Britain's Prince William (R), Duke of Cambridge, and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, arrive on a decorated auto-rickshaw to attend a reception in Islamabad on October 15, 2019. - Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan gave a warm welcome in Islamabad on October 15 to Britain's Prince William, the son of his late friend Princess Diana, who is on his first official trip to the country with his wife Kate.AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images

On Tuesday evening, the Duke and Duchess were photographed stepping out of a colourful rickshaw for a formal reception in Islamabad. Kate Middleton was clad in a Western-style green gown, while Prince William eschewed suit-and-tie for a dark teal sherwani, a traditional Pakistani outfit.

The photo made headlines as the media and public lauded the couple for its sense of style and efforts to boost local designers. However, when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie wore traditional outfits at an event with Bollywood celebrities during their India trip, they were lambasted for going overboard and ridiculed.

The contrast between public reaction to the royals traditional wear and the Trudeaus in February has been consistent the former are praised, the latter condemned.

On one hand, the Trudeaus could have simply chosen the wrong outfits, according to Canadian designers. On the other hand, the difference in the public feedback could also come from the difference in political relations between the respective countries, according to a former Indian ambassador.

As an Indian person, I appreciated the Trudeau familys effort to pay respect to Indian culture and I think they showed a lot of love said Anu Raina, a Toronto-based designer. However, from a professional point of view, the wardrobe could have been better vetted beforehand.

The colours were too bold, she said. And no one wears a sherwani or a brocade sherwani all the time.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, and children, Xavier, 10, Ella-Grace, 9, and Hadrien, 3, visit Sabarmati Ashram (Gandhi Ashram) in Ahmedabad, India on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018.Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press

Media reports criticized the Trudeaus for overdressing during their trips and choosing outfits akin to those worn by an Indian bride and groom. One Twitter user described their penchant for family colour co-ordination as a choreographed cuteness, remarking that it was a a bit much.

I would have recommended a classier look, simpler fabrics and something that would show their personality with a hint of India, Raina said. You dont have to wear all the culture on your clothes.

In this photograph released by the Pakistan Foreign Ministry on October 14, 2019, Britains Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, arrive at Nur Khan military airbase in Rawalpindi.Pakistan Foreign Ministry / AFP

The Duke and Duchess on the other hand, did a better job of blending in with their host country. You can tell theres a designers touch, said Raina. Theres a lot of thought behind (the outfits) and the country, the culture, everything has been taken into account.

The choice to wear Pakistani colours at the formal reception was an especially politically correct move, she added.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (R), his wife Sophie Grgoire Trudeau (L), daughter Ella-Grace (2R) and son Xavier James (3R) pose for a photograph with Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan in Mumbai on February 20, 2018.INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images

Despite the Trudeaus fashion gaffes, Raina believed the criticism they garnered was unfair. They shouldnt have been criticized, she said. India is a bold country and people wear bold colours on the street. They really made an effort to blend into Indian culture.

Rajiv Bhatia, a former Indian ambassador who also served as Consul General of Toronto, said simmering tensions between the Indian and Canadian government during the visit could have added to the media criticism.

There was a great deal of expectation for that visit, said Bhatia, for the simple reason that the relationship was going very well (at the time).

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands at Hyderabad house in New Delhi on February 23, 2018.MONEY SHARMA/AFP/Getty Images

However, Trudeau treated the visit with sartorial diplomacy, which complicated the Indo-Canadian relationship, he explained.

There was a considerable delay in scheduling the visit of Trudeau because it was well into Modis first term (as prime minister of India). And the second factor was the way the visit was designed. It gave the impression that the main people being addressed were Canadians back home more than the people in India.

He added that the Liberal administration had also disrespected Indias protocol when it comes to hosting foreign visits. Trudeaus schedule had him travel around the country Agra, Ahmadabad, Mumbai and Amritsar before he was formally received in New Delhi, the national capital.

Indias protocol is that the prime minister visit Delhi first but the Canadians chose to reverse that order, he said.

Finally, Trudeaus perceived endorsement of the Sikh separatist movement by the Indian government, marked by the invitation of Jaspal Atwar to a formal dinner by the Canadian High Commissioner was the final nail in the coffin, he explained.

Britains Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend a meeting with Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad, Pakistan, October 15, 2019.Andrew Parsons/Reuters

The political significance of the Duke and Duchesss visit to Pakistan, which is rocked by domestic turmoil, paints a different picture. The visit of the British royals comes as a godsend to Pakistan, he said. It gives them a clear signal that they are not without friends in the West.

What if the royal couple were to visit India in the future? If it is done in balance,it would be taken positively, he said. It would be taken as a signal that the British, who are in doldrums thanks to Brexit, are trying to connect to the people of India.

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Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are praised for wearing traditional clothes. Months ago, the Trudeaus were ridiculed for the same - Clinton News Record

Bal Mitra Gram (BMG), a path-breaking concept introduced by Kailash Satyarthi Childrens Foundation, is a village where all the children are free from exploitation and are going to schools to pursue education. The most important and integral part of this concept is the participation of the children themselves as also the relationship of friendship that develops between the community and the children. Children get their first tryst with the principles of democracy as they elect the Bal Panchayat among themselves. The idea is to ensure the protection of rights of all children through the engagement and involvement of the villagers, the constitutional body ~ Gram Panchayat, or the village council, ~ and the local administration.

These children, when they become a part of this Panchayat as Bal Pradhans, or members, of the Bal Panchayat, are made aware of their roles and responsibilities by Bal Ashram activists. Leadership and decision-making are two paramount pillars of this arrangement, which these girls clearly exemplify in their fight against social issues that ails their villages be it child marriage or child labour. In fact, some girls, after coming in touch with the Foundations activists, have stopped their own child marriages and now campaign against it in their villages and neighbouring areas.

Till date 540 BMGs have been instituted in six states of India. The model has also been replicated in villages of Nepal and Uganda. To mark the International Day of Girl Child, which fell on 11 October, we bring to the readers a few case studies of some amazing girls:

Arti Kumari: Casteism, illiteracy, child labour, child marriage ~ 13-year-old Arti Kumari is fighting them all. She has initiated a fight against these social evils in her village, vowing to eradicate them.

Arti Kumari hails from village Raipura in Alwar, Rajasthan. Her father, a jawaan in the Indian Army, is posted in conflict areas of Jammu. Her mother looks after four children, including Arti. A student of Class VIII, Arti studies in the Rajkiya Uchch Prathmik Vidyalaya (Government Primary School) along with her siblings.

Artis village comprises many families from backward castes and tribes. Access to social spaces and village infrastructure depends very much on a persons caste. Despite the fact that Arti never faced any discrimination, her zeal to take up the issue of casteism at such a young age is noteworthy. How can you decide how to treat another person based on their caste? This isnt even something they choose for themselves, she asks passionately. One wonders about her motivation.

