Damon M. Banks |

A Sweet Way to Enjoy London

Damon M. Banks — Wed, 25 Jul 2018 02:35:01 +0000

When in London, an absolute must is a visit to Cake Boy along the River Thames. If you are lucky, you will also have an opportunity to meet the king of pastry himself, Eric Lanlard. When not traveling the world sharing his expertise and serving as a baking global ambassador while creating afternoon teas for luxury hotels and travel brands, Eric is working with his team to prepare an amazing collection of pastries, cookies, cakes and more. Cake Boy is everything you want in a café, and an ideal place to take a moment to enjoy a pastry, or sit and enjoy a Champagne Afternoon Tea – it is inviting, elegant, fun and comfortable…

Dave Broom’s Japan

Damon M. Banks — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 12:50:34 +0000

Dave Broom is an internationally acclaimed drinks writer who has been writing on the subject for 25 years as both a journalist and author. He has won numerous awards and written ten books, including The World Atlas of Whisky, now in its second edition. He is regarded as one of the world’s foremost writers on Japanese whisky, and the perfect person to provide LuxeGetaways with some insight on where to best enjoy some of this whisky that he loves so much when traveling through Japan.

Over his two-plus decades in the field, he has built up a considerable international following with regular training/educational visits to Japan, France, Holland, Scandinavia, Germany, Africa and North America. He is actively involved in whisky education, and works as a consultant to major distillers on tasting techniques as well as training professionals and the public. Broom has also worked with Suntory in developing a language of tasting that communicates Japanese concepts to English speaking audiences…

Elizabeth Gordon’s Journey Picks for 2018

Damon M. Banks — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 12:44:12 +0000

Born in Kenya and raised in Paris, Elizabeth Gordon was exploring the world from a young age. After graduating from Stanford, she worked in Namibia and started a business in Buenos Aires. Eventually she returned to her passion: Africa, and the safari experience. She launched Extraordinary Journeys with her mother, Marcia. She is active in the Association for the Promotion of Tourism in Africa and Safari Professionals of the Americas, and the company contributes a portion of all proceeds for human empowerment and wildlife protection…

Craig Melvin’s New York City

Damon M. Banks — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 12:09:38 +0000

Craig Melvin is co-anchor of NBC News’ “Weekend TODAY” and a national correspondent for TODAY. He is also an anchor on MSNBC and his reporting appears across all NBC News and MSNBC platforms. His smile and charm has made him a favorite correspondent for many; and when it comes to New York City, Craig Melvin knows the best of the best.

Melvin may love his work in New York City, but at the end of the day, he looks forward to going home to Connecticut – where he can enjoy dinner and a quiet evening at home with his wife, ESPN’s Lindsay Czarniak, son Delano and daughter Sybil. When planning your next getaway to New York City, here are a few favorite places that Melvin suggests you visit to get a true taste of all that Manhattan has to offer…

Sailing the Rhine with Joanne Weir of Plates and Places

Damon M. Banks — Sun, 03 Jun 2018 00:37:16 +0000

Food is huge reason why people travel, but what can they do if they have a craving for the luscious combination of flatbread, sour cream, melted onions and chunks of crispy, fatty bacon of a classic Alsatian Tarte Flambee and you can’t get to Alsace? Or the sweet and chewy indulgence of a Stroopwafel cookie, found all over Amsterdam? Luckily, these dishes were among all of the wonderful, regional dishes that chef and culinary personality Joanne Weir enjoyed traveling aboard AmaWaterways luxury river cruise.

As seen on PBS, Joanne enjoyed eating all of these dishes during her trip on the AmaKristina down the “Enchanting Rhine” – in case you missed it, you can look for more episodes of her exciting travel and cooking show, “Joanne Weir’s Plates & Plates.” And there is always the option of just booking this getaway and eating all of these local and regional specialties (soft and salty pretzels with mustard and choucroute (pork and sauerkraut) among the highlights) on an AmaWaterways cruise. In addition to the “Enchanting Rhine,” there are so many sailings that take food and wine lovers to some of the most celebrated culinary and viticultural destinations in the world… including Paris, Normandy, Porto, Lyon, Vienna and many more. We thank Joanne for sharing a few of these favorite recipes with us for you to make in your own home.

Recipes

STROOPWAFEL COOKIES

3 large eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups Pastry Flour Blend or King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, brown sugar and salt.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon and baking powder. Stir these dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Fold in the vanilla and melted butter with a rubber spatula. The batter will be thick and gooey.

Heat a min-pizelle iron for 15 minutes. Coat with vegetable shortening and place a medium ice cream scoop full of batter onto the pizelle iron. Close iron and cook for 30-40 seconds. Lift iron and remove cookies with tongs. Place cookies on a wire rack. Continue to cook cookies, coating the iron with shortening as needed.

Cool cookies on wire racks. Place a scoop of slightly softend Burnt Caramel Ice Cream in the center of one waffle, top with another and form an ice cream sandwich. Repeat and eat!

