W42ST Issue 53 - The Food Issue

ISSUE 53 MAY 2019

I'M F REE! (CALORIE FREE, THAT IS!)

The

FOOD ISSUE The five-ingredient challenge, the colorful history of brunch, the secret life of plants ... and more!

Where You Want To Live Full service luxury rentals without the fee at TFC.com

SAVE THE DATE

TASTE

0F TIMES SQUARE RETURNS THIS SPRING WITH FOOD, MUSIC, AND DANCING

JUNE 3, 2019, 5–9PM BROADWAY & 46 TH STREET GET 20% OFF ONLINE TICKETS WITH OFFER CODE W42TASTE TSq.org/Taste

coming this summer...

FREE LIVE MUSIC AND MORE

Broadway Pedestrian Plazas between 42 nd & 47 th Streets BROADWAY BUSKERS TUESDAYS, 5–7PM

JAZZ IN TIMES SQUARE THURSDAYS, 5–7PM

COLORING & DRAWING WEDNESDAYS, 12–3PM

Broadway actors and composers perform their own original music

Jazz bands from around NYC create a new Thursday rhythm

Relax with creative activities for both kids and adults

It’s fun. It’s free. It’s literally only a few blocks away.

T Sq.org/Music

LET THE SUMMER FUN BEGIN AT THE INTREPID MUSEUM Proudly supported by

Photos: Reist Photography; Erika Kapin; Karen Obrist.

MAY 22–27

CELEBRATE OUR SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN WITH A FULL LINEUP OF OUTDOOR EVENTS, PERFORMANCES AND INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS! LEARN MORE AT INTREPIDMUSEUM.ORG/FLEETWEEK. All U.S. military and veterans receive free admission to the Museum. Activities on Pier 86 are free to the public.

PARADE OF SHIPS

ACTIVITIES & PERFORMANCES

MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY

May 22

May 25–27, 10:00am–6:00pm

May 27, 11:00am

Kick off Fleet Week by watching the Parade of Ships from Intrepid —a “front-row” seat right on the Hudson River.

Join us for a special lineup of programs and performances, including hands-on activities on the pier.

Attend the Museum’s special ceremony honoring all who have given their lives for our country.

Museum members access private viewing area.

Activities on Pier 86 are free to the public.

Free to the public. Museum members receive reserved seating.

THE FUN CONTINUES AFTER FLEET WEEK FREE FRIDAYS

SUMMER MOVIE NIGHTS

April 26 May 31 June 21 July 19 August 16 September 27 October 25

May 24 & 31 June 21 July 19 August 16

Explore the Museum and enjoy a variety of free after-hours programming including lively conversations, exciting performances, telescopes for viewing the night sky and movie nights on the flight deck!

Learn more at intrepidmuseum.org/free-fridays.

Dramatic Hudson River and skyline views from the flight deck of Intrepid provide the setting for NYC’s most unique outdoor movie experience.

Admission tickets (free of charge) will be distributed first-come, first-served before the show. Space is limited. The movie begins at sunset, weather permitting.

Learn more at intrepidmuseum.org/movies.

PIER 86, WEST 46TH ST & 12TH AVE intrepidmuseum.org

2019 © Intrepid Museum Foundation. All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under applicable law, this work may not be copied, published, disseminated, displayed, performed or played without permission of the copyright holder.

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WALK-IN TODAY

HELL’S KITCHEN | WEST VILLAGE UPPER EAST SIDE (212) 255-5655

I never really found young Oliver Twist’s idea of Food, Glorious Food particularly appetizing.

Hot sausage and mustard? Hmm ... Cold jelly and custard? No thanks. I’m not sure I even knew what savaloys were until recently (they’re kind of like hot dogs, apparently). But I guess when your go-to three-square-meals consist of gruel, anything else is going to get your juices flowing.

I hope we succeed in tempting your tastebuds this month, with inspiration from chefs, insight from foodies, fun ideas for cooking classes, and the true story behind why we eat brunch.

Plus, there’s all our regular features, including a real estate revelation, Broadway news ... and how to burn off all that glorious food down at the gym. Bon appetit, my friends. Don’t forget to chew.

Ruth Walker Editor, W42ST Sign up to my weekly newsletter at w42st.com THE TEAM THAT BROUGHT YOU W42ST

PUBLISHER PHIL O’BRIEN phil@w42st.com (646) 535-4407

FOUNDING EDITOR SIMON KIRRANE AMBASSADOR HERSHEY MILLER

EDITOR RUTH WALKER ruth@w42st.com (646) 847-9645

SENIOR ART EDITOR LEE CAPLE

lee@w42st.com

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR SANDRA MANGAN sandra@w42st.com

PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR DREW DARGIS drew@w42st.com (646) 896-9562

CONTRIBUTORS

CLAUDIA CHUNG SOPHIA STRAWSER DANE LACHIUSA KRISTEN JONGEN

NACHO GUEVARA SUE PAZOS SHIRI ESHEL ANTHONY CAPORALE GREGOR COLLINS

ELIZABETH DURAND STREISAND JOE DELAHUNTY CHELSEY HILL

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher ©2019. Please note: Every effort has been made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions in this publication. However, if you spot one please accept our sincere apologies.

CONTENTS May Edition

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THE FOOD ISSUE OUT 12 WEST SIDE STORIES

How Ashley Tyrner went from single mom on food stamps to a CEO dedicated to eradicating the US food desert.

18 TAKE FIVE

41 HUMANS IN HIS PHONE The man who’s reconnecting with his contacts IRL.

46 SUPERSTITIONS

How Broadway peeps prep for showtime.

What would you make for dinner if you had just five ingredients in the fridge? We challenge our favorite chefs to do better!

LIVING

48 PLANT LIFE

The woman who REALLY digs New York!

28 BODEGA CHALLENGE The inside story on who did what, and how!

STYLE

31 CLASS ACTION

Sophia gets her weights on – with real results.

60 WOMAN WHO LIFTS

New York’s most fun cooking classes at your fingertips.

35 BRUNCH, BABY!

Why we eat what we do, when we do – and who we do it with.

PETS

64 WAGGING TALES

Hell’s Kitchen’s most handsome pets.

Email waggingtales@w42st.com.

COVER Photographer Charles Dustin Sammann and stylist Yani Monzón Calero are a still life photo team, recently transitioned to New York from the high deserts of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Being fresh to the city, they can’t wait to photograph everything that is static with aesthetic.

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WEST SIDE STORIES This page: Ashley with eight-year-old Harlow, who became a committed vegan aged two.

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DIGITAL EDITION

WEST SIDE STORIES

Back to her roots The best vegan tacos in town, unbelievable “non” burgers, and why Ashley Tyrner is committed to ending America’s food desert

My Hell’s Kitchen story

When I came to live in New York City, I worked in fashion, and I had all these amazing gay men who said: “You’ve got to be on the Upper West Side. It’s where all the other Jewish moms are. This is where we’re gonna put you. It’s very family.” So that’s how I landed there.

Then I moved to Hell’s Kitchen to be closer to my daughter’s school, and I really like the neighborhood. It’s changing a ton, with lots of bars and restaurants. I’m not out swinging from the chandeliers anymore, but it’s just a very vibrant part of the city.

NYC is the best place to be a single parent

I’ve always loved going to farms

So I’d take Harlow on day trips out of the city, and spent about a year researching the market before I left my corporate job to launch Farmbox Direct. When I first started, we were local to New York, but now I ship to the entire country and we’re really working to eradicate the food desert problem. Twenty four million Americans live in a food desert [where residents rely on convenience stores or fast food because of the inadequate supply of fresh food].

“You can get cocaine delivered at 3am, but you can’t get great local carrots?”

In my daughter’s class, her best friend has samesex parents. There’s another mom who was 46 and had her son using a surrogate.

It’s so diverse. I just explain to Harlow that there are different types of families.

“Like, you know, your friend with two dads, and your friend with one mom. There are lots of different cookie cutters of families nowadays.”

I didn’t go to college

IMAGE: ANDREW WERNER

the market would be out of organic strawberries, or organic blueberries, and these were the only things that Harlow was interested in. I’d end up going to Fairway on my way home at 10pm/11pm and trying to grab stuff. I thought: I cannot be the only New Yorker with this problem.

You can get cocaine delivered at 3am, but you can’t get great local carrots? It’s crazy.

And I had never really worked – I worked at Starbucks when I was 16 in high school, that was it. But I had a baby, I needed to support myself, so I put feelers out and got a job in fashion, working as brand manager for a designer.

So I was a busy, corporate mom Working crazy, 16-18-hour days. And

My meal prep routine

I prep on Sunday for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and make a salad mixture of carrots, celery, and tomatoes. I keep that in the fridge so I always have something because I’m the type of person that I’ll be running, running, running, then I go to no blood sugar and I have to eat RIGHT NOW. I keep a stash of protein bars in the house and in my purse for the same reason.

I always make salsa, because I can eat that on just about anything. And I eat a lot

DIGITAL EDITION

BIO Ashley Tyrner grew up on a farm, learning about local, seasonal, organic food.

When she became pregnant with her daughter, Harlow (now eight), her husband left and she relied on food stamps to survive. In 2014 she launched Farmbox Direct, a fresh fruit and veg delivery service. farmboxdirect. com ASHLEY’S HK Otto’s Tacos, 9th Ave 48th/49th St Food Emporium, W42nd St 9th/10th Ave Sunrise Market, 11th Ave - 45th/46th St Hell’s Kitchen Park, 10th Ave 47th/48th St

of pasta, but always make sure it’s whole wheat. I usually make a pot of beans once a week too. They cook for three hours on the stove and are a good source of protein.

I’ve just started a second company with my daughter

It’s based on teaching children how to cook. We’ve taken Home Ec out of our public schools due to funding, but it’s an essential life skill. They’re going to use that more than algebra. We need to have more gardening and culinary education in our schools to teach kids about eating healthily.

My HK go-tos

There’s Otto’s Tacos – they have the best vegan taco. When I became a vegetarian, I think my hardest thing to give up was tacos, probably because I mainly grew up in Arizona, so I had a background of Mexican food. But Otto’s Tacos – I tell you, they’re amazing.

Food Emporium is my go-to place if I’m out of something. They actually have a decent organic section now – I buy them out of Beyond Burgers.

And there’s Sunrise Market – I’m so impressed with how much organic stuff is in that little space. Everything in there is good. They’ve got almond milk, cashew milk. One day I ran in and they had really great wholegrain pasta. And they make great fresh juices there too.

My happy place

Hell’s Kitchen Park – Harlow is obsessed with that park. She has friends we don’t even know outside of there and she’s like: “My friends are at the park waiting for me. I know it.” I journal a lot – my mind is always racing – so I write down my plans and my goals and let her run off energy.

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What’s On Play it Loud

Mark Manson

The Town Hall The author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*** is cursing all over the place these days. His in-person tour (and latest book) is titled Everything is F*cked, and will tell audiences why modern comforts and conveniences are also harming our ability to find meaning in our lives. The ticket price also includes a copy of the book. May 14. thetownhall.org

Morrissey

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre The Smiths former frontman comes to Broadway for a sevennight residency starting May 2 to celebrate (and promote) his new album, California Son. morrisseyofficial.com

Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune

Michael Feinstein

Broadhurst Theatre Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon star as the quick-witted waitress and the soulful cook in the Terrence McNally romance. A limited run begins May 4. frankieandjohnnybroadway.com

Jazz at Lincoln Center An homage to quintessential crooners like Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Bobby Darin, courtesy of Feinstein, the Tedd Firth Big Band, and special guest vocalist Milton Suggs. May 15-16. jazz.org

Fleet Week

ILLUSTRATION: DANELACHIUSA.COM

Sax & Taps

Dying City

Second Stage The time: post 9/11. The scene: a

May 2019 sparse Manhattan apartment. A young widow gets an unexpected visit from the twin brother of her dead husband, and the stories of three unforgettable characters start to unravel.

Previews begin May 14.

2st.com

The Met A new exhibition celebrating the unique sound of rock ’n’ roll will include more than 130 instruments played by artists including Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Joan Jett, Lady Gaga, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Page, Elvis Presley, Prince, Keith Richards, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, and Eddie Van Halen. Rock on! metmuseum.org

Dizzys Club Tap dancer, actor, singer, and drummer Dewitt Fleming Jr teams up with saxophonist, flutist, and piccoloist Erica von Kleist for an evening of – you’ve guessed it! – sax and taps, on May 7. jazz.org/dizzys

NEWS

Welcome this annual influx of sailors to the city and visit their big boats between May 22-28. militarynews.com

Free Friday 9th Avenue International Food Festival

The annual extravaganza that stretches up 9th Avenue from 42nd St to 57th St is back on the weekend of May 18/19. Come, feed your face, and say hi to us. We’ll be there as usual – outside the Film Center between 44th/45th St. ninthavenuefoodfestival.com

DIGITAL EDITION

Intrepid Join other W42ST readers and get free after-hours access to the museum and a ton of programing.

Watch the sun go down from deck and celebrate summer with us on May 31! intrepidmuseum.org

THE PLACE FOR DELICIOUSLY HEALTHY FOOD & DRINKS IN HELL’S KITCHEN

OR ORDER ON

PEOPLE

Chew on this An encounter with a man from her past leaves Kristen Jongen with a bad taste in her mouth

Dear readers,

IMAGE: JULIO NUNYO

Do you remember last fall I wrote about a man I met for drinks who I felt had judged me? Do you remember how I said his forearms were so toned that they hurt my feelings? Do you remember, also, how I mentioned that I see him on TV regularly because he may or may not be a public figure? No? You do not? Why? Because I know how to be discreet.

As a refresher, drinks with Mr Arms had been awkward after he learned that I am in recovery. I left feeling ashamed.

Well, friends, guess who reappeared this winter to bathe me in cyber attention? Guess who started “liking” every single post of mine on Instagram?

Naturally, I took this as an unspoken apology.

After observing that he was “liking” my posts, I sent him a photo of an inside joke between us. He lol’d right away. He became obsessive. I couldn’t so much as post a photo of a booger without him liking it a nanosecond later.

Our virtual affair built steam for 14 straight days before I buckled and texted his phone directly. If we were going to

get engaged, I didn’t have time for more games.

I texted: “Hey you, sweet pic of your nephew today.”

I saw grey dots and smiled ... he was responding quickly.

“Thanks! I love him so much.” He replied.

A warm fuzzy grew in my chest. And then more grey bubbles from him ...

“Sorry, my phone is messed up, who is this?”

I swallowed my pride. “This is Kristen.”

“Hey, girl!” he responded. “How are things?”

We texted for a few minutes before I reminded him of his Instagram obsession with me.

He replied: “Huh? Are you on Instagram?”

I paused, confused, and said: “Yes, and lately I can’t sneeze without you liking it.”

He replied: “Oh, haha. I recently hired a team to do my social media.”

Below: Want a book deal? Get 10,000 followers first.

“Our virtual affair built steam for 14 straight days before I buckled and texted his phone directly. If we were going to get engaged, I didn’t have time for more games.”

A team? The man had no idea that we were falling in love. I was horrified.

Sometimes attempts to live a sober life interrupt the reality of residing in an inebriated world. How is it that we give so much lip service to “authenticity” and simultaneously spend our days cultivating an imaginary image? When did the pressure to grow our “brand” become so great that we agreed to hire imposters?

I spoke with a book publisher last year who said that, regardless of my manuscript, I needed to have 10,000+ active followers for them to consider publishing my new book (even though I had already published two). I thought about buying 10,000 followers for $80. I was tripping.

As Americans, we give silicone lip service to the notion of expressing our genuine selves; however, we invest billions in our ethereal avatars. What would happen if we unilaterally decided to dig deeper instead of going wider?

What if we let people talk to the real us?

What would we expose? What would we learn? What would we heal?

Until next time, I will leave you to chew on that. Please use a napkin Your friend,

Kristen

About KRISTEN

An internationally recognized author, artist, and motivational speaker, Kristen has written and published two books and is the voice behind Soul Soup books, prints, and greeting cards. Listen to her weekly Sober in the City podcast. If you’re having a hard time with drugs and alcohol, find support meetings at nyintergroup.org

DIGITAL EDITION

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DIGITAL EDITION

TAKE

FIVE

What would dinner look like with just five simple ingredients?

Photographs Charles Dustin Sammann

Y

Styling Yani Monzón Calero

ou get home late, there’s nada in the fridge – so what do you whip up that’s delicious and nutritious, without turning to Seamless? That was

the challenge we issued to our favorite neighborhood chefs. Make a dish using just five ingredients. It’s OK. We let them have salt, spices, and oil for free.

We’re not that mean. Here’s what those creative cooks came up with.

SEARED BROCCOLI

Make it 1. In a dry frying pan, toast the almonds, cut-side down, until brown.

2. Coat frying pan with olive oil.

3. Cut the broccoli into individual flower clusters, then cut each cluster in half and sear, cut-side down, until nicely brown.

4. Toss with almond halves and sun-dried tomatoes with a pinch of salt. Simple and delicious.

“This recipe is a quick and easy crowd pleaser, as you can throw it on some bread for a great sandwich, on top of greens to spice up a salad, or in a dish to serve as a dip with celery sticks and chips.”

Prep it 1 rotisserie chicken 1 cup Frank’s RedHot sauce ¼ cup sour cream ½ cup crumbled blue cheese 3 cloves grated garlic Black pepper to taste Make it 1. Remove the skin and pull the chicken off the bone.

2. In a bowl, combine chicken with garlic, Frank’s RedHot, sour cream, garlic, cheese, and pepper.

3. This is where the fun begins. Let your culinary imagination run wild. In the mood for a sandwich?

Grab your favorite bread and have at it. Tired of bland chicken in your salad? This is a perfect addition to some greens. Having company over and no time to make hors d’ oeuvres? This is a great little crowd pleaser to serve with chips and veggies.

The chef

Serves 2-4 as a side dish; 1-2 as a veggie main.

Prep it 2 heads broccoli 8pc sun-dried tomato in olive oil 12 raw almonds, halved and toasted Olive oil Salt to taste

PULLED BUFFALO CHICKEN

The chefs

Bryan Ware and Gabriel Formento Lauro, Fresh From Hell Both Bryan and Gabriel are true Hell’s Kitcheners. Bryan – a licensed real estate broker – and Gabriel – a creative director – have lived in the neighborhood for almost two decades, and both are passionate about how good food and fresh drinks make you feel. freshfromhell.com

DIGITAL EDITION

Michael Munoz, The Kitchen Gaily Michael is a hometrained cook whose blog, The Kitchen Gaily, was created to make food fun and accessible to the masses – and to combine his passion for food with his unique style and camp humor. He recently paired with long time gal pal Marie Cecile Anderson for the foodie, raunchy, podcast In You Mouth. See his Daylist on p39. themunoz.com

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PROMO CODE EXPIRES 5.31.19. CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER OFFERS. SOME RULES AND RESTRICTIONS APPLY.

AVOCADO CUCUMBER SALSA Prep it 1 avocado, peeled and diced 1 cucumber, diced, peeled, and seeded 1 tsp fresh lemon juice Salt 1 tsp red onion, diced 1 tsp fresh dill Make it Mix it all together. Done.

OR

LEMON ORZO Prep it 1 box orzo 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 cup blanched asparagus, diced 1 cup blanched spring peas ½ cup feta, crumbled ½ tsp salt ¼ cup olive oil 2 tbsp fresh dill Make it 1. Cook orzo and rinse in cold water, then drain.

2. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and dill (optional).

3. Stir in asparagus, spring peas, and feta.

4. Impress your friends.

GRILLED DILL PICKLE CHICKEN TENDERS “Here’s a five-ingredient chicken that’s as delicious as it is simple.

We’re adding a salsa but you can pair it with a cumin yogurt dipping sauce or anything that floats your boat – including the (best ever) orzo.

If spring were a side dish, it’d be this.

Simple and light, it’s satisfying and so, so right.”

Prep it 1 package chicken tenderloins 1 16oz jar dill pickles

1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp chopped dill 1 tbs olive oil Make it 1. Marinate the chicken in pickle juice for two to four hours (longer is better).

2. Spray a grill pan with non-stick spray.

3. Pre-heat the grill pan to medium high (five minutes) and grill the chicken for five minutes on each side (longer if they’re thicker).

DIGITAL EDITION

The chefs

Shari Drewett and MK Washko, Better Being Mary Kathryn and Shari are business and life partners and the owners of Better Being Catering. They specialize in seasonal, health-conscious fare and have been feeding fashionistas for the last two decades (clients have included Oprah Winfrey, Helena Christensen, and Mariah Carey. Yes, really!) betterbeingnyc.com

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DIGITAL EDITION

PARMESAN-CRUSTED WHITE ASPARAGUS WITH PROSCIUTTO Serves 1. Chef’s note: because of the simplicity of this dish, use the bestquality ingredients you can find.

Prep it ½ lemon Salt and pepper to taste 6 fresh white asparagus, trimmed and peeled Extra-virgin olive oil Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano ½ ounce thinly sliced prosciutto (3 to 5 slices) 2 quail eggs, or 1 large egg Truffle oil (optional) Make it 1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.

