Food & Drink: Farm to table right at Home

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September 3, 2024

I equate joy to a summer farm stand. Plump tomatoes, juicy stone fruit, sweet local corn – the list goes on and on. There’s nothing quite like cooking with seasonal ingredients, notably June through September. I tend to overbuy, simply because there are so many good ingredients to choose from. At my core, I cherish preparing meals for the people around me. I often make it a spectacle, complete with unique tablescapes, and custom menus printed and placed on thrifted China.

In the summer months the ingredients are the star of the show, adorning the table in bright shades of yellow and green. What better way to celebrate the season than a dinner party? When designing a menu my first stop is the farm stand. I source ingredients locally, from trusted farmers. This time around I was inspired by end of summer stone fruit, corn, blueberries, basil and mint. I also found some standout heirloom tomatoes that will lend to the perfect starter. After visiting my local fish monger and grocer, I’m excited to piece together a menu leaning into summer’s best.

My table will be draped in fresh summer wildflowers and a vintage linen tablecloth that I thrifted. I typically add candlesticks and tea candles (unscented always). The menus will be custom watercolor (thank you, Etsy), featuring the starter, entree and dessert. I’ll put out a nibble board for my guests to enjoy with their bubbles, as I prep the meal. Today we’ll enjoy a mix of semi-soft cheeses, curry roasted cashews, figs and homemade preserves.

To start our meal together, a simply seasoned heirloom tomato salad with fresh herbs and good quality olive oil. I cut my tomatoes in wedges rather than slices, and give them a good sprinkling of Maldon salt and cracked pepper. Finish the dish with a hefty pour of your favorite olive oil (mine is Frankie’s 457), and enjoy with crusty bread. I’ll serve a good French Sauvignon Blanc and bubbles with this meal.

For our entree, we’ll enjoy fresh pasta dressed in a simple corn and butter sauce. I find that people are intimidated by the idea of making pasta from scratch, but I truly can’t recommend it enough. Good quality flour (I use King Arthur), and pasture raised eggs will lend to perfect pasta every time. (I prefer pastured eggs because they have a beautiful golden yolk, and this really shines through in color and flavor). This quick summer sauce cooks down to a creamy, savory, sweet dressing for our homemade pasta. Top with thinly chopped basil, and cracked pepper. If you prefer a protein, consider lobster or shrimp. (I opted for butter poached lobster!)

For dessert, stone fruit. I combine imperfectly quartered nectarines and plums, a heaping handful of blueberries, a little lemon juice and brown sugar. You can use this mixture within a pie, a galette, a crumble, a cobbler – the choice is yours! I go with mini crumbles for the cute factor (plus, they’re easy to assemble and bake). Fill ramekins with fruit filling, and top with crumble (flour, brown sugar, vanilla paste, good quality butter). Add an extra sprinkle of textured sugar for the crunch factor. Bake until golden and bubbling, serve with vanilla bean gelato and thinly sliced mint. Simple, and incredibly delicious.

Head to your local farm stand, get inspired by the ingredients around you, and enjoy them over dinner with friends and family. There’s nothing better than a summer meal!

Career Development: Your Resume – What You Write Could Change Your Life

By

Don Benenson

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September 3, 2024

In 2019, a couple of job seekers applied to Goggle. Well, that is not exactly on point. It turns out that a “couple” was 9,000 resumes per day. (Source: Carrus-How to Land a Job at Google).

And, while few companies get deluged like Google, in today’s ultra-competitive job market getting noticed for your dream job requires a resume that stands out. If you want a new and better chapter in your career history, one that could change your life, you need to write and format your resume so that your phone rings. Here are some actions that will help.

Get Them Hooked From The First Glance

By writing a compelling professional summary at the beginning of your resume, the reader’s interest is captured. Use words that start the process of communicating that you are a doer and difference maker. For example, instead of saying you have a strong work ethic, write something like this: “Able to manage a high-volume workload in a fast-paced environment.”

First Present The Impact-Then Explain How

A “let me call this candidate” resume goes far beyond statements that state the duties you were assigned to perform or your qualifications. It educates everyone involved in the hiring process about the potential impact you could have in helping their team and the organization meet their goals.

Wherever possible showcase the impact first and then show the talent you used to achieve it. As you will see below, each of these shows both results and skills.

