“Oh the weather outside is frightful…” As I’m
sure you’ve heard since all of social media is atwitter about the nationwide -
and international ! – winter freeze. Even everyone in LA was complaining about
the “frigid” 60-degree temperatures (you poor things). To all of my East Coast
friends complaining about the weather, I responded “quels whimps!” I survived
four years in Hanover, New Hampshire. You think this is cold? … and then I went
outside and freezed mes fesses off and came crying back inside for a weeklong
marathon of unlimited hot cocoa and haven’t taken off my wool hat and gloves in
days (yes, even inside - this is me making dinner, Eskimo-style).
This glacial attack has had me yearning for sunny
skies, beaches and fresh coconuts. I’ve been dreaming about succulent salads
and sandy shores (say that five times fast). To add to my daydreaming, I’ve
been tantalized by a few famous friends planning fabulous trips later this
year. Just in case you’re cold or
hungry, I thought I’d share these amazing opportunities with you. And, if you
do decide to go, I remind you that I can fit into most standard sized
suitcases, merci beaucoup.
1) Ani’s 15-hour Raw Food Course in Los Angeles, CA
It may be cold, but my
kitchen is on Phyo thanks to Ani Phyo’s amazing – and amazingly accessible
– cookbooks. Ani has written several
books that have become the bibles of cuisine in the raw food world. Now, she’s
launching her first ever Raw Food Home Chef Certification Course from March 15th
– 17th. The course will be held on the Santa Monica coast complete
with ocean views at luxury boutique hotel The Shore Hotel. This Level 1 class
will feature a certification of completion, meals from popular local raw food
restaurants (like Juliano’s! I’m salivating just thinking about it), plus a
signed copy of The Bible aka “Ani’s Raw Food Essentials.” The group will be
limited to a select few, so sign up soon for the chance at such a unique,
intimate experience. Ani will focus on “essentials” like stocking the home
kitchen, food shopping, blending, food processing and making basic sauces,
wraps, rolls, pastas and decadent (and decadently healthy!) desserts. The course
is geared toward those simply looking to hone their skills as a home chef or to
step their skills up a notch to entertain family and friends or even to launch
their own health food businesses or careers. Ani is such an inspiration and
despite her colossal global success, she is so down-to-earth. The fact that
she’s hosting such an intimate gathering to share her personal experiences and
culinary prowess is very exciting. The course is geared towards cooking, but
Ani will also share her vast knowledge of all things health and happiness. You’ll
learn the following:
- Menu planning /recipe development
– Food safety /hygiene
– Vegetable preparation
– Plating / presentation
Plus:
– Ani’s Eco-Raw Food Wellness Philosophy
– Raw food basics / superfood functions
– How to make great meals at home – Quick and easy techniques / recipes
And, perhaps even more
exciting, Ani will also be launching upper level Mastery courses starting in
June focusing on helping people to launch successful raw food businesses.
The Level 1 class is a
prerequisite for that, so get those healthy hinies out to CA to get started. Many
raw food chefs focus exclusively on flavor and creativity and sacrifice health
while others are so health-conscious that they promote bland, tasteless fare.
Ani is one of the rare chefs and health educators who has somehow managed to
strike a perfect balance between the two. She’s open-minded and flexible in her
cooking and lifestyle philosophies and makes eating well not only easy for
those with active, modern lifestyles, but also DELICIOUS. She’s managed to
merge her Eastern upbringing with today’s Western lifestyle in a fun, enjoyable
way.
2) Vegan Fusion European Cooking Immersion with Mark Reinfeld
You may not have met him
yet, but Mark Reinfeld is your bowl mate. He cooks healthy and delicious food
and brings something from wherever he travels to his creative culinary
creations. There’s a little bit of something for everyone in his recipes that
are flavor fusions of world cuisine, but also surprisingly easy to make chez
vous. Monsieur Reinfeld’s latest book “The 30 Minute Vegan’s Taste of Europe”
is fabulous. It takes traditional recipes from all over the continent – France,
Italy, England, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Germany – and turns them
into vegan masterpieces. As you know, cuisine is a major part of any culture
and Mark not only mixes ingredients together, he brings each culture into the
kitchen… but with a veggie-centric twist, bien sûr! Mark will be in Paris for a
5-day Vegan Fusion Immersion course in the Fall, from September 23rd
– 27th. The intimate course will be held in a beautiful home in the
center of the city – très chic! Mark will focus on kitchen stocking, shopping,
chopping, blending and other basics, and will share his tricks of the trade. He’ll
explore the healing quality of vegan foods, but make sure that the presentation
and taste are impressive too.
