• 1 lb. jumbo lump or backfin lump crabmeat, fresh or pasteurized
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1-1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1-1/4 cups fresh breadcrumbs (from soft white sandwich bread, such as Pepperidge Farm)
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 Tbs. olive oil

• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (about 2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• Crab Cakes: Drain the crabmeat and pick through it for shells. Put the crab in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Scrape the mixture over the crab and mix gently until well combined. Gently break up the lumps with your fingers. Do not overmix. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and the parsley over the mixture and mix them in thoroughly but gently; try not to turn the mixture into a mash—it should still be loose. Shape the crab mixture into 8 cakes about 1 inch thick. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. When the butter is frothy, add the cakes to the pan. Cook until dark golden brown on the underside, about 4 minutes. Flip the cakes, reduce the heat to medium low, and continue cooking until the other side is well browned, 4 to 5 minutes.

• Tomato Butter: Arrange an oven rack about 3 to 4 inches from the broiler element and heat the oven to broil. Place the tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and broil until the skins begin to brown and the tomatoes start releasing their juice, 6 to 8 minutes. Let the tomatoes cool to room temperature. While cakes are cooking, combine the broiled tomatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse about 10 times, until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes and add it to the food processor. Process until the butter is completely mixed in with the tomato mixture, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed for even blending. Serve crab cakes topped with tomato butter and enjoy

You likely know a lot about managing your nutrition, but that does not mean you are perfect all the time. And in fact, your good intentions might just lead to some common nutrition mistakes.

Here is how to avoid these missteps and get the biggest benefits from what you eat and drink:

• Never Eating Late. Eating before bedtime can help if you are strength training, working out later in the day or want a little help falling asleep. So, while you still should not save the majority of your calories for late at night, don’t be afraid to get helpful nutrients closer to bedtime.
• Not balancing your breakfast.  Eating breakfast is good, but a balanced breakfast is best. An abundance of carbs in the morning spikes blood sugar, which can affect your energy and mood, cause headaches, fatigue, and hunger. Including a source of protein and fat, which can be as simple as adding a half cup of Greek yogurt or a couple eggs, will stabilize your blood sugar.
• Sugar-bombing in pursuit of antioxidants. Antioxidants can do a lot for your health and including them in your diet is a smart thing to do. However, sweetened juices and other sugary products offset the benefits. Choose anti-inflammatory and disease-fighting whole foods like berries, dark green veggies, and nuts.
• Avoiding food groups. If you are thinking about a gluten-free, dairy-free, or low-carb diet, there should be a scientific reason for it. Only eliminate what you have a known allergy to. Trial and error can get you on the right track, but if you are still having issues, see a registered dietitian or medical professional.
• Believing marketing claims. Reading food labels on packaging before eating the contents is a healthy first step. Be cautious not to get bamboozled by all the claims you see. Remind yourself it is all marketing, and do not be misled by the bright food labels yelling “natural,” “low fat,” and “detox”.

The UBS Cooking School has partnered with EXOS and the UBS Fitness Center to offer brand new wellness programming for our cooking school students. This July we begin a monthly collaboration featuring a “Mind, Body, Wellness” activation in the Hawk’s Nest, Weehawken, NJ. Dominick Filiciello, assistant program manager at the fitness center, will be demonstrating to the employees an “At your desk” work out that will keep your body moving all workday long. Join Dom on July 14^th at 12:30PM for this amazing learning opportunity. See you there!

Hi Students!

My name is Dana-Marie Moore, I am the Brand-New Sous Chef here at the UBS Cooking School in Weehawken, New Jersey.

A little bit about myself…

Although born in New Jersey, I have lived and or worked in New York, Chicago, South Florida, and North Carolina. Each new place has given me great opportunity for growth in my career. I have always LOVED cooking and working with food. My work background includes restaurants, catering establishments, commissary kitchens, and as a private chef. During my free time, and especially before the pandemic I had the travel bug and had some amazing experiences tasting and cooking food from various countries around the world. My specialty is comfort food. I cook to create amazing food memories for the guest. Working in the cooking school has given me the tremendous opportunity to showcase and teach what I have learned over the years, and I cannot wait to share that with you all! Bon Appetit!

August 11 Peach Hand Pies
August 16 Spicy Chicken Burrito Bowl

September 6 Arctic Char with Roasted Eggplant Caponata

September 13 Beef Satay with Peanut Noodles
September 27 Wild Mushroom RisottoNational Mushroom Month Celebration

• Shop for food locally: Shopping locally for food helps to reduce food waste and it is also more sustainable. By purchasing food locally, there is less of a carbon footprint compared to shipping your food from elsewhere.
• Avoid single use plastic (cups, plates, utensils): Since plastic is not biodegradable, it stays on our earth for generations. There are biodegradable cutlery options made out of wood, bamboo and starch!
• Use a reusable shopping bag: Cut back on plastic bags by using a reusable bag. Since they are meant to be reused, they are built to be more durable than regular plastic bags. This is also the case for water bottles! Using a reusable water bottle can help eliminate over 150 plastic water bottles per person, per year!

• Start with a clean grill. Don’t let last night’s salmon skin impart a fishy-char flavor to tonight’s chicken breasts. Use a sturdy metal brush to clean the grates in between uses. (This is easiest when the grill is hot.)
• Avoid putting cold foods straight on the grill. Letting meat come to temperature on the counter for 30 minutes before grilling will help it cook more evenly.
• Keep it simple! Managing numerous cook times for different proteins and veggies can easily become stressful, and it can result in errors and overcooking. Keep the protein options down as much as possible, and offer variety in some interesting side dishes, sauces, or condiments.
• Use a meat thermometer. Unless you are a very experienced cook, it is hard to tell meat’s temperature merely by touching or looking at it. A quick check of the temperature from a thermometer will allow you to know the exact doneness of all your meats. Your confidence in grilling will skyrocket with this one $10 purchase.
• Rest all meat! Allow the meat to sit undisturbed for five to 15 minutes after cooking, as this will allow the juices to redistribute. The bigger the piece of meat, the longer the rest time. Resting meat is an important key to juicy results.

September 7 Chicken Souvlaki Skewers