It’s been a very busy and transformative summer. I know I haven’t been as present on here as I’d like to be - so for that I apologize. Work is slowing down a bit, and I’m getting back into the swing of things, so expect lots of new posts from here on out!
I’ve been doing a lot of private work these last few months which feels extremely rewarding. It’s crazy to think that it’s really only been 1 year since I started working for myself full time. I locked in my first client November of 2023, that was also the month I got let go from my full time NYC restaurant job. What a whirlwind it has been! Fast forward to now, it’s November 1, 2024 and I’m sitting in my new apartment on a sunny Friday morning, looking out my window at the colorful fall foliage in Catskill, NY - drinking a cup of raw kefir milk, cacao nibs, and bee pollen.
Having just got back from what I can only refer to as the most luxurious work trip of my life. Five days in the Cayman Islands filled with nothing but fresh coconut water, oysters, sunshine, and the healing Caribbean Sea. I was approached by a friend who works with the Palm Heights Hotel Group to come out and teach a Nutrition Masterclass to their private members. What was supposed to be a 60 minute class centered around nutrition - turned into almost 2 hours, due to lots of questions about Instagram wellness trends, popular supplements, different cooking oils, and of course raw milk.
We ended class in the beautiful Palm Heights test kitchen, Where we all gathered around the table and made our own electrolyte adrenal mocktails. I worked with the kitchen to provide a fresh juice bar, containing things like OJ, coconut water, watermelon juice, lemon + limes, collagen, sea salt, and lots of other goodies to teach everyone how simple it is to make your own electrolyte drink with whole food ingredients.
The following day the team and I curated a breakfast spread at their Garden Club Spa, for members of the hotel to enjoy while laying by the pool. It was such a treat to be able to bring this vision to life, and to connect with people local to the island. If you haven’t been to Palm Heights yet, I highly recommend booking a stay ASAP. Not only was it the most beautiful hotel, perfectly curated down to every little detail, but the food was fantastic. I ended up eating at Tillies almost every night. They do happy hour on the beach everyday from 5-6pm, where you can mingle and meet new friends while drinking a daiquiri overlooking the sunset on the ocean.
I know summer has been over for sometime now, but this trip definitely gave me a reason to hold on just a little longer. So I’m only just now starting to embrace the autumnal energy. Before heading upstate I made a quick Union Square Farmers Market run to stock up on all my favorite fall produce. I picked up brussel sprouts, cauliflower, eggplant, green beans, shiitake mushrooms, kale, and the last few ears of summer corn.
I wanted to leave you guys with a really simple recipe for cooking the most delicious eggplant ever. I like to make a big batch of this to keep in the fridge for easy weeknight meal prep. But it’s also impressive enough to use for a group dinner! I served this at a wellness retreat I cooked for back in July and they’ve requested it several times since. So I hope you enjoy and serve it to your loved ones xx
Sesame Miso Eggplant
Ingredients: