows the wind to circulate on all sides of the meat.

This process creates the prized jamón Iberico de bellota, one of the most expensive pork meats in the world. It’s equally known for generous fat deposits between the muscle fibers, and can take up to four years to cure in the company’s natural drying rooms.

“They were happy pigs once, roaming free and eating acorns, berries and natural products,” Elisa Cancio said with a smile. As the company’s marketing representative, she knows first-hand the skills needed to produce Spain’s coveted delicacy.

“We use 100% Iberian pigs, born and raised in the dehesa (oak forests) for up to twenty-one months,” she continued. The Cerdo Ibérico strain of pig is only found in Spain and dates back to the cavemen.

Home on the Iberian Range

Located in western Spain, which includes Salamanca, Extremadura, Andalucia and along the border of Portugal, the dehesa is dotted with holm oak and cork oak trees. During the montanera, which occurs from October through March, the Iberian pigs devour huge quantities of the fallen bellotas (acorns) as they roam freely across the land. In their earlier growth stages, they are raised on grasslands and grains.

Of the millions of Iberian pigs raised throughout Spain, only six percent are purebred and acorn-fed. It’s a

heavily regulated industry. In fact, the towns of Guijuelo and Jabugo have their own Denomination de Origen due to their consistent high quality.

The Arturo Sanchez quality control team handpicks each pig to carry their label, about 1,000 hams per year. Choices are all about the breed and the pig’s structure. The Ibérian pig has dark skin with a sparse coat, a pointed snout and long, slender

legs. The cured ham leg typically weighs seven kilos, although some have weighed in around eleven kilos, when sold to the consumer.

Many producers prefer to sacrifice their pigs and not slaughter them after one montanera phase. The Arturo Sánchez brand, however, waits through two phases for the black pigs to fatten. They gain about half their weight during their acorn-grazing time, creating

“This is how to eat jamón Iberico de bellota?” Cancio said, as she carefully lifted a small shimmering sliver of the meat marbled with and encased in succulent fat. “First you smell it,” she said and placed the slice under her nose. “You’ll notice the nutty aroma, which prepares your mouth to accept the jamón.

Then you put the slice against the top of your palate so the fat gets a temperature to melt properly. Don’t chew and swallow immediately. It’s a slow food,” she said while seated at the Arturo Sánchez stall in Madrid’s San Ildefonso Street Market, located at Calle Fuencarral, 57. It’s one place where the brand can be tasted, including its ham and other products they make.

Jamón Debuts in Madrid at Gondiaz

“It’s like peeling an orange. For the first slice to be good, we throw away a lot of outside fat,” said Jose Ignacio González Diaz-Tendero, director of sales at Gondiaz. Their showroom at Plaza de la Marina Española, 7 specializes in several top brands of jamón Iberico de bellota and provides ham-slicing courses for the trade and for the general public. Next door is La Mi Venta, the restaurant where the family began their ham journey seven generations ago.

Its patriarch was one of the first restaurateurs to introduce jamón to Madrileños. It was 1962 and he’d drive to small towns in southwest Spain, purchase a few cured ham legs to hang in his restaurant, eventually to serve to his customers. Some people bought the cured leg right off the hook. In time, Gondiaz grew to have its own brand named Jamón de Autor, which comes from the Arturo Sánchez e Hijos factory in Guijuelo, Spain.

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“We teach how to get as much good ham as possible,” he said referring to the Master Class the establishment offers.

PHOTO CREDIT: JUDITH GLYNN PHOTO CREDIT: IBERIAN PIGS BY COMAKUT VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

What’s important for him to know is how long the client intends to keep the ham. A restaurant uses a full leg or shoulder in about three days. For consumers, the same ham can last one or two months. There’s no expiration date on a whole piece, however, once the cut has been made, the drying process accelerates.

“Worst mistake is to put cut ham in the refrigerator or out on a balcony.

The fat becomes hard,” he cautioned.

In addition to whole legs and shoulders, Gondiaz sells vacuumpacked portions in their store that Spanish law recommends be used in three months. After that, the ham’s color darkens and the flavor vanishes a bit.

“My brother, Iván, selects one ham at a time at the factory,” said González Diaz-Tendero, standing in the showroom with a backdrop of cured ham legs and shoulders dangling behind him. “He is the first guarantee of our quality.”

the cured ham is a good indication of what’s inside. Then he puts his finger into the leg. If the right amount of fat comes out, it’s selected to come to our store,” said González Diaz-Tendero.”

Two requirements must be met: if the pig has eaten a lot of acorns and checking the cured ham’s fat content, which is done the way it’s been done for centuries in Spain.

In another room at Gondiaz, tables are set with a ham holder and sharp knives to learn the art of carving the ham. Iván González Diaz-Tendero, advises to cut in parallel with the bone and in a small area, like operating on a patient.

“What he’s seeing on the outside of

Master Class with the Pros

What to Know about Jamón

Across Spain, jamón is readily available. For the inexperienced palate, especially for the tourist who’s heard about the product but doesn’t understand quality levels, the Spanish government has begun putting new regulations in place.

They require labels to list the percentage of Ibérico genetics in the breed and be equally clear about their pigs’ provenance.

Imagery of the dehesa can’t appear on the package if the pig wasn’t raised there.

• The least expensive ham is “jamón serrano.” That pork meat comes from white pigs; fed only grain and is cured for a year.

• “Jamón Iberico” comes from black Iberian pigs. They, too, have eaten grain but because of the Iberian breed, there is a richer flavor than “serrano” white pigs.

• The best and most expensive is “jamón Iberico de bellota.” That black pig has been bred, nurtured and sent to the “bellota” (acorn) pastures for the final stage of its life. Its cured meat is a mixture of intense flavors and healthy fat.

• Depending upon the consumer’s country of origin can dictate if Spain’s finest product can be brought home after a visit to Spain or purchased locally. Internet sites offer the costly jamón Iberico de bellota plus the utensils to cut them properly, making it possible to enjoy Spain’s ultimate status symbol on any table worldwide.

If You Go

Special access to the establishments that sell jamón Iberico de bellota and restaurants that serve the prized ham can be arranged through Madrid Shopping Tour. Phone (34) 91 185 31 31. Languages spoken are Spanish, English, Russian and Chinese. The official tourism website for the City of Madrid is the perfect place to begin a trip to one of the world’s most beautiful cities. www.esmadrid.com/en/

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Big Island Italian Style

By M’Liss Hinshaw

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ove over poi and luau pig on the Island of Hawaii, Pueo’s Osteria Italian restaurant is on the radar more than the spouting volcano.

Neatly tucked away in an older Hawaiian style courtyard, the eatery evokes the feeling of being in Tuscany. Reminiscent of a villa, with soft yellows, muted green stone wall and an archway shaped like a wine cellar, it’s an inviting Italian atmosphere without Americanized Italian music in the background.

I introduced myself to Chef James Babian who welcomed me before the restaurant opened for dinner. Like the final rehearsal at the symphony, the kitchen was abuzz with sorting, prepping and maintaining a tight schedule. Tables were set, the gathering high bar was organized and the bartender arranged glasses and wine bottles. The activity was indicative of a busy evening to come.

Restaurants are a second home to owner and Executive Chef Babian as he grew up in his family’s east coast restaurants, attended culinary school and later became the Executive Chef at the Four Seasons, Hualalai, Hawaii. A few years ago he and his wife Christine, decided it was time to open their own restaurant, and together they settled on a vacant restaurant in Waikoloa Village. Located in a family community and off the beaten track

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from tourists, it’s on the western side of the Big Island.

Reservations have become a must and those who have to wait for seating can peruse the entry walls lined with Chef Babian’s impressive culinary awards and certificates for community involvement. Over the years he has garnered accolades and respect by well-known chefs who have donated their services and worked together for charitable causes. One such occasion was the Made in America Cookbook event with recipes by celebrity chefs.

The pride of the kitchen is a propane wood-fire pizza oven for consistent temperature and work stations for making pasta by hand. Once a week, a big wheel of parmesan cheese rolls in and the finest Italian ingredients are delivered. When he puts his name on a signature dish, it has to be the best for his customer’s dining experience.

He believes his patrons get value for the price of the meal without skimping on portions or preparation.

Chef developed a concept of regional, seasonal and artisanal food (RTS) at his restaurant and buys locallysourced produce, beef and seafood.

It’s a top priority for him to keep area farmers supplying the freshest ingredients such as beets, greens and tomatoes from the rich volcanic soil.

It was time for Chef to tend to the

kitchen and I decided to dine at the bar partaking of “early owl specials” and Italian wines. A partially open kitchen allowed me to watch Chef prepare fresh pasta by cracking the eggs into a mound of flour and using a hand- crank pasta roller. There were plenty of cooks in the small kitchen, but Chef didn’t stray far from overseeing the formation of my antipasto platter, layering fresh burrata cheese over locally-grown tomatoes and topping house-made fennel sausage on a rustic pizza.

The pace of the restaurant picked up quickly as guests swarmed the tables and Christine bustled through the dining room serving wine and attending to guests on the patio.

She adeptly divides her time between the restaurant, real estate job and two teenage sons. Together, the couple ensured that all ran smoothly throughout the night.

owl which represents the restaurant’s desire to stay open late at night when other restaurants are closed. Specials after 9 p.m. are geared for the working persons on their way home from long work days.

The Wednesday night special is burgers and fries for $6, along with bolognese calzone, calamari fritti and pizza.

A woman sitting next to me and wearing stylish aloha attire, was on her way to the airport for a red-eye flight home after staying at a resort on the Kohala coast. She just had to have one more Waimea kale salad while her husband was a bit more adventurous with the menu. During their vacation they had been at the restaurant many times; this turned out to be the common thread among diners.

RECIPE BY: JAMES BABIAN

Curious about the name Pueo, I learned it comes from an indigenous

And no matter the time, there is always room for dessert, especially the crostata pastry filled with pineapple and blueberries and served with locally made vanilla ice cream.

Next time I will skip the luau and drive straight to Pueo’s Osteria.

Chef Babian included recipes for Gnudi (gnocchi) and lemon mint sauce. There may be leftovers to enjoy next day.

Gnudi (gnocchi) Dough 1.2lbs ricotta cheese 1 egg 1.5 cup OO Pasta Flour 3oz parmesan cheese pinch nutmeg 1tsp salt Drain the ricotta overnight. Mix the flour, parmesan, nutmeg, salt.

Make a mound with the ricotta and flour mix. Add the egg to the middle and mix to combine making sure not to over knead the dough.

