Athleisure Mag OCT ISSUE #82

ISSUE #82

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PUBLISHER

Paul Farkas

EDITORIAL

Kimmie Smith

Co-Founder, Creative + Style Director

Paul Farkas

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table of contents

issue #82

oct 2022

107

STYLE FEATURES

THE PICK ME UP

118

129

74

IN OUR BAG

ROCK THIS WHEN STEPPING

OUT FOR DATE NIGHT

BEAUTY FEATURES

WATER BEAUTY

Humanity Defines His Music

MIYAVI

This month, we caught up with superstar recording artist, guitarist and producer -

MIYAVI. He talks about his career in music, acting, spokeswork and beign a Global

Ambassador for UNHCR.

16

133

ATHLEISURE BEAUTY

Who Do We Want To Be?

The Peripheral

36

We caught up with the cast (Gary Carr, T’Nia Miller and JJ Feilds) and filmmakers (Jonathan

Nolan, Lisa Joy and Vincenzo Natali) of Prime Video’s The Peripheral. They talk

about the series adapted book by William Gibson, the cost of the future and more.

108

LIFESTYLE FEATURES

ATHLEISURE LIST

PAVÉ

Next Level Chili

Chef Richard Blais talks unexpected

chili pairings and Next Level Chef.

48

Get Crunchified

We dig into Crunch Fitness’ group fitness,

boutique studios and more.

57

110

ATHLEISURE LIST

RAS PLANT BASED

AthleisureMag.com - 10 - Issue #82 | Oct 2022

TM

9PLAYLIST

Armin van Buuren

EDM DJ/Producer Armin van Buuren shares his 9PLAYLIST of the songs that he is

listening to right now.

84

The Art of the

Snack

86

This month, we head to the UWS to Osteria

Accademia to find out about dishes

that we must have when we visit with

friends, family and co-workers.

Exploration Food

Kristen Kish

94

We catch up with Kristen Kish on her

recent shows Iron Chef, Selena + Chef as

well as her latest on National Geographic.

We also talk kimchi, soju and travel.

63MIX ROUTIN3S

Tanisha Scott

TM

114

Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from choreographer

and creative director, Tanisha

Scott who shares her Morning, Afternoon

and Night go-tos and favorites she does.

TM

9LIST STORI3S

Deepica Mutyala

139

Founder of Live Tinted, Deepica Mutyala

shares her must-haves in beauty, style

and fitness in 9LIST STORI3S.

Issue #82 | Oct 2022

- 11 - AthleisureMag.com

This month's cover marks the 20th year of

MIYAVI being a force in the music industry.

Known as the Samurai Guitarist, he brings

a message of passion and peace to those

he plays for whether they're the fans that

attend his shows or the refugees that he

performs for as a Global Ambassador of

the UNHCR where he gives his time to the

camps when they are seeking relief from

the crisis around him. He also talks about

his 14th studio album, MIYAVIVERSE which

covers anime songs. MIYAVI is also an actor

who has done voiceover work in an

Emmy nominated anime show, Arcane:

League of Legends as well as appearing in

movies with Angelina Jolie in Maleficent 2

as well as Unbroken that she directed. We

talk about his need to stay creative, collaborating

with brands and continuing to

challenge himself.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize

that you wanted to be a musician?

MIYAVI: When I lost my dream to be a professional

soccer player when I was 14 years

old. I was on a youth team of a professional

soccer team in Osaka on the west side

of Japan. Every single day, I was going to

the soccer field and I got injured and then

I lost my dream. The thing is I really really

wanted to be a professional player, but at

the same time, the practicing was really

competitive to be on the team. I actually

got tired of it because it was tough for

me being a 14 year old boy to keep going

to the field which was pretty far from my

hometown. It was like a 90 minute train

ride and that was really tough for me every

single day. I was the captain of the local

team for a very long time, but when I

started going to the professional team, I

lost my friends as well because I was not

in the group anymore. I was the only one

going to the professional team as well.

To me, it was really stressful and then it

was really shocking to me that tmoment

that I stopped going to that professional

team, I was really relieved! It was really

weird because soccer was my motivation

and my passion every day that I was playing.

But the moment that that happened,

I was relieved not to play soccer because

it was so stressful for me. That

was the moment that I quit soccer and

again, when you lose your dream, you

lose yourself as well and you lose that

shine so I was hanging out with my

friends and I was doing bad things and

then I got the guitar and I thought,

“oh this might be it!” It might take me

someplace else and I wanted to get

out of my hometown anyway. This

thing might be the one that takes me

out. Now, I’m traveling the world and

talking to you!

AM: Exactly and that’s quite a story.

How do you define the MIYAVI sound?

M: People call me the Samurai Guitarist

and I’m honored to be called a Samurai!

Samurai is such an important

word for Japanese people. It’s such a

big determination and it’s a really really

big deal. For me, instead of katana, the

Japanese sword, I play the guitar and

I make people dance. I feel good that

I can spread that positive message. As

an artist which I am always trying to

pursue the edgy style, but at the same

time, I’m also a Goodwill Ambassador

for UNHCR which is The United Nations

Refugee Agency. So it’s about positivity

and the moment that you feel the

future, it’s really really crucial!

So yeah, it’s kind of like a guitar rock,

dance kind of music. At the same time,

to me, it’s about the attitude and how

you enjoy my show is really really important.

After people get back home,

I want them to feel energized and motivated.

Of course, I want you to have

fun, we’ll have fun always – but I want

to create something that people can

feel and that it’s the future and is productive.

It’s not just about being entertaining.

AM: How do you get inspired in terms

of approaching creating your music?

M: You know, I like to watch movies or



sometimes be in a movie. When I play a

role in a film, I learn from that character

and I want to be able to absorb and take

it into my body. That’s also an inspirational

source, to me. Again, I can learn things

from my kids as well. As a parent, it’s kind

of a learning process as well. Again, at the

refugee camps, to witness those cruel

devastating situations and the paths that

those people had to go through – this is

also a huge inspiration. I can’t look away

from that fact and our generation is facing

this crisis. So that’s not quite an inspiration

it’s –

AM: It’s more of a driving force.

M: Yes, it’s more of a driving force. It’s a

reason why I keep moving forward. It’s really

really responsible.

AM: You’re so talented and from the music

standpoint as a songwriter, producer, you

play instruments – what’s your favorite

part of working on a song?

M: To be honest, the most important

thing is to put the message or the lyrics

as a core part. The most fun part is just

playing the guitar without thinking about

anything. You just go free, that’s the fun

part. That’s what I can do on stage once

I’m done. Giving birth is the most hardest

part, the most painful experience as

we all know – the ladies. They give birth

and it’s painful, but it’s also worth it for

the real happiness. So doing what I do, it

doesn’t actually hurt like that, but at the

same time, when you’re making a song,

it’s a really really tough process. But then

again, it’s worth it. But playing the guitar,

that’s the fun part!

AM: When you’re collaborating with other

artists, what are you looking for when

you’re deciding that you want to partner

with them?

M: Just chemistry always! I know my

world and I know how to maintain and to

remain in my sound. I know my style and

I know that it works. When I work with

somebody else, I want to see new dimen-

sions and to also feel that chemistry and

to have a new me. Something that I never

experienced or that I never thought

to even try. That’s kind of a benefit

and that’s the same with life. You don’t

know what’s going to happen tomorrow.

Sometimes it doesn’t go as well as

you expected, but that’s life. That kind

of encountering a new part of myself in

that way is nice.

AM: Earlier this year, you partnered with

K-Pop superstar Kang Daniel with Hush

Hush which also became a theme song

for the Korean drama show Rookie Cops

on Disney+ and you also collaborated

with him again. What did you love about

working on these projects with him?

M: Again, K-Pop is a global and phenomenal

movement. I’m half Japanese and

half Korean and I do respect the effort

and the creative force that is there.

Kang Daniel is a rising star and as an

Asian, I do respect him. Again, it’s a totally

different style and it does seem like

he is building his own style right now. So

it’s really really interesting to be part of

the creation that we make together and

then we see the shift as well. His style

is really different from mine and it’s not

like it’s a middle ground – it’s more like

a 3rd or new destination! You can only

find that with your collaborator. That’s

why I said, a new me or a new world or

a new dimension. I love his dedication

for the creation and he’s so humble. It’s

great to feel that different wave in the

younger generation.

AM: You’ve been in the industry for over

20 years and you’re currently in a 19 city,

20 show tour here in North America.

What does it mean to you to reach this

achievement and to look back on all of

the work that you have done?

M: I’m never satisfied and that’s the reason

why I keep on doing this. I’ve done

pretty much all of these different things

not only in musi,c but acting, the fashion

thing, humanitarian work, so it’s such a

pleasure to be able to explore the many

worlds and to encounter new people and

I’m learning every single time. It might

have been easier if I just focused on a music

career or an acting career or a fashion

career, but again there is also that chemistry

when I take on a challenge of doing

something different every time. I feel that

chemistry and then I learn from it. Then

I can be a new me and I can be stronger

and I do just appreciate everyone that I

have worked with and also the fans that

are supporting me the whole time even if

I changed my music style – not just costumes,

but the music itself – the groove.

Then doing acting and the fashion thing

so I really really appreciate their support.

AM: So what can you tell me about your

14th studio album that is coming out?

M: That’s a cover album and I am covering

anime songs. It’s a really really interesting

path and also a process because those

tracks are made by somebody else and

they’re really popular ones like the song

for Evangelion or song for City Hunter,

the song for Naruto. At the same time as

an artist, I’m really confident to make any

song into MIYAVI’s world which is why we

named this album, MIYAVIVERSE. That’s

my world and that’s the sound that MIYA-

VI and the team creates. Every song has

a great melody and there is a chemistry,

there is a totally different sound in production

and form. We’re kind of making a

new style. It’s a really exciting project.

AM: In addition to your music career and

you have also said this as we’ve been

talking, you’re the face of a number of

brands such as Gucci and you’ve been with

Dell and McLaren. What does that mean to

you to be able to crossover like that?

M: You know, it’s a new discovery of myself

and then it’s such a pleasure to work

with those top top brands that are trendsetting

and leading their industries. It’s

great to see what happens when I dive

into those different worlds. I’m not a car

geek or a car lover, but the attitude that

McLaren and MIYAVI have really resonates.

I’m not just making music for a

business and they’re not just making a

car for a business, we’re making history

and we’re making a different thing.

It might be easier to make some kind of

a good pop stuff and there might be an

easier path to become famous, but for

it’s not. It’s about being more integrated.