2. Squeeze the lemon juice into the water, add the lemon rind, and salt.

3. Add the asparagus and simmer until tender, about eight minutes or more, depending on the thickness of asparagus.

4. Drain the asparagus on kitchen towels and set aside.

5. Arrange the prosciutto slices on a plate and set aside.

6. Rub a tablespoon of olive oil on the bottom of an ovenproof dish, or baking sheet, and arrange the asparagus in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Grate a generous amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano over the asparagus.

Broil until the cheese is golden brown, around two to three minutes.

8. Meanwhile, cook the quail eggs sunny-side up until the whites are completely set but the yolks are still runny. Set aside and keep warm.

9. Place the asparagus in the center of the prosciutto plate. Top with the quail eggs and finish with a drizzle of truffle oil, if using.

10. Enjoy with warm crusty bread and a glass of woody chardonnay or a light red like pinot noir.

The chef

MEATBALL MOROCCO’S STYLE Serves 4-6.

Prep it ½ lb each ground beef and veal 5 without-the-crust slices of challa bread 2 tbs kosher salt ½ tbs ground black pepper 3 tbs ras el hanout spice 8 big yellow onions, peeled and sliced ½ cup vegetable oil 4 whole eggs Make it 1. In a medium-size pot under medium-low heat, add the vegetable oil. Let it heat up and add the sliced onion, then cook for 45 minutes or until caramelized.

2. In a bowl mix all the ingredients besides the challa bread.

3. Soak the bread in hot water for five minutes, then squeeze the water with your hands, chop with a knife, and add to the meat mix. Blend it all together.

4. Form meat balls 1 or 1 ½ oz size 5. Add to the caramelized onion and keep cooking for 45 minutes on a low heat.

The chef

Claude-Alain Solliard, Chez Josephine Claude-Alain is executive chef at the legendary W42nd St restaurant, a Broadway tradition and tribute to the entertainer Josephine Baker, founded in 1986 by her son Jean-Claude Baker. The FrenchAmerican menu is served alongside live piano music in an intimate Parisian setting, surrounded by Josephine Baker memorabilia. He is an avid runner and will be participating in his twentieth NYC Marathon in November 2019. chezjosephine.com

Efi Nahon, Taboon Efi has worked in kitchens for 25 years, in Israel, Greece, in France at a three Michelin star restaurant, and has lived in New York for 16 years.

“Taboon is why I came to New York,” he says, “and it’s the first restaurant here that served modern Israeli – or middleterranean cuisine – that was awarded two stars by Frank Bruni.

“We cook most of our food in a woodburning oven and we were one of the first to do that as well. Taboon and my menu are pioneers and still are.” taboononline.com

DIGITAL EDITION

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321 W. 44th St. (212) 237-BEER

sm mom

i d H to wn.com

/momsmidtown

KI TC B HEN &

A R

KITCHEN

FOR RESERVATIONS & EVENTS

Ninth AVe./48th St.

EL L’S

All DAY BRUNCH COMFORT FOOD ADULT BEVERAGES BIGMOUTH SHAKES

FREE RANGE VEGETARIAN VEGAN DELIVERY ONLY

limesq.com

BUTTERNUT SQUASH BOWL Serves 2 Prep it 2 cups cauliflower 2 cups cubed butternut squash 1 cup cooked lentils 2 handfuls finely chopped kale ½ cup of walnut-goji berry mix Salt Pepper Olive oil

QUICK MARINATED FENNEL AND SHALLOT SALAD

IMAGE: ORTAL MIZRAHI

Prep it 1 whole fennel (bulb and fronds) 1 medium-sized shallot, peeled ½ cup white vinegar ½ cup white sugar or coconut sugar 2 tbsp sea salt ¼ cup grated parmesan or local hard cheese Make it 1. Bring 2 ½ cups of water to a simmer.

2. Add sugar and salt and stir until dissolved.

Allow to cool to room temp.

3. Add white vinegar and refrigerate this brine.

4. Remove bottom ½ inch of fennel bulb with a knife, and discard. Slice entire bulb and fronds ¼ inch thick.

5. Chop the shallot to medium-sized dice.

6. Add chopped fennel and shallot to the brine, and refrigerate for at least an hour, and up to three days.

7. Serve drained and chilled and top liberally with a good olive oil or avocado oil, and the grated hard cheese. Sprinkle with fresh thyme or chili if you like.

The chef

Charlie Marshall, The Marshal Charlie grew up in his parents’ restaurant and on their farm on Lummi Island, in Puget Sound. The Marshal, opened in 2013, is named after the Wild-Wild-West protector of farms, and is the first American exclusively wood-fired restaurant in NYC. In addition to supporting local farmers and producers, Charlie also loves to remind New Yorkers that they live in the heart of a thriving wine country, so features only NY wineries on his wine list. The Marshal has been awarded the New York Wine & Grape Foundation’s Restaurant Award, and is a three-star Certified Green Restaurant. the-marshal.com

Make it 1. Bake the cauliflower and the squash at 325F for 18 minutes, seasoned with salt pepper and drizzled with olive oil.

2. Chop the kale and season with salt, pepper and olive oil 3. Mix it all together, add the lentils, and sprinkle with the goji berry-walnut mix.

The chef

Hunor Sandor, Pure Ktchn Hunor is passionate about sport and healthy eating, and strives to cook dishes with maximum nutritional value. He opened Pure Ktchn to show people what healthy cooking and eating really is – and that it can be tasty too. purektchn.com SUMMER MOVIE SERIES 2017 LOGO

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CALAMARI, ZUCCHINI AND, FETA SALAD Prep it 12 ounces cleaned squid, bodies sliced ¼ inch thick and tentacles left whole ½ zucchini, cut into long ribbons ½ yellow squash, cut into long ribbons ¼ cup crumbled feta 8 cherry tomatoes cut in half ¼ cup chopped mixed herbs like parsley, chives, and oregano ½ cup plus 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp lemon juice Salt Pepper Piment d’Espelette Make it 1. Soak the zucchini and yellow squash in a bowl of ice water.

2. In a bowl whisk the lemon juice slowly in ½ cup of olive oil salt and pepper.

3. Heat one tbsp of olive oil in a nonstick frying pan on a high heat. Cook

the squid for one minute.

4. Add the squid to the vinaigrette.

5. Drain the iced vegetables and pat thoroughly dry.

6. Add the vegetables, the cherry tomatoes, and the herbs to the squid.

Season with salt and pepper.

7. Mix the salad and serve with crumbled feta on the top and Piment d’ Espelette.

The chef

Vasiliki Vourliotaki Ousia Vasiliki's passion for cooking was ignited in Athens, Greece, and she has since worked alongside chefs in Germany, France, and the US. ousianyc.com

WILTED SALAD Serves 2. Chef’s note: this recipe can be made vegan/ vegetarian by using shitake or any type of mushroom in place of the bacon. Just heat 4 tbsp olive oil in the pan and add diced mushrooms and cook until slightly crisp and browned.

Prep it 1 large bowl (appx 6 cups) of spring greens (baby lettuces, spinach, sorrel, etc) 2 thick-cut pieces of bacon (or 4 thin slices) diced 2 tbsp vinegar (white, rice, sherry, cider, white wine, red all work here) 1 tbsp sugar (maple or honey work too) 2 scallions (or 1 spring onion, or 2 ramps), sliced (separate white bulb from green tops) Salt and pepper to taste Make it 1. Heat small, non-stick pan and add bacon, then cook over medium high heat until the bacon is crisp and fat is rendered.

2. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon or spatula.

Try to leave most of the fat behind in the pan.

3. Return to stove on low heat and add whites of whatever onion you are using. Saute one or two minutes until translucent.

4. Add the vinegar. It may splatter a bit. Then stir in the sugar until dissolved. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Pour the hot dressing over the bowl of greens and toss to coat.

6. Sprinkle in the green onion tops. Season again with salt and pepper.

7. If you want the greens extra-wilted, put a plate on top of the bowl for a minute or two. Otherwise, eat right away!

The chef

Meghan Boledovich, forager, PRINT. Restaurant “This is a recipe I learned from my Grandma who lived on a farm in central Michigan. She always had a large vegetable garden, and in the spring would harvest an abundance of tender lettuces. To get everyone to consume such large bowls of leaves, she did the logical thing and put bacon on them. The beauty of this recipe is in the bacon fat, which acts as a base for the dressing and slightly wilts the greens and coats them in umami. Put an egg on it to make it a rounded out meal.” printrestaurant.com

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27

MISSIONimpossible?

IMAGES: SHIRI PAAMONY ESHEL

It’s our late-night go-to for chips and ice-cream, but could you really make an edible dish using only ingredients from a bodega? Sue Pazos wanted to find out …

T

Above: Chef’s winner Elizabeth Moss celebrates her victory.

he Bodega Challenge was born of a simple wager to my barmates: what would you make if you could only shop at your local bodega?

Somehow, this wacky dare morphed into an annual fundraiser for the Crossroads Food Pantry at Holy Cross Church. We held the last one in March at The Waylon. Challengers whip up their creations at home and bring them

28

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to the venue. Tasters pay five bucks to try everything and cast a vote for their favorite.

My hat’s off to all the challengers, because it’s sheer terror when you realize you have to make at least 25 tastings of something interesting, shopping in a place you’d only ever go to for beer and toilet paper. You’re definitely forced to think outside of the box at that point, and the ideas people come up with are surprising,

The winner!

Congratulations to Elizabeth Moss, who won the chef’s choice prize for her Jerry Lee Lewis – Great Balls of Oysters (with Hell’s Kittens Dipping Sauce).

We know what you’re thinking … oysters from a bodega?!

Ingredients Flour Salt/pepper Eggs Bread crumbs Parmesan cheese (for this challenge, you have to settle for the pre-grated stuff in a tube) Dried parsley flakes Canned whole oysters Instructions 1. In bowl #1 combine flour, salt, and pepper.

2. In bowl #2, whisk eggs.

3. In bowl #3, combine bread crumbs, cheese, and parsley.

4. Coat oysters with flour, dip in egg, and

“It’s sheer terror when you realize you have to make at least 25 tastings of something interesting, shopping in a place you’d only ever go to for beer and toilet paper.” funny, and oftentimes pure magic. One woman came in with a version of Rice Krispie treats – only she made

Above (clockwise from top left): A very British tea party; Kim Moore contemplates bodega cuisine; Jane Conlin (whose vegetarian three bean chili had a spicy kick, just like her); Sue Pazos presides over the voting booth.

them with dried ramen noodles. They were friggin’ awesome! In addition to delicious riffs on rice, chilis, dips, and desserts, we’ve seen exotic Chinese tea eggs, an entire pizza made from scratch, and a 1950s recipe revamped and rechristened the Hell’s Kitchen Kugel. See? All that culinary culture out of one bodega!