Epicure

The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky, Adjust with additional flour if needed. (Egg sizes and the moisture in the cheese varies greatly) Roll out into long half inch tubes cut into dumplings and roll each one on a gnochi board. Place on sheet pan with wax paper and semolina till ready to cook.

Gnudi with mushrooms,

fresh peas, prosciutto, cream and mint

2tbsp EVOO ½oz prosciutto seasonal mushrooms, sliced 20 fresh peas blanched 1tsp garlic 1oz white wine 2oz chicken stock 1tsp lemon zest and juice 2oz cream ½ cup arugula leaves

4 cherry tomatoes halved 1tsp fresh mint, chiffonade 40 ricotta gnocchi Heat a saute pan. Add EVOO, prosciutto and mushrooms. Cook to lightly caramelize. Add Garlic and cook till garlic starts to color.

Deglaze with white wine, reduce by half add chicken stock and cream slightly reduce till sauce coats a spoon. Season with salt, pepper

lemon zest and mint. Cook gnudi in salted boiling water until al dente add to sauce and cook another minute. Toss in cherry tomatoes and arugula and parmesan. Toss to combine, serve in warm bowl.

Pueo’s Osteria 68-1845 Waikoloa Rd Waikoloa Village, HI 96738 www.Pueososteria.com

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Passion’s Meritxell Lecha Vinuesa

By Liz Palmer

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Wine

and pushing the boundaries?

MLV: It’s important to compare competitors and to learn what they do and how they do it. It’s also good to travel to different countries, and see and experience different cultures and bring this back home.

B

efore assuming her current role as the Manager of Passion, Paradisus Palma Real, Dominican Republic, Meritxell Lecha Vinuesa worked with Martin Berasategui for seven years in managerial positions at Restaurante Enoteca, Hotel Art (2 Michelin star restaurant in Barcelona) and Restaurante Lasarte (2 Michelin star restaurant in Barcelona), and Restaurante Gaig (1 Michelin star restaurant in Barcelona).

Martin Berasategui winner of 7 Michelin stars, and for the last six years his restaurant San Sebastian, Spain has been listed as one of The World’s Top Fifty Restaurants.

I sat down with Meritxell to discuss everything from the restaurant Passion, to Chef Martin Berasategui, to glassware, and of course Champagne. Step into Meritxell’s world with me.

To understand the Michelin star rating, here is an overview:

Michelin Star Rating System

* A very good restaurant in its category. ** Excellent cooking and worth a detour. First class cuisine of its type. *** Exceptional cuisine and worth a special journey. Often extremely expensive, and with an extensive wine list.

Liz Palmer: I understand that

LP: On a personal note, what is your favorite dish on the menu?

MLV: I have a few favorites: the turbot fish, slow cooked veal with potato risotto.

Paradisus Resorts are responsible for bringing Martin Berasategu, the seven star chef, to the Caribbean two years ago. Can you tell me has it been a success?

Meritxell Lecha Vinuesa: According to Trip Advisor, Passion is the number one restaurant in Punta Cana, and the number two restaurant in all of the Dominican Republic – that tells us!

LP: Has Passion won any recent awards?

MLV: I’m very proud to say that we received four months ago the 4-Diamond Award by AAA. LP: What is Passion by Martín Berasategui’s signature dish?

MLV: That’s funny that you ask this – the signature dish at Passion and all of Martin’s restaurants Spain is Egg cooked at lower temperature with fine-herb liquid salad. People all over the world ask for this dish – it’s a very popular on the menu.

LP: How often does Chef Berasategui come to the Dominican Republic to oversee his restaurant and brand?

MLV: Martin comes three to four times a year to review the menu. His presence also impacts the selection of products, staff training and standard operating procedures.

One of Martin’s philosophies is that he works with local produce and fruits and meats. In the Dominican his menu and recipes

are 50/50: 50% Spanish and 50% Dominican influence.

When Martin changes a recipe he changes it gradually and slowly.

Every two to three months he changes two to three dishes.

One thing to note is that the chef is very flexible in changing the menu for customers that have food allergies and for strict vegetarians.

LP: Tell me about the wine list, like who selects the wines?

MLV: The wine list is developed by the head sommelier, who works together with the chef and the tasting menu.

The specially selected wine pairings have been developed from three separate wine lists, created exclusively for the restaurant.

LP: Which stemware does Passion use?

MLV: We use Stölzle from Germany.

It’s innovative, excellent quality and lead-free for wine glasses – the various shapes and flutes. We also use their decanters.

It’s important that the team undergoes training and learns to understand the importance of each wine and food pairing.

LP: Every year we see new and interesting restaurant trends develop. What do you do to keep up

LP: What is your favorite restaurant around the world?

MLV: I have two favorites: Restaurante Martín Berasategui, in Lasarte. This restaurant has maintained a three star rating from Michelin since 2001, and El Celler de Can Roca is at heart a local familyowned restaurant rooted in the fiercely independent state of Catalonia and named one of the top 50 restaurants in the world.

LP: You have an opportunity to taste lots of interesting and unique wines. Do you have a preference for Champagne?

MLV: Yes absolutely. My favorites are: Bollinger ‘Grande Année, Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame, and Cristal Champagne and I do collect.

Type of Cuisine: Berasategui has incorporated Caribbean flavors into his signature cuisine. Local seafood has a starring role. Dining a la carte or enjoy the full sampling menu with wine.

Atmosphere: Rich with design and colour - airy vaulted ceilings with whimsical lighting features and stunning art pieces.

Opening Times: This gastronomic experience serves dinner nightly or Private Parties Dress Code: Resort Elegant Passion by Martin Berasategui is accessible to local residents and visitors.

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Buy now at Amazon

Shop. Cook. Eat.

Katherine Frelon

To learn more go to www.katherinefrelon.com

Epicure

King of the House Chili

T

astosterone: The Best Cookbook for Men. Author Debra Levy Picard guides men to learn how to cook some quick, easy, and most of all yummy meals. Tastosterone was created for the man who wants to test his skills in the kitchen, buts needs a little extra help.

This masculine cookbook, provides readers step by step instructions to strengthen men’s cooking skills.

This chili recipe has a slight, but subtle kick. It’s thick and made with the finest ingredients. It’s the king of all chili, complete with filet and ground sirloin steak. Great for a crowd or tailgate party. Don’t let the ingredients list fool you, this chili is easy to make.

Part 1

½ cup unsalted butter 5 pounds ground sirloin 1 pound filet mignon, cut into ¼ inch cubes (save time and ask your butcher to cube the beef for you) 2 cups onion, diced (about 1 large and 2 medium onions) 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and diced 1 bottle Guinness beer ¼ cup flour 32-ounce can, crushed fire roasted tomatoes 1 small can tomato paste 2 32-ounce boxes of beef broth 1 can black beans, drained 1 can kidney beans, drained ½ cup Mexican chili powder 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1. Melt the butter over medium high heat in a large casserole pot. Sauté meat in butter until browned.

2. With a slotted spoon remove the browned meat and place in a large bowl. Once butter has cooled, use paper towels to soak up ¾ of the butter, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pot.

3. Add remaining ingredients into the pot with butter and sauté for 5 minutes. Return meat to the pot.

Cook for 30-60 minutes, uncovered. You can eat the chili at this point for a less spicy taste.

Part 2

4 hot sausages 4 sweet sausages 2 cups onion, diced (about 1 large and 2 medium onions) 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 red pepper, diced 6 garlic cloves, mashed (Tip: Use the side of a knife to crush and mash the garlic.)

1 jalapeño, seeds removed and diced 2 4-ounce cans green chilies 2 4-ounce cans jalapeño, drained and chopped 4 teaspoons cumin 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 1 small can RO*TEL tomatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 lime 1 teaspoon Kosher salt pepper to taste 1. Over medium heat, sauté onion in oil in a large non-stick pan until translucent, about 10 minutes.

2. Add red pepper, garlic, chilies, jalapeño, cumin, cayenne pepper, and tomatoes to sautéed onion in pan. Sauté for 10 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 400°F. 4. In a disposable aluminum casserole pan toss hot and sweet sausages with olive oil, Kosher salt and black pepper to taste.

Bake for 40 minutes.

5. Remove sausage from the oven.

Add sautéed vegetable mixture to aluminum pan with sausage. Bake

in oven for 10 minutes.

6. Remove pan from oven. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the sausage from pan with tongs. Cut sausages into ½ inch slices. Add vegetable mixture and sausages to casserole pot with chili ingredients from Part 1. Toss, then cook chili over low heat for 35 minutes minimum.

7. Remove from pot and serve in bowls. Top with chopped red onion chopped, fresh cilantro, cheese, lime juice, crackers, and crema. Enjoy.

Crema

8 oz. container sour cream 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 teaspoons lime juice zest of two limes 1 plastic squeeze bottle (Tip: Plastic ketchup or mustard bottles work great. Wash and reuse to dispense your chili crema.)

1. Mix sour cream and heavy cream in a small bowl.

2. Add lime juice and zest to creams.

3. Mix all ingredients then store in a plastic squeeze bottle till ready to serve over chili.

Toppings

3 cups grated cheddar cheese ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 medium red onion, chopped 2 sleeves saltine crackers, crushed (Tip: Place the crackers in a large Ziploc bag. Use your hands or a rolling pin to crush them.)

Inspire the culinarily-challenged men in your life to master the kitchen! Have them take a look at this cookbook, which provides recipes for nearly all age groups and levels of experience, from young boys to retired men. www.tastosterone.com

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S C A R T S School of culinary arts With french master chef hervĂŠ laurent

Graduates' placement is our success!

www.scarts.com.sv

Epicure

Since Craft Beer Has Disrupted The Industry, What’s Next?

C

raft Spirits Are Following The Same Trajectory As Craft Beer.

America has fully embraced craft beer.

• On average, a new brewery opens its doors every single day in the U.S., according to NPR. • Craft brewers now account for one out of every 10 beers sold in the U.S. • Higher learning institutions are adding brewing minors, certificates and even four-year programs.

“Craft beer completely disrupted what was once believed to be a very traditional business,” says Steven Earles, CEO of Portland-based Eastside Distilling.

“We believe craft spirits will follow the same path as craft beer. It’s basically a slam dunk, according to the data... and our overall hunch.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF WAGNER T. CASSIMIRO “ARANHA”

In 2008, when Earles’ distillery launched, there were only 210 craft distillers in America. Now, there are more than 700. Whiskey and bourbon continues its rapid growth. Helping to fuel this recent growth, women now represent 37 percent of the whiskey drinkers in the U.S., compared to just 15 percent in the 1990s.

