Filed under: Staying Healthy
Today was my last heavy workout before the race next week,60 miles on bike at race pace followed by 5 miles easy run
Hot and windy out there today
Felt good but really tired now
What a better way to recover with a good healthy lunch meal
Baby ruby butter lettuce with my own olive oil and balsamic
Rudy’s gluten free bread with organic hummus,farm tomatoes,mary’s chicken
Steamed California asparagus with lemon oil
Try it out…so fresh…so clean…so good
Stay tuned for more healthy tips during your training
Giuseppe
Filed under: Staying Healthy
Check my new racing shoes for the upcoming season!!!!
Testing them out at California half ironman next week
Filed under: Caroline's Seaside Cafe, Culinary Confessions, Dish of the Month, Features, Museum Cafe, Sculpture Court Cafe, Staying Healthy
Greetings and Happy New Year Everyone!
Usually when I’m getting ready to type my Giornale I have notes, photos and ideas already in place way in advance. I would say for every issue I prepare myself about a month in advance.
Now, since I haven’t done a Giornale in the last few months, then you know the outcome…I have so much to tell you. I’ll try to consolidate this issue down to the very best or to the most important parts of 2011.
So …where to begin?
Let me start out by saying that I am sitting at the desk in my new home office with a cup of espresso and a crazy cold and flu. But I couldn’t let it stop me… I just wanted to let you know in advance in case I misspell something or in my delirious mode I write something bizarre. I don’t deal very well with medicine to begin with, and combined with a shot of espresso….yeah baby….mind goes crazy!!
Speaking of what the mind can do, here’s a little story about sixth sense:
A few years back while visiting during the holidays, my father and I would drive down to Scripps pier where I would surf and my father would walk on the beach admiring the beauty of La Jolla.
At the end of my surf session, we would meet in the parking lot by the Institute of Oceanography. Back then the lot was kind of a mess with a large construction zone which would later become the Scripps Seaside Forum. Just out of curiosity and as good Italians, we managed to cross the fence and start walking through the construction zone. I had absolutely no idea what that building was going to be. We just walked around admiring the architecture and the layout of the space. Then my father pointed out a spot on the upper level (the building was almost fully completed) and said, “See up there…wouldn’t it be great to dedicate that space to a restaurant and have the best view in this city. You should look into it.”
I replied, “Dad, you’re out of your mind. There is no way anyone will get this spot. It must be for some office use or something.” After all, UCSD was in charge of this development, so I was thinking it would be for research more than food. But he insisted, “Son I am telling you right now, just look into it. Do me a favor so I can feel good about this a few years from now.”
My father is for sure no kind of medium or anything like that. He’s actually a very humble man who had an amazing career but had to retire at age 40 due to an illness that almost killed him. But he always had a great sense of business, and I have to be honest that without his wise advice at so many times in my life I wouldn’t be where I am today…who know where I would be.
I am a strong believer in the saying “Things happen for a reason.” I also believe that the best reason for that moment years ago was for me to appreciate being with him, listening to his advice once again. But as most of you know, part of that UCSD construction project turned into our newest venture – Caroline’s Seaside Café – which opened August 8th, 2011 and became one of the hottest spot in town.
So, looking back it was a special kind of intuition, or sixth sense, when my Dad not only had the vision to develop a restaurant in that space, but he saw ME being the person to do so. Being able to share this story means a lot to me, and I hope that you are all lucky enough to have a father like mine. I am forever grateful to him for what is has contributed to my life.
Man the espresso is working now.
I’m typing as fast as a Ferrari would race at the Grand Prix. Hey wait a minute, speaking of racing… Check this out, back in May one of my good friends kindly invited Salem and I to go stay on his brand new yacht which was being launched in Monaco during the Formula One Grand Prix.
We got to take a private flight, stay a week on the yacht, watch my dream car racing, eat good coastal French food, dance and drink until dawn, and follow it all up with a slice of pizza at 6am. Come on! For sure you didn’t have to twist my arm. For those who’ve never been in that part of the world during that time of year, I suggest you save whatever you need to so one day you can treat yourself to the most amazing time of your life.
On the boat we were fortunate enough to have one of the top chefs in the yacht industry (an Australian dude picked against all the Europeans lined up for the job), and we had some unbelievable meals on board. Lunch, dinner, happy hours….eating all day was definitely the highlight of the trip. But I have to be honest and hopefully not harsh, the food in the restaurants we tried was way below my expectations and in some cases quite bad. I don’t know if that was because that week the town goes crazy and every food establishment is completely packed, but it was not what I expected. They were over priced and over booked. At one restaurant, we had a reservation at 10pm, but weren’t seated until 1am for a “reasonable” price of 2000 euros. NUTS, isn’t it?
To avoid disappointment I suggest, if you happen to go, you opt for fine dining restaurants when possible. And for casual eating, stop at little shops to grab a slice of pizza or a salame baguette and a beer. It’s definitely worth it.
So thank you so much to my dear friend for treating us to such an amazing trip. His boat, one of a kind. The company, best ever. During the trip I was over my head excited, and even now I can’t talk enough about the fun time we had.
Another year of Philanthrophy has gone by…
Yes, once again we were able to make a difference in the charity world. As a company, not only did we have the privilege of catering some of the most amazing charity galas and help worthy organizations raise unbelievable amounts of money, on top of it I personally had the privilege to help create one of the newer galas in town.
The 3rd annual PEERS gala took place last November at a phenomenal private estate in Rancho Santa Fe. The PEERS Network is a professional not-for-profit group founded by local entrepreneurs who want to give back to the San Diego community. The evening was put together to benefit Just In Time (JIT), an volunteer-driven organization that assists former foster youth with the resources needed to ensure school, job and life success.