Arti noticed that none of the children from lower castes or the Banjara community went to school. This drove Arti and some other children to work to change this situation. As a result, today, all 96 children in her village are enrolled in schools.

When BBA started its work here in 2015, every third child in the village was either out-ofschool, or not enrolled. Many children worked in the stone quarries for a meager sum of money. The area is also considered to be a source point for child trafficking.

The Banjara community, a nomadic tribe, lives on the outskirts of the village, ranking the lowest in the societal hierarchy. None of the Banjara children from here ever went to school until 2015. Guided by the activists, Arti along with other children, learnt about the rights children have. They were astonished to see how these rights were violated regularly, especially of children from the Banjara and other low-caste communities. This realisation made the group decide to take the matter into their own hands.

Thus motivated, Arti contested the Bal Panchayat elections and became an elected member. As a child leader, Arti, and the other children organised rallies, door-to-door campaigns and personal meetings with parents, highlighting the consequences of ill-practices like child marriage, child labour, abuse and exploitation of children. With the support of village elders and activists, they were even pivotal in stopping child marriages in their village.

Convincing the Banjara parents to send their children to school wasnt an easy task. Who will take the cattle out for grazing? Who will go earn for the family? Will the children from the upper caste even talk to our children? Questions like these hounded the Bal Panchayat members.

Therefore, the group changed their strategy. They started regularly engaging the Banjara children in sports and playing with them. Slowly, they convinced the Banjara children about the importance of education and play. The Bal Panchayat members and the Banjara children together convinced the parents to send their children to school. In the second year, the Bal Panchayat had a Banjara boy elected as the Sarpanch (head), which was groundbreaking. Arti, as the secretary of the council, continued to focus on regularisation of education for children from the Banjara community.

The group also campaigned against caste-based discrimination, and for improving the quality of education and infrastructure in their schools.

The Bal Panchayat members come up with innovative ways to challenge various regressive practices. The latest was on harvest festival, Makar Sankranti, when the members decided to feast in the houses of children belonging to the so-called lower castes.

The Gram Panchayat also recognizes this Bal Panchayat and thus acts swiftly on childrens concerns. Due to their impact, the Block Development Officer and other administrative officials also cooperate with them.

They have collectively been able to contribute to the villages development tremendously, especially the condition of schools. Improved attendance of enrolled children owing to regular teachers, improved meals, better student-teacher ratio, and better play grounds have been some of the major achievements of this collaboration.

At present, the children are trying to get an open drain adjacent to their school diverted. The drain overflows during the rains and spews waste around the school and the play ground. The Gram Panchayat has told us that they will act on this soon, said Arti, with a twinkle in her eyes that speaks of the confidence these kids have in themselves.

Tara Banjara: Belonging to a poor family from Nimdi village, District Alwar, Rajasthan, Tara Banjara, 13, had always wanted to study but her deprived community could not allow her to do so.

She belongs to Banjara Community, which is mostly illiterate. Since they migrate from one place to another, they do not give importance to education. At a very young age of 7, Tara would clean the road during construction together with her mother and sometimes took care of her younger siblings while her mother was away for work. Taras parents were not keen to send her to school.

After Bal Ashram staff convinced them of the importance of education, Tara was enrolled in the school in January 2013, and became the first generation school learner. She is in Class IX now. Along with academic education, Tara is also active in social work. She has learnt about issues like child labour, child marriage, intoxication and child trafficking. She is actively advocating for childrens rights, particularly for girls, for the last five years. Through her initiative, she managed to enroll seven children in school. Now there is no child labour in Taras community and child marriage is completely eliminated in Nimdi.

Lalita Duhariya: Belonging to a poor family of Dera village, Viratnagar Block, Rajasthan, Lalita Duhariya, 14, is an active member of Bal Panchayat since 2015. She has emerged as a child leader who has been fighting for girls education and girls rights in her as well as the neighboring villages. Her father is a construction labourer and mother is a housewife.

She wants to be a doctor and want to serve in rural parts of India. Lalitha has been actively campaigning against castism and untouchability in her village. To set an example, she initiated and participated in communal lunch on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. Lalitha, along with other Bal Panchayat members, went door-to-door to the family of all castes and had lunch together. She thus spread the message to the entire community to join hands and work together for the development of the community.

Children, who dropped out of the schools, were engaged in domestic help. She motivated the parents to send their children to school which led to school enrolments and regularisation of school dropout children in the schools.

Through her initiative and awareness campaign, 12 children were re-enrolled in the school. Her campaign together with Bal Panchayat led to the complete elimination of child marriage in her village and from the neighbouring villages.

Payal Jangid: A child rights prodigy from the hinterland of Rajasthan, Payal shows that where there is a will there shall always be a way! A glint in the eye and determination in the walk marks the 17-year-old Payal Jangid from Hinsla in Rajasthan. The infectious teen rubs off positivity with a resolve to stand up for what is right for the children ~ a voice that is accepted in her native village.

Elected as Sarpanch (Head) of Bal Mitra Gram (BMG), she was also chosen as jury for the World Childrens Prize for the Rights of the Child. Payal, the second Bal Pradhan of the Bal Panchayat (Childrens Council) in 2013, got engaged in community work through the mechanism of BMG set up by Kailash Satyarthi Childrens Foundation. After foiling her own marriage at the age of 11 by raising voice against her parents and especially her grandmother, Payal, along with other children of the village, began protests against the social evil of child marriage and Ghunghat Pratha (women veiling their faces).

Within a year, everyone could see conditions changing. Women, as well as children started coming out and voicing their opinion. People started getting more aware of their rights and responsibilities.

Eventually, Hinsla became a child marriage-free village. This was a victory for Payal. In 2013, she was chosen as the jury for Worlds Childrens Prize for the Rights of the Child for her community work. In Sweden she got the opportunity to meet other achievers like herself. I was chosen to pick up the Queen. It made me feel special, recalls the young girl.

In 2017, she received the Young Achiever Award by the global sports and fitness brand Reebok. Recently, Payal Jangid was given the prestigious Changemaker Award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards held in New York.

This award has been conferred upon her in recognition of her work for abolition of child marriage in her village, Hinsla and other neighboring villages. As a Bal Pradhan, she undertook a lot of field activities to empower not only children but also women of her village. As a child rights advocate, she pleads for children to come together and raise their voices against any injustices done to them.

Until and unless children themselves realise that they have rights, they wont be able to relate. However, there should be someone to guide the child through, added Payal.

Champa Kumari: As vice-president, National Maha Bal Panchayat (NMBP), 13-year-old Champa Kumari, who won the prestigious Diana Award for her work against child marriages in mica-mining areas of Jharkhand, was felicitated and honoured by Jharkhand Governor Dropdi Murmuat Raj Bhawanin Ranchi. Champa Kumari was once a school dropout and would go to mines to collect mica as her education was never a priority for her family.