And stories continue to unfold regarding possible bourbon shortages due to high demand.

Innovations in distilling methods to create new flavor profiles are taking charge. Earles’ distillery uses locally sourced barrels and ingredients for their infused whiskeys and rums.

“Some states like Washington and Oregon – where we are based – have strict laws regarding quality control on distilled spirits,” Earles says.

“We’re proud to be from the northwest and that we use locally

sourced ingredients.”

Earles discusses America’s growing taste for quality spirits, and what craft may mean for the future of the liquor industry.

• Bourbon and whiskey will continue in popularity. In the past decade, there has been a nearly 40 percent growth in sales of bourbon and Tennessee whiskey in the United States, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

Bourbon is now the hottest distilled spirit in the world. In the U.S., bourbon and Tennessee whiskey revenue has leapt 47 percent throughout the past five years to a total of $2.68 billion in 2014.

An International Wines and Spirits Record (IWSR) survey commission by Vinexpo predicts that global bourbon sales will increase by nearly 20 percent more in the next five years, and the Aristocrat Group Corp.

(ASCC) is making plans to capitalize on that growth.

• New flavor profiles will be sought by consumers, especially millennials and women. While consumers look to craft liquor for authenticity, women and 20-somethings are especially open to expanding their palates.

Recently, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky has blazed quite a trail in the industry. The brand exploded in just a few short years, from just shy of $2 million in 2011 to $63 million in 2013 to $130 million last year, according to IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm. Those numbers do not include drinks sold in bars.

Fireball is the fastest-growing major brand of liquor in America. Major industry players, including Jack Daniels and Jim Beam, have since come out with their own versions of the flavor.

“While Fireball has proven to be more than just a flavor of the month, we’re counting on consumers seeking out still more twists in their liquor,” Earles says.

“Our locally sourced Oregon Marionberry Whiskey, for example, is a popular choice.”

• Lifestyle imaging will likely expand.

While bourbon and whiskey have skyrocketed in popularity, advertisements have delved into the lure of what those spirits have meant to the popular imagination: earthy, direct, real. That will likely continue, but it will expand, too.

Bacardi, which owns brands including Grey Goose, Bombay Sapphire and Martini, has hired a new Vice president of fashion. The idea is to create an image/alliance with the fashion world.

“Perhaps Bacardi is ceding whiskey and bourbon to one image – the salt of the earth – whereas Bacardi’s efforts for their clear liquors are now meant to be aligned with a more glamorous lifestyle,” he says.

Steven Earles is the CEO of Portland-based Eastside Distilling, a producer of master-crafted spirits created from local ingredients and focused in small batches to ensure unparalleled quality. He is responsible for Eastside’s day-today operations as well as overseeing the company’s brand development and financial strategy. Earles, who joined Eastside in 2009, has more than two decades of executive experience and orchestrated the development and building of one of the largest land-development companies in southern California. www.EastsideDistilling.com

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Images: Jessica Pearl and Kristin Hettermann. Aerial Photo:

ONE WORLD . ONE OCEAN . ONE VODKA

Organic Ocean Vodka. Clean, Pure, Award-Winning Vodka from Paradise.

Ocean Vodka Organic Farm and Distillery shares the dream with you, educating guests on the importance of organic farming for the conservation of land and ocean, green manufacturing and the production of spirits.

We welcome you to visit our organic farm, distillery and gift shop, situated on a breathtaking 80-acres on the slopes of Mount Haleakala. Contact us for corporate and private events.

Tours daily, seven days a week.

4051 Omaopio Road, Kula, Maui, Hawai‘i - (808)877-0009

Certified 100% USDA Organic . Gluten Free . Powered by the Sun Organic Sugar Cane . Deep Ocean Mineral Water . Made on Maui Please Enjoy Responsibly. Produced and bottled by Hawai‘i Sea Spirits, Kula, Maui, Hawai‘i 40% ALC/VOL (80 Proof) ©2013.

Cocktails

Cocktail Recipes from Discovering The New York Craft Spirits Book Discovering The New York Craft Spirits Boom is an intimate look into their struggles and triumphs, and their decision to embark upon this spirited journey. A journey that would not have been possible without the changing of state laws and regulations that made distilling in New York once again legal; since the days of Prohibition. www.allthetastesofnewyork.com/thebook

Basilberry Buzz (HUDSON VALLEY DISTILLERS)

Basil is rumored to be an aphrodisiac. Rev up your life with this delicious basil strawberry cocktail.

1½ ounces Spirits Grove Vodka 1-2 large fresh basil sprigs ¼ cup strawberries splash of simple syrup 1 ounce lemon juice 3-4 ounces chilled soda water In shaker, muddle basil & strawberries, add ice, vodka, syrup, and lemon juice. Cap and shake. Pour into glass, add soda water and garnish with strawberry and basil leaf.

A Suit of Sails

1 ounce Greenhook Ginsmiths Old Tom Gin ½ ounce amontillado sherry ½ ounce St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur ¾ ounce fresh lime juice ¼ ounce simple syrup lime wheel 1 kaffir leaf ½ serrano pepper deseeded Build in a highball glass. Fill with crushed ice and swizzle. Add lime wheel and kaffir leaf. Top with one ounce of club soda.

Heather D. Dolland is the founder of All The Tastes of New York, and author of the upcoming book “Discovering The New York Craft Spirits Boom” (release date July 4th 2015).

For over 8 years, Heather was a Brand Ambassador for many premium wine and spirit brands. Brands such as Bacardi, Grey Goose, Cazadores, Corzo, Bombay Sapphire, 42 Below and numerous others. Most of what she was responsible for involved engaging consumers through experiential programming, special events and brand evangelism.

Her experience working with these brands and creating Food and Wine Festivals to promote them, led to her awareness of the increasing number of distillers in New York State. After getting to know many of these craft distillers, she was inspired to tell their story.

Book Synopsis

“Discovering The New York Craft Spirits Boom”, chronicles the lives of 30 Craft Distillers throughout New York State, from Brooklyn to the Finger Lakes.

Distillers that distill spirits such as Whiskey, Bourbon, Gin, Vodka and much more. Each story is as varied and unique as the brands that they create.

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70

Spa

Getting Back to Nature

Austria’s Natur Hotel and Spa

By Michael Cervin

One of two outdoor pools keeps the stress at bay while providing stunning views

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during my visit to the Tirol and this is one of those spots that transcends its very location.

A

ustria is one of those countries that most Westerners seem to blithely skip over as they read the advertisements for traditional vacation ideas like Germany, Italy and France. They may not consider this small European nation, and if they do they are fixated on Austria’s biggest claim to fame.

The Sound of Music was filmed here and that was 50 years ago. But this is exactly the point to visiting this country of just eight million people; it is definitely not crowded, it is under the radar and yet it is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe with a stunning history all its own.

Located in the middle of Austria is the Tirol region (also known as Tyrol) and embedded in the middle of that is the Natur Hotel and Spa. Here’s the thing about the Tirol region of Austria: It is a verdant valley flanked by the Northern and Southern Alps. This means that no matter where you look there is a sheer panoramic beauty surrounding you at all times. It is this constant visual that is one of the most alluring aspects to the Tirol Valley.

About 45 minutes to the east of Innsbruck, dead center of the Tirol, pretty much off by itself is the little village of Holtzletien, which is home to Natur Hotel and Spa. Off the beaten track is actually the ideal phrase for this stunning property, as this is a European wellness hotel, which means that people come here for detox, rejuvenation, simplicity and relaxation. I had the good fortune to stay here for several days

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It’s important to know that Natur is not really near anything, and though there is a tiny village nearby -- a few buildings actually -- there are no quick trips to the store, to the movie theatre, jazz club or bar. You are out in the quiet Tirol and the purpose is semi-isolation. Innsbruck, the major city in the Tirol and host to two Olympics with a population of 125,000, can be easily accessed by car and bus. Most people come to this specific location in order to unwind; however a visit to Innsbruck’s beautiful sights and museums, Salzburg (two hours by train), Alpine hikes, and even Stanz, the schnapps capital of the world, is doable for day trips. But staying at Natur mean that whatever activities you do, you come back to the hotel for the express purpose of doing less. Sure, there are plenty of board games in the lobby area and places for quiet conversation or for reading a book, and it’s supposed to be this way; a place with no distractions save for the natural surroundings you are in.

The hotel does offer guided Segway tours of the surrounding area, specifically the surrounding meadows and hillsides and this is meant to stimulate you appreciation for your exquisite environment.

Natur has 41 rooms, and the prices are the same year-round, so there is never any hassle of trying to get the best deal; food is included in the price, making it even easier.

Natur utilizes geothermal heating for the spa, rooms and pools, takes advantage of solar power and embodies the very principals of its name into its physical building.

Europeans take spa wellness seriously and your time here is not meant to be a mere stopover on the way to someplace else. This is the “someplace else,” a spot meant for a multi-day stay and the vast majority of guests here stay at least four days. The rooms, which for me were hard to leave, as each has large glass windows facing a large meadow, interrupted only by the Alps. The rooms are designed to capture the impressive views and open to a closeted area for luggage and hanging up your clothes. On the same level is the bathroom, which is also one of the selling points. The shower is enclosed in clear glass, which looks out to the meadow.

A step down leads to the bedroom portion and sitting area. With the 10-foot glass sliding door the only obstacle to your views, you can

Spa

The lobby and rooms are designed to foster quietness and calmness

Everything at the hotel is geared towards natural beauty

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Xxxxx xxxxx

understand why so may people flock here for a rejuvenating experience; the constant views alone are magnificent. Then of course there is the deck, with its short overhang allowing uninterrupted views. Since the bed faces out, every morning you are greeting by the Alps --verdant green in spring and summer, capped with snow in winter.

The food mainly comes from local farmers and there are menus written in both German and English. The staff speak English fairly well, though many of the other guests do not, as this is frequented by more Europeans than Americans, which is actually one

of its selling points. Travel is not meant to keep us tame and safe; it is meant to broaden our horizons.

Since Natur is also a spa, specifically a wellness hotel typical of the area, there are massages, dry and wet saunas and two outdoor pools.

A semi-circular glass sun room looks to the outdoor pool and separate sauna, and it is here that a multitude of people gather for pre- or posttreatments for repose and calm.

One is a typical pool, except that the views are of the Alps. The second pool is actually a natural rocky spring, located at the edge of a vast meadow. What’s important to

know is that here, as at many similar properties, clothing is often optional in the pools and saunas (not the property itself). If this remotely bothers you, since it bothers no one else, you might consider not staying here. However it is important to know there is nothing unusual about this and more to the point, it’s more common than you might think. But given the nature of Natur, with wellness as a key point, you can enter the pools and or spa unclothed or, like me in my somewhat modest way, you can keep your shorts on.