As a PEERS member, I kind of took charge of the event’s planning and logistics, but of course we worked as a team, and Just in Time helped so much along the way. What I personally handled was creating the food portion of the evening by inviting some of my chefs/friends to donate their food and their time for this amazing cause.
The evening started a bit rocky. No joke, we planned an outdoor event for 300 people and two days beforehand, the worst rain storm ever hits San Diego. So PLAN B kicked in and we rented a huge tent, and with the help of Janelle, our PEERS event coordinator, we managed to get lighting, cover every corner, and make room for everything outdoors. With that taken care of we thought, “Yeah, we’re good to go…right?”
The rain was so hard that it started dripping right into the tent! Panic…frantic moments…despite months of planning and thousands of dollars later, we are going to fail…but NO WAY…things happen for a reason… trust me…
We get there on party site early and start running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to cover everything, getting soaked with the water leaks in the tent. Then one of our PEERS has a great idea. “Let’s go get sand bags!” Sure let’s do it…only thing is, we didn’t account for the tent having to hold 300 guest, which would require not just a few but a few hundred sand bags… wow…go figure how to get them!
Long story short, we managed to get some sand bags, we did start right on time, the rain kept pouring all night, trees were falling on the street, people were delayed, the “F” word was the main word of the moment…people start arriving, one after another…the space got pretty full. It was like a reality show, but worse because I wasn’t just watching.
Fortunately, the outcome of the evening was that our 300+ guest raised a record (at least for us) of $175k.
Did I have to share all this with you…heck yeah!!!
After all we did, I think it’s a good lesson. Everyone can help, and through any circumstance and any challenge, you can make a difference in people’s life. So for this coming year, look in to helping others. You can always ask me for the names of any charity organizations that need help since I work with a boat load of them. Roll up your sleeves, get your check book ready and let’s do it.
DISH OF THE MONTH: Anello di Zucca Con Burrata e Bieta Saltata
No Giornale has ever been done without the recipe of the month….
Come on, after all my blog is called “Culinary Confessions” so I must talk about food at some point right?
Everyone wonders what is in season and what’s not. There is a perception that winter doesn’t offer much of a selection of good produce since it’s cold. But cold weather helps in growing specific things, and cold weather makes people think of comfort food. So the recipe I’m about to share with you is the perfect reflection of that.
You can use this recipe for your small dinners at home, or when you have some people over. Think gourmet, and spend some time creating something unique. Get away from those baby greens, dried cranberries and blue cheese salads and try something new as a starter.
You know that all my recipes are pretty easy and I call it “Dummy Proof,” which means they’re super easy to execute. On a recent visit to the Little Italy Mercato (Farmer’s Market every Saturday), I was walking around the produce stands looking for something that would be perfectly in season and could be served as a starter. I saw squash. I saw chards. I smelled the farm fresh garlic. Down the street I saw a cheese stand…blink…an idea came up in my head right away.
So I bought all of the ingredients, went back to our Museum Café in La Jolla and started playing with it. Here is the outcome:
Anello di Zucca Con Burrata e Bieta Saltata
Butternut Squash Ring with Burrata & Sauteed Swiss Chards
Download recipe for Butternut Squash Ring with Burrata and Sauteed Swiss Chards
Try it out…and enjoy with a crisp glass of sauvignon blanc.
Ok, we are getting close to the end. My espresso is gone and my cold keeps bothering me, so I guess going back to bed is my only option for the day.
Just some quick updates about our company before I wrap up:
- Of course most of you already know about Caroline’s Seaside Café. If you haven’t been there, you should go on a beautiful sunny day. It’s priceless.
- Museum Café in La Jolla celebrated our 10th year, and as a gift MCASD and ourselves decided to give it a little lift as far as colors, menu items and ambience. So look out for some new things coming up in the next few weeks and then share with me your thoughts…I love feedback.
- Sculpture Court Café was still going strong last year. Finally the awning issue over the Sculpture Court was resolved, and we had our best year ever. In addition to the new awning the Café will also get a little lift in the next few months, hopefully before the summer comes.
- And last but not least, we don’t talk about so much about this part of our business, but do you know that we have a fully licensed and insured bar services department? Well, I guess alcohol in this country means $$, because that was the most profitable part of our year. We now have three exclusive beverage contracts: Museum Of Contemporary Art, San Diego Museum Of Art and Scripps Seaside Forum. Looks like there are more to come, thanks to our beverage services team who did an extraordinary job last year earning the trust of many institutions and organizations during the busy season.
click for larger view
And to finish…I promise you I am done after this…
I am so excited about this I have to let you know. You know my other passion is sports. Finally after so many years of racing triathlons I decided to become one of the team sponsors for our Triathlon team Breakaway Training.
From now on when you see those bright orange uniforms at local or national races, look above the bib (yes, right at the athlete’s butt) you can see our name as the co-main sponsor.
I am so excited and so honored that in addition to that, I decided to go back racing longer distance. Therefore my training journey will start hopefully soon (once I feel better) and I will share that with you in the next few issues.
The first race of the year is Half Ironman Oceanside. For those of you who need a life change, talk to me about it. I’m a good listener, and I know I can help you and direct you to the right sources so you can be one of us.
Triathlon is not only a sport but a lifestyle and I embrace that every day…
That’s all people….talk to you soon!
