At Great Performances, food is woven into every moment from a quick coffee break to a grand celebratory feast. We bring this belief to life through delicious food, warm hospitality, and boundless culinary creativity. At the heart of it all is our Chefs’ Choir℠ ensemble – a unique and diverse group of extraordinary chefs and cooks who power our catering, café, and restaurant services. With their diverse talents, perspectives, and culinary expertise, they shape the unforgettable menus that define our events, from corporate gatherings and nonprofit galas to weddings and milestone celebrations; and that feed our diners at our cafés and restaurants.

 

Through the Chefs’ Choir℠ ensemble, our chefs step beyond the kitchen to share their passion and expertise directly with you. They offer recipes to try at home, stories that inspire, insights into their craft, and tips to elevate your cooking. Whether you’re looking to recreate a signature dish, explore new techniques, or simply find fresh inspiration, the Chefs’ Choir℠ ensemble brings the artistry and creativity of Great Performances into your home, making every meal a celebration.

Did you know that January is also known as Veganuary? We spend the month finding delicious ways to make our beloved dishes vegan while also celebrating those dishes that are naturally plant-based. We’re sharing a few of our newest ones for you to make at home.

Recipes for Veganuary

Happy Veganuary

HAPPY VEGANUARY By Great Performances Happy Veganuary! This year, we’re participating in Veganuary, a plant-based revolution inspiring and supporting people to try vegan to protect

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At Great Performances, food is woven into every moment from a quick coffee break to a grand celebratory feast. We bring this belief to life through delicious food, warm hospitality, and boundless culinary creativity. At the heart of it all is our Chefs’ Choir℠ ensemble – a unique and diverse group of extraordinary chefs and cooks who power our catering, café, and restaurant services. With their diverse talents, perspectives, and culinary expertise, they shape the unforgettable menus that define our events, from corporate gatherings and nonprofit galas to weddings and milestone celebrations; and that feed our diners at our cafés and restaurants.

Chef Solanki Roy's Aloo Gobi Recipe

About the Dish

Aloo Gobi, which translates to potato and cauliflower, is a classic Indian staple. About 5% of the population in India is vegan and 40% is vegetarian. So, India has a huge repertoire of vegan and vegetarian dishes.

Ingredients
  • 400g potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 400g cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 150g onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-inch piece of ginger, minced (about 15g)
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to taste)
  • Salt, to taste
  • 100ml water (as needed)
  • Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Heat Oil: In a large pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.
  2. Sauté Onions: Add the chopped onions and sauté until they turn golden brown (about 5-7 minutes).
  3. Add Garlic and Ginger: Stir in the minced garlic and ginger, cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  4. Add Spices: Add cumin seeds, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder, and salt. Cook for 1-2 minutes to let the spices bloom.
  5. Cook Potatoes and Cauliflower: Add the diced potatoes and cauliflower florets to the pan. Stir well to coat them with the spices. Add water, cover the pan, and cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.
  6. Adjust Seasoning: Taste and adjust salt or spices if needed. If it’s too dry, add a little more water.
  7. Garnish and Serve: Garnish with fresh cilantro before serving.

Enjoy! Serve your Aloo Gobi with rice, roti, or naan for a complete meal. Enjoy this comforting dish!

I started sewing in 2019. I had taken a costuming class in my undergraduate program and enjoyed it. As time went on things started to press on me: 

 

  • The prevalence of human trafficking in the supply chain of my clothing
  • The water and environmental cost of fast fashion
  • The fact that I just didn’t like so many things being sold in stores

I decided I wanted to give it a try. 

Cut to the fall of 2020*. The pandemic was driving on, and I exhausted my options for painting by numbers**. I decided to put more concerted effort into making my clothes. I bought more supplies, patterns, pattern paper, fusible interfacing, the works.

I started with a simple t-shirt, and it went well enough to make want to get better. I gave myself milestones:

 

  • Making a 3-piece suit
  • having 50% of my wardrobe being of my own making

Once I did those, I could consider myself having “graduated” as a clothier (atelier? tailor? seamster?***).

While both of these milestones are still in the future, I have gotten better and better. I’ve made some pieces that I very much enjoy. I’ve made pieces for friends and loved ones. I’ve made shirts and pants, overalls and jumpsuits, dresses and skirts, and cloaks for LARPing. My next project will be a pair of double-knee jeans from a pattern I received from Lorraine Polchinski.

* Many are drawn to the assumption that sewing was a pandemic venture. Was it? It was definitely pandemic related that I did as much as I did when I did, but I find myself clashing with the idea of sewing being my sourdough. I’d been dabbling.