No one seems to mind either way.

Innsbruck or any part of the Tyrolean region, a rejuvenating stay at Natur will be well worth your time. And if you are anything like me, you will quickly find that it is one of those properties that you fall in love with without even knowing it -- and its enchanting of solitude and beautiful scenery seducing you without your even knowing you’re coming under its spell. Austria is a gorgeous country to visit and nothing better represents the outdoor feel of this country than a few days at the properly titled Natur Hotel & Spa.

So if you find yourself visiting

www.holzleiten.at

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Beauty

Summer Beauty Picks T

aking care of your skin is important all year long, but in the summer we need to pay extra attention. The heat of the sun, pool chlorine and other outdoor elements can take a toll on your everyday beauty routine.

Here are some of Luxe Beat Magazine’s favorite beauty and skincare products that will give you an extra boost this summer!

Miracle Eyes

($45.99, deveranaturals.com) Give this age-defying eye cream one hour and it will reward you with superior hydration and fewer fine lines, thanks to Edelweiss plant stem cells, Goji Berry Extract, hyaluronic acid, and marine extracts which smooth and firm the delicate eye area, while green tea and cucumber reduce puffiness and dark circles.

Amarte Ultra Veil®

($45, AmarteSkinCare.com) This is an incredibly light facial sunscreen that not only offers SPF 50+ protection, but is chockfull of antioxidants to ward off harmful (and aging) free radicals. Bonus – Amarte Ultra Veil is the first skin care product to also incorporate the meshima mushroom, a noted

Sea Buckthorn Body Lotion

anti-cancer agent into its ingredients.

Imagine Body Butter

($22, glowologyskincare.com) Indulge in the luxury of beautifully soft and supple skin. Rich with natural vitamins and organic ingredients, the ultra-moisturizing formula hydrates skin for long-lasting results.

Dermatologist-tested.

This clean, fresh fragrance opens with crisp white cotton and ocean notes. The middle emerges with a floral burst of blue freesia and jasmine, accented with green pear. It finishes with a fusion of ocean, musk, sandalwood, vanilla and amber.

KYPRIS Beauty Elixir II: Healing Bouquet

($200, kyprisbeauty.com) Flower Power for combination skin.

Beauty Elixir II: Healing Bouquet is a 100% active formula replete with free radicalquenching CoQ10, collageninspiring Vitamin C ester, and a rainbow of phytonutrients,

essential fatty acids, and natural actives from select plant sources to continually calm, soothe, and inspire radiant, supple skin.

Photo-c Signature

($240, myphyto-c.u) When it comes to anti-aging treatments, women want quick results, but not all women are willing to go the needle route to get them. The natural alternative to botox, Phyto-C’s new Signature is a potent anti-aging cream that features IMPA™ Complex, which stimulates cell to cell interaction, assists in the formation of collagen and combats skin imperfections in just days. Applied twice daily, skin will appear more firm, radiant and youthful.

($15, seabuckwonders.com) 2013 Winner – Delicious Living’s 2013 Beauty and Body Award With a potent infusion of Omega 3, 6, 9, and the powerful skin-healing Omega 7, SeabuckWonders Body Lotion provides nourishment with agedefying properties for soft, healthy skin.

Sugar&Butter Lip Exfoliator/Plumper

($25, janeiredale. com) Soft, beautiful and oh-so-kissable lips are yours with our lip exfoliator/ plumper duo.

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By Jessica O’Hehir

W

hat if searching for your wardrobe online were as easy as swiping left or right? It is now!

The WantList is the newest, most relevant, must-have app that will make online shopping the most enjoyable it’s ever been.

Think Tinder for clothing – what could be more fun? Download it now for free!

Styloko launched a fashion discovery app as part of its multidevice shopping strategy, allowing a woman to pick up where she left off shopping earlier that day, week, or month, across any device. The WantList, is the first App to combine Dating-App inspired game play, true Visual Search technology, and an especially helpful “Luxe or Less” function. See exclusive video!

With intuitive matchmaking technology that will make all your dating apps jealous, The WantList actually learns which colors, cuts, sizes, patterns and brands you like through its game-changing visual

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Fashion search capabilities.

When you “swipe right” on a coveted garment, the App can show you a plethora of “Luxe or Less” options, while actively learning even more about what fashion choices truly turn you on.

Built initially for iOS devices, the WantList app (http://www.styloko.com/ wantlist) plays to the strengths of each device, presenting products in a simple, intuitive way.

Proprietary visual product matching technology also frees the user from having to describe her shopping hunt. With a few quick swipes left or right, the app begins to analyse a user’s tastes and preferences and immediately personalizes her experience. The WantList also uses visual technology to help customers find fashion according to price. Presented as Luxe or Less, the app shows both higher and lower priced alternatives. As one person’s luxe is another person’s less, the automated process puts the user in control. At present, this feature is across dresses, tops and jackets but will be rolled out wider in the coming weeks.

The launch of The WantList marks a strategic increase in focus for the company toward helping shoppers find what they are looking for – wherever they are, and on whatever device. Instead of mirroring the experience of the desktop site, The WantList will allow for a unique and tailored experience leveraging the specific opportunities and limitations of each device – from

size-of-screen to when and where a user accesses her device.

With mobile now more than 50% of traffic to Styloko and its merchant partners, this approach will offer a better opportunity for engagement and monetization of visitors to the desktop site.

Shannon Edwards, Styloko CEO, believes that developments like The WantList will deliver a more inspiring and effective mobile and digital shopping experience: “While we believe our desktop site effectively delivers on sales and engagement, the reality of our modern lives is that we are now on mobile for more than half of our days. So a mobile experience needs to reflect our on-the-go lifestyle, and The WantList does this with a simple interface, intuitive format, and the ability to save products to consider later – wherever you are and whichever device you use – from iPhone to iPad and Apple Watch.”

The app is free, and will be available worldwide from June 4th 2015 for the iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch.

Android will follow in summer 2015.

About

Styloko is a Fashion Discovery Engine™ that makes online fashion shopping more personal and efficient. This is done in four key ways: (1) Via a personalized shopping feed built based on the brands you choose to follow and the way you interact with the site; (2) With visual discovery that allows you to search visually similar products without the need for search-term descriptions; (3) In the creation of WantLists of your favorite products, which triggers sales alerts and offers; and (4) via commerce-enabled editorial which provides shoppable inspiration. Founders Yury Tereshchenko and Ivailo Jordanov, alongside Editor-In-Chief Emily O’Brien, CTO Nikolay Anestev, and CEO Shannon Edwards, have developed the business into a global leader in personalized shopping. Styloko is based in London with users worldwide.

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Clementine Hunter Murals in Natchitoches Louisiana

ALL PHOTOS BY DEBI LANDER EXCEPT THE PANORAMA.

By Debi Lander

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Art

H

ave you ever driven through a city or town and immediately wanted to stop and explore? That’s how I felt when I reached Natchitoches, Louisiana, site of the town in the movie Steel Magnolias.

Fortunately, I did have a few hours to spend. The brief visit only increased my desire to return as this destination has much to offer.

Natchitoches (pronounced “Nack-atish”) is the oldest community in the Louisiana Purchase territory. Today, it’s the B&B capital of the state with many historic inns that look inviting for a girlfriend getaway or romantic escape. The lively and upscale riverfront of the downtown district borders the beautifully landscaped Cane River Lake. The Northwest Louisiana History Museum, which also houses the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, rests on the main plaza. I decided to venture in and was delighted to discover many worthwhile exhibits.

The museum’s new (year-long) Folk Art exhibition displays the Murals of Clementine Hunter. Ms. Hunter is considered one of the South’s foremost primitive artists. Her appeal is the simplicity of daily life: wash day, weddings, funerals and harvest time - the story of Cane River country.

“Clementine Hunter is a great example of the creative genius who arises from the most unlikely circumstances,” said Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne at the exhibition opening on March 28, 2015. “After the age of 50, with little more than her own vision and fierce determination, she picked up a brush and painted her way to wide acclaim.”

Most of Hunter’s works document the social life and customs of the African-American community as she saw it. She moved with her family to Melrose Plantation when she was 13 years old. Her early days were spent picking cotton and pecans at Melrose Plantation, and eventually she moved into the Big House to help with kitchen and laundry duties. There she completed her first creative endeavors: making dolls and quilting.

One day she picked up a leftover paintbrush and started producing art. She never stopped until a few days before her death at age 101.

Hunter painted her memories, so we see an insider’s perspective on life from 1939 to 1988. Sometimes she places herself in the painting. Her murals (removed for renovation from the walls of the African and Yucca

House on Melrose Plantation) are large, four-by-eight feet. The size brings the viewer into the painting, and the primitive style provokes a level of understanding, not intimidation. Hunter often drew women larger than men because she saw them as more important.

I didn’t have time to visit the National Park site: the Cane River Creole Plantation, which includes Oakland and Magnolia Plantations.

I did make it out to Fort St. Jean Baptiste. The full-scale wooden reconstruction sits near the site of the original fort and includes interior buildings such as a trading warehouse, powder magazine, church, commandant’s house, barracks, guardhouse, and bastions.

Costumed interpreters portray life during the period when French soldiers governed Louisiana.

Before 1830, the Cane River passed by the fort and downtown district, but the river changed course when a

massive logjam was cleared. The loss of the former port, bustling with cotton and sugar shipments, also changed the economy of the area.

Natchitoches suffered through the Civil War and Great Depression and growth came slowly during the industrial age. Tourism is now one of the primary sources of income.

Visitors will find appealing shops, restaurants featuring Southern, Creole and Cajun cuisine, comfortable lodging and many National Historical Landmarks worthy of a tour.

If you go Natchitoches lies in Northwest Louisiana, 256 miles or about a four-hour drive from New Orleans.

Spots of interest along the way include Baton Rouge, Plantation Alley, Atchafalaya River Basin, Lafayette, and the Kisatchie National Forest.

My visit to Natchitoches was part of my tour through Louisiana with Travel South.

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Art

Elke Daemmrich

Winner of A Luxe Beat Magazine Award E

lke Daemmrich creates dynamic, colorful paintings in addition to detailed engravings that celebrate the magnificence of the natural world. Sherrie Wilkolaski recently selected Daemmrich to win one of three Luxe Beat Magazine Awards among the 43 finalists in the Manhattan Arts International juried competition: “The Healing Power of ART”. The purpose of this online exhibition is to reward artistic excellence to artists worldwide for art that serves as a catalyst for healing.