In 2016, Kailash Satyarthi Childrens Foundation intervened in Champas village to end practices like child marriage, child labour, child trafficking and all forms of child exploitation, as well as ensuring 100 per cent enrolment of children in school.

With the efforts of a KSCF activist, she was enrolled in school. She is now the president of Jamdar villages children council and also the vice-president of National level childrens council. Having worked near mica mines, she understands how hazardous it is.

Champa not only led the initiative to spread awareness about child marriage but intervened in two child marriages in her village, successfully foiling them. Champas village is a changed one now and she has emerged as the catalyst for the change. Being the vice-president of National Level Bal Panchayat, she presented the Childrens Charter of Demands along with co-members to the incumbent Union Minister of state for Labor and Employment Santosh Gangwar.

She also presented Childrens Manifesto to the British High Commissioner and Parliamentarians and had also shared the stage with Chief Minister of Jharkhand Raghubar Das and Nobel Peace Laureate Shri Kailash Satyarthi for the cause of making mica supply chain child labour free in Koderma.

Pinki Kumari: Belonging to a lower middle class family, 16-year-old Pinki Kumaris father works as a cook and a waiter in a hotel. Her mother is a housewife. The family income is around Rs 6500 per month. Due to her familys monetary and social issues Pinki Kumari had to drop her education after Class V.

Since the BMG initiative started in her village she aspired to be part of the Bal Panchayat. She was elected as a member of the Bal Panchayat and was vocal about the prevailing issues. She also encouraged other children to know about their basic rights and to be a part of the Bal Panchayat.

The Bal Panchayat members intervened when her parents decided to fix her marriage. Despite their rigorous counseling her parents did not relent. Other stakeholder groups were also involved and they collectively prevented the marriage plans. Now, Pinki wishes to study further and be independent.

She is now getting admission into Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidhyalaya. She aspires to be a teacher.

(Compiled by Kailash Satyarthis Children Foundation)

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Girl power to the fore - The Statesman

October this yearmarks Mahatma Gandhis 150th birthday. One of the 20th centurys most iconic figures, Gandhis legacy defines how many people think about peace, self-reflection and the path to a more just world.

Much less celebrated is Gandhis friend and follower, the American pacifistRichard Bartlett Gregg.

Gregg never made any significant speeches, so no grainy newsreels feature his words. And his books are not required reading in college courses.

Gregg has nonetheless been an influential figure in taking forward Gandhis message regarding the power of nonviolence. Gregg explained Gandhis ideas in a way that made sense to a Western audience. His books eveninfluencedMartin Luther King Jr.s understanding of nonviolent resistance.

My own interest in Gregg was something of an accident. Im apolitical scientistwith interest in peace activists as agents of change. I learned of Gregg a few years ago from acolleague, who told me that dozens of Greggs personal notebooks weremoldering in a yurton a farm up in northern Maine. These journals soon became the subject of my scholarship.

Gregg was born to a Congregational minister in 1885. It was a time of rapid industrial growth andindustrial conflict, as railroads and industrialization proceeded quickly.

Gregg discovered Gandhi in a journal article he read in a bookstore in Chicago in 1924.Deeply impressedby Gandhis philosophy, at the age of 38, Gregg, a largely self-taught scholar, resolved to study with him in India.

In along letterto his family explaining his decision to move to India, Gregg said he was so profoundly disenchanted with the violence of American labor relations and the American system that he sought alternatives.

As I write in my forthcoming book, Gregg arrived at Sabarmati Ashram in the western Indian state of Gujarat in early February 1925. Gandhi, just released from prison, returned to his home at the ashram a few days afterGregg arrived.

During an evening walk,Gregg writesin his notes, he told Gandhi why he had come to India:

I felt at first awed by his presence, but he listened attentively to what I said and made me feel entirely at ease, Gregg recalls.

It was the start of a 23-year friendship thatended only with Gandhis death on Jan. 30, 1948.

Gregg spent those yearstraveling, teachingand studying in India.

At the time, apacifistmovement was emerging around the world. Pacifists are those who believe in confronting both domestic and international violence with peaceful resistance.

Gregg learned more deeply about Gandhis strategy of nonviolence. He wrote an important book, The Power of Nonviolence, in his first four years with Gandhi, whichprovided guidanceon how to make pacifism more effective.

Greggarguedthat onlookers should see the violent assailant, when confronted by nonviolent resistance, as excessive and undignified even a little ineffective.

This was a tactic that Gandhi had used with enormous effect during theSalt Marchagainst Britains domination of India in 1930. The march demonstrated Gandhis ability to mobilize tens of thousands of Indians, who were forced to pay a salt tax to the British colonialists.

The peaceful demonstrators, who followed Gandhi to the Arabian Sea Coast to make their own salt, were beaten up and more than 60,000 arrested by British troops. The world watched, appalled at therepression of the British colonial rule.

Learning from Gandhi, Gregg also wrote that nonviolent protests should serve as amedia spectacle. He knew nonviolence was not passive resistance: It was an active planned strategy that required intense even military-style training, both physical and spiritual.

This was controversial and shocking to many pacifists. But Gregginsisted that nonviolent protest represented a war of its own.

Gregg learned Hindi during his time with Gandhi and came to understand theGandhian valuesof simplicity, self-reliance and how to live in harmony with the world.

Gandhi encouraged each home to have its own spinning wheel so Indians would not have to depend on cloth made in British factories. Gregg embraced the philosophy behind each Indian home spinning its ownkhadi clothand became a leading advocate of organic farming and simple living.

Like Gandhi, Gregg believed that a peaceful world could only come about as humans developed inner peace and recognized theirharmony with nature.

In 1936 Gregg publishedThe Value of Voluntary Simplicity, a term he coined while serving as director of the Quaker retreat at Pendle Hill in Pennsylvania. In that post, he continued to build on Gandhis belief in simple living and harmony with nature as part of the true path to peace.

He was not, however, a Quaker; he remained deeply Christian.

Although he rejected Marxism and Soviet-style socialism, Gregg came to believe that the only solution to violence and injustice lay in a completetransformationof production and consumption.

There is no doubt that Martin Luther King Jr. wasawareof Gandhis ideas from other sources. But Greggs book, The Power of Nonviolence, deeply affected how he thought about passive resistance. Gregg put these ideas in a context that more closely fit the American civil rights struggle.

I argue, Kings writing during this period carried very similar themes and perspectives to those laid out by Gregg. King made the distinction that nonviolent resistancewas not cowardicebut rather a brave act that required great training.

In 1959, King wrote theforewordfor The Power of Nonviolence, having already become deeply familiar with Greggs earlier editions of the work. It went on to be published in108 editions in six languages.

