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HAWAI'I GOLD: A CELEBRATION OF SURFING
Rizzoli
Carissa Moore
We had the pleasure of having Carissa Moore a Team USA Olympic Surfing Gold Medalist and 5X World Surf League Women's Champion as our FEB ISSUE #86 cover. We have always enjoyed seeing her compete and how she does so with a smile on her face!
Hawai'i Gold: A Celebration of Surfing shares her story and what she thinks about her sport, her love of Hawaii as well as surf legends on what it means to be a surfer from Hawaii.
In this book, we find out about the heritage of surfing in Hawaii and of course the images in the book include the island, surf icons, surf prep, and so much more. It's defintiely a book that you will find on your coffee table that everyone will want to look through when they stop by.
EVEREST, INC.: THE RENEGADES AND ROGUES WHO BUILT AN INDUSTRY AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD
Gallery Books
Will Cockrell
We know about those who climb Mount Everest and in Everest, Inc. The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World, we get to know more about those who are instrumental in that effort - the guides and climbers!
We know that making the climb is not for the faint at heart as there is bad weather, severe altitudes, and it is congested for a number of people who make the attempt whether it's ego driven or to add to their social feeds.
The trip also has an impact on those who don't respect the mountain by leaving trash behind or even exploiting local Sherpas.
This book has a comprehensive focus on the history of the Himalayan guiding industry which started in the 1980's with gritty entrepreneurs who wanted to create a new style of expedition planning. You'll find quotes by those in the industry, writers, filmmakers, and Hollywood notables. All share their thoughts on the climbs to add their thoughts to this portion of the industry.
FASHION'S BIG NIGHT OUT: A MET GALA LOOKBOOK
Welbeck Publishing
Kristen Bateman
The first Mon of May is fashion's biggest night known as The Met Gala and in Fashion's Big Night Out: A Met Gala Lookbook, we look at a legendary event that fuses art, fashion and pop culture. You will learn about its history through imagery which started in 1948. It also looks at the ensembles that hit the carpet based on theme. There is also a foreward by iconic designer, Jeremy Scott who has created a number of looks for this event.
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BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS: THE ULTIMATE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY
Motor Books
Richie Unterberger
We always enjoy a stunning coffeetable book that blends music, culture, and iconic artists together. In Bob Marley and The Wailers: The Ultimate Illustrated History dropped this month to dig into the life and legacy of this man and his band. Even after 40 years of Marley's death, he and his band continue to be the most famous reggae artists of all time!
Throughout the book are stunning images from various points of their career which allows you to see their life as well as the times that they lived in. We see how they went from a Jamaican ska act to international superstars while navigating being in their country that was going through its own awakening at that time.
The book illustrates how they popularized their genre, the influence of the Rastafari movement, Marley's socially conscious lyrics and how he became a symbol of pride and justice.
You'll learn about the history of the band up to Marley's death in 1981 and how his influence continues today. Images of performances, off-stage photography, rare memorabilia and commentary from noted music jounalists. This book also talks about the 2024 Bob Marley biopic, One Love which is in theaters on Valentine's Day.
THE HEIRESS
St Martin's Press
Rachel Hawkins
When North Carolina's richest woman dies in The Heiress, she is also the most notorious woman! Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, as a child was kidnapped as well as becoming a widower four times over!
She lorded over her tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Upon her death, her adopted son, Camden, wants nothing to do with the house, money or remaining relatives. He lives his own life as an English teacher in Colorado with his wife Jules. When his uncle dies, he is pulled back to his mess life. He begins to question the rumors of his mother's kidnapping when she was a girl as well as what happened to the husbands. A bigger question is why she chose to adopt him as well! Finding out about this information means more to him than a will and understanding the long reaching arms of what family means and how everyone is connected to one another is essential.
THE HEIRLOOMED KITCHEN: MADE FROM SCRATCH RECIPES TO GATHER AROUND FOR GENERATIONS
Gibbs Smith
Ashley Schoenith
In The Heirloomed Kitchen: Made-from-Scratch Recipes to Gather Around for Generations we are privy to a curated cookbook of nostalgic-style photography that shows heirloom cookware, vessels, and utensils and recipes that are passed down from mother to child and grandchild.
With over 100 recipes there are a number of family recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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THE GIRL HE USED TO KNOW
St. Martin's Press
Tracey Garvis Graves
Attending the University of Illinois, Annika Rose finds that in many social situations, she is not only anxious, but finds other's behaviour confusing. She'd prefer to be in the company of order and discipline which she finds with her books or quietly playing chess.
She finds that fellow chess player, Jonathan Hoffman, who is in the chess club is her perfect match as they bring out the best in one another. Unfortunately, their relationship ends and they are driven apart only to find that a decade later, their paths are crossed again. With their passions urging to be rekindled, they both realize that if they don't focus on what drove them apart - they won't be able to capitalize on their second chance at love.
THE MOTHER-IN-LAW
St. Martin's Press
Sally Hepworth
The relationship between a person and their Mother-In-Law can be complicated for some. When Lucy met her husband's mother - Diana, she knew that she was not the person that she had in mind. She was constantly kept at arm's length despite.
Her Mother-In-Law, Diana was known as a pillar in the community as well as being involved in a number of charities. She was beloved by everyone; moreover, not one person had a bad thing to say abou her - except for Lucy. Lucy was polite and sweet; however, she couldn't connect with Diana.
All of that was five years ago. Diana was found dead with a suicide note stating that she no longer wanted to live due to a cancer that she was dealing with; however, the autopsy showed no signs of this. It does find traces of poison with evidence of suffocation.
Who wanted Diana dead, why did her will change near her death to disinherit both of her children and their spouses and what can one make of Lucy who isn't sad that Diana is dead?
WHEN WE LEFT CUBA
Berkley
Chanel Cleeton
Sugar heiress, Beatriz Perez knows that the Cuban Revolution took everything from her - family, her people, and country. She was recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro's inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage. She is consumed by revenge and her need to reclaim everything that was lost.
With the Cold War in full effect, she finds herself caught in the midst of Cuban American politics and a forbidden affair that is driven by his ambitions. She is caught between the past and the future, but knows that a wrong move can cost her everything.
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SHOE DOG
Phil Knight
Simon & Schuster
In Shoe Dog, Nike's founder and board chairman Phil Knight gives an inside view on being the man behind the swoosh. He shares how the early days of his company started as a feisty startup which grew into one of the most iconic brands in the world. This CEO walks readers through mistakes that were made, his struggles and sacrifices that he took to grow his company.
His story begins after graduating business school and borrowing $50 from his father to import high-quality, low-cost running shoes from Japan. Selling them out of the trunk of his car in 1963, he grossed $8,000 in his first year versus currently having annual sales of $30 billion.
Although many know about the beginnings of Nike, Phil Knight is a shy man that has always been a bit of a mystery. In this book he explains the highs and lows, how he curated his employees to be ambassadors of his brand and to embrace the ethos of what his company stands for.
BECOMING
Michelle Obama
Crown Publishing Group
First Lady Michelle Obama gives a first hand account in this memoir about her life as well as embracing her role in the White House. In addition to being the First African American First Lady to serve, she has also been known as an advocate for women and girls in the US and around the world. In addition, one of her most notable platforms is her initiative focused on ensuring that families pursue healthier and active lives.
In addition to her platform, Michelle talks about engaging with the media that she embraced from appearing on Ellen, Carpool Karaoke and other outlets as well as being scrutinized in other areas within media throughout her husband’s presidency.
Ultimately, this memoir walks readers through her life, who she was prior to her marriage, being a wife and raising two girls in the limelight. We are introduced to her childhood in the South Side of Chicago and we get an inside look on the public and private aspects of her life.
MILK STREET TUESDAY NIGHTS
Christopher Kimball
Little, Brown
Tuesday night recipes are reserved for easy dishes to make that can be executed after your busy day of work, post happy hour drinks etc. But Milk Street, created by Christopher Kimball (formerly of America's Test Kitchen). This book includes a number of recipes that makes Tuesday night’s meals something that you can get excited about.
Regardless of your cooking skills, readers will find an array of meals that will get them through the middle of their week. Dishes include: Peruvian ceviche or glaze potatoes with gochujang.
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NIKE SB THE DUNK BOOK
Nike SB
Rizzoli
When it comes to looking at the iconic nature of Nike's Dunk SB (created in 2002) which is considered a basketball court staple, it also has street cred when it comes to skate and streetwear as well. Known as the early catalyst of sneaker culture, this shoe has has a number of iterations and collaborations!
This book serves as a living archive which has been enjoyed by celebrities, included in competitions around the world and heralded for their signature designs that is also high in performance.
Throughout this coffee table book, fans will see iconic styles, colorways deemed signatures and of course, its craftsmanship of the brand.
COOKING SCRAPPY
Joel Gamoran
Harper Wave
Joel Gamoran, star of the A&E series Scraps and the National Chef of Sur La Table, releases Cooking Scrappy: 100 Recipes to Help You Stop Wasting Food, Save Money, and Love What You Eat. You'll look at the ingredients in your kitchen in a different way in a cookbook that has 150 colorful photographs and 100 recipes.
In this book, you'll see that disconnected leftovers in your fridge can actually be components of ingredients to make your next best thing that you are about to make for friends and family. In addition, he showcases how tools in your kitchen can pull double duty.
Ultimately, readers understand that being resourceful allows them to reduce waste and to optimize their resources. This style of cooking is not only environmentally sound but economical and is one that is sustainable in a way that many are looking to tackle.
