Chef Joe Bachman’s Baked Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese Gratin Recipe
Chef Joe Bachman shares his Baked Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese Gratin recipe, a slightly savory twist on a classic side dish.
By Chef Saul Bolton
I started cooking for Passover over 24 years ago in the west village. My boss’s mom came into the restaurant kitchen and would teach me her Passover recipes. The wonder. The honor to be given a personal glimpse into a family, a tradition, and a culture. We cooked together for three Passover holidays. It was special.
I drew the following recipes from the past and present; from the freedom, one has not being bound by years of tradition; from the enrichment by my culinary peers and the world we live in; and from the deep respect for the importance of family, culture, and tradition.
Serves 6
1 lb tomatillos, husk removed
1 small white onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1 whole jalapeño, stem removed
4 whole garlic cloves
1 bunch cilantro, washed and shaken to remove excess water (set aside 12 sprigs of cilantro for garnish)
1 ripe hass avocado
1 lime, cut in half for juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
1 packet of salted matzo, broken up into tortilla chip size pieces & toasted in oven until golden brown
8 whole cage free eggs, room temperature
¼ lb queso fresco, crumbled
Heat a sauté pan over high heat. Add tomatillos, onion quarters, jalapeño and garlic in batches. Carefully blister them on all sides until they have a nice char.
To prepare a salsa verde, add the charred ingredients to a blender. Add cilantro stems and blend until everything is well processed. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a small bowl, mash the avocado with a fork and season with a squeeze of lime juice, salt and a touch of olive oil. Set aside.
Heat an appropriate sized sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil then carefully add in the salsa verde. Add the matzo chips. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir until the sauce is evenly distributed.
Add the eggs to the pan, gently stirring as per scrambled eggs. Cook to your liking.
Divide the mixture between six warm plates
To serve, top each mound of eggs with mashed avocado and garnish with a sprinkle of queso fresco, a sprig of cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Chef Joe Bachman shares his Baked Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese Gratin recipe, a slightly savory twist on a classic side dish.
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Early in her career, Liz Neumark, founder and CEO of Great Performances, was pursuing her passion of photography and needed additional ways to make ends meet. She turned to food service jobs—a common solution for many people in the arts—but found it challenging to find opportunities, especially ones that were safe. Seeing an opportunity, she started Great Performances Artists as Waitresses, a service dedicated to hiring women in the arts as servers for special events.
Over the years, the company and its range of services grew and now, almost 40 years later, is the leading catering and events company in New York City, offering a multitude of hospitality services. It’s a point of pride for Liz that many members of the senior leadership team are women and that of the more than 1300 employees, almost half are women.
“On this Women’s Day, I celebrate my good fortune to have worked many decades for the women-centric firm that is Great Performances. Opportunities to thrive and grow abound, which is why I have stayed put since the company’s inception. It’s also important to me that we are dedicated to mentoring the next generation of smart, vibrant women who will continue to propel GP to—and beyond—its next chapter,” says Linda Abbey, Executive Vice President.
In 2017, Liz was recognized as one of Crain’s New York’s most powerful women of 2017′, with a nod to her time spent working on food-justice issues, sustainable food sourcing and work with The Sylvia Center, the non-profit she founded in 2007 which focuses on inspiring young people and their families to establish independent healthy eating habits.
“I celebrate Women’s Day every day,” stated Liz. “It’s exciting for me to watch women grow and develop within the organization. It’s a huge challenge for women to balance their careers and their lives, and I want to enable them to do both.”
The theme for International Women’s Day 2019 is #Balanceforbetter, and while Liz is fair to all employees, she’s particularly sensitive to the challenges working mothers face. As a working mother, she struggled to find the balance between running a company and raising her family. As a result, she’s long championed paying people for the jobs they do, not for the hours they work.
At GP we continue to celebrate and encourage women’s achievements and support gender-neutrality in the workplace.
By Catering Operations Manager Morgan Golumbuk
The first thing I consumed in Tokyo was sake – because I forgot the Japanese word for “water”.
Shuffling over in socked feet with a bottle as large as my torso, the server poured until the glistening sake filled both the glass and its bowl-shaped coaster. The chef, positioned directly across a shallow counter, smiled at my dumbfounded face. “Japan way,” he said. And so the trip of my dreams began.
My entire life revolves around food. In addition to managing catering operations for Great Performances, I also run a food Instagram, @morganmunchesmanhattan, that has a corresponding map detailing every restaurant I’ve visited in the four and a half years that I’ve lived in the city. If you want to eat in New York, I have 675+ suggestions for you.