On the 150th anniversary of Gandhis birth, Greggs role in translating the Mahatma meaning a great soul for a Western audience and in being an early advocate of simplicity is worth commemorating, too.

How deeply he understood Gandhis ideas is evident in Gandhis own words, recorded in apersonal letterto him from a friend in India:

If you understood me as well as Richard Gregg does, he once said to a group of Indian independence leaders, I would die happy.

This article was originally published in The Conversation

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Gandhi's 150th Anniversary: How America Embraced the Mahatma - Qrius

Banda (UP), Oct 16 (PTI) A 65-year-old priest was killed and two others were injured after their SUV hit a roadside tree when the driver tried to avoid hitting a stray cattle, police said on Wednesday.

Sri Sri Shantipuri Maharaj, the chief priest of Baraudiya Kalan Shantipuri Ashram in Madhya Pradesh''s Indore, died on the spot near Mahua village under Girwa police station limits here on Tuesday, they said.

The ''mahant'' was returning from UP''s Chitrakoot in his vehicle, along with a disciple, the police said.

While trying to avoid hitting the cattle, the priest''s driver Rahul lost control of the vehicle and it hit a roadside tree, they said.

The two injured were admitted at a hospital where Rahul''s condition was stated to be serious, the police said. PTI CORR SAB ADAD

Disclaimer :- This story has not been edited by Outlook staff and is auto-generated from news agency feeds. Source: PTI

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Priest killed as SUV hits tree in UP''s Banda - Outlook India

One of the perks of being a Pace student is having free access to its gym equipment and facilities. However, a lot of students are not aware of all the services that the Goldstein Fitness Center offers.

In addition to their traditional weight training and cardio equipment, Paces gym also hosts weekly classes in its aerobics room. While some are done for credit, there are free classes available to anyone available.

The free classes offered are: Zumba on Tuesdays from 5:10 p.m.-6:10 p.m., Yoga on Wednesdays from 5:15 p.m.-6:15 p.m., Kickbox Aerobics from 5 p.m.-6 p.m. and Step Aerobics from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. on Thursdays, and Fit Nation on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:15 a.m.-9 a.m.

These classes are part of our facilities, and students should know that they are more than welcome to participate, Jeremy JR Pouncey, Paces assistant athletic director said. You can walk in at any time. Its not one of those things where you can only start at the beginning or youll fall behind. These classes offer another avenue to pursue health and wellness, they can help students escape the pressures and stresses of school, and theyre a great way to meet new people.

Were lucky that here at Pace we have such easy access to these types of facilities, whereas most colleges campuses charge extra for a gym membership, Lauri Nemetz, an associate professor here at Pace who teaches both for-credit and noncredit courses, including myofascial anatomy and yoga said. People of all skill levels are welcome to join these classes. Theyre open to Pace students, grad students, faculty, and staff. Its always a pleasure to have a mix of people coming in. Its a nice community, a nice way to connect and enjoy Pace life. Ive had students who took a for-credit yoga class and liked it so much that they joined the noncredit class the next semester.

However, despite the benefits that these classes offer, they are not well known amongst students. Nemetz recounted a story in which a senior joined her noncredit class and said that, even though theyd been at Pace for the past four years, they werent aware that that class existed up until that point.

For more information about these classes and other services that Pace athletics offers, such as access to cardio and weight equipment, the indoor track, the pool, and the basketball court, visit paceuathletics.com

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Free Weekly Classes in the Aerobics Room: An Opportunity at Pace Often Overlooked - The Pace Chronicle

Nintendo releases Ring Fit Adventure this week, the latest attempt to make getting in shape via video games a thing. But this is far from the first time that companies have tried to sell digital entertainment as a way to burn fat and build muscle. Whats known in some circles as exergaming has been a thing for over 35 years, nearly as long as video games themselves. While you get ready to work out with your Switch, take a tour of the many ways video games have tried to get you swole.

Generally regarded to be one of the first attempts to meld physical fitness and gaming, Autodesks cancelled HighCycle product tapped into the stationary bike craze of the early 1980s. The system was to have incorporated a primitive VR headset that showed the rider moving scenery keyed to how fast they pushed the pedals, with particularly speedy riders rewarded by their bike taking off and flying over the landscape.

At the same time, Atari was developing a project code-named Puffer that would allow a stationary bicycle to a variety of Atari home computers and consoles. Pedaling the bike would trigger one input, while additional directions worked through handlebar-mounted controls. A number of games were prototyped for the device, which was intended to be released in 1984, but the massive industry crash the year prior nulled that plan and the Puffer never saw the light of day either.

1986 saw a company take the stationary bike gimmick and actually attach workable software to it. Seattle company RacerMate released the first iteration of their Computrainer system, which allowed early PC owners to hook up a device to their bike that would send data to the computer, allowing them to simulate riding through a variety of grades and conditions through adding magnetic resistance. The software let bikers do all sorts of interesting things, including pedaling through virtual courses and even drafting behind other bicycles to reduce wind drag.

Computrainer quickly became RacerMates flagship product, with the company updating it to keep on par with PC advances until 2017, when it was finally discontinued. They even produced a version of it for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

The Atari 2600 was the home video game system that dominated the early 1980s, a primitive 4-bit system that nevertheless sold over 30 million consoles over the course of three decades. While most games were controlled with a joystick or paddle, there were a few alternate controllers, including the first exergaming system, the Foot Craz.

Produced by software company Exus, the Foot Craz had a retail price of $99. It was a plastic pad that had five embedded microswitches, four that corresponded to each of the cardinal directions on an Atari joystick and one for the fire button. It came with a pair of pack-in titles, Video Jogger and Video Reflex. Reflex was the more interesting game, with players having to step on the corresponding colors on the foot pad to match the screen. In Video Jogger, you simply ran in place as fast as you could to advance a smiling face around an oval track.

By 1987, when the Foot Craz was released, the Atari 2600 had already been supplanted by the next wave of gaming the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System. Peripherals and controllers were a major part of Nintendos marketing strategy in the United States, shipping the console with the Zapper light gun and R.O.B. robot. So its not surprising that it also saw an exercise-oriented foot controller, 1988s Power Pad.

Known in Japan as the Family Trainer, the Power Pad was a flexible plastic mat developed by Bandai. They initially released it as Family Fun Fitness in the States, but Nintendo quickly bought the rights to the product and re-released it under a new name. It had two functional sides side A had eight buttons, while side B had 12 arranged in three rows of four. The vast majority of the 11 games released for the peripheral used side B for some reason.

The Power Pads first game was Athletic World, which let players compete in five events like hurdles and log rolling. The developers at Human (who programmed nearly every game for the device) soon branched out with games like Dance Aerobics, which asked players to duplicate routines on-screen, and World Class Track Meet that prioritized fast footwork. The majority of Power Pad games never came to the States, with the last one released in 1989.