ADULT COLORING BOOK
Sarah Jane Carter
Creative Designs and Artwork
When it comes to take a mental break, there is something about having a coloring book for adults that is always nearby, whether on your nightstand or in your tote bag.
In this coloring book, you can enjoy creating colorful embellishments of an array of pictures from animals, mandalas, flowers, paisley patterns, and so much more. The act of coloring allows the creator to focus on something besides their day to day work, reduce their stress, focus on their artistic pleasures and add complexities to their work in the manner that they choose whether using crayons, oil paints, color pencils or water colors.
We suggest taking this on your next flight and collecting an array of her color books any time you need an element of escapism to reconnect yourself with what you are working on.
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THE VEGAN 8
Brandi Doming
Oxmoor House
Veganism is definitely on the rise with a number of people changing their diets to this lifestyle for all of their meals or incorporating it into a few meals each week. It's also good to be mindful of those that eat this way when you're selecting restaurants or meals that you make at home for those that adhere to this diet.
Brandi Doming, a popular blogger, became a vegan after her husband had health issues. Her focus on overhauling her family to this food method led to this book which focuses on recipes and ingredients that are simple, family friendly, plant based and dairy free (most are oil-free, Dairy-free, gluten-free and nut-free - when they're not, Brandi provides alternatives).
In addition, the 100 recipes in this book have 8 or fewer ingredients (not including items such as salt, pepper and water)! Meals span from breakfast to dessert.
BREAKFAST
The Editors of Extra Crispy
Oxmoor House
We've all heard that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Now in Breafast: The Most Important Book About the Best Meal of the Day, the editors of Extra Crispy drive this point home in their new book about this meal. Throughtout the book, they focus on breakfast as well as brunch.
In addition to having recipes (obviously), there are a number of stories, how-tos as well as hearing new ingredients and secrets to some of your favorite breakfast items for some of your faves such as Entenmann’s Cake Doughnuts and Taco Bell Crunchwraps - to make at home!
In addition, they go into the origins of a number of breakfast stories, such as scrapple and share how you can brew barista quality drinks from the comfort of your studio or loft! This breakfast educational tool includes 100 photos, illustrations and craveable items.
ELEVATION
Stephen King
Scribner
Stephen King takes us to his beloved town of Castle Rock, Maine with a tale about a man with mysterious issues who ultimately brings a small town together even though there are differences within those that live there.
This riveting, eerie and moving story centers around Scott Carey who has been losing weight over time, but he doesn't look different. Whether he is in his clothes or out, he weighs the same. He doesn't know what to do, but reaches out to his trusted doctor, Bob Ellis.
In addition to his issues, he lives next door to a lesbian couple who wish to open a restaurant. Although he has an issue with their dog leaving his business on his lawn, he finds the town's reaction to them and their business upsetting and wants to help this couple. His interest and unlikely alliance with the couple as well as his strange condition begin to create a scenario where despite the town's issues, they begin to come together and get past the worst parts of themselves to create social progress.
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JUROR #3
James Patterson + Nancy Allen
Little, Brown and Company
Ruby Bozarth is new to Rosedale, Mississippi. This young attorney tried her first case and is fresh to the Mississippi Bar.
Circuit Judge Baylor taps her as defense
counsel to a racially charged felony case in this legal thriller.
The murder of a woman from one of the town's oldest families has Rosedale's upper crust howling for blood, and the prosecutor
is counting on Ruby's inexperience to help him deliver swift conviction. Ruby's client
is a college football star who has returned home after a career-ending injury, and she is determined to build a defense that will stick. She finds help in unexpected quarters from Suzanne, a hard-charging attorney armed to the teeth, and Shorty, a diner cook who knows more than he lets on.
Ruby never belonged to the country-club set, but once she nearly married into it. As news breaks of a second murder, Ruby's ex-fiancé, Lee Greene, shows up on her doorstep--a Southern gentleman in need of a savior. As lurid, intertwining investigations unfold, no one in Rosedale can be trusted, especially the twelve men and women impaneled on the jury. They may be hiding the most incendiary secret of all.
HIPPIE
Paulo Coelho
Knopf
Paulo Coelho takes us back in time to tell the story of him as a young boy in Brazil. It tells his story of wanting to be a writer and the journey he takes getting there as well as the deeper meaning of his life.
His journey takes him from the famous “Death Train” to Bolivia, Peru, Chile and
Argentina. He continues to the Dam Square in Amsterdam. While there, he meets Karla, a Dutch woman who was waiting for the ideal companion to join her on the fabled hippie trail to Nepal via the Magic Bus.
As they travel together, Paulo and Karla explore their own relationship: a life-defining love story that awakens them on every level and leads to choices and decisions that will set the course for their lives thereafter.
HALF BAKED HARVEST
Tieghan Gerard
Clarkson Potter
Tieghan Gerard was one of seven children
while growing up in Colorado. When her dad took too long to make dinner, she decided to start cooking at the age of 15. Being in the kitchen allowed her to find her place and to create unique dishes which led her to launch her blog, Half Baked Harvest.
With millions of people enjoying her take on comfort food, her photography and her life in the mountains - her barn turned test kitchen recipes are presented in this book.
Whether you need to get dinner on the table for your family tonight or are planning your next get-together with friends, this book is a feast for the eyes and the stomach.
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PLATTERS AND BOARDS
Shelly Westerhausen with Wyatt Worcel
Chronicle Books
We've all been there. You're having a get together with your girls or inviting a few people over to go over something. You don't want to go all out with a sit down dinner or maybe you are, but you want a few nibbles to have at the ready. You could buy a platter, but why not make an Instagram worthy presentation with the help of Shelly Westerhausen who has great tips on how to create casually chic spreads anyone can make and everyone will enjoy. This visual cornucopia of a cookbook is the guide to entertaining with effortless style.
You'll find that this book is organized by the time of day and the pairings include recipes, drinks and more to make it easier for you to create your next tasty look. In addition, there is a chart that gives great board suggestions which ensures that they'll photograph well!
PHYSICAL DISOBEDIENCE
Sarah Hays Coomer
Seal Press
Women are constantly being messaged to about size, weight, skin tones and more. It creates a mindset of how we should view ourselves which can create a stigma.
Physical Disobedience asserts that denigrating our bodies is, in practice, an act of submission to inequality. When we decide to take a stand on individual physicality, reclamation of the authority and the ability to sustain our efforts in activism: the protests, community service, and emotional resilience it takes to face the news and stay engaged.
This book's focus on wellness as an act of nonviolence toward our bodies, and embracing them through diet and exercise, fashion and social media, alternative therapies, mu sic, and motherhood. The focus is to ignite the body in a healthy way.
CRAZY RICH ASIANS
Kevin Kwan
Anchor Publishing
Unless you have been in seclusion, Crazy Rich Asians was released the middle of this month and has become a blockbuster movie, that not only showcases the representation of Asians in mainstream film, luxury and a number of storylines from dating, shopping and meeting your loved ones parents!
We're introduced to Rachel and Nick, who have been dating for a while. This summer he wants to take her to his home in Singapore for a friend’s wedding as well as to meet his family. The couple has no worries about spending the summer traveling together. His family, who are “crazy rich” (ridiculously beyond rich) are concerned that Nick is going to propose to someone who they have not vetted and is not from a “good” family.
It's clear that the movie does justice to the book. For those that have seen the film and have yet to read the novel which is a trilogy, it's time to go back and pick up where it all began and then continue on to the other novels: China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People's Problems.
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THE CUBAN AFFAIR
Nelson Demille
Simon & Schuster
What's not to love in Daniel "Mac" Graham MacCormick's life? At 35, he lives in Key West, owns a 42 foot charter fishing boat (which has a large bank loan), was an infantry officer in the Army and returned after 5 years with a Silver Star and 2 Purple Hearts.
With looming debt, he agrees to take on a job for $2 million for a 10 day fishing tournament to Cuba which he suspects has more involved than an outing that could include anti-Castro groups.
He learns that his charter involves obtaining $60 million in Cuba. His client's grandfather stashed the money in Cuba prior to fleeing from Castro's revolution. With the "Cuban Thaw" taking place between Havana and Washington, they are now in a race to find the money before someone else does. Mac will either be rich or not at all.
RUN FOREVER
Amy Burfoot
Center Street
Former Runner's World editor-in-chief, Boston Marathon winner and runner that have logged over 100,00 miles - Amy Burfoot gives advice on how one can enjoy running and the health benefits that will last for a lifetime.
The act of running starts at an early age and is as natural as breathing is to us. But this simple act has become complicated with trendy gadgets and thought processes that hinder this native act.
This book focuses on the basics and the root of lacing up and running. She provides guidance to runners of every age and ability level.
Readers will find that regardless of their skill level, that they are properly motivated, learn how to avoid energy and see how they can increase their speed and endurance in order to reach their goals!
DINNER SPECIAL
By the Editors of Food & Wine
Oxmoor House
Food & Wine Editors as well as celebrity chefs such as Daniel Holzman of NYC's Meatball Shop shares meals in a cookbook that literally share menus that you can create! You'll find a classic recipe with two sides, wine pairings, tips for leftovers and technique for the dish in an easy to use cookbook!
In addition to the stunning imagery, the techniques are clearly illustrted. We're excited about the Meatball Shop's Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (the leftover option as well as the technique to make the uniform balls is great to know).
