Author Archives: HomeandTable

Spring Starts Now

SOUL FOOD

Think of the person you want to be come Memorial Day weekend—healthy, energetic, happy. The gap’s not as wide as it may feel, but the hibernation needs to end today. A guide to how to go about just that.

By Rose Nyad Orrell

With spring on the horizon—we may touch 70 next week—you may be feeling the urge to hit refresh on yourself. It’s a natural instinct as the weather becomes more conducive to a healthy lifestyle. The first steps are usually the hardest. I know they’ve been mine since spending a dozen lovely winters in the southwest. This was my third winter back in the northeast, and it’s not getting any easier.

I’ve come to adopt a mantra to get me through winter’s homestretch: Fake it till you make it. There’s quite a gap between hibernation and the active lifestyle we’re striving for. Don’t be daunted by it. Aim to do something, anything, each day. And do it every day. Gradually, a walk will become a run. But if you start with the run, you set yourself up for disappointment.

For the next month, my exercise regimen will focus on developing my stamina. My first sessions will start at 15 minutes and gradually ramp up to a half-hour of some kind of movement, whether it be jogging, dancing, yoga, even gardening. And I’ll do it four to five days a week. Some days may feel better than others, but it’s critical to remember that keeping the pace slow and steady will lay the foundation for everything to come. Press too hard and you’ll make yourself vulnerable to injury, or even discourage yourself entirely.

Once I start feeling as though the exercise is becoming easier—my breathing isn’t too labored, my form is sound—I’ll begin either increasing the duration of the sessions by, say, a few minutes a week (10 percent is a good rule of thumb) or their intensity. That’s when I usually begin incorporating weight training, which will help develop lean muscle mass, a key component to boosting metabolism. It’s also the framework that’ll enable you to begin pushing yourself harder.

The most important muscle not to neglect in this process is the heart. More specifically, your resting heart rate. It’s a good indicator of where your endurance stands. The faster your heart rate returns to a calm level after a hard workout—55 to 65 beats per minute for men, low sixties for women—the better your conditioning.

With a solid base beneath you, begin incorporating a couple of high-intensity interval sessions into your weekly regimen. They’re meant to be short in duration—anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes—but they’ve proven to be far more effective at burning calories and boosting your aerobic capacity than drawn-out, low-intensity exercise. Because it’s so demanding, don’t jump in until you’re ready, and even then, space out the workouts. You’ll want to give to yourself at least a couple days between them. You can exercise during that period, but keep it relatively low in intensity.

The concept behind high-intensity training is pretty simple: Go all out for a brief burst, then give yourself enough time to catch your breath but not fully recover. Repeat. Try this one: Warm up with a five-minute jog. Then, sprint for 20 seconds, jog or walk for the next 40. Aim for five rounds to start. Work your way up to 10. Once you’ve got a high-intensity workout behind you, it’s safe to say you’re back in the game and well on your way to the best shape of your life.

Rose Nyad Orrell is a New Hope-based certified holistic health practitioner (rosenyad.com).

A Midcentury Modern Refresher Course

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THE ENDORSEMENT

Don Yacovella is handcrafting the kind of furniture that hasn’t emerged from a workshop around here since the iconic George Nakashima and Wharton Esherick were in their prime.

By Scott Edwards

This bench is the embodiment of Don Yacovella, the minimal treatment of the wood his humble nature, the high degree of difficulty made to look simple his next-level talent. He’s relatively new to the scene, even though making furniture’s all he wanted since his parents turned the barn behind their Chalfont home over to him in high school. (Yacovella still works there today. And his mom still lives out front. He bought the home next door to keep both close by.) But building custom stairwells and cabinetry paid the bills; furniture did not. The World Wide Web changed that.

He did the math, then refused all projects for the next year. That’s how long Yacovella gave himself to turn a profit. He was never going back, though. Today, with a backlog of orders, it’s hard to remember what that freedom felt like. But all he needs to do is glance at this very image. “That was like 15 years inside my head. I finally had the time and had finally built up the skills to be able to pull that off,” says Yacovella, who sports a bushy goatee and sideburns and a coating of sawdust from his floppy newsboy cap to his boots on the afternoon I visit his workshop.

