Learn about the hidden gems, exciting events, and volunteer opportunities at six of our favorite and most beautiful parks and gardens in New York City.
New York City is more than a concrete jungle – it’s home to more than 29,000 acres of green space across 1,942 sites. It’s impossible to go far without stumbling across a park or garden, and we’re featuring six locations here: Bronx River, Caramoor, CityParks, Governors Island, Riverside Park, Van Cortlandt Park, and Wave Hill. They’re sharing some of the exciting events and features to enjoy this spring and summer, including some exclusive insider tips! Read on to discover these spaces and plan your next adventure in New York City!
The Bronx River
Contributor: Alyssa Perez, Communications and Development Assistant At the Bronx River Alliance, great strides are being made to promote community advocacy and stewardship right here in the Bronx. A major testament to our work was the opening of Starlight Park Phase II in 2023 that created new pedestrian bridges, added to the existing Bronx River Greenway, and incorporated stormwater retention features into the development. This all-new connection brought communities together! In addition, our continued efforts in rain garden maintenance speaks to the prevalent flooding issues NYC experiences during wet weather events. For a unique experience, you can canoe the Bronx River during programming season, visit the ONLY edible food garden at Concrete Plant Park’s Foodway, and cycle continuously through on the Bronx River Greenway. You can also join us at major events like Open House on April 20th, Our Amazing Bronx River Flotilla on May 4th, and so many volunteer opportunities for an experience unlike any other in the Bronx! Find us at bronxriver.org or @bronx_river on Instagram!
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in Katonah, NY just announced the 79th Summer Season and tickets are now on sale! The concert season is from June 9 – August 16, and features a wide variety of genres throughout the summer. What makes Caramoor different from all other venues? The non-profit organization sits on 80 acres of grounds, which lends itself to having four very distinct outdoor venues. You could potentially go to four concerts at Caramoor and have four entirely different concert experiences!
Concert highlights include a Music & Meditation series that’s located in the lush and butterfly-filled Sunken Garden, world-renowned stars in the Venetian Theater such as Sutton Foster, Rhiannon Giddens, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, and so many more. The Spanish Courtyard provides a serene experience where you can sit among the stars in a very intimate venue which is perfect for chamber music, and sit back and relax (or dance!) on Friends Field during the popular Concert on the Lawn series where picnicking is encouraged – check out the Great Performances Concessions Tent for some great bites!
Don’t forget to check out their all-day American Roots and Jazz Festivals, which is a great way to see all the corners of Caramoor while listening to multiple musicians in one day. Plus, check out their calendar for free concerts and the Concerts for Little Ones series that is geared for ages 2–6.
Here’s a tip! For most Caramoor summer concerts, there is a free shuttle that goes back and forth between the Katonah Metro-North train station and the venue. This means you can take the hour-long train ride from NYC, and easily get to Caramoor and back to the train!
Caramoor is the perfect place to experience live music while being in the beautiful outdoors!
We’re gearing up for our busiest season at City Parks Foundation, as the weather warms up and New Yorkers start coming back to their local parks. In celebration of Earth Day, we’re excited to share what we’ll be working on across the city.
Our CityParks Play team will be hosting free sports instruction across all five boroughs for both kids and seniors, with everything from tennis to tai chi on offer right in your neighborhood park. At CityParks Learn, we’ll be going into the classroom and hosting park field trips to teach kids about biodiversity and the role that our parks play in mitigating climate change.
Our programs wouldn’t be possible without parks that are well cared for – if you’re interested in giving back to your community, check out our wide range of It’s My Park beautification and service projects coming up this Earth Day (and every day!). Come together with your community to make a difference right in your neighborhood.
Then, bring the whole family to enjoy a show at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater, which is currently featuring the high-flying tale of a cow who joins the circus in Bessie’s Big Shot. It’s a perfect family-friendly activity, with showings Thursday-Sunday in Central Park.
And of course, we will soon announce a new season of SummerStage, coming to you from May to October in parks across New York City. Already we’ve announced several stellar benefit shows in Central Park, from new “jazz-trap-alt” artist Masego to Irish legends The Saw Doctors, and our entire season of free concerts will follow later this month. Sign up for our membership program today so you can enjoy perks at concerts, including skipping the line and watching the show as a VIP. As always, you can also enjoy delicious food right in Central Park thanks to our partnership with Great Performances– so be sure to come hungry.