The schedule:
Day 1 Vegan Soups/ Salads & Dressings
Day 2 The World of Grains and Beans/Tofu, Tempeh & Seitan Dishes
Day 3 Casseroles and Sauces/Wraps, Spreads, Sandwiches and Rolls
Day 4 Vegan Desserts/Raw Cuisine 1 Smoothies, Pates, Pasta &
Pudding
Day 5 Raw Cuisine 2 Elixirs, Soups, Plant Cheeses, Ravioli, Parfaits
& Ice Cream/Raw Cuisine 3 Nut and Seed Milks, Granola, Pizza, Tacos, Live
Pies
I had the
pleasure of taking one of Mark’s cooking classes when he came to Paris last
year and it was such a wonderful experience. I learned so much and my taste
buds are still pining for his wizardry in the kitchen. (Note: You do NOT need
to be Vegan to appreciate this experience – even my carnivorous mother still
requests “Mark’s sauce” whenever I cook anything. True story.)
If you can’t
make it to the City of Lights, Mark will also be hosting immersions and
workshops in Portland, Madison, Maui, Miami and Stafford, England this year.
“Le chien, la tête en bas”
– that’s “downward dog” in French. I’m not quite sure how to say it in Italian,
but you’ll probably learn if you attend this retreat in Umbria. In fact, Umbria
will turn into OMbria for this special trip. Anne Vandewalle is an
English-speaking yoga teacher with a chic French accent who will be leading
this trip in July/August at this lovely spot http://www.querciacalante.com/old/
.
Anne is Anusara-trained and
her love for yoga and zest for life are contagious. I’ve enjoyed her classes in
Paris these past few years (and miss them terribly).
The daily yoga sessions à
la Anne will take place looking at the Tuscan countryside. The morning sessions
will be energy-stimulating and the evening classes will be relaxing and feature
massage and meditation to unwind. The retreat is for yogis and yoginis of all
levels. So, in sum, inspiring daily yoga classes, sun, a beautiful countryside
landscape, Italian accents everywhere and unlimited amounts of pesto, pasta and
puttanesca? Uhh, how do you say “Namaste” in Italian?
I was going to title this “2013 Things I love in 2013” and
can probably find that many since all seems new and exciting here on another
continent, but I imagine you are all very busy getting back to work and back to
la vie, so let’s stick with 13, shall we? We still have 12 months to add a few
more, mes amis. The Mayans may have been wrong, but I’m not. I promise you’ll love
these too.
1. The Juice Press
In Paris, there are cafés or bakeries on every street corner.
In NYC, there are gyms or juice bars. Juice bars have become increasingly
ubiquitous in Manhattan. NYC is “the city that never sleeps” likely because
everyone is pumping their veins with chlorophyll and superfoods these days. There
are several chains of pressed juice all over the city, but my favorite is TheJuice Press. Think $10 is too expensive for a juice? Try making your own. By
the time you buy the 467 carrots required for ONE juice (approximate estimate,
bien sûr ;), bring them home, peel or wash them, chop them and clean your
juicer… trust me, $10 is a bargain. Their new location on Greenwich Ave. is
fantastic – it’s a futuristic, vast space with massive refrigerators filled
with juices, smoothies and healthy raw treats of all kinds. It’s what I imagine
all refrigerators in NYC will look like in the future. Only there will be
robots serving up the green juice instead of the Juice Press’ always smiley employees.