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Yacovella; (top) his “George Nakashima Bench.”

His furniture evokes the midcentury modern icons, Esherick, Maloof: clean lines, the occasional raw edge and wood that’s left to look like wood, grains, knots, cracks and all. Yacovella makes no airs about improving on their designs. In fact, he calls this bench “The George Nakashima Bench.” Yacovella doesn’t usually get attached to his furniture, but this bench was different. It marked his arrival. “As bad as I needed the money, I would not give that bench to a person that I did not like,” he says. “It had to go to a good home.” It went to a woman in Venice Beach, California. They had several lengthy phone conversations before he finally sold it to her.

Don Yacovella Lounge Chair | $850 | etsy.com/shop/donyacovella

The bench is one-of-a-kind, for now at least. However, the lounge chair, which has been favorited by more than 3,700 people on Etsy, is still very much in rotation. It’s also the rare piece that Yacovella, a Clover Market regular, allows himself a bit of the credit. He’s tweaked the midcentury modern staple, giving the arm a new arch and taking care to match the grains at the joints, finally making it as comfortable as it is sexy. Yet, like its creator, still understated.

Don Yacovella Lounge Chair | $850 | etsy.com/shop/donyacovella

Photo credit: Courtesy Don Yacovella

A Sight for Sore Eyes

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SCAVENGING

The winter that barely was—until Jonas crashed the party—is turning out some surreal foodstuffs at the Yardley Farmers’ Market.

By Susan Forker

Lovely as the unseasonable warmth was while it lasted, the farmers and small-batch growers around here seemed to be savoring it even more than we were. Their summer crops kept growing deep into fall, and the fall’s spilled into winter.

On a recent trip to the Yardley Farmers’ Market, which relocates to the Yardley Friends Meeting in the winter, the inventory was expectedly less than in the summer and fall but no less vibrant.

Gnarled celery root and oversized carrots looked like small creatures hibernating in their baskets. The locally foraged maitake and lion’s mane mushrooms were downright sculptural, while the saturated colors of the lemon and pink oysters were relief from the relentless gray and brown outside. Massive heads of kale and broccoli and intriguing watermelon radishes all seemed impossibly green.

Beyond the produce, there was pure honey, artisanal soap and fresh-roasted Covered Bridge Coffee. I loaded up on Hakurei turnips, parsnips and beets that I used to make a root vegetable dish, along with half a loaf of Wildflour Bakery  Yards Porter pumpernickel, which was devoured by my family. Reason enough, as far as I’m concerned, to return soon.

 

Susan Forker is the owner and designer of the Doylestown-based joeyfivecents, a line of one-of-a-kind jewelry and accessories.

Photos by Susan Forker

 

Sunshine in a Bottle

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DRINK

Thanks to some inventive craft brewers, forget drinking with the seasons.

It may be gray and cold outside—coldish, at least—but we’re thinking white sand beaches and lush, humid afternoons when we reach into the fridge for an adult beverage. Citrusy hops are nothing new to IPAs and saisons. A handful of local craft brewers, though, started upping the ante and tossing in actual fruit, too, layering easy-drinking beers with strong sweet and tart undercurrents.

Victory Agave IPA with Grapefruit is the first installment in the brewer’s Blackboard Series, a riff on ingredient-inspired restaurant specials, which rolled out earlier this month. It’s a crisp-drinking ale that’s mellowed out some by the sweet syrup.

Not so much a fan of tartness? Fear not. There’s a fruity beer for you too. Coriander takes the edge off the orange in Do Good Kenzo Sour, and then a hit of honey smoothes it out even more. In Tired Hands Citra/Citrus, calamondin orange puree is folded into an already-fruity blend of hops.