It’s sort of an analogy for life: you’re not always dealt a great hand, but when you make do with what you’ve got, you often end up inventing something unique and marvelous.

Our raffle prizes are kickass, too, thanks to our generous and fancy restaurants and shops in HK. And the raffle tickets are only $1. You can’t buy anything for a dollar anymore.

coat with crumb mix.

5. Place in a greased dish. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes.

Hell’s Kittens Dipping Sauce Combine home-made sour cream and mayo with diced jalapeno and lemon zest To make sour cream: 1. Combine heavy cream with some whole milk and a splash of lemon juice and/or white vinegar. Shake well.

2. Put in a jar and cover with a paper towel or thin clean cloth. Leave out on counter for 24 hours.

3. Stir and voila! It’s thinner than at the store but tastes great.

To make mayonnaise: Use a hand-held emulsion mixer to combine one large egg (room temp), some mustard, lemon juice, salt, and ¼ cup vegetable oil. Mix for 30-60 seconds.

To keep in touch with next year’s event – and to see all the previous year’s recipes: bodegachallenge.com

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2. SLOWLY add about another cup of oil while still mixing.

3. Add another tablespoon of lemon juice.

29

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hat’s for dinner tonight? Chipotle?

Whatever else you have on speed dial via Seamless? Or how about – revolutionary – you actually make something? With ingredients? Like a grown up?

When your after-work repertoire revolves around hummus and carrots in front of reruns of 30 Rock, this could present something of a challenge, however.

Which is how I found myself at Mary Barnes’ kitchen table, nervously clutching a rolling pin.

Born and raised in Sichuan, China, Mary has lived in Manhattan for over 10 years, working as a designer. And, while the city is spoiled for good Chinese food, she missed her grandma’s dumplings dipped in spicy Sichuan pepper oil mixed with garlic.

That nostalgia led her to enrol in the New East Cuisine Culinary School in Chengdu, Sichuan. And now she spreads the joy of authentic Chinese cooking through intimate classes at her Hell’s Kitchen home.

But could she coax convincingly edible dumplings from this reluctant cook?

The answer, over the course of a fun, informative, hands-on two-and-a-half hours, is – who knew? – yes. I can now confidently make genuinely delicious dumplings. I do still sometimes order Seamless though …

Mary’s dumpling classes cost $97 per person (airbnb.com/experiences/136736)

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HELL’S PANTRY

BRUNCH: a new plea

Love it or hate it, brunch has the power to bring people together.

Anthony Caporale takes a jaunt through the history of Manhattan’s favorite meal

IMAGE: NACHO GUEVARA

I

n 1895, Guy Beringer wrote an article for Hunter’s Weekly titled “Brunch: A Plea.” He argued: “Brunch is cheerful, sociable, and inciting. It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week. Everything good, plenty of it, variety and selection.”

In 2014, David Shaftel wrote an article for The New York Times titled

“Brunch Is for Jerks.” Almost 120 years after Beringer, he concluded: “It’s gone way too far. Saturday and Sunday mornings in New York’s West Village, where I have lived for nearly 20 years, used to bring an almost pastoral calm. Now they’re characterized by the brunch-industrial complex rumbling to life … Now that I see brunch for what it is — conspicuous consumption disguised as urbanity — I can’t enjoy it.”

Strong words from both, for a meal.

DIGITAL EDITION

Above: A meal made to be enjoyed with others.

Regardless of which camp you bed down in, what’s clear is that brunch inspires passion and is, in fact, “inciting,” so on that count, at least, Beringer’s view seems to hold water.

But can a meal really be inherently provocative? What we eat, of course, loudly proclaims our position on all manner of things, from religious creeds to cultural traditions to social causes.

When we eat, though, is generally more neutral territory. Unless it’s during that loosely-defined time

35

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beginning somewhat north of traditional breakfast and ending anywhere south of dinner. Like it or not, if you choose to break bread at brunch, you’re talking with your mouth full.

To understand what you may be saying, we need to go back to the origins of brunch. One theory, attested to by the name of the journal that ran Beringer’s missive, holds that it began among the British aristocracy, who enjoyed morning hunt parties after which the large group would dine together. This meal took time to prepare and so began later than breakfast, and it featured a wide variety of foods that represented the bounty of the nobles’ hunt.

Over the next few decades, the tradition moved across the Atlantic and found a new champion in America’s rich and privileged during Prohibition. The powerful upper classes could still access illegal spirits that were beyond the reach of common folk, but they were reluctant to drink them openly.

Brunch drinks like orange and tomato juice were ideal for hiding a shot of liquor without attracting undue attention, and day drinking took off among the wealthy.

Movie stars added to brunch’s reputation as a privileged indulgence when they began traveling between New York and Los Angeles on the newly completed transcontinental railroad. A late-morning meal stop in Chicago was the perfect way to break up the trip, and with many restaurants

“Where avocado toast was once the new eggs Benedict, now shakshuka has become the new avocado toast.”

Above: The wealthy would conceal their late morning liquor in tomato juice during Prohibition. Hence, the bloody Mary.

closed on Sundays, hotel eateries like the Ambassador’s Pump Room eagerly filled the brunch gap for this elite clientele.

By the time the 20th century was drawing to a close, brunch buffets had evolved into nearly endless affairs, both in time and space. Although now firmly middle class, brunch was still opulent, indulgent, and symbolic of leisure and excess. It’s no wonder that a new brunch oasis opening in a gentrifying neighborhood today is often met with a vitriol usually reserved for the MTA. So I get the point about brunching jerks. But I still think Beringer makes a lot of sense. We’ve all dined alone, likely more times than we can count, and in our digitally driven work-world, weekday breakfasts (when eaten at all) and daily lunches have become solo ventures more often than not.

But when have you ever gone out to brunch by yourself? If you happen to be alone and hungry, and a restaurant happens to be serving their brunch menu, sure, you’ll eat poached eggs after noon, but that doesn’t make it brunch. Not really.

Brunch will likely always draw some identity from its portmanteau moniker, regardless of how irrelevant the meal’s timing becomes. And it seems to be the unfortunate fate of brunch menus that, as soon as an innovative item is added, it is slavishly picked up and replicated by every restaurant in the country and immediately rendered cliché: where avocado toast was once the new eggs Benedict, now shakshuka has become the new avocado toast.

(Note to chefs: if the above three entrees account for at least half of your brunch menu, tear it up and start over – you’re just not trying hard enough.)

But these aren’t failures of concept, they’re failures of execution.

Brunch, more than any other

About ANTHONY

In addition to writing and producing The Imbible series of Off-Broadway musical comedies (imbible.nyc), Anthony Caporale is also a long-time restaurant consultant and sits on the Culinary Management Faculty of NYC’s award-winning Institute of Culinary Education.

DIGITAL EDITION

mealtime, is dependent on the presence of others at the table. Maybe because it’s not one of the required “three squares,” we only enjoy brunch recreationally – and therefore socially.

Brunch’s social nature is also its vulnerability, though, for wherever there is an us, there must also be a them. We’ve all felt the tribal wall go up around a group of bleary-eyed brunchers vocally staking out their territory over a forced excess of laughter and bloody Marys. Inclusion is a relative state that can only be perceived if there is something – or someone – excluded. But that doesn’t mean the tribe can’t be very, very large. With some work and very good drinks, perhaps even global.

So rather than take sides against Beringer or Shaftel, I’d like to reframe the debate. As one of the characters in the show Day Drinking: The Brunch Musical concludes: “A lot of people would say that brunch has always been about excess and privilege. But I’d argue that brunch isn’t defined by what you’re eating, or even when, but with whom.”

BRUNCH FACTS n One year after Beringer’s article, another English magazine called for any meal eaten around lunch time to be call “blunch.” n Another possible origin of brunch was the large meal Catholic families would share after fasting before Sunday mass. n At one time brunch was called the “varsity meal” because it was enjoyed by college students after heavy drinking nights. n Patriarch Archie of TV’s All in the Family once blamed his daughter’s love of brunch on “reading too much Cosmo.” n New York was named the best brunch city in the U.S. by Food & Wine magazine.

37

TUNE IN OR STREAM

SUNDAYS 9/8C THIRTEEN.ORG/LesMis

PEOPLE

A food blogger’s

Daylist 9am

St. Kilda Coffee, W44th St - 8th/9th Ave This unassuming basement coffee shop has what I think is the best coffee in the neighborhood. They also have super tasty treats from Ovenly and Underwest Donuts. So, most likely, you’ll catch me in my pre-run mode to work off those extra calories.

1pm

GFG (Greek From Greece) 9th Ave - 50th/51st St From awesome Greek desserts, to really amazing brunch items, including salads and sandwiches, GFG has recently been my go-to for chill lunches with friends, meetings, or just to people watch through their enormous windows. It also has become a breath of fresh Greek food air amid the abundance of Thai and Mexican restaurants in the neighborhood.

5pm

Bettibar, W46th St - 8th/9th Ave I debated long and hard on whether to reveal my secret of what I think is the best spot in the neighborhood. This speakeasy-style bar is my favorite, not only for happy hour, but anytime really. Besides maybe catching a glimpse of stars like Jon Hamm, their bartenders are always friendly, fun, and pour a stiff drink! Grab your best friend or even a cute date because there’s always a tasty happy hour cocktail or a mystery beer and shot combo. The meatballs here are pretty killer too.

8pm

Blue Dog, W50th St - 8th/9th Ave Once the theater rush has settled, head on over to this little gem of food excellence. Whether you are feeling decadent or healthy, the curated menu has everything your foodie heart may desire. But, from fried mac and cheese balls to a section of the menu called ‘The Burgatory’, you may just have to skip that salad and loosen your belt a notch.

9.45pm

Sardi’s (Upstairs Bar), W44th St - 7th/8th Ave I know what you’re thinkin’. “Really, queen? You want me to go to Times Square?!” But seriously! Go to Sardi’s before the shows end, head upstairs to what used to be known as the actor’s bar, and pull up a stool in front of Joe the bartender. Joe has worked there for 50 years and makes the meanest Manhattan you will ever have.

If you can get him talking, he’ll regale you with stories of old Broadway and dish the tea on stars like Lucille Ball. I can’t think of a better way to end my night.