We would not be able to be satisfied

with the answer. With Dell as well. The

creativity that technology brings – they

are expanding that as well. The honor to

be part of it and to just explore together

is great.

AM: In terms of your acting, you have

a number of credits that you’re getting

out there. You were cast in Angelina Jolie’s

Unbroken and you worked with her

again in Maleficent 2. What was it like to

be in those projects?

M: It’s fun. Again, the music when it

comes to the process, it’s all about me.

I say it sounds like this, it should be like

that, I am the producer. So I am doing

the producing, the acting and the playing

myself. But the movie, as an actor,

there is a bigger part of it especially

when the role is not that big. It’s a tiny

part of it. But, it’s still you’re part of it.

You’re performing and whatever you

do in that work, it’s going to affect the

entire creation – it’s teamwork a team

achievement. To be able to work with

those top top people from Disney or

Pixar those people are the real deal! It’s

really creative and more free. They are

enjoying the flow and they are making

something new in the flow. It‘s really

fun!

AM: You’ve done voice overs for Arcane:

League of Legends which won an Emmy

recently for Outstanding Animated Series.

Why did you want to be part of this

show?

M: Why not?

AM: Love that!

M: Yeah! Why not? When I got the offer,

I heard that Sting was on board, Imag-

ine Dragons was on board. You know,

those top artists were there and then the

creation itself was really really great – a

high level and a big passion. I was working

with Christian Linke the Executive

Producer. He’s like Steve Jobs like – he

has the characters, the world, passion

and even the music as well. It was simply

a pleasure and honor to be part of it and

then the music and also doing the voice

acting for a little bit for a little role. That

was such a surprise and that kind of flexibility

and spontaneous kind of decision

is the fun part of creation you know. You

can change your creation drastically in

the last minute. That’s all on you so it’s all

about the passion and the clear vision. He

had a clear vision and I was so happy to be

part of it.

AM: Throughout this interview, you have

been talking about your humanitarian

work and working with the United Nations.

Can you tell us more about what you

are doing?

M: So my humanitarian work as an ambassador

for UNHCR, is life work and it’s really

volunteering. It’s not something that

I get paid to do. Every single time I go to

the refugee camps, I feel purified well as

it is a special process to me. Anything that

you can do for the future, global warming,

animals, human rights – anything. But

for me, I met Angelina Jolie – Angie, she’s

the one that inspired me and opened

the door and who met me. I was really

surprised and amazed at how much she

dedicates for this crisis and as an artist,

I wanted to be able to do something if I

could. I went to the refugee camp in Lebanon

for the first time right after the Syria

crisis exploded. It started around 2011ish

but around 2014/2015, the refugees increased

rapidly and I was really scared. I

didn’t know what to do as an artist and

still, I can’t play the guitar to people that

just escaped from their countries because

imagine the situation of it being do or die,

you can’t enjoy the music at that moment.

But still, after that first emergency phase,

we call that Developmental or Sustainable

Phase – people need to feel that dignity of

a human being. We are not just living

here, we are living here and standing

on our own feet. That’s what everyone

needs to feel and especially at the refugee

camps, that set of circumstances

is really hard to feel that way. Then art

and culture like music and sports, can

do many things to connect people and

to make them feel alive. That’s my role

as an ambassador. The thing about refugees

is that you feel like a dark, serious

burden – it's a serious issue. But at

the same time, those people are like us!

They used to be a professional musician,

they used to be a writer, they used to be

a politician. So my mission as an ambassador

is to bring those kinds of bright

sides of people and positivity. So we feel

that we are the same and it could happen

to us. When you think about a crisis

that could happen like another war

– I don’t even want to say, but you have

that conflict that happens and it could

happen to us if the place you are living

in is so no longer safe. It’s really really

important to me to keep doing this so

that I can realize that I can redefine my

mission of the reason why I keep moving

forward. I keep creating and this is

really really important now.

AM: Honestly, the way that you explained

that this person who is a refugee had a

life where they were a doctor or the fact

that they had a life that they were part

of. I think that that really puts a different

type of life on it as opposed to saying

this group of people had this devastating

series of circumstances. It does give back

the humanity and compassion to see it in

that light.

M: Some of them used to be a doctor.

Some of them used to be a professor.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be

as an artist, as an actor, a humanitarian

and as a father?

M: That’s a big question – the ultimate

question. It’s interesting. It makes me

rethink about the shift in me as an artist.

I wanted to play the guitar when I

was younger, but I'm not playing the

guitar because I want to play the guitar

now, I’m playing because I want to

play music. That’s why I’m playing the

guitar – I want to spread my message.

It’s why I make music and then I play the

guitar. I need to spread the message to

help make this world better somehow. I

want to dedicate myself somehow and

that’s why I play music. That’s why I play

the guitar. It used to be like – I want to

be a legend playing the guitar. I do play

it and it’s my thing and I will never quit

playing the guitar. I’m not going to become

obsessed by being a guitarist. It’s

a tool to deliver my message to the audience.

So, I don’t know about the answer

to your question because for me,

anything is fine. That’s why I am an actor

and modeling as well because as long as

you can just spread the message and the

idea of peace, I think that that’s it!

@miyavi_ishihara

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 16 - 27 + 32

Courtesy MIYAVI | PG 28 Mairo Cinquetti/

Pacific -Press/Alamy Stock Photo | PG 30

UPI/Alamy Stock Photo |

We love epic sci-fi shows and we were able

to get screeners on Prime Video's The Peripheral

which takes us on a journey between

moments in time and the impact on

how changes affect our humanity and it is

out now. We talked with some of the cast

and filmmakers of this show to dig into

how this project came together.

We wanted to know how the actors approached

acting and navigating these

worlds that we are introduced to as we go

between different time periods. They also

talked about what they want the takeaway

to be for viewers. JJ Feild, T'Nia Miller and

Gary Carr talk about what it was to be part

of this cast and a realistic look into a future

that gives us pause on who we want to be.

We talked with filmmakers, Jonathan

Nolan, Lisa Joy and Vincenzo Natali who

we have enjoyed in Westworld as well as

other projects. They talk about how they

worked with William Gibson's book to create

the immersive show.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We’re so excited to talk

to you as we watched all 6 of the screeners

from this 8 episode series and we can’t

wait to see the remaining episodes! We’re

fans of your work. What drew you guys to

want to be part of this project and to tackle

the themes that are involved?

JJ FEILD: Well, they are layered on and

they are not 2 dimensional. They represent

these huge power struggles maybe

villainous, maybe they are trying to save

the world, but underneath, they’re just

humans and they are trying to find order

in all of this chaos.

T’NIA MILLER: Yeah and they’re challenging

roles, aren’t they? I mean, the writing

is intense and it doesn’t appear so when

you watch it. But to get those roles, you

ask yourself, how do I bring these elements

to the surface because there are

these huge weighted parts. On a personal

level as an actor, it's a great challenge!

LISA JOY: Well, Vincenzo, the director,

which I have been a fan of and have idol-

ized his work as I had the chance to

work with him in Westworld brought

me this book by his buddy, Bill Gibson!

So, if you’re a fan girl like me and someone

says, “my buddy is Bill Gibson,” it’s

like Sir William Gibson is that who you

are talking about? Vincenzo was like,

“I don’t know maybe you would like to

work on this with us.” I was like yes, of

course.

I didn’t even need to read it, there was

Vincenzo and Gibson and then I read it

and I was so blown away as I always am

by Gibson’s keen understanding of the

future which is now basically the present

of our world, but I also wanted it in

a way that not a lot of science fiction

makes me feel, it really took me back

to when I was a girl growing up in NJ.

You know, the idea of, “am I ever going

to have a boyfriend, what am I going

to do with my life and how do I make a

difference,” and right now especially in

this moment where we’re kind of on the

cusp of something. The environment is

changing, we’ve just come through this

pandemic and I think that so many of

us are thinking who am I meant to be?

Like, the future seems so overwhelming.

How am I meant to interact with

it? Can I make a difference? Does my life

matter? All of these existential questions

that we’re really having to confront

now as society and as individuals

much more heavily than we used to.

We’ve lived through lucky times before

the last couple of years and we’re realizing

that now! To see characters like

Flynne and Burton and their family and

of course Will from the future grappling

with these same issues was almost reassuring

to me because I liked them so

much and they were dealing with this

shit too! So maybe there’s hope.

VINCENZO NATALI: I have a long storied

history in trying to adapt Gibson’s work

and failing. So when this one finally got

into the hands of Lisa and Jonathan Nolan,

I thought that this might actually

come to fruition and of course, it has in

the best possible way. I mist say that I

was very keen to see if we could bring

Gibson’s vision to the screen in a way that

does justice to him and in a way that I

don’t think that has been done in the past.

Because he really gives a picture of the

future that I think is believable. Whether

it’s going to be or not, I don’t know but

I believe it because it feels very much so

rooted in the present and as Lisa was saying,

very much rooted in a perspective of

the street. Just regular people and how

they would contend with an alternate

world. Honestly, there’s a million reasons

and one of them is that I just want to build

that future. I want to see what it looks like

and I want to be part of the conception of

it. It was like being a kid in the candy store

really!

GARY CARR: I think for me, the first thing

was having the opportunity to work with

Jonathan, Lisa, Athena – I have been a

massive fan of theirs since forever. Jonathan

in particular as well!

AM: Same!

JONATHAN NOLAN: Thank you! I’m blushing!

GC: That is the case so for me, it was such

an honor to be part of this. I was so grateful

for that and I get to sit here and talk

about this now. Also the story itself, I

loved the novel and it was the first time

that I had ever read anything from William

Gibson! I was like, “wow, I’m so late,”

this guy is amazing. Then again, with what

Scott and the team did with the script, I

thought that it was so solid. There were

so many highs and so many positive

things. There were so many things that I

found to be attractive about the project. I

also loved the character and I have never

played a character like this before. I found

it challenging but I was looking forward

to that challenge. All of the themes that

the series explores - all the topics, I just

thought that they were perfect and it's so

right to be discussing this right now.

JN: First and foremost, William Gibson.

Vincenzo Natali our director, came to us

with the project, came to us with the

book and I had grown up reading Gibson’s

books and spent years shamelessly

ripping off his ideas and putting

them into our own movies and shows.

So it felt like there was a debt of honor

there, but then I read the book and it

was brilliant.

It’s also one of his books that is the

closest to the bone of William in terms

of his childhood in West Virginia. You

can feel the reality of that world – of

Flynne’s world and then when you step

through the looking glass, and you

meet Gary’s character and you meet

Wilf – you feel the reality of his universe.