The mango in Free Will Safeword lulls you into a false sense of security before the habanero kicks in at the end. The sweet fruit also plays a central role in Evil Genius Ma! The Meatloaf! (where it’s complemented by orange peel and coriander) and Boxcar Mango Ginger Pale Ale. Bucks County Pawpaw Saison uses a little-known, but native, fruit, which comes across as a mango-banana-kiwi hybrid.

The sun hasn’t gone missing, exactly. It’s just not hanging out in its usual spot. For the next couple months, thanks to these beers, we’ll have better luck finding it in the bottom of a can. —Scott Edwards

Photo credit: Courtesy Victory Brewing Company

Case Closed

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BOOKS

Yardley author Becky Libourel Diamond dissects the over-the-top meal that put Philly on top. (Once and for all.)

Convoluted as the 19th century was with pretentious formality and bottomless ignorance, things were a lot simpler then, too. In 1851, a group of New Yorkers and Philadelphians with too much money and time on their hands pitted the New York restaurant Delmonico’s against Philadelphia chef James Parkinson in a “culinary duel.” Twelve hours and 17 courses later, Parkinson emerged on top, proving, once and for all, that Philly was the dining capital of the country. Why are we even still talking about this? Because Becky Libourel Diamond wrote a book about it, the just-published The Thousand Dollar Dinner: America’s First Great Cookery Challenge (Westholme Publishing). She’s also planning to recreate some of the epic meal for the Historic Foodways Society in March. “I’ll discuss the significance and preparation methods of the various foods served,” the Yardley author says, “and Vicki Miller of Vinocity will explain the history and stories behind the wines.” Diamond’s also drawn interest from some undisclosed Philly chefs about restaging Parkinson’s menu, but no one’s committed yet. It’d be purely for show, of course. I mean, our championship was won 165 years ago. —Bill Gelman

How’d you learn about the dinner?

Diamond  While researching my first book, Mrs. Goodfellow: The Story of America’s First Cooking School. James Parkinson was a contemporary of Elizabeth Goodfellow, a confectioner who ran the first cooking school in the US. He’s best known for his role in the duel.

And how did it come to be known as the “Thousand Dollar Dinner”?

The Philadelphia newspapers dubbed it that because it reputedly cost $1,000—approximately $32,000 in today’s money—to prepare.

Money’s no object; could the dinner be duplicated today?

Well, some of the foods Parkinson featured are now difficult or impossible to obtain, such as terrapin, green sea turtle, wild Atlantic salmon and perhaps some of the game birds. But I’m sure modern-day cooks would come up with some very interesting alternatives. Some of the foods would actually be easier to procure, such as the fresh fruits and vegetables and various meats that might have to be sourced from distant locations.

You can have your pick of any chef working in New York and Philly today. Who’s facing off in your duel?

I would love to see current Delmonico’s executive chef Billy Oliva and Marc Vetri.

Cover image and portrait courtesy Westholme Publishing

Stirring the Pot

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KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL

On the eve of another highly anticipated Winter Festival Chili Cook-off, we turn to longtime-featured chef Bob Kascik for an assist with our own.

By Mike Madaio

Is there anything more enticing than a cushy couch, a roaring fire and a “Ray Donovan” binge session on a dead-of-winter Sunday afternoon? For hundreds, the last several years, the answer is yes: craft beer and a bottomless bowl of pro-made chili. And they’re just the ones lucky enough to get their hands on tickets.

The Lambertville, New Jersey-New Hope Winter Festival is a week loaded with concerts, tastings, walking tours and ice sculpting staged throughout the neighboring river towns during what is otherwise one of the bleakest stretches of the year. (January 23 through Jan. 31, this year.) But its most-inspired event (and most-popular draw) is saved for last (and the indoors): an increasingly competitive chili cook-off that pits several local chefs against each other.

On the eve of this year’s edition, the 19th, we visited the kitchen of bitter Bob’s BBQ + Comfort Food,  in New Hope, to ask its owner-chef, and longtime cook-off participant, Bob Kascik for some pro tips that would translate to our own chili.