So, needless to say, my trip to Japan last month was food-centric. I hit three destinations before 1 pm on my first day, meandering through the blindingly colorful Harajuku neighborhood to find creamy matcha, driving my fork through a triple stack of jiggly soufflé pancakes, and slurping a steaming bowl of beef udon with the colossal stone bowl pressed to my lips (that’s how everyone else was doing it, after all).
It’s a cash country, but most people we encountered were friendly, patient and willing to help us count out the coins jingling away in the bottom of our bags. You can smoke in most restaurants, but bars give you crunchy “arare” to snack on while you sip whisky (no “e”!) from one of the country’s 17 distilleries. And sometimes, you get “biru” when you asked for “mizu,” but choose to revel in the bartender’s ability to turn water into Sapporo.
Tokyo is a place where you are encouraged to eat sushi at the fish market at 8:45 am and ramen you ordered from a machine at 4 am after you’ve spent too many hours singing Britney Spears at karaoke. It gifted me with saccharine fingers from plucking at mountains of rainbow cotton candy, a penchant for the “trust your bartender” method of ordering drinks made with the fruit market’s freshest goods, and a handful of friends made across bar tops using the Google Translate app.
Kyoto, not to be outdone, wowed us with its more traditional characteristics. We stayed at a Japanese inn (or “ryokan”) and were delighted to participate in a customary tea ceremony in the evening, followed by an expansive breakfast set the next morning, both of which we enjoyed while sitting cross-legged on tatami mats.
Finally, in Osaka, we ate the meal I had been waiting for: poisonous blowfish. Served shredded into strips, sliced into sashimi, fried, boiled and reduced into porridge, we scooped it with chopsticks and bit it off bones until there wasn’t a bite left of any preparation. Considering none of the three of us are dead, I would’ve called the meal a success, even if I hadn’t thoroughly enjoyed it.
My wallet is lighter, my body is heavier and I’m sure I still have whisky coursing through my veins. But the balance between warmth and perfectionism makes Japan and its cuisine uniquely unforgettable, and worth the trip as long as you don’t mind a pair of 14-hour flights.
Arigato gozaimasu for reading; may your travels bring you as much “mizu” and “biru” as you desire, and more great food and friends than you could ever imagine.
By Design Manager, Randy Ballesteros
1. Blooming branches are a quick way of adding height to a display and don’t require too many stems to make an impact. Look for branches that have lots of closed buds, put them into warm water to help the flowers bud and in a couple of days you’ll have a stunning branch. Forsythia, quince, magnolias and camellia are great options.
2. Skip the blossoms. Branches that don’t have blooms are also abound and add a sculptural quality. Salix, manzanita, curly willow and birch branches add drama and dimension.
3. Flower bulbs are starting to sprout. Keep the stalks attached to the bulb and nestle in a small dish of water or soil. A fragrant blossom will slowly sprout. Hyacinths, daffodils and muscari are wonderful options. After the bloom has expired, save the bulb and replant to enjoy next year.
4. Moss, airplants and succulents are another wonderful way of adding vibrant greenery which don’t require a lot of maintenance. Be daring and go upright by using a wall planter.
5. Hydrangeas come in a variety of colors and are very popular. Make them last longer by keeping your vessel filled at least three-quarters full of cool water. They drink a lot of water, so you may need to refill every other day.
6. Roses should be firm to the touch. They are fresher and will last a longer period of time. Enjoy the blossoms as they slowly open and develop in color.
7. Garden roses are a specific type of rose that are cut from large bushes. These are more fragrant and richer in color.
8. Tulips and calla lilies are thirsty flowers. When you get them home, keep them tightly wrapped and then give them a fresh cut to help them drink up the water. After 2 hours, unwrap and your stems will be straight. Tulips will keep growing even after they are cut, and after a couple of days you’ll have wonderful curving stems.
9. Create easy flower arrangements. An easy solution to create stunning arrangements is to pick one type of flower and use several bunches to make an impact.
10. Keep it cool. Keep your arrangement in an environment with cooler temperatures, between 50 – 60 degrees. Keep them away from heat vents or radiators.
11. Keep it clean. An easy way to prolong the life of flowers is to change the water frequently and keep the vessel clean. Give the interior of the vessel a good scrubbing, refill with water and add a tiny drop of household bleach to keep the water free of bacteria. Trim the stems before you put them back in the water and enjoy!
By Great Performances
We’re delighted to welcome Jonathan Cetnarski as Great Performances’ new Chief Operating Officer. In this newly created role, Jonathan will focus on strategy, business transformation and efficiencies while working with Liz Neumark, Founder and CEO, and Dean Martinus, President.