See you in the parks!
Contributor: The Trust for Governors Island
From free arts and culture to climate solutions demonstrations from NYC’s most innovative small businesses to large scale concerts with powerhouse headliners, there is something for everyone at Governors Island—now open 365 days a year. The summer season will feature 20+ food and beverage vendors, a packed calendar of free events, a unique collection of arts and cultural programming, monthly nature walks, free walking tours, volunteer opportunities, and, of course, some of the city’s most unique outdoor recreation, including 7 miles of car-free bike paths, urban hiking in our award winning, climate resilient park, and the longest slide in NYC.
Don’t miss our incredible collection of public art, presented through Governors Island Arts—the Trust’s arts and culture program. The Island is home to long term and tem¬po¬rary works from mul¬ti¬dis¬ci¬pli¬nary artists that interact with and respond to Gov¬er¬nors Island’s park and his¬toric landscapes. We also have a large cohort of Organizations in Residence presenting free exhibits, artist residencies, and events every weekend from May through November in the Island’s historic former military houses.
We have a ton of new resources on our website to help visitors connect with our green space—head to the Governors Island Nature tab under “About” to see what plants are currently in season (and where to find them), explore an interactive map of the Island’s 3,500+ trees, and learn about each of our natural areas and the ecological horticultural projects that help them thrive.
Governors Island offers a unique opportunity for organizations and event producers to reach new audiences in an unforgettable setting. At the Trust for Governors Island, we work with cultural, educational and commercial organizations to host independent festivals, concerts, outdoor exhibitions, performances, screenings, workshops, and more.
Contributor: Alison Ettinger-DeLong, Communications Manager at Riverside Park Conservancy
2024 is an exciting year for Riverside Park Conservancy! Working in partnership with NYC Parks, the Conservancy cares for five Manhattan parks: Riverside Park, Riverside Park South, Sakura Park, West Harlem Piers Park, and the shoreline portion of Fort Washington Park up to 181st Street. Comprising nearly 400 acres of public parkland, the area is enjoyed by millions of people each year and provides critical habitat for birds and other wildlife. The Conservancy is committed to building a more sustainable Park – from climate resiliency to environmental justice to financial stability.
We recommend exploring the Park’s pollinator meadows and gardens, which provide valuable habitat for bees, butterflies, and other pollinator populations. Our 119th Street Pollinator Meadow is a hidden gem; to reach it, follow the path behind the nearby 119th Street Tennis Courts, and you’ll reach an expansive, hidden meadow filled with tall flowers and grasses.
This year, the Conservancy is expanding our popular Summer on the Hudson public programming, with many new events in the northern section of our park. The brand-new array of events uptown complements the Conservancy’s increased focus on volunteer activities, landscape stewardship, park equity and community partnerships. Uptown parkgoers can now enjoy movie screenings by the Hudson River waterfront each Thursday in August as well as a Black Birders Week birding walk hosted in partnership with NYC Audubon. Returning events uptown include Fort Washington Park’s beloved Little Red Lighthouse Festival and World Fish Migration Day, and last year’s inaugural Sunset Yoga series at the 145th Street Lawn.
NYC Parks welcomes a variety of permitted events in the Park, including birthday parties, weddings, and other celebrations.
Exciting things happening in Van Cortlandt Park this spring and early summer:
- Volunteer with us, as we gear up for spring, planting lots of new trees and shrubs. Upcoming volunteer events are listed on the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance calendar here.
- From April 26-29, Van Cortlandt Park Alliance will participate in the City Nature Challenge, a global contest or “bio blitz” between cities to find and document wildlife on iNaturalist. Any picture, video, or recorded sound of plants, animals, or evidence of life counts as a submission! Van Cortlandt Park had the most wildlife observations of any NYC park two years ago! Details on a public event for this challenge coming soon!
- Van Cortlandt Park is a great place to explore the history of NYC with sites like the Grand Central Stones and the Van Cortlandt House Museum
- Cultural events, like our annual Pinkster Festival on Saturday, May 4, connect visitors to the park’s history through live music, crafts, and food.