So the two worlds were both so

beautifully textured and lived in that it

was impossible to say no.

AM: How did you prepare to play these

roles?

JM: It’s all about the page, isn’t it? The

book is not very different from the

plot, but is very different in its style as

the book is abstract and esoteric in its

text. But then they turned it – Jonathan,

Lisa and Scott into a story where

we care about the characters a lot

whether they’re in Clanton, NC or London

or wherever - we care about them

and that’s a great achievement of this

series. You take something that can

be frightening or cold or futuristic –

they’re humans. They’re trying to find

their way in that world.

AM: That’s great and the styling of the

characters with the power shoulders

that yours has T’Nia and the vests that

yours wears JJ. Just these little aesthetics

that also have a powerful look to

them is another great layer.

TM: Often when you get a script and

you have to do a lot of prep, you have to

find yourself and it’s generally because

it’s not terribly well written. The story

might be great, but it's not well written.

This is very different from that, it

was serving the words on the page and

then also trying to understand the bloody

book because it was very confusing! For

us, I mean for me, I mean you were confused

too right?

JF: Of course! Once you start seeing it,

you were like “oh yeah!”

TM: I didn’t understand it we shot it in

May of last year and then we did pick ups

and I was like, “oh, I get that now!” It was

during pick ups where it locked in!

JF: It was like, oh that’s what a stub is!

TM: I kept hearing this word stub, stub,

stub. What is stub? Now I get it!

AM: Do you find it difficult to take something

that obviously has source material

and to make the show its own while still

being tethered to the root of the book that

it came from?

LJ: I think that one of the things that

makes it easier is my respect for Gibson is

so true and so deeply rooted that I think

that all of ours is. I also think that it is reciprocated.

He knows that we really respect

his source material and his brilliance. He

knows that we really want to make the

best show possible, but every time – film,

TV – it’s a collaborative media. There’s no

one person that owns it. It’s a beautiful

thing that it’s made truly by a group of

people together you know?

Scott Smith, his writers, the actors bring

new angles – there are new characters

in this and there are new beats and new

moments and at the same time, it feels so

Gibsonian and it really tries to honor the

brilliant book that he made and I think

that honestly and deeply, all of us nerding

out together in this way and trying to

make this universe, it’s been a wonderful

collaboration.

VN: I want to mention Scott Smith because

he had the very challenging task to

adapt the book and it doesn’t adapt directly

into a narrative format. If Mr. Gibson

was adapting it himself, I'm sure he

would change it and I know he would.

But he is very open to that kind of thing

and I think that Scott cracked the code

which is an intensely difficult thing to

do and I want to be able to give a pat to

him!

AM: We love the story and we love the

visual texture that is in it. What do you

want people to walk away with in seeing

this series?

TM: Obviously we want them to be left

with wanting more, but to also take

pause and to think about where we’re

headed. What kind of world we’re heading

to and what it looks like for ourselves

and how as a global community we have

a responsibility towards each other. I

hope that it gives people cause to pause

and really think.

JF: I think that great sci-fi writing works

as a warning on where we are and

where we could be by projecting an image

of ourselves into the future. We get

to learn and as ourselves, “is this where

we want to end up?”

TM: Yes Science Fiction – Science Fact.

Let’s not go there. Let’s please not go

there!

JN: Several years of Prime Video subscriptions!

AM: Yes, please!

JN: I don’t know Gary, what do you

think?

GC: Nothing deep. I just want people to

be able to enjoy it. Enjoy what’s being

presented to them on all different levels

from the themes, the aesthetics and a

lot to what Jonathan said, a lot of amazing

talented people have worked on this

project to bring it to life. I think that it’s

great high quality work and great TV. I

love it and I just want people to enjoy

it. Obviously, people are going to have

questions about life and the world as

well as the future. But I just want peo-

ple to be entertained and moved as well

as all of that good stuff.

@theperipheralpv

@tniamiller

@jjfeildtheofficial

@lisajoynolan

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Prime Video/

The Peripheral


We caught up with Chef Richard Blais who

we enjoy seeing him judge on Guy's Grocery

Games, seeing him in person emceeing

at StarChefs in Brooklyn and Taste of

Tennis with the Williams' sisters or when

he is mentoring his team for Next Level

Chef alongside Gordon Ramsay and Nyesha

Arrington! We talked about chili which

is perfect for this time of year as we begin

to embrace all things fall! He shares his recipe

and how he keeps it interesting with

unexpected pairings!

We also find out about his projects with

his latest restaurants Ember & Rye and

Four Flamingos that he opened at Hyatt

Hotel properties in Florida and of course

getting the scoop on season 2 of Next Level

Chef which will premiere immediately

following the Super Bowl on Feb 12th!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s always great when

we have the chance to talk with you. We’ve

watched you when we were at Star Chefs

and Taste of Tennis with the Williams’ Sisters,

enjoyed you on Next Level Chef and

it’s always great to catch up with you.

What is it about being on Next Level Chef

that you wanted to be on that show?

CHEF RICHARD BLAIS: Oh my gosh! I hate

to use the pun right off the bat, but it’s

been a next level experience! I get to

hang out with Nyesha Arrington and Gordon

Ramsay, 2 people that I have a tremendous

amount of respect for. I’ve kind

of been blessed in my career that I got to

stand next to and work with true juggernauts

in our industry so that and the fact

that it’s a brand new concept! I think that

it is next level and there’s an energy about

it that fits my frenetic energy as well. I just

literally came off set 2 days ago – we just

got done filming season 2 which is going

to premiere on Super Bowl night immediately

following the Super Bowl!

AM: What? I am excited!

CHEF RB: Yes! I was going to say, that I

could tell by your reaction that that is a

pretty big timeslot to be directly from,

“you just won the Super Bowl – what are

you doing," to Next Level Chef! So we're

really really excited about the millions of

eyeballs that will be on it for sure!

AM: That’s so exciting! I love chili especially

during this time of year. Who doesn’t?

We recently had a chili recipe that is in

a cookbook with other chili recipes. So

being able to talk about this topic is awesome.

I love unexpected pairings and the

one we submitted is a Mezcal version. So

I want to know, what do you love about

chili?

CHEF RB: Oh my gosh! Well first of all,

you’re an expert so now I’m a little taken

aback and I didn’t know that you

have published chili recipes, but what

I really love about chili is 1 – as we’re

talking about it and as your recipe showcased,

is the versatility when it comes to

creativity. 2 – I love one pot meals! As a

busy person, as a dad, people are like,

“oh you’re a competitive chef.” Everyday

people have the real challenge that

they come home from work and they

have 30 minutes to make a dish. Their

kids are coming home and it’s just chaos.

Everyone is in this competition world

and so I love meals that can be cooked in

one pot and it’s pretty easy why. Not to

get too technical, when you cook something

in one pot, all of the flavor stays

in that one pot. Most of the world’s

great dishes are like that whether it’s a

mole from Mexico, a bourguignon from

France, a chili from whatever part of

the world you’re making it from. I mean

really, most of the world’ great cuisine

starts with just one pot.

AM: I couldn’t agree more. I live in NY

now, but I’m from the Midwest originally

and that’s the land of the one pot meals!

CHEF RB: There you go! As a native NYer

and someone that people always mistake

me from being from the Midwest

by the way – I think it’s because I’m nice!

I think it’s generally I’m a nice guy. And

again, you mentioned the Midwest and

again, chili season – the weather. I live in

Southern California, but if there is 1 leaf,

it’s fall! If it’s 69˚, the fireplace is on and

that sort of cuisine really fits for those moments!

So yeah, I’m really excited about

this chili!

AM: This month is National Chili month

and I’m sure that you have a recipe that

you want to share with us?

CHEF RB: I do! So you talked about your

creative chili with Mezcal. Mine is going to

start a little more classic. This is a chili that

I make at home a lot. It’s a beef base, it’s

a ground beef with beans and corn. And I

have to ask you. Are you ok with beans in

chili?

AM: Love beans in chili!

CHEF RB: Ok! Usually, you are if you’re not

from Texas or you’re a real chili purist.

But I like anytime you can get nutrition in

there especially if you’re cooking with the

family. I love that. So, it’s beef, beans, chili,

onions, I do like to cook it down. In this

case, I’m going to use some beer which

is going to add a depth of flavor. Now listen,

it’s not an alcoholic dish, the alcohol

burns away. It’s just the flavor of the age

if you will. It’s like when you’re cooking

with wine and you get that depth of flavor.

I also like to add cocoa powder which

is one of my secret ingredients to my chili.

My favorite regional chili is Cincinnati chili,

have you ever heard of it?

AM: Oh yes, I was a Skyline girl.

CHEF RB: Oh yes, that I was going to say.

It’s either Skyline or the other one! I love

Cincinnati chili and I love – I mean, we’re

vibing so I’m just going to share here. I feel

like Cincinnati chili is the most underrated

regional food in the US!

AM: FACTS!

CHEF RB: Facts! Exactly! I love – I mean

you’re from the Midwest. I love Deep

Dish pizza, I love a Philly Cheesesteak, every

place has it’s thing. I love Barbecue

Shrimp, Po’ Boys. Cincinnati chili, why is it

so special? It has cocoa powder in it, it has

cinnamon, it's got cloves - it's got all of

these wintery almost fruity spices which

makes my chili pair really well with the

next step which is a peanut butter sandwich.

A peanut butter sandwich combined

with chili!

Now, I’m a chef, you know that! My peanut

butter sandwich, I have to take to

the next level – pardon the pun! I grew

up not eating crust on my peanut butter

sandwiches. I hope no one comes

at me for not wanting crust on my peanut

butter, blame my mom right? We all

have memories. I’ve taken my peanut

butter sandwich and made it into a raviolo,

a big ravioli and instead of the pasta

dough, it’s just white bread which is

soft and fluffy and it’s filled with some

creamy peanut butter and that is going

to be a garnish for my chili. The rest of

the garnishes you’ve probably already

seen. I like garnishing on top with some

onions, scallions, lots of jalapeños – are

you ok with spice?

AM: Our recipe also had jalapeños in it!

CHEF RB: There you go and peanut butter

neutralizes spice and you can make

it spicier by adding the peanut butter

sandwich next to it. Finish garnishing

that out with a little cilantro. When I’m

coming up with a flavor combination like

this – peanut butter and chili, I look for

ingredients that connect the dots. So cilantro

you might see on a chicken satay

which is a peanut butter sauce with lime

juice and fish sauce. So the ingredients

start connecting and then of course, I’m

going to garnish with a little more texture,

I’m using salted chopped peanuts

– a lot of texture and then my beautiful,

soft adorable –

CHEF RB: Am I allowed to call this adorable?