Until then,
Mangia Bene e vivi meglio
Giuseppe Ciuffa
Filed under: Culinary Confessions, Dish of the Month, Features, Staying Healthy, Weddings
Happy Spring Everyone!
Usually I would start my Giornale with a little story, but since I’m so excited about the upcoming season, I want to start off with the dish of the month…but of course I’ll add a story about it.
DISH OF THE MONTH:
Colazione del Contadino
(The Farmer’s Breakfast)
Colazione del Contadino "Before"
There is something so fascinating about simplicity in cooking, especially using classic methods and fresh ingredients. I grew up eating very simple dishes created from the most seasonal ingredients. At the farm we didn’t really know any different, since everything was sourced there. With very few trips to the grocery store, we ate everything that was available that season and there were plenty of choices.
This dish reminds me so much of my Grandmother (Nonna Antonia would have been 100 this year). On early mornings in the Spring, the outdoor temperature would still be a bit low in our area of Italy, and on busy days my father would ask me to go help Nonna Antonia. Like most kids, I would ask, “What do I get to do?” His answer would be, “Get your Nonna to cook you breakfast before we start the day, and you get to pick the ingredients you want.”
Even at that age, I would think, “Cool!” I already knew that I was going to become a chef, so it was a no brainer to take a quick walk around the farm and pick the ingredients.
Stop #1 – Figure out the protein. I would see all our chickens and pick the eggs still warm (No kidding! How much fresher can you get than that.) A couple of times they got kind of mean and started chasing after me.
Stop #2 – Figure out the vegetable part of the meal. I would see a beautiful baby zucchini with a nice little blossom and think “Frittata!” Then I would pick some onions and keep wandering around the garden.
Stop #3 – No breakfast would be served without fruit, so I would pick whatever looked best and would be easiest to reach. As a kid, there were a couple of times when, trying to be helpful, I climbed a fruit tree too high and took a bad fall. After that I always looked for things that could more easily be accessed, like the little wild strawberries I loved. They were so sweet, one bite was like pure sugar on your tongue.
Once all the ingredients were in my little wicker basket I would go back to the farmhouse and my Nonna would take care of the rest. Colazione del Contadino was one of my very favorite breakfasts, a simple and flavorful frittata accompanied by a couple of pieces of grilled bread with our olive oil and some sugar (a cheap version of French Toast.) Every bite was so good, I can still see the smile on my Nonna’s face. She was so proud of her little grandson, and she always made me feel very special.
Colazione del Contadino "After"
So since it’s springtime, I felt like giving you a very simple dish idea to make for your kids, or better yet, have them help make it and learn how to do it just like I did.
The one thing you may not be able to find is the cheese we used, because back then we would make our own Caciotta, which is a semisoft cheese made from sheep’s milk. I am pretty sure that nobody in this town will have that, so I suggest a great substitute – fresh feta.
Visit the downtown farmer’s market and look for Spring Hill, which is the very best feta product at this moment. While you are at the market, make sure to buy cage-free organic eggs and baby zucchini with blossoms. The dish photos show the kind of fruit I would serve at this time of the year.
Enjoy! And let me know if you want to hear more about farm style, simple cooking.
An Ultimate San Diego Wedding
On January 19th, we catered the ULTIMATE San Diego wedding. Actually, it’s not just my opinion – the wedding was the prize for Magic 92.5′s “Ultimate San Diego Wedding” contest, sponsored by Bridal Insider. Over 200 couples entered the contest and the public chose winners, Rachel Stewart and Matthew O’Donovan, to receive the free wedding courtesy of over 30 local vendors. More information about the contest and the winners.
We were asked to be the caterers for Rachel and Matthew, and we had a great time with their theme of “golden winter romance.” As always, the El Cortez was a gorgeous backdrop for their special day, and as you can see in the pictures, the couple had a wedding they’ll never forget.
Share Your “Best Of” Opinion
As you’ve seen over the past year, we’ve grown in many ways, and we’ve also recommitted ourselves to the things that are most important to us, like healthy living and sustainable food. So much of what we do is in response to the support and great feedback we get from our clients. We are always deeply grateful, and we hope we’ve given back to our community as much as we’ve gained.
The San Diego Magazine “Best Of” poll is just one way for us to get that all-important feedback, and we hope you would take a moment to vote for us. If we’ve delivered the kind of service this year that you’ve found worthy of mentioning, then all of us at Giuseppe Restaurants and Fine Catering can celebrate a job well done!
Please click here to place your vote. There are several categories, so we are concentrating on the following:
- Best Chef – Giuseppe Ciuffa
- Best Catering – Giuseppe Restaurants & Fine Catering
- Best Outdoor Dining – Museum Cafe at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Thank you so much for supporting us!
Getting Ready for Graduation
Each year as the end of the school year gets close, I see families rushing around, getting ready for more warm weather activities and all the changes that will come with the summer. Students are busy too, concentrating on their final exams, and probably daydreaming a lot about their vacations. I also notice that, since it’s not something that happens every year, graduation parties can get planned at the last minute, with families not realizing the preparation it can take to produce the event they had imagined.
I look at my kids and it seems impossible that they’ll be done with school someday. From the graduation events we’ve catered, I’ve come to see the party as a fun and special way for the whole family to reflect on their achievements and to mark a turning point in their lives.
So here is my reminder that comes at this time each Spring… If you have a soon-to-be graduate in your family, it’s time to party! For students who’ve reached your goals, whether it’s a diploma or a degree, you deserve some fun. And for parents who’ve given all your support over the years, it’s your celebration too.
