I have great news, my George Burger won in the top 3 by Judges at Burger Bash hosted by Rachel Ray; the kick off event by the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival. This outstanding evening of chefs coming together grilling up burgers for 3000 attendees benefitted The Food Bank for NYC and SOS—No Kid Goes Hungry Campaign. It was the largest turnout in five years of this event.
If I can do it, You can do it!
Good things happen, when great people step up™.
I've been involved for many years on hunger and nutitional related causes especially geared to benefiting childern. Today I am delighted to support Maganoodles relief effort in DC at the Capital Area Food Bank.
Concerned with her family’s diet after battling breast cancer followed by her husband’s fight with cancer and heart issues, 55 year old Aileen Magnotto created an all natural multi-grain vegetable based pasta (MAGNOODLES Pasta) now sold in markets and online.
Today, I'll be teaching kids how to cook a healthy pasta dinner with food bank ingredients. The new Capital Area Food Bank will receive more than 23,000 much needed servings of multi-grain pasta to feed local families thanks to the generosity of Magnoodles Pasta.
Way to go Aileen!
Close to my home and located right in the heart of farm country at the Hampton's East End - which was once mostly miles of potato fields, now inhabits more than fifty acres of grapevines at Wölffer Estate Vineyard. The loamy soil coupled with the Atlantic Ocean air were ideal conditions for the grapevines, planted some twenty-five years ago.
In keeping with European traditions, including the dedication to winemaking; Wölffer's stately Tuscan style villa was built in Old World traditions overlooking the acres of vines.
Come with me as we meet up with my friends; wine writer & enthusiast Michael Braverman, and Wölffer Estate Winemaker Roman Roth for a fun and informative segment from my TV show, George Hirsch Living it UP!
It's going to be another great summer in the Hamptons! Cheers..
George Hirsch Living it up! TV segment: Wölffer Estate Vineyard
I'm so happy to share global traditional from around the globe with you. It's one of my favorite things to discover in my travels. I always say we are all connected by food, it's the common denominator that reminds us we all play an important part in this big melting pot around the world.
Turkey is often regarded as the common Christmas meal but it appeared on the menu only around 1650 after European colonization of North America. It was introduced to Europe by Sebastian Cabot on his return from the New World. The bird got its name after merchants from Turkey made it a popular dish. Prior to this, goose, peacock or boar were associated with the Christmas feast. Seasonal foods vary with geographic locals and traditional family customs.
USA:
The US is a melting pot of cultures, so we have adopted a mix of many foreign traditions at Christmas time. Feasting on goose, turkey, ham, crown roast, a variety of root vegetables, squash, wild rice, and end our meal with a apple pie or pumpkin pie.
Australia:
Christmas is in midsummer and lunch is often a barbecue of prawns, steak and chicken with ice cream or sorbet for desert, maybe cooked at the beach.
Czech Republic:
Traditionally the meal is eaten on Christmas Eve and consists of fish soup, salads, eggs and carp. The number of people at the table must be even or the one without a partner is supposed to be dead by next Christmas. (Incentive? How about rent a partner?)
Finland:
Traditional Christmas dinner will be a casserole of macaroni, rutabaga, carrot and potato, with ham or turkey. A mixed platter of meat and fish is also popular. After the meal it is a tradition to have a sauna and then to visit the graves of relatives. (Odd combination, but OK)
Germany:
Roast Goose is the favored Christmas meal, accompanied by potatoes, cabbage, carrots, parsnip and pickles. The meal is usually eaten on Christmas Eve. Rural southern Germany feast on game like wild boar and venison.
Greenland:
The Christmas feast may include Little Auks, (these are seabirds that are a bit like Penguins), wrapped in sealskin and buried for months until decomposed.
Italy:
Christmas lunch can run to seven courses including antipasto, a small portion of pasta, roast meat, two salads, two sweet puddings followed by cheese, fruit, brandy and chocolates.
Jamaica:
The traditional Christmas dinner is rice, gungo peas, chicken, ox tail and curried goat.
Latvia:
Christmas Dinner is cooked brown peas with bacon sauce, small pies, cabbage and sausage.
Norway:
The Christmas meal is eaten on Christmas Eve and for coastal regions is traditionally cod, haddock and lutefisk. Inland they will dine on pork chops, Christmas meatloaf and special sausages are eaten. Farmers leave a bowl of nisse (gruel) in barns on Christmas Eve for the magic Gnome who protects their farms.
Portugal:
A special Christmas meal is salted dry cod-fish with boiled potatoes eaten at midnight on Christmas Eve.
Russia:
Christmas food includes cakes, pies and meat dumplings. The mythical Babouschka is enjoying a resurgence following the ban under Communism. She brings gifts to Russian children rather than Santa Claus.
South Africa:
Christmas is during the hot summer season but the traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings is still eaten at Christmas.
Sweden:
A Smorgasbord Christmas meal eaten on Christmas Eve includes varieties of shellfish, pork, cooked and raw herring fish, caviar, cheeses and brown beans.
Ukraine:
Huge meat broths are eaten on Christmas Eve after which children await "Father Frost" to bring presents.
United Kingdom:
Christmas Pudding and Mince Pies are top picks. The largest Christmas Pudding weighed 7,231 pounds (3.28 tons) and was made at Aughton, Lancashire on July 11, 1992. The largest Mince Pie weighed 2,260 pounds (1.02 tons) and measured 6.1m X 1.5m. It was baked in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire on October 15, 1932.
image: NTF
Celebrating the First Day of Summer
I first encountered the one and only Mohonk Mountain House quite a few years ago as an invite from my long time friend Paul McIlhenny, CEO of Tabasco to speak at one of their themed foodie weekends. Ever since, I've been a lover of this well preserved resort. At first I was torn; tape my TV shows there and let the world know about this jewel of an destination in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, or keep it to myself as a relaxing get-a-way place. I decided it's better to share.
Built on the deep-blue waters of Lake Mohonk in 1869, this grand 266-room Victorian castle is one of America's oldest family-owned resorts. The National Historic Hotel property with thousands of acres of pristine forest, is just 90 minutes north of New York City with over 85 miles of hiking trails.
Start your day off hiking the trails and be-one with nature after a bountiful breakfast. Be sure to indulge on a stack of fresh blueberry pancakes! Take a stroll after a satisfying lunch touring Mohonk's award-winning gardens and get lost in their Victorian Garden Maze with someone special. Midday is tea time at the Lake Lounge; try Mohonk's Own Tea Blend! Take a short stroll to the Antique Barn which is filled with neat objects—I found a real treasure to take home with me, an antique cottage dresser with some authentic patina.
Pampering expands beyond being ensconced in nature at Mohonk. At their world class spa I've enjoyed some peaceful hours of treatments that have totally recharged me for a twilight round of golf; which is complimentary for guests on weekdays.
One of my favorite dining venues while staying at Mohonk Mountain House is the outdoor Granary overlooking Lake Mohonk. The Granary offers breakfast and a daily barbecue for lunch and evening lobster-bake cookouts three nights a week, during the summer season.
See how I could fit in all these activities and still find time to recharge. I also met up with another chef also named George:
To View TV Segment: click here for video clip