- On Tuesday, June 11, the New York Philharmonic plays its annual free concert on Van Cortlandt Park’s Parade Ground. With dazzling fireworks at the end of the evening, it’s our favorite way to kick off summer!
- Hike in Van Cortlandt Park – the best way to escape the sights and sounds of the city, accessible via subway! Full list of trails here
- Summertime is the best time to picnic in the park!
Contributor: Jess Brey, Senior Horticultural Interpreter at Wave Hill
My favorite view at Wave Hill is from the Secret Garden. An enclosed hillside surrounded by hedges and specimen trees and shrubs offers intimacy with a view. The plantscaping directs attention towards a “garden window”, a break in the plants, to enjoy the best view. Overlooking the nearby Conservatory and Flower Garden, the view spans out towards sweeping lawns and the distant Hudson River and New Jersey Palisades. Many times, there will be some Wave Hill chairs positioned in the Secret Garden offering a seated view from underneath the sweeping arms of an old blue Atlas cedar. Many miss this garden area on their visit as it is a “secret”, however I think it is one of the must stops at Wave Hill during late spring into early autumn. You can even watch Sunset Wednesday concerts from here!
Last month, we unleashed joy in the most epic way at our 40+4 Anniversary Celebration at our Bronx HQ. We invited our partners, collaborators, clients, vendors, and more to join us as we celebrated 40 (plus 4) years of being of service, delivering deliciousness, and helping others celebrate their milestones.
From the moment our guests arrived at our building – by car or by foot – they knew they’d arrived at the right place when they saw the large graffiti mural by Scratch decorating the front of the building and were greeted with the The Marching Cobras Drumline and Danceline who dazzled with energizing drums and electrifying dance.
Guests quickly checked their coats and stepped into Mae Mae Café and Plant Shop where they enjoyed live jazz music from Jazz at Lincoln Center and got their first bite and sip of the day – a Berry Beet Shot and some Carrot Tartare – before they embarked on a tour of our space.
We had so much to share with our guests! They started with the first floor commissary that starts on the south with the loading dock for incoming ingredients, goes through various walk in refrigerators, cold kitchens and hot kitchens, blast chillers, and pack out refrigerators to the out going loading dock. Inside the production kitchen which was still bustling with activity, they enjoyed some bites highlighting our production lines. The Sauce line presented Butternut Squash Soup with Truffled Croutons; the Starch Line presented Twice Baked Potato Gruyere Bites; and the Vegetable Line presented Eggplant Meatballs.
A fan favorite at our venues and at our 40th was a guest appearance from our friend and partner, Charles’ Pan Fried Chicken who served bite-sized portions of his Chicken Slider, Catfish Slider, and Cornbread.
Guests then headed up to the third floor, home to our administrative offices and pastry kitchen, where they had a photo moment in front of our mural painted by Crash, peeked in at the Sylvia Center and the Design/Marketing Offices before continuing through the main office to the Pastry Kitchen where they grabbed one of our incredibly delicious chocolate chip cookies.
A quick hop down to the second floor, they had the chance to see our Design Warehouse, a cave of wonders packed with all the essentials to turn an event into a party! Walking past our Subway Mural created by Scratch (complete with subway audio!), they stepped into our 2nd Floor Event Space! We transformed the open space into a swanky lounge with bars, food stations, a demo area, and a seated lounge.
Warm, friendly staff members greeted guests and offered a selection of our most popular hors d’oeuvres including House Made Kosher Pigs in a Blanket; Smoked Salmon Napoleon; Tuna in a Birds Nest; Mushroom Mole Tostada; Habanero Smoked Tofu Taco; Red Pepper Puffed Tortilla; Fluke Ceviche; Goat Cheese Bonbon; Beet Terrine; and Boneless Lamb Chop.
Guests wandered around the space, learning about our Exclusive Venue Partners and Nonprofit Partners (and how to support them); learning more about our history through our wall of Iconic Moments; adding their tags to a graffiti wall by Scratch; becoming experts in napkin folding with Kevin Horne, a long-time member of our event team; slinging cocktails with our mixologist Daniel Dougherty; and learning how to use vegetables in place of meat with Chef Andrew Smith.