(Will miss you guys in 3013.) I also adore their fun drink titles and
(sometimes painfully) honest marketing tactics. My current favorites are the
“gravity juice,” the “complete source”
…and “mother earth” if you are hard-core enough for that one. The “perfect
pear” lives up to its name and the “love at first sight” had me falling head
over sandals (I’m a green juice-drinking hippie now, kids, no more heels ;) And
I can’t wait to try the “$*#%ing genius” and the “horny gorilla” simply because
I like the names. And – bien sûr! – the lait de coconut which is a fancy
Franglais way to say coconut milk, my all-time favorite beverage in the history
of the world (see below). It's so high quality that sometimes I get fancy and drink it out of a wine glass (highly recommend).
Make sure to pick up some very fun postcards on the
way out with slogans like “assertive women who drink juice are f—ing sexy.” How
could you not love a company whose website has a sidebar titled “you’re a pig”?
Juice Press, je t’aime.
OK, I’m cheating – I loved them in 2012 too, but I just
can’t get enough of this wonderful site that offers lovely articles from
contributors across the globe about all things health and happiness.
It may be cold, dark and gloomy as winter gets into full
swing, but I’m still Glo-ing. Yogaglo.com is the best thing to happen to yoga
since the dog headed downward. What’s great about most of the videos is that
they can easily be played over and over again, specifically some of the morning
or nighttime practices. For cold winter days when you want to do yoga, but
don’t have the courage to get outside and go to a class, Yogaglo is the perfect
solution. There are 60 or 90-minute classes when you have time on your hands,
or ½ hour, 20 or even 10-minute segments just to get the body warm in the
morning, take a mid-day stretching break or wind down at night. Their 15-20
minute segments got me through this year’s Cannes Film Festival in one piece,
may I add. The classes are a great way to practice in some way, shape or form
(pun very much intended) at home. Of course, it is great to be in a class with
all of the energy of the people around us and have a teacher there to correct
our postures, but this really is the next best thing, and, sometimes, even
better. There are videos for every level, several different styles of yoga and
some really great teachers. I have perfected The Art of Paying Attention to
Elena Brower (whose new book The Art of Attention is, by the way, remarkable
and inspiring and beautiful http://www.artofattention.comArt of Attention
). Her physical yet meditative videos always move me and keep me moving. I’m
loving the twisty “Locate More Space” sequence she recently posted and the new
“Create a Quiet Presence in Your Bones” complete with live music from Masood Ali Khan and
Sheela Bringi. And while I sadly had to leave him behind in Paris, I can still
practice with Marc Holzman thanks to his wonderful Yogaglo.com classes. I
highly recommend his basic “Yoga for Travel,” Morning Yoga and Nighttime yoga
sequences and his most recent “Come to Know the Preciousness of Your Life” is
truly magical. Plus, Yogaglo is only $18 a month, so Glo for it!
It even works during a stressful commute home on the train:
4. The Vitamix
OK, I’ll let out my little secret. I’ve been having a mad
love affair for months. It’s getting me through these cold winter nights and I
wake up to comfort every morning. Oui oui, mes amis, I am truly, madly, deeply,
in love with … my Vitamix.
I know, I know, I’m not the only one (it’s such a slutty
appliance, what can I say?) but it’s true love. My kitchen has become a
beautiful Mecca of winter soups, nut milks, hot chocolate and purées. The
simplest winter vegetables are transformed into rich, creamy soup without
adding any cream, a simple handful of almonds becomes a smooth “milk” and a
small potato becomes a velvety purée with just the flip of a switch. And the
best part is that, while the Vitamix is my favorite winter lover, I know the
love affair will continue into the Spring and Summer with smoothies, chilled
soups and other cooler concoctions. As
Magritte would have said had he been alive today, “Ceci n’est pas un blender.” It’s
an essential part of any kitchen, and really is a MUST for a healthy lifestyle.
Sure, it’s possible to stay healthy without eating blended foods, but blended
foods not only alleviate inflammation and digestive ailments since the food is
already predigested, but they also increase energy and allow us to consume more
nutrients at a time. Vive le Vitamix!
They French use the word “extra” as an adjective to describe
things that are extra fabulous. Bobbi Brown’s Extra foundation is “extra”
(pronounced “ex-traaaaah”) in all senses of the term. It’s the perfect marriage
between the best moisturizing lotion ever and the best foundation ever. I adore
Bobbi Brown’s products – they provide an “au naturel” look. It’s a very
“French” look in that the makeup makes it look like I’m pretty without any
makeup on (like French women. Has anyone written “Why French Women don’t Get …
Pimples” yet?)