It seems like every console generation gets a different company to invest in a control scheme that uses the whole body, and for the 16-bit era of the early 1990s, Sega took their turn. The Activator was significantly different than the controllers that had gone before because it did not feature physical switches that players activated with their body weight. Instead, the octagonal device projected eight beams of infrared light upwards, and registered when they were broken either high or low, returning sixteen distinct inputs.

In a perfect world, that is. The Activator technology was not reliable, and playing games with it quickly became frustrating. The technology couldnt process multiple inputs at the same time, which made things like diagonal movement impossible. No games were developed specifically for the device, although Comix Zone, Eternal Champions, and the home port of Mortal Kombat all had special code to support it. At a cost of $80 and requiring a separate power supply, the Activator quickly flopped.

Although not explicitly positioned as an exergame, Konamis 1998 arcade hit Dance Dance Revolution represented a quantum shift forward in body-controlled video games. The basic gameplay of DDR is similar to other foot-controlled games four arrow panels in the cardinal directions correspond to arrows scrolling up the screen, and the more precisely you hit them on the beat, the better your score.

The basic gameplay was identical to 1997s Beatmania, which used large buttons on the arcade cabinet, but transposing the action to the players feet created a very different experience. Producer Yoshihiko Ota led a team of non-dancing developers to make a game that channeled music and motion to an intense, competitive experience. To get good at DDR, you needed to pivot and turn the body as you lifted and lowered your feet, and songs could get incredibly fast and furious. The gaming press didnt know what to make of it, but it quickly became a success for Konami.

Players started reporting weight loss and cardiovascular health improvements in the early 2000s, and fitness buffs liked the way it not only engaged the body but also the mind, requiring players to maintain intense focus on the music and the beat to keep the songs going. Many sequels and imitators followed, with the game developing an engaged fan community.

The dam broke for exergaming in 2008 with the release of Wii Fit. Nintendo had already upended the home gaming paradigm with the Wii, an underpowered yet quirky console that used motion control to change the way players interacted with software. Although it was gimmicky, it captivated a new audience of casual gamers and sold in flabbergasting numbers.

The idea for Wii Fit came from Shigeru Miyamotos original brainstorm for the systems core games, but Nintendo took nearly two years to develop the Balance Board peripheral. Inspired by the way sumo wrestlers weigh themselves with a pair of scales, it incorporated a quartet of pressure sensors that measure impact, balance and more. The included software contained a number of activities yoga monitored the players center of balance as they held poses, while other activities such as step aerobics had them walking on and off the board.

Wii Fit was a tremendous success, selling nearly 23 million copies worldwide. It inspired a pair of sequels as well as a bunch of knock-offs. The balance board itself was the most successful peripheral of its type, with over 100 compatible games released.

After Nintendo found success with motion sensing, other companies knew that they had to get on board or be left behind. Instead of controllers, Microsoft deployed Kinect, a mounted camera that allowed developers to track all sorts of interesting body positioning and facial recognition data. First released for the Xbox 360 in 2010, the platform made the jump to the Xbox One, with Microsoft so committed to it that they shipped every new console with one.

The Kinect supported a variety of fitness software, most notably Nike+ Kinect Training, which worked along the Wii Fit model to run players through a wide variety of exercises. This was one of the more intense and un-fun fitness games released to date, in keeping with the promise to turn ordinary gamers into elite athletes.

A wide variety of other Kinect fitness titles were released for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One, targeting a number of different demographics. Jillian Michaels Fitness Adventure leveraged the celebrity trainers brand to appeal to stay-at-home moms, while tougher bros could work out with UFC Personal Trainer.

One of the biggest lessons Nintendo learned from the Wii was how adaptable the systems motion controllers were, and although theyre not the central gimmick of the Switch they still stuck around. Thats how the Switch measures movement and light for the Labo kits, for example, and theyre also behind the upcoming Ring Fit Adventure.

This game introduces the Ring-Con, a flexible black plastic oval that you slot one of your Joy-Cons into. The other Joy-Con gets strapped to your leg, and this unique scheme lets you interact with the game in a number of unique roles running in place to move, squeezing the ring to jump, pushing it in different directions to attack, et al. The game has a wild RPG-style narrative where youre a bold young athlete looking to defeat a muscular dragon named Dragaux, a stark contrast to the more grounded Wii Fit series.

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The History Of Fitness Video Games - Geek

Unified results

The Concord unified soccer team tied with Hollis Brookline, 9-9. Dale Landon, Connor Qualey, Jack Smith, Katie Levesque, Riley Weeks and Oliver Laidlaw all played well. Garrison Kelly played outstanding defense and Logan Pineo had several great shots on goal.

The Bow High School girls JV soccer team defeated Souhegan, 4-0. Anya Orzechowski and Rachel Pelletier each had a goal and an assist as the Bow JV girls soccer team beat the Sabers. Meredith Ryan (goal), Rachel Towne (goal) and Marissa Green (assist) also contributed to Bows strong offensive efforts. Elena Jay controlled play in the midfield and keeper Cailyn Benson earned the shutout in net.

The Bow JV field hockey team lost to Kennett, 5-1. Trista Day scored the Falcons lone goal while Ashlyn Wright and goalie Bella Pontacoloni played well defensively.

The John Stark JV field hockey team finished its season with a 0-0 tie against Derryfield to wind up with a 1-3-8 record, The best season our program has seen in years, coach Kate Carnaroli said.

The Rundlett Middle School boys A soccer team lost to Windham Middle School, 2-1. Christian Arocena, Jace Scroggins and Tyeler Watt and keeper Theodore Schneible led the Rundlett defense, while Ben Hughes scored for the Blue Dukes.

University of New Hampshire fifth-year senior Shannon Murdock was named the America East Performer of the Week for womens cross country after her championship finish at the New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletics Association championships.

Kayla Sliz, a senior midfielder and co-captain of the UNH field hockey team, has been selected to compete at the 2019 Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Division I Senior Game. Sliz is one of 38 student-athletes named to play in the Division I Senior Game, which features the top senior players in the nation. The game is scheduled for Nov. 22 at Wake Forest Universitys Kentner Stadium following the completion of the NCAA semifinal games. Sliz has started all 13 games this season with four goals, including a game-winning goal, and two assists for 10 points. She ranks second on the squad in both goals and points, as well as shots (30).

The Saint Pauls girls cross country team beat White Mountain School, Proctor Academy, New Hampton School, Kimball Union Academy and Vermont Academy on Wednesday in Vermont. Caroline Light (22:10), Kate Taylor (22:49) and Margaret MacMillan (22:54) were the top finishers for St. Pauls.

Kaleb Shumway scored a stunning side volley goal to lead the Tilton School boys soccer team to a 1-0 win against Hebron Academy. Finn Baldwin played a fantastic game on defense for Tilton.