For parties of any size, you can choose from our full-service private catering, Specialty Menu drop-off service, or private dinners at our cafes. Just get started soon! Call 858.581.2205 for more information.
Stay Healthy
A couple of times each year, I share my thoughts about health and fitness, since I spend a good amount of time training for my triathlon races. I’m always looking into ways to stay healthy and fit, but sometimes I overlook things and I pay the price.
A perfect example happened right before the holidays. On the evening before Thanksgiving, I was having dinner with Salem, the kids and some other friends and families. It was a great evening. We grilled all night, cooked some serious side dishes and drank some good wine. At one point, we said why not and smoked a couple of cigarettes just for the fun of it. Bad combo for someone who lives a very healthy lifestyle!
The result was an episode in the middle of the night where I woke up, tried to stand and passed out not once, but twice. Luckily Salem was there to help me. Long story short, I ended up in an ambulance and spent the night at the emergency room.
So what happened? Nothing was wrong with me, but they called it a fainting episode that can happen to people sometimes when getting up too quickly. In any case, the doctors asked me to go for a follow up visit to make sure there was nothing wrong with my heart. Being a good stubborn Italian, I waited a few months but did finally get all the tests they ordered.
Thanks to a good friend who recommended the Cushman Wellness Center at Sharp Hospital, I found this unbelievable deal called the Men’s Health Assessment. For the unreal price of $399, I got a full check up that included all blood work, check of my BMI (body mass index), weight and body fat and a stress test for my heart. They even fixed me a great breakfast and finished with a one hour massage to die for….what is there NOT to like!
Doctor Levinson is the man in charge. During the stress test he was right there with me at the treadmill. He would ask, “Go higher? How do you feel?” and I would answer, “Good Doc. Keep going.” Then again, he would ask, “Go higher? Now how do you feel?” and I’d answer the same, “Good Doc. Keep going.” After about 18 minutes of this, the guy looks at me and smiles. “Giuseppe, you have the heart of a professional athlete. Your level of fitness is way above average, and yes there is nothing wrong with you. Happy now?”
You bet I was happy and blown away! Two months before, I was freaking out, concerned that there was something wrong with my health. In one afternoon, I had a doctor reassuring me and telling me I had the heart of a pro athlete. It was such a relief and a self-confidence builder that now I’m recommending everyone get their health checked.
I got my health report in the mail one week later. Each category was detailed and tailored to my current conditions. More than ever, I know what I need to do to stay healthy, and I’m re-energized about taking good care of myself. I think about all the valuable things that I learned from my health report, and I encourage all of you to take the time to go there and try it out. Especially if you have a full working schedule with everyday stresses and an active lifestyle. Better safe than sorry! For more information about the Men’s Health Assessment, call 1-800-82-SHARP.
That is it for this Giornale. It really helped me clear my head, and I hope that all the things I mentioned will help you to feel better in life, from food, to health to physical activity. I can’t wait to give you some of the latest and most exciting news, so I will send a special announcement soon. Stay tuned on Facebook and/or Twitter and you’ll find out soon enough!
Until then,
Mangia Bene e Vivi Meglio
Filed under: Culinary Confessions, Dish of the Month, Sculpture Court Cafe, Staying Healthy, Weddings
Greetings Everyone and Happy 2011 to all of you!
We made it through the last few crazy weeks of 2010! The work load during the month of December is always a bit much, but at the end of the day it is a great problem to have.
Just to give you a quick update about our company, we had a terrific year with both cafes going full swing, our catering services as usual busy with stunning weddings, charity galas and some super cutting edge private parties.
One of the things most evident about 2010 was the 40% growth in revenues from last year through our Giuseppe Specialty Menu. This tells us that you all are enjoying the drop off service with “No Fuss” just as much as our full service. A very pleasant surprise! So, since the specialty menu has become so popular, we will have a new addition to the menu each season. I’ll email you the next one, our Spring selection, which should begin around March 1st.
We also saw tremendous growth in the Giuseppe Pronto Services, which deliver delicious and affordable meals for corporate meetings throughout the county.
We’re working on some new things for 2011 that I can’t wait to share with you, like a possible remodel and complete transformation of our Museum Café in La Jolla to celebrate our 10th year anniversary. We may also be opening another café sometime in the Spring, something which is still in the preliminary stages, but I figured I’d give you the heads up anyway.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support, and to thank all the vendors that we partnered with on some very cool events. The beginning of the year seems like the perfect time for me to express my gratitude for my family, my business, my good health and for living in the best place on Earth.
The Popularity of “Farm to Table”
Sometimes I think about this and I wonder, “Why is it such a big deal?” It should always be like this! Why is “Farm to Table” just now getting so popular, and why aren’t we much more aware of sustainable practices and organic foods?
For someone who grew up around farms in a town where the main business is agriculture, it was a way of life to eat fruit right off the trees and then pick the chicken that would be dinner. “Farm to table” was all I knew until moving to this country which, for all that I love, I believe has some serious nutritional problems. It’s obvious in the percentage of widespread health issues like obesity and diabetes.
I grew up eating the best ingredients – pure, fresh and of course, seasonal. I never really tried a chicken with added hormones until I moved here. Seventeen years ago I arrived here in perfect shape, my diet was always top of the line ingredients, and I never had health problems. Once I got here I started having trouble, because my body and my system weren’t used to eating processed foods and preservatives. To this day, I still struggle with this issue. Wherever I go, I have to plan my meals, and when going out for dinner, I have to think carefully about what food might be available to provide the type of nutrition my body needs.