We made sure everyone stayed hydrated throughout the event with our bar station and beverages from our partners at Dio. And of course we made sure that everyone left full of delicious treats from stations representing the breadth of our menus and partners.
At Katchkie Deli, named after our organic farm in upstate New York and featuring a vegan take on the classic NY Reuben with a Pastrami Cured Butternut Squash on Herbed Focaccia.
We shared our Momofuku Station, a collaboration with Momofuku to prepare and share their recipes at events, sharing Charred Eggplant Dip; Tingly Lamb; Chilled Spicy Noodles; Ginger Scallion Noodles; Spicy Pork Rice Cakes; Wagyu Ragu Rice Cakes; Shiitake Bao; Brisket Bao; Bing Bread.
Our friends at Russ & Daughters hosted a station featuring Bagel Chips; Latkes; Wild Alaskan Salmon Roe; Trout Roe; Smoked Salmon.
We worked with JJ Johnson to bring FIELDTRIP to the party with their fan favorite Short Rib & Carolina Rice Bowl and Quinoa Falafel & Wild Rice Bowl.
We rounded out the menu with our Pan African Station serving a variety of dishes that represent different regions across Africa: Chapati (East African Flatbread); Zaalouk (Moroccan Vegetable Dip); Burkina Faso Chicken Brochette; Senegalese Jollof Rice; Khudraat Mashwiyya (Moroccan Spiced Roasted Vegetables); Kelewele (Ghanian Sweet Plantain); and Tanzanian Tofu Curry.
We were thrilled to receive a number of citations and proclamations including a Citation of Merit from Vanessa L. Gibson, President of the Borough of The Bronx; and a proclamation from Mayor Eric Adams declaring March 11, 2024 Great Performances Day in New York City!
It was an incredibly joyous event, and we lived up to our Mission of Unleashing Joy through Genuine Hospitality. We love throwing parties with our clients; and we love even more having them over at our own home and throwing a party for them!
40+4 Video
Video credit: Hechler Photographers
Great Performances Through the Years
Gallery images credit Hechler Photographers
By Steven Moskos, Director of Staffing & John Gargano, Director of Service.
Service is at the core of who we are at Great Performances, and an important component of what we look for when we hire anyone, from our back of house and administration teams to our front of house and service teams. At every level, we should have a service and hospitality mindset.
Alongside the event venue and décor, the service helps sets the tone for an event. When guests attend a Great Performances party, they should feel welcomed and taken care of by every member of our team. Steven Moskos, our director of staffing, and John Gargano, our director of service, work closely to ensure our service staff have the training they need to hone their hospitality instincts and deliver exemplary service.
“At Great Performances, everybody receives comprehensive training as part of our 360-degree approach to transformation,” comments Gargano.
Training begins at onboarding and continues throughout a staff member’s tenure at GP, whether they’re adding new skills, learning the ins and outs of an event venue, or changing positions. As we kick off each season, we’ll also host training sessions to reinforce the essential skills necessary to produce successful events and that help them progress in their careers. We also take the opportunity to train new Service Leads and Captains, who will be added to our roster of leadership throughout the upcoming season. New hires and captains will embark on training shifts at actual events, where they get to grow in their skills through practical experience.
“We pride ourselves on giving staff the keys to their own success,” Moskos shares. “Through these trainings, staff who want to grow with us are given the skills they need at every stage to excel.”
Off season training sessions are refresher courses and professional development courses including Buffet, Tasting, and Private Home Service Skills and venue-specific trainings.
Our training program comprises classroom-style instruction, hands-on practice sessions, and role-playing exercises that use real-world scenarios. Through repetition and employing a variety of techniques that appeal to different learning styles, we ensure that all team members acquire the skills and mindset to provide the highest levels of professional, friendly, and warm service.
Learning the basics of service and building muscle memory allows our staff to practice empathy, attentiveness, and adaptability as they interact with guests and encounter different situations. More than just training our team members on skills, we focus on the qualitative aspects that turn service into genuine hospitality. We encourage our staff to look for non-verbal cues that can help them anticipate client and guest needs and deliver an experience that exceeds their expectations.
Throughout the training, our service pillars of Presentation, Teamwork, Knowledge, Service, Leadership, and Personality are highlighted, all of which drive our mission at Great Performances: Unleash Joy through Genuine Hospitality.