** THIS was my sourdough.

*** This is not my first bout with the lack of a gender non-specific word for “one who sews”. I have not found a suitable option. While it is not necessarily one of the reasons for my wanting to sew, gender subversion is a big influence on my drive to be GOOD at sewing. Therefore, I’m not interested in name that leans toward gender reinforcement. Boo gender reinforcement! 

****Gender Affirmation refers to the phenomenon of individuals, feeling their gender identity is challenged or questioned, exaggerating or strongly reaffirming behaviors and attitudes traditionally associated with their gender, in an attempt to reassert their sense of belonging within their gender category. 

 

In the sprawling web of all our venues, Book Club emerged to bring GP employees together. It grew out of our Women’s Employee Resource Group (ERG), a space we carved out to amplify and mentor each other. The ERG has hosted mentorship, networking, and leadership events, often at cultural and historical venues that sparked interesting conversation. Book Club felt like a natural extension – a gender-inclusive group to share stories and ideas. For the launch, we looked for stories about the powerful role of food. We had a shortlist that claimed our attention, but we landed on Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel.

 

Picking a first book felt like scrolling through a never-ending To Be Read pile in late December. We started with a few contenders: The Kamogawa Food Detectives, a cozy, intrigue-laden escape, My Year of Meats, at the intersection of TV and agriculture, and Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line, 300 pages of adrenaline which at absolutely no point takes its foot off the gas. Each had its claim to our attention, but we landed on Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel.

 

It wasn’t just the food-centric narrative, but it’s both deeply familiar and unexpected. The story follows Tita, the youngest daughter in a rigidly traditional Mexican family. It’s a story we’ve seen countlessly: duty taking precedence over desire, especially in the kitchen – a place long known for confinement to women. Yet, we can understand what it feels like to pour energy and emotions into food. Tita reveals her rage and declaration of selfhood through it. She grows prolific in her cooking which – through the lens of magic realism – finds its power to leave her family weeping, or euphoric, or moved in whatever chaotic ways.

 

Esquivel touches on a common modern narrative, one with women, in her words, “radically abandoning the kitchen space”. Through Tita, however, she highlights the beauty of reclaiming these traditions on her own terms.

 

Of course, reading this in the context of the food industry feels a little different. There’s not as much room for catharsis in the middle of a dinner service. Yet, the book plants the idea that food, even in its structured, utilitarian form, carries intense emotion. Part of the pleasure is discovering how this unfolds, and as book club conversations start taking shape, leaves us with plenty to think about.

HR Specialist, Jonathan Siu, rang in the New Year in Peru. He kindly shared some details about the trip and, most importantly, the wonderful dishes that he got to enjoy.

It took me 21 years to return to Peru for the holidays. I’m not sure why it took this long, but I’m incredibly grateful for my wife’s insistence on going back to spend New Year’s with family.

I had a blast, got some well-deserved time off, and had the chance to reconnect with family and friends. I was able to escape NYC’s winter and enjoy the beach, though the weather wasn’t as hot as I expected (as my face mask can attest). And of course… the food. Summertime in Lima, a coastal city, means plenty of seafood. Although I’m trying to eat more plant-based—or “plant-forward”—it’s hard not to fall off the wagon, if only for a little while.

Since the trip was improvised, I didn’t have time to make reservations, so I skipped the well-known restaurants this time around. However, there were still some highlights.

 

One standout was Quipas, a recently opened modern-Peruvian restaurant from a former head chef at Mayta (#41 on the World’s 50 Best List). Their scallops and asparagus dish was absolutely amazing.

 

I also visited Almacén, a “northern-style” Cevichería, where they had a seasonal menu featuring sea urchin. We tried a variety of ceviches, including the northern-style one, which is typically served with beans and a side of corn pastries.

 

To cap off the culinary journey, I found a distilled Coca leaf spirit, which I used to make Coca Sours as we cheered in the New Year.

Bring back childhood memories:

  • 0.5 oz Vanilla Syrup
  • 3 oz Orange Juice
  • 1 oz Coconut Cream
  • Fill with Ginger Beer

A green tea twist with a floral touch:

  • 2 tsp Matcha Powder (frothed in hot water)
  • 0.5 oz Raspberry Syrup
  • 1 can Kin Euphorics Bloom

A crisp, floral highball with refreshing cucumber notes:

  • 0.75 oz Hibiscus Syrup
  • 2 slices of Cucumber (muddled)
  • 0.75 oz Lemon Juice
  • 2 oz Club Soda

A creamy, fruity delight:

  • 1 oz Almond Milk
  • 1 oz Pomegranate Juice
  • 0.5 oz Strawberry Puree
  • Fill with Sprite

For a playful nod to nostalgia:

  • 0.5 oz Chocolate Syrup
  • 0.5 oz Orgeat Syrup (contains nuts)
  • 0.5 oz Coconut Cream
  • Fill with Root Beer