Olympics: New Rochelle's Stars, Part II

Olympics: New Rochelle's Stars
Part II

Last week’s “Thursday Throwback” highlighted the 1924 Olympic Gold won by New Rochelleans Larry Stoddard (Rowing) and Francis T. Hunter (Tennis). This week – Swimming and Track & Field highlights.

The most recent Olympic gold medalist from New Rochelle is Cristina Teuscher, who won a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of the 4 × 200 freestyle relay, breaking the Olympic and American record and swimming the fast split in U.S. history. Four years later, she was voted one of the U.S. Olympic Swim Team Captains for the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia, at which she won a bronze medal in the 200 I.M.   

Raised in New Rochelle and a member of the Badger Swim Club in Larchmont, Cristina graduated from New Rochelle High School in 1996 and Columbia University in 2000. She was an All-American and four-time NCAA champion, won 12 Ivy League titles, and set 17 Lion records. 

In the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, New Rochelle native Lou Jones ran the second leg in the gold medal winning American 4X400 meter relay team. The team of Jones, Charlie Jenkins, Tom Courtney and Jesse Mashburn edged out Russia and Germany in a close finish. 

NRHS Yearbook

New Rochelleans helped Lou raise the funds to make the Olympics, four months after the NRHS graduate of 1950 Jones broke his own 400 meter world record, at the US Olympic Trials in Los Angeles. 

Lou would go on to receive his master’s degree from Columbia Teacher’s College, teaching and coaching at NRHS before a long career as high school and then college administrator. He made his home on Prince Street (now “Lou Jones Way”) in New Rochelle until his death on February 3, 2006. 

Contributor: Barbara Davis, Community Relations Coordinator @ NRPL and Local Historian. 

Blendable Recipes

Blendable Recipes from Jeremy

Each week, Jeremy Miranski has been concocting some wonderful science and cooking experiments. Here are some simple recipes you can make with your blender or food processor at home:

Mango Smoothies

Ingredients:

1 package frozen mango chunks 2-3 cups skim or soy milk 

1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions:

1.      Put mango chunks in blender.

2.      Add the milk and sugar

3.      Blend until smooth

Pizza Sauce

Ingredients:

1 28 ounce can San Marzano Tomatoes

6-8 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

A splash of extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.      Drain the tomatoes and add to blender.

2.      Add garlic cloves, vinegar, a large pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper.

3.      Blend until almost smooth.

4.      Uncover blender and taste.

5.      Add a splash of olive oil and blend again.

6.      Taste to correct seasonings.

Spread on pizza dough and add toppings as you like them. 

Or, freeze in ice cube trays until ready to use.  When you are ready, defrost 1 or 2 cubes and spread on the pizza dough before baking.

Hummus

Ingredients:

 

1 can chickpeas

1/6 cup good quality olive oil

1/4 cup tahini

1/6 cup warm water

1/6 cup lemon juice

2 crushed garlic cloves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

ground black pepper

Instructions:

1.      Rinse chickpeas well and put into food processor fitted with single blade.

2.      Add olive oil, warm water, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper and process until smooth. 

3.      Scrape down the sides of the processor occasionally. 

4.      Taste and adjust the amount of lemon, if necessary.

Serve with baby carrots to dip.

What Have We Been Cooking Up at NRPL?

What Have We Been Cooking Up at NRPL?

In the last session of “Science and Cooking Experiments,” on August 10^th, instructor Jeremy Miransky provided a cool, sweet ending to a wonderful summer workshop series!

Chocolate Ice Cream in a Baggie

Ingredients and Materials:

2 quart-size freezer bags

1 gallon-size freezer bag

Crushed ice

Rock salt or kosher salt

Duct tape

1 pint (2 cups) half-and-half

3 tablespoons instant chocolate pudding

¹/₃ cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Instructions:

1. Mix the half-and-half, the sugar, chocolate pudding and the vanilla together in a bowl.
2. Pour the mixture carefully into the quart size baggie and seal the bag after carefully squeezing out as much air as you can.
3. Put the bag into another quart size baggie, again squeezing out all the air and sealing it carefully.
4. Put the quart bags into the gallon bag.
5. Fill the gallon bag with ice and salt, alternating the ice and salt layers.
6. Make sure that the quart bag is completely surrounded with  the salt and ice layers.
7. Seal the gallon bag and put a towel around it.
8. Rock and shake the towel-wrapped bag  for 10 minutes.  Keep the bag moving but be careful not to drop the bag or let it open.
9. After 10 minutes, open the large bag and carefully take out the smaller bag. 
10. If the ice cream isn't yet frozen, add more salt and ice to the large bag, seal and roll for another 10 minutes.
11. Quickly rinse off the smaller bag so that salt doesn’t get into your ice cream.
12. Put the ice cream into small bowls and enjoy.

Your hands can get very cold while doing this, so wear gloves or put a towel around the bags.