AM: It’s pretty cute!

CHEF RB: Ok cute works! Cute, but not

too cute to eat because you will eat it.

And then a little bit of that right on there

which is my version of a peanut butter

sandwich chili recipe.

AM: Whether people are adding an unexpected

twist to their recipe or they are using

a passed down family recipe, how can

people take them to the next level in term

of general notes?

CHEF RB: Yeah, general notes! I think that

the number 1 thing and you get this because

you already revealed your amazing

chili recipe. Have fun in the kitchen and

don’t be afraid to make mistakes and I will

tell you that some of the inspiration that

I have received from being on the sets of

these cooking shows where people have

to cook in 10-15 minutes, is that inspiration

happens sometimes because of improv

right?

AM: Right!

CHEF RB: So if you can do this, set the

clock to 45 minutes – I’m giving you an

extra 15 minutes. Open up the fridge and

just cook. Just go for it and don’t be tied

to a specific recipe or cookbook. I love

cookbooks, I love recipes, but sometimes

you have to get away from the recipes to

sort of find that creative source of genius!

That’s when you end up adding cinnamon

or cocoa powder or peanut butter sandwiches

next to your chili. So just have fun

with it. Make it a game!

AM: Love that!

You recently opened 2 new restaurants.

You have Ember & Rye and also Four Flamingos.

Can you tell us about these new

restaurants?

CHEF RB: So both are affiliated with the

Hyatt brand so Ember & Rye is a steakhouse

at Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad,

CA. It’s a fine dining steakhouse next to

an award winning golf course. If you’ve

seen me on social media playing a lot of

golf, it is because of that! They also have

amazing tennis facilities as well because I

know that we know each other from the

tennis world as well. So that’s our steak-

house, Ember & Rye.

In Orlando, FL, Four Flamingos is my

take on my memories of FL. Having my

wife’s family from there, my east coast

family vacationed there and also the

influences that happen in that region –

Central South American and Caribbean

influences – a piece of local fish with a

citrus beurre Blanc almost going backwards.

You know, sometimes you can go

backwards far enough where you can

start seeing the future. There’s a reason

why things are a classic and so we’re celebrating

some of the things that are a

classic of Floridian foods.

AM: Love that!

You’re a man that is always busy and

you have a lot going on. Do you have

any projects that you would like to share

with us that we should keep an eye out

for? Clearly, Next Level Chef, Super Bowl

Sunday!

CHEF RB: Yes! Next Level Chef, thank you

for that! I am in the process of finishing

up my 3rd cookbook which will be a lot

more plant-based. Maybe you will see a

peanut butter sandwich next to some

vegetarian chili in that book. That will

come out hopefully by holiday season

next year. There’s always a couple of

restaurants in play!

AM: That’s so exciting and thank you for

taking the time by talking with us here at

Athleisure Mag and also on our podcast,

Athleisure Kitchen! We always like the

various interviews we’ve had with you or

seeing you at events.

CHEF RB: I had a lot of fun – let’s do it in

person sometime soon!

@richardblais

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Richard Blais

There are many ways to take on our fitness

journeys and it's about the best way to get

there whether it's a traditional gym or boutique

fitness. We sat down with Brookelyn

Suddell, Group Fitness Strategy and Development

at Crunch Fitness which has an

array of options for its members including

typical gym offerings, group fitness classes

and boutique fitness as well.

We wanted to know more about the DNA

and ethos of Crunch Fitness, how you go

about Crunchifying fitness methods that

are there and even learning about popular

methods that actually got its start at their

gyms.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When we began our

path of adulting and actually paid for our

own membership with our corporate job,

Crunch Fitness was where we signed up.

We knew we wanted to work out, to have

that mix of the gym as well as the fun studio

environment. For those that may not

have had a membership or are not familiar

with this brand, can you tell us about

Crunch and what their ethos is?

BROOKELYN SUDDELL: Absolutely and

you know, Crunch and our ethos is what

I love the most about being part of this

company! I have been here for 14 years

and it’s actually my 14 year anniversary

this month. So I started as a Crunch member

and when I joined, Crunch it’s one of

those places where you’re not just running

in to get your workout and then running

out. You can, you totally can, but being

able to walk into the gym and to have

the opportunity to get the workout that

you want – whether it be on the gym floor

with machines or free weights or with a

trainer in a group fitness class or a virtual

class, Crunch is not just a gym, it’s a community

gathering place. It’s a place for

people who are members to come that

they have a home and they have someplace

that they can go.

Even if they don’t want to get a workout

in, they have other areas throughout the

clubs whether it's the relax and recover

area stations, tanning, hydra massage,

the saunas, the steam rooms – there is

always something that you can do when

you walk through the doors at Crunch.

The community part, the culture part is

something really important to me personally

that I work with the company

and that I really believe in the culture

and the fabric of what the brand really

believes in. We’re a culture of No Judgements.

Whenever I am talking with my

team, I always start my meeting off with

going through our 7 core values which

are being: Responsible, Passionate,

Kind, Inclusive, Innovative, Alternative

and Fun – most importantly. What we

are is a diverse community and we have

a culture of fun and people are our priority

and that’s how we drive our business

forward. We listen to our people

and we strive to give them everything

that we possibly can.

AM: Tell us about your role as the Director

of Group Fitness Strategy and Development.

What is your day-to-day like,

what do you do?

BS: I know! It’s a very long title and I

love when people ask that and whether

it fits on a business card – barely!

It’s really interesting. As I said, I joined

Crunch Fitness Gyms 14 years ago as

an instructor. Then in 2016, I jumped

onto the corporate side. Another of the

things that I love about Crunch is that

they’re very open to your ideas – your

unique and individual outlook on things.

When I started on the corporate side, it

was kind of an open-ended role. I came

from a marketing events background

and I just jumped in on the group fitness

side, because I did know group fitness

inside and out and I really kind of found

that I was good at leaning into partnerships

and coming up with new ideas. I

was good at being able to see what was

trending and what was the pulse of fitness

right now. You know, we are alternative,

we are fun, we always want to

stay front and center as far as all of our

offerings go.

As fas as my day-to-day goes, we're al-

ways changing! There are so many projects

that we’re working on. One of the

things that I always do each and every

day is to check in with my team. My team

is my Group Fitness Managers that oversee

the clubs and then our Group Fitness

Instructors there are 100s of them and I

love each and everyone of them, they are

amazing! So, connecting with the Group

Fitness Team on a daily basis is something

that I do, but also work on really fun special

events and different kind of offerings

from themed classes, coming up with

some new classes and even working on

some digital things that are coming soon

so always working on something new and

something fun!

AM: Being with an organization whose

agenda does have these various components

to it, especially when you look at the

fact that there are a lot of people that are

doing boutique studio fitness – what’s the

process like when you’re onboarding these

new types of nuances into the gym itself?

BS: That’s a great question. The boutique

world is semi-new. It’s only been around

for about 10 years or so. Boutiques are

great, they’re awesome. They can really

lean into one thing and give you a great

workout and at Crunch we always want to

lean in and give you the best workout that

we can, while also still be able to offer you

a wide variety of things. So we want you

to be able to take a meditation class or you

can take a high intensity interval training

class. Ride, dance cardio, strength and everything

in between.

So when we’re looking at new things to

offer, we want to make sure that we are

presenting them in almost a boutique way

where we’re the experts or the authority

on what it is that we are offering. So you

are getting a great workout, you’re having

fun and you’re trying something new or

different and really getting close to your

goals. We did actually implement in some

of our clubs, a boutique style studio that

has the feel of a boutique – the lights are

themed, the floor is themed, everything

has the same colors, you have crazy tech-

nology in the studios and it’s called our

Sweat Shed Studios. We have 3 of them in

NY and a couple of them to come on the

West Coast. So our group fitness classes

are amazing, but if you are looking for a

boutique kind of feel, that is available to

our members as well through our Sweat

Shed Studios.

AM: That’s a really cool way to bridge

various types of markets for various

needs that are out there. We were not

aware of this component.

Last month, in the SEP ISSUE #81, we had

POUND in our Athleisure List feature. We

were talking about their brand as well as

the partnership that we have with you

in your gyms! It’s interesting that Crunch

will take various fitness methods and

bring them to your clubs and studios. So,

how do you Crunchify something that already

exists and is now coming into your

world?

BS: Such a great question. A really fun

story about POUND is that Kristen Potenza

was one of our instructors! So

POUND was born at Crunch! Several

things were born at Crunch. Zumba

was born at Crunch down in Miami, indoor

cycling – we were the first gym to

offer sitting on a bike and riding to nowhere

with some music in a disco ball,

Anti-Gravity Yoga was born at Crunch!

So a lot of things that have taken off,

because we love to push the limits and

raise the bar on what is possible within

the walls of a gym. We like to take chances

on people and we like to take chances

on ideas. Some of them do amazing and

come with new iterations like POUND

and POUND UNPLUGGED and then some

of them don’t and that’s ok because it’s

all trial and error.

As far as Crunchifying things, we love

to see what other people are doing and

we want them – especially when they

bring something to us, that’s their baby.

That’s something that they have worked

on and that’s their business. When we

bring it to Crunch, we never want the

owner or the creator to lose their sense

of identity or ownership in their workout.

So when they bring it to Crunch, we

test it, we try it out, we decide whether it

will make sense for our communities and

membership and then we work directly

with the creators to say, “hey, this is awesome,

we love it and we have a couple of

ideas to make it more Crunchy and it’s a

really collaborative process where we

work hand-in-hand with creators to come

up with an offering that makes sense for

Crunch, that makes sense for a group studio

fitness – a lot of methods come from

trainers that are more 1-on-1 or PT based.

So we’re known for our classes and we

help to bring it full circle and to bring it

to a class setting that delivers an amazing

experience for participants.

AM: Very interesting and we love to hear

it. What are 3 group fitness classes that

are offered that you are excited about that

people should be thinking about to take

the next time that they are coming in?

BS: Absolutely, to think of 3 classes Ohhh –

I’m going to give you some different buckets.

So 1st is something that I mentioned a

little earlier, Anti-Gravity Yoga. It’s ah-mazing.

If you’re like, “I don’t like yoga,” you’ll

probably like this! This is a very fun kind of

yoga. We use aerial silks, so we rig to the

ceiling and they drop down. It’s great for

athletes of all levels. I tell people that the

hammock is like a prop so some of those

more advanced moves that you might do,

the hammock almost acts like a spotter.