All Concord High students in grades 9-12 interested in trying out for a winter sports must attend a mandatory meeting on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Girls basketball will meet in the media center, girls ice hockey in Room 2047 and girls indoor track in the aerobics room. Boys basketball will meet in Room 2013, boys hockey in Room 3090, wrestling in Room 2138 and boys indoor track in the aerobics room. The Nordic ski team will meet in Room 2041, the swimming team will meet in Room 2037, the alpine ski team will meet in E3 and the ski jump team will meet in Room 2039. Online registration is also open until Nov. 7 for CHS winter sports. To register, go to sau8.org, choose Departments and Athletics and click FamilyID on the right side. The first day of tryouts for wrestling and swimming is Nov. 18; for Alpine skiing, girls basketball, boys hockey, boys and girls indoor track, girls hockey and cheerleading its Dec. 2; and for boys basketball, Nordic skiing and ski jumping its Dec. 9.

Co-ed Field Hockey Skills clinics are being offered at FieldHouse Sports in Bow. Beginners are encouraged. Next session begins Thursday for grades 3-6. Clinics run on Thursday afternoons in five-week sessions and are coached by Rony Jacober, director of Summit Field Hockey and assistant coach at New England College. Cost is $65. Register online at FieldHouseSports.com, call 226-4646 or stop in at 12 Tallwood Drive.

16th Annual NHTI Basketball Coaching Clinic will be held at the Goldie Crocker Wellness Center on the NHTI campus in Concord on Sunday. Registration is $60. Coaching staff of three from the same school/program costs $110 after. Clinic topics include (are subject to change) defense to offense transition, developing offense, post play development, developing defensive core, rules interpretation, defending the pick and roll, and quick hitters. Cost of registration includes snacks, lunch, handouts and door prizes. Clinics are designed for coaches at college, high school, middle school and youth levels. Enrollment is limited. Contact Paul Hogan at 230-4041 or e-mail @ phogan@ccsnh.edu with questions.

Soccer Skills and Goalkeeper clinics at FieldHouse Sports Indoor Facility in Bow are now open for registration. The six-week clinics are directed by Jorge Pardo of Caramba Soccer Camps and begin Nov. 4. Clinics are for all abilities, ages 6-60 and meet Monday afternoons. The cost is $60 for ages 6-8 and $70 for ages 9-adult. Register online at FieldHouseSports.com, call 226-4646 or stop in at 12 Tallwood Drive.

Tune-up Basketball League in Meredith is open for registrations for boys and girls in grades 6-10. The league is open to players from area towns and space is limited. The nine-game schedule begins on Saturday, runs through Nov. 9 and all contests are played at Inter-Lakes Elementary School. Registration costs $50 and forms are available by contacting John Carrigg at Jcarrigg@metrocast.net.

Youth and adult indoor soccer leagues at FieldHouse Sports Indoor Facility in Bow are accepting registrations for the next 12-week session. Adult leagues starting the week of Oct. 29 are: Women 25-plus, Men 18-plus, Men 30-plus and several levels of coed leagues. Coed, boys and girls leagues for ages 4-18 begin the week of Nov. 1. All divisions based on skill level. Registrations accepted as space allows. Register FieldHouseSports.com, call 226-4646 or stop in at 12 Tallwood Drive.

New Hampshire NorEaster Softball Club is looking for a few dedicated athletes to fill its 2020 roster. If interested, contact danperk78@yahoo.com or at 603-387-2039 to learn of opportunities and tryout information.

NH Junior Monarchs Hockey Program, based in Hooksett, has limited Travel Team openings and is accepting registrations for these Fall/Winter Programs: Learn to Play Hockey, Mite Development (8 and Under) and House League. For more information call 270-1024 or emailjeremyvega3@yahoo.com.

Andover Lions Christmas Tournament is looking for boys and girls middle school basketball teams for the tourney being played on Dec. 27-28 at Proctor Academy. Entrance fee is $125 per team. Contact Dick OConnell at xlpdroc@metrocast.net or call 934-0245.

Events

New Hampshire Legends of Hockey 17th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Luncheon will be on Sunday at the Grappone Conference Center, in Concord at 11:30 a.m. This years Hall of Fame inductees include Denis Martin, Freddy Meyer and Deron Quint who are being inducted as players; longtime New England College bench boss Tom Carroll is being inducted as a coach; Rod Ross is being inducted in the media category; and the late Downing Potter DP Brown is being inducted posthumously as a builder. Ben Smith will be the keynote speaker. The hockey history of the Alpine Club, which competed in the Granite State Hockey League in the early to mid 60s will also be recognized. Tickets are available for $40 until Friday. Contact Jim Hayes at 731-4168 with questions.

Merrimack Valley Youth Baseball & Softball annual meeting will be held on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at Penacook Community Center. The organization is looking for volunteer parents for the 2020 season. Contact Dave Armstrong at 799-8070 or at daveavb@comcast.net with any questions or for more information.

Concord Little League annual meeting will be on Monday at Buffalo Wild Wings starting at 7 p.m. All are welcome to attend. If interested in a position on the board, email Brendon McGahan at brendon_mcgahan@yahoo.com to be put on the ballot by Thursday.

Discount lift tickets are being offered by the University of New Hampshire ski program in conjunction with SkiNH.com for alpine and Nordic ski areas throughout the state for the 2019-20 season. All tickets are good for any day. All proceeds from sales go to the UNH Ski Team. For more information, contact UNH ski coordinator Cory Schwartz at corys@unh.edu or 512-2317. The following packages are available. ALPINE: Mount Washington Valley Booklet, for $399 you get two tickets all of the following ski areas Cranmore Mountain Resort, King Pine, Bretton Woods, Abenaki Ski Area; Old Man of the Mountain Booklets, $399, two tickets to all of the following ski areas Cannon Mountain, Loon Mountain Resort, Waterville Valley Resort, McIntyre Area; Lakes Region, $399, two tickets to all of the following ski areas Mount Sunapee Resort, Ragged Mountain Resort, Dartmouth Skiway, Gunstock Mountain Resort, Pats Peak Ski Area, Whaleback; NORDIC Nordic Booklet #1, $175, you get two tickets to each of the following ski areas Bear Notch Ski Touring, Bretton Woods, Great Glen Trails, Jackson XC, Waterville Valley, Mount Washington Valley, Franconia XC, Gunstock Mountain; Nordic Booklet #2, $175, you get two tickets to each of the following ski areas Purity Spring Resort, Granite Gorge XC, Loon Mountain Resort; Nordic Skier Wolfeboro; Pine Hill Ski Club; Windblown XC, Dartmouth XC, Dexters Inn Trails by Norsk, Eastman XC, Ski Hearth Farm.