We used half and half, but you can also use whole milk, light cream or heavy cream, depending on how rich you want the ice-cream to be.

Experiment with other flavors. Add crushed frozen fruit, chocolate chips, instant decaffeinated coffee, etc.

For the last six weeks Chef D’Amour, (Giovanni Green of Break Bread Not Hearts,) has created one fabulous dish after another, with the help of the teen and tween participants of “Cook Like an Iron-Rich Chef” workshops attendees participants. Each one has been created with fresh, healthy ingredients—often a mix of savory and sweet and always incredibly tasty. His grand finale was no exception!

Savory and Sweet: Summer Kale and Berry Zeppole

Ingredients:

2½ cups of flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 bunch of kale

1 small onion

1 bulb garlic

8 ounces shredded mozzarella

½ cup water

Thyme

Black Pepper

½ cup cane sugar

½ cup of grapeseed oil or 1 stick of butter

½ pound of mixed berries or other fruits

½ cup of raisins

½ cup water

Cinnamon

8 tablespoons of flaxseed with 1 cup of water

1 teaspoon of sea salt

Grapeseed or coconut oil for frying

Love

Yield: Serves 6-8 people

Directions:

1. Begin by giving thanks for the harvest of the food you are about to prepare.
2. Wash the berries and remove any stems depending on the types of fruits you are using. Cut fruit into small pieces. Most nutrients are found in the edible skins of fruits so be sure to use organic fruit if possible to avoid the risk of pesticides.
3. Wash the kale and rip into small pieces by hand.  Finely dice onions/garlic.
4. Sauté the onions, garlic, kale, and thyme with a pinch of salt and pepper until the kale is tender and set aside. 
5. After the kale mixture is cool enough to handle mix with 1¼ cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 4 tablespoons  of flaxseed, ½ cup of water, and mozzarella then form into small balls by hand or with a scooper.
6. In a saucepan add the oil, sugar, fruit, water, salt, and cinnamon and allow to come to a boil.  Once boiling remove from the heat.
7. Add in 1¼ cup flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 4 tablespoons of flaxseed, and 1 cup of water and stir to incorporate into fruit-sugar mixture. 
8. In a double boiler or small frying pan placed over a saucepan with boiling water, add the chocolate chips and ¼ cup grapeseed oil and stir continuously over low heat until the chocolate chips are completely melted.  Set aside.  If the mixture is too thick whisk in more oil one tablespoon at a time.
9. Add grapeseed oil to a large skillet to the depth of 2 inches and bring to medium-high heat.  Using a cookie/ice cream scooper, spoons, or your hands drop the kale zeppole dough into the oil and fry first followed by the fruit zeppole mixture.  Fry for approximately 4 minutes or until the zeppoles are golden brown.
10. Sprinkle the kale zeppoles with more cheese and drizzle melted chocolate over the fruit zeppoles and enjoy with love.

This dish is versatile and can be created to be savory, sweet or both depending on the additions of onions and other vegetables, herbs, spices, cheeses, maple syrup, jams, jellies, and anything the imagination will incorporate. With the fruits it is a delicious and light dessert. With the savory ingredients it can be a wonderful appetizer or side dish. These can also be baked instead of fried for an even healthier treat.

Be sure to use dark chocolate and organic berries and fruit, as it is higher in antioxidants and nutrients that support our brain and heart health along with other bodily functions and systems.

The kale is high in Vitamins A, C, K, iron, and a long list of nutrients to support your body. Adding the garlic and onions to the dish will boost your immune system and keep you healthy. The kale, garlic, and a variety of summer fruits are extremely fresh this time of year from a farmers market so try to eat local.

- Chef D’Amour

Life is Peachy Chicken Stir-Fry and Grilled Pineapple

Life is Peachy Chicken Stir-Fry and Grilled Pineapple

Ingredients

3 pounds Chicken Thighs/Breasts (bone-in preferably) or 3 pounds cooked chickpeas

3 pounds of Peaches

1 bunch of Kale

1 large Onion

1 Pineapple

¼ pound of fresh Ginger Root

1 bag of Dark Chocolate Chips

Toasted Sesame Oil

Sea salt, pepper, coriander, cinnamon

Lemon Juice

Love

Yield: Serves 6-8 people

Directions

1. Begin by giving thanks for the life of the chicken and all the ingredients you are about to prepare.

2. If using bone-in chicken thighs or breasts cut them into small pieces roughly the size of 1-inch. Mix the chicken with 1 cup of lemon juice, a large pinch of sea salt, pepper, and the coriander. You can do this step a day or two ahead of time to allow the chicken to absorb maximum flavor from the seasoned marinade. The reason for using the bone-in chicken is because the dish will have more flavor.

3. Slice the onion and mince the ginger and place aside in a bowl.  Slice each peach into 6 segments. Wash the kale well and shake free of any excess water.  Using your hands tear the kale from the stem into bite sized pieces.  Peel the pineapple and slice into 4 pieces.