Ted Allen's Pan-Roasted Salmon with Tomato Vinaigrette is another winner that's perfect to enjoy as the temperatures continue to climb. The technique of learning how to remove salmon skin is another sill that's worth knowing (or being able to share at your next cocktail event.
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THE FAVORITE SISTER
Jessica Knoll
Simon & Schuster
Expect the unexpected when it comes to being in a reality series; however, murder isn't something that you would forsee taking place. This is what happens when 5 very successful women agree to be on this show.
The castmates include Brett, a tattooed 27 year old spin studio owner who just became engaged to her girlfriend. She definitely has
a few negative vibes from members of the cast.
Brett's sister Kelly is seen as a plus one to the rest of the veteran cast; however, she is protecting their secret.
The cast's first black member, Stephanie is the oldest of the group and writes erotic novels although everyone questions her marriage. This season, the show focuses on the rift between herself and Brett who were best friends once upon a time.
The Favorite Sister looks at the intricacies of relationships between sisters as well as the importance of sisterhood.
BARRACOON
Zora Neale Hurston
Amistad
Zora Neale Hurston shines a light on the true story of one of the last known survivors of the Atlantic slave trade that were abducted
from Africa on the last "Black Cargo" ship that arrived to the United States.
In 1927, Zora traveled to Plateau, Alabama and interviewed 86 year old Cudjo Lewis who was the last person of the millions that were involved in the slave trade that included the raid of his African home, his 50 years of bondage even after the Atlantic Slave Trade was outlawed in the United States.
She came back In 1931 to Plateau, the African-centric community three miles from Mobile founded by Cudjo and other former slaves from his ship.
THE OUTSIDER
Stephen King
Scribner
When an unspeakable crime takes place an entire town is affected by the series of events as well as how it's handled. When swift justice is attempted due to air tight evidence, due to the perceived criminal, the suspense builds as the investigation takes a dynamic turn.
From witnesses, tremendous tension, the city's reaction to the heinous crime, is the accused man a nice guy or is there more to him than what they realized?
The answer to this question can only be answered by the master of suspense himself, Stephen King.
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IT'S ABOUT SOUL WITH CHEF TODD RICHARDS
We're always excited to be introduced to a number of creatives across verticals here at Athleisure Mag. A few weeks ago, we got an advanced copy of Soul: A Chef's Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes and from the selected dishes, colorful imagery and the voice of Chef Todd Richards, we had to interview him for this month's issue. He brings to life what soul food means as a genre and how it can be interpreted within its classic dishes as well as being utilized in other dishes that are not commonly thought to align with this category. Chef Richards is self-taught, passionate about educating others about the food and bringing the love and community that surrounds it.
ATHLEISURE MAG: How did you know that you wanted to be a chef and what was your journey to getting there?
TODD RICHARDS: I really knew that I wanted to be a chef when my first job was being a butcher at Kroger in Atlanta and people at the meat counter would ask me questions about how to prepare things. I figured that I needed to know how to prepare those items that I was serving so I started studying and I thought, "this is really cool." There was someone across the street that needed someone to grill so I thought, if I can cut the meat, then I should be able to grill. So I started working there and then I never really looked back. The creative process of learning how to butcher and preparing meat satisfied that creative need that I had.
AM: You've been on Iron Chef and have 2 James Beard Nominations for Best Chef in the Southeast, what do these accolades mean to you and what was it like being on the show and receiving these honors?
TR: It's such a great honor to be on Iron Chef and to be a James Beard Award Nominee but it doesn't just stop there it really fuels me to be even better, and I think that that has always been the catalyst that I got from my parents. What happens right now is great, but you always have to keep striving regardless of how many awards that you may win.
AM: Tell us about Richards' Southern Fried at Krog Street Market in Atlanta.
TR: Well Richards' Southern Fried is a chicken walkup. I really wanted to do Fried Chicken because mainly at the Ritz Carlton, it was one of the most popular dishes that we served - imagine that you're at the Ritz, one of the most luxurious hotels and that's what people are eating! We put that on the menu and people went crazy!
We also entered that recipe into a couple of Fried Chicken competitions and we won those as well. I knew that we had something really good going on, and it was like, we need to do this because people always ask about it. That's how Southern Fried started.
AM: How do you define Soul food and why is that an area you decided to focus on as a chef?
TR: Well the first thing is that soul food is only defined by 1950's/1960's just in that genre of food. It was only in that time period that there was an African American contribution in that area not before and then not after. Really it's a misnomer of the technically driven cuisine that soul food is. Most people do not understand it that way, but if you think about it, how in the hell do you make chitlins taste good - you have to have skill to make them good and to make something like collard greens taste good. Those things are all technically skilled recipes and I believe that soul food has the same place as French cuisine or Japanese cuisine.
AM: With your cookbook being available, what was the thought behind creating Soul?
TR: I wanted readers to know that soul food is always progressing. Soul food, especially in African American culture, is not just one straight society and there are a lot of different variations in our culture and in our food that we're known for. If you take the ingredients and explore them, in different manners and in understanding the technique, there are different ways that we are talking about in true American cuisine that have techniques from all around the world, but is distinctly, African American cooking in taste.
AM: When we flipped through your cookbook, we were struck with the Collard Green Pesto as we're fans of pesto - looking through the offered recipes there are classics, twists on a classic as it pertains to soul food as well as taking dishes that are not in this area of food and adding soul to it - how do you go about doing that?
TR: When you think about collard greens that our grandmothers put on the stove - the way that they approached it with the onions and braising the pork and things like that - it was always a technical cuisine. So when you look at other cuisines around the world, it's always starting with the simplest of ingredients and how we just do them correctly without destroying the integrity of them.
When you look at collard greens and why it makes sense for a pesto, it stands up well to oil, it loves vinegar, creams and stuff like that. So it makes sense that as a leafy vegetable that it would work in a dish like that.
AM: If you had to choose 3 meals that you would cook over a weekend, what would they be that are in your book?
TR: Well, fortunately, we grow a lot of food in our home so right now we're growing a lot of tomatoes - so definitely tomatoes! Sliced tomatoes with a little vinaigrette and all the flowers that we still have held over from the winter - like brussel sprout flowers. The next thing would be my mom's Fried Catfish because I don't think that there is anything better than dipping it in your own hot sauce. The way that she always prepared the catfish, it was crispy and you just dipped the catfish in the hot sauce and all this vinegar, pepper and using garlic and onions in there as well which has really great sensibility. And because I love to have a cocktail, strawberries are in season right now - the Strawberry Rum Cooler is a great way to use strawberries. Don't get those really pretty ones, get the ugly ones that are kind of soft and when you bite into them the juice just runs down your chin. Those are the strawberries that you want for a Strawberry Rum Cooler!
AM: What are your 3 favorite meals that are in this book?
TR: It is so hard because the book is divided by ingredients. In this period of time right now, onions, spring lamb is available - I use that as a reference because my answers today will be different then when it is in the fall when there are collard greens. Seafood is universal so you can enjoy that any time. But just to understand that we are at the end of collard green season so having the Collard Green Pesto with Poached Oysters might be at the end of that season but pairing it with tomatoes - it will make it make more sense.
AM: What's on your playlist when you're cooking?
TR: The great thing is that in the back of the book, there actually is a playlist and on Spotify there is a soul food playlist as well that we put up. And growing up with my parents, we were the hospitality center of our entire family - every birthday, holiday, Christmas party - I think that we even had a bah mitzvah at our house. It didn't matter we loved any reason to celebrate and food and music were intertwined together. They had the same exact place. When we were talking about soul as a cultural reference, that's one thing that African Americans - that we do. We want everything to look good visually, to taste good and to hear our passion in cooking. That to me is why I put the soundtrack in the back of the book.
AM: We love the trend where cookbooks have transcended to being lifestyle cookbooks. It feels like we're literally hearing you share your personal life as you talk about mentors and your method - was that a conscious choice?
TR: As a chef who probably has hundreds of cookbooks - I know where they all are. I still read Larousse Gastronomique - one of the bibles of cookbooks that has over 10,000 recipes. But for a consumer, we have to make cookbooks relevant so that people can continue cooking and do it with their kids. Today they are so phone sensitive and are connected to their devices. I wanted to make sure that people can always connect to the cookbook. It's as easy as when you put that song on and someone says, "man remember when you came to the house and we started smoking some ribs and we played that song from the book," or visually, you see some ugly tomatoes at the store and everyone is walking past and I know that I can make the best dish with those tomatoes. Those are the reasons why I wanted to put all those things in the book.
This is the gift that my parents gave me - being prideful and our culture which is the other sense that they gave me. Reading is so important to understanding us as a people and we have to produce things that people visually want to understand so that they can get out of their own stereotypical kind of minds and to just indulge themselves into delicious food.
AM: When you're not cooking in Atlanta, where can we find you grabbing drinks/dinner, where do you shop and what do you do in your personal time?
TR: People ask me that question all the time and it is a really difficult question to answer in the sense that I work so damn much - I like to go home! But there are a lot of good chefs that I just gravitate to and a number of them are good friends of mine. In Athens, Jerry Slater just opened The Expat. Jerry and I have had a long history in working together off and on. I look at Guy Wong who's another great friend of mine who has Ton Ton and Miso Izakaya. I look at Hector Santiago with El Super Pan. Anne Quatrano who is the matriarch of Atlanta dining scene. Every time I go to Bacchanalia I'm blown away and I feel like I just sat in my own living room having the most delicious meal. Then I go to the godfather of fine dining in Atlanta with Gerry Klaskala's Aria who everytime I see him he gives me the biggest damn hug ever! And he's only like 5'2" haha.