The growth of Farm to Table has been huge in the last couple of years, and this is why:
- Farmers who make the effort to show up at the Market on Sunday
- Farmers who make the effort to hand deliver boxes full of beautiful produce to your door
- Companies who are fully committed to sending you a weekly report of product availability
- And of course, thanks to all the creative minds in professional kitchens, yes the chefs, who have a big role in the development of this new “Trend.”
I see more and more colleagues attending events and seminars, visiting farms, and going to the markets just to get what will be the Special of the Day on their menu. I am confident that by raising the awareness of this practice and promoting even more through school programs, more people will get the message and make positive changes for their health… sooner or later.
Among my favorite places to shop is the Farmer’s Market in La Jolla on Sunday. It is always great and well-stocked. But HATS OFF to the Mercato in Little Italy on Saturdays as well. Whole Foods is also the place to go if you are looking for Hormone-Free Meats/Seafood/Top Artisanal Cheese/Bread/Produce. I call it the Chef’s Playground, because there is so much to see and so many ways to play.
DISH OF THE MONTH:
Fregola Sarda con Salmone Affumicato e Porri
(Fregola Sarda with Smoked Salmon and Leeks)
Can anyone recall the first time you heard of a cheese called Burrata? If not, all you have to do visit any of the top restaurants in town and you will find it somewhere on the menu.
The burrata has become so popular in the last five years, which to me is so funny because I’ve been eating it since I was a kid. Eventually it became commercially available in the United States and I immediately began using it, but burrata as a culinary trend has only recently caught hold. Go figure!
My point?
How often do you see Fregola Sarda on menus? Probably not as much as the burrata, however the popularity of this ingredient is growing in a similar way, and again I just have to look back at my childhood meals to understand why people love it.
Fregola Sarda is considered the regular everyday pasta for the people from the Island of Sardegna. Most of the fregola used in home cooking is made from scratch, but the fregola you’ll get here will most likely be produced in Italy and packaged for transport all over the world.
The texture is quite different. Even though it’s made out of semolina like any other pasta, the fregola has a bit of a crunch. I would describe it as a cross between Gnocchi and Pearl Couscous. The uses of Fregola that I’m seeing in restaurants are mostly seafood soups or anything with a clear broth, salads, and sometime purely as a main dish with seasonal ingredients added. In fact, my favorite way of preparing it is by tossing warm fregola in hot olive oil with some caramelized garlic, Parmiggiano, and sautéed root vegetables.
At some point, we in the catering industry will seal its popularity by adding Fregola to our own menus, which exposes the ingredient to larger numbers. For my part, I want to share this recipe with you simply because you can adapt this to your next cocktail party when you need heavy hors d’oeuvres. Just prepare it ahead and let it rest, then you can serve it lukewarm in a martini glass, a small soup bowl, bamboo plates or whatever small container you like. It’s a good type of food to pair with cocktails as it’s definitely on the hardy side. Try it out and let me know… (download recipe here)
By the way, you can buy Fregola at a couple of specialty stores in Little Italy. Makes me proud to be Italian!
Healthy Start for the Year
Right around the beginning of the Fall I was feeling a little out of shape. As most of you know, I teach spinning classes at La Jolla Sports Club every Sunday, so I’m constantly around people who have a need to exercise, and I see how hard it can be. Sometimes just the physical effort won’t do it. We work out really hard, we try to watch what we eat, we try to rest and take good care of our bodies, but we still don’t get the results we want.
It has a lot to do with our mental state and the way we approach the problem. That is why nutritionists and health professionals study nutrition AND psychology, because you can’t only focus on one issue.
Recently I had the privilege to be a guinea pig for ARMR. Accept Refine Manifest Results (ARMR) was founded by Alisha Randall and Melanie Rivera, two women who have taken their knowledge of physical fitness and combined it with their passion for nutrition to help people who want to transform themselves to a healthier life. Alisha and Melanie are an inspiration for their own achievements, but it’s in the way they apply their expertise to coaching others where they are real masters.
Working with them, I tackled my most difficult challenge, the acceptance of my injuries and their effect on my future as an athlete. Then they taught me the mechanics of getting out of shape and what it takes to get back on. They really helped me to analyze my day, my nutrition, my habits and behaviors and at the end of the day I was able to document all of the above in a report that I share with them on a weekly basis.
The outcome….well I’m not even close to where I was a few years ago. So I’ve set a goal to fully recover from injuries and start racing again. To help achieve it, I’ve learned how to deal with my day and have a more positive attitude, which leads to making better decisions about food and lifestyle in general. It’s a slow process, but everyday I’m reminded of the lessons I treasure from Alisha and Melanie. They’ve helped me trust that eventually, a little at a time, my body will return to normal, just as I expect.
If you feel you need help getting to the next level of your physical health, or if you just think it’s time to make a change, please take my word…these are the two people who will help you get there. For more information, contact them directly or come to visit them at the gym.
Events for the month
Tuscan Style Ribollita Soup
Saturday, January 22: Taste of Italy Cooking Demonstration at Macy’s Home Store, Mission Valley
Since my cooking demonstration last November, I’ve realized how much I enjoy spreading my love of Italian cuisine for a live audience. It’s so rewarding to see immediate reactions to the dishes, and I love being able to talk with people directly and answer questions.
So when another cooking demonstration opportunity came up from Macy’s Mission Valley Home Store School of Cooking, I was excited to say yes!
They’ve asked me to prepare two of my favorites for a special Event on Saturday January 22nd. I’m really looking forward to it, and these are great dishes, the Ribollita Soup and Pollo Al Rosmarino.