I also love to support Bobbi’s message of “pretty and
powerful” – it’s all about confidence. I am missing Bobbi's store on the rue de Turenne in Paris (and the new Left Bank spot, bien sûr, but I must say my heart belongs to the Place des Voges location), but happy to be back "chez Bobbi" in Montclair, NJ!
My favorite scent? L’eau de Coco.
That’s French for coconut water, though it does sound like a fancy fragrance.
In fact, coconut water IS fancy, and fragrant. The coconut water craze is
certainly not new – it has taken the US by storm in recent years and has also
slowly migrated across the Atlantic too. However, there is coconut water…and
then there is Harmless Harvest coconut water. OK, so the BEST coconut water is
literally drinking water from an actual coconut (while on a sunny beach in
Thailand as you have a relaxing massage and the wind blows in your face and –
OK getting a bit carried away there, sorry), however Harmless Harvest is the
next best thing. In fact, it may actually be better since it does save me the
time and energy of cracking open a coconut or deux. Harmless Harvest’s coconut
water is raw and unpasteurized so all of the health benefits are preserved,
but, most importantly, the taste is delicious. I’ve been adding it to
smoothies, hot drinks, nut milks, puddings and even soups lately – it adds
sweetness, but also adds electrolytes and keeps me hydrated. Try adding it to
anything – I promise, it’s “harmless” !
And I am rolling out the Green
Carpet to sport my new t-shirt that says "I'm Harmless" on the back– love it!! (Note: that is NOT me in the photo, but I swear this stuff is so energizing, I may be doing that SOON if I continue to go through an entire case per week. To be continued...)
As many of you may know, I am cocobsessed (cocobsessed n.f.
the act of being obsessed with coconuts and their delicious taste and incredible
health and beauty benefits). Around this time last year, I found my soul mat.
No, that’s not a typo – I’m still single, but incredibly attached to my yoga
mat, the proLite from Manduka. And now, Manduka has gone on to give me a reason
to be even more nuts about them but taking my favorite nuts (of the coco
variety of course) and turning them into towels. Coconuts? In a towel? Yes.
Manduka’s Ombré eQua Plus towels use Cocona technology, a way of using recycled
coconut shells that would have otherwise gone to landfills and converting them
into activated carbon particles that are infused into the microfiber, which
will then – OK, I will spare you the details, but it is a process that is
literally cool as a coconut, especially since it’s great for the environment.
Plus, it is literally the gift that keeps on giving since the active carbon
renews itself every time it’s washed. More importantly, the towels are très
pretty – solid blue or purple at the bottom that gradually fade to white at the
top. This one will definitely be (nama)staying on top of my mat for awhile. And
now that I am officially a New Yorker, I need to travel to and from yoga
classes in style and just LOVE Manduka’s “daytripper,” “commuter” and beautiful
lyrics tote bag for carrying my soul mat everywhere.
Coconut: the other other other other other white meat.
While, again, I’d much prefer to be on a beach in Thailand sipping a fresh
coconut and scooping out its meat, Exotic Superfoods’ frozen coconut meat is
the next best thing. I’ve been making delicious coconut almond yogurts with it
(with another thing I love in 2013, Sunbiotics’ Probiotic Powder blend) – so
good. And SO good for you, especially to hydrate the skin during these cold,
dry winter months.
And a glimpse of my amazing coconut almond yogurts. I've been making them for so long, I'm now a pro (biotic!)
7. Musicals
Les Misérables
Do you hear the people sing? And by “people,” I of course
mean me. I have been singing the entire Les Mis soundtrack (oh, sorry,
filmmakers are insisting we refer to it by it’s real title, aka a terrible American
pronunciation of Les Meez-uuur-aaaaab-luuuuuh) from start to finish for weeks
now. If you have been in downtown NYC recently and thought you heard screams
that sounded strangely like “There is a Castle on a Cloud” or “On my own, I
walk with him till morning,” yup, that was me.
