american lifestyle magazine

Our puppy is known by many names. Paws McDrool. Tropical Storm Furball. The Interior Un-Decorator. But really, he just goes by Pergo.

We named him after our fl oor, which was about the only thing he couldn’t destroy. Our Pergo fl ooring is remarkably scratch resistant.

Whatever our lovable mischief-maker dishes out, it can handle. And its warm appearance lets our pup

relax in style. Depending on traffi c. For a sample and all you need to know, pergo.com.

Casual Living Goldenrod Hickory 80119. Available exclusively at Lowe’s. Pergo® is a registered trademark of Pergo AB. ©2009 Pergo, LLC.

Whatever our lovable mischief-maker dishes out, it can handle. And its warm appearance lets our pup Whatever our lovable mischief-maker dishes out, it can handle. And its warm appearance lets our pup

FOR ANOTHER TWO AND A HALFSECONDS, THE PEACE REMAINED.

M9PRG005_m1_AmLifest.indd 1 9/25/09 12:13:10 PM

AMERICAN LIFESTYLE2 AMERICAN LIFESTYLE 3

American Lifestyle IN THIS ISSUEmagazine

WONDERLAND24

WELCOME TO PARK CITY, UTAH

A WINTER SPORTS

TWO THANKSGIVINGS IN VIRGINIA’S HISTORIC TRIANGLE

CITY MUSEUM: ONE PERSON’S TRASH,A CITY’S TREASURE

16

VEGAN SOUPS AND HEARTY STEWS10

6

CUPCAKE PROJECT: ADVENTURES IN BAKING42

CHICAGO’S FINEST: THE PENINSULA HOTEL 36

IF LIFE WAS ONE GIANT GAME NIGHT32

© Rob Bossi/The Canyons Resort

CONTRIBUTORS:Nava Atlas, Babey, Moulton, Jue, and Booth (BAMO), Roy A. Bahls (First Light

Photography), Michael Booth, Dan Campbell-Lloyd, The Canyons Resort,

Colonial Williamsburg, Cameron Davidson, Deer Valley Resort, Kirk Gunn,

J. Pollack Photography, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Ben Kennedy, Ellie Lawrence,

Park City Mountain Resort, Marie Penn, Stefani Pollack, Theresa Raffetto,

Bob Ruegsegger, Martha Steger, Tim Walsh, Ted York, Joel Zuckerman

American Lifestyle magazine is published by Digital Grapes, LLC. For more information about American Lifestyle magazine, please visit us at DigitalGrapes.com,

e-mail us at [email protected], or call us at 610-878-5000. All rights reserved.

NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE PUBLISHER.

This magazine is for information and entertainment only; it is not an attempt to solicit business.

Designed and printed in the USA.

CEO/PUBLISHER Steve Acree

American Lifestylemagazine

...because every child deserves a

little Christmas.

Last year, the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program fulfilled the Christmas holiday dreams of over 7.3 million of our nation’s neediest children, yet we still ran out of toys long before we ran out of children. This holiday season please donate a toy or book to your local Toys for Tots Program.

For more information or to make a tax deductible credit card donation go to

our website at:

www.toysfortots.org

DESIGN DIRECTOR Joshua StikeTECHNICAL DIRECTOR Jonathan Campbell

OUTSIDE SALES DIRECTOR David CutilloSENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jeff Czerniakowski

EDITOR Shelley Goldstein

GRAPHICSErin Beeler, Alicia Mastrian, Kenn Lucas, Pamela Lovell, Rick Boyer,

Scott Higgins, Julie Karaszkiewicz, Kristin Sweeney

EDITORIALRobin Manrodt

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYTom Setliff, Josh Freed, Daniel Miladinov,

Dorian Preston, Steve Shogren, Chandler Claxton

CUSTOMER SERVICEMichael Graziola, Anthony Burrell, David McElroy, Nicholas Porreca,

Phoenix Falkenrath, Bill Bradford, Nathan Hartman, Josh Robert, Laura Schluter, Nick McGowan, Tamra Smeltz,

Marissa Sidoti, Mike Kelly

SALESJoe Rooney, Bradley Hoopes, Jen Campbell,

Concetta Gibbs, Jim O’Brien

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTLee Stouch, Dan Gallaway, Amy Eyler, Amanda Braskey, Libby Acree

FINANCEEdmund DeAngelo, Ken Wolfe, Megan Grebe

HUMAN RESOURCESCarey Ballou, Andrea Hartfield

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2010

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g r a n d o p e n i n g s • au s t i n • Fa s h i o n i s l a n D n e W P o r t b e a C h


t

[M]USEUMS

After all, how often do your kids beg you to go to a museum? You’ll soon discover their rea-soning behind the impromptu trip—this museum in St. Louis, Missouri, is more like an enor-mous playground, that 21,500-pound writing utensil is the larg-est in the world, and the must-see bus is actually perched on the building’s rooftop with its front wheels hovering in mid air!

It would be an understatement to say that this is not your average museum. Boasting over 600,000 square feet of unusual exhibits, hidden tunnels and treasures, and a “feel free to touch” mental-ity, children have been mesmer-ized by City Museum since 1997 when it first opened its doors. This whimsical paradise is the brainchild of Bob Cassilly, an en-trepreneurial artist whose desire to share his childlike imagination with the world led him to pur-chase a mostly vacant warehouse. Viewing the former International Shoe Company building as a

When yOuR chIldREN

ask you to take them

to City Museum to

check out a No. 2

pencil and a yEllOW

SchOOl buS, you may

not understand the

dire uRgENcy in their

vOIcES, but you take

them there just the same.

This whimsical paradise is the brainchild of bob cassilly, an

entrepreneurial artist whose desire to share his childlike

imagination with the world led him to purchase a mostly

vacant warehouse.

CITY MUSEUM:ONE PERSON’S TRASH, A CITY’S TREASURE

Written by Ellie Lawrence

blank canvas brimming with potential, Cassilly transformed the open space into a labyrinth of adventures for the young and young at heart.

Reusing found objects in new and unique ways—items which were mostly found within the city, like old chimneys, salvaged bridges, and abandoned planes—Cassilly and his team of artisans built a slightly out-of-control collection of play spaces interfused with a slew of mystical sculptures. In-side City Museum is a dark and mysterious interactive environ-ment, complete with a maze of underground passages and caves, twisting ramps and stairs, and even multi-story slides. This museum is a true fantasy world. With no signs to tell you where to go or rules to tell you what to do, locating the next “exhibit” is part of the experience.

Construction of City Museum took on a momentum of its own as Cassilly and his team


“[M]USEUMS

continuously expanded their creation over the years. Among current crowd favorites is Mon-stroCity—the contraption out-side of the warehouse where gi-gantic, wrought-iron slinkies are hanging high in the air, welded to wire tunnels and swaying walkways, tangled around for-mer transportation vessels and a castle turret, in order to cre-ate a larger-than-life network of aerial climbing excursions. A more recent addition is the roof-top exhibit which will blow any expectations you may have about City Museum straight out of the water. Highlights of this particu-lar playscape include a stepping stone-festooned splash pond, a massive rope swing, and yes, even a rooftop Ferris wheel!