It also gives you the benefit of being able

to suspend. We’ve all heard of inversion

tables if you’ve ever gone to physical therapy,

they have probably put you in one of

those. It’s an inversion table, you get to

lay down and lengthen your spine and go

deeper into your flexibility so Anti-Gravity

Yoga I would absolutely recommend it to

anyone that has not tried it.

2nd, Push the Perimeter is another one

that we suggest. It’s a high intensity interval

training based workout where we use

super sets, strength sequences and we

partner them with fast and furious cardio

drills. It’s a 30 minute quick in and out,

but you’re going to get a full boy workout

and a full metabolic burn and that’s

going to be offered at all of our clubs,

coast to coast.

The 3rd one that I am loving, kind of

takes the idea of having so many classes

that we offer and bringing them together.

So we call it Mashup and it started

because we had a group of members

that loved Zumba and they also loved

Hard Knocks which is another Crunch

class. Hard Knocks is similar to Zumba in

the sense that it is follow along choreography,

but rather than having a Latin

inspired feel, it’s more of a boxing and

Hip-Hop inspired method. So what we

do now is that we look to the gyms and

we look to the communities and to the

people that are down on the floor every

day and we’re like, “what does this community

and this area love? Is it POUND

and Zumba? Is it Hard Knocks and Way

Hard Cardio? Is it Aerobics with Attitude

and Kangoo?” and we mash them up and

put them together. So you get 2 classes

and maybe even 3 class experiences in 1.

AM: That’s really cool!

BS: I like that.

AM: Are there 3 group fitness classes

that are going to be onboarded this fall

or holiday season that you are able to

talk about that we should keep an eye

out for?

BS: Absolutely! I’m really excited about

is a nod to my childhood, it’s called Hula

Hoop Pilates.

AM: That sounds so fun!

BS: You MUST come take it! It’s so much

fun. We call it Hard Core because it’s a

really hard core workout for your abs

and the rest of your body. We use Hula

Hoops and it’s fun and you kind of forget

that your body is working out when

you are going through the class. Going

back and forth between your classic Pi-

lates rings and some Hula Hoops, we even

incorporate some partner work where

it makes sense and it’s fun. Plus, who

doesn’t love to just grab a Hula Hoop and

just swing it around? It’s just fun and it’s

kitschy but it’s also a really great workout!

Another one that’s coming which is really

just a nod to some of the trends that we

have seen throughout COVID and coming

out of COVID – people are really leaning

into strength training. We’re seeing less

of a surge for cardio. Cardio is still popular,

but it used to be the king and queen of

all of the workouts. People are really leaning

into and are less afraid of strength

training workouts. So we do have a class

coming called Hustle for the Muscle and

it’s a group class using heavy weights and

that’s something that’s not typically done

because to get that number of weights in

a studio is a lot! But It’s also slightly less

intimidating for a lot of people to just go

out on the gym floor and pick up some

heavy weights and then wonder what

they do next?

AM: As everyone is looking at you.

BS: Yeah! So the really nice thing about

this class is we’re going to be using anywhere

from 15-25-30lb dumbbells and

your instructor is going to be bringing you

through different kinds of strength training

exercises super sets, recommendations

for exercises that you can take that

you can learn in the studio and do them in

the studio. It’s basically like doing it with

a Personal Trainer, but you’re doing it in

a group fitness instructor overseeing you

and then it just gives you that much more

confidence to bring your workouts on the

floor. Then you come back to class and

you learn a little bit more and it just helps

your workout become more integrated

with your floor workouts and your studio

workouts.

Honestly, lifting with a group of people is

just so much better!

AM: Yeah, when you said that, I thought,

that I would be ok with that. You're seeing

someone doing it in the gym or watching

your favorite IG person doing it, but

you may not know where to start and

you don’t want to look like an idiot when

you’re doing it!

BS: Yeah and there’s so many different

ways to do so many things now. So being

able to have somebody that’s just

like, you don’t have to think, here just do

this. You’re going to feel it here, you’re

going to feel it here, it really just takes

the anxiety almost away from weight

training.

We have a bunch of other classes coming.

We have HIIT classes that are coming

out just because we are starting to see

the popularity of the shorter workout

which was popular pre-COVID because

who has time? Nobody has time and

we’re all time pressed. During COVID,

we were seeing people that wanted the

longer workouts, there was less turnover

going into classes, but now that

people are going back to their regular

lives, we’re adjusting and coming up

with more full body strength cardio all

in one 30 mins quick, you’re in and out

and we’re not going to take away from

your day. You’re in and out as long as

you give us our 30 minutes.

AM: Do you find that for methods that

may be onboarded in the future that

you’re constantly going out into the market

or visiting the newest boutique studio

to see what they are doing to figure

out all these components that you want

to bring back to the gym?

BS: Absolutely! We’re always looking

for new and different fitness trends.

Yes, we’re looking to equipment vendors

that are creating new kinds of

equipment and/or individuals that are

inventing new pieces of equipment,

we’re looking at what other gyms and

boutique fitness studios are doing. But

we’re also looking at, what is trending in

general – what’s popular on Instagram,

what’s popular on TikTok?

What’s on the Billboard Top 100 because

when you come into a group fitness studio,

it’s fitness, but it’s entertainment. It’s

entertainment fitness so we want you to

have a really good time. So if we can fuse

something like a TikTok challenge with

something that is also trending like booty

workouts – we’re going to try to bring

those together in the most fun way that

we possible can.

AM: That’s really cool and do you guys do

things seasonally? Like because it’s the fall

and holiday season, maybe there is a particular

slant to this class that would be different

if it was taken again in another time

of year?

BS: Absolutely! In several of our markets,

we do seasonal based classes where if we

have outdoor space, we leverage that.

Crunch Hoboken Club, my goodness, it’s

right on the pier, we do workouts and you

overlook the NYC city skyline – it’s beautiful.

Out in CA, we have several outdoor

workouts as well and then we also do

themed workouts. Coming into the holidays

we have a Turkey Burn and Firm class

which is all right before and after Thanksgiving.

We do a lot of classes in the New

Year that take on many formats and kind

of put them into one as we start everyone

off on a good fit to give people the opportunity

to try as many as they can. We do

another one right around Valentine’s Day

that I love which is called Whipped and

it’s lead by a dominatrix. That’s a really

fun one and you can find it at some of our

signature locations. This Halloween we’re

doing some Boo-tacular classes where

you can learn the Thriller dance or you can

take a class that is set to a Halloween playlist.

We’re always trying to keep up with

what is going on, what people are thinking

about and feeling about it and what’s

going on in their lives and how we can amplify

it with their workout experience too.

AM: That’s so fun to hear that and that

theme of community and really getting it

to where people want it is key. My home

gym when I was a member was in the East

50s and I loved the vibe of that place! How

do you guys look at a neighborhood that

you want to be in and then canvas what

is taking place there so that you can add

elements of that back into the gym?

BS: Like I’ve said before, people are our

priority. When we open up a new club,

before we even open our doors, we’re

doing outreach and connecting with

local business owners. We’re trying to

meet the people that are there. When

we are creating the gyms themselves,

we very often will commission local artists

to come in and do murals within the

club. We also look around and see what

else is being offered in the area and in

the neighborhood so that we can create

our class offerings off of what we think

will serve that community best.

AM: How does Crunch support the community

in the sense of giving back philanthropically,

doing PRIDE here in NY?

We’re sure that that is important as well.

BS: It’s so so so important. There are

certain things that we have done on a

national scale or even an international

scale like Auggie’s Quest for ALS.

We have done things with the Susan G

Komen Breast Cancer Research Center,

we’ve worked with the Strengthen By

Heroes which is a military base program

where we actually brought in some military

guys and they led some troop workouts.

We also have a really big initiative

to hire veterans. Another thing which is

really close to my heart, it’s called Sweat

School. In a lot of our Crunch signature

locations, that are in more urban communities,

we find that a lot of schools

in the surrounding areas may not have

the most space to host recess or outdoor

things or fitness programming as a

whole. This is so important to give kids a

brain break and to let their bodies move.

So Sweat School, is a philanthropic endeavor

that we have where we either

go out to schools or we invite schools to

come to us and we offer different programming

for kids throughout the community.

I would say that the majority that we do

really comes from the community themselves.

They’ll say, “hey, this is something

that is really important to us for xyz reason"

and we’ll really create something

special and unique to support different

charities that are in the local area.

AM: That’s really cool how you become part

of the community. It’s interesting to hear

about the programs that you offer as well

as how you support the areas that you’re

in. For those that are looking to workout,

do you have flexible memberships such as

those for people who only want to do a

few days a week because they have their

cycling and yoga studio, but they would

still like to do other methods at your gym?

BS: We have day drop in rates. If you’re like,

my cycling instructor is sick and so that

class isn’t happening and it’s raining and

I don’t want to go far away and there’s a

Crunch right here and I just want to jump

in or hop into a class or even get on the

floor for a day – you can always do that.

Our membership advisors are wonderful

in being able to set you up with a guest

pass or a temporary short term membership.

You can also always drop in with a

day rate and those differ from club to club

so you can check with the front desk as

soon as you walk in.

Like I said before, Crunch has a place for

everybody. So whatever your needs are,

we’re going to do whatever we can to

meet them.

@crunchgym

PHOTOS COURTESY | Crunch Fitness

We hopped into the kitchen with Chef

Nick Wallace who we enjoyed seeing his

passion and love for Jackson, Mississippi.

In addition to being the Founder and Executive

Chef of Nick Wallace Culinary, Nick

Wallace Catering and Nissan Cafe by Wallace,

we enjoyed seeing him as a finalist in

Top Chef Season 19 in Houston, Chopped

episodes, winner of Food Network Canada's

Fire Masters and he appeared on

CNN's Nomad with Carlton McCoy. We talk

about the importance of Mississippi when

it comes to creating his dishes and bringing

awareness to the culinary scene there.

We also talk about why giving back to others

is essential and also how we can focus

on creating great meals when we're busy

that still have love and full flavors!

ATHLEISURE MAG: I was such a fan of

watching you during Top Chef Season 19

and it’s so great to be able to talk with

you right now and as a finalist you showed

us your love for food, where you passion

came from – when did you realize that you

wanted to be a chef?

CHEF NICK WALLACE: So I realized that I

wanted to be a chef honestly when I was

maybe in my late 20’s. It was something

that I always knew that I was good at was

cooking. I was cooking as a teenager and

I was good at it because my grandmother

taught me. But in my late 20’s, I just had to

look around my perspective in Mississippi

and when I didn’t see that many chefs

and executive chefs that were really trying

to push it that were of my color, that’s

when I said, now it’s time for me to write

my story and it’s time for me to ask my

elders about the stories that I could reshape

who I want to be and that’s when I

had my answer!