Michael Muñoz is the voice behind the food blog The Kitchen Gaily and co-host of the food podcast In Yo Mouth! If you see him galavanting through the neighborhood, say hi! He loves to share a recipe. @thekitchengaily @inyomouthpod

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OUT

My social

NETWORK

IMAGE: MENG JOHNSON

I

Hundreds of humans in our phones … but how often do we genuinely connect with any of them? Gregor Collins got up close and personal, and the results were REAL

t all started at my dry cleaners. It was early December 2018 when I stood in line clenching a couple of button-downs watching Jay of Jay Cleaners – on 9th Ave - 43rd/44th St – display his usual joie de vivre with customers. As I stepped to the counter and set my shirts free, I pulled out my iPhone and told him I wanted to film him with it.

He was sure I was kidding. Then just plum crazy, insisting: “But I’m so boring!”

He eventually came around. So I went straight to B&H Photo, bought a directional mic that pops into the iPhone, and returned at 10am the next morning to record him doing his thing.

Back at home, I imported the footage into iMovie, cut it to 90 seconds, then showed up an hour later with my laptop and clicked play. A grin began forming, his face began reddening, he gave me a huge high-five, and went back to work before the video had even ended.

This sparked an idea.

In my itinerate life of work and play, my unending curiosity has led me to an eclectic blend of friends all over the world, waxing the creative life.

So what was I waiting for? I started going through my phone and texting all my artistic peeps in New York:

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GROUP SHOW

April 25 – June 12, 2019 Curated by Monty Blanchard and Leslie Tcheyan MORE THAN A GALLERY. A MOVEMENT. 702 NINTH AVE. AT 48TH ST. NY, NY 10019 212.262.2756 | TUE-SAT 11-7, SUN 1-5 FOUNTAINHOUSEGALLERY.ORG @FOUNTAINHOUSEGALLERY FOUNTAIN HOUSE GALLERY AND STUDIO PROVIDES AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE ARTISTS LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS CAN EXPRESS THEIR CREATIVE VISIONS AND EXHIBIT THEIR WORK.

This program is funded, in part, by generous support from the Hearst Foundation, Inc., the Renate, Hans and Maria Hofmann Trust, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, the David Rockefeller Fund, and the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund.

FOG_AtTheTable_W42_8.25x5.indd 1

4/10/19 10:21 AM

OUT “I just launched this micro-doc series I want to include you in. You free Friday at 2?”

Soon, I was meeting with two or three friends in a week. It’s now May, and I’ve shot 71 of them, mostly in New York and Los Angeles, where out of college I spent 15 years producing reality TV and acting in indie films.

old friends. At least two dozen subjects were good friends I hadn’t seen in months, and their shoot served not only to immortalize their creative spirit but to have a damn good excuse to catch up.

As creators living in a shortattention-span world, the content we create – at least when it comes to the web – must arouse in a minute or less, or risk disappearing into cyberoblivion. HIMP involves everyone from drycleaners to painters to chairmen to Holocaust survivors, all friends who are creatively impacting the world in some way. One of my subjects, an actordirector friend named Winsome, said the videos were “like poems.” I’d like to think they’re odes to the creative life, to the humanity in all of us, that relentless search for truth and tranquility through human connection; independent and established artists, on equal footing, daily pursuing their passion with unending drive, often choosing creation and exploration over peace and comfort.

We’re living in a loud-mouthed, self-obsessed, bling-bling world, and now more than ever we need to flood the web with meaningful stories that entertain and inspire, and that show the humaneness in people. Content has to be about human connection for it to be timeless.

So – you have a smart phone and a cadre of fascinating friends. What will your micro-doc series be about?

“I’d like to think they’re odes to the creative life, to the humanity in all of us, that relentless search for truth and tranquility through human connection.”

My shoots weren’t willy-nilly. I had rules. One was that the videos would not exceed 90 seconds. But now, so I can fit them on Instagram, I’m all about 60. Losing that 30 seconds – which at first felt like losing 30 minutes – is now a welcome challenge that forces me to tell a visual and visceral story in under a minute, using only objects in scene.

I feel like a portrait painter with a phone. I convey my subject just as they are, using only natural light, and where I get to add my own pathos is through shot selection, unobtrusive direction, and editing.

Two cool things have come out of HIMP already. One subject I shot, a songwriter friend named Betty, was contacted by a music producer from Sweden wanting to work with her after seeing her video. And I was solicited to teach a micro-doc class this month at the People’s Improv Theater.

Aside from being super fun and creatively stimulating, HIMP has also been an ingenious way to reconnect with

About GREGOR

Gregor Collins is a Hell’s Kitchen-based author, speaker, and actor who started his career in Los Angeles producing nonfiction TV, before shifting to acting, performing on stage, television, and in independent films. He travels the world with his memoir The Accidental Caregiver, speaking about his experience caring for Maria Altmann, who was portrayed by Helen Mirren in the movie Woman in Gold.

Look out for more Humans In My Phone in W42ST next month.

From top: Katie Hutch, a comedian/actor/writer; Jay, the dry cleaner who started it all; actor/writer Cristina Doikos; actor/producer/legend Ben Dworken.

DIGITAL EDITION

humansinmyphone.com @humansinmyphone

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SPRING SEASON 2019 SAT

Baaba Maal

MAY

with the Town Hall Ensemble

4

SUN

5

MAY

Anoushka Shankar

SAT

Tod Browning’s

MAY

The Unholy Three

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Live accompaniment + original music

by Stephin Merrit (of the Magnetic Fields) With Daniel Handler + Pinky Weitzman MON

Broadway by the Year®

MAY

The Broadway Musicals of 1965 & 1978

WED

Stay Sexy And Don’t Get Murdered:

20

29

MAY

THU

30

MAY

An Evening With My Favorite Murder Presented in Partnership with Strand Books

Burnt Sugar Arkestra Presents Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Redux, Remix & Requiem Directed by Charlotte Brathwaite

TAC Spring HAPPENING: The event is intended to bring together art patrons young and old to meet the artists making things happen around New York City. The evening will consist of local food vendors paired with 6 performances by members ranging from dance, video, music and more!

MON

Broadway by the Year®

JUN

The Broadway Musicals of 1987 & 2015

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THU

27

JUN

THE ARTIST CO-OP CR EA TES A TH R IV IN G EN V IRONME NT TO NURTURE THE IN N A TE M U L TIDISCIPL IN A R Y NAT URE OF TH E A R TIST COM M U N ITY .” ww w.th e a rti s tco-o p .com

FRI

D SOLT OU

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JUN

SAT

D SOLT OU

29

JUN

John Cameron Mitchell & Stephen Trask The Origin Of Love The Songs and Stories of Hedwig

MON

22

JUL

Broadway Rising Stars

A WORLD PREMIERE PLAY WRITTEN BY EVE WOLF DIRECTION BY DONALD T. SANDERS

STRICTLY LIMITED ENGAGEMENT NOW – MAY 25 ONLY

ROMANTICCENTURY.ORG

Sing us a song,

SUSIE!

M

Light the fuse and watch Susie Mosher go …

eet Susie. She likes Greek food, can’t wait for Target to open on 10th Ave, and her special skill is making up insanely funny songs on the spot.

While some of us can make a mean French toast or turn our tongues upsidedown, she can riff on pretty much any subject and make it hilarious.

“Since my twenties,” she says, “my friends have always been people who like to stand around a piano and I would do these insane riffs. It’s just stream of consciousness, my inner thoughts, my inner anxieties and, you know, I get to blah, blah, blah it out.

“One of my best friends – I’ll name drop – is Kathy Najimy. Every single party, she’ll be like, ‘Susie, sing us a song.’

And I will, no matter who’s in the room.

And, believe me, in her living room there’s

always lots of fancy people! I don’t know why, I just have this insane confidence. I feel fearless. One of the only times in my life that I feel fearless, actually, is when I’m doing some crazy improv.”

You can witness this firecracker in action every other Tuesday (she goes weekly in June) when she hosts The Lineup, a kind of anything-goes variety show at Birdland that on any night could include Broadway stars, downtown weirdos, pop singers and anyone else in between just doing their thing (or something different). Past guests have included people like Alice Ripley and Katharine McPhee, Erich Bergen, KT Sullivan, Jarrod Specter, and Mykal Kilgore.

That Broadway black book of hers is bursting with talent.

Susie arrived in Manhattan from LA just over ten years ago, to star in Hairspray,

IMAGE: GENE REED

“I’m always too big, too much for the part. But I can be as big and insane as I want to be here.”

DIGITAL EDITION

Above: Susie just heard that Tide detergent is on special at Target!

and figured she might as well stay. “My wife, Hope, and I decided, let’s give it a go.

And it’s had its ups and downs. I’ve been as depressed as I’ve ever been here, but then I’ve been lifted up again.”

Their first apartment was on W43rd St, then they scored jackpot and got an apartment in Manhattan Plaza two and a half years ago. “That’s just an utter game changer,” she says. “It’s like, even though my career has tortured me my whole life, at the end of the day, because of my career, I have a stability and a safety net that I would not have had, had I not given my life to performing.”

And getting The Lineup gig has been a gift, she says. “John Valenti [the owner of Birdland] has given me a forum to be as insane as I want to be. And that’s kind of great because I’m always too big, too much for the part. But I can be as big and insane as I want to be here.”

It’s daunting, obviously. “But I’m not letting fear stop me. What else is there to do but move forward and try and create?

When door’s swing open, you’d better walk on through them. With gusto.” birdlandjazz.com

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I’m not

ILLUSTRATION: CHELSEY HILL ELIZABETH PORTRAIT: NACHO GUEVARA

SUPERSTITIOUS, BUT

D

Eight Broadway stars confess their pre-show rituals and OCD tendencies to Elizabeth Durand Streisand

o you have a lucky outfit for big meetings?

Or maybe for big dates?

Same here. Humans are creatures of habit, and those habits can blur into superstitions over time. (Date didn’t go well? Probably because your lucky top was stuck at the dry cleaners.)

For performers, the importance of consistency in routine becomes even more important. After all, getting on stage is kind of like having a date with 1,200 people at once. We chatted with the best and brightest performers around the city about the rituals they follow, and why 1980s video games might be the key to emotional well-being.

46

The Spiritualist: Britton Smith, Jake

in Be More Chill Britton Smith begins to prepare long before he reaches the Lyceum Theatre.

“The mornings are actually when I choose to prepare myself for the show.

I make sure I have time to go to my altar to fully acknowledge and honor the newness of the day and all that I have to learn and gain from it. This can take anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour,” he explains.

“I pray, chant, sing to myself, write, sometimes I cry; I just listen to my inner Britton and connect myself to what matters and identify what doesn’t matter.