Much like snowflakes, no two are alike, but there are universal treatments, like the use of peppers. Kascik uses five kinds: habanero, scotch bonnet, jalapeno, Thai and chipotle. Why five? Because he also uses five kinds of meat—pork, brisket, chicken, turkey and sausage—and he likes the symmetry. His first year in business, Kascik was over-ordering, and, out of necessity, he started developing recipes around the leftovers, from which his Double Nickel Chili eventually emerged.

The nuance comes not necessarily from the variety of meats—not just, at least—but from their preparation. “It’s the burnt ends, the stuff that’s been cooking in its own juices for hours, refining its flavor,” says Kascik, whose demeanor is the very opposite of bitter. The nickname, apparently, was doled out during a game of Uno, and it stuck. “And the blend of peppers allows for a really nice heat, not just up front but in the back of your throat, a warm glow that levels out and blends with the smokiness of the barbeque.”

Tried and true as the formula seems, Kascik is vulnerable, just like the rest of us, to chili’s pull to riff, even with bragging rights on the line at the cook-off. “It’s such a great day to hang out with other chefs, people from the community, have a few beers,” he says. “And as long as I’m doing it, I might as well try to be innovative, put out some new ideas.”

And therein lies the lure for both the maker and the eater: the potential for revelation. The base and the appearance may be relatively standard, but there’s a broad spectrum of flavor lurking within that thick, chunky, orange-red stew.

“People tend to get hung up on heat levels, but you can always add heat at the end. It’s far more important to achieve a balance of flavors and get the texture right,” Kascik says. “Once you get that down, you can start to innovate with lots of things you have around your own kitchen.”

The 19th annual Lambertville-New Hope Winter Festival Chili Cook-off,  Jan. 31, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Triumph Brewing Company, New Hope.

Photos by Matthew J. Rhein

The Summer of Self-Sufficiency

THE ENDORSEMENT

Not that we have anything against local farmers, but you could get away with leaning on them a little less.

As you scroll through seed catalogues by a crackling fire, daydreaming about your backyard garden at the height of summer—cucumbers as big as a forearm, so many snap peas, jalapenos that seem to absorb every degree of the sun’s heat—consider making this the year you finally go for it. Over the last few summers, you’ve become increasingly self-sufficient. Hell, last year you grew more veggies than your fridge and kitchen counter could hold. Yet most Saturday mornings, you still found yourself standing over the $5-carton of eggs at the farmers market wondering if you could pull it off. Of course you can. Chickens are about as low-maintenance as pets get. (Mind you, we’re talking about two or three here, four tops.) And with this stylish, nearly seven-foot-tall cedar coop from Williams-Sonoma ($1,500; $150 for delivery and assembly),  it’s really as simple as flipping open the drop-down door and plucking your eggs. A not-insignificant feature: Both the chicken and egg doors lock. Finding out that a fox reached your breakfast first is not something that you can unsee. You’re not a farmer, after all. You’re just harvesting your own eggs. Simple as that. —Scott Edwards

Photo courtesy Williams-Sonoma

This is Funny. Seriously

ENTERTAINMENT

With no experience whatsoever, Narberth’s Darren Keith dove into creating his own comedy series. Somehow, he found his way back to the surface.

By Scott Edwards

 

It’s hard to overstate how little Darren Keith knew about making a TV show. If you spent a few seconds wondering how to go about it yourself—I’ll wait—whatever you came up with is probably more than he did initially.

“I had to Google, ‘How do you format a script?’ ” says Keith, who grew up in Northeast Philly and now lives in Narberth.

But what he did know was the irony of human nature. The lead singer, for example, who’s in it for the art, but who earmuffs his pride a few times a week and sings “Happy Birthday” so that he can collect a paycheck. Or, the seasoned concertgoer who shouts out a request for another band’s song. Free! Bird!

Keith’s spent the last 25 years cataloguing such experiences from a front row seat. He’s been a professional drummer—mostly freelance work—since he was 15, living in all the musical hotbeds—New York, LA, Austin, Branson—and witnessing and absorbing (two very distinct acts) the onslaught of shaming that goes hand in hand with a life on stage and, really, a life, period. He’s lasted this long because of his wit. Even before he sat behind his first snare, Keith was keenly aware of his ability to make those in his circle crack up. As he realized how precious an asset that is, the more he daydreamed about doing something with it. Like make a living from it. He was watching “Flight of the Conchords” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” with the rest of us. He could do that, he thought.