Gunstock Ski Club is offering a free trial day for athletes interested in joining the club (season or day pass sold separately). Gunstock Ski Club is a non-profit Alpine ski racing program for athletes ages 6-19. Contact program director Josh Bedard at jbedard40@gmail.com to sign up for a trial day or email info@gunstockskiclub.com for more information. The club trains from late November through the end of March. Training is offered on weekends from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., during Christmas and February vacation weeks (for both New Hampshire and Massachusetts) and on weeknights for athletes U10 and older. Visit gunstockskiclub.com for more information about the club or to register.

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A roundup of local sports briefs, news and announcements - Concord Monitor

Restaurants labeled modern American really have no set definition, but there is a recent strain of the genre known for puddle-jumping from one cuisine to another dish by dish. Reading straight down a menu, one might see razor clams with yuzu kosho and nori followed by shrimp and grits; poutine with bone marrow gravy; lamb neck marinated in pomegranate molasses and yogurt; and yellowtail collar over a bed of kimchi. In the most skilled hands, this sort of advanced grafting can show off a chefs restive creativity and grasp of pluralism. Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolos Animal, as one Los Angeles example, does this sort of thing very well.

As of-the-moment as this culinary ethos can seem, it has precedent in the vegetarian and vegan restaurants that emerged across the country in the 1970s and through the 1990s. I cooked in these types of places while kicking around America in my 20s. Every kitchen had a copy of The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison, who founded Greens restaurant in San Francisco in 1979. She too plucked recipes from the worlds cuisines: Moroccan carrot salad, eggplant and mushroom pastitsio, dals and vegetable curries, black bean enchiladas and pastas and shepherds pie. Left to lesser cooks (and I worked with some of them back then), a careful patchwork could devolve into a random muddle.

Three-month-old Nics on Beverly, a plant-based restaurant that bills itself as a love letter to Los Angeles, follows the new-old formula: Most of the familiar-sounding dishes evoke individual cuisines, with a couple of salad-specific nods to Southern California. Nic Adler, the namesake, is culinary director for the Coachella festival and co-founder of Montys Good Burger, a small, expanding chain serving splendidly messy, smash-style vegan burgers that are among the best in the city.

The dining room at Nics On Beverly.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

With Nics he strides into the domain of midscale dining. If at first the long space looks deserted, particularly earlier in the evening or at brunch, its because every customer has gravitated to the lush patio in the back. The courtyards shielding tree, around which tables are clustered, made the outdoor area a draw when the building previously housed the Ponte, an Italian restaurant, and French-inspired Terrine not long before it. Adler added plants and cascading vines around the walls to make the nook into even more of a verdant refuge.

The food too is meant to offer sanctuary, in the form of universal comforts that happen to be entirely meat-free. Im all for it; exquisite cooking in no way depends on the presence of meat. Unfortunately, under chefs Steven Fretz and Ryan Ososky, whats missing on the plates at Nics is not animal protein but creative excitement.

About the salads, for instance: One of them aims to riff on the flavors of Chinois on Mains chicken salad. A beloved staple, certainly, if a regressive choice to venerate, but Id hope the dressing would detonate with mustard and sesame and pickled ginger. This is instead a mound of chopped vegetables with little flavor or vitality or impetus to keep eating it.

Peach and heirloom tomato salad from Nics On Beverly.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

An heirloom tomato and peach salad is finishing an end-of-season run. I ate countless variations of the combination over the summer. This one includes pistachios, a peachy vinaigrette and slivers of an impressive take on brie, from vegan cheese expert Jules Aron, made from cashew milk. Only, the tomatoes and peaches served to me werent ripe. We live in the cradle of abundance: If the fruit isnt at its peak, swap it out for whatever truly is in its prime. How does a vegetable-centric restaurant in Los Angeles miss that mark?

Then I start thinking about the salads price: $22. Even with a smattering of expensive non-dairy cheese, that still registers as steep. So does a $29 monotonous Moroccan chickpea tagine, a tomatoey affair crowned with some browned cauliflower florets that is bulked out with a side of rice. A cursory flip through Paula Wolferts seminal The Food of Morocco provides so many compelling ideas for tagine flavor iterations: preserved lemon, fennel and olives; prunes, almonds and cumin; saffron, dates and cinnamon. Instead of looking to Morocco, this one trots out vadouvan, a spice blend that trended earlier this decade with roots that trace back to French colonialism in India. Why?

Potato pierogies with peach butter prompt none of the usual joy that dumplings engender. Gummy gnocchetti fells an eggplant-based spin on Bolognese with almond ricotta; the sauce would be appealing with a silkier pasta.

Nics tempura avocado tacos.

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

What does work? Tempura avocado tacos with salsa verde; an easygoing conceit, three to an order, gone in a few squishy, gently spiced bites. Tomato pizza with high, crusty edges, modeled on the Detroit style thats popular of late, nails the comfort quotient. Im no fan of the falafel burger it is mushy and it makes me long for a double Montys cheeseburger with onions but the spuds alongside, hello. Theyre shaved potatoes stacked into a gratin, and then cut into thick rectangles and deep-fried; they remind me of a similarly narcotic dish at Angler in the Beverly Center. The good-natured servers will bring you a side of them solo.

In these handful of successful efforts, I glimpse what could be at Nics on Beverly. But as a city, as a collective culture, were past dubiously conceived and ambiguously seasoned vegetarian cooking. Give us a sense of place, give us moxie, comfort us with surprise and context and imagination. This is a golden age for myriad kinds of dining. Vegan restaurants arent exempt from reaching higher too.

Ask for a side of the gratin fries at Nics On Beverly.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Nic's on Beverly

8265 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 746-5130, nicsonbeverly.com

Prices: dinner dishes $15-$28, lunch and brunch dishes $15-$23, desserts $10-$12

Details: Credit cards accepted. Full bar. Valet and street parking. Wheelchair accessible.

Recommended: avocado tempura tacos; Detroit-style pizza; gratin fries; excellent, not-too-sweet nonalcoholic cocktails such as the Daisy

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Nic's on Beverly, a new vegan restaurant in Beverly Grove, is missing creative spark - Los Angeles Times

Before all these impossibly uncanny meat approximations hit the market, mushrooms were the meatless workhorse of vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Though the new faux animal proteins have pushed veggie burgers beyond the ol portobello-between-two-buns, I urge you to not forget about mushrooms as a meat substitute, particularly if youre looking for something to take the place of ground beef.

Out of all the things that grow in the dirt, mushrooms have the meatiest flavor, butseeing as the competition is leaves and rootsthats not really saying much. But the longer you cook them, the more flavorful they get, and if you finely mince them before cooking, the water evaporates away, and they transform into savory, crispy little bits that take on the appearance of ground meat. (Its almost creepy, actually.)