Jonathan comes to Great Performances as a transformational executive with a long history of running successful, innovative and value-creating businesses, first in the corporate sector and most recently in the private sector. From his early roots in Human Resources departments for commercial banks and retail businesses, he grew to develop and lead successful teams, driving strategic growth. He spent 15 years at MasterCard Worldwide where he created and grew their data analytics business, years ahead of Big Data. He spent several years at Vodafone Global Enterprise, leading the integration of a managed services company into Vodafone and ultimately becoming Global Head of Business Operations for Vodafone Telecom Management Practice. In this role he was responsible for the customer journey, leveraging and growing the people, processes, and technology to support the mission.
Jonathan’s passion for transformation and change extend beyond his professional life to his personal life as well. Noticing that he was struggling with constant fatigue, discomfort and weight fluctuations, he set out on a path of personal transformation. He learned that what he ate, where it came from and how it was prepared made a huge impact on how he felt. Through this journey, he discovered Natural Gourmet Institute and was immediately drawn to the school’s values, history and desire to be the definitive educator of health-supportive cooking. With his renewed clarity, energy and vibrancy, he transformed Natural Gourmet Institute from New York City’s best-kept-secret to its newest iteration as the Natural Gourmet Center at the Institute for Culinary Education, where the program will be taught both in New York City and Los Angeles.
Joining Great Performances is a natural next step in Jonathan’s journey. “I am so impressed with Great Performances and the outstanding work that is being here. I’m thrilled to be part of a company that has a value system like GP and I really love the energy and enthusiasm of everyone who works here!”
We would love to get to know a little more about you!
I live in Brooklyn and my favorite meal is pasta with garlic, butter and Parmesan cheese. I am an avid cook and enjoy entertaining and sharing my creations. I have varied interests, but love to read, volunteer and travel. I am a bit of geek and a total Star Wars fan.
What are some of the things that you are looking forward to with GP this year?
Moving to the Bronx and finding new ways to improve and update our operational processes, people practices and technology!
By Sarah Prawl
This month, celebrate the beginning of spring, women’s history, Mardi Gras and more at our partner venues.
Wednesday, March 13 at 6:30pm
This event will look at artists, activists, journeywomen, and others in various cultural and political phenomena whose presence and work in the Harlem community exemplify the concept of feminism. Learn more here.
Friday, March 15 at 8pm
Alice Smith headlines the Apollo Theater’s third Women of the World Festival with an evening length concert. Learn more here.
Saturday, March 16 at 5pm
Suze Orman returns to Apollo for the WOW Festival (Women of the World). This evening is intended to give women the opportunity to tap into Ms. Orman’s unique spirit, people-first wisdom, and unparalleled appreciation that for women, money itself is not the end goal; it’s the means to live a full, meaningful life that supports their loved ones and their beloved communities. Learn more here.
For complete festival schedule, details and tickets, Visit WOWApollo.org.
Tuesday, March 5 from 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Go inside the world of beauty and wellness with Danielle Chang, founder of LUCKYRICE and host of Lucky Chow, the popular PBS series that explores how Asian culture is rooted in our everyday lives. Engage in a fascinating discussion featuring Asian Americans who are successfully growing and leading the highly competitive beauty and wellness markets. Learn more here.
Tuesday, March 5 at 6:30 pm
The Gotham Kings Mardi Gras Celebration returns to Dizzy’s for another night of festivities. Led by trumpeter Alphonso Horne, this fun-loving group of musicians and dancers will treat audiences to the infectious traditions of Creole jazz. Learn more here.
Thursday, March 21 through Sunday, March 24 at 7:30 pm
The all-female DIVA Jazz Orchestra exudes the excitement and force found in the historic big band tradition. With Dizzy’s Club as its “New York City home,” DIVA performs all over the world, playing contemporary, mainstream big band jazz composed and arranged to fit the individual personalities and styles of the musicians. Learn more here.
March 9 from 11am – 4:30pm
Join ICP at the ICP School for an all-day communal updating of Wikipedia entries on subjects related to gender, art, and feminism, culling from ICP’s collections and alumni. Learn more here.
Sunday, March 10 at 9:30am
Welcome migratory birds back to Wave Hill this spring. Explore the gardens and woodlands with naturalist Gabriel Willow on a quest to spot both resident and rare birds as they pass through on their northern journey or settle down for the season. Learn more here.
March 16 & 17 from 10am – 1pm
What does nature tell you? Join a facilitated walk that will lead us in the different ways we can listen to what nature is telling us about itself. Learn more here.
