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

MORRIS PARK -

When a Bronx man with a love for Mexican queso became vegan, he had to figure out how to continue eating his favorite, creating a product.

After working to perfect the perfect vegan queso, Nazario Maisonet locked in a recipe and name for his product.

He calls it Oh Dip, Que Eso, which in Spanish means, what is that.

"I knew I had something when my oldest son literally said, wow, what is that? I said it's queso but it's vegan, says Maisonet.

The base of the queso is cashews and spices.

For the past yearand ahalf Maisonet has been making his vegan queso right in this kitchen for his sons and customers mostly in the Bronx and around the tri state. He says he also gets some requests coming in from California.

This dip means so much to me because it actually tastes good, vegan or not, most of my customers are not vegan, says Maisonet.

Besides building his dip business, Maisonet has a much bigger goal since the Bronx is listed as the unhealthiest county in the state.

I want to push it because it's Bronx-made and the Bronx and veganism aren't really synonymous, but I want it to be, says Maisonet.

Link:

Bronx man creates vegan queso business, with larger goal of making the Bronx healthier - News 12 Bronx

Szechuan Rice Bowl from Pats Tap // Photo by Tj Turner

Bite of the Weekis a weekly feature showcasing an exceptional meal or dish, curated by The Growler.

The inaugural Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge is on, running from September 20 through October 20, pitting a host of local chefs against one another in a friendly competition to create the most popular (as decided by public vote) new vegan menu item. In the mix: the distinctly not-vegan-in-general Pats Tap on Nicollet Avenue. The restaurant is serving up a Szechuan Rice Bowl ($14) that packs an earthy wallop of flavor into a compact dish.

In contrast to many rice bowls, which are laden with rich sauce and heavy meat, the Pats Tap rice bowl is light to the point of being refreshing. Its brown basmati rice is delicate and fluffy and its liberally studded with vegetables including kale, daikon radish, carrots, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. The chunks of tofu that ride the bowls surface have a tea-like earthy depth of flavor and they add interest and contrast to the veg-studded grains of rice below. The broad term Szechuan is often used as a 1-for-1 stand-in for spicy, but this rice bowl is mellow and balanced, with a touch of spicy heat that accents its contents without overwhelming them.

Szechuan Rice Bowl from Pats Tap // Photo by Tj Turner

THE DISH: Szechuan Rice Bowl, $14

THE PLACE: Pats Tap, 3510 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis

THE REASON: A refreshing, comforting and nimble spin on a typical rice bowl

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Bite of the Week: Vegan Szechuan Rice Bowl at Pat's Tap - The Growler

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are eating more vegan food to stay healthy.

A vegetarian since the age of 12, former No Doubt singer Stefani follows a mostly vegan diet. Shelton her boyfriend and fellow coach on The Voice is a meat-eater.

According to Globe magazine, Shelton is trying to get healthier and lose weight, so Stefani is encouraging him to eat fewer animal products. A source reportedly told the publication, Gwens told him the way to lose it is to stay the hell away from meat and bad carbs.

They added,shes totally into her workouts and vegetarian diet and staying healthy. Her stamina amazes him.

Stefani isnt alone in ditching animal products for her health. A number of celebs have gone vegan for health reasons.

Fellow musician Will.i.am (and also a coach on the UKs version of The Voice) ditched meat and dairy back in 2017. According to the rapper he had high blood pressure and cholesterol. Instead of taking pills, he went vegan. After we finished filming [The Voice] in December I went home, I became vegan, I biked to work and I lost 15lb,he said back in 2018.

Since then, Will.i.am has discovered the ethical side of veganism. He even rapped about the lifestyle change in the Black Eyed Peas song Vibrations pt. 1. pt.2. He raps, you eat the yellowtail, Ima eat the plant-based. I aint chewing on no food with two eyes and a face. Got a new attitude, gotta stay elevated.

Reality TV judge Simon Cowell who is currently judging The X Factor: Celebrity also ditched animal products for health reasons earlier this year. He noticed the health benefits almost immediately.

Cowell told the Sun, once you get into a pattern Ive found it quite enjoyable. It has helped me sleep and I wake up feeling less tired. I noticed a massive difference in how I felt in about a week.

He added,I have more energy and focus and it wasnt difficult. I dont like to use the word diet because thats the reason I never went on a diet before the word diet makes me miserable.

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Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton Are Eating Vegan to Stay Healthy

Description

Gwen Stefani follows a mostly vegan, meat-free diet. She's persuading boyfriend and fellow "The Voice" judge Blake Shelton to do the same.

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Charlotte Pointing

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LIVEKINDLY

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Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton Are Eating Vegan to Stay Healthy - LIVEKINDLY

Pizza Hut UK is stepping up its vegan food game. The fast-food chain just added a new plant-based pizza, vegan nuggets, and dairy-free cheesecake to its menu.

The new pizza, the Vegan All About Mushrooms Pizza, is the chains fifth vegan pizza option. It features closed cup mushrooms, garlic mushrooms, tomato sauce, and Violife cheese.

The fast-food chain also welcomed Quorns meat-free Southern Fried Nuggets. For dessert, Pizza Hut now has the I Cant Believe its Not Cheesecake, a vegan cheesecake with biscuits and caramel.

Pizza Hut first dipped its toes into the vegan scene in 2017 when it trialed a cheesy plant-based pizza. Positive feedback and the publics growing interest in meat-free food motivated the chain to test another pizza in January 2019. The Jack n Ch**se which features sweetcorn, red onion, peppers, BBQ jackfruit, and dairy-free cheese was offered for one month to celebrate Veganuary. The chain said if it sold 10,000 vegan pizzas during the month, it would keep the item on the menu.

The vegan pizza was ordered 17,700 times. So, not only will our Vegan Jack N Ch**se Pizza be back in March as a permanent menu item, we might have a little something extra lined up too,Pizza Hut said at the time.

The following month, Pizza Hut brought out a three-course vegan menu.

Several new pizzas became available, including a classic Margherita, the Veggie Vegan, and the Vegan Hot N Spicy Veg.

The chain also introduced baked Jack N Rolls an appetizer stuffed with sweet chili, BBQ jackfruit, and dairy-free cheese and vegan Cinnamon Bites.

Pizza Hut restaurants in the UK arent the only ones plating up vegan food. Pizza Hut Australia just added six vegan options to its menus. Customers can choose from several new vegan pizzas, including the VeganMediterranean,VeganDeluxe,VeganCheese Lovers, andVegan Margherita.

It also announced vegan garlic bread, cheesy garlic bread, and spud bites, along with dairy-free Cornetto ice creams. Pizza Hut is now the first quick-service restaurant in Australia to offer a vegan dessert.

We believe everyone should be able to share good times and enjoy a mutual love for pizza, Pizza Hut chief marketing officer Chet Patel said to news.com.au. Weve been doing it for almost 50 years, so instead of calling those who choose to be vegan out, were calling them in. From today, no matter what preference, we welcome everyone in as a Pizzatarian.'

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Pizza Hut Has Vegan Nuggets and Cheesecake Now

Description

Pizza Hut UK is stepping up its vegan food game by adding a new plant-based pizza, vegan nuggets, and dairy-free cheesecake to its menu.

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Jemima Webber

Publisher Name

LIVEKINDLY

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Pizza Hut Has Vegan Nuggets and Cheesecake Now - LIVEKINDLY