About the exhibition Wilkolaski stated: “The impact of art on the healing process is very well documented and yet so underutilized. It is all about creating awareness. These three artists create an emotional response, just like a fine wine or delicious meal.

Their pieces give us that overwhelming positive reaction.”

Elke Daemmrich was born in Dresden, East Germany. She was barred from receiving a formal art school education because she and her parents refused to belong to the Communist Party. “That is why I went to drawing classes, subsidized by public organizations in Dresden,” the artist recalls. “I also did research at the Saxon Regional Library, where it was possible to access art editions from all over the world.”

By Renee Phillips In 1993 Daemmrich received a grant from the Foundation Kulturfonds, Berlin, for her project “The Light of the South,” which gave her the opportunity to work in Lacoste, Provence. “I became fascinated with landscapes, light and energy. The conditions of life, nature and culture of the Mediterranean region became and remain the most important subjects in my art.”

In 1994, Daemmrich moved to the southwest part of France, near Toulouse. She bought a medieval house, the birthplace of an archbishop of Albi, where she lives and works today. She states: “Living in different places can have a big impact on creation.”

The award-winning artist brings the microcosm of nature to a macrocosm scale in bold, largerthan-life compositions. They unfold a symphony of flowers, butterflies, seashells and insects with an occasional figure, such as the jogger in the painting above. A single painting or engraving may take several months to complete.

Her artwork is in collections worldwide and she has had more than 90 one-person exhibitions in museums and galleries throughout Europe and the U.S. They include those at the Goya Museum in

Castres; the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Cordes sur Ciel in France; the Museo de la Mediterrania in Torroella de Montgri and the Modest Cuixart Foundation in Barcelona, Spain -- to name a few.

In 2014 she received a grant from the Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Foundation Inc., New York, honoring her extensive career as a professional painter and printmaker.

She is also the recipient of the First Prize for works on paper during the International Exhibition of Contemporary Art in Museums in the Latino Art Museum in Pomona, Los Angeles, CA. In 2015 she won the “Prix Moulin à Nef” of VCCA Virginia, U.S., and also the award “Acquisitions 2015” from the Colas Foundation, BoulogneBillancourt, Paris.

She is a member of the Fondation Taylor in Paris and of the A.I.A.P. Comité Monégasque Auprès de l’Unesco, under the honorary presidency of the Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Daemmrich received the Manhattan Arts International “Critic’s Choice” Award for her engraving “Bees,” shown above. It was chosen by Jill Conner, a New York-based art critic and curator, who stated: “Elke Daemmrich’s eloquent copper

engraving ‘Bees’ brings viewers up close to an evolving environmental issue that is currently central to sustainability. Daemmrich presents these vibrant insects within a nest of honeycomb and from multiple perspectives. The artist’s detailed renderings are so specific, layered and mesmerizing that the lack of color becomes an afterthought. The circular rhythm of representation keeps the eye moving throughout, examining bees up close and at a distance. Elke Daemmrich’s utilization of mixed perspectives give rise to an awareness of a life so miniscule yet profoundly significant. For Daemmrich, the truth is in the details.”

About her source of inspiration, Daemmrich states: “My creation is always a direct communication with an object that captures my interest.

It can be in my garden where a praying mantis will arouse my curiosity, or while swimming in the Mediterranean Sea near Valencia in Spain.” It may also be motivated by “a political event or a very personal traumatic situation, like in my new engraving ‘Good Protected.’” This work of art is included in “The Healing Power of ART” exhibition through June 30, 2015 at www.manhattanarts.com.

Visit Elke Daemmrich’s website at www.elkedaemmrich.com

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The Art of Living Well

By Linda Cordair

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Xxxxx xxxxx

Dream Flight by Karl Jensen at www.cordair.com

Unbound by Karl Jensen at www.cordair.com

Harmony (in clay prior to bronze casting) by Karl Jensen at www. cordair.com

Flower Basket by Karl Jensen at www.cordair.com

I

don’t know anything about art.”

As a gallery owner I hear this too often. The truth is, we all know what we like, be it in art, wine, food or any of life’s meaningful pleasures. Let me ask you: How do you enjoy art? Do you visit galleries and museums? Do you collect? Do you admire art occasionally online, when a friend shares something nice on their Facebook page? You’ve probably answered “yes” to at least one of these questions.

Hopefully you would no sooner pay money or spend time lingering over an artwork you dislike or one that leaves you cold than you would order an entree in a restaurant that you have absolutely no intention of eating.

Art is, or should be, enjoyed the same way. The goal should be to identify what you like and then take the necessary steps to enjoy what your heart desires. Maybe you didn’t major in art history or you haven’t studied oil-painting technique or you don’t know how a sculpture gets its patina—or even what a “patina” is.

Not everyone has the time or opportunity or even the desire to learn these things. But your own personal ability to experience joy or sadness or delight or wonder when standing in front of a work of art— that is what is important! In truth, enjoying art is as simple as enjoying your favorite movies or TV shows or your favorite dish at a favorite restaurant.

Most important, always pay attention to and embrace your own response to an artwork, without second-guessing yourself, without worrying about what you think you’re supposed to feel or think about a piece according to some self-anointed expert, without worrying about what anyone else’s opinion or evaluation of the work may be. Nobody can be a better expert on what you enjoy than you— and it’s your own valuation and personal response to the art that should be most important to you. It never ceases to surprise me what people individually respond to in the gallery and what they don’t. Even long-standing clients and collectors whose tastes I think I really know will sometimes surprise me by falling in love with a piece I never would have suspected they would enjoy, or contrarily, by responding negatively or feeling flat towards a new piece that, based on their established tastes, I thought they might really enjoy. Regardless, my favorite clients are always the most honest ones: if a person needs an expert to tell them what they should like, they’re truly buying art for the wrong reasons.

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Yet, the more we learn about art and how it’s created, the deeper and richer our art-enjoying experience can be, in the same way that we can better appreciate nuances of food or wine flavors by taking classes or by watching cooking shows or by simply being fully engaged, asking questions perhaps of the chef or server or sommelier about a dish or about a wine we particularly like.

When it comes to art, how do we begin to answer questions such as “What is beautiful?”

“Beauty is a sense of harmony.

Whether it’s an image, a human face, a body, or a sunset, take the object which you call beautiful, as a unit [and ask yourself]: what parts is it made up of, what are its constituent elements, and are they all harmonious? If they are, the result is beautiful. If there are contradictions and clashes, the result is marred or positively ugly.” -- Ayn Rand.

One can look for and appreciate beauty in art, and one can learn how an artist captures and communicates a concept or meaning through his art that evokes a particular emotion or response from viewers. I offer the image of the sculpture below as an example. The artist, Karl Jensen, spent months working the clay with his hands and his sculpting tools with the goal of creating a work of art that—for viewers who respond to the image in the same way he does—certainly evokes a sense of serene happiness. (Joy is now cast in bronze; available in two sizes at Quent Cordair Fine Art.) Do you respond with a sense of joy when you look at this work? If so, imagine walking into someone’s home, perhaps your own, and being greeted by this uplifting image. Suddenly your troubles are farther away, you have a smile on your face and a warm, happy feeling in your heart.

That’s the instantaneous, irreplaceable value of art— the immediate, deeply personal experience that can only be compared to the moment when one sees the face of a special friend again, or of a loved one or a treasured pet after a time away.

The artist, Karl Jensen, has been sculpting professionally since the age of twenty-four. He is self-taught, continuing to pursue his personal artistic goals as an ever-changing, lifelong endeavor. Karl’s work embodies an articulation of the human spirit, from serene moments of daily life to those of playful joy.

He strives to capture the essence of an expression, a gesture, drawing the viewer into a moment frozen in time.

Creative Fire by Karl Jensen at www.cordair. com

Joy by Karl Jensen at www.cordair.com

Art His sculptures, ranging from small indoor bronzes to life-size outdoor pieces and fountains, can be found in collections worldwide.

Karl Jensen was born into an artistic family. His father, Reed Jensen, is a sculptor of note; his great aunt, Elaine Brockbank Evans, taught sculpting at university level and has work displayed across the country.

Sensitive portrayals of faces continue to be Karl’s trademark, with children being a favorite subject matter because of their beauty and innocence. “Childhood is a carefree time of joy and play,” the artist notes, “making it a perfect source of artistic ideas with universal appeal.”

Spring Dance by Karl Jensen at www.cordair.com

New Friends by Karl Jensen at www. cordair.com

Karl attended the University of Utah, where he studied under Angelo Caravaglia. Artistic influences include Ed Fraughton, Bruno Lucchesi, Avard Fairbanks, and Andrew Loomis. The artist cites living in Utah, a state rich in artistic heritage and natural beauty, as an influence, as an environment fostering artistic achievement.

Karl also sculpts adults in poses celebrating what it is to be alive, creative, in love, and free. He recently completed his first adult duo, Harmony. “We are in love with Harmony,” one of his collectors responds. “The feeling conveyed is so purely ecstasy.”

Dream Flight (see the top image above) is the first sculpture of Karl’s that I personally fell in love with when I came to work for the gallery in 2003.

I had not experienced a sculpture that moved me this much since I moved to the United States from Europe in 1979. To me, Dream Flight represented the freedom and ability to confidently follow my dreams. I remember telling the artist that I would enjoy seeing a larger version of the artwork created some day, and a few years later, in 2009, Karl sculpted Unbound, the work which won the artist First Place in the Art Renewal Center’s 6th Annual International Salon competition. While not identical, Unbound was inspired by Dream Flight’s theme. As a larger, even more romantic sculpture, I instantly fell in love with it from the moment I saw it, wanting a casting for my own. The ARC award catapulted Karl Jensen to the attention of collectors around the world, encouraging him to continue pursuing the work he loves despite a depressed economy at the time, which would last several years. Fortunately, he has persevered and, to this day, continues to sculpt figures that inspire and evoke emotion. His collectors range in age from 8 to 88.

I encourage you to take time to enjoy the art around you. Let it move you and give you something to reflect on. Purchase only the art that you will look forward to seeing every morning when you open your eyes or when you return home after a long day at work. When possible, consider acquiring art for your office that would inspire you as well, or suggest to an employer that having more uplifting art in the workplace is a sure way to increase productivity (see my Luxe Beat article The Importance of Art in the Workplace in the July 2014 issue). Blank walls and empty corners are boring! Ugly or meaningless art is worse than depressing and off-putting to co-workers and clients. Don’t settle for art that doesn’t lift your soul.