AM: You’re passion for Mississippi whether

it’s supporting local producers or giving

back via your non-profit Creativity Kitchen

to support healthier meals for children

and schools is amazing. Why is this so important

to you?

CHEF NW: Well, my grandmother told me

one thing! When you get things in life, you

need to give back just as much. It took

me awhile to really figure that out. But

the one thing that she was really getting

at is that your circle, your environment

that’s around you – as you grow

up in life, other people need to be able

to grow with you and that’s the same

way that you should be doing business

as well. That’s the reason why I’m in line

with Ben’s Original because they have

some of the same beliefs and they care

about their community.

AM: As the Co-Founder/Creative + Style

Director of Athleisure Media, I think

about our readers at Athleisure Mag and

our listeners of Athleisure Kitchen for

Athleisure Studio, they’re busy, they’re

always in the mix of doing things. They

want to eat well, they want to have

healthy meals, they also want to be able

to prepare things easily so that they can

go from one place to the next. How can

they do that, keeping it elevated and also

having some hacks whether it’s cooking

for themselves or their coupleship or

friends and family that come over.

CHEF NW: Yeah, that’s probably one of

the most tough things is to cook for 1 individual.

Because honestly the way that

I was raised, you cook big pots – that’s

what you do. You honestly have to bring

all of that down and then it’s time that

you have to get sandwich bags – it’s not

about the Ziplock bag form anymore,

things have to be smaller. So, when

you’re dicing and pre-prepping you just

need to be able to put things into ramekins

and put it in your refrigerators because

honestly, you don’t need a whole

onion. So when you’re cutting things,

portion them out – it’s all about portion

control when it’s 1 or 2 people, because

you will waste a lot and you don’t want

to do that.

AM: Absolutely. What are some meals

that you suggest that we should have

on our radar that are delicious and that

can impress guests when they’re coming

over to eat with us?

CHEF NW: So, I’m going to give you 2 great

recipes here and then we’re going to talk

about a lot more that we have. This first

one is going to be focused on the Whole

Grain Brown Rice which is in the Ready

Rice packages. It’s really easy to do, you

can put it in the microwave for 3 mins.

Take a fresh apple and you’re going to slice

and then dice it and incorporate it into

some diced red peppers, parsley, green

onions, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar

and salt and pepper. Once it’s incorporated,

add some of the pre-cooked Ben’s

Original Ready Rice right into the bowl.

This is when you can get kids involved if

you have them – you can let them mix and

you can have them add ingredients. Maybe

they want to see a little more green or

red – let them be in charge because when

you place this down on your dinner table,

you want them to finish this. So you have

your sweetness, you have a little bit of

acidity, you have protein that’s in there. If

you want to add chicken or seafood, you

can do that and you can just keep taking

this to the next level. But this here is your

base!

Your next recipe is going to be Wild Rice.

Now this Wild Rice is a favorite. I have

been buying these pouches since they

have been out there because it’s just so

easy. So for this meatball, you don’t have

to pre-cook the rice. You’re going to add

this rice right into a bowl with ground

beef and you’re going to add eggs, milk,

salt and pepper and a little garlic. If you

have some kids, get them involved again.

Letting them mix and reshaping their

meatballs. Pop them into a 350˚ oven and

in about 12-13 mins, you have some really

luscious meatballs that’s right there at

your dinner table.

AM: Those are great recipes to add to your

meals.

You’ve kind of been talking about this

throughout – preparation is always key.

What are some items that we should have

in our pantries so even when we don’t

know what’s going on, when we have

these items, they are so versatile that we

can create a meal.

CHEF NW: The good thing about Ben’s

Original’s mission is to really save - to

save time. You definitely need to have

these Ready Rice packages in there because

you can get something where you

can have Taco Night with Spanish – you

can go all kinds of different ways. The

Wild Rice is great to pair with a fish. So

this here is a great vessel and then in

your refrigerator, you really want peppers,

onions, squash and eggplant. You

want these things that can be in there

and you’re already halfway there with

a meal. And then you can look at a protein.

So when you’re buying meats, have

Ziplock bags in your house or a vacuum

sealer just so that you can take that one

protein and put it in a Ziplock bag, date it

and put it right in your freezer. So when

you pull out your ready rice and also

your veggies, you can go ahead and sauté

your veggies or make that salad, pair

it up and you have a meal in minutes.

AM: That sounds great!

What are some seasonings that you suggest

as 3 go-to’s that we should have in

our pantry that we should think about

having?

CHEF NW: I’m only going to talk about 1

seasoning!

AM: We expected that!

CHEF NW: I’m going to be very biased on

that! This is Nick’s 26. It’s the first seasoning

that has ever been incorporated

with 26 spices. Think about turmeric,

cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, garlic, etc.

It took me awhile to get the ratio down.

But the only reason why this seasoning is

invented because my grandmother told

me that I needed to figure out how to

put my personality in a bottle because

people like the way that I cook and season

food. You can now be your own chef

in your own household with Nick’s 26.

AM: We love that!

You’ve been working with Ben’s Originals

and like you, they’re also focused on childhood

hunger that we’re super passionate

about here at Athleisure Media. Can you

tell us about initiatives that they are focused

on and what they’re doing?

CHEF NW: I’m very delighted to partner

with Ben’s Original for the second year

now. It’s great! One of the things that

Ben’s Original and No Kid Hungry is doing

is that they are investing 2.5 million meals.

All you have to do is to go into the grocery

store and spend up to $1 – that’s all! Just

think about if you spend just a few more

extra dollars, you never know how far

that can go. There’s a lot of kids out there

that are in need. Our spirits are aligned

because it’s just like my mission. Don’t ignore

your community, as we grow – we all

grow and that’s just the philosophy! We

should all believe that and we need to get

on the streets and just start walking and

do what we do!

AM: We love to hear that. We love No Kid

Hungry and we have worked with them

since 2016 and so that is something that

we love hearing! $1 impacting such a big

thing is amazing!

As mentioned in the beginning, it was great

to see you on Top Chef as a finalist and

we’ve continued to watch you on Chopped

as well. Do you have any other shows coming

up that we should have an eye out for?

Are you making a cookbook – what’s Nick

up to?

CHEF NW: So I am writing a cookbook, it’s

called Rooted. It’ll be out soon. It’s got

some really really great fantastic recipes

in there so it’s going to feature a lot of the

different partnerships that I do and a lot

of the things that my grandmother pretty

much instilled in me. That’s the main

thing! And then there’s Mississippi as a

whole! I want to be able to put a spotlight

– just like Ben’s Original is doing. I want

the world to know about us, they need

to know about us and I hope that by me

going on Top Chef, shows what kind of

sophistication that we’re bringing. We're

coming hard and we’re believing in our

community and we’re coming together

as strong as 1!

I did do a show in Food Network Canada

that you should probably check out.

It’s called Fire Masters, it’s a good show.

I started the show off with an old school

recipe from my grandfather. My grandfather

passed when I was at a young age,

but he showed me this and I’m glad that

I had that trick to show to the world, but

it’s called Fire Masters and check it out!

Soon we have more things to come, but

we’re probably going to be a little quiet

about it but we have a lot of things in

the making!

@nickwallaceculinary

PHOTO COURTESY | Nick Wallace

THE ART OF

THE SNACK:

OSTERIA

ACCADEMIA

As we continue into the fall, we're always

on the lookout for new restaurants to add

when we want to enjoy the company of

family and friends. This month, The Art of

the Snack takes us to Osteria Accademia.

We wanted to find out more about the

restaurant, it's aesthetic as well as what we

should order. We took some time to catch

up with partner, Murat Akinci to find out

what we need to know before we come by.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about the owners

of Osteria Accademia and how you and

restaurateur Huseyin Ozer of Bodrum and

Leyla of the UWS, came together to launch

Osteria Accademia?

MURAT AKINCI: We were already working

together at Leyla since the very beginning,

but our friendship has started

around 2002.

AM: What is behind the name and what

can you tell me about the aesthetics as it

does have a cozy vibe which is especially

timely for the fall and upcoming winter

season, and this was designed by Matt

Murphy of Matt Murphy Design.

MA: Osteria Accademia (Accademia for

short) pays homage to classic New York

Italian-American restaurants, where delicious

meals are served in settings both

comfortable and unpretentious. Small

& stylish, Osteria Accademia recalls cozy

local places you might discover roaming

the streets of Rome. The word 'Accademia'

means “a life, community, world

of schools, teachers and education” and

is quite appropriate as the place is close

to Columbia University & many schools in

the neighborhood. The word is also a reference

to a library, a meeting place, and

place for conversation — and is the inspiration

for our comfortably stylish interior.

Some 3500 vintage books repurposed

from a decommissioned library line the

glowing bookshelves of the room creating

an inviting, sound-controlled, and conversation-starting

setting to enjoy great

food & wine with friends.

AM: Your menu is focused on Italian cui-

sine with Mediterranean influences – can

you tell us more about this approach?

MA: Osteria Accademia brings the best

of Italian Cuisine to the Upper West

Side with a delicious menu focused on

house-made pastas and other timeless

favorites, served in an eclectic space

for a ‘new local’ dining experience. Accademia’s

menu includes house made

fresh pastas, plus favorites like Vitello

Tonnato, Polpettine, Linguini Vongole,

Chicken Parm, and an elevated Linguini

della Nonna (Grandma’s Linguini).

And don't forget the Vino! Accademia

includes select wines from small vineyards

throughout Italy, along with beers

and Italian sodas.

AM: Your menu is also a nod to the diverse

regions of Italy and is a collaboration

between Consulting Chef Massimiliano

Convertini (Max) and Executive Chef

Claudio Cristofoli – can you tell us more

about their backgrounds and how they

worked together to create this menu?

MA: Max (Massimiliano) and I met working

at I Tre Merli in late 1990’s & Max &

Chris both worked together at Cipriani’s

in Soho at around the same time… Max

has been helping us from the beginning

to launch the restaurant and introduced

us to Chris during our opening phase.

Max helped us with our opening menu

and now Chef Chris is developing it further

as the season is changing. The core

of the menu will remain the same theme:

Homemade fresh pastas…

AM: What are 3 appetizers that you suggest

that we should have when we come

in to dine?

MA: Vitello Tonnato, Polpettine and

Eggplant Parmigano

We can never pass up on pasta.

AM: What are the three dishes that we

must have when coming in with friends

and family?

MA: Mafalde, Cacio Pepe Ravioli and Lasagna

di Nonna

AM: For Secondi, what are 3 dishes that

you suggest?