With screams of laughter resonat-ing and herds of people running, climbing, and crawling through City Museum each day, you might have reservations about its qualifications as a museum. Yet despite how unconventional the place may be, it still packs an ed-ucational punch. City Museum breaks down the walls of tradi-tional institutions by redefining what should be preserved within a museum. Reusing disregarded objects in fantastically creative ways engages explorers to view these ordinary objects in a new light, beckoning people not to necessarily learn every fact about every subject, but to become

interested in and gain an ap-preciation for the wonderful things in life. And according to Cassilly, “if it is wonderful, it’s worth preserving.”

There are, of course, more main-stream, educational exhibits as well. The World Aquarium on the second floor, for instance, allows you to get up close and personal with over 10,000 crea-tures—the almost-underwater tunnel even allows you to crawl through an actual shark tank! You can also appreciate the per-forming arts at City Museum by going up one floor to the Every-day Circus, where you can watch performers flip and fly through the air while you’re snacking on some traditional circus fare. And nearby is the Art City section, where children are encouraged to take a hands-on approach and create their own works of art.

So much more can be said about the wonders lurking in City Mu-seum, where creativity and imag-ination are not only commended but strengthened and developed. This eclectic place is a sight best enjoyed in person. Half the fun is in discovering its secrets for yourself—accidentally stumbling across clever entryways, clandes-tine paths, concealed exhibits—and of course, releasing your in-ner child as well. [AL]

REuSINg dISREgARdEd objects in fantastically creative ways engages explorers to

view these ordinary objects in a NEW lIghT, beckoning people not to necessarily

learn every fAcT about every subject, but to bEcOmE INTERESTEd in and gain an

appreciation for the wonderful things in life.”

i www.citymuseum.org

EXPlORE

c r eat e


[F]OOD

TOMATO-MANGO COCONUT COOLERingredients: cooking instruct ions: 6

4 medium ripe tomatoes, finely diced1 ripe mango, finely diced

1⁄2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced

1⁄2 medium red bell pepper, finely diced2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced

1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, or more to taste2 (13.5-ounce) cans light coconut milk1 teaspoon good-quality curry powder1⁄2 cup jarred Thai peanut satay sauce, whisked together with 1⁄4 cup hot water

2 to 3 tablespoons lime juice, to tasteSalt to taste

Chopped peanuts for garnish, optional

Combine all the ingredients, except the last two, in a serving container. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two, until chilled.

Add salt to taste, and adjust the other seasonings, if necessary. Serve, topping each serving with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts, if desired.

Per serving:Calories: 168 Total fat: 11g Protein: 3g Fiber: 2gCarbohydrate: 19g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 46mg

VEGAN SOUPSAND HEARTY STEWS

Recipes excerpted from Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons by Nava Atlas (Broadway Books, 2009) Photography by Theresa Raffetto

servings


[F]OOD

2 tablespoons cornstarch1 cup light coconut milk

1⁄4 cup jarred Thai peanut satay sauceJuice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons natural granulated sugar3 to 4 ounces fine rice noodles or

bean-thread noodles1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups bite-sized broccoli florets3 cups bite-sized cauliflower florets

2 cups fresh slender green beans, trimmed and cut in half (see Note)

1 large red bell pepper, cut into narrow strips1 to 2 fresh chilies, to taste, seeded and

minced, or dried hot red pepper flakes to taste1 cup water

Garnishes (optional):Chopped peanuts

Sliced scallions

SOUTHEAST ASIAN–STYLE VEGETABLE STEW

To make the sauce, combine the cornstarch with just enough water to dissolve in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk until completely dissolved. Add the coconut milk, peanut sauce, lime juice, and sugar, and whisk together until smooth. Set aside.

Cook the noodles according to package directions until al dente, then drain, and cut into shorter lengths.

While the noodles are cooking, heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion, and sauté over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the garlic, and continue to sauté until both are golden.

Layer the broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, bell pepper, and chilies in the pot without stirring them in. Pour in about 1 cup water. Bring to a rapid simmer (you’ll hear it rather than see it), and then lower the heat. Cover, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender-crisp.

Add the sauce to the soup pot, and stir everything together well. Bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes longer, uncovered, or until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are just a bit more done than tender-crisp.

Place a small amount of noodles in the bottom of each serving bowl, and ladle some of the stew over them. If you wish, garnish with chopped peanuts, sliced scallions, or both.

Note: If fresh slender green beans are unavailable, substitute frozen. Try Cascadian Farms organic petite whole green beans for a nice effect.


ingredients: cooking instruct ions: 6 servings


[F]OOD

TACO SOUPingredients: cooking instruct ions: 6

4 cups water1⁄2 cup raw bulgur

1 tablespoon olive oil1 large onion, chopped

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced

4 cups cooked pinto beans (about 11⁄2 cups dried), or 2 (16-ounce) cans,

drained and rinsed1 (28-ounce) can salt-free

crushed tomatoes1⁄4 cup chopped mild green chilies,

fresh or canned, optional1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional

1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste1 teaspoon ground cumin1 teaspoon dried oregano

Garnishes:1 to 11⁄2 cups grated cheddar-style

nondairy cheese (see Note)Thinly shredded romaine or green leaf lettuceFinely diced firm, ripe tomatoes (about 1 cup)

Large, triangular stone-ground tortilla chips

Bring 1 cup of the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the bulgur, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Or if you can do this step ahead of time, simply add the bulgur to the boiling water, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion, and sauté over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and bell pepper, and continue to sauté, stirring frequently, until all are golden. Add the remaining ingredients, except the garnishes, plus the cooked bulgur and the remaining 3 cups water. Bring to a rapid simmer, and then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, and then remove from the heat.

Assemble each serving as follows: Fill each bowl about 2⁄3 full with soup. Top with some grated cheese, shredded lettuce, and diced tomatoes. Line the perimeter of each bowl with several tortilla chips, points facing upward, for a kind of star-shaped effect. The tortilla chips can be used to scoop up the solid parts of the soup or just nibbled along with the soup. Pass around a bowl of extra tortilla chips.

Note: Vegan Gourmet nacho cheese is particularly good in this recipe.


servings


“ [H]ISTORY

Thanksgiving is a unique Ameri-can celebration, and Virginians celebrate it twice annually: once at the annual, historical Virginia Thanksgiving Festival on the first Sunday in November and again on the fourth Thursday of that month as the national holiday celebrated by all Americans.

The history of the United States’ Thanksgiving—and Virginians’ Thanksgiving—was enriched in November of 1963 when President John F. Kennedy in-cluded more than pilgrims in his holiday proclamation. He said, “Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and Mas-sachusetts, far from home in a lonely wilderness, set aside a time of Thanksgiving.”

The previous year, the president, a Massachusetts native, had deliv-ered a pro-pilgrim proclamation for Thanksgiving, citing only the settlers’ celebration at Plymouth on Massachusetts Bay in 1621. Afterward, a Virginia historian called the White House’s atten-tion to the reading of a 1619 thanksgiving proclamation by settlers at Berkeley Plantation on the shores of Virginia’s James River—more than a year be-fore the arrival of the pilgrims at Plymouth.

The Virginians of 1619 were car-rying out a mandate required of them by the London Company (later called the Virginia Compa-ny of London), one of two joint-stock companies created by King James I in 1606 for the purpose of establishing English colonies in North America (the other company established Plymouth). The London Company had suc-cessfully settled Jamestown as the first permanent English settle-ment in the Americas in 1607;

TWO THANKSGIVINGSIN VIRGINIA’S HISTORIC TRIANGLE

Written by Martha Steger

Afterward, a Virginia historian

called the WhITE hOuSE’S

attention to ThE REAdINg of a

1619 thanksgiving proclamation by SETTlERS at Berkeley Plantation

on the shores of Virginia’s

JAmES RIvER—more than

a year before the

arrival of ThE PIlgRImS

at Plymouth.”

© [email protected]

© Colonial Williamsburg Foundation


T [H]ISTORY

and the December 4, 1619, ar-rival at Berkeley represented a further extension of the Virginia colony. The newly arrived group of thirty-seven male British set-tlers led by Captain John Wood-lief knelt in prayer and pledged “thanksgiving” to God for their healthy arrival after a long voy-age across the Atlantic.

The edict of the London Com-pany spelled out the commemo-ration to be held each year there-after. In Old English, it reads, “Wee ordaine that the day of our ships arrival at the place as-signed for platacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually keept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God.”

Once the 1963 White House received its history lesson from the Virginia historian and the President’s special assistant, Arthur Schlesinger, it immedi-ately issued an apology in which Schlesinger attributed the er-ror to an “unconquerable New England bias on the part of the White House staff.”

When it comes to American en-thusiasm for Thanksgiving, “bias” or pride exists among many groups, including the Spanish in Florida, whose St. Augustine settlement dates to 1565. A har-vest meal as a celebration of the bounty of crops was undoubtedly part of many people’s traditions, beginning with farm traditions

brought from native cultures overseas and with the American Indians on the land at the time of Europeans’ arrival. Eventu-ally, in Virginia and elsewhere, Thanksgiving came to be a sym-bol of cooperation and interac-tion among descendants of colo-nists and the Indians to whom the land originally belonged.

THE VIRGINIA THANKSGIVING FESTIVALNowhere does this heritage be-come more vividly alive than in The Virginia Thanksgiving Festi-val. During the day dedicated to food and fun as well as history, visitors enjoy walks in Berkeley’s colorful autumn gardens and a formal living-history program. The public is invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets to en-joy the event.

Musical entertainment precedes the program, followed by a key-note speaker and reenactment of the 1619 landing by The Colo-nial Players. Games and activi-ties for children and parents go on throughout the day, and the James River Black Powder En-campment group provides dem-onstrations of frontier life. Food is always available for purchase as a fundraising effort by a non-profit organization.

The Chickahominy Indian Trib-al Dancers explain their history and conclude the program with a friendship dance in which

The chickahominy Indian Tribal dancers explain their history and conclude the program with a friendship dance in which everyone

can participate.

© Ben Kennedy © Roy A. Bahls/First Light Photography


“[H]ISTORY

everyone can participate. Touring the 1726 antiques-filled planta-tion home and museum, open 9 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., requires an eleven-dollar (adult price) ticket, and there is a nominal parking fee—but no other charge for the day. The plantation is well worth a visit, as it is the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and of his son, the ninth U. S. President William Henry Harri-son. Harrison’s grandson, anoth-er Benjamin Harrison, became the twenty-third U. S. presi-dent. The plantation has been host to ten presidents, including George Washington.

Noteworthy for other reasons, Berkeley stakes claim as the site of the first distillation of bour-bon whiskey and the site where Union General Daniel Butter-field composed “Taps,” custom-arily used as the lights-out bugle call for soldiers camped on the grounds. The story behind the plantation’s later rescue—when the manor house was falling down—by John Jamieson in 1907, is no less fascinating. He had first seen it in 1862 as a Union bugle boy and returned to purchase it after making money as a contractor on the Statue of Liberty. An era of restoration and rebirth for Berkeley began.

THE HISTORIC TRIANGLEBerkeley is situated midway between Richmond, Virginia’s present capital, and the Colonial capital of Williamsburg to the east—only an hour’s drive sepa-rating the two. Williamsburg is one of the three points of Virgin-ia’s Historic Triangle, the other two being Jamestown, and Yor-ktown, site of the fateful battle ending the Revolutionary War.

For travelers celebrating the na-tional holiday of Thanksgiving, the Triangle makes the perfect tra-dition-steeped venue. Eighteenth-century days of Thanksgiving

in Colonial Williamsburg varied and could have been proclaimed at any time of year, depending on the political need—Thanks-giving for the queen’s health, for example, or the “happy agree-ment” between the monarch and Parliament. These were sol-emn, religious occasions, with no emphasis on special foods, so today’s Thanksgiving menus in Colonial Williamsburg are tasty treats compared to the daily fare of yesteryear.

Tradition is more than food. Colonial Williamsburg has set the standard for historical pres-ervation, interpretation, and living-history programs ever since its first building opened to

Williamsburg is

one of the ThREE POINTS

of Virginia’s

Historic Triangle,

the other

TWO bEINg

Jamestown,

and Yorktown, site of the

fATEful bATTlE

ending the Revolutionary

War.”

© Bob Ruegsegger

© Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

© Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation

AMERICAN LIFESTYLE 23

h

[H]ISTORY

AMERICAN LIFESTYLE22

the public in 1932. Visitors com-pletely immerse themselves in eighteenth-century life by dining and over-nighting in Colonial taverns and houses in its Historic Area (some with wood-burning fireplaces and canopy beds). Attraction tickets admit travel-ers to a world where the black-smith is at his forge, the printer operates a wooden hand-press, kitchen slaves are preparing foods in the hearth, and the roy-al governor is arriving by carriage at his palace just off Duke of Gloucester Street.

Colonial Williamsburg’s taverns, as well as The Williamsburg Inn and The Williamsburg Lodge, serve the traditional Thanksgiv-ing dinner, with period dishes like peanut soup, roast turkey, corn stew, seasonal greens, and hon-ey-roasted yams, accompanied by Sally Lunn bread, with mince-meat pie as a dessert choice. The signature coffee served daily is the R. Charlton’s Blend of American Heritage Coffee, a small sample of which is served to those who tour R. Charlton’s Coffeehouse—reconstructed on the site of an eighteenth-century coffeehouse and opened just be-fore Thanksgiving of 2009.

Nearby, at Jamestown and Yor-ktown, Thanksgiving begins with “Foods and Feasts of Co-lonial Virginia,” an annual, three-day event at Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Vic-tory Center—two state-owned, living-history museums just off the Colonial Parkway connect-ing Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. The event, be-ginning on Thanksgiving Day, explores the food-ways of seven-teenth- and eighteenth-century Virginia, including food harvest-ing and gathering, preservation, and preparation—on land and on sea.

In the re-created Powhatan Indian village at Jamestown

Settlement, visitors see venison, turkey, and other game roast over an open fire while stews of corn, bean, and squash cook in clay pots. A daily program shows the importance of corn to the Powhatan Indians and the va-riety of dishes in which it was used, including corn cakes and corn dumplings.

In the late morning each day at the riverfront discovery area, a program compares Powhatan Indian preservation techniques of smoking fish with English methods of salting fish. At the ships’ pier, visitors can choose to haul cargo out of a replica of one of the three ships that brought America’s first permanent Eng-lish colonists to Virginia in 1607, as well as explore typical sailors’ fare of salted fish, biscuit, and dried foods. They also explore the influences of Powhatan, Eng-lish, and African cultures on the preparation of a variety of food

derived from the river, including fish, shellfish, and waterfowl.

Within the re-created 1610-14 James Fort, food preparation re-flects the culinary skills English colonists brought to Virginia. On Thursday and Friday, an en-tire pig is processed into hams and bacon, followed by salting for preservation. Historical in-terpreters bake bread in the early afternoon on all three days, and throughout the event demon-strate the open-hearth cooking of pudding, pies, and potage, based on recipes published by Elinor Fettiplace in 1604 and Robert May in 1660.

At the Yorktown Victory Center, visitors to the re-created Conti-nental Army encampment learn how soldiers turned meager ra-tions of dried beans, salted meat, and hard bread into nourishing soups and stews. Daily artillery drills and military tactics show visitors how soldiers earned their rations. Plundering and theft sometimes occurred when

historical interpreters

bake bread in the early

afternoon on all three days, and

throughout the event

demonstrate the open-

hearth cooking of

pudding, pies, and potage...

rations were scarce, and a twice-a-day program illustrates the consequences. At the re-created 1780s farm on-site, visitors witness the bounty of field and garden transformed into stews, pies, and breads in the farm kitchen using eighteenth- century cooking techniques and recipes. Preservation of the fruit and vegetable harvest for the winter ahead is the subject of another program.

Every year, travelers to places like Virginia’s Historic Triangle can be thankful for the legacy of thanks, which has survived the centuries. Because of this legacy, visitors have the freedom to ex-perience different traditions and cultural influences, and enjoy enormous amounts of food with family and friends for their yearly Thanksgiving meal. [AL]

iwww.berkeleyplantation.comwww.history.orgwww.historyisfun.org

Martha Steger is a Midlothian, Virginia-based, Marco Polo Member of the Society of American Travel Writers.




[T]RAVEL

WELCOME TO PARK CITY, UTAH

Article by Joel Zuckerman

A common Utah license plate slogan sums it up nicely, and those who love to slide down snow-covered hills can’t help but smile when they see it. The slo-gan reads, “Utahh!”

Most years, the snow falls early and often along the Wasatch Front of northern Utah, and discriminating skiers everywhere are well aware that the Beehive State, as it’s known, offers some of the deepest, lightest, and most consistent snowfall on the con-tinent. The town of Park City, located about thirty miles east of the capital of Salt Lake City, is in many facets the epicenter of the Utah ski scene, and served as the site of numerous Olympic events back in 2002, including snowboarding, freestyle, slalom, giant slalom, luge, bobsled, and ski jumping. There are other re-sort areas in the region that of-fer more natural snowfall and steeper terrain, but Park City is the only “one stop shop” in the state. The funky old mining town combines the challenge and variety of three world-class resorts along with the requisite night life, shopping, and dining opportunities that are integral to any full volume ski vacation. Lo-cated less than an hour from the International Airport and right off of Interstate 80, the nation’s main east-west conduit that runs from New York’s George Wash-ington Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, one can’t accurately describe the town as a “secret.” But there are untold millions of avid outdoor-sy types who think that Colorado is the crème de la crème of West-ern skiing. Fantastic as Colorado is, they would be misinformed. All great ski towns are lively and

fi

© Kirk Gunn/The Canyons Resort


t[T]RAVEL

DEER VALLEY :: RESORT OF THE YEAR

dynamic, but year in and year out, Park City gets as much or more snow, and better quality snow, than other ski destinations in other mountain states.

Ask a ski local what brought them to a mountain town. The answer will in-variably be a variation on this theme: “I came for the winter, but stayed for the summer.” Though it’s absolutely gorgeous in summer, with abun-dant sunshine, low humidity, and temperatures rarely cresting the mid eighties, Park City is and will always remain defined by the winter season. From early December through April, the town is as lively as a carnival, al-though some might describe it as a three-ring circus. The three “rings,” or

resorts which drive the local econo-my, are Park City Mountain Resort, which debuted in 1963, posh Deer Valley, which arrived on the scene in 1981, and The Canyons, the newest and most expansive property, which premiered in 1997.

Deer Valley has been named Resort of the Year by the discriminating readers of SKI Magazine in 2008, 2009, and again in 2010. What else is there really to say? For three decades, the resort has been the epitome of hands-on service and ex-quisite on-mountain cuisine. A day at Deer Valley typically begins with a cadre of ultra-attentive ski valets removing one’s ski gear from car top or trunk. It includes a gourmet lunch that has no equal in ski coun-try, and skiing only (no snowboards allowed) on miles of manicured trails that inspire confidence in the novice, and make basic intermedi-ates look like hot shots.

With daily ticket sales limited to en-sure manageable lift lines and skier traffic on the slopes, Deer Valley of-fers one of the most gratifying ski experiences to be found anywhere. There’s no shortage of hair-raising terrain for the intrepid skier, found mostly on Bald Mountain and in Empire Canyon, but this elegant resort is as much about deep tissue massage as it is about deep powder skiing. Unlike resorts which cater mainly to hard-core alpine enthusi-asts wanting nothing more than to go up and down the hill like a yo-yo all day, a typical Deer Valley client expects the ski experience to be a vital component, but not the sum total of a winter holiday. No less

There’s no shortage of hair-raising

terrain for the intrepid skier,

found mostly on bald mountain and in Empire

canyon, but this elegant resort is as much about deep tissue massage as

it is about deep powder skiing.

than nine different on-mountain eateries provide a dazzling array of breakfast, lunch, and dinner alternatives, while the family activity center helps both par-ents and children get the most out of their vacation. Infant and childcare, special clinics, and an assortment of lesson options for kids age three to seventeen make

Deer Valley a logical choice for any family ski vacation. There is a wide variety of ski-in, ski-out lodging available, including a posh and pricey St. Regis hotel, handsome and superbly situated, which opened just last winter.

i www.deervalley.com

© Deer Valley Resort



“ [T]RAVEL

AMERICAN LIFESTYLE 29AMERICAN LIFESTYLE28

Park City Mountain Resort, which commenced operation almost five decades ago, looms directly over downtown. There’s even a chairlift you can ride up the mountain that begins just steps from Main Street. Many al-pine enthusiasts choose to eschew on-mountain cuisine, preferring to avoid crowded lodges teeming with skiers clomping about in ski boots. They can ski directly to Main Street on a choice of runs, store the skis conveniently, and choose any one of a dozen midday dining options in close proximity. After lunch, they re-board the Town chairlift, and are back in the middle of the resort in about ten minutes time. With the highest summit in the area at 10,000 feet, and more than one hundred different runs to choose from, skiers and snowboarders can literally spend days sliding down the hill and not take the same trail more than a few times. One of the most popular areas, for advanced skiers and riders in particular, is Jupiter Bowl. High above the tree line, Jupiter offers a wide range of open bowls, tree glades, and particularly after a se-rious snowstorm, acres of powder to float through, which is almost as light as the air itself.

Park City also serves as a snow-boarding mecca, and riding the Eagle chairlift from the base gives an on-high view of one of the most popular half-pipes in all of skiing. Watching these mostly young, mostly male rid-ers fly off the half-pipe walls, or other thrill-seekers launching themselves off the mega-jumps in the same vicinity, is almost as exhilarating as the ski day ahead of you.

PARK CITY MOUNTAIN RESORT :: SNOWBOARDING MECCA

With the highest

SummIT in the area at

10,000 feet, and more than one huNdREd

different runs to

choose from, skiers

and SNOWbOARdERS

can literally spend

dAyS sliding down

the hill and not take

the SAmE trail

more than a

few times.”

i www.parkcitymountain.com© Park City Mountain Resort


[T]RAVEL“

The Canyons, which is the sin-gle largest resort in the state of Utah, also happens to be Park City’s most convenient in terms of access to the Interstate, the airport, and Salt Lake City it-self. The abundant acreage in the lovely Red and White Pine Can-yon area’s untapped forest, with its numerous exposures, pitches, glades, and aspects, have helped make The Canyons into one of the last great ski resorts in the United States.

“Most visitors are amazed by the size and scale of the resort and the variety of terrain avail-able,” exclaims a veteran mem-ber of the Marketing Depart-ment. With over 3,600 skiable acres, The Canyons has grown to become the fifth largest resort in the country in its relatively short lifespan. “In the old days, when we were a much smaller operation known as Park West, it used to drive guests crazy when they could see all of this mind- blowing terrain that wasn’t acces-sible by lifts,” laughs a long-time resort employee. “They could never get to it unless they were willing to hike.”

Those days are ancient history now, as over the years since The Canyons was reincarnated into its present, larger-than-life form, it has made dramatic leaps for-ward in both size and service. The alpine playground now boasts

a total of eighteen lifts, includ-ing an open-air “people mover” coined The Canyons Cabriolet, which operates from the park-ing lot to the resort center. On the mountain itself, skiers and boarders can descend from eight different peaks, and traverse the massive terrain via a series of lifts including numerous high-speed express chairlifts and a spec-tacular eight-passenger gondola, known as Flight of the Canyons. It’s the type of resort where an iron-legged skier or snowboarder can traverse from one peak to the next across a latticework of chairlifts, choosing to descend down any combination of broad boulevards, modestly pitched cruisers, exhilaratingly steep twisters, through glades of aspen and fir trees, across open bowls, or through thoroughly modern terrain parks. It’s a resort un-like almost anything else in the American West.

THE CANYONS :: MOST ACCESSIBLEFor those who want to experience all three world-class ski hills, the magic words are Silver Passport. This three-in-one lift ticket offers skiing privileges at Deer Valley Resort, The Canyons Resort, and Park City Mountain Resort. The Silver Passport lets a visitor enjoy the flexibility of choosing where to ski daily (one resort per day, per person) while, in most cases, receiving a discount off the daily lift ticket window rate. With a fourteen-day advance lodging purchase of at least three nights through one of the participating lodging properties, one can pre-purchase this interchangeable pass for adult and children. The pass is available in denomina-tions of three of five days, four of six days, five of seven days, six of eight days, or seven of nine days. It’s the best way to see the town, and ski the town, from one end to the other. [AL]

On the mOuNTAIN itself, skiers

and boarders can descend

from EIghT dIffERENT peaks, and

traverse the massive

terrain via a series of lifts including NumEROuS

high-speed express chairlifts and a spectacular

EIghT-PASSENgER gondola,

known as Flight of

the Canyons.”

i www.thecanyons.com

© Rob Bossi/The Canyons Resort

© Dan Campbell-Lloyd/The Canyons Resort

© Dan Campbell-Lloyd/The Canyons Resort

© Ted York/The Canyons Resort

AMERICAN LIFESTYLE 33

WWAS PlAyTImE EmPhASIzEd IN yOuR hOuSE WhEN yOu WERE gROWINg uP?I don’t think play was empha-sized or encouraged as much as it was just a way of life. I grew up in a large, middle class fam-ily of athletes. Constant play and competition was just the norm. I recall making up a lot of my own games out of necessity. When the family basketball popped and I knew I wasn’t going to get a new one, I’d ask myself, “What sport can I invent using a deflated bas-ketball?” We made up our own sports and games all the time.

dId yOu TRy OThER PROfESSIONS bEfORE fOcuSINg ON TOyS/gAmES? With a biology degree, I started down the road to being an ath-letic trainer or physical therapist, but the pull of trying to play for a living was too great. After I graduated from Colgate Uni-versity in 1987, I spent two years chasing the dream of professional baseball. I played for the India-napolis Clowns, a barnstorming team that traveled the country, and then down in the Mexican league. When I came home, I de-cided to find a “real” job, and so I started working as an exercise therapist for a back pain clinic. I wasn’t there long before the idea for the TriBond game came along, and my career took an-other ninety-degree turn.

hOW dId yOu TRANSITION fROm bIOlOgy ANd PROfESSIONAl bASEbAll TO AuThOR/gAmE INvENTOR/“ENTREPlAyNEuR”?Dave Yearick, Ed Muccini, and I met at Colgate just when Trivial Pursuit hit it big, selling twenty million copies. That inspired us to try and invent a game, but we had no good ideas. Then in

We dubbed it Tribond. At the clinic, we had a lot of patients who had to go through

monotonous types of therapy like

pedaling a stationary bike. I started writing Tribond riddles to give

to patients to keep them occupied.

TIM WALSHG A M E D E S I G N E R E X T R A O R D I N A I R E

IF LIFE WAS ONEGIANT GAME NIGHT

Featuring an interview with Tim Walsh

1989, while I was working at the clinic, Ed called with the idea for a game that provided three clues and asked players, “What do these three have in com-mon?” We dubbed it TriBond. At the clinic, we had a lot of patients who had to go through monotonous types of therapy, like pedaling a stationary bike. I started writing TriBond riddles to give to patients to keep them occupied. The game was an im-mediate hit. I’d ask someone in the whirlpool, “What do a car, a tree, and an elephant have in common?” Then I’d ask some patients on the bikes, “Hey, what do a penny, Nebraska, and the Ford Motor Company have in common?” Pretty soon, the whole center was playing along. That’s when I knew we had something. TriBond was addic-tive. (The answers are “trunks” and “Lincolns.”)

dId TuRNINg yOuR PASSION fOR TOyS INTO A PROfESSION cAuSE IT TO lOSE SOmE Of ITS AlluRE?Not at all. I think there’s a thrill in the risk of entrepreneurship that is itself, a form of sport. We raised money from investors to launch TriBond, and most of those investors were fam-ily members or friends, so there was a pressure to perform. It was very much like pitching in a big game. As an inventor, I’m competing with other inventors, and my games are competing with the likes of Monopoly and Scrabble. Those are some pretty heavy hitters.

WhAT hAS bEEN yOuR bIggEST chAllENgE yOu hAvE fAcEd WIThIN yOuR cAREER?I would say developing and mar-keting my second game, Blurt. TriBond was very successful, selling over three million copies in thirteen countries. It was like catching lightning in a bottle, but trying to repeat that success was daunting. You hear about it in music and other industries.

[O]CCUPATION

AMERICAN LIFESTYLE32


“[O]CCUPATION

Following up a hit is hard, and the “sophomore effort” is often a failure. Blurt came out in 1994. In the game, kids are read a sim-ple definition aloud and must be the first to blurt out the word that’s being defined. The answer to “the hair on a man’s upper lip” is moustache, of course, but in Blurt, it’s not what you know, it’s how fast can you blurt out what you know. It was a tremendous amount of work getting parents and teachers to know about Blurt, but it has paid off. The game has sold over a million copies, and we’re just getting started.

hOW IS ThE gAmE buSINESS dIffERENT ThAN OThER cREATIvE INduSTRIES?It’s uniquely challenging in that the biggest games are peren-nial competition. Monopoly has been a top-selling game since 1935. Scrabble was a hit in 1948.

Candyland and Clue came out in 1949. If the movie business were like games, when a new film came out, it would be competing to get into theaters along with Gone With the Wind, Star Wars, and Titanic. The classic games are not going anywhere, so any new game has to try and get on a limited-sized shelf alongside products that are national trea-sures. Not easy.

WhAT IS ThE AlluRE bEhINd TOyS ANd gAmES?The obvious is play. When we’re young, play helps us discover our world and learn basic skills. As we get older, play reduces stress, bonds us to the ones we love, and more. Yet, I think an often- overlooked quality of toys and games is their timelessness. I wrote my first book, Timeless Toys, as an ode to playthings. What other entertainment choices that

were popular during The Great Depression are still selling today? In toys, there are dozens includ-ing Radio Flyer wagons, Lincoln Logs, teddy bears, Monopoly, and Crayola crayons. Toys and games really are timeless.

dO yOu hAvE A guIdINg PhIlOSOPhy AS A PlAymAkER? Play is not a four-letter word! Play has incredible value and great importance.

WhAT dO yOu hOPE TO AccOmPlISh ThROugh yOuR WORk? My hope is that my games, books, and the film I’m a part of, will bring people together.

WhAT IS yOuR fAvORITE PART AbOuT yOuR JOb?I enjoy the variety. I love invent-ing and will always design games, but for me, it’s a very solitary

process until the testing phase. I do not have a staff, so collab-orative projects like Toyland have been very refreshing. Toyland is a documentary film by director Ken Sons, and it celebrates toy and game designers. We meet Betty James of Slinky fame, Eddy Goldfarb who invented Kerplunk, Burt Meyer who had a hand in designing Lite Brite, Mouse Trap, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, and more. I’m a Creative Consultant on the film and have a role in it. We began showing the film in festivals across the country in April of 2010.

TAlk AbOuT ThE INSPIRATION bEhINd ThE gAmES yOu’vE INvENTEd:Blurt came out of a classroom. I was dating a teacher at the time, and my job was to quietly en-tertain a few third graders while she worked with the rest of her students on year-end projects. I was looking through some books with this small group of kids, when I picked up a children’s dictionary. I opened it and read aloud to myself, “The nut of an oak tree.” A kid next to me mumbled, “Oaknut.” I said, “No, it’s an acorn. Let’s try an-other one...” I kept reading defi-nitions, and those five or six kids had a blast trying to beat each other to the answer. They were laughing and learning, and the light bulb just went off. I knew I had discovered a great game.

With Crazy Chins, it was a mat-ter of just remembering making upside-down chin characters with my sister when we were ten years old. I had never seen anything like that in the toy business, so I did some research and found over 10,000 videos of these characters on YouTube. I knew from my research that a great number of toys are based on already existing play pat-terns, and so I thought that if all these kids and young adults are already doing this, why not give

them some kits to help them do it even better?

WhAT IS IT lIkE WhEN yOu SEE PEOPlE ENJOyINg yOuR WORk, yOuR gAmES IN PARTIculAR?It’s very rewarding. Games bring family and friends together, and there’s no better way to strength-en bonds than through play. I’d like to think my playthings en-tertain families, but also help strengthen them.

dIScuSS yOuR ThOughTS ON ThE ANONymITy Of gAmE dESIgNERS/TOy INvENTORS:Record a piece of music that sells a million copies, and you’re awarded a platinum record and the cover of Rolling Stone. Write a book that sells that amount, and you’re on the New York Times bestseller list. But if you design a plaything that sells one hundred million copies, over one hundred times platinum, no one knows who you are. That’s crazy! My books and this film, Toy-land, are all celebrations of the toy and game inventors who are so unappreciated.

dO yOu PREfER ThE Old TImE clASSIc TOyS ANd gAmES OR IS ThE bEST yET TO cOmE?There’s just something about face-to-face interaction and the tactile feel of classic games that can’t be experienced any other way. Tabletop games are so sen-sual in that they appeal to our sight, hearing, touch, and more. I’ve even got a line of card games coming out called Smells Like Fun. There’s a chocolate game, a root beer game, and a bubble gum game, and the cards smell like those scents! How cool is that!? No one knows what the next big thing will be. If I knew what it was going to be, I’d try to design it! That’s part of the challenge and the fun of being a Playmaker. [AL]

Blurt came out of

A clASSROOm. I was

dating a teacher

at the time, and

my job was to

quIETly ENTERTAIN A

few third graders while she worked

with the REST of her

students on

year-end

projects. I was

looking through SOmE bOOkS with

this small group of

kids, when I picked

up a chIldREN’S

dictionary.”

Pictured Above:Tim Walsh interviews Burt Meyer, former designer for Marvin Glass & Associates, and the inventor of Lite Brite.