In one’s home and workspace, the art is not supposed to match the couch—it is supposed to match your personality. We have clients who have designed new homes around their favorite artwork and commissioned pieces.

I recommend spending less time worrying about how much you know about art and more time finding art that makes you happy. Of course, an education in art history is a wonderful thing to have, but it is not a prerequisite to being an accomplished art appreciator or collector. There are experts like myself available when you need a little advice such as value, bonded or cast bronze, original or reproduction, etc. What’s truly important is what the art does for you, how it reflects your own mind and soul, how it makes you feel. I invite and encourage you to be as personally choosy and selective about your art as you are about your food—on those special occasions when you really want what you want, and nothing else will do.

Karl Jensen’s available work and portfolio are on display at Quent Cordair Fine Art in Napa, California, as well as on the gallery’s website at www.cordair.com. To purchase any of Karl Jensen’s sculptures or to discuss commission possibilities, please contact the gallery at 707-255-2242.

ALL IMAGES APPEARING IN THIS ARTICLE ARE THE PROPERTY OF QUENT CORDAIR FINE ART AND THE ARTISTS THEY REPRESENT. THE IMAGES ARE PROTECTED BY U.S. COPYRIGHT LAWS, AND ARE NOT TO BE DOWNLOADED OR REPRODUCED IN ANY WAY WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF QUENT CORDAIR FINE ART, 1301 FIRST STREET, NAPA, CA 94559. COPYRIGHT 2014 QUENT CORDAIR FINE ART – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Dana Rebmann Featured Contributor

By Jessica O’Hehir

D

ana Rebmann, writer for Luxe Beat Magazine, has a profound love of travel, food, and wine. Dana’s husband and two teenage daughters are just one example of her unabated globetrotting; they can all pack a carry-on bag at a moment’s notice. Dana explores the San Francisco Bay Area, but admits to having a soft spot in her heart for a warm beach. Dana expressed the value of traveling with her family by saying, “I’m always happier when I know there’s a trip in the near future. As much as I love the independence that comes when traveling, good company only makes it better.”

How did you discover your love of travel?

I think it started when I moved three thousand miles away from home to go to college in Southern California. Coming from New Jersey, I might as well have moved to a different country. Next came a semester I spent in Europe.

There’s never been a reason to

stop traveling. I hope there never is.

Which are you most passionate about: writing or photography?

I don’t think it’s a one or the other kind of choice. Pick the right ones and they make each other better.

What is your writing process?

I tend to get glimpses of inspiration when I’m right in the middle of something else. So I don’t forget, I always try to write it down, which means I have a lot of lists. But, lists seem to have a way of turning into fun stories with me.

When you get the chance to pick your travel destination, where do you go?

Somewhere with warm sand, and bright blue water.

If you could be anyone else, who would you be?

I like being me, especially when I get to sleep in. Waking up somewhere new is even better!

What is your motivation for being a luxury journalist?

The world is a big place. I like helping people decide where to go next.

Do you have a favorite experience from your travels?

Seeing how excited people get when they fall in love with a new destination. It’s contagious. It’s even better when I meet people who are already planning their next trip, while they’re still on vacation.

How does local food impact your travels?

Food tells a great deal about a location, so wherever I go I try to eat like a local. Poutine in Canada, sourdough bread in San Francisco, or cheesesteaks in Philadelphia. It’s easy to eat well when you travel; and chances are you’ll discover something new.

How do you enjoy spending your free time?

I love traveling with my family on an actual vacation, and often see things differently with my two teenage daughters in tow. I enjoy trying to cook some of the amazing things I’ve tasted along my way, and running; so that I can keep tasting things – like Belgian chocolate or warm beignets.

What do you see as the biggest impact on the change in the luxury market?

People are living longer, traveling longer, and traveling to more off the beaten path locales. Going somewhere new and out of your comfort zone is always easier when you know you’ve got a comfy bed to sleep in at night.

If you were stranded on an island, name one person and three items you would bring?

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My husband, my Swiss Army knife, a glow in the dark yo-yo, and as much chocolate as I could carry.

Chocolate makes life better wherever you are, yo-yos are fun, and just about anything is possible with a Swiss Army Knife.

You’re from Long Beach Island, New Jersey, what do you recommend a tourist do on their first visit?

If you came to Long Beach Island, New Jersey, you would spend summer days sitting in the sand, looking for dolphins, and the occasional humpback whale in the waves. Fresh seafood, white pizza, and custard (aka soft serve ice cream) would fill your nights.

What are three necessities that you won’t travel without?

I’m a big believer in traveling light – a carry-on only kind of girl – so my must-haves earn the space they take up in my bag. I never leave home without my Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones. They’re tiny, and guarantee silence. My cellphone, well, does it all – including snapping some great pictures – especially when I’m on the run. Which brings me to the last thing I won’t travel without, my running shoes. Jogging is a great way to get the lay of the land when you touch down in a new destination.

What does Luxe Beat Magazine mean to you?

Luxe Beat Magazine allows me to inspire others to travel, and see places they never dreamed they could visit. You can learn a great deal about the world we live in through travel.

To learn more about Dana, go to www.danarebmann.com.

Featured Contributor

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Travel

Global Etiquette E-mail

By Maralyn D. Hill

B

efore e-mail, there was book after book providing the proper protocol for business letters, personal letters, notes, congratulations and just about everything imaginable. In general, people followed the etiquette guidelines they learned in school.

The higher the degree, the more formal some of the guidelines became.

With the speed and ease of the Internet, many have gotten careless, think etiquette doesn’t matter and simply don’t think about it. Well, it does matter; it represents you and more important, your company.

Often we have been in a rush and don’t proof read what we are e-mailing and we make mistakes.

I know I have. It can be an expensive mistake.

In addition to e-mail being a company record, it is a representation of the individual sending it.

Some tips to help with general e-mails

• In all cases, avoid falling into the trap of using ALL CAPS to make

something stand out in e-mails or texts. The recipient will view it as shouting. I did it with two words five years ago and was called on the carpet by someone who was terribly offended. I did check with others who confirmed that it was viewed as shouting. I have not done it since -- except for one time when I wanted to shout.

• Remember that companies have access to any e-mail sent by their employees from a work computer.

So nothing at all you send should be considered confidential. Think before you put something into an e-mail that you would hesitate to say in person to a colleague. It matters.

• Be sure your e-mail maintains the standards of your organization.

This is especially true when the communication you are sending originates from your company’s e-mail address.

• Be sure to format and follow the form of a formal business letter.

Check for spelling, punctuation and grammar. Wait a minute or two and read the e-mail aloud to yourself. It is amazing what you will catch. This should be done before you hit the “Send” key.

Business E-Mail

There has been quite a bit of controversy about e-mail being too informal for business. In the beginning, that was more true than not. However, with the various types of encryptions and increased usage of the Internet, e-mail has become an accepted form of communication.

However, there still are rules, including the one about using a businesslike format and adhering to your company’s image. And you need to always remember that e-mails are not confidential. Even your signature block is there for everyone to see and numerous states consider what were marked confidential e-mails as legal evidence. Just as first impressions in person and in a letter make a difference, so do first impressions in e-mails.

Some tips to help with business e-mails

• Have your subject line be contentspecific and, if possible, short. You will find this especially helpful if you are searching for it later.

• Consider not putting in the recipient’s e-mail address in the

space provided until after the email is finished and proofed. That will eliminate it being sent by accident before you are ready. This gives you time to check the grammar, punctuation, spelling, attachments, etc. You may want to check to be sure the individual can accept attachments or if you need to use something like “Dropbox,” or “YouSendIt.” • Be sure to follow a business letter format.

• If your e-mail has a long technical aspect, add it as an attachment.

An e-mail has a better chance of being read in total if it is short and to the point.

• Be sure to verify the recipient’s e-mail address before sending. The two times I did not do this, I caused myself embarrassment.

• Start your e-mail with a greeting.

• Use Mr., Mrs, Ms. until invited to use first name.

• End your e-mail with a signature line which includes your full name, title, company name, street address, phone, fax, e-mail address, website and a disclaimer statement, if required by your company.

• Keep in mind that you do not know when the person you are send the e-mail to will receive it. This is especially true of recipients in international time zones.

• Even though we know the Internet is not confidential, do not forward any e-mail that you received that has been marked “confidential.”

• Avoid BCC (blind carbon copies).

Mistakes can be made when a recipient sends your e-mail to someone else and they hit”Reply to All.” If someone receives an unintended e-mail, all you can do is apologize and deal with negative feedback.

• Check your e-mail several times a day and try to respond within twenty-four hours or have an “out-of-office” response on when, you are unavailable.

I hope you have found this helpful and we are always pleased to hear from you at luxebeatmag@gmail.com.

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COMING SOON

Coconut Bliss is more than just one man’s journey to the edge of the world. It is a story of transformation; cultural contrasts and a clearer understanding of how diet and disease are inextricably linked to the seeds of agriculture and the food we eat. Against the backdrop of one of the world’s most exotic and ancient civilizations, Coconut Bliss shines a magisterial spotlight on humanity and the foods of life. www.lanceseeto.com

Business

Quality Business Play All Out

By Tom Raffio

D

uring my more than thirtyfive years in the business industry, I have learned, through experience and benchmarking best practice companies, what it takes to run not only a business, but a successful one.

What follows is the fourth article in a series of twelve that will position any business for success.

In my last column I discussed how to keep your team happy, healthy, fit, and productive. This is extremely important, especially in today’s competitive fast-paced business environment, where it is increasingly difficult to outwork your opponents.

If your team isn’t healthy, you won’t give your biggest competitors the challenge they need – you will make it too easy for them to win.

When I am out in the community and presenting to high school, college, or MBA students, I am often asked what the secret to my success is and I always respond: work harder than anyone else. That is the simple fact, I am willing to do more than the average person to get the job done and to make myself the best person I can be. Any successful businessperson outworks and out-hustles the competition and isn’t afraid to put in the effort.

In 2004, Northeast Delta Dental underwent a major technology systems conversion and we did so without one complaint from a customer or dentist office. That can’t be said for all insurance companies or banks. How often have you received a message saying “we are experiencing high volumes of claims/phone calls during our system conversion, please accept our apologies?” I bet you have and I bet you don’t think much about the quality of that organization.

To achieve this smooth system conversion, we rallied our employees and explained their individual role in

the conversion and we communicated how this related to the company’s goals. Each employee was willing to work longer and harder to make sure the team met its goals.