The film has gotten mixed reviews, but I think the performances were
excellent and have found it nearly impossible not to communicate solely in song
since I saw the film. Victor Hugo may be turning over in his grave, but I dare
you to start singing wherever you are. Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway give
Oscar-worthy performances and Sacha Baron Cohen added some much-needed
lightness to this traditionally heavy tale. It’s not a GREAT movie, but it’s an
enjoyable one.
Plus, the film is a perfect one to see to start the new
year: ”There is a life about
to start when tomorrow comes!” Oh, here I go again.
PS If you loved les Misérables and also eat gluten-free,
take a bite out of THIS video – love it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9QbC41oQRoOne More Grain
Nashville
Confession du jour: I really want a Southern accent. Not a
Southern French accent (though I do a great impression of a Marseillaise thug,
remind me to impress you with that sometime). I’m a bit late to the party, but
have finally caught up on ABC’s soap oper- uh, prime time series, about the
music biz. As you may have noticed, I have an affinity for musical interludes,
so this show satisfies my harmonious desires and also happens to be a delicious
mix of scandal, romance and drama. Nashville culture is pretty foreign to me,
so while I may be missing some of the more subtle insider aspects of the show,
the series is the perfect weekly trip down south. Not to mention quite possibly the sexiest men
on television: Jonathan Jackson, Sam Palladio and Charles Esten – how do you
say “oh là là” in Nashvillian? They’re hot, y’all! (OK, I sound ridiculous, I’m
from New Jersey, I promise I will never say “y’all” again.) And, just when I
thought that things couldn’t get sexier, I also just discovered that Sam
Palladio has a British accent in real life. (As does Brody – Homeland just got
a bit more sexy and British too.)
Pitch Perfect
In addition to a Southern accent, I’d also like to sing a
cappella. Since I clearly am capable of neither of these options, luckily Anna
Kendrick and co. pulled the latter off this year in the wonderful guilty
pleasure of a film “Pitch Perfect.” Rebel Wilson provides the film’s best lines
(see: “Even
though some of you are pretty thin, you all have fat hearts, and that's what
counts”), but Kendrick, Anna Camp (who I am also enjoying on the wonderful “The
Mindy Project” lately) and Anna Kendrick are all wonderful too in this girl
powered musical romp through college. (That I have also been listening to on
repeat on iTunes ever since.) (In between musical interludes from “Les Mis,” of
course).
8. Chocolate chia pudding
I am convinced I was an Aztec in a former life. They are
definitely my favorite people. Cacao! Chia! Quinoa! Maca! Those Aztecs sure
knew how to party…. Or at least how to eat. Now, I may not have been around in
14th century Mexico (though, again, really wish I had been), but I’m
pretty sure this was the typical Aztec breakfast of champions. This may taste
like a guilty pleasure, but it’s actually a healthy indulgence. Chia and hemp
seeds are both packed with omega3s and protein (among their 100000000 health
benefits) and cacao is rich in magnesium, serotonin, dopamine and phenylethylamine (“the bliss
chemical”). The mesquite adds even more protein and soluble fiber, the date
adds potassium and the spices are nutrition powerhouses too. Oh and did I
mention? The taste is ORGASMIC. I challenge you to eat this and not smile (or,
in my case, start belting out songs from Les Misérables, Pitch Perfect and
Nashville.) This is even better with Sunbiotics’ vanilla probiotic powder blend
– a great way to incorporate probiotics into this to fight off that crazy Flu
and keep our bellies singing. http://www.sunbiotics.com
*Optional: 1 teaspoon of Sunbiotics probiotic powder blend.
Blend hemp milk ingredients in a Vitamix (see above for my
ode to this lovely appliance) until smooth. Pour over chia seeds, stir lightly
a few times then let sit for a few minutes, stir again, then let sit on a
counter until the chia absorbs the liquid, around 15-20 minutes at least, but I
prefer to leave for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. This will
last for a couple of days, but I dare you not to lick your bowl on the first
go. You can also make this with other nuts if you don’t have / can’t find /
don’t like hemp seeds – almonds, walnuts, cashews or pumpkin seeds are all
fabulous too. Bon appétit!