Call it a midlife crisis. Keith decided the time was now. He was going to create his own comedy series. Without a sentence of writing experience. Zero concept of acting, performing aside. And no grasp whatsoever of how to produce a show. Needless to say, the three-and-a-half years since have been “a crazy rollercoaster ride.” It took him a year to finish the 10-minute pilot episode alone. But he did it. And when “DK the Gig” premiered on YouTube last Saturday (you can watch it here), everything before and after faded away. For now, at least. Keith’s planning to launch a crowd-funding campaign in March on Indiegogo so that he can film the other seven episodes he’s written. (He’s covered all of the costs to this point himself.) From there, he wants to start shopping the show around.

I know what you’re thinking. This is not an elaborate YouTube skit. Cynic that I am, I braced myself when I clicked on the link. I’m not sure what even got me that far. Active procrastination probably. But, then, I was laughing out loud. DK, the lead, played by Keith, is pure superego, but in the deadpan mold of Louie CK. His tiny world’s constantly conspiring against him. Wary as he is, he still has the wherewithal to ask, “You want honey or lemon with that?

Photo courtesy Drum Kitty Productions

The Baseline Fitness Test

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Before you jump into your New Year’s resolution, know where you stand.

By Todd Soura

Another January is upon us. Which means it must be time for a new you, too. Isn’t that the way it works? A fresh start, a hellish holiday hangover, regardless of your motivation, resetting (or beginning) a healthy lifestyle is never a bad thing. But taking on too much too soon all but guarantees that you’ll be right back here this time next year.

Neither of us wants to see that happen. So, before you do a single crunch, figure out exactly how fit you are. I’ve developed the following baseline test to gauge all the essentials: body fat, strength, balance and flexibility. By the time you finish, you’ll know how much work you have in front of you, and you’ll be able to scale your workouts accordingly.

Remember, the key to sustainability is consistency. A year from now, you can look back on your first workout and laugh because it means you stuck with it and improved steadily. Until then, one set at a time, one rep at a time.

  1. Body fat

I don’t like the body mass index, a standard measure of body fat based upon height and weight, because it fails to take into account muscle. A hip-to-waist ratio, by contrast, is not only easier to calculate, it’s more accurate.

Find a tape measure and wrap it around your waist (at your navel). Then do the same for your hips. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. Anything below .9 in men and .8 in women is an indication of relatively good health.

  1. Body control
1. Body Control
1:19

Lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lean forward like you would with a sit-up—no hands—and drop your right leg, tuck it beneath the left. Then plant your left foot and rise to a standing position—again, no hands.

If you’re under 70, you should be able to do this fairly easily. If you can, it means your overall strength and body control are good and your brain’s saying all the right things to your muscles.

  1. Core strength
1. Core Strength
0:45

Assume the position of an old-school sit-up—flat on your back, hands tucked behind your head—only you’re going to straighten your legs rather than bend them. Slowly perform a sit-up. When you’re completely upright, you should look more like half a “C” than an “L.”

If you can do 10 of these, your hip-flexor, abdominal and lower-back strength is above average. If you can do 20, you’re ahead of most.

  1. Upper body strength

The push-up is one of the oldest exercises there is, and it’s still the truest test of upper body strength. Your hands should be just outside your shoulders, your body, stiff and straight. Lower your chest until it grazes the floor, then push straight back up to the starting position. Twenty is good for guys; 40 is excellent. For women, 10 is promising, 20 is top-notch.

  1. Flexibility

Sit on the floor with straight legs. Lean forward and touch your toes. The taller you are, the harder this is going to be. It should be a bit easier for women. They tend to be more flexible than guys. Either way, if you can touch them, good. If you can grab them, even better.

Todd Soura is the owner of the Doylestown-based Action Personal Training