There are no shortcuts. To be successful you must be willing to put in the work, and work harder and longer than anyone else. This will allow you to outhustle and outperform the competition and delight your customers. One example of this is Northeast Delta Dental’s Customer Service Department. If a customer calls (during normal business hours), the phone is

answered by a live person at our New Hampshire headquarters with minimal waiting times and no computerized prompts. Our customers appreciate this, after all, we are here to serve them and help them navigate their dental (and/or vision) plan.

In summary, any successful business leader must outwork the average person and be a role model for his/ her teammates. Doing so will foster an environment where your employees will admire you as a leader and you, your employees, and your company, will flourish. And of course, work hard, and don’t take shortcuts.

For example, at the end of a long day filled with meetings, presentations, and emails, I am tired. But, there may be two or three potential customers who have called and are expecting a call back before the end of the day.

Instead of going home and leaving these follow-up calls for tomorrow, I will make the calls. This is something I impart to my Northeast Delta Dental employee colleagues, “Never put off until tomorrow, what you can accomplish today.”

You get ahead by not taking shortcuts and working harder than everyone else.

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Long Live You!

Excerpted with permission from Long Live You! Your Step-by-Step Plan to Look and Feel Better Than Before (Spry Publishing, 2015; $16.95), by Jane Wilkens Michael. Copyright Spry Publishing 2015. Available for purchase everywhere books are sold.

Here’s to Your (Emotional) Health

“Emotional Well Being—it’s a choice. And when you bring awareness to any aspect of your life, you will reap benefits, because awareness tells you how you are doing. It’s an infallible kind of radar, if you turn it on. The most important thing is knowing what you want.”

—Deepak Chopra, M.D.

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ith Dr. Chopra’s words in mind, whenever I give a lecture on how to be Better Than Before, at some point I survey the room of (mostly) women and ask them what they want most out of life. The answer is almost always a resounding “We want to be happy!” Not to have more money, not to have more bags and shoes—although those are things that might make some people (ahem!) happier—but to feel happiness itself.

To that end, I am often posed two questions: “Is it really possible to become happier?” And, “Can I do it overnight?”

The response to the first is a resounding “Yes!” As for the second, there are no instant fixes. In order to

Promoting healthy lifestyle through positive health decisions

overcome life’s emotional challenges, you must first take responsibility for your own life. Above all, you have to understand that your emotional lifestyle has consequences on your physical health, as well as your mental well-being. In other words, if you feel better about how you live, you will live better!

As we discussed in Rung 1, there is a direct link between emotional health and heart health. In fact, researchers at the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute have found that emotional stressors may trigger changes that can cause such health issues as coronary artery dysfunction, headaches, digestive problems, insomnia, and even cancer.

Stress is both inevitable and

ubiquitous in most of our lives; yet we seem at a loss for ways to modulate it for ourselves. We all have so many responsibilities that we rarely allow ourselves a moment to think, to experience—to dream. And unless we get a handle on our lives, emotional angst can have serious consequences.

But, what can we realistically incorporate into our daily lives to help get us through the difficult days? This rung is devoted to finding those ways and means.

The Kaizen Secret

The whole concept of being Better Than Before implies change—and the best place to start is in your mindset.

Granted, it’s not possible to become the pure, innocent five-year-old you,

Book Excerpt who (hopefully) never experienced an emotional crisis. But you can constantly try to be better than a day ago, an hour ago, or even a minute ago. The secret is to take small steps, what the Japanese call Kaizen (from the ancient Chinese words meaning “change to make good or better”).

It is all about making an effort to continually improve each day in very small increments. You can begin by gradually replacing the negative self-talk that keeps you from becoming the person you truly want to be.

You Are Not Alone

We all suffer from something, be it as simple as cuticle biting, jaw clenching, or smoking; to more complex issues such as chronic stress, fears, low self-esteem, neuroses, and phobias.

In response to these universal complaints, everywhere you look there’s something either written or broadcast about stress management.

What not to eat, what not to drink, what not to think. The fact that you know you shouldn’t be stressed—and you are—can cause even more stress.

Take The Lawyer, for example, and his Orwellian theory on ice cream: “Forcing myself to resist my natural urges to eat it will cause more harmful stress than the physical LDL damage of eating it. So therefore, it will be even worse for my arteries to not eat ice cream!”(Huh?) Chances are you are one of the millions of people who are overwhelmed in every aspect of their lives—at work, at home, in relationships, financially, and even by the little yet annoying things such as traffic jams and people with too many food items in the express checkout line. Unfortunately, the stress epidemic sweeping our country is not only widespread; it’s also on the rise.

Perhaps that’s because the sources of stress are also multiplying.

Stress Comes in Many Forms

The major personal stressors are well-known: Illness, dating and marriage, breakup and divorce, and the death of a friend or loved one.

Then we all have career and financial worries. And for the more emotionally fragile, almost any change from their normal pattern can set emotional anguish in motion. Additionally, there are environmental stressors, such as smog and noise pollution. In today’s digital world, stress may also come from a constant bombardment of e-mails, texts, and voice messages that gives us the feeling of being on-call 24/7.

However, the most difficult stress to deal with may stem from within— low self-esteem. It is most often

triggered by trying to live up to the expectations of others—or what we assume others think of us. There will always be those who are more beautiful, wealthier, or more successful. You are who you are. And if you are doing the best that you can, there is no reason to feel “less than.”

We must also address the fears that turn into phobias and anxiety, that horrific sense of being out of control.

It can be associated with a specific issue, such as flying, public speaking, driving on freeways, or even visiting the doctor. (Being that I am a hypochondriac, the very sight of a white coat, even on a butcher, causes my blood pressure to soar to stroke levels.) Anxiety can also manifest in that general sense of dread that comes out of nowhere, sometimes for no particular reason, but frightens the heck out of you.

That brings us to perhaps the greatest source of stress of all— motherhood, the veritable mother lode of emotional stress. No matter how good a parent we may be, we all feel (undoubtedly correctly) that we have made mistakes along the way. We fear, for example, that our kids will always remember the time(s) we sent them to school when they felt sick to their stomach, believing that it was only because we had other things to do—and the school nurse promptly sent them back home (secretly, I feared, thinking I was an unfit mother).

While we all make sacrifices for our children, every mother feels guilty about something. If we work, we wish we stayed home. If we choose to stay home, even for the first year or so, we think we should be doing more important things with our lives than discussing the relative merits of Pampers versus Huggies.

Sometimes we erroneously assume that we have the best of both worlds.

When Elise, my youngest, was born, I began to write a few days a week from my home office. Granted, it was nice to secretly wear sweats and bunny slippers when I was doing important phone interviews. But unfailingly, every time I made a call, the children began to loudly attack one another in one made-up game or another. I would sigh and assert to my sympathetic interviewee that an inconsiderate coworker had brought his or her disorderly kids into the office.

For all you new moms, I do have good news—it does get easier with each child, I swear. For example, when Alex was a newborn, I used to rush him to the pediatrician whenever his temperature reached 98.7. With Philip, four years later as a more experienced mom, it was only when

it got over 100. By the time Elise came along six years after that, I wasn’t even upset when her temperature hit 102. Knowing by then that a healthy child tends to fever high to naturally fight infection, I merely gave her a dose of liquid Tylenol and kept a close vigil. Suffice it to say, she’s still alive and thriving.

Yes, dads suffer stress, too! But as women, we tend to have even more responsibilities. We are nurturers by nature; so, for the most part, child care is in a mother’s domain. It’s exhausting just thinking that it could be possible to have it all—if we do it all. And we can’t. It’s both physically and mentally impossible.

And trust me on this one, ladies, it is okay to not be Wonder Woman.

She’s the one who gets up at 5 am, sprints to the gym, then showers, answers all e-mails, fixes her family a breakfast of flaxseed banana waffles with organic maple syrup, and is ready to go to the office as soon as she drives her 2.4 equally perfect children to school. Her male counterpart is just as accomplished. Not only does he hold down a high-powered day job, but he is a nationally ranked squash player and on weekends writes poetry when not competing in an Ironman Triathlon. In a pinch, he can re-shingle his roof. But unless they actually hail from the planet Krypton, inside they’re a hot mess!

And I know this in part from my brief foray into Superparenthood. It was one winter, many moons ago; I had really felt sorry for my husband as he somehow managed to always get sick at the exact same time as the children. Needless to say, he did not get a whole lot of sympathy. So when everyone was well, I decided to make it up to him. “Tomorrow, dear,” I announced, “I will prepare you a special breakfast, lay out your clothes, and drive you to work.”

So I spent more time fussing over his meal than I did taking care of the children that morning. They had cold cereal; he had steel-cut oats with walnuts. I carefully chose his suit and tie, and even made sure that he wasn’t wearing one brown shoe and one black, as sometimes happens when he dresses himself. And as soon as I rushed my older sons off to the bus and took my little girl to nursery school, as promised, I hopped in the car and gave him door-to-door service to his office.

An hour later, all missions accomplished, I, über-wife, returned to my office and started to write my column with still plenty of time left to meet my deadline. I sat back in the chair and let out a large self-satisfied sigh, thinking to myself, “Who said you can’t have it—and, most

important, do it—all?” Just then the phone rang.

“Mrs. Michael,” stated the voice on the other end, “this is Mrs. Butters at the nursery school.”

“Oh, hello, Mrs. Butters,” I chirped.

“Did the class enjoy those organic oatmeal raisin cookies I sent in the other day for their recess snack?”

“Those were great.” She paused, then continued. “But the reason I’m calling is that you seem to have sent your daughter to school today in her pajamas.” Bam!

And the Answer Is ...

So no matter our will and good intentions, we can’t eliminate every source of stress. When I first began my research on how to help others feel better than before on an emotional level, what really stuck with me was a conversation that I had with a very spiritual person, a shaman, in fact. I remember asking her the true meaning of life. She said she would consult the Guides and get back to me. Finally, she called.

As I anxiously awaited her response, she replied, “Well, here it is.” She paused. “Stuff happens (okay, stuff was not the exact word she used).

Move on!”

“Seriously? That’s the answer to the meaning of life?” I asked incredulously.

“Yes,” she insisted. “Don’t dwell!”

Of course, that is far easier said than done. Ignoring the negative mental chatter that can bedevil us is tough. Setting positive goals is self-affirming, but it’s how you handle the all-too-likely failure to accomplish them fully (or at all) that is the key.

The Journey

It’s important to remember that it’s the journey, not the final resting point, that matters in selfimprovement—finding satisfaction in the tiny victories and incremental improvements along the way. That, in turn, will allow you to live in and enjoy the moment. Too often, we spend so much time worrying about the future that we don’t appreciate what we accomplished that day, or even that minute. By never giving yourself credit for what you have achieved on a day-to-day basis, everything just jumbles together into one big “to-do” list. Life becomes the trip from hell instead of an enjoyable voyage. In the words of Ernest Hemingway: “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters in the end.”