Saved $500,000 through assertive negotiations with vendors
Increased customer retention by identifying and satisfying their needs
Ensured 100% compliance with company and regulatory requirements through accurate record keeping

Each statement helps convey a “here’s what I can do for your company” message. And should a big leap in the accuracy of record keeping be a “must have” for the position, you just significantly upped your cases for an interview.

Purposeful Sequencing

As you review what you wrote for a job you hold, or held, take the time to format the sequence so that the first entry captures interest and that the next one to two builds upon it. Oftentimes, we lead-off and follow up with what we feel most comfortable talking about. While this is not a big blunder, the objective is to grab the reader’s attention and begin getting them to envision you in the job.

Less is More

Hunker down when it comes to editing your resume and making yes/no decisions about what to include. Remove redundant entries and those that do not solidly contribute to the case for hiring you.Yes, the fact that you volunteer tells readers that you are a person who likes to give back. But it is doubtful you will get hired because you do!

There is much more than just these items in terms of what it takes to create a door opening resume. Feel free to contact me at donaldbenenson@yahoo.com for my Resume Tip Sheet.

For a free no obligation chat about your job search, feel free to contact me at 631.428.5877.

Good luck in your search efforts.

Upclose: Cabo Fresh California Mexican Grill

By

Marc Piperno

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September 3, 2024

Locations:
Commack | 631-543-2226
5026 Jericho Tpke. TJ Maxx Plaza

Smithtown | 631-360-2226
79 NY-111 Uncle Giuseppe’s Center

Stony Brook | 631-751-2226
2182 Nesconset Hwy. Loew’s Movie Theater Center

Centereach | 631-580-2226
759 Middle Country Rd. Unit M

Website: CaboFreshMex.com

In 2011, James DiVilio Founder and Executive Chairman of Emerging Hospitality Group established Cabo Fresh California Mexican Grill as a fast-casual Cal-Mex themed healthy eatery, inspired by the vibrant flavors of California cuisine. As Mr. DiVilio tells me, “our goal has always been to prioritize real fresh food that’s both flavorful and quickly served, making the dining experience healthy, easy, accessible, and affordable for everyone. We have created a menu that sets us apart from the crowded fast casual Mexican segment”. Cabo Fresh offers many choices with a variety of proteins that include seared rock shrimp, ahi tuna, and vegan chorizo. They also offer real fruit smoothies which are sweetened with organic blue agave. Some of their most popular items include the Cabo Classic Chicken Burrito, Birria Tacos and Korean BBQ tacos with house made pickled onions. Cabo Fresh’s incredible catering has options that will transform your next event into a full blown FIESTA that your guests will rave about.”

Four decades as a serial entrepreneur, James acquired a keen sense of how to operate multi-unit, multi-concept restaurants. However, with a high sense of pride, Mr. DiVillo makes it clear, that the success of the Cabo Fresh brand could never have become a reality without incredible dedication, hard work and tireless perseverance of his wife Diana and two sons Anthony and Jim, all who have many years mastering every aspect of the restaurant industry. According to Mr. DiVillo, “we operate as a team and each of us possess a unique skill set that covers every aspect of the operation. This combination of vision, talent and dedication is what continues to move this company forward. It is our mission to continuously refine this concept, making it better every day and inevitably become a national brand.”

“We are blessed to have amazing managers and crew that are top in the industry”. The DiVilio family has nurtured a culture that has established a set of guiding principles, central to the success of the Cabo Fresh brand. These principles ensure that Cabo Fresh consistently delivers an outstanding dining experience that has established a standard of excellence in everything they do.

Cabo Fresh takes pride in preparing their dishes from scratch every single day, featuring all-natural ingredients and recipes. During our interview, as I passed through the kitchen, the alluring aroma of freshly marinated chicken thighs hitting the grill clearly exemplifies the “Fresh” in Cabo.

As Mr. DiVillio explains, “The secret to our exceptional food lies in what we intentionally avoid. By preparing our dishes fresh daily, we season our meats, seafood, and vegetables lightly. Everything we serve is cooked shortly before being delivered, which allows the inherent freshness of our ingredients to stand out.” Furthermore, a manager proudly shared that even their corn tortilla chips and taco shells are made fresh throughout the day on-site.”

The DiVillio family and their Cabo Fresh restaurants believe in the power of people and have made it their mission to remain connected with their team, suppliers, customers, and local communities to create a positive impact.

Cabo Fresh is more than just a restaurant, it’s a philosophy that ensures a rewarding growth experience for every team member that reflects directly upon the thousands of customers that have become loyalists to the Cabo Fresh movement.