It’s my ME time. It allows me to enter the theater with joy, ease, and expectation of

DIGITAL EDITION

Above: Most performers have “habits” they run through – just don’t call them superstions, OK?

a wonderful, meaningful performance After I’ve warmed up, stretched, gotten dressed etc, I go to a specific corner backstage, anchor myself in the intention of the morning, and dedicate a piece of my Jake to this realization. And then I smile a big-ass smile and go on stage.”

The Pragmatist: Krystina Alabado, Gretchen in Mean Girls Newly minted Plastic Krystina Alabado has a very practical approach to her preshow routine. “Playing Gretchen is very high energy, hyperactive, and go-go-go, so when I do my pincurls and make-up before the show, I like to chill out and breathe for a minute and just chat with Kate Rockwell, my dressing room-

OUT mate. The calm before the Gretchen storm. Then about 10 minutes out for the entrance of The Plastics I stretch, do some vocal sirens, and jump up and down to get myself all hyper and drop into being Gretchen.”

She adds that sometimes she throws the ritual to the wind and does something random, like Facetime with her husband.

The Practitioner: David Furr, Burton in Burn This Starring alongside industry heavyweights like Keri Russell and Adam Driver is no small feat, which is why it’s not surprising that their Burn This co-star David Furr always makes sure he is prepared. In addition to arriving at the theater early to “shake off New York City a bit,” running through the theater seats, and having a cup of coffee, Furr practices before each show.

“I like to run my lines once to myself before being onstage,” he shares. “It just makes me feel like I’ve ensured they are still in there somewhere.”

While he wouldn’t qualify this as a superstition, he admits: “If I am on stage and realize I haven’t done it that day, it’s a weird feeling.”

The Stickler: Brent Bateman, Robert in The Play That Goes Wrong “I am not a superstitious person at all,” Brent Bateman explains, before admitting, “but I think I display some characteristics of OCD as I just really love to stick to a routine before and during a performance. I keep my warm-

up regimen basically the same for each show. I tend to reach for my water bottle at the same time each performance. I collect my props at the same time. This idea of sticking to a routine makes me feel more secure within the chaos of the show.”

The Early Bird: Brenda Pressley, Constance in Proof of Love Brenda Pressley doesn’t like to cut it close. “Since my days in the original company of Dream Girls, it’s been my habit to arrive at the theater two hours before curtain,” she reveals. “It gives me plenty of time to settle and focus.”

And while she doesn’t consider it a superstition, she never goes on “without saying a prayer of thanks for ability to perform and my hope that my work might inspire someone in the audience.”

The Mother Hen: Beth Leavel, Dee Dee Allen in The Prom “My pre-show ritual consists of getting to the theater early and checking in on everyone: hair, make-up, vocalize, and places please!”

The Tony-winner adds that she also follows a pretty strict rule of never changing her backstage patterns (at all!) after opening night. “Even if there is a quicker way to get to my dressing room or stage right (for example), if I didn’t do it on opening night, It won’t be changed.”

The Survivor: Maddie Corman, Accidentally Brave “I usually share a dressing room and so I have to find some secret, private

“I pray, chant, sing to myself, write, sometimes I cry.”

space for a little ritual ... but when you’re in a solo show that’s not really an issue!” the Accidentally Brave star reveals.

“Before I go into the theater, I like to take a walk around Union Square and run some lines. I’m sure there are a few people who wonder about the odd lady talking to herself.”

She also takes a moment of gratitude before going on stage. “My gratitude list varies day to day ... my kids are a constant but sometimes I’m grateful for the subway ... sometimes for a nice day ... or residuals, or sometimes for my therapist.” (Amen to that!)

The Gamer: Rosie Jo Neddy, Khave in Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish “Khave doesn’t appear until halfway through Act Two, so I have an ‘intermission into the second act’ ritual, a ‘tradition’ if you will,” Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish star Rosie Jo Neddy says.

“Every day, I lay on my back with my feet in the air in the same spot on the same couch in the green room and play Tetris on a Gameboy Advance.”

She plays from the beginning of intermission through ‘The Rumor,’ which is when she prepares to go back on stage.

“After opening, my girlfriend lent me the Gameboy to help me remain calm and focused during the break.

I’m fairly new at the game, but proud to say my current high score is 115 lines.”

SUMMER MOVIE SERIES 2017 LOGO

BLACK INTREPID LOGO

About ELIZABETH

Elizabeth Durand Streisand is CEO at Broadway Roulette WHITE INTREPID LOGO

INTREPID MUSEUM

FREE FRIDAYS

April 26 May 31 June 21

Presenting Sponsor

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

5pm–9pm

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intrepidmuseum.org/free-fridays DIGITAL EDITION

47

HELL’S PANTRY

INTO THE

WOODS As the city closes in on us, Shanti Nagel is fighting the good fight for miraculous pockets of green. It could save our lives!

Interview Ruth Walker Photographs Joe Delahunty

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DIGITAL EDITION

OUT

HELL’S PANTRY

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Preferred Bank of Hudson Yards

LIVING

N

ot fun fact: out of 59 community boards in New York City, Hell’s Kitchen is slap bang in the middle of the one that was 57th in line when it came to the planning gods giving out green space.

Basically, we’re starved of plants, of grass, of trees. We’re suffocating.

As if that wasn’t enough to choke the air out of our lungs, let’s also take a moment to consider the other elements that suck the oxygen out of the atmosphere and contribute to the toxins we breathe in every day: Penn Station, Port Authority, Times Square, Broadway.

We live in one of the most people and traffic-dense places on the planet.

Before you immediately make a plan to move to the suburbs, meet Shanti Nagel, whose landscape company Design Wild is improving our lives, plant by plant.

In the simplest of terms, she’s creating small green spaces and plantings along our busiest streets and parks. But it’s more complicated than just getting a few daffodils in the bike lane.

“Although we do very sophisticated horticulture design, we’re really interested in the interaction between humans and that design, and the way it makes

for a better community, a healthier neighborhood, and a better spirit for individuals.”

Studies have proven the transformative power plants have on the everyday wellbeing of humans, she says. “So, that’s really where I feel like my work is.

Wherever we bring plants, along come pollinators and butterflies and all these little moments of wild. If we can bring that into people’s everyday life, that really has a transformative power on mental health, and on all sorts of things like test scores, and on domestic violence and 911 calls.”

Incredibly, those benefits can be felt even without any direct interaction with

DIGITAL EDITION

Above: Hardy plantings withstand everything the city can throw at it – wind, snow, salt ... and dogs.

the plants. “They’ve actually found that if you can see plants out your window, your quality of life is better. At the bottom of all of it, it’s really that humans belong in the woods, and if we’re connected just a little bit to that, we feel better.”

Mind kind of blown.

Shanti didn’t go to college. She grew up on ten acres in upstate New York with, she says, “back-to-the-land hippy parents – sometimes you can guess based on my name.”

Which means “peace” by the way. It’s a challenge to live up to it some days. But she takes that challenge seriously.

She loved gardening from the get-go.

When her three siblings bunked off yard work, she stuck around all day with her parents, getting dirty. “So, after high school, instead of going to college, I actually learned how to farm.”

When she was 20, she started her own community supported agriculture farm, working 70-hour weeks, supplying local farmers markets. “It was some of the hardest work that I will probably ever see in my life. I was in great shape! But by 24, I was burnt out.

“It’s something I’m very proud of. It really informs a lot of what I do. Food is so beautiful because it’s a common

Hey neighbor!

Join the W42ST community and unlock news, events, the best happy hours in the hood, and weekly giveaways Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and each Friday you’ll receive a New York City insider’s guide to everything that’s happening in Hell’s Kitchen and beyond, plus ticket giveaways and other cool stuff, all direct to your inbox.

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LIVING denominator the world over. People want healthy food, they want their children to be safe.”

After giving up the farm life, she moved to Manhattan and entered the still sprouting field of urban agriculture, managing a large farm, but at the age of 25, she realized that, if she was ever going to make a decent living, she had to go back to school. So she took the New York Botanical Garden’s two-year professional horticulture program.

All of which led her to establish Design Wild. She started working in Hell’s Kitchen about 10 years ago, when Joe Restuccia brought her on to bring some green space to land owned by Clinton Housing Development Company. “His concept was that, if there was so little green space in the neighborhood, can we make our street trees like a park?

Can we take what we have, which is these little street trees, and plant them like a British garden? Why not make them like real garden beds?”

There are now more than 100 of what she calls “sidewalk gardens – because the word ‘pit’ is sort of a bummer, and it doesn’t even do them justice.”

And over those ten years, they’ve worked out which plants can survive the trucks, buses, and dogs – “which is a tough one for city plants” – and which can’t. Those babies have to be hardy!

“Also, in winter there’s the salt on the sidewalks. It’s all tough. If you had to pick a tough place to live as a plant, this would be it.”

As well as the sidewalk plantings, she’s created gardens inside and outside some of the affordable housing developments, and more recently started working with Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance, on areas like the new W37th St plantings, the area known as the Canoe on W36th St 9th Ave, and the bike lanes down 9th Ave. “We like to use a bunch of evergreen

elements because we have a lot of winter in our climate. But in the summer we’re adding a ton of flowers that are really for our pollinators. So I say, ‘I’m planting for the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, but I’m secretly working for the butterflies.’ And the best part is you don’t even have to tell them – they just show up. So we’re planting Asclepias, which is the butterfly weed, and it’s a big deal in the Monarch life-cycle.”

And for the bees: “They love the butterfly weed too, but we have Agastache and other wonderful plants.

Right now, there’s witch hazel blooming in the Canoe, and that’s for the very earliest of waking-up bees.”

She’s had her fingers in many of the community gardens that dot the side streets, and was the mastermind behind the Hell’s Kitchen Farm Project, on the roof of Metro Baptist Church on W40th St - 9th/10th Ave. But her next big project will be building a neighborhood coalition for De Witt Clinton Park. “We want to dig into that this year,” she says.

“We’ve spent the last six months polling the community. What we learned is that De Witt Clinton has tons of users: there are dedicated dog walkers, there are the ball park people, there are some gardeners. But it doesn’t have a cohesiveness. It has many, many fences.

One of the things that really makes me sad about the park is that the green space and the humans don’t mix.

“Also, we’ve heard from the community that they’d like some programming like a farmer’s market, and maybe a music series. The neighborhood is not just changing, but the number of residents is dramatically increasing. So we’re working to bring that park into the new era to serve all members of the community better.” designwildny.com

“Mental health … test scores, domestic violence, and 911 calls – plants can affect all those things.”