That is perhaps the real meaning of my shaman’s cryptic message, “Never give up.” All the genius in the world won’t do any good without guts, tenacity, and passion. Estée Lauder

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once told me that when she was first starting out, if cosmetic buyers said no, she would wait outside their offices all day until they changed their minds. Vincent van Gogh sold only one painting during his lifetime; Elvis Presley got a C in music class; Winston Churchill at one point lost three elections in a row; Henry Ford’s car manufacturing company went bankrupt— twice—before becoming the Ford Motor Company; Sigmund Freud was booed from the stage when he first presented his revolutionary ideas; and Albert Einstein was expelled from school for being a disruptive student. What would the world be like if any one of them simply gave up and didn’t forge ahead?

How to Begin

As with all our rungs, we must start with general principles and then work down through specific ideas, techniques, and therapies. For overall emotional well-being guidance, my favorite stress adviser is personal empowerment expert and author of the best-selling The Synthesis Effect: Your Direct Path to Personal Power and Transformation, Dr. John McGrail.

“Emotional wellbeing is the central desire (and the right) of every human being, first and foremost, to feel safe, loved, validated, and in control of his/her life,” he asserts.

“Ironically we are all born that way, in perfect love and energetic harmony, and filled with perfectly formed and vastly abundant self-esteem and emotional wellbeing. Then life happens and we, at least most of us in modern Western society, get it beaten out of us, at least figuratively.”

Here, per Dr. McGrail, are some common steps anyone can take to reclaim that

wonderful childhood state of mind: 1. First, you must acknowledge that you are naturally resistant to change, even when you want it and know it will be a good thing. It is literally in our DNA to cling to the familiar, a condition called homeostasis, from the Latin words meaning the “same state.” It is homeostasis, the emotional equivalent of inertia in the physical world, that holds us back and

keeps us stuck.

2. Accept that you are going to feel somewhat uncomfortable during the process of changing your life and consciously decide to allow yourself to feel that way. It won’t kill you, and once you cross that emotional bridge, half the battle is over and you are in the process of learning what you need to know to be the new you.

3. Accept that all change—in fact, life itself—is always a process.

Modern technology-driven society is becoming too used to expecting instant results and gratification; when you accept the concept of process, it can help you hasten the happy results.

4. Commit to being “at cause” with your life—most of us live in a state of being “at effect,” that is, feeling as if life is happening to us and we are the victims of circumstances beyond our control. Being “at cause” is a fundamental shift in that thinking. It goes something like this: It is no one else’s job to make me happy or safe or loved or confident or financially solvent or healthy, or anything. It is my job alone. Thus, my results will depend on my choices, what I do, think, say, and feel.

5. Choosing to live “at cause” also leads us to another huge requirement—it must come from within. Most of us think that if we just get the stuff we want— our money, career, love and relationships, whatever we think is missing—that all will be well. But it is only when we rediscover our internal balance that we can begin to enjoy what we have.

6. In order to establish true emotional well-being, we must balance and integrate all our energy streams—physical, emotional, and spiritual. And we must acknowledge that we are indeed spiritual beings, something much easier to do with all the new science that is providing the empirical evidence we Westerners require. As such, we are seeing major changes in virtually all our health and wellness disciplines.

7. Finally, to really feel emotionally sound and whole, pay as much attention as possible to making choices that serve the greater good, to be of service to others. It can be as simple as validating other people on a regular basis—say thank you to anyone who provides you with a service. Say hello and smile at someone you pass on the street. As you watch him/her light up just from being acknowledged and validated, you will too.

99

School of Booze

By Jane Peyton

Where’s the Party? Sparkling Wine

Pop the cork and the party begins.

Sparkling wine has a unique ability to create anticipation and lighten the mood. Commonly known by the name ‘champagne’ regardless of where it is produced, fizz can only legally use that name if the grapes are grown and the wine made according to the rules of appellation in the French region of Champagne.

French sparkling wines made in other parts of the country are known as crémant or mousseux.

Britons are the second most enthusiastic drinkers of champers after the French and with good reason. Sparkling wine made through secondary fermentation in the bottle may first have happened in England not France, albeit with imported French still wine. Although Dom Pierre Pérignon (c.1638–1715) has been credited with the invention of sparkling wine, it is not true. He was a winemaker and expert cellarman based at the Abbey de Hautvillers in the Champagne region and he worked to improve local wines and viticulture – but the credit for fizz belongs elsewhere. Sparkling wine was known

by Dom Pérignon, but for many years fizzy wine was seen as a fault that caused bottles to break and create a chain reaction in the caves leading to its description as le vin du diable – the Devil’s wine. The erroneous champagne invention myth may have arisen because of an account written by a priest called Dom Groussard more than a century after Dom Pérignon’s death, in which he claimed the latter was the inventor of champagne.

By then leading champagne houses such as Taittinger and Veuve Clicquot had been founded and were a source of national pride so perhaps Dom Groussard wanted to aggrandise Abbey de Hautvillers with his claims.

Moët et Chandon must have believed it because they named their premier brand after Dom Pérignon.

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Book Excerpt England’s connection with this marvellous creation is documented in a paper called Some Observations concerning the Ordering of Wines delivered in 1662 (six years before Dom Pérignon entered the abbey) by scientist Christopher Merret (also spelled Merrett) to the Royal Society in London. In it he described how ‘our wine coopers of recent times use vast quantities of sugar and molasses to all sorts of wine to make them brisk and sparkling’. Six months later, cider maker Silas Taylor presented a paper to the Royal Society where he described bottling cider and keeping it in cool water, which made it ‘drink quick and lively, it comes into the glass not pale or troubled but bright yellow, with a speedy vanishing nittiness (meaning full of small air bubbles)... which evaporates with a sparkling and whizzing noise.’ It was already known that cider makers had added sugar to cider around 1632, before Dom Pérignon was born, so Silas Taylor was describing sparkling cider in his paper. Doing the same to wine was an obvious move.

Secondary fermentation of wine was not new. It often happened naturally in warm weather when yeast awoke and started fermenting residual sugars creating carbon dioxide bubbles. The problem was that carbon dioxide creates pressure in an enclosed container so whatever vessel wine or cider was stored in would need to be hardy enough to withstand the force. This is where England’s claim to have intentionally created sparkling wine is bolstered and it is linked to three seventeenth-century glass-makers. James Howell and Sir Robert Mansel perfected a technique to make coal-fired glassware reinforced with iron and manganese ores making it more resilient than any other existing glass. Glassworks were set up in major ports where wine importedin casks could be decanted into the newheavy-duty glass bottles. Sir Kenelm Digby also experimented in glass-making by adding high ratios of lime and potash.

The result, verre anglais, was robust and like Howell and Mansel’s glass could withstand the carbon dioxide pressure from cider and wine undergoing a secondary fermentation in the bottle. But having a sturdy bottle is not much use unless it can be sealed. Kenelm Digby is credited as being the first person in England to use leak- proof corks to seal bottles.

England had long-standing trade connections with Portugal where cork oaks grow. Until 1685 French winemakers used a plug of wood wrapped in fabric and soaked in tallow rather than a cork to seal the bottle.

Such devices would not have prevented carbon dioxide leakage and so the wine would no longer have sparkled. This factor is another reason to suggest that sparkling wine was not a French innovation.

England’s winemaking history dates back at least to the Norman Conquest in 1066 although today’s yields will not give French or Italian vintners sleepless nights. The undisputed champ of English vino is sparkling wine with some world-class vintages that have won top prizes in international competitions. The chalk sub-soil in Kent and Sussex where most of the grapes for sparkling wine are grown is almost identical to that of the Champagne region. The trouble is, calling it ‘English sparkling wine’ is rather an inelegant mouthful – not snappy like cava or prosecco.

Hampshire producer Christian Seely suggests calling it ‘Britagne’ (pronounced ‘Britannia’) but this has yet to be adopted by the industry.

Champagne gained international renown due to the proximity of Rheims cathedral where French kings were traditionally crowned and who celebrated with the eponymous sparkling wine. In the eyes of the world’s nobility and haute bourgeoisie, champagne meant luxury and power and it became the only drink worthy of festivities, rites of passage, celebrations. It still is.

inside ensures that no glass shards fall into the bottle.

One theory about the origin of the practice is that cavalry soldiers in Napoleon’s army used their swords to whisk the top off the bottle rather than dismount and open it by removing the cork.

Madame Lilly Bollinger (who after her husband died in 1941 built up the eponymous champagne house into one of the world’s leading drinks businesses) encapsulates the allure of fizz perfectly in this quote: ‘I drink champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory.

I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it – unless I’m thirsty.’

In the 1800s champagne was noticeably sweeter than the modern version is. The trend towards a drier product began when Perrier-Jouët decided not to sweeten the 1846 vintage prior to exporting it to London. The

designation brut was created for the British market in 1876.

Making champagne was a dangerous business until French glassmakers perfected their own version of verre anglais. Until then it was common for bottles to smash during the secondary fermentation, especially in warm weather. Flying glass badly injured people working in the cellars and so they were issued with protective clothing including metal masks.

Why do racing drivers waste all that champagne by spraying it willy-nilly to celebrate a win?

Blame an American motorsport driver called Dan Gurney who spontaneously doused his team mates on the podium after he won the Le Mans race in 1967. Other drivers followed suit and soon it became tradition. When Formula 1 races are held in Muslim countries (where alcohol is forbidden) the champers is switched to waard, which is a fizzy soft drink made from rose water and pomegranate.

Winston Churchill’s morning tea break consisted not of a cup of Camellia sinensis but a glass (large) of champagne brought by his valet every day at 11 a.m. He is quoted as saying ‘A single glass of champagne imparts a feeling of exhilaration. The nerves are braced, the imagination is agreeably stirred, the wits become more nimble.’ Churchill’s favourite brand was Pol Roger and he maintained a stash during the Second World War, even though the Champagne region was occupied by the Nazis. When he died, as a mark of respect to their celebrated client Pol Roger added a black border to the labels of ‘White Foil’ sold in Britain.

Sabrage is a ceremonial method of opening a bottle of champagne by using a heavy knife or special sword (sabre à champagne) to cut open the top rather than pop the cork. The force of the blade makes a clean cut at the weakest part of the bottle on the neck just underneath the cork. It is not the sharpness of the blade that counts, rather the weight. Pressure

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