We’re delighted to share that Liz Neumark, Founder & CEO of Great Performances, has been voted onto the Board of Directors of New York City Tourism + Conventions.
New York City Tourism + Conventions is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) and convention and visitors bureau (CVB) for all five boroughs of New York City. Their mission is to invite the world and energize NYC, building equitable, sustainable economic prosperity and community through tourism for the mutual benefit of residents, business, and visitors.
Their focus on strategically driving leisure travel and business events in NYC have made a significant impact for their members and for NYC across all five boroughs. Their efforts across numerous communications channels have reached millions of travelers and potential visitors, helping drive an increase in conventions and tourism increasing leads and business for NYC.
In 2023, visitors who travelled 50 miles or more or spent one night in NYC increased to 61.8 million people, 93% of the record 2019 total. NYC is on track to welcome 64.5 million visitors in 2025 and to exceed pre-covid highs in 2025. This yields $74 billion in economic impact and 380,000 jobs.
A longtime member of the organization, Liz is proud to join a group of other industry leaders who are committed to the growth and success of NYC travel and tourism.
To learn more about the Board of Directors, please read the press release here and to learn more about the impact of NYC Tourism + Conventions, visit their website here.
Delicious Books to Celebrate Women’s History Month
By Solanki Roy, Executive Venue Chef
For Women’s History Month, Chef Solanki Roy shares some of the books that are on her shelf for reading – and re-reading! – and that have provided inspiration for her as a female chef.
I’m an ardent reader, and as a female chef in a male-dominated industry (26.9% of chefs in the US are female, while 73.1% are male), I’m thrilled to share some of my favorite books which talk about the historic impact of women in the culinary industry.
Tastemakers: Seven Immigrant Women who Revolutionized Food in America by Mayukh Sen
This book delves into the fascinating world of culinary influencers, exploring the stories behind some of the most iconic women who have shaped the way we eat, cook, and think about food. From renowned chefs and food writers to innovative entrepreneurs and cultural icons, this book uncovers the journeys, inspirations, and impact of these tastemakers on the culinary landscape.
Who Cooked the Last Supper: The Women’s History of the World by Rosalind Miles
“Who Cooked the Last Supper?” is a thought-provoking exploration of the often-overlooked role of women in the history of cooking and culinary traditions. Delving beyond the conventional narratives of famous male chefs and cookbook authors, this book uncovers the untold stories of women who have shaped the way we eat, cook, and think about food.
Drawing on a wealth of historical sources, “Who Cooked the Last Supper?” sheds light on the diverse roles that women have played in the kitchen, from home cooks and food artisans to professional chefs and entrepreneurs.
What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women and the Food That Tells Their Stories by Laura Shapiro
“What She Ate” focuses on a different woman from diverse backgrounds and time periods, spanning from historical figures to contemporary icons. Through meticulous research and vivid storytelling, readers are transported into the kitchens, dining rooms, and lives of these extraordinary women, gaining insight into their personalities, struggles, and triumphs.
From the extravagant feasts of Eleanor Roosevelt to the humble meals of Rosa Parks, “What She Ate” offers a window into the everyday rituals and extraordinary events that shaped these women’s relationships with food. Through their culinary choices, readers discover the cultural, social, and emotional significance of food in the lives of these women, revealing insights into their values, desires, and aspirations.
Lastly but most importantly my mother and my grandmother having profound influence on me subconsciously of how to cook with passion and love. They always told stories of the historic freedom movement in India, had intellectual discussions on science, economics, and arts and recited poetries of Rabindranath Tagore and Najrul Geeti while sipping on our flavorsome Chai or kneading on a dough of luchi. Food has been a universal love language.
Celebrating a Sustainable City
By Alison Pirie, Open House New York
Did you know there’s an apple orchard on top of the busiest convention center in the nation?
Most New Yorkers know Javits Center as a mammoth glass convention hall, but in recent years, renovations have transformed the site into a model of biodiversity and green infrastructure. It is now home to both trade shows and over 50 species of birds.
In addition to the apple orchard, North Javits, part of the $1.5 billion expansion of Javits Center, boasts a pollinator meadow and one-acre rooftop farm growing native plants that were once rooted on the very land where the Javits Center now stands.