DIGITAL EDITION

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

Community Supported Agriculture makes it possible for us city dwellers to enjoy fresh, local vegetables from local farms – often picked the same day – without having to schlep to the farmers market (unless you want to). Here are some for starters …

Chelsea CSA The season runs for 24 weeks from June through November, with a basic membership costing $545 (less than $23 per week) for weekly delivery of farm-fresh, organic vegetables – and food stamps are accepted. You can add a fruit, coffee, or mushroom share to your box, if that tickles your tastebuds. Pick up is at W26th St - 9th/10th Ave between 4pm and 7pm each Tuesday during the season. And, because it completely run by volunteers, members must commit to a certain number of volunteer hours. chelseacsa.org

Hell’s Kitchen Farm Project Get a share of fresh vegetables delivered weekly or bi-monthly from a local farm, available for pick up on Wednesdays at Metro Baptist Church between May 29 and October 23. A half share (pick-up every other week) costs $300 for 11 weeks. hkfp.org

Local Roots NYC Choose from a subscription to a weekly essentials box, vegetables, or meat. Not sure if you want to commit? We get it. There’s a one-week starter kit for first-timers, which costs $84.50 for a box containing five types of organic veggies, a dozen pasture-raised, antibiotic-free eggs, 3lb of fruit, and two packs of pasture-raised and antibiotic-free meat. localrootsnyc.com

Misfits 50% of produce in the US is thrown away because it isn’t pretty enough.

Yet millions of Americans struggle to eat healthy and eat affordably. Enter Misfits, delivering “ugly” and “imperfect” fruits and veggies (which also translates as cheaper) to the market. A starter box costs $19 and contains around 10lb of organic supplies – good for two people making meals and snacking. misfitsmarket.com

Nextdoorganomics Kind of like a FreshDirect for local farms, you can either take out a subscription (and enjoy the discounts and benefits that involves) or buy one off when the need arises. Omnivore, vegetarian, paleo, and vegan diets are all catered for (a current omnivore box contains watermelon radishes, celeriac, sirloin steak, apples, potatoes, leek, and mushrooms – with addons available – for $56.90). Pay for home delivery, or pick up at free at one of the predetermined locations (mainly in Brooklyn). nextdoorganics.com

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Blend blue and red, you get purple.

Blend Matisse and Picasso, who knows?

The Matasso collection now on redbubble.com Website: bit.ly/Matasso Original art on canvas at pablomatisse.com | #pablo_matisse

LIVING

Hey

neighbor!

Jesse Kirshbaum has moved back to Hell’s Kitchen – because he missed it so much!

Moving from? Chelsea.

To? River Place, W42nd St - 11th/12th Ave.

IMAGE: PHIL O’BRIEN

My budget: It was the $3-3.5K range. It’s amazing how little that gets you on this Island these days.

The broker experience: A nice thing about River Place is it’s broker free. I called them, told them I missed them, and they worked with me to find the apartment I wanted. It was a smooth transition back.

On my tick list: I have a view of the water and the city. Even though Hudson Yards is starting to crowd my view, it’s

What I learned along the way: I love convenience and comfort when it comes to my home. Running a business, especially in the entertainment industry, involves a lot of long nights and crazy days. When I come home, I need things to be easy. It makes my life better knowing I live in a safe, well-maintained, clean building with a staff that treats me well.

Life is better in the Kitchen. Especially in the warner months.

What sealed the deal: I missed this place so much. I needed another run in the Kitchen. I’m writing my first book on what brands can learn from artists – it’s called Beats, Bytes & Brands. I thought this would be the place to go and finish it. It’s such an easy spot to shoot in and out of the city. One hack I use is flying out of Newark. It’s much quicker from the Kitchen if you move at the right hour.

Profession? I’m the CEO of a boutique entertainment and marketing agency called the Nue Agency. We’re focused on the intersection between music, technology, and brands, so I help to create a lot of buzz for our clients by helping embed their brands into culture and partnering them with artists and technology platforms.

Why? I lived in Hell’s Kitchen (at River Place) for a long time before I moved to Chelsea. After a two-year stint there, I realized how much I missed it. It feels great to come home. I have this philosophy – “go where I’m celebrated not where I’m tolerated.” When I come home to River Place it has a welcoming vibe and I immediately feel a breath of relief, like I’m in a happy, safe space.

view, it adds a whole new treasure trove of places to enjoy.

Above: The tennis courts are a sweet perk.

still pretty darn stunning to look out my windows on to the water.

I’m also a huge fan of the tennis courts and gym amenities. It’s a massive perk to live in a building in NYC with such rarities. Tennis is a big part of my life but, living it NYC, it’s hard and expensive to find court time. Having courts in my gym on the water is pretty fantastic.

And the location means it’s easy to get up and down the city or to Westchester if I want to get out of town to see my parents or friends.

In Hell’s Kitchen itself, there are great music venues, some interesting food spots, and I’m glad that Hudson Yards popped up. Even though it messes up my

DIGITAL EDITION

My favorite thing about living in Hell’s Kitchen: There’s something cool about saying I live in Hell’s Kitchen. It’s gritty.

It’s edgy. It’s mysterious. If you know, you know. But if you don’t, you don’t necessarily get it. I can go anywhere in the world and say I live in Hell’s Kitchen and it resonates with people. I live on Forty Deuce. It’s legendary. New York is the greatest city in the world. I love coming home and feeling like I’m in the heart of it all but away from everything enough to still feel private and relaxing.

NueAgency.com

VITAL STATS River Place $ one-bed apartment: $3,650 # of stories: 41 # of units: 921 When built: 2000 Amenities: Swimming pool, spa, gym, basketball, tennis courts, kids’ playroom, sun terrace, lounge, shuttle bus.

Pet friendly: Yes.

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LIVING Oat cuisine

The W42ST team is working up a serious overnight oats habit these days. So we’re all over this handy jar, which does it all, from prepping to chilling, to serving … it even has a spoon! $15, uncommongoods.com

You spin me round

Join the spiralizing revolution and make low-cal, healthy noodles from fruit and veggies. It’s simple, cheap, and your body will be happy. $15, store.moma.org

To the rescue!

Crisis! You’ve spilled red wine on your fancy white tablecloth/T-shirt/carpet *delete as appropriate.

This could be your secret weapon. Chateau Spill wine remover gets rid of evil stains like red wine and berries – yet its pH neutral formula contains no peroxide, chlorine, or phosphates. $8.95, domusnewyork.com

If you can’t stand

THE HEAT...

Get used to it. All the most interesting things happen in the kitchen

Truth serum

Otherwise known as a good, strong drink! Fill this decanter with your chosen poison and your victim will soon be putty in your hands. Drink responsibly, friends. $20, shop.spyscape.com

Let’s go Dutch

Chrissy Teigen’s yummy collection of kitchen goodies for Target includes this hefty cast iron Dutch oven that does triple duty on the stove top, the oven, or on the table as a classylooking serving dish for soups, one-pot meals, and more. $39.99, target.com

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DIGITAL EDITION

LIVING

Rest assured

We love these colorful chopstick rests, from new neighborhood store November 19. Made in Japan from coated Nambu iron, they’re heavy enough to stay put on your table while you fill your face. $10 each, november19market. com

Next gen coffee

No more pods. No more mess. No more wait. The Terra Kaffe TK-01 is the latest in at-home coffee makers; an automatic espresso machine that brews from fresh whole beans. Just one touch for the perfect cup every time (it does cappuccinos and lattes too). Bonus: it looks pretty damn slick. $745, terrakaffe.com

Avosavior!

Admit it. How many times have you used half an avocado, put the rest in the fridge, then watch it go brown and ugly as the days go by?

The Avocado Hugger will save any future heartache by wrapping up your precious fruit in a special seal. It cuts down on waste, and keeps your food looking pretty. $10.95 for two, foodhuggers.com

Dog days

This product has duly been filed under the category “never knew I needed it until I saw it.” The retro-style toaster cooks two buns and two dogs at the same time for perfectly timed snackage. Just add mustard while admiring its glossy red looks. $19.99 (on sale), jet.com

High happy hour

The only thing more refreshing than getting out of the city and into the hills … is having a cheeky little martini at the top.

Good for Stanley, which has created this kit that includes a cocktail shake, reamer and strainer, and two “glasses” – which all collapse into a convenient size for carrying in your backpack. Cheers! $18.99 (on sale), backcountry.com

We can eat it!

Since we’re all meal-prepping these days, lunch boxes are back in vogue. We’re digging this durable Rosie the Riveter one – the tough edges ensure no more squished sammies. $19.99, store.intrepidmuseum.org

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57

GALLERY

#W42ST Hashtag your Instagram pics and they could star in the mag!

Spring has sprung, friends, and suddenly everyone's looking perkier. The sun's so bright, we're all wearing shades. Things are getting frisky in the bedroom. And even the dogs are getting a cute haircut.

Remember, anyone can be featured on these pages. Just tag your images #W42ST and you could be the one whose photograph ends up in the next issue.

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GALLERY

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59

STYLE

LIFT! ... for your long-term fitness, health, and Michelle Obama arms, writes Sophia Strawser

I

’m really good at lifting a fork to my mouth. It’s actually probably my number one favorite bicep exercise. That being said, lately I’ve been wanting to switch up my cardio-heavy workout routine and start lifting weights. It’s the hot thing right now, and is growing even more popular thanks to new Instagram lifting accounts.

Am I doing it just for the Gram? I’d rather not say, but then again, I am the girl who leaves her Instagram handle at the bottom of every article, so you do the math.

I follow roughly 700 of them, saving video after video that I haven’t tried and most likely won’t try. Yet it’s my night time routine. That was until this past month, when I had the pleasure of doing four personal training sessions at Crunch Gym. I was a bit nervous to walk into a personal training session. What if I couldn’t lift like I thought I could? What if I have horrible form? What if my leggings really aren’t squat proof? True, I’m normally one of only two women in the weights section of the gym. And sometimes I really do have form that’s a tad off. But that’s what the guidance of a personal trainer is for.

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DIGITAL EDITION

Do it for the Gram!

STYLE Muscle burns fat. Unlike cardio, it allows you to get the specific body type you desire. And, if my research has me right, it ultimately means you’re able to eat more.

Anyone else tired of hearing women say: “Just eat 1,200 calories a day!”? OK, and then I’ll faint, be hangry most of the day, and overeat before I go to bed.

On week one, we started by chatting about my goals. Like anything in life, it becomes more achievable when you have specific goals with a specific plan of attack. Like my goal to marry a man who will have his full head of hair till the day he dies. I’m starting by not trusting men who always wear a baseball cap, and living it out by staying super single for most of my twenties.