Photo Credits: ©Apollo Theater, ©Asia Society, ©Dizzy’s, ©Wave Hill
By Liz Neumark
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Dining With the Divas
11:30am Reception
12:00pm-1:30pm Luncheon
Dining with the Divas is a now legendary luncheon advancing women’s leadership through art education. Held on the Apollo Theater’s legendary stage, this unique event highlights extraordinary women from many industries who serve as role models and mentors. Dining with the Divas attracts more than 350 guests and is an important networking opportunity for a diverse and influential group of women. Dining with the Diva’s chairs are incredible leaders Betsy H. Cohen, Joan Haffenreffer, and Carolyn Minick Mason. Proceeds from Dining with the Divas benefit the Apollo Theater’s year-round education, community, and performing arts programs serving New York City students and families.
To purchase tickets or to make a donation, please click here.
For more information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact special.events@apollotheater.org.
The incomparable vocalist Kim Nalley sings jazz’s greatest love songs on Valentine’s Day. Treat yourself and your valentine with an unforgettable night of live jazz in front of a glittering New York skyline and a special Valentine’s Day prix-fixe menu. Learn more here.
If you can’t make it to the Valentine’s Day dinner, stop by for the Late Night Session with trumpeter Giveton Gelin at 11:15 pm. Learn more here.
Thursday, February 14
Opening of The Value of Sanctuary: Building a House Without Walls
6 pm – 9 pm
Join Saint John Divine on Valentine’s Day for the opening of The Value of Sanctuary: Building a House Without Walls, the next in a series of Cathedral-wide initiatives focused on the intersections between spirituality, contemporary social issues, and human rights and dignity. Learn more here.
By Amanda DiUglio
After setting your budget, possible dates, and starting your guest list, the next step is choosing your venue. With so many options in the Greater New York City area, it can definitely be overwhelming, but we’ve got you covered with a list of some our favorite venues for your special day.
Personally, this is one of my favorite places in the Hudson Valley. Caramoor’s flower gardens, picturesque cedar trails and historic home makes this unique space perfect for a wedding. Caramoor can host parties from 50-800 guests allowing guests to experience all 90 archers throughout the course of the evening. Don’t forget to visit throughout the season for one of their amazing summer concerts!
Surrounded by lush gardens, perfect views of the Hudson River, and a stunning coy pond, Wave Hill is a magical wedding venue. Sunset cocktails on the lower lawn will surely take your guests’ breaths away followed by dancing inside the historic Mark Twain Room. What could be better?
Museums are one of the trendiest places to get married, and Brooklyn Museum is top of the list. Guests get VIP access to art, culture and an experience they will never forget. With the ceremony in the pavilion followed by dinner and dancing in the Beaux Arts, the museum can be your canvas for the perfect love story.
For the rustic chic wedding couple, The Foundry offers great outdoor space, lots of exposed brick, and a fun industrial vibe. With views of the Queensboro Bridge, the ivy covered oasis is a dream for every couple!
If you want to get married in the heart of Manhattan, this secret garden awaits you! Right off of 5th Ave, 620 Loft and Garden overlooks St Patrick’s Cathedral and Rockefeller Plaza for some of the best views in New York City. The crisp interior allows for you to bring your vision to life, which is only matched by the elegance of the pristine gardens.
The legendary Plaza Hotel is the perfect location for a one-of-a-kind celebration that is modern, timeless and elegant. With 4 enchanting rooms to chose from, there’s no doubt that your wedding will feel like a real-life fairytale.
Photo Credits: ©Terri Diamond Photography, ©Levi Stolove, ©Judith Rae, ©Love + Wolves CO., ©Cappy Hotchkiss, ©Daniel Silbert Photgraphy, ©Christian Oth Studio, ©Roey Yohai, ©Allan Zepeda, ©Fred Marcus
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By Shelley Clark
This is the most ambitious and far-reaching collaboration that the Brooklyn Museum and Great Performances Hospitality Group have undertaken to date, building on the success of their collaboration on David Bowie Is at the Brooklyn Museum last year.
GP has created an engaging food program which will run for the duration of the exhibition and is designed to bring a multi-sensory experience connecting the community, the exhibition, and Mexican culture through all five senses. GP chefs Saul Bolton and Andy Mejias collaborated with highly-acclaimed local Mexican cuisine-centric chefs including Carlos and Felipe Arellano of Park Slope’s Chela; Justin Bazdarich of Greenpoint’s Oxomoco; Natalia Mendez of The Bronx’s La Morada; TJ Steele of Gowanus’s Claro; and Sue Torres, television personality and consultant.