MA: Chicken Parm, Burger di Agnello and

Orata

AM: What are 3 desserts that we should

think about sharing with those at our table?

MA: Cheesecake, Cannoli and Tiramisu

AM: Murat, in addition to being a partner,

you're the acting General Manager as well

as the sommelier, what is his process in

pairing wines with the cuisine?

MA: When pairing is concerned it is all

about balancing the flavors of food &

wine to create an optimal enjoyment of

the guests. What is special about curating

a wine list is to achieve this balance with

selection of wines from minority producers

who utilize natural, organic &/or sustainable

methods to produce their wines

as much as possible while giving authentically

an Italian experience …

AM: You opened the beverage program

with 10 white wines, 10 red wines and 3

sparkling wines. Can you name your favorite

white, red and sparkling wine that you

offer (one of each) and from what region

they are from and what dish do you suggest

could pair well with it?

MA: Alois Lageder, Pinot Grigio $59 - Kale

Caesar + Spaghettini Vongole + Fennel Salad

Versante Nord Rosso, Nerello Mascalese

$74 - Eggplant Parm + Vitello Tonnato +

Mafalde

Fiorini Becco Rosso, Lambrusco $49 - Salumi

y Fromaggi + Fritto Misto + Chicken

Parm

AM: What are 3 Italian craft beers that you

serve there?

MA: Manabrea Ambrata, Manabrea Biondi

Torrente and Birra Fragrante

AM: With the fall and winter holiday season

approaching, are there any special

events that you will have going on that

you would like to share with us?

MA: We are in the process of finalizing our

planning for holidays.

@accademianyc

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Charissa Fay

We enjoy seeing Kristen Kish hosting, judging

a number of culinary shows and taking

us through her recent trip to Seoul. We

took some time to catch up with her since

talking earlier this year ahead of TRU TV's

Fast Foodies 2nd season.

We talk about her co-hosting Netflix's Iron

Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, her new

show on National Geographic - Restaurants

at the End of the World and being on

Selena + Chef on HBO Max.

We also talk about her latest partnership

with Jongga Kimchi, a worldwide number

one Korean brand. She also talked about

their Generation Preservation campaign

to preserve plant-forward foods, health

and wellness through fermentation and

environment to minimize food waste.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed talking to

you earlier this year prior to the 2nd season

of Fast Foodies with you and you’re cohosts

Chef Justin Sutherland and Chef Jeremy

Ford! It’s great to catch up as you’re

always doing great things. We enjoyed

seeing you over the summer on Netflix’s

Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend! It was

great to see the dynamic between you Alton

Brown. We love the food fact that we

learned about Korean Fried Chicken and

how it came to be! Why did you want to be

part of this show?

CHEF KRISTEN KISH: I mean, first and

foremost, when they say that Iron Chef is

coming back and that Iron Chef is coming

back on Netflix – it means a lot of different

things. Obviously, it’s so iconic in the Japanese

form and then to see it evolve over

time to hit the Food Network and then

for me, Netflix, it just completely diversifies

in a lot of different ways. You can hit

so many different audiences, you can pull

from different chefs and there is just so

much more storytelling that can be had.

So I think for me, obviously Iron Chef – yes!

Then Iron Chef Netflix and then there’s Alton

Brown coming back! So already for

me, I was feeling relatively insecure going

into that job – it would scare anybody I

think to go onto that job and to feel

like that I can hold my own and to have

enough to say with those things being

worth hearing and to being able to do

that with the comfort of Alton being

next to me. I think that that was a nice

dynamic coming together. I mean, all of

it scared me shitless, but honestly, how

do you not say yes to that?

AM: You looked amazing and you were

a perfect fit for it and it was so good to

watch. We hope that there will be more

episodes of it for future seasons.

CHEF KK: Well thank you, thank you!

AM: You’re also on the latest season of

Selena + Chef which is out now on HBO

Max. The format of the show is great.

How was it for you to do it virtually, to

tell someone how to to cook something

and what drew you in to want to be part

of it?

CHEF KK: Ohh I remember it! So, I requested

to my manager that I wanted to

go on Selena + Chef! It looked like a lot of

fun and I thought, why wouldn’t I want

to cook with Selena Gomez? She was

like ok and so she does what she does

and she was like, great they want you on

the next season and I’m like, “perfect!”

Honestly, it was so much more than what

I expected in various ways. So I was expecting

that I was going to teach Selena

how to cook a few things and that we

were going to call it a day. But I remember

all of the prep-production calls and

they were like, “we want to do start to

finish. Like we want to have her work,

do it – there’s no fluff around it, there’s

no swap outs on and off camera.” Everything

that she’s doing, we filmed for

over a good 6 hours getting this stuff

done. Selena went for it! She just did it

all! I think that that is just the most interesting

thing and it is hard to teach over

Zoom because you are missing a human

connection in a lot of ways. But for what

it was and what was being asked of her

to be quite frank, the whole thing was

just a really really phenomenal experience.

AM: OMG! You always have so much going

on! You’re also hosting Restaurants at the

End of the World on National Geographic

tell me about this! You’re a traveling girl!

CHEF KK: Oh my goodness! It is! For a girl

that didn’t think that she would travel in

her life because I thought that I was just

going to be working in kitchens and I just

wouldn’t make a ton of money – I would

just live my life and that was just going to

be how it was – to say that I can travel for

my job and not only for my job, but in pockets

of the world where it’s very foreign to

me and meeting chefs that have this resilience

in how they run a restaurant and

that can be several different definitions.

How they can run their restaurants with

limited resources and access to the luxuries

that we have with our restaurants

here especially in the States.

The whole project is really phenomenal. I

think that the biggest thing is yes, food is

always going to be the through line, but it’s

about who these people are and how and

why they do this. Like, it’s just mind-blowing

to me and I’ve learned a tremendous

amount about how to just relinquish control

as this is the theme for those people.

What will be, will be – and that’s it! Argh

that’s such a hard concept because in my

form of restaurants, anything that I can

control, I’m going to! If I can control the

outcome, you better believe that I am going

to control the outcome because there

are so many unknowns. But all of these

people have been really phenomenal.

AM: Can’t wait to check that out as it

sounds really exciting.

I love Kimchi, it’s one of my favorite things

to eat. You’ve partnered with Jongga Kimchi.

Why was this such a fit for you that

you wanted to be part of it?

CHEF KK: You know, Korean culture for

me, I’ve had a complicated relationship

with being an adoptee. I think that a lot of

adoptees can relate wherever you are

adopted from. Having a connection to

your culture when you are brought up in

that kind of household or where you are

brought up in an environment where

people look like you. I think that for me,

I always shied away from a lot of it because

I thought, I’m not Korean enough.

So, who am I to own Korean culture because

it’s not mine. But it is mine and I’m

allowed to redefine what it is and what

it means to me.

So I recently took my first trip to Korea,

I ate so much food – traditional and otherwise!

For me, I think that it opened up

my eyes to say that there’s not just one

way to do this. I think that giving myself

the permission to lean into partnering

with Jongga Kimchi which it originated

in Korea, it’s the number 1 world wide

brand in Korea! So to say, hold on, they

want me for a reason. That reason is because

of my story and my interpretation

of what being Korean means to me. So

I think that just them giving me the permission

and them giving me the permission

for me to be able to create recipes

that aren’t traditionally Korean and I

think that that was like this whole moment

like, “ahh ok, here we are. Now I

understand what this means.” It’s been

a really dream partnership for me personally

and professionally.

AM: I remember watching your IG when

you were going to Korea and it was so

cool to see how you were connecting.

I think that there is a sense of connection

that everyone has even if you grew

up in American and you grew up with a

family that looks like you and as an African

American you’re saying I see this,

but where are the roots and what does

that mean? I think being able to watch

you on your journey and for you to share

that with everyone was so impactful and

beautiful.

CHEF KK: Thank you!

AM: I enjoy eating kimchi on its own or

on a salad. But what recipes in terms of

integrating it in a different way? I love this

dish so much, what else should we be doing

with it?

CHEF KK: Honestly, any place that you can

impart acid, I say add kimchi and swap

it out! Whether that be a burger or you

chop it up and thread it through a beautiful

carbonara – think about the little bits

of acid and heat through something so

rich. I created 2 recipes specifically with

Jongga Kimchi.

One is a play off of my Midwestern love

for potatoes -

AM: Yes! I live in NY but I’m from Indiana

originally!

CHEF KK: Yeah! Ok, then you’re going to

be right here with me! I love a tater tot!

AM: Oh yes!

CHEF KK: Give me a tater tot in any form!

So now we can jazz it up and we can call it

a croquette and now we’re in a little fancier

background. Then, the love of Korean

BBQ and the cheese corn that you get and

then mix it up and putting it all together

with this smoked mozzarella bechamel

that I make and then thread it with corn,

potatoes – thread it, fry it – it’s crunchy,

cheesy and delicious.

Then the other one is my ode to little hot

dogs wrapped in baked croissant dough!

We can’t really call that by it’s brand name

because it’s not a croissant, but it’s in

dough. The love of pigs in a blanket and

it’s just so yummy! And I make a kimchi

honey mustard using the kimchi brine because

we chop up the kimchi to put it inside

of the roll and then we use the brine

to make the honey mustard and it’s just

so good!

AM: The last time that I talked to you, you

turned me onto Kewpie which I loved that!

Now you’ve turned me onto the fact that

I need my tater tots with kimchi on it –

check!

How is kimchi made and why is it so important

to preserve plant biodiversity?

CHEF KK: I mean, food waste in general, a

lot of times in restaurants, we’re always

thinking about how we can preserve

and how to make things last. How to use

the undesirable pieces of different vegetables

and meats. It’s something that I

have always been very passionate about

ever since I have been in the culinary industry

and also learning about how to do

it. Because a lot of times, you go to culinary

school, but they don’t always teach

you how to use the end cuts and how to

use the things that are less desirable. So

it’s important. I think kimchi is important

to preserve the history and the culture

of kimchi making! I’ve gone on a deep

dive on YouTube watching sweet Korean

ladies making kimchi and obviously

it stems from a place of need and that’s

why we do a lot of things and where it

stems from when we do the things that

we do. It’s out of necessity. Here’s a fact,

there is a very high percentage of cabbage

that is at risk or has gone extinct in

terms of different varietals that are no

longer in use or in production or being

grown. So the Generation Preservation

campaign that Jongga is doing is really

focusing on the preserving of the history

of the preservation and why we do

the things that we do in order to keep

sustaining the vegetables and to kind of

keep moving things forward.