MALDON SALT PRETZELS

4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 ¼ cups warm water (110 F)
5 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups water
½ cup baking soda
Maldon or flake salt

Dissolve the yeast in warm water and let stand until frothy, 10 minutes.

In a stand mixer, fit with the dough hook, mix the flour, sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons salt. With the machine on medium speed, add the butter and yeast mixture to form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add water, a tablespoon at a time to form a ball. If it is sticky, add a tablespoon or two of flour. Knead with the dough hook for 5 to 8 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil to a clean large bowl. Remove the ball of dough from the stand mixer and place in the clean bowl with oil. Turn the dough over so it is coated with oil. Cover with plastic and let rise until double in volume, about 1 hour.

Preheat an oven to 450 F. Oil two baking sheets with the remaining vegetable oil.

Place the water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the baking soda and whisk together. Remove from the heat.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. After you have shaped all of the pretzels, dip each pretzel into the hot water solution and let sit for 5 to 10 seconds. Place on paper towels to drain. Place the pretzels on a baking sheet with space between each one. Sprinkle generously with flake salt.

Bake in until browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

TARTE FLAMBEE OR FLAMMKUCHE

Serve with a dry Riesling.

¼ cup crème fraîche
1 cup fromage blanc
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Weir Dough
8 ounces smoked bacon, thinly sliced across the strip
1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

Set a pizza steel in the upper third of the oven. Heat an oven to 500 F.

Mix the crème fraîche, fromage blanc, nutmeg, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.

Divide dough into 3 pieces. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into a large oval shape about 10 X 5-inches and place on a floured wooden pizza peel. Spread ¹⁄₂ cup of the cheese mixture over circle, leaving a ¹⁄₂-inch border around edge. Sprinkle with one-third of the bacon and onions.

Transfer dough to the baking steel and bake until golden brown and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately.

Repeat with the remaining 2 pieces of dough and toppings.

Makes 3 tarts

Learn More: ***Joanne Weir* | *AmaWaterways***

Greg Norman on Attacking Life & Savouring The Journey

Damon M. Banks — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 08:11:37 +0000

It has been the desire of Greg Norman (AKA “The Shark”) to attack life in everything he does, and his genius entrepreneurial abilities that have continued to define him as not only one of today’s most successful entrepreneurs in the world, but also one of the most interesting guys on the planet.

An Ideal Day in Miami with Adrienne Arsht

Damon M. Banks — Sun, 31 Dec 2017 16:33:47 +0000

Knowing Ms. Arsht’s zest for life and passion for the arts, I was thrilled to develop this story with her and her team for Bespoke Magazine Bal Harbour. Always surrounding herself with a great public relations firm, a talented stylist and a positive group of friends and colleagues, we were able to include a dynamic mix of fashion, dining, history and the arts for this story…

Bob The Bartender’s Inspirational Spring Cocktail

Damon M. Banks — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 12:59:26 +0000

With a loyal following, Bob Peters at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte has won numerous awards over the years, and has been featured in a number of national culinary and industry magazines. And let us just say that there is not another bartender in Charlotte with his reputation. Looking for inspiration when preparing a featured spring cocktail for us at LuxeGetaways, Bob decided that the Carbonated Aviation was a perfect (and delicious) solution.

Miami Through Ms. Adrienne Arsht’s Eyes

Damon M. Banks — Sat, 01 Jul 2017 17:11:46 +0000

Ms. Adrienne Arsht is often referred to as “Miami’s Savior,” and for good reason. Beyond rescuing the performing arts community with a $30 million gift to what is now known internationally as The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Ms. Arsht remains dedicated to preserving the performing arts community and the area’s rich history.

The Joy of Jonathan Adler – The Designer Lifestyle

Damon M. Banks — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 12:29:05 +0000

Jonathan Adler is not only a beloved television personality, but is also a potter, designer and author. He is constantly creating new creative designs and colorful aesthetic to spread the message that homes should make people happy. It was a pleasure working with Adler and his team to pull this story together for MONTAGE Magazine, which is available in the Montage Hotel and Resort properties…

Off The Course with M. Kuchar, C. Kirk, B. Harman and H. English

Damon M. Banks — Sun, 25 Dec 2016 07:01:02 +0000

There’s no surprise that a number of the PGA Tour players have decided to call Sea Island home, and when you look at the many offerings available for guests and residents alike, it makes sense. When not working on their games, this is where players like Davis Love III, Matt Kuchar, Chris Kirk, Brian Harman and Harris English escape to relax and enjoy the good life — for Sea Island Life Magazine…

Turning Up The Heat with Celebrity Chef Cat Cora

Damon M. Banks — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 22:04:32 +0000

This story takes a look at the exciting life of Celebrity Chef Cat Cora, which was featured in all of the North American issues of Bespoke Magazine. Blasting onto the scene as the first female Iron Chef on Food Network, she is now working on multiple television projects, operating a network of restaurants, a product line, a kitchenware line, a cutting-edge APP and a growing number of amazing philanthropic endeavors. A balance of work and spending time with her supportive family, Chef Cat Cora is heating up the culinary scene.