AM: Are you involved in any charities or how do you give of your time?
TR: Yes I am on the board of Wholesome Wave which is really important to me because we support Snap Benefits which means that dollar for dollar we match with EBT so people can go to Farmer's Markets and to get fresh food. That one is always dear to me and Lupus Foundation. Lupus affects African Americans especially African American women more then any other people in the country. It is an under served disease that affects a lot of people.
AM: Is there anything that you want to share with our readers that we can keep an eye out for?
TR: Well, the Soul Tour is traveing from NYC to the West Coast with many stops in between. Over the next month we will hit Nashville, Chicago, New Orleans, Charlotte and then back to NYC and of course many many places in Atlanta. Anyone can find me on Social Media - if you're in Atlanta, I want to know where you are and if you buy the book, I'm glad that people are posting but I want used cookbook posted - get into the kitchen and utilize it. I want to see wine stains, hot sauce stain - some boil that popped over on the book! It's great to be on the coffee table, but it's better to be in the kitchen!
PHOTO COURTESY | Excerpted from Soul by Todd Richards. Copyright © 2018 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Meredith Corporation. New York, NY. All rights reserved.
Read more from the May Issue and see It's About Soul with Chef Todd Richards in Athleisure Mag.
Featured Food
THE KITCHENSCAPE
We love a lifestyle cookbook and one that really takes what we do in the kitchen to other centers in our day to day. We talked with Melissa Coleman about her new cookbook, Minimalist Kitchen, hyggelig and how she solves problems as a maker.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your background and how you came from being a graphic designer, to a food blogger to now releasing your first cookbook as an author!
MELISSA COLEMAN: It’s my first book and maybe my only haha. I said before that I could not make a book unless it would pour out of me. I never thought that I would make a book until they called me and I was like yes! A little bit about my background, from the earliest days of my life, I have always been a maker. I like to make things and my medium has changed over the years, but I also came out loving food.
My mom would say that I would sit at the breakfast table and would ask what was for lunch or for dinner for the day. She would always say, “Well, Melissa eat to live – don’t live to eat and I am still living to eat." I love food! So, I painted in high school and then I studied graphic design and became a graphic designer.
About a year after becoming a graphic designer, I started my blog about 10 years ago as everyone had a blog. It was probably the second post that it turned into a food blog as it documented my recipes. I cooked a lot in high school as I liked to bake and I used to love watching Martha Stewart. It’s not a joke, but I used to workout to Martha Stewart!
AM: Wait what!?!
MC: Yeah! That was the early days when I was in college I used to record it. So, I would record her and then I got home from work, I would workout to Martha Stewart. So that’s where I learned to cook and bake in a lot of ways. I wanted to know how to do everything.
I like to make things and at my core, I am a creator. With food, I felt that as a designer, designers try to solve problems beautifully and with food, I needed recipes that were simple and wholesome and I tried a number of diets over the years. By the time I finished college, I landed on a whole foods diet. I like to eat whole foods and a vegetable forward meal. The vegetable forward part came into the blog later. As a designer who likes to solve problems, I created recipes of things that I wanted to eat.
AM: What is a Minimalist Kitchen?
MC: A minimalist kitchen is a paired down kitchen or a kitchen equipped with the essentials. Everything from the ingredients, to the cooking tools to the pantry – which is always the biggest trouble maker in the home as well as the techniques. I wanted to use efficient and even repetitive techniques. I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel as I cooked. I want to be really good at what I am doing especially at 5pm on a Tuesday at night. It’s pairing down to the very best things for the essentials.
AM: Is this throughout your lifestyle?
MC: I do. It’s funny, in the book I say, “Where minimalism starts and stops in your life, let it be”. Because, I found success in the kitchen by just getting rid – I mean I have kind of always been a reductionist. When I painted and you looked at my style at the end of my painting career, it was very minimal. Then you look at my graphic design style – I’m a reductionist who likes the essentials. I don’t like to do things for the sake of doing things. That naturally flowed over to my life and part of that as an adult, and it wasn’t true as a child – I wanted to be responsible for less and when I keep less around, I am responsible for that and it gives me time to do the things that I want to do or that brings me joy. It extends to my closet, I kind of have a uniform and my friends know that I wear the same thing all the time and we laugh about it and I don’t care!
I like to pay attention to my habits and partly because I have always had a designer brain and that’s partly because as a kid, I would get frustrated about things and I remember my dad looking at me one time saying, “Do you want me to take you to this person to help you fix it?” And I was like, “No I will fix it”. And that’s kind of how I go about life. When I looked at my drawers, I would look at my clothes that would stay folded most of the season, the jeans on the floor that I would wear every single day and that was happening in the kitchen too!
I would have one spatula that I would always use and so I started to pay attention to that stuff and I started to get rid of stuff that was just collecting stuff and taking up space.
AM: Your book reminds us of our interview with Meik Wiking about hygge.
MC: YES!
AM: And when thinking about that, it brings up notions of comfort and cozy things – how does this lifestyle and minimalism come together within this concept?
MC: Well minimalism can be seen as a stodgy, cold and austere word. But I don’t describe my approach as that. I say, that as a designer, I am a cozy minimalist. That’s kind of where hygge is – it brings the cozy in. Aesthetically, I try to bring visual warmth. Hygge is like the practical warmth. It’s sitting in front of the fire, playing a game and signing off from the rest of the world. It’s saying no to things or just being. Even for me, it’s a 2pm break in the afternoon because I need it and I am giving myself what I need and it goes back to responsibility. I wanted to be responsible for less so I deleted a lot of things that were in my life so I could do those things that I find most fulfilling. In those gaps and blank spaces, and there are plenty of those in our lives, which can be uncomfortable sometimes, we fill them with hygge moments. Just being, embracing the simplicity. Impotent is such a bad word but my fear is that I would become impotent of getting lost in the flicker of a flame or that I wouldn’t be able to taste the sweetness of an almond. That I would just overload my life with everything that I couldn’t see things for what they were.
AM: What drew us to the concept of this cookbook is that over the last few years, cookbooks have grown from including a recipe and an image to showcasing a lifestyle. We love that this book showcases a methodology in organization and are believers in creating that sense of placement in one part of your life, allows you to do so in other areas and to obtain clarity whether physically or mentally. How did you decide that this was the way that your pantry should be, these are the items that will be slimmed down to x, what you considered essential agreements and how you basically can be a coach to people’s kitchens to conquer the madness that is in there!
MC: RIGHT! For me, I learned to cook with a ton of time on my hands, I was fresh out of college and I didn’t have anything begging for my attention on the weekends. But when I became a working mom, it was so inefficient and I used to be a web designer that created blogs and we talked a lot about user experience and creating a good one. And I recognized that I was having the poorest user experience in my kitchen. So much so that I looked at my husband one day not too long after my daughter was born, and I said, “I’m quitting the kitchen or I am going to fix this place.” So the Minimalist Kitchen is the culmination of that big problem and over the years, I wrote about this but in one week, I stabbed myself twice in my catch all kitchen drawer with tools that I never used. But you know, you stick your hand in there because the spatula flips up and you can’t get it open and then you stab yourself. I was like, “why am I doing this to myself?” So I slowly started pairing down and it’s kind of an expensive process – or maybe I would say that it’s an investment to do this. We did it because my husband was in graduate school and I supported us on my design salary. So I just did it little by little. In the book I say, “that once you clean the front of the drawer, you notice the back of the drawer is very similar.”
It feels weird to publish this book as this process is never finished for me and I am constantly thinking of reworking space especially in the kitchen. I like that idea too because it frees it up for people and it doesn’t have to happen over night. Life is organic and changing and good things take time. That’s the truth of this system, it takes a little time.
AM: When it comes to the kitchen there are so many gadgets. We love our Breville Tea Maker, a number of items that we enjoy eating necessitate various products to make them versus having one tool that can do five things – so we’re always trying things out. So for you, when new things come to market and you feel that it works, do you do a mental checklist, where bringing in an item makes you remove something you have?
MC: EXACTLY! I’m always doing a mental checklist and I am able to do that because I have so much less on my checklist. I am probably the slowest adopter when it comes to buying things. I don’t have an Instant Pot and I’m not sure if I will because I have all of the other tools that I need and it would be a huge learning curve for me and I’m not sure if I would do something like that in my everyday. But I am so careful as I picture myself at the back door of our house saying (even my husband is a much bigger shopper then me), “woah, woah, woah what are you bringing in here?” It’s going to require work, we’re going to have to reorganize and we will have to get rid of something. Why spend time doing something that we don’t need to spend time doing?
AM: How did you go about organizing the cookbook and what would you say that someone should expect to read when they are going into it?
MC: When I am cooking in general, I mentally lump my recipes into weekend cooking, weekday cooking and make ahead – and as we started on the book, I said can we create tags so that people know exactly where to put the recipes in their life? I mean, I know where to put them, but people don’t know what to do with my recipes. So we separated them like that so that people could have it and I wanted to set them up with the most success possible. I feel like overwhelmingly that people are frustrated with their kitchens – which was true for me. How many expletives come out when you’re opening the Tupperware drawer? There are things in the kitchen that are expletively producing haha.
AM: So true and we get annoyed, stuff everything back in and then think we should do something about it!
MC: Yes!
AM: It’s like the Groundhogs Day, Kitchen Edition!
MC: Yes that would happen to me to! I remembered that my mom would deal with these things to. I used to think that she was so nutty and then I found myself doing the same things in my kitchen too!! I was like, “I can fix this.” I do think that it’s crazy and I want to acknowledge that I got the chance to really spend time on making my kitchen work and then to write about it! That’s a very rare opportunity and many don’t have time to do something like that because our lives are so busy – even a paired down one! I think that this book has done the work for people so that it will make them feel more successful in doing this and even down to where the recipe should go in their week.
AM: I agree it’s good for them to figure out when they should prep, where in the week they should go to the grocery store, it’s a nice map to follow! Especially when you live in a place like NYC where even the simplest task of going to the grocery store can be quite a journey. You know that you can only carry so much and that there is an option for convenience, but do you want someone else picking out your produce? Logistically, someone sending your food to you is great but syncing up the times and for those that don’t have a doorman – this is a problem. It’s nice to have order.
MC: True – even the shopping techniques, I shop a lot like a city dweller. I live in a large city but not like NYC – but I walk to the grocery store and I carry back everything that we eat for the week. I carry them on my shoulders like you do and I have enough fresh produce for what we eat that week and the pantry is stocked by way of Costco or other types of bulk shopping so I am only doing maintenance shopping or minor shopping. I hate grocery shopping with a child.
AM: The anxiety of walking up and down the aisles everytime you get to the grocery store can be a bit much.
MC: Absolutely and with my book, I wanted to get rid of that feeling of, “oh this is what I do on my Saturday, I shop every store – can’t I be doing something better with my life?”
AM: You know that you have to eat, you can’t do takeout all the time even if it’s healthy. But sometimes you get to the store and you hear all the sounds and other stimulations and you kind of need a plan to tackle it! So what are your 3 favorite meals from the book and what music do you play along when making those dishes?
MC: Ok so I realized that my 3 meals are all weekend meals. I don’t want to take away from the deliciousness of the weekday meals. When I sit down to a meal that took 15-20 minutes it’s still so satisfying, but weekends are celebratory around here as it is in every home. So on Friday night we kick it off with the Crispy Pizza with the caramelized onions or a cheese pizza with the base recipe. Anytime it’s pizza night, we listen to the Mamba Italiano Radio on Pandora – it always feels like we’re at an Italian restaurant. Or we make these Summer Veggie Fajitas – we love those. They are a Stonehenge in our lives. We used to eat them out all the time and then we started making them our whole married life. On that night, we listen to Spanish Guitar Radio on Pandora. Then on Saturday or Sunday morning, it’s a flow brunchy type of thing so we make, the Dutch Baby because my 4 year old picks it. It’s magical because it just blows up in the oven and we listen to Early Jazz Radio on Pandora and it sounds like you’re sitting in a French or European café. Early jazz radio is so good!
PHOTOS COURTESY | MINIMAL KITCHEN/MEREDITH BOOKS
Read more from the April Issue and see The Kitchenscape in mag.
Featured Food
SIRI SAYS
We love keeping it simple as we're constantly running in multiple directions. So when we had the chance to sit down with Siri Daly, Today Show food contributor, Author of Siriously Delicious, wife to Carson Daly of The Voice and mother of 3, we had to find out more about her lifestyle cookbook, dishes that are simple to make and where she eats here in NYC and in LA.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your food background and how this led to ultimately creating your own food book?
SIRI DALY: I am a self taught, passionate home cook. I grew up where my parents were great cooks. I loved cooking with them as a kid and then as I became a mother myself and found myself in this domestic situation, as I had to feed my family every night, that led me to start my own food blog – Siriously Delicious. I started that and it kind of gave me an outlet to just document what I was making every night for myself. Through writing and garnering an audience, it became something more. I was creating recipes then all the time documenting the good and the bad. This grew over time and allowed me to be on the Today Show and it was always a dream of mine to write a book. Especially, this type of book which is a love of food with simple and approachable recipes.
AM: Tell us about the book. In terms of approaching and writing it, how is it laid out and what should we expect?
SD: It’s sort of meant to be a snapshot of what my day is as a busy mom of 3 kids. The chapters are divided into Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Happy Hour, Sides and Desserts. So, again it’s really about recipes that are no fuss and the ingredients are those that you probably have on hand. It’s not about sifting flour or tempering chocolate. It’s simple approachable recipes that you can easily adapt if you have picky eaters, allergies or whatever it is. It’s balanced as there are plenty of nutritious recipes and those that aren’t. It’s a real tasty approach.
AM: Do you also have smoothies and items within those healthy areas as well?
SD: Yes! We have a smoothie recipe in the breakfast chapter and mini parfaits. So there is really something for everyone – from homemade girl scout cookies to rainbow popsicles that have spinach in the green section. I definitely think that anyone can find something that they can eat.
AM: Now, does Carson have a favorite recipe that he likes?
SD: That’s a good question as I don’t know if he has a specific recipe, but there are a ton in there that he requests pretty regularly. A few of our family’s recipes are in there like his mother’s Fried Chicken – she actually passed away this year so that’s a real special one. My mother’s Rhubarb Crisp that she has been making since I was a kid. There are recipes that really mean something to my family. Each one really tells a story and I try to convey that in my writing.
AM: What are 3 recipes that you love that are perfect for Spring for girlfriend get togethers?
SD: Spring – I would definitely say, one of the Bruschettas – one of my favorite being the smashed peas and the avocado toast – peas are so great in Spring. There is a great light chopped salad in there and a pasta with arugula pesto which I just made yesterday – it’s another favorite. I love making pasta salad in the spring as you don’t want to cook over a hot stove and make everyone crazy.
Oooo there are also the rainbow pops although that’s more summer, but they are so beautiful to look at. You can eat one for breakfast and it’s really a treat. Aesthetically it’s gorgeous and makes me think of days to come.
AM: How long did it take to put this book together?
SD: When I started writing it was probably a year. I did the majority of writing over the summer which was awesome. I love to write and being able to focus on my food and my own. It was such a treat for me and you know it was really more whole life in the making. As these are recipes I grew up on like my mom’s Tuna Casserole and I made my own version of it. It was definitely a labor of love.
AM: What is it about food that you enjoy so much and when did you realize that you enjoy cooking and wanted to continue in that vein?
SD: That’s a good question. There was definitely a time in my life when I stopped cooking and not because I didn’t enjoy it, but I was a single person in my 20’s that didn’t have a ton of time and I would do the whole – come home and take out and have microwave Trader Joe’s meals.
I remember feeling like something was missing and when I started to have children, I realized how much I love to create meals for my family. That’s what I love about food. It brings people together and the kitchen is that hub in our house. We’re always around each other and we try to really make eating together a priority most nights. Even if Carson and I aren’t going to eat because we’re not ready, we sit there with the kids. It’s just that shared experience over food which I love so much. It’s also so creative as you can have fun with it and not to take it so seriously. That’s why I created the blog and the book, Siriously Delicious. You don’t have to follow recipes to a “T”, you can use your own taste buds and your own ideas to make something your own.
AM: What are 3 dishes from your cookbook that you feel are the easiest to make in terms of less prep time that a busy mom or person would be drawn to making?
SD: Definitely for breakfast, the Mini Yogurt parfaits because you can make them for breakfast and you barely need a recipe because you put the granola in the yogurt and you can customize them any way that you want. Then you can make them with your kids and they’re amazing on the go which is a huge time saver.
For dinner, I’d say that anything that is some sort of a bar situation. So, I have a big potato bar. How simple is it to bake some potatoes and have all sorts of fun toppings? You can have it for dinner and you can also have it for a party as it’s customizable, fun and different. Something we make a lot is the Crispy Chicken Paillard! It’s customizable as my son is the only one that will eat a salad and my girls, they are against green things but they love the chicken. I will serve it to them with some carrots and I’m not a short order cook because I can make one meal and it’s great as a leftover because they can be chicken cutlets. It doesn’t take a lot of time.
AM: What are your favorite chefs and what are your favorite restaurants here in NY and in LA?
SD: When I wasn’t cooking at that time in my life during college – I was watching Food Network. Ina Garten is definitely one of my favorite idols. She just makes really elegant, simple meals that are comfort foods at their best. There’s something about the way that she does it on television that is really soothing. I LOVE her!
As far as restaurants and chefs, there’s in LA – we do a lot of Mexican (can’t think of a specific chef). There’s a place in Manhattan Beach called Love & Salt. There’s a chef called Michael Fiorelli who is awesome and one of my favorites. It’s a small place, but the food there is farm to table delicious that’s simple and seasonal dishes. We just recently went to Pizzana in Brentwood which is new. I believe it’s the people that are behind Sprinkles. Ridiculously – stupid good food!
Out here, there’s a place called Frankie’s 457. Frankie is actually a good friend of Carson’s. So when we go there, he sits with us. We don’t order and he tells us what we are going to eat. But it’s always delicious and one of our favorites out here.
PHOTOS COURTESY | MEREDITH
Read more from the March Issue and see Siri Says in mag.
Featured Food
BINGELY BOOKS
THE PERFECT CAKE
The Editors of America's Test Kitchen
Penguin Random House
Creating the perfect cake is not a bad skill to have under your belt (or you may have a friend who wants to showcase his/her skills). The Editor's of America's Test Kitchen have created the ultimate guide to classical, modern and whimsical cakes. These creations are definitely those that are Instagram worthy and
perfect for whatever brunch you might be thinking of hosting when friends come over.