So, being able to use products like that is

really important and of course how you

make kimchi! Now there are various versions.

There’s cabbage kimchi, there’s

other kimchi’s there’s all this food and

food has evolved and carries different

stories from all of these different kinds

of people. But traditional cabbage kimchi

is this rice paste flour, Korean chili

flakes, lots of aromatics – ginger, garlic

all blended into a paste and then you layer

it onto these leaves and I think that a

lot of the rich tradition is in the process

right? Watching how meticulous it is in

order to make it and so I think that anyone

at home can make kimchi, do I think

that there are far better kimchi’s especially

those that I can personally make – absolutely!

So sometimes, it’s just best to buy

it!

AM: My sister just came back from Seoul

and I was watching all of her pictures and I

was like, I want to eat it from there!

CHEF KK: I mean, I’ve eaten at a lot of Korean

restaurants in LA and in NY and those

Koreatowns of those specific cities and

you know that you can find some really

good stuff. But there is something to be

said when you sit in a Korean restaurant

with a bunch of Korean people and you

don’t understand everything – there’s just

something that brings it to a whole other

level! I have to tell you that things taste different

over there in a really beautiful way!

I will say that when you go, you should try

and I don’t know if your sister has gone

there – Temple Cuisine. I had a temple

lunch in the middle of Seoul and it was

just tucked away and the atmosphere was

amazing. The food was just transformative

in the fact that it is uncomplicated and you

just know that it is coming from a place – I

don’t even have words to describe it because

it’s just a feeling and I highly recommend

you hitting that up!

AM: Well, if you say it, that’s all I need to

hear!

CHEF KK: It’s really really good!

AM: You’re always on the go and you have

so many things going on and I have never

been to your restaurant in Austin, Arlo Grey

but we have plans to be there next Spring

so that we can check it out for ourselves.

Are there projects that you’re working on

that you’re able to share that we can keep

an eye out for?

CHEF KK: Yes! Obviously, we have Restaurants

at the End of the World which is coming

out and is huge and amazing. And the

restaurant – please, please come visit! Parallel

to kimchi I have a line of Soju coming

out, which is Korean alcohol. I love your reaction,

that's a great reaction! A lot of Soju

is like ahahah harsh so I’m doing a line of

4 aperitifs with lots of great storytelling

and a lot of good stuff and good flavor in

it. Keep an eye out for that so grab some

Jongga Kimchi and get my new Soju and

have a grand old time!

AM: We enjoyed talking with Chef Kristen

Kish about her recipes and as we enjoy

a great tater tot or croquette, here is

how you can make your own with Jongga

Kimchi!

JONGGA KIMCHI CREAMED CORN CRO-

QUETTE

PRODUCT | Jongga Napa Cabbage Kimchi

SERVES | 30 - 40 2oz croquettes

PREP TIME | 60 minutes

TOTAL TIME | 1 hour, 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CROQUETTE

• 2 pounds russet potatoes

• 3 cups of fresh corn kernels (approx. 3

small ears)

• Smoked mozzarella Mornay (see recipe

below)

• 2 cups Jongga Kimchi – squeezed dry

and finely chopped, reserve 3 tablespoons

of Jongga Kimchi juice

• Salt to taste

• Vegetable oil or frying oil as needed

• 1 large Black Truffle as desired/needed

• Celery leaves, lemon, Maldon Salt and

chives to garnish

FOR THE SMOKED MOZZARELLA MOR-

NAY

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour

• 3 sprigs thyme

• 2 large cloves garlic – peeled and gently

smashed

• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

• 1 small shallot – peeled and small diced

• 1¼ cup whole milk

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 6 ounces smoked mozzarella – cut into

small cubes/pieces

BREADING STATION

• 2 - 4 cups panko – crushed with your

hands and mixed with ½ teaspoon kosher

salt

• 4 eggs – beaten and mixed with ½ teaspoon

kosher salt

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, mixed with 1

teaspoon gochutgaru, ½ teaspoon dried

thyme and ½ teaspoon kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE SMOKED MOZZARELLA MOR-

NAY

1. In a medium saucepan add the butter,

flour, thyme, garlic, peppercorns, and

shallot.

2. Turn on heat to medium and allow the

butter and flour to come together, forming

a blond roux.

3. Slowly whisk in the whole milk and allow

mixture to come to a simmer, scraping

down the sides and stirring frequently.

Mixture will thicken.

4. Add in the cheese 1/3 at a time, stirring

to incorporate.

5. Once cheese is fully melted, turn off

heat and transfer into a wide shallow container,

placing plastic wrap directly over

the sauce.

6. Refrigerate until the sauce is room

temp or chilled to the touch.

FOR THE CROQUETTE

1. Bake potatoes at 400°F for about an

hour or until tender.

2. Remove from oven and let cool enough

to handle.

3. Remove the skin and gently fork mash

the potatoes while still hot, set aside to

cool.

4. Mix together the room temperature or

cooled cheese sauce with the corn kernels.

5. Add the kimchi, potatoes, and kimchi

juice.

6. Mix until incorporated and season with

salt to taste.

7. Form into 2 oz discs, larger or smaller

depending on preference.

8. Freeze until firm (optional but makes it

it easier)

9. Working in batches, dredge each croquette

in the flour mixture (be sure to

tap off excess before moving on) then in

the egg mixture, then in the panko mixture.

10. Deep fry in 350 – 370°F vegetable oil.

11. Garnish with celery leaves tossed in

lemon juice, chives, Maldon Salt and lots

of shaved black truffles.

12. Serve immediately.

@kristenlkish

@jongga_global

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Kristen

Kish

Chef Jonghun Won (Balthazar, Jungsik

Restaurant, La Tabatiere) and Jin

Ahn (Per Se, Jungsik Restaurant, Noreetuh)

are co-founders of Pavé. Their

friendship and passion for their craft

brought them together to launch this

European-style cafe/bakery which

launched mid-September.

With a focus of The Art of Baking

Bread for sweet and savory options,

they are focused on showcasing one

of the most basic necessities of life -

bread. As a staple through human history

from a culinary standpoint, it is

featured in many ways. They felt there

weren't enough places making bread

right and they wanted to preserve the

process before it becomes lost in the

modern world.

Their fresh bread is made by Paneotrad

which doesn't replace the human

ATHLEISURE LIST: Midtown NY, NY

PAVÉ

hand to create bread. It's an efficient

tool to reduce square footage of production

area; minimizing mistakes

that can be made by human hands

when it comes to bread-shaping and

bread-cutting; be able to batch out

smaller portions to bake more frequently

without incurring too much

waste!

We suggest 3 of their savory options:

Jambon Beurre, combination of French

style ham with high quality butter on

a baguette; Pan Bagnat is their take

on salad niçoise on their fluffy olive

ciabatta bread. Lastly, their focaccia

bread which resembles a square pizza

that is topped with cremini and oyster

mushrooms, fingerling potatoes,

gruyere cheese and thyme.

For your sweet treat, we suggest their

pasteries which are made in house


while they work on their viennoiserie

- brioche bread filled with passionfruit

curd, green tea scones with chunks of

white chocolate and their financier.

They offer specialty coffees sourced

from Counter Culture Coffee, who

is a specialty coffee roaster based in

North Carolina. They also offer looseleaf

teas by Bellocq Tea Atelier, which

is based out of Brooklyn.

When visiting, the Tiffany-blue door

opens to a chic and clean interior and

you can see the counter with their

assortment. You'll see the antique

display case with their pastries, and

a clean glass display box featuring

breads, sandwiches and focaccia.

As you walk down the line, you'll see

the coffees from freshly ground beans

will mix together with an open kitchen


producing freshly baked bread. The

space continues to the back where

natural light fills the back room with

spaced out tables that welcome you

to a bit of an oasis in the Midtown desert.

PAVÉ

20 W 46th St

NY, NY 10036

pave46.com

@pave_nyc

PHOTO CREDITS | Pavé


ATHLEISURE LIST: Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY

RAS PLANT BASED

We believe that we should have a plantbased

diet at least 3 meals a week.

Ras Plant Based has Ethiopian cuisine

where people share a hands on experience

that involves scooping up dollops

of sauces or vegetables that are

served on top of a spongy fermented

flatbread called injera.

The Ras Vibe focuses on consistent

great service, delicious foods, crafty

beers and cocktails and a carefully curated

playlist for their guests to enjoy.

They want the dining experience to be

memorable and they want their staff

to have a warm environment to work

in. Ras Plant Based is an organic plantbased,

locally sourced, Kosher certified

Ethiopian restaurant and a James

Beard Semi Finalist for Best Chef in NY

state.

The founders who are of Ethiopian

descent wanted to stay true to their

roots as they grew up Orthodox Christian

and their parents fasted throughout

the year cutting out meats and

dairy products. When they opened in

2020, they were approached by a Rabbi

who asked if they were interested

in being kosher. They knew that this

made sense and was a great way to

ensure that more guests could enjoy

their food.

For lunch, we suggest their bowls - the

Bole Bowl is a favorite as it's spicy and

flavorful. The Sambusas are another

great option.

For brunch, French Toast, Ras Breakfast

and a Lentil Burger is at the top of

our list as well. For those that are veg-


an, their Ethiopian fusion options can

be found in their "Kinda Not" section.

For dinner, we suggest that you have

the Mercato, Mushroom Tibs and Ras

Kitfo.

When it comes to cocktails, you

should order Wet Ass Passionfruit, Fig

Fig Bang Bang and Take it Easy. For

mocktails, there are options but we

hear that Days in the East is what you

should get.

To complete your meal, 3 raw desserts

that are on our mind are: Tiramisu, Coconut

Leche and Pumpkin Pie.

RAS PLANT BASED

739 Franklin Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11238

rasplantbased.com

@rasplantbased

PHOTO CREDITS | Ras Plant Based



STEP UP TO STOP

THE SPREAD, NYC!

GET

VACCINATED

AND BOOSTED

GET

TESTED

if you have symptoms,

were exposed, or traveled

MASK

UP

to protect yourself and those around you

STAY

HOME

if you are feeling sick

For more information,

visit nyc.gov/covidvaccine

or call 877-VAX-4NYC.

Health

Bi

M

D

C


Stay connected and follow us across our

social channels on @AthleisureMag!




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A few years ago, we read Luckiest

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This is another podcast that has audio gems

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We do love a podcast episode that

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through the eyes of Thomas who is

playing Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

for 1,000,000,000 Rupees. Each

episode in this 10 part thriller has

him answering a question and giving

us insight into his life and what ultimately

brought him to the show.





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