Pollo Al Rosmarino
I would like to see you all there, especially since the $5 donation benefits the San Diego Food Bank, which is such a great cause.
To attend or for more information, please visit Macy’s site here.
Wednesday, January 19: Ultimate San Diego Wedding
BridalInsider.com along with Magic 92.5, Exquisite Weddings Magazine and San Diego Magazine have given a very deserving San Diego couple the Ultimate San Diego Wedding, which will be catered by us!
Rachel and Matthew won their Ultimate San Diego Wedding by popular vote on November 23rd, and we’ve had a great time coordinating with all the other wonderful wedding vendors who are providing their services for the lucky couple, including one of our favorite venues, the El Cortez.
After the wedding, we’ll be posting some descriptions of the event and pictures, so come back to Culinary Confessions after January 19th.
Thursday, February 17: *Save the Date* for CULTURE AND COCKTAILS at San Diego Museum of Art
Get your party shoes on and experience art in a whole new way with Culture and Cocktails at SDMA. We will host the after party at Sculpture Court Cafe. Get ready for “London Underground”! More details will come soon.
That’s it for our first edition of this year’s Giornale. I’m looking forward to more great things in 2011!
Until I see you again,
Mangia Bene e Vivi Meglio
Filed under: Features, Staying Healthy | Tags: Bethany Leach Mavis, TriathlEats, triathlete magazine, triathlete.com
Here is something really cool. I’m featured in next month’s Triathlete magazine in a section called “TriathlEats.” You can read it online here or by clicking the page image above.
I’m honored and amazed to get this write up for me and the cafes in a magazine like Triathlete. If you see me around La Jolla today, I’ll have a very big smile on my face!
Filed under: Culinary Confessions, Dish of the Month, Features, Sculpture Court Cafe, Staying Healthy
Greetings Everyone,
Like last year, I took a little break from writing during the summer months and fully focused on our many Summer Events. We also dedicated a lot of time to our two cafes at the museums and they were very busy.
Between events I found some time to take a little trip back home. It had been over two years since my last visit, and I felt a need to reconnect with my roots and my family. I also felt my family needed a well-deserved break after over a year of extreme growth at our company, with the new Café in Balboa and big developments on the catering side.
I had the privilege to work with so many great clients and organizations this summer. There were lavish weddings, fashion events, a stunning private estate reception, and of course all of our Charity Galas that took us to some really cool venues. So to begin, I want to tell you about our “Party Of The Season” and why this event gets our award this year.
Private Dinner for the Ronald McDonald House Sponsors
Phil and Cheryl Stewarts, long time clients of mine and great supporters of the Ronald McDonald House, opened up their beautiful estate in La Jolla for the evening. The estate is a stunning space and I feel one of the best homes in the entire county.
Great care and attention was brought to every detail. And with that in mind, we wanted to create the best possible event for them by creating the perfect menu for the occasion.
Phil and I planned the menu together, and from the start I was looking forward to working with his favorite chef he was flying in from Texas, Jon Barrios. Jon created some really cool and flavorful Hors d’Oeuvres while my crew and I prepared the Six Course Dinner.
The menu featured an Amuse Bouche of Chilled Cucumber and Avocado Soup topped with Yuzu Crème Fraiche and Dulcinea Cantaloupe. We followed this with a Little Gem Butter Lettuce with Point Reyes Blue Cheese and Candied Hazelnuts, complete with a Banyul’s Shallot Vinagrette. For the third course, we served juicy Mana De Leon Scallops topped with American Caviar served over a colorful Lemon Mascarpone Risotto. During dinner, the guests sipped Veuve Cliquot to a great performance by an internationally-acclaimed tenor flown to the U.S. by the Stewarts just for the evening. By then the dinner with its unbelievable concert under the stars was going so well that the guests felt transported to the Piazza San Marco in Venice.
For the Main course, we prepared Wild Alaskan Halibut with Yellow Pepper Coulis served alongside Thyme Roasted Peewee Fingerling Potatoes and Oregon Wild Mushroom Ragout. Of course we couldn’t forget a great cheese course featuring all Sustainable cheeses from California cheesemakers, “Andante Dairy,” with some local Figs, Champagne Grapes, Truffle Honey and a Port Wine Gelee. The dinner ended with Warm Flourless Chocolate Cakes topped with Frangelico Whipped Cream.
What a night my friends! The entire experience of working with people from Texas taught me a great lesson in Southern Entertainment and I will treasure that for future events.
Now we are off to the big Ronald McDonald House Gala, named “The Romp,” coming up Saturday October 2nd. We will see everyone who attended the Sponsors Dinner and many more! We predict the event will be sold out, so if you would like to attend, please purchase tickets soon here.
I look forward to seeing you there and celebrating a great cause with many friends…. Look out for a chic playground dining experience!
Our Trip to Italy
Since it was couple of years since we’d taken a vacation, Salem and I decided that, during our trip to Italy, we’d leave the kids with my parents and spend a week in Capri and Positano. And well, beside the fact that the Euro kicked my (you know what), the whole get-away was fabulous!
We stayed at the Caesar Augustus in Anacapri, which is hands-down one of the best places I’ve ever stayed. Polished, elegant, authentic, and it has a million dollar view from the cliffs of Capri.
What is so interesting is that the family who owned this Hotel rented out the operation for 15 years to a company that almost ran the hotel to the ground. Then Mr. Paolo Signorini, the oldest son of the family stepped in, fired the company and took over by remodeling the entire property and raising it to the highest standards on the Island.