Open House New York, a nonprofit known for unlocking the city’s hidden gems, invites you to celebrate this remarkable project at the Open City Benefit on April 18. At the event, the North Javits design-build team will be honored with the Open City Award for their pivotal role in shaping a greener, more sustainable future for our city.
Join hundreds of New Yorkers in the saw-toothed pavilion of North Javits for a festive evening of cocktails, farm-to-table dining, entertainment, and design tours, surrounded by a lush rooftop farm and spectacular skyline and river views.
Open City Benefit
Thursday, April 18, 2024
North Javits: Rooftop Pavilion and Farm
New York City
The Open City Benefit isn’t just an event—it makes possible Open House New York’s mission to unlock the city’s treasures for all to enjoy—including the beloved annual citywide festival OHNY Weekend. And it is a ton of fun.
Celebrating Our Employees at Our Holiday Party at Wollman Rink
As much as we love to Unleash Joy through Genuine Hospitality for our clients and their guests, we especially love to do it for and with each other. Each year we take a moment to celebrate each other at our holiday party, and this year, for the third year, we’ve held it at Wollman Rink.
It’s the perfect venue for a fun celebration of reconnecting with team members we may not see as often and enjoying moments of camaraderie as we take a spin (or a stumble!) across the ice.
Check out our gallery of photos below!
Celebrating Chinese New Year with Hugh
by Hugh Chan
This year, we celebrate the Year of the Dragon with a two-week celebration.
Our celebrations begin the night before, on Chinese New Year Eve. On this night, everyone from the family travels home to gather for a reunion complete with a huge meal. My mother would have spent the day preparing the Chinese New Year Eve dinner and the food for the following day.
We would have dishes that symbolize good luck and fortune. A staple with almost all families is black moss, which translates in Chinese to Fat Choy which means Good Fortune, and Dried Oysters, which translates to Ho See meaning Good Deeds / Good News / Prosperity.
At the end of the night, the elders of the family will give us a Red Envelope to put under our pillows before our sleep. The Red Envelopes contain money, and putting them under our pillows before we sleep represents ending the year with Good Fortune.
The next day, my mom wakes up at 5am to start cooking all the food she prepared from the night before. Once the meal is ready and placed on the dining table in a big feast, we join together to light incense and burn papers to welcome the gods and ancestors to eat first.
The first meal of the day will be all vegetarian dishes including vermicelli noodles, mushrooms, black bean with tofu, cooked cabbage, and more.
Then anyone who is not married will go to the married members of the family to wish them good luck and share blessings. In return, they’ll receive a Red Envelope for Good Fortune, symbolizing starting the year with Good Fortune.
After the first meal, you can eat meat throughout the rest of the day. Dishes include white rice; a whole steamed chicken; roasted pig; stir fry vermicelli noodles with mushrooms, tofu, and black beans; and stir fry cauliflower.
Other traditions we uphold include not sweeping or taking out the garbage for five days, as it’s believed if you do so, you’re sweeping out good luck and wealth from your home. You also can’t use knives or scissors as it can lead to bad luck.
Sharing Our Love Through Food
by Michelle Altman and Josh Stern
From the moment we landed on doing our wedding at Wave Hill with Great Performances, we would convene for dinner and discuss work and this crazy thing coming up…our wedding! For years Josh has been a member of a CSA in Brooklyn. Coming together and figuring out the best use of whatever was in season was not only fun, but also helped us eat our way through the wedding planning. Whittling down our invite list while figuring out what to do with carrots, leeks and asparagus. Preparing for our combined bachelor/bachelorette weekend while chomping many lettuces, chard, herbs. And sitting there biting fingernails in the final countdown with an overflowing fridge of bursting tomatoes.
We still use cooking and food as a time to reconnect, laugh, and talk through whatever might be weighing on us. And as the wedding planning vacuum has taken hold, planning and cooking meals has become a daily way to share our love for each other. As the work day winds down, the ‘what are you thinking for dinner?’ text is a mainstay. Sometimes it’s, ‘What are you in the mood for?’ or, ‘I’m home first so I can start din!’ or ‘Are you eating rice this week?’ but no matter what starts the conversation, thinking about food always means thinking about each other.