➧

i www.theplaymakers.com


“

[D]ESIGN

CHICAGO’S FINEST:THE PENINSULA HOTEL

Based on an interview with Michael Booth, principal designer at Babey, Moulton, Jue, and Booth (BAMO)

dEScRIbE ThE PROJEcT IN gENERAl TERmS: Since opening in 2001, the Pen-insula Chicago is known as Chi-cago’s finest hotel. The 339-room hotel is on twenty floors and includes a full spa, health club, lobby lounge restaurant, bar, specialty restaurant (Avenues), Chinese restaurant (Shanghai Terrace), and street level bakery and café. Meeting rooms and a ballroom occupy the fourth and sixth floors. Sum uP ThE ThEmE Of ThE PENINSulA chIcAgO IN A cOuPlE Of SENTENcES: The Peninsula Chicago is an el-egant, grand hotel reflecting the style, energy, and creativity of one of the most dynamic cities in the world.

hOW dOES IT SPEAk TO chIcAgO? WhAT mAkES IT WORk hERE ANd NOT IN A dIffERENT cITy?The property reflects the city’s ar-chitectural heritage and dedica-tion to fine arts. It’s a gathering place for the people who make Chicago what it is. It’s a center for the glittering urbanity that is Chicago, and its spectacular sub-urbs as well. The property caters to the leaders of a thriving inter-national city.

PIEcE Of INSPIRATION ThAT STARTEd ThE TRANSfORmATION: I wanted to identify an archi-tectural period in Chicago that would best fit on the Magnifi-cent Mile, and convey a sense of timelessness, beauty, and power. I settled on the Art Deco period,

The PENINSulA chIcAgO is

an elegant, gRANd hotel

reflecting the style, ENERgy, and creativity of

one of the most dyNAmIc cITIES in

the world.”


[D]ESIGN

with particular attention to the renowned Field Building and the Civic Opera House.

hOW dId ThE INITIAl mEETINg WITh clIENTS bEgIN? WhAT WAS ThEIR INITIAl vISION?We won a competition to de-sign a Peninsula hotel in Sydney, Australia. The project was never completed because of the Asian financial crisis. However, Pen-insula was impressed with our work. When the Chicago proj-ect came about, we were recom-mended to the original developer by Peninsula. Their initial vision was sound. We suggested they compete on an international playing field using all that Chica-go has to offer; their competition could have the leftovers.

EXPlAIN hOW yOuR dESIgN PROcESS WORkS:It’s very fast and intuitive —un-derstand the client’s market and vision. Immerse ourselves in the location, architecturally, histori-cally, and socially. Meld this with our aesthetic and the client’s goals. We aim to refine and ex-pand the client’s goals. WhAT AbOuT yOuR STylE ANd WORk WERE ThE clIENTS dRAWN TO? Why WERE yOu A gOOd fIT? So much is based on personal chemistry, and I really enjoyed meeting and talking to the de-veloper. Every student of archi-tecture knows Chicago, but I also studied the arts and develop-ment history of the city over the course of the twentieth century. One could have a great idea, but if you can’t get it across in the first few minutes, you’re toast. Our “style” is about attention to detail and not just a look; that’s what comes out in our portfo-lio. When I think about all the interviews I’ve had, three words come to mind: intuition, respect, and adrenaline.

ARE yOu AfRAId Of hAvINg A STylE? dO yOu ThINk hAvINg

A STylE hElPS OR hINdERS A dESIgNER? Not necessarily. Many of my peers have a definite style. It works for them and their cli-ents, and that’s great. If you have a style, you have more time to perfect the details rather than spending that time reinvent-ing yourself every year. I enjoy so many different styles. My ar-chitecture and design library at home is huge. When I think of

the six most beautiful rooms I’ve been in, they vary wildly in style; the common trait is attention to detail. My personal response to this question remains a work in progress. Hopefully I’ll get close to an answer some day.

TAlk AbOuT ElEmENTS Of dESIgN IN ThE lObby:There are three lobbies. The street level lobby on Superior Street is a marble and glass jewel box

rather than the faux living room. The backlit glass wall recalls the long tradition of stained glass so prevelant in the prairie school of architecture. The metallic ceiling makes you look and feel fabu-lous. The gallery on the fifth floor (the main public floor) serves an important function by getting you from the elevator to the front desk; it’s practically a half-block walk. We settled on a grand street of golden marble slabs


“[D]ESIGN

beneath a gently arched ceil-ing. The vitrines are detailed to resemble store fronts. The paint and plaster color throughout is a soft buttery white. You proceed towards the concierge desk that fronts a spectacular mural com-missioned in France. Chicago and Paris are sister cities, so there are subtle French Art Deco refer-ences in this mural as well as other art and furnishings. At the end of the gallery are the reception lobby to the left and the grand lobby to the right. Both rooms are flooded with natural light. The architect, Howard Elkus, did a fantastic job of drawing as much natural light into the interior within a very complex building.

PENINSulA SuITE: IS ThIS AkIN TO A PENThOuSE SuITE? We recreated a fantastic north Michigan Avenue penthouse. What makes it the signature suite? It’s huge and sumptuous, having everything a fine home would have. Half my work is

high-end residential, so we ap-plied that level of expectation to the entire suite.

dIScuSS ThE ARTWORk AbOvE ThE fIREPlAcE:The abstract etching above the fireplace is in keeping with, or the epitome of, the hotel’s art program—contrasting and mild-ly provocative. It has nothing to do with the Art Deco, Art Mod-erne; it is about Chicago’s rela-tionship with modern art.

WhAT lOOk WERE yOu TRyINg TO AchIEvE WITh ThE dESIgN?

TAlk AbOuT ThE cOlOR PAlETTE:The color palette is warm white and golden brown. The art is contemporary. Frankly, when doing a presidential suite, you don’t have a client per se. You’re designing a backdrop for a fan-tastic party with fantastic guests.

TAlk AbOuT ThE bAThROOmS:This is a highly complex bath-room that blows the competition out of the water in Chicago and the rest of the country. It’s now the bathroom standard that oth-er five-star operators try to meet. And again, the occupant looks

fabulous because of the finishes and lighting.

TAlk AbOuT ThE AESThETIc yOu WERE hOPINg TO AchIEvE IN ThE SPA:We wanted a Japanese influence, but with an old California origin; Greene and Greene. The neutral colors quiet the view and are “easy on the eyes.” A spa needs to be quiet and peaceful—that’s Spa 101.

dESIgN PhIlOSOPhy:Location, appropriateness, and timelessness are key.

WhAT WERE ThE chAllENgES WITh ThIS PROJEcT?The schedule was fast and furi-ous. During construction, the dot-com bomb occurred which worried everybody as to the fi-nancial viability of what the developer had taken on. Worst for me was constantly being compared to the very fancy retail store in the base of the building. They had no budget down there, so it was an unfair race.

IS ThERE SOmEThINg yOu’d WANT TO dESIgN ThAT NO ONE WOuld EXPEcT?

A small sun room off an existing kitchen. Can’t get it out of my mind! [AL]

ThE NEuTRAl colors

quiet the view

and are ‘EASy ON ThE EyES.’

A spa needs

to be quIET and

peaceful—that’s

Spa 101.”

i www.bamo.com


“[B]USINESS

CUPCAKE PROJECT: ADVENTURES IN BAKING

Article by Marie Penn based on an interview with Stefani PollackPhotography courtesy of J. Pollack Photography

Avocados, baked beans, sweet corn, pickles, garlic—this sounds like a list of food found in the average household’s pantry, per-haps even ingredients that might make their way into the weekly dinner menu. But for Stefani Pollack, these are more than random food items; they are key components to some of her unconventional, yet surprisingly delightful recipes—cupcake reci-pes, that is.