Me with Chef Giuseppe and Mixologist Massimo
It is a must see, with an all-organic Vegetable Garden where Chef Giuseppe (another one!) cultivates every vegetable and fruit used for his menus. We would be laying by the pool and he would run by with a basket of Zucchini Blossoms, then 10 minutes later, there’d be an amazing tray of lightly fried zucchini blossoms passed among the hotel guests. Such an unexpected treat!
Also one of the most impressive parts of the Hotel is the bar where Massimo creates cocktails with 100% passion and commitment to seasonal fruits and top spirits. We were thrilled to be invited for “Aperitivo Time,” where we had the most delicious Peach Bellini, and we were able to take a few moments to get to know the Signorini family. When you have a chance to visit Capri, this is the place where you want to stay!
RECIPE OF THE MONTH – Bucatini All’Amatriciana
Now, the whole idea of going back home was to reconnect with my roots, which of course involves the food I love. So I went to visit my very first boss, Ottavio, the man who gave me the opportunity to start doing what I do today. Twenty-five years ago he took me under his wing and taught me some of the most valuable things I know in the culinary field.
We chatted for a while, and he was so proud to tell me that a Swedish TV Network had been in town and did a complete documentary of Cori, my hometown. Among the different topics in the documentary was Ottavio’s cooking demonstration of the Bucatini All’Amatriciana, one of the most popular pasta dishes in Lazio (the region where Cori is located). I had watched Ottavio make this pasta dish for years, but I’d never seen him on TV. I was so proud that my mentor had made it to the screen!
In Ottavio’s honor, I’ve made the Bucatini All’Amatriciana this month’s recipe. You might think, “Yeah, pasta. I will try it out. It should be EASY to make.” But just like any other worthwhile venture, you need a special process to make it just right.
To help you get the best results, I am guiding you through the preparation by video. If you like the idea, I will prepare a video demonstration each time I have a new featured recipe. Just enter a comment below to let me know and I will start doing so.
Bucatini All’Amatriciana
1 lb Bucatini or Perciatelli (De Cecco Brand)
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 Slices Guanciale or Thick Sliced Pancette
2 Basket Cherry Tomatoes
2 Cups Puree Tomatoes (Pomi Brand)
1 Tsp Red Chili Flakes
1/2 Cup White Wine
1 Cup Grated Pecorino Romano
Salt and Pepper to Taste
4 portions
Heat Up Olive Oil in a skillet, dice the Guanciale or Pancetta and add to the oil at high heat. Remove the meat once the meat starts getting brown and crisp and place on a paper towel. Add tomatoes to the hot oil, splash the wine and reduce the heat. Add chili flakes and seasoning and let simmer for a few minutes, then add the puree tomatoes.
In the meantime, cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water (make sure to salt the water.) Once cooked, drain and add to the sauce.
Add the Guanciale back and mix with the pasta. Add half a cup of the Pecorino, divide the pasta in four plates, and top it off with remaining cheese and enjoy!
CULTURE AND COCKTAILS at the SAN DIEGO MUSEUM OF ART
If you’re not familiar with “Culture and Cocktails” at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park, you must check it out. It is one of the most fun parties in town and it happens a few times a year. The next Culture and Cocktails on Thursday, September 30th will be inspired by Toulouse Lautrec with a French cabaret theme.
During the first part of the evening, you’ll enjoy cocktails and stroll through the galleries. You’ll be entertained by music and live dance performances in the spirit of the cabaret. Then at 9:00 pm, it’s show time! I am extremely honored to announce that we are going to be hosting the “After Party” at our Sculpture Court Café space. We’ll be serving a sidewalk Bistro with some really cool French Inspired Club Plates, as well as some cool and trendy cocktails. Our favorite DJ Scott Thompson will get everyone going on the dance floor.
I don’t want to ruin any surprises, but I will tell you that our partners in crime, Haydee and Fred from Concepts Event Design, will make the place look fabulous. We look forward to seeing you there! Please visit the SDMA website here to purchase the admission tickets and remember that parking will be tight. I recommend you arrange a cab ride and take the opportunity to party safely with no worries!
Venerdi Veloce
Ok… enough of food, travels and parties. Let’s talk about another big part of my life…sports and fitness.
Last year my friend Bob and I came up with the idea to start a bike ride that would be an opportunity to meet people, ride, chat, network and have a great time.
We call the ride VENERDI VELOCE (Italian for Fast Friday), and we meet every Friday at 7.30 am in front of our favorite bike shop, CALIFORNIA BICYCLES. Shop owner Kevin and his son Jason always welcome us with smiles and great appreciation for supporting their local business.
I’m happy to announce that Bob and I are celebrating Venerdi Veloce’s one year anniversary! Now that we’ve reached this important milestone, we’re thinking ahead with a plan for creating a legitimate cycling club in La Jolla. We want to start the club for three reasons:
- To encourage more people to enjoy the benefits of cycling
- To start an elite circle of athletes who want to start racing for the Club
- To give back to charity by creating some key events and fund raisers related to the sport
Though we have some sponsors lined up, we will always be looking for more partners. And we need to know from our La Jolla residents if you like the idea of having an Official Cycling Team to represent our community. If you do, you’re invited to write me, to submit a comment, and of course to join us in Venerdi Veloce any Friday to see what this is all about…
For the next Giornale, look for the Holiday Season Menu update. We are finalizing our food selection, and we will send out all the information in the next few weeks.
In the meantime, please remember to look at your Fall, Holiday and New Year entertainment plans and let us know right away [click to link] if you will need our catering services. if you know that you will need our catering services please let us know right away. This is going to be a busy season, and we’re already quickly filling up our December calendar.