Guided by Saul Bolton, GP’s Michelin star chef and executive chef at The Norm, the full-service, on-site restaurant GP operates at the museum, the partner chefs will take on residencies at The Norm, creating special dishes inspired by the life and work of Frida Kahlo, which will rotate through The Norm’s menu during the exhibition. The menu will be reimagined to showcase Mexican ingredients, flavors and techniques. (Click here to see The Norm’s Frida Kahlo inspired all day and brunch menus).
The beverage program at The Norm has also been updated with signature Mexican-themed cocktails and a coffee program delivered by Brooklyn Roasting Company featuring a custom Oaxacan blend. The coffee will also be sold in the museum’s gift shop and at Brooklyn Roasting’s seven coffee shops.
The talented group of partner chefs will also collaborate with GP on a series of activations throughout the museum, sharing their Mexican food and culture expertise with the public through events including POP up offerings of signature items at Target First Saturdays; cooking demonstrations; and a talk about the history, traditions, and regional differences of Mexican cuisine.
The first partner chefs whose dishes will be featured at The Norm are Sue Torres and the Arellano Brothers. Three dishes by Torres will be available Feb. 8 to March 4:
Flautas de Camarones – shrimp, with garlic, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lemon and lime zest, rolled in corn tortillas and deep fried and served with guajillo sauce topped with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, crema pura, radishes, and guacamole.
Gordita de Plaintain – sweet plantain cakes stuffed with black beans and goat cheese, that are deep fried and served on roasted pumpkin seed salsa with a twang of lime juice and topped with crema pura and red onions cured in lime juice with red habanero.
Pescado Escondito – red snapper fillet marinated in achiote paste enhanced with orange, lime and roasted garlic and onion. Snapper is pan roasted and served with fried plaintains, roasted cherry tomato and onions with rice redolent of bay leaf and butter.
Carlos and Felipe Arellano’s vegetarian dishes will remain on the menu throughout the exhibition. They are:
Huarache de Nopales– grilled nopale cactus pad, topped with grilled nopale, refried black beans, guajillo chili roasted mushrooms, queso fresco, chopped onion, cilantro, and salsa rojo
Budin Vegatariano– budin layered with sautéed spinach, nopale salad, grilled corn, salsa verde, and queso Oaxaca
The Norm has been transformed to incorporate Frida Kahlo’s persona as chronicled in the exhibition: one wall has been re-painted in the soft salmon color that is used as a backdrop throughout the show; and The Norm’s hallmark wall of art showcases works by Carlos Mendez, once an assistant to Frida’s husband, Diego Riviera. The artwork is from two of his print portfolios and documents and celebrates the variety of clothing worn by people from cultures across Mexico, including the Tehuana style Frida Kahlo favored. More of his Tehuana clothing depictions are part of Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving.
Much of the culinary programming for the exhibition is still in the development stage, so be sure to check-out The Norm’s website over the next 14 weeks for updates!
By Liz Neumark and Tim Berryman
Over 30 years ago we established these Fellowship Awards which has grown from two grants of $1,000 to four grants of $5,000. The various projects encompass musical, theatrical, writing and painting endeavors.
Do you have an idea that you’ve been seeking funding to get off the ground? This is your chance to make it happen! The deadline for submissions is February 22nd, at which point all applications will be sent off to our panel of external judges. The Fellowship Awards will take place at Mae Mae Cafe on the 2nd of April, where four winners will be selected and presented with the grant funds!
All artistic projects will be considered! Past project submissions have included:
Short Films
Documentaries
Music production and recording
Devised Theatre
New Staged Productions
Art Installations
Magazine Publishing
Dance Productions
Education in the Arts
Fashion Design
Creative Writing
Graphic Design
You must have completed a minimum of 400 hours in 2018
You must currently be an hourly employee active on the GP payroll and in good standing with the company.
Previous recipients of a grant may not reapply.
Previous applicants who were not awarded a grant may reapply.
The winners will be those with projects that are feasible to complete with $5,000.
The winners will be those with projects that are feasible to complete by June of 2020.
You should try to include:
Intro to the project
Table of contents
Bio of yourself (and team)
History of your project, or where the idea comes from
Timeline/ project plan moving forward (and past dates if applicable)
A budget of how you will allocate funds
Post project, what happens after it’s finished (where does this project lead to)
Attachments of images/ videos/ samples of the work proposed.
How will this award help you artistically?
How is your project creative and unique?
Is your project viable with the Award alone or will you need to supplement your budget with funds from other sources?
What is your financial need?
Can this project help to further your career?
What is your timeline?
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at fellowshipawards@greatperformances.com