When I told my personal trainer, Alex, that I wanted Michelle Obama arms, he didn’t say: “Well, we’ll see what happens after an hour on the elliptical.” He said: “OK, let’s do a circuit of arms.” And just in case anyone is wondering, no, I don’t have Michelle Obama arms yet, but I’m reading her book and it’s the hardcopy so, between lugging that around the city and keeping up with my new arm circuit, I’m certainly on my way.

Overall, I was surprised at just how many moves were the same moves I’ve watched my Instagramers do. Who knew they actually knew what they were doing? It was an amazing boost in confidence, knowing those saved Instagram videos could and would be my next workouts. (And all our bank accounts said: “Amen”).

That being said, what I lacked most was form. It’s just so easy to hurt yourself when trying out new moves or weights that are too heavy. I’d done classes that incorporated all the moves my trainer had me doing, but when it’s a one-on-one situation you’re able to get the tweaks and pointers that help you confidently work out on your own later.

Opposite: One of the earliest recorded strong women, Elise Serafin-Luftmann was famous for her ability to lift heavy weights and juggle cannonballs. Take that, Instagram!

“No, I don’t have Michelle Obama arms yet, but I’m reading her book and it’s the hardcopy so …”

There’s been a huge switch to lifting as of late. As someone who has always done crazy amounts of cardio and never seen the body results she wanted, I’ve finally turned to weights. Well, first I turned to emotional eating.

Then weights.

With my month at Crunch ($95), I received a weekly hour with a trainer as an add-on cost.

And, while I had a few moves as homework after the first week, I’d have loved more. So for now I’ll go back to finding workout suggestions on Instagram, Pinterest, and Seamless. What? There aren’t any on Seamless? Weird, I’ll check just in case. Well … now that I’m here …

As part of my membership, I also popped into a silent disco, complete with treadmill running class and three dance classes.

The catch? Everyone’s wearing headphones. Not only did this allow other patrons at the gym to work out without being disturbed by loud music, but the participants could switch between classes with a flip of a switch on their headphones.

I adored the treadmill class.

Walking sideways on a treadmill makes me feel like an Olympic athlete. (Is it obvious I was in marching band and not sports in high school?). It was also nice having someone change up my normal, rather ineffective treadmill run. Because lord knows my runs are usually just a collection of grunts and pauses to change the music.

Occasionally, a tasteful amount of crying as well. Tasteful though.

So, while most of NYC seems to be running between five different studios, to be able to tap into a regular gym, a large amount of classes, and personal training sessions in one place is a pretty good hookup. Now, whether you splurge for the trainer or just hit up those saved Instagram videos is up to you.

While you decide, follow me @SophieStrawser.

DIGITAL EDITION

FOLLOW @natacha.oceane Followers: 550K Model, sprinter, and Iron (wo)Man with washboard abs, kettlebells, and a nice line in coordinated clothing. She features workout videos, talks about what she eats, and is big on body positivity. @LyzaBethLopez Followers: 2M Trainer, nutritionist – and the creator of the Hourglass Workout, which is all about retaining “feminine curves” while getting fit fit fit! She shares elements of her life (including her newborn baby boy, Tyson), workout vids, and magazine covers. @brittnebabefitness Followers: 428K “Queen of the home workouts,” the LA/ NY-based fitness queen has devised the #BrittneBABE21 DayChallenge, which combines exercise with nutrition advice.

Expect workouts in bikini bottoms from the beach in Turks & Caicos and in tube socks from her kitchen. @alexia_clark Followers: 1.8M “Queen of workouts,” she’s a personal trainer and certified nutrition specialist with videos on gym-based exercises as well as routines you can do at home (or the beach, should you be so inclined).

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STYLE

I’M A FOOD HOARDER.

AND I’M OK WITH IT

Worried the world might run out of coffee pods, grass-fed beef, or nuts? Claudia Chung has a confession for you

IMAGE: ILONA LIEBERMAN

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t this very moment, in my teeny-weeny, Winnebago-sized home, I have 224 Keurig coffee pods. I also have five packages of Trader Joe’s grass-fed beef tenderloin, three pounds of pork belly, and four pounds of mixed nuts. All this, in addition to two-dozen eggs, two pounds of Swiss cheese, and one pound of sugarfree chocolate chips in my freezer. (And while I was writing this column, I just ordered a dozen mega-sized-sugar-freeit’s-totally-OK-to-eat-chocolate-bars.)

So, what gives? Why did I spend a small fortune compiling this decadent and expensive stockpile? It’s my hope that I will lose a few extra pounds before summer.

Here is my never-ending cycle: I get dumped. I go on a diet. I don’t get the job. I go on a diet. My partner dies. I go on a diet. I’ve run out of clean underwear. I go on a diet. A low-carb diet. Always.

This modus operandi has been my go-to since Atkins took over America. And while I still believe that I was born clutching a carb-counter in my tiny grips, I also have a distinct memory of where it all started as a functioning adult.

I was in college, 30 pounds heavier than I am now, and I was sporting a mullet disguised as the “Rachel” haircut. I was also desperately trying to give away my virginity

About

CLAUDIA

Claudia Chung is a writer who moonlights as a school teacher.

She is currently working on a book of essays and stories on the trials, tribulations, and the funny in being a young widow.

to my Faulkner professor. One night, while perusing the school library, I came across a copy of Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution.

It promised everything I had hoped for: lose 14 pounds, eat as many chicken wings as humanly possible, and dip everything in blue cheese dressing.

The next morning, even before I finished the book, I was at the school cafeteria eating a mountain of eggs, bacon, and hash browns, with globs of ketchup. “This is fantastic! And so easy!” I thought. (I had not gotten to the part of the book where it tells you potatoes and ketchup are carbs). But I felt so hopeful and happy. And guess what? It happened.

I lost a ton a weight and lost my virginity. (Not to my professor.)

Now as an adult, when I feel an extra pudge (and/or hopeless, sad and

like, well, shit), I immediately go low carb.

I’ve tried breaking the cycle, but I can’t.

I’m not willing to let this one go. Not yet, anyway.

So, here I am again, starting a low-carb diet, which also always, always results in me hoarding food.

I believe this phenomena is something called the scarcity principle. In my mind, Trader Joe’s will run out of the grass-fed tenderloin just as I am jonesing for beef. Or somehow, someway, Lily’s Chocolates will go out of business for no good reason but because I love them.

Bottom line, hoarding low-carb food relieves my anxiety.

From what I understand, rotting food, rodents, and insects are perhaps the biggest danger of my hoarding habit. In my itty-bitty home, if I fall off my bed, I might land on a bag of mixed nuts or boxes of coffee pods. And it can lead to social isolation, as I attempt to hide this crazy-pants behavior. So, I’m addressing it here. Talking about it takes the shame away, they say. You are sick as your secrets.

My name is Claudia Chung and I am a low-carb food hoarder. A low-carb one.

“It promised everything I had hoped: lose 14 pounds, eat as many chicken wings as humanly possible, and dip everything in blue cheese dressing.”

DIGITAL EDITION

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PETS

Wagging Lola

Human’s name: Milton.

Age: Nine.

Breed: Long-haired mini dachshund.

What makes me bark: Lots of balls.

Three words that describe me best: Playful, sweet, curious.

Confession: I really like black dogs.

Instadog: Hell yeah! @JustlolaNYC

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Mylo Human’s name: Brian.

Age: One and a half.

Breed: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

What makes me bark: Everything!

Especially treats.

Three words that describe me best: Energetic, playful, loving.

Confession: I eat socks.

DIGITAL EDITION

Lila Human’s name: Elisa.

Age: 10 years old.

Breed: Goldendoodle.

What makes me bark: When I want to play with other pups at De Witt Clinton Park.

Three words that describe me best: Happy, clueless, bubbly.

Confession: NYC streets are a smorgasbord for me

SUPPORTED BY

tales Rufus Humans’ names: Danny and Neill.

Age: Six months.

Breed: Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever (toller for short – my dads end up explaining this quite a bit to folks).

What makes me bark: The Swiffer. I’m definitely not a fan of the Swiffer.

Three words that describe me best: Sweet, affectionate, clever.

Confession: I’ll lick anything with peanut butter on it … ANYTHING! Instadog: @Rufus_the_toller

Rexy Mew-Mew Human’s Name: Hershey.

Age: Nine.

Breed: Norwegian forest cat.

What makes me meow: When Mummy says: “No more treats!”

Three words that describe me best: Huggable, lovable, snuggable.

Confession: I think I’m a dog trapped in a cat’s body.

Facecat: @RexyMew-MewMiller

DIGITAL EDITION

These camera-happy cuties took a time out from the morning stroll for a quick Q&A with W42ST

Dog day care

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Be featured in Wagging Tales – and get a FREE week of dog day care at AKC Canine Retreat.* Your dog will experience a new level of care tailored to their individual needs and temperament. AKC Canine Retreat welcomes dogs of all backgrounds, shapes, and sizes, and offers a full range of services including day care, overnight care, grooming, training, walking, and jogging.

Our professional staff are trained in the most up-to-date methods recognized by the American Kennel Club, and each location features a range of play and rest spaces.

Come visit our locations at W72nd St, W42nd St, SKY, Chelsea, and Tribeca – we’ve got the West Side covered!

Email the pictures of your dog to waggingtales@w42st.com with the answers to our questions, and one lucky dog will get a FREE week of care.* Your name: Pet’s name: How old?

Breed: What makes your pet bark?

Three words that describe them best: Naughty confession: Are you an Instadog? *Dog must pass interview to enter day care

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LAST WORD

“Outside … I had passed a sign promising that ‘Drinks go in, fun comes out!’ (If nothing else, I was looking forward to seeing the restrooms.)”

Pete Wells, New York Times food critic

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hen Pete Wells reviewed the Times Square outpost of spring break-themed funsteraunt Señor Frog’s in December 2015, the variety of pleasures that delighted his palate included hot dogs served on skateboards, a margarita with an obscenely shaped straw, and dancing in a conga line “wearing a three-foothigh crown of yellow and orange

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balloons that made me look like Simba in a production of The Lion King staged by balloon animals.”

Later, the highlight of an already eventful evening was signaled by an air raid siren, announcing the arrival of a birthday parade which involved, in no particular order, glow sticks, whistles, and an exploding balloon hat.

“Many thoughts went through my head at that moment,” he wrote. “I wondered, briefly, why anyone trusted

DIGITAL EDITION

me with an expense account. But the dominant idea was: Señor Frog’s, where have you been all my life?”

Barely eight months later, and just a year after opening on W42nd St - 7th/8th Ave, Senor Frog’s closed mysteriously. Sadly, W42ST magazine never had the opportunity to dance the ‘Cha Cha Slide’ with its servers or sample the signature Frogasm cocktails. Something we may regret for ever. Sigh.

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