In addition to a dizzying array of cakes that are available - cupcakes are included! Cake education also introduces you to topics that incorporate mix-and-match layer cakes, frostings, and fillings. Essentially, whatever cake you have been dreaming of creating and/or eating can be found in this book.
With Spring Holidays as well as functions with friends and family that are particular to your group, you'll find that this cookbook is an essential for all of your baking needs.
LED ZEPPELIN: ALL THE ALBUMS, ALL THE SONGS
Martin Popoff
Voyageur Press
This coffee table book focusing on all things Led Zeppelin, breaks down their music track-by-track, album-by album with all the details and secrets that fans of the band will truly enjoy.
Enthusiasts will enjoy hearing the roots of the band's creation which was formed with two London studio musicians at the top of their game and two bar-band musicians that would ultimately create the legendary group that would also set the formula for modern rock 'n' roll bands as we know it today.
The four members created 9 studio albums with 81 tracks that were a complex mix of blues, psychedelia, rock, folk, and country.
Martin Popoff, a respected veteran music journalist takes us on an indepth look at the band from their creation, the recording process, historical context and an introductory essay into each song that explores the intricacies of each song.
Fans will enjoy learning about song details that include running time, instruments played, engineers and studios.
THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT
Chris Bohjalian
Random House LLC
One night can change your life and Chris Bohjalian's novel focuses on a flight attendant who wakes up in the wrong hotel,
in the wrong bed with a dead man and she has no clue what happened and how she got there!
We're introduced to flight attendant, Cassandra Bowden who has had a number of hangovers and blackout moments. When she wakes up in Dubai next to a man that she finds to be dead, she doesn't know what to do but try to go back to her life as if it didn't happen.
Cassandra lies and joins her team to get back to the airport, lies to her team as they continue to travel to Paris and again when she arrived in NYC with the FBI inquiring about what happened. With so many lies, Cassandra can't come clean with the truth and begins to wonder what really happened. Did she kill him or did someone else?
The thriller focuses on life at forty thousand feet and focuses on memory, alcohol, the consequences of addiction and ultimately murder far from home.
Read more from the March Issue and see Bingely Books in mag.
Featured Bingely Books
BINGELY BOOKS
JUST ADD SAUCE
America's Test Kitchen
We've been fans of America's Test Kitchen for a about a year now! You may know them from their TV show and now you can recreate their meals. In this cookbook, they focus on over 175 modern sauces as this is one of the essential and most creative elements of any meal!
These sauces include those for vegetables, drizzling on steak, curries, and stir-frying noodles. With just a few of these elements, your dishes will take on new flavors and interest in your meals.
With the power of creating these simple
sauces, there are also 100 recipes that you can pair them with. Sauces include dressings for salad, herb sauces, Teriyaki Stir-Fry sauces, molés, relishes, yogurt sauces, curries and more.
A home cook's must, this cookbook will bring a new life to preparing fresh made
meals or even giving leftovers a twist that makes it a favorite dish for a second night in a row!
RECIPES FROM AN ITALIAN BUTCHER
Phaidon
The Silver Spoon Kitchen
We're in that time of year where comfort food is very much so on our minds as we continue through the winter and get teased with spring (and sometimes summer)
weather. The team at The Silver Spoon Kitchen shares an array of savory and authentic dishes that ensure that you will be able to make a number of mouth watering
Italian meat dishes that are perfect for roastng, stewing and braising no matter the occassion.
Not only will you enjoy being introduced to new dishes, but with over 150 illustrations, you're also taken on a tour of Italy as well. Your vegetarian friends don't need to feel left out as in addition to meat focused dishes, there are side dishes that are veggie based which become the perfect pairing for any meal. This book also includes tips that focus on American, British and Italian cuts of meat.
CLODAGH LIFE-ENHANCING DESIGN
G Arts
Clodagh
Clodagh is known for her timeless and responsible design. She has helmed a number of award-winning, commercial and residential projects, including Miraval Resort and Spas, W Hotels, and Equinox Fitness Clubs.
A Clodagh designed space is a serene and indulgent experience. Her design aesthetic is based in that although clutter undermines serenity; however, minimalism shouldn't be self-denying. Ultimately, her style can be defined as "life-enhancing minimalism".
As a believer in integrative medicine, she embraces both ancient and cutting edge methods in an effort to comfort not only the body but also the soul. Her design practice incorporates Feng Shui (she is an early adopter). In addition, she includes chromatherapy and biophilia into her projects as she believes that good design supports well-being and transforms people's
lives.
With international acclaim, Clodagh Design projects and products are illustrated to showcase her life's work.
Read more from the Feb Issue and see Bingely Books in mag.
Featured Bingely Books
BINGELY BOOKS
HENDRIX
THE ILLUSTRATED STORY
Voyageur Press
Gillian G Gaar
Hendrix: The Illustrated Story was released this fall on what would have been the rock icon's 75th birthday. This is the first fully
illustrated book that shares his life and the legacy of one of the greatest of all time.
Although the rock guitarist enjoyed the global stage for under 4 years, he is known for his innovative and imaginative interpretation of blues and rock. His work inspired guitarists and music loves across
time and genres.
In this book, Seattle based music journalist
Gillian Gaar delves into the guitarist’s upbringing, his military service as an Army paratrooper, his role as a sideman on the chitlin’ circuit, his exile in the UK, and his eventual reemergence in the US and the fame that followed until his untimely
death in 1970. Featuring design as lavish as Hendrix’s music and carefully curated photography, posters, picture sleeves, and other assorted memorabilia, this is the ultimate Hendrix book experience.
PRINCE: A PRIVATE VIEW
St. Martin's Press
Afshin Shahide
Author Afshin Shahide is no stranger to Prince as he had documented Prince's One Nite Alone tour, Musicology Tour and was also his cinematographer as well as photographer. During Prince's last 15 years of his life, he was his closest photographer
and is the only one to have shot the legendary 3121 private parties in Los Angeles that became the most sought after invitations in Hollywood.
With a foreward by Beyonce Knowles, Prince: A Private View is a curation of his work that showcases Prince's life. The book includes never before seen imagery from candids, intimate, concerts and more. In addition, the book includes captions that
talk about the moments in his life from those that are personal, witty, and present an insight into one of music's talented and legendary entertainers.
SUNDAY SUPPERS
Southern Living
Cynthia Graubart
Sunday dinners are known as a great tradition to bring friends and family together. Southern LIving revitalizes the
tradition in their new book by Cynthia Graubart, award winning author.
Over five chapters and 50 dishes (appetizers, salads, sides, drinks, desserts),
Cynthia shares an array of Sunday Suppers which are delicious and easy meals without any stress. The great thing about this meal is that it doesn't have a set time, can be casual
or formal and can be in any location. Whether you're trying a new recipe or one that has been passed down from one family to the next, it's a cherished time.
In addition to recipes, there are menu-planning ideas, cooking tricks, tips for stocking the pantry, decorating the table and additional tools to host the perfect dinner.
Read more from Dec Issue and see Bingely Books in mag.
Featured Bingely Books
BINGELY BOOKS
THE COCKTAIL GALAXY
St Martin's Griffin
Andy Heidel
There's always an excuse to celebrate
something! A new job, engagement, friends coming over and beyond. It encourages you to step up your game when people come over or if you tend to be the default bartender.
Just imagine at your next viewing party for X-Men, Agents of Shield and create beverages that merge nerd culture and
cocktails together! Not only are there a number of drinks that are offered, but it is authored and tested by Andy Heidel (he is
known for his Doctor Who Bar), the owner of The Way Station in Brooklyn, NY, a bar and music venue.
This is a fun gift and staple to have by your bar cart and will serve as a great conversation starter/ice breaker.
POWER FOOD ON THE GO
Fair Winds Press
Rens Kroes
What is the relationship between Power Food and Power Foodies? Well, Power Foodies are people that are constantly on the go from work, working out, meeting
with friends etc. In order to continue this pace in a healthy way, Rens has created a book filled with healthy options that allow you to do meal prep and to avoid having to go to other options like eateries, food trucks
etc, that can be time consuming, unhealthy or even just a waste of money/taste.
Those who are fans of Rens' approach to Power Foods will love that she has included
her focus on preparing, preserving and easily taking items along. With a number of options available, you may find that you start a trend amongst your friends to do the same.
DRINK VERMONT: BEER, WINE, AND SPIRITS OF THE GREEN MOUNTAIN STATE
Skyhorse Publishing: Brdbk Edition
Liza Gershman
Reading definitely transforms the mind! When we thought of the state of Vermont,
we thought about maple syrup as well as snowboarding but after reading Liza's book, we now know that this state is a destination for Beer, WIne and Spirits!
With 18 distilleries, nearly 50 breweries, and a dozen wineries - there are a number of drinks to enjoy year around that include hard apple cider, whiskey, and more. The book navigates what the state has to offer and introduces you to brands that you'll want to enjoy when you're in the area or perhaps
find at your local store.
We suggest that this is a giftable book as it's a bit of beverage tourism that you'll want to have handy when you make the journey or just for those that like being in the know of what regions have to offer.
Read more from the Nov Issue and see Bingely Books in mag.
Featured Bingely Books
BINGELY BOOKS
AND BREATHE
Hachette
Rebecca Dennis
Can you breathe your way to health and happiness? In And Breathe, Rebecca
Dennis, a London based breath coach and workshop leader who was trained by Judith Kravitz (Transformational Breath) has written a guide on deep breathing for health and happiness.