We pretty naturally split cooking, both of us love the process and the result of making something for each other, to share. A lot of what makes meals memorable and full of love is putting in that extra step or homemade touch. As the winter rages on, we have been making a lot of homemade broth from veggie scraps we accumulate during the week — a tip Josh picked up from the cookbook Sylvia’s Table by Liz Neumark. It’s a really sustainable and thoughtful way to add depth to a meal. The process reminds us of our wedding, actually, not because we had soup (we didn’t) but because there was no team more thoughtful in their small, medium, and big touches than Great Performances. It’s very easy to get caught up thinking about how others will experience your wedding while planning, but Great Performances made sure WE had the best time at our wedding. Not once was a drink missing from our hands or a grumble in our stomachs. And it didn’t stop at the food! After a tropical storm swept in and left Michelle with a wet train (oh no!), one of Great Performances’ magical fairies (aka staff) swooped in and helped pin the dress into a perfect bustle, while her sweet GP sidekicks poured us champagne and brought us trays with two of every appetizer. Never did we imagine or expect that when we chose the delicious seared tuna appetizer, that GP would be serving it to us while simultaneously jerry-rigging Michelle’s wedding dress into a gorgeous, totally incognito bustle. Miraculous. Incredible. Unforgettable. Are we talking about the tuna? The staff? It’s hard to tell!!! We barely know…
We wanted the food at our wedding to celebrate our love as well as share it. From the minute people walked in the door, they were greeted with a bright, sweet beverage. How would the contrasting pink of the beverage look against the background of the venue? We were floored that GP seemed genuinely as interested as we were to talk about a detail as minute as this. But they did! To celebrate Michelle’s Persian ethnicity, the team set up a Persian tea table stocked with dried fruits, nuts, and Persian cookies. Great Performances made sure the table looked and felt exactly as we envisioned and it’s something we’ll never forget. Sending our family and friends off at the end of the night with VERY full bellies was also something we wanted, and Great Performances had the genius idea to pull out their classic soft pretzel machine and hand those out, as well as Greenberg’s Black and White cookies, to each guest on their way to their cars. They cared as much as we did about our wedding, which seems hard to believe because we cared a LOT.
Even though the wedding is over, we’re still showing our care, love, and compassion for each other through food. For Valentine’s Day, we plan to stay in and recreate one of our favorite restaurant dishes at the moment, the Green Curry Mussels from Greenpoint Fish and Lobster (huge shoutout to them). Instead of going to the restaurant, we’ll pick up mussels from their fish market instead! Even though we could easily spend this special night at one of their dimly-lit-to-perfection high top tables, it’s much more appealing to us to clean and steam the mussels together over a glass of wine and the new André 300 flute album because it’s something we can do for each other with each other. There’s little else outside of food that provides this opportunity as often or as richly as food does. Happy Valentine’s!
JANUARY FOOD FESTIVAL: EMBRACE HOT SPICES AND SEASONINGS
Hot spices and seasonings add a new dimension to meals, in addition to having many health benefits.
Spicy ingredients include red pepper flakes, paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne, ginger, cinnamon, curry powder, black pepper, harissa, and hot sauces and are incredibly versatile. From sweets (cinnamon hot chocolate?) to savory dishes, spicy ingredients can transform a dish.
This month we’re sharing a recipe for chili seasonings that you can prepare in advance and keep in an airtight container for the times you want to add a little extra heat and flavor to soups, stews, and other dishes. We love it in Chef Andrew’s Vegan Chili – perfect for Veganuary!
Vegan Chili Recipe
by Andrew Smith, Culinary Director
INGREDIENTS
Chili Seasoning
- salt
- chili powder
- granulated onion
- granulated garlic
- cumin
Chili
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 3 15oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup Brooklyn lager
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp Chili Seasoning
PROCEDURE
- Heat oil in a heavy bottomed, 6 qt pot on medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sweat till onions have become translucent.
- Add seasoning mix and stir till fragrant.
- Deglaze with beer, scraping up fond and stirring until reduced to au sec (nearly dry), then add stock, tomatoes, and black beans.
- Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about one hour or until liquids have reduced to chili-like consistency.
- Season to taste and remove from heat. Serve with your favorite chili garnishes.
More Food Festival Recipes