4. In a large wok or sauté pan add 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil along with the sliced onions and ginger. Stir this mixture constantly over medium heat until the aroma of the ginger increases. This will take approximately 3-4 minutes.

5. At this point you can add 1/3 of the peaches and the chicken and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook stirring constantly allowing the chicken to brown and cook through and for peaches to become syrup like in consistency.

6. With the sliced pineapple you can light the grill or use a grill pan or sauté pan.  Brush the pineapple with the toasted sesame oil and cinnamon and place onto grill pan over high heat. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side to allow the pineapple to develop a slight char. You can also place the pineapples under the broiler in your oven for it to brown.

7. Once the chicken is cooked toss in the remaining peaches and kale and place immediately onto a serving dish.

8. Cut the pineapple into smaller pieces after being cooked and in a large bowl toss the pineapple with the dark chocolate chips. You can also sauté the grilled pineapple with the chocolate to allow it to melt.

9. Enjoy with love!

Life is peachy and thanks to Mother Nature and the season of summer we can enjoy the bounty provided during these warmer months.  Peaches come into season in the Northeast during the month of July.  This recipe combines the fuzzy and sweet peach into a stir-fry with kale, chicken, and ginger to create a dish with an Asian flair. If you would like to omit the chicken you can prepare the dish with chickpeas. Did you know that in ancient Chinese culture peaches signified the Tree of Life?

Pineapples provide a light delicious replacement for dessert requiring only some melted dark chocolate to enjoy. Pineapples are high in enzymes that aid our digestion as well. The enzyme bromelain is found mainly in the core of the pineapple.

The dish provides a high amount of fiber, protein, and a vast spectrum of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support our overall health. Vitamins A, B, C, K, iron, potassium, magnesium are present along with many more.

Go ahead and plan a family trip to a local orchard and begin picking.

- Chef D’Amour

Break Bread Not Hearts

Break Bread Not Hearts

Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program hosts a weekly 'Preschool Fun & Fitness' activity at the Library. This is a fun-filled hour of movement, games and healthy eating and lifestyle tips, made possible by a grant from the Hudson Health Plan. From my experience of watching yesterday's participants, I can tell you that the 'fun' part of this program is contagious. The children took so much pleasure in their fitness routine and you can see the proof in the album on our Facebook page. I would have joined in but, sadly, the equipment and obstacles are decidedly child-sized! 

Following their work-out, children and their care-givers sat to attention and watched the wonderful Giovanni 'Chef d'Amour' Green, from Break Bread Not Hearts, as he demonstrated how simple it can be to create a healthy, tasty snack. Giovanni had a self-imposed 20 minute prep and cook time (he didn't go a minute over) - further highlighting the ease by which such simple snacks can be created. Garbanzo Pancakes with Cranberry Quick Jam were enjoyed by the children, their parents and grandparents (and some staff, strictly for blog research purposes!) The jam makes a fantastic, no sugar added alternative to cranberry sauce - something to consider with Thanksgiving almost upon us. 

Garbanzo Pancakes

15 oz can of no salt added garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained and rinsed

1 stalk celery (thinly sliced)

1 stalk scallion (thinly sliced)

2 cups flour (either a gluten free blend such as Bob’s Red Mill or an all-purpose unbleached wheat flour)

1 ¼ cup water

2 tsp cumin

3 tsp sea salt

¼ tsp cayenne or black pepper (optional)

Coconut oil (olive oil or butter works also)

Cranberry Quick Jam

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 cup raisins

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp sea salt

2 cups water

Juice from ¼ lemon

Love

Makes 15-20 mini pancakes

Directions

In a saucepan add the cranberries, raisins, and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until most of the water evaporates.

Add the cinnamon, and fresh squeezed lemon and remove the pan from the stove.

In a bowl add the garbanzo beans (chickpeas), celery, scallion, 2 cups of flour, 1 ¼ cup of water, 3 teaspoons of sea salt, 2 teaspoons  of cumin, ¼ teaspoon of cayenne or black pepper.

Mix with a fork until the mixture resembles pancake batter. If it is too dry, add more water - 1 tablespoon at a time. If it is too wet, add more flour  - 1 tablespoon at a time.

In a skillet over medium heat, add enough coconut oil to cover the bottom of the pan.

Use an ice scream scoop or a spoon to place the garbanzo mixture into the pan.

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Remove from pan and top with cranberry quick jam and love.

Enjoy!

Thank you to Giovanni 'Chef d'Amour' Green for the recipe. If you are interested in participating in the 'Preschool Fun & Fitness' program, registration is required - please call Ruben or Nicolas at the WIC office on (914) 637-1677.

Contributor: Sarah Papa, Social Media Coordinator @ NRPL and avid fan of chickpea pancakes!