Stefani Pollack is a cupcake guru, constantly pushing the boundar-ies on traditional ingredients. The basic vanilla or chocolate cupcakes need not apply in her kitchen, as she is inspired to create new, eccentric mixes from every flavor combination that strikes her fancy. Stefani launched the Cupcake Project website in 2007 where she shares her trials and tribulations with her online fan base, and since then has steadily held true to experimenting with at least one new cupcake creation each week. Although the blog began as a low key resource for close friends and family, Stefani is now known around the blogosphere as being one of the leading ladies in this baking niche.

Her experience stems back to her childhood years when she would lend her mother a hand in their Long Island kitchen. “When-ever my mom baked, which was maybe once a month, it was

Stefani launched the

cuPcAkE PROJEcT

website in 2007 where

she shares her trials and

tribulations with her

ONlINE fAN bASE,

and since then

has steadily held true

to EXPERImENTINg with at

least one NEW cuPcAkE

creation each week.”

always something fun that we did together,” Stefani remem-bers. “But I wasn’t baking on my own very regularly.” And ironi-cally enough, when Stefani did dabble in the kitchen, cupcakes were not her go-to baked good. “I never baked a cupcake until this project started,” she admits. “In fact, I didn’t even like cup-cakes until I started baking them myself and making them the way I liked.”

Cupcake baking has now morphed into an obsession for Pollack, whose passion was un-veiled after sharing a casual din-ner conversation with two soon-to-be-married friends. “They were talking about wanting to serve cupcakes instead of the tra-ditional wedding cake,” begins Stefani. “But individual cupcakes were very expensive. I remember thinking, ‘That’s ridiculous! I’ll just bake them.’” So she offered her expertise—which at that time was nil—half expecting her friends to just laugh it off. But much to Stefani’s surprise, the couple accepted the impromp-tu proposal, and the Cupcake Project was born.

The wedding was set for New Year’s Eve of 2007, giving Stefani roughly nine months to master the art of cupcakes. “The only thing that I was really nervous about,” she discloses, “was not that I could bake them. I figured cupcake baking couldn’t be that


[B]USINESS

different from other baking. I was most concerned with decorat-ing them because I had no cake decorating skills whatsoever.” But the couple whole-heartedly embraced the personal traits as-sociated with homemade cup-cakes, and believed Stefani could exceed their expectations.

With no culinary background, Stefani’s exploration began. She planned to bake at least one new flavor cupcake every week, invit-ing the bride and groom to try every creation, all the while jug-gling a full-time job. “When I first started, I looked to some ex-isting cupcake websites that were out there, and tried out some of their recipes,” Stefani reveals. But before long, she was design-ing concoctions all her own, and dedicating her spare time to net-working with other bloggers and researching new inspiration.

Stefani quickly became addicted to developing new formulas, and would turn every inspiration she had into a cupcake. “I started thinking that any food combina-tion which tasted good togeth-er,” she explains, “could possibly become a good cupcake idea.” This train of thought inevitably led to some creative, yet not-so-delectable mixtures.

“The very worst cupcake that I ever made was a corn beef and cabbage cupcake,” confesses Stefani, “and I don’t even know what I was thinking. The frost-ing tasted like sauerkraut. It was really awful.”

But not every unusual flavor fails the taste test. She has had other atypical recipes that were truly delicious, like her beer cheese

cupcakes with a bacon cheddar cream cheese frosting. “Some-times, the weird works, and sometimes it doesn’t.”

It only takes one test batch of twenty-four cupcakes to perfect the average recipe. Some may say that this is because Stefani is exceptionally good at what she does. But the cupcake con-noisseur did reveal a little secret: “I don’t always take the time to get my recipe perfect. I’ll make a cupcake, and if it is really bad, I won’t serve it to the bride and groom or even write about it in the blog. It is usually a one-time shot, unless it is extremely bad and I really want to give it an-other go.”

Regardless of the handful of recipes that missed their mark, Stefani certainly mastered cup-cake baking, and the bride and groom couldn’t have been more pleased. “None of us had re-ally explored flavor options,” recounts Stefani. “I think the couple was expecting vanilla and chocolate or something more traditional, so they were really surprised when I started present-ing all these different choices.” In the end, the bride and groom se-lected drink-themed cupcakes—soda fountain, margarita, and gingerbread latte.

Two days before the wedding, Stefani baked eight dozen of each flavor within her modest home kitchen. “It was more work than I could have ever imagined it would be,” she acknowledges. “I baked all the cupcakes first, and then I frosted them the day before and even the morning of the wedding.”


[B]USINESS

Unfortunately, as the wedding ceremony quickly approached, production did not go as smooth-ly as Stefani had hoped. After having a few gingerbread latte cupcakes explode in the oven, there was a slight icing mishap, which evidently meant running last minute to the grocery store for more ingredients. “There was this traumatic moment. The root beer float and the gingerbread latte cupcakes were the exact same color,” Stefani narrates. “I didn’t label which cupcake was which, and I ended up frosting a ton of them with the wrong frosting! I about lost it! So we were sitting there trying to get all the frosting off the cupcakes, so I could refrost them. It was very stressful.”

Despite the unforeseen speed bumps, the wedding went off without a hitch, and the cup-cakes fared exceedingly well with the guests. Stefani was ecstatic with the overall outcome of the event, so much so that she vol-unteered to repeat the Cupcake Project for the wedding of an-other set of really good friends. “The second couple had actually done a lot of the taste testing for the first wedding,” remembers Stefani. “It wasn’t even days after I finished my first project when the second couple was asking me to do their wedding. And I really couldn’t say no.”

A year following the second proj-ect, a third was launched. And it is likely that future projects will continue in the same fashion, although Stefani currently has little known expectations for the future of Cupcake Project, aside from continuing to make a new

recipe each week and sharing her stories on her website. “I’ll have to wait and see what comes my way,” she exclaims. “At this point, there are just so many excuses to make different flavors!”

Cupcake Project opened the doors to a new life for Stefani and her family. “Everyone was shocked with how into the proj-ect I got. The first groom is still always bringing it up, asking where would my life be now if they had never mentioned want-ing cupcakes for their wedding,” recites Stefani. “But not only did this project cause me to create and manage this cupcake blog, which is something that I spend so much of my time on, but for my husband, it started his entire career as a professional photog-rapher. He was a software de-veloper, but he began taking the photos for my website, started getting better and better, and now he is a full-time photogra-pher. So it was huge for both of us.” [AL]

t“There was this traumatic

moment. The root beer

float and the gingerbread

latte cupcakes were the exact same color,”

Stefani narrates. “I didn’t label

which cupcake was which, and I

ended up frosting a ton of them with the

wrong frosting!”

i www.cupcakeproject.com

american lifestyle magazine

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