They do, however, still taste like mushrooms, which is obviously not a bad taste, but it doesnt quite scratch that hearty, meaty itch. If you want to nudge your mushrooms (and other vegetables) closer to the uncanny valley, and increase the salty, savory umami flavor we associate with meat and meaty things, get your paws on some Chinese olive vegetable.

This condiment is not new, but it might be new to you, especially if your experience with olives has been dictated by American and European cuisines. As the name would suggest, it has been used in Chinese cooking for quite some time, and it ups the umami factor like you would not believe, eliminating the need for other savory ingredients. Theses olives arent pickled. Instead, immature Chinese white olives are cooked with mustard greens for a long time, creating a paste with a strong, savory, complex flavor. (If you dont have a good Asian market near you, you can order it online. Some brands contain MSG, which I consider to be an added bonus.)

Unlike pure, crystalline MSG, which adds an isolated hit of umami, Chinese olive vegetable adds funky nuance that reads as beefy. When mixed with finely chopped, heavily sauted mushrooms, you have a ground meat sub thats perfect for tacos, ragu, sloppy joes, or anything else you would add ground meat to. Its easy to make, though slightly time-consuming, as it takes a while to drive off all the moisture from the mushrooms. I recommend making a whole bunch at a time and keeping it in the fridge to use as needed. To make this meatless wonder, you will need:

Wash the mushrooms, and tear each mushroom into three or four pieces with your hands. Working in batches, add the shrooms to the bowl of your food processor, and pulse into fine but still discernible bits. Heat two tablespoons of butter or oil over medium-high heat in the largest stainless steel pan you have. Once the butter starts to foam (or your olive oil is nice and hot), add a single layer of the mushroom bits, give everything a stir, and let cook, stirring very occasionally, until the moisture has been driven off and the mushrooms are starting to brown. (This will take at least half an hour.)

Continue to cook, scraping any browned mushroom bits up off the pan with a wooden spatula. If things are getting too sticky, add some more butter or oil. Once the mushrooms are all browned, and have a deep, savory flavor (take a taste!), transfer them from the pan to a bowl. Repeat as needed until youve worked your way through your pile of mushroom bits. Once youve cooked all the shroom bits, add your Chinese olive vegetable, and stir to evenly distribute the condiment throughout the mushrooms. Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to five days. I really like this stuff in tacos, but its also divine when simmered in some simple tomato sauce for a complex, vegetarian ragu.

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How to Make the Best Vegan Bolognese - Lifehacker Australia

For his Ph.D student's, Dr. M. Stanley Whittingham was the reason they came to Binghamton University Maggie Gilroy, mgilroy@pressconnects.com | @MaggieGilroy

Parlor City Vegan, a 100% vegan restaurant and plant-based foods company, is settling into its permanent home on 81 Clinton St. in Binghamton.

The eaterywill open for the public Wednesday. The restaurant's Kickstarter backers, and key community supporters, will get a sneak peak of the cafe during a ribbon cutting and grand opening Friday.

Beginning next week, the restaurant will be open regularlyand offerlunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and noon to 8 p.m. Saturday. It will offer special brunches on select Sundays.

Parlor City Vegan has sold vegan specialties throughout the region since 2016, a regular staple at the Broome County Farmers Market and regional festivals, but has not yet had a permanent brick and mortar location.

Parlor City Vegan is located at 81 Clinton St. in Binghamton.(Photo: Maggie Gilroy / Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin)

We started small, and the response to our vegan comfort food options has been overwhelming, saidSara Liu, Parlor City Vegan owner, in a statement.Were so thankful for our loyal customers, who have been asking us to open a restaurant for the past three years. We are excited to plant roots in Binghamtons burgeoning food scene, and to make Binghamton a plant-forward food destination.

The restaurant will feature scratch made plant-based comfort food and featureseasonally changing dishes.

The menu willoffer a variety of small plates, entrees, and desserts, including loaded Truffle mac & cheese skillets, house made Upstate hot fried vegan chicken sandwiches, First Ward seasonal pierogi and the cafe'saward-winning butternut arancini stuffed with house made cashew mozzarella.

Parlor City Vegan's popular house-made vegan cheese products will also be available to purchase on-site, along with other local goods.

The cafe is also taking orders for Thanksgiving, which can be placed onlineand picked up at the Clinton Street shop. Included in the menu is a $25 individualfeast ofhouse made roasted stuffed seitan turkey, truffle mac and cheese, garlic mashed potatoes andmushroom sage gravy, maple dijon roasted autumn vegetables andold fashioned cranberry sauce.

Individual items are also available to purchase for Thanksgiving.

Parlor City Veganwas founded by Sara and Lei Liu after Sara's father suffered a major heart attack.

"Sara, a long-time vegan, delivered her signature comfort food dishes to him weekly. This former 'meat and potatoes'lover was converted," a Kickstarter campaignfor the cafe stated."With her father convinced, Sara and Lei decided to share their vegan comfort dishes with the community, starting at the Broome County Farmer's Market."

Parlor City Veganhas operated out of small, shared rental kitchens.

In addition to the Farmers Market, it has expanded to catering throughout New York and Pennsylvania and developed a line of artisinal vegan cheeses.The cheeses have been sold in stores and restaurants as far as Austin, Texas.

According to a video posted on the Kickstarter, 50 percent of Parlor City Vegan Kitchen's customers are not vegan.

Parlor City Vegan is a 100% vegan restaurant and plant-based food company.(Photo: Maggie Gilroy / Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin)

In May of 2018, the kitchen earned $5,000 after itwas selectedas the year'swinner of the City of Binghamton business plan competition, beating out a half-dozen other applicants. In an article by the pressconnects.com / ThePress & Sun-Bulletin, Sara said she planned to use the winningsto pay for a shelf-life study and to commission professionally designed packaging for her product.

In addition to the money from the Binghamton Local Development Corp., Sara received five free hours of accounting and legal assistance, and gratis website design services, among other services.

More: Vegan 'cheese' producer wins Binghamton business plan competition

More: Parlor City Vegan Kitchen will open a cafe, but first it needs your help

"Right now, I am cooking gourmet foods on a George Foreman grill," she said following the check presentation ceremony at Binghamton City Hall.

In January,vegan kitchen announced its plans to move into a space on 81 Clinton Street in Binghamton through aFacebook post.

The kitchen also launched a $7,000Kickstartercampaignto help raise the remainder of the funds needed to open the 100 percent vegan cafe. It surpassed its goal, raising a total of $11,803 with 149 backers.

For more information, visitfacebook.com/ParlorCityVeganor emailparlorcityvegan@gmail.com

Follow Maggie Gilroy on Twitter @MaggieGilroy.Support our journalism and become a digital subscriber today. Click here for our special offers.

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Parlor City Vegan's Binghamton cafe will open next week - Press & Sun-Bulletin