Until then – -
Mangia Bene e Vivi Meglio
Truly Yours,
Giuseppe
Filed under: Culinary Confessions, Features, Staying Healthy | Tags: Ancient Chinese Medicine, Jadience, Muscle Therapy, Olympic Triathlon, Super Seal, Triathlons
Health. It’s one of my favorite topics. So why does it take so much for me to feel 100% healthy? Sometimes it can feel like a job, and the workday starts as soon as I wake up.
For periods of months during the last couple of years, I didn’t feel 100%. After injuries, work, racing in less than ideal shape, I hit a wall. At one point, I starting thinking I’d settle for feeling 75%, but that didn’t last long. Italians don’t give up so easily! I went to visit doctors, had more MRIs in one year than days off, had shots in my back and treatments of every kind – massages, stretching… the list goes on!
No results. How frustrating is that?
Then one day about a month ago, I was speaking to one of our 2010 wedding season brides, Jenelle Kim, co founder of Jadience, an all natural Muscle and Joint Therapy Company creating products based on ancient Chinese medicine handed down through her family. Jenelle offered to give me a few products to try them out. “G, just go ahead and try them out and I hope this will make you feel better,” Jenelle said.
Not only am I feeling better, it’s like I’ve had a magic transformation!!
I usually don’t rave about things so much but I can’t stop talking to people about this. The Muscle Therapy products line includes a Plaster, Cream, Spray, Bath Gel, and you can find them online or at Whole Foods Stores.
I finally feel like I’m back in peak shape. I’ve been training for my 100 mile ride next week without any soreness, and I started running again. AND believe it or not, I am going back to racing on April 11th with the Olympic Triathlon called Super Seal.
NOTE TO MY DEAR FELLOW TRIATHLETES: For those of you who passed me when I was in pain or when my body decided to take a vacation, WATCH OUT. I will be right on your tails, and as soon as I see an opening I will pass you and leave you behind all the way to the finish line. (Can you tell I am so EXCITED about the comeback?)
Jenelle, all I can say is thank you for introducing me to what I consider the MAGIC medicine that I wish I’d found many years ago.
(If you try Jadience, please write me and let me know how you feel.)
Filed under: Culinary Confessions, Staying Healthy | Tags: Bicycle Training
It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the new millennium. Now all of the sudden here we are getting started on a new decade…wow. Time flies, especially when we look back at all the things that happened during this past ten years.
Well, the very best that we can do is to let the last decade go and to treasure all of the good moments. Forget about the bad ones, since we had a pretty good amount of those. Looking forward to new positive changes, when a better economy will help everyone to get back on track, stay healthy and focus on the important things in life – family, friends, fun trips, good meals.
I’m starting 2010 by setting some solid goals. Last year I have to be honest, it was a bit difficult to manage my goals. I had to put aside many things that I enjoyed very much, some of them by choice and some of them, let’s just say I was forced to.
One of my goals is to get back in peak physical shape and to start doing some races again. Remember, last summer I had to call it quits on my triathlon routine because of some injuries. The last few months were pretty hard without having the recreation of training and looking forward to competitions.
So this year I will approach the sport from a different angle. I’ll start off the year with a 100 mile bike race that will take place in San Diego. The “Gran Fondo” is a classic road race in which people from all over the country come for the challenging ride and beautiful scenery through east and south San Diego. It ends in Little Italy for the grand finale with food, drinks, music and a great expo.
Let me share my first story with you to better explain why I am doing this…..
THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON:
A few weeks ago I went out on a bike ride with my friend, Bob. We ride together every Wednesday and after our ride, we go to work nice and relaxed. Of course we’re tired at times, but we always feel good to get the day started with the energy we get from a good workout.
For the last few years, I’ve been riding a bike that I haven’t been crazy about. Since I bought the bike 5 years ago, I’ve never really felt it was the right one for me and my body frame. I tried to change the fitting…no good…I tried to sell it….no good…I tried to get used to it and be more positive..no good….so guess what I did instead!!!
I completely destroyed the bike by driving it into my garage.
It was the end of the day, and I was tired from riding in the morning and working a long day. I was distracted, and it was one of those days when you just can’t disconnect from work. I completely forgot about my bike on the roof of my car until I heard a horrible crunching noise against the garage door. I know what you’re thinking, but honestly, it was not planned to end the bike’s life that way. However, I took it as a sign that it was time for something different.
As I said above, things happen for a reason, and in this case, that reason is my need for a new thing to inspire me and get back on track with more physical activity for the new year.
My dear friends at California Bicycle (www.calbikes.com), Kevin and his son Jason, were there waiting for me after I called them and told them what happened. I showed up at the shop holding my bike with two fingers and all of the parts hanging from the destroyed Carbon Fiber frame. Kevin says, “G we need to get you back on a bike and get you out there riding. I lead an organized Bike Ride every Friday called “Venerdi Veloce” and we have a pretty solid group of people riding together weekly.” Then I say, “Great! When is the bike coming?? I want the same exact one that Jason rides.”
“OK G we’ll figure it out.” Kevin always says he’ll figure it out and he always does. One phone call a few days later and I had the bike fully ready to go.
I love my new machine so much that can’t get enough of riding.
So the point of the story is to change modes and truly relax at the end of your work day. Stop worrying about something that can be put off for the next day, or your distractions will take over and give you new challenges.
AND
From now on, I will keep two things in mind: 1) I will keep my new toy in the trunk of my car, and 2) I will be extremely careful to go anywhere right after work unless I am completely disconnected from that environment and ready for something recreational.