The average person inhales and exhales about 20,000 times a day; however, most of those breaths are short and shallow and are known as "stress breaths" because they just reach the chest. This kind of breath creates a constant "fight or flight" response in the body and according to the World Health Organization, they believe that by 2020 depression and anxiety will be the number one disability worldwide.
Throughout the book, there are exercises that are described to guide you through deep diaphragmatic, conscious breathing. These are tools you can use throughout your day and can be done anywhere whenever you need. In addition Rebecca reminds us that breathing is natural and we must retrain our mind to this way of being.
THE COMPLETE SLOW COOKER
America's Test Kitchen
Crisp temperatures mean that it's time to start preparing your favorite meals via the Slow Cooker. With over 400 recipes, you'll find that there is something for everyone that can be cooked from appetizers to desserts!
You'll find a number of recipes that take 8 hours to cook via the Slow Cooker as well as those that only take 15 minutes to prepare. We have a feeling that you'll tag a number of finds that you'll make this fall and winter season.
LEO FENDER: THE QUIET GIANT HEARD AROUND THE WORLD
Leadership Institute Press
Phyllis Fender + Randall Bell
In the midst of some of the greatest inventions that the world has also enjoyed, Leo Fender created the electric guitar. His interest in electronics lead him to open a radio repair shop in his hometown of Fullerton, California. Band leaders and musicians knew that if their equipment needed to be repaired, then they should go to him.
Leo invented the Fender Stratocaster
which has been embraced and was/is preferred by world-renowned musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Jeff Beck — to name a few.
Although his work was enjoyed by vibrant luminaries, Leo was a shy inventor who was nearly deaf and had one glass eye.
Beyond designing his notable quitars, in 1946 he founded Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company — the launch pad for his most iconic designs — and later on, G&L Musical Instruments.
Leo Fender: The Quiet Giant Heard Around the World shares his story.
Read more from the Oct Issue and see Bingely Books in mag.
Featured Bingely Books
PHOTOS COURTESY | Time Inc.
WHAT CAN I BRING?
Our Style Director grew up in a suburb in the Midwest at a time where everyone knew their neighbors in their subdivision and events were celebrated together. When her father mowed the lawn, it was a time to gossip with other fathers in the neighbhorhood and their wives planned ways to come together. The highs and lows were celebrated through food. Now more than ever, the need to bring warmth to the everyday through food is an essential. We had the opportunity to sit down with Elizabeth Heiskell, who just released her lifestyle cookbook, What Can I Bring, to talk about how she got into the culinary industry, a Today Show Contributor, a caterer and how we can approach incorporating food into lifestyle situations. We laughed more than any interview we can think of and the food and the presentation of it from this book is from a place of love.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us how you came to this journey as a cook, TODAY SHOW contributor and writer.
ELIZABETH HEISKELL: I started in highschool with a catering company and my mom was really good friends with the owner of the company and so I would go and cater on the weekends. I would work during holidays and when I came home from college and I would work for her. So when I finished school, I was looking for a job and ended up finding a husband instead of a job and then very quickly had a baby right after we got married. I hadn’t planned on working as I was just going to raise children and my family and that was just what I was going to do. Then I had this friend that I just adored and she had just moved back to town. She didn’t have a job and she would just come over to my house and literally every morning, we’d visit and have so much fun!
Her husband was making her get a job. So it was so bad that I would load up the baby and then sit in the car while she would go off to do interviews and then we would go eat lunch – it was awful! Finally, I said, “this is ridiculous, we just need to start our own company and then you don’t have to get a job and we can still hang out!” I told her that I had this idea call Instead of Flowers. So basically instead of getting flowers, you called us and we would bring you food. If you had a friend that died or someone who had a baby or sick – we would take food. So we did that and of course our husbands called it, “Instead of a Job”, but it was really successful and it moved into catering almost immediately.
Then we moved from Memphis back to the Delta in Mississippi where I’m from originally and I slowly started catering again and then I became the head chef at Viking Corporation – which of course is the stove company. I was there for 8 years while still catering and then we were approached by this couple that owned a farm in Oxford. They had just bought it and were going to develop it with house, but then the market turned and they thought they were just going to hang on to it. In the meantime, they had started a farm down in Louisiana and they were servicing New Orleans with some of the most beautiful vegetables that you have ever seen. So they decided to shift plans with the property that they were holding onto and to work with someone to do the same things that they were doing there.
So my husband came home from work (he was a builder at the time but had grown up as a farmer) and started talking to me about all of this. We had just built my first house as we had lived in rental after rental after rental – it was my first house. We were going to live in that house, we were going to die in that house – I wasn’t going to go anywhere – they were going to have to lay me out on my dining room table when I was dead for people to see me - that was it! I wasn’t going to go to Oxford Mississippi! He wouldn’t shut up about it and I agreed to look at the property in Oxford. We went down to Lousiana at their other farm and they started pulling out vegetables that I had never seen before! This was 7 years ago before we even had a WholeFoods. You’d see these vegetables in magazines but the thought that you could harvest them and cook them took me to a whole other level.
So we ended up selling my beautiful house and moved to Oxford and started growing them. The plan was that Luke would grow the vegetables and that I would sell them. That’s the way it was going to be because I was a chef and knew what the restaurants wanted and what they needed and I was connected to them in Memphis and in Oxford.
The crates were a thousand pounds because there were crates of squash and tomatoes. It wasn’t feathers that we were selling and it was the hardest 5 months of my life. I went to Memphis 3 days a week and sold these vegetables and then we had a barn on the farm that we were redoing so that I could get back to catering and of course we’d use all the vegetables in the catering company.
It was a perfect marriage and then I had wanted to be on the Today Show for 17 years. I remembered sitting in my house back when I had Instead of Flowers seeing Martha Stewart on with Matt Lauer with a Turkey that she was making. I told my friend, “One day, I’m going to be on the Today Show and I am going to show my grandmother’s Pillowcase Turkey and it’s going to be fantastic.” My children would always ask me if I could take them to New York and I’d say, “we can go to NY as soon as I get on the Today Show.”
So I was asked to do a dinner for Andy Lack in Oxford at Roanoke. I cooked out of William Faulkner’s kitchen and I was the first one to cook out of his kitchen since his death. It was 12 people at the dinner and he was coming back out of retirement to take over as the head of NBC and that was on a Thursday and he was taking over on Monday. I knew that this was my chance. Honey, we put the dog on!
AM: So wait – what was this dinner like?
EH: It was the most magical thing that I had ever done. We had silver on the lawn, the oak trees were uploft, beautiful bars and we served mint juleps out of sterling silver cups with sterling silver straws as that is what Willian Faulkner served. We passed ham and biscuits because he always had a ham everytime he had a party. They were seated at his table – it was a magical night and at the end of it, Andy just held my hands and said, “you need to understand that you are wildly talented.” And I said, “Oh Andy – you tell all the girls that!”
I sent him a package reminding him of my interest to be on the Today Show and I didn’t hear anything for about 2 and a half months and my fingers were bloody from hitting the email button!
I wasn’t going to let it go and we have a Bloody Mary mix called Debutante Farmer Bloody Mary Mix that was born on the farm with Luke growing 10,000 tomato plants and me having nothing to do with them as we only had 6 restaurants.
I knew that Andy loved Bloody Marys as I had already put some in his room at the hotel and he drinks the mix every morning – not with the vodka but he loved it.
So I FINALLY got a call from the Senior Producer of the Today Show and I talked to her for 2 hours as I was headed to Nashville. It didn’t dawn on me how long it was as I was driving to Nashville and I know she didn't get a word in edgewise and my Suburban was filled with tomatoes. So at the end of the conversation she said, “we’re going to send a crew to you and I really want to see what you’re doing there. We’ll get one of our anchors to come down to be with you.”
She said, “I know, you want to be on the Today Show with Matt Lauer – there isn’t a person up here who doesn’t know what your dream is. We will get you on, but if you don’t mind we’d like to come and do a segment on you.”
They came down with Erica Hill and did a beautiful segment and it was nominated for a James Beard – which I didn’t know until after the awards happened. Then she called and it was about a month before Thanksgiving and she let me know that they wanted me to come up and to do the Thanksgiving Turkey. She didn’t know that that was what I wanted to do – just my friend. So I came on and did the turkey in 3.5 minutes with Matt and I thought that that was it. That was my dream – we went to Tavern on the Green, had champagne and went shopping with the girls.
That’s how we got to all of this and because of the Today Show, Sid Evans (Editor in Chief of Southern Living Magazine) called and said he wanted me to come to Birmingham to do Facebook Live and webisodes. We then had lunch with Katherine Cobb the Editor at Time Inc and Oxmoore House had this idea of What Can I Bring which is based on a column that they already have in the magazine and with that column they wanted to do a book. I had already thought about doing a book about 3 months before this and my prayer was that I wanted to do one but it had to be simple and easy as I didn't have time to find an agent, a publicist etc. I just wanted it to be the easiest book that I could write. So Katherine told me about it and I was like "Katherine that was my first job – ‘Instead of Flowers’ that’s what I did.” I can do that with my eyes closed – lock me in the room for 2 hours and I’ll have a book for you.
After that I agreed and I wrote a little bit and Sid said we’ll see if you can write and if not, we can get someone to help you write. I let him know that I thought I could write it and he said, “we’ll be the judge of that.” I sent him a few things so that he could pitch it to Time and they said the book went through. I asked Katherine if Sid thought that I needed someone to help me write and she said, “oh no no you’re doing this all by yourself.” It’s so funny as English was my worst subject and to see this book sitting here, I can’t believe it! It’s beyond! I just wrote what I was thinking and I figured that Katherine would fix whatever needed to be done and she never called – and now there is a book.