9. Yummi Yogi cookie cutters
I’ve got a lot on my plate these days. Luckily, everything
is stress-free and peaceful thanks to Yummi Yogi’s très original cookie cutters
in the form of yoga postures like downward dog and tree pose. They’re called
“cookie” cutters, but they can be served up any time of day for any meal. On my
menu: Warrior 2-shaped quinoa, Crescent Lunge Chia Pudding, Velvety
Virabhadrasana pancakes and Downward facing… spirulina spread. Stay tuned for
more yoga-inspired recipes, but in the meantime… an apple-yogi a day keeps the
doctor away!
And while we're on the topic of delicious and nutritious yoga-inspired things I love, I must mention FUNKY YOGA. I am loving their fabulous t-shirts at the moment (thanks to the best - and only? - all-Yoga boutique in Paris, that I miss terribly, Yoga Concept http://www.yogaconcept.com )
I'm a little bit obsessed with my black and white NAMASTE shirt, and also loving my "Breathe Deep and Let Go of Things" model, and especially my "Warrior Girl" shirt with a stick figure doing warrior pose whose legs look just like mine and I am convinced the company modeled it after moi. I also may have to invest in a "Namaste y'all" shirt (see above and my new affinity for the Southern accent). They have designs for yogis, yoginis, and even funky babies. I even love their "nutritional information" tag.
Let's get funky.
http://funkyyoga.com
10. Bradley Cooper
Ever since he melted every woman’s heart on both sides of
the Atlantic when he went on French TV and spoke fluent Français, I have been
madly in love with Bradley Cooper. The love story began one “Wet Hot American
Summer,” continued in “He’s Just Not That Into You” (mediocre movie, but I WAS
just that into his character) and is now true love. I’m so in love that I even
enjoyed “Limitless” (yes, love is indeed blind, as they say.) And then, this
just in, he’s taking his mother to the Oscars. (I am busy that night
obviously). On that note, I must add that I really liked “Silver Linings
Playbook” and highly recommend the film – no singing, but great cast, great
script and a film that makes audiences smile and cry, what more could a girl
want? Other than perhaps a date with Bradley Cooper ….
11. The Garden State
While New Jersey has had to endure its fair share of insults
(see: “what exit?”) and thanks to MTV, is now mostly associated with drunken
fools with no necks and orange-tinted skin, 2013 will be the year of The Garden
State. TIME magazine just named Chris Christie the “Master of Disaster” and
called him “The Boss” on its cover. Between his recent criticisms of Boehner
and his hard-core rescue tactics post-Sandy, Christie has been making
headlines. Sure, he could stand to lose a few (hundred) pounds, but, as a New
Jersey native, I’m certainly glad he’s got my back. And as for you, Sandy, you
are no match for New Jerseyans. The state will rebuild and will soon see light
at the end of the bridge ‘n tunnel.
12. Tata Harper
My grandmother used to say: “you have to suffer to be
beautiful.” And, while eyebrow plucking and bikini waxing are part of the
necessarily evils of being a woman, Tata Harper has proven that, in fact, our
health doesn’t have to suffer to be beautiful.
The natural, non-toxic skincare line is beauty as Grandmother Nature
intended – ingredients that include lavender, beetroot, aloe vera, olive oil,
alfalfa and other things that will make your skin simply delicious. I have yet
to try all of Tata harper’s products, but the ones that I have tried have all
been amazing. The Jet set survival kit is a mix of Tata’s aromatherapy product the
“Irritability treatment” (Wish I’d had this to hand out on the streets of Paris
for the past eight years ;) ), hydrating floral essence and replenishing
nutrient complex. As soon as I graduate to “jet setter” status, I shall invest,
bien sûr. The Reparative Moisturizer is a must for dry skin, especially in the
winter especially, and the Rejuvenating Serum is spectacular as well. The
Refreshing Cleanser is perfect for those of us with sensitive skin and the
revitalizing body oil is also great for dry, sensitive skin. And my overactive
mind is very happy about their “Bed Time” and “Stress” aromatherapy treatment too. So
Tata for now, but I’ll be back soon once my skin recovers from the winter for
more amazing beauty products à la Tata Harper.