AM: Tell us more about the Debutante Farmer.
EH: So, we started with the Bloody Mary Mix and started canning it. So we had big stove pots we would mash the tomatoes down and cook them, strain them and then add what you do – Wooster, Garlic, Salt and Lime – that’s it – nothing else. We canned and canned. I’d take it to friends and then people started asking for it and it became this thing. So then we found this wonderful guy that makes it for us and he uses local tomatoes and does right by the product. So now it’s a really great product. The next step will be to work on the Pimento Cheese, Pickled Green Beans, Pickled Okra - all of those things will follow suit with this. Because there is nothing better to me then Cheese Straws and Bloody Marys and Pimento Cheese and a Pickled Okra.
The Bloody Mary is the only thing that can drink at 9am and no one is going to roll their eyes at you or to put you in the Betty Ford Clinic! They just think that you’re getting in your vitamins.
AM: What foods are classic to the Mississippi Delta?
EH: Well just the ones we were talking about. We have such notoriety for our fried foods and things that aren’t healthy like Pimento Cheese and Chicken Dumplings which are fantastic. But what a lot of people don’t understand is that we have the vegetables and the produce and the ability to grow it with the land that no one else has. We have beautiful Farmer’s Markets and people are moving back to this seeing this huge resurgence. When I grew up, we had a vegetable patch and most of my friends did. We had big lunches everyday and it’s going back to that but it wasn’t very long ago. So I still remember this as it’s not 2 generations or 3 generations – like it is in a lot of other places. There was a meat and 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 including sliced tomatoes, creamed corn, wonderful black eyed peas – oh my God! So although we’re famous for the fried chicken, it’s moving to a healthier aspect and I honestly think that we will be known as almost the vegetable basket (just like the bread basket in the midwest) – because we do know how to grow the vegetables and they flourish there.
AM: What Can I Bring debuted this month, what can people expect when reading this book?
EH: Number one it’s funny. I wrote it just like I’m sitting here talking to you talking about my favorite pound cake recipe.
Even though I am going to promote vegetables and healthiness all day long, there is sometimes a need to take a shortcut to get to the end result! The whole point of this book and why it's important is that when people are sick or hurting or celebrating – if you stop your world and take your time to care for them, by bringing them something that you made, it’s like God magnifies it and impacts them in ways that are lasting and memorable forever. I have a friend and I talk about this – my youngest daughter had an eye surgery and she was only 6 months old and we had to go to Baltimore. She was blind in one eye and it was terrifying. We came home and my neighbor saw me getting out of the car and she came over and hugged us. A few hours later, she brought back a beautiful roast chicken with lemon rice, asparagus and muffins. That was 19 years ago and I can still tell you everything that she brought. I can’t remember what I ate yesterday or where I was but I remember every single thing of what Lee Fife brought me that day. That is the reason why this is so important. Especially in our day and time today – there’s nothing more important than sharing your time with someone else. That’s what this all boils down to and that’s why the book is doing so well.
AM: So can anyone give you a lifestyle situation and you can give them a dish/dishes that can pair well with it?
EH: I can – that’s the catering background that I came up in!
AM: Oh great as we have some Athleisure situations that we’d love to know what it can be paired with! We always like asking 3 things and this seemed perfect! First up, what’s a great meal for a girls night in?
EH: Ok [laughter] Ok Girl’s Night In – now this is funny because usually with a girl’s night in or at least my friends, the wine starts flowing first. So what happens is that everyone starts talking and their mouths are moving a mile a minute. I mean, we're the loudest group in Oxford, Mississippi and you want things that are easy - easy- easy to pick up. So a gorgeous charcuterie board with beautiful cheeses and bread and honeycombs are perfect because you can just eat it. Just a little nibbles and noshes is what I call it. So a wonderful tiny BLT – things that you don’t have to fix and make a plate to stop that energy. Because the energy of those kinds of parties are so fun that you don’t want people to have to stop, go sit down, get a fork and a knife to eat – because the mood is ruined.
AM: Second one – your friend just moved out of her home office and her business has its first space and you want to bring her her first lunch – what can we bring?
EH: Mmmm ok so if you’re traveling with anything, you want to make sure that it’s easy and portable. I love Chinese To Go containers. I think that they are the most adorable things in the entire world. So I would have the most beautiful marinated vegetables and put that in and then I love salad.
So we have the marinated veggies in the to-go containers because packaging is fun and it makes it. Do another to-go container lined with Bibb lettuce and put your chicken salad in there and tie it up with some crackers and bread and then have some finger pimento cheese sandwiches. Honey, that is the most delightful lunch ever! But then put it in a great basket and take it to her and then she has something to remember the lunch by and the food is always going to be fantastic, but then you want to take it to the next level and consider what it looks like, how portable it is and what is the impression that you’re going to make when you give it to somebody. If you threw that into an old to-go container, yes it’s going to taste great but is it going to be spectacular? You want to put an exclamation point at the end of that lunch, not a period.
AM: And finally a tailgating -
EH: Oh shut up – you don’t know nothin' about no tailgating! I mean …. That’s all we do down in Oxford, Mississippi and right now we’re in the throws of it with LSU being home this weekend. Our tailgating is very different than most. Because we put a lot of effort into it but there are things that you have to remember. Number 1 – it’s weather dependent, you want to make sure that if it’s boiling hot you don’t want to do a bunch of mayonnaise and shrimp – things that go bad. Because people are drinking so much and talking so much (much like the Girl’s Night In), you want to make sure that things are already assembled like the hangover slider and you can pop it in your mouth. You don’t want to have to set your drink down to fix something. You want to be able to hold onto that drink and pick it up whether it’s chicken tenders – fried chicken all day. Same thing with wonderful roast beef sandwiches with bleu cheese. I have a wrap that’s a flank stank wrap that I love that has carmelized onions and bleu cheese and it’s easy to pick up and put in your mouth.
This is not the time for crudité or no damn marinated vegetables – we are all in on this tailgate. And a lot of pick up sweets like cookies that have you theme on them, tent name or greek name. That’s a ton of fun!
It’s so easy to pull in the car right there, unload everything, set it up, cars go out and then the cars come back in to load it up at the end of the night. So we do it up! There are a ton of tents that have chandeliers and candleabras – we’re talking tablecloths, overlays and everything. You have to come – you’d die and everyone is dressed up, I’m talking cocktail dresses. Huge flower arrangements although many times I do my own but last weekend, I didn’t have time.
When I started tailgating, that’s when I realized I’m competitive. My tent, I'm going to know that I won because when I walk by every other tent, I can tell you that it was me. I mean we kill it every single time. We’ve made gameday twice!
AM: For the holidays, what are things that people should have on hand in terms of gifts to give delivery men?
EH: Delivery men, I give them beers – just kidding but I do give it our trash guys and put a bow on it, they love it! You want something that is easy and portable and that they can snack on when they are driving around. I love Rosemary Cashews which is one of the recipes in the book and Fried Walnuts will make you swoon. Put them in a great bag and tie them with a festive ribbon and they can take them home and serve them to their friends.
AM: So what’s a typical holiday dinner like at your home?
EH: I was raised that my Great Grandmother, my Grandmother and my mother all had beautiful beautiful holiday dinners – they’re always perfect. They were PERFECT. The thing that is difficult for me is that my house is where everyone comes and I wouldn’t have it any other way – I love it more then anything. But with the catering company by that point, I’m a little exhausted. But still, it’s 25 people for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter – whatever the holiday is and everyone comes over.
I am really funny, I don’t usually let people bring things to my Thanksgiving or Christmas because I want them to enjoy themselves and it’s how I can give back to them and … I don’t trust them! There are some people in your life that you can’t entrust them with key parts of your dinner, there are some people that just need to bring the rolls an the wine - or just the vodka!
AM: What charities do you support?
EH: St. Jude – We have the Taste of St. Jude which is an unbelievable event in Oxford, Mississippi and I have been on the board for about 5 years. We raised over $237,000 last year – this is in Oxford! We get things donated like trips and I do a lot of the culinary packages. We auctioned off a dinner for 40 people on the 50 yard line in the stadium the night before the LSU game.
We will be in the stadium, we bring in a Celebrity Chef Ryan Trimm is going to be cooking. Literally, they will sit on the field and have dinner with the stadium lights on – nobody is in there but them. That went for $10,000 this year.
We do a Pig, Pizza and Produce event. We have a great chef in town that does barbecue with amazing pigs and then we have an amazing wood fire pizza place that brought their ovens out and I did all the produce. We auctioned that off for $8,000.
I auctioned off a VIP tour to the Today Show. So there are tons of trips and events and our team is second to none.
Ronald McDonald House, St. Jude, the LeBonner House, Young Life, Doors for Hope – there are so many. It’s weekly that we’re doing something because I honestly feel that I have been given so much and blessed beyond that God will give back.
One year, my husband figured out how much we as a company had given out in time and money and he said, “we can’t afford this” and I said, “we can’t afford not to do this.” God will give it back to me a million times over. It doesn’t matter what it is but the moment that I feel that I don’t have enough to give to someone that is in need, that’s the minute that I will not have enough to give. That’s how I believe. We give a ton and we get a ton!
Read more of the Oct Issue and see What Can I Bring? in mag.
Featured Food