Visiting The Dominican Republic For Surf, Smiles, And Self-Reflection

Before The Summer Season Begins We Head To The Dominican Republic

A few weeks ago, my family and I set off for the Dominican Republic. We were greeted by amazing people and found ourselves very much at home with surf, sand, smiles, and Moringa everywhere. everywhere! The trip was one that allowed me to truly reconnect with my creative intuition and to break away from the fear I’d been lugging around with me for a while. I also found that, like so many who have gone to the Dominican Republic before, I’ve fallen in love with the place and the feeling I have when I’m there. If you’re ready to fall in love too, read on to learn more about my trip.

A Home For Many Expats And A Culture That Reflects That Beautifully

One thing you’ll probably notice about the Dominican Republic when you first arrive is the vast number of expats who this place their home. People from Scandinavia Haiti, Spain, the US and everywhere in between have come to add their influence to this gorgeous oceanside paradise. The climate is fantastic, the ocean is a kaleidoscope of different blue shades washing over one another with the tide, and with every wave crash you become all the more certain that you belong there. Sampling local produce like papaya or turmeric was (which you’ll soon find is used in everything and is an awesome addition for sure!) gave us that tropical feeling from the start. The food in the DR is very influenced by Spanish, French, and multicultural Caribbean style so there are plenty of empanadas, braised meats, and veggies,  

The Dominican Republic Loves Moringa As Much As Wave Of Balance Does!

We loved the papaya and empanadas, and we were also struck by how the Dominican Republic is culturally aware of the benefits of moringa. Moringa and the Dominican Republic, much like our Wave of Balance Moringa and Our hometown of Asbury Park, are a delicious and dynamic duo.  From smoothies to food toppings, Moringa is everywhere in the DR and so is hospitality! Lina, who works at the gorgeous El Encuentro Surf Lodge was amazing. While we weren’t staying at the Lodge itself, we were nearby and Lina made us feel so comfortable. She was truly welcoming and helped us to find anything (from yoga to great surf breaks to excellent meals at local joints) and we just couldn’t be more grateful. In fact, we even left some of our Wave of Balance Moringa for the amazing folks at El Encuentro Surf Lodge. So, they’ll be using our Moringa to ride their own waves in the Dominican Republic. If you want to learn more about the Surf Lodge check them out here and if you’re ready to try our Wave Of Balance Moringa line, you can find those products here. Ready to plan your own trip to El Encuentro? Check them out here.

The Work and Impact of Mariposa On The  Women Of The Dominican Republic And DR Surf Culture

While we certainly loved visiting Lina and the team at El Encuentro (and eating our way through the amazing local eateries in the area), I’d be crazy not to mention Mariposa and my own experience of clarity from this adventure.

If you’ve read my travel blogs before, you definitely know that I don’t leave my humanitarian hat behind when I travel and Mariposa is one of the organizations I’ve fallen head over heels for in the Dominican Republic. The organization (You can learn more about them here.)

) works with women and children on everything from education, to health, to sustainability, to recycling. In fact, Mariposa makes the most of the Dominican Republic’s tourism draw for kitesurfing, especially in the Kite Surfing Capital Of the World in Cabarete. They repurpose the sail fabric to make travel bags and all sort of purses and backpacks. Mariposa cares for the environment by working on reef replenishment as well.

As I reflect on my own personal experience on this trip I found that surf culture is growing in the Dominican Republic. I visited the Encuentro Surf Break about 28 years ago, and I was the only one of my friends in the water. On this trip I found that about 50% of the surfers were women, and many were young women. I could see Mariposa’s influence, as they work to get kids on the coast involved in water sports, they focus on women and girls. They work to get young girls exposed to the resources around them.

A Guided Meditation That Unblocked Creativity And Found Me Profoundly Grateful.

I also had the chance to push the pause button on my trip and took full advantage of that opportunity. I was lucky enough to be led through a meditation with a woman named Lola (onajourneyinwards  on Instagram). She had instructed a yoga class for us and we hired her to do guided meditation and yin class.

Before the meditation I was finding my intuition and creativity fairly blocked, or at least very challenged for the past year. Lola’s meditation opened me up and allowed me to see an eye in my visualizations that I can still see to this day whenever I need it. It was a simple drawing but helped me to see and unblock what was feeling so stuck for so long. Lola’s work helped me to take the anxiety and fear out of my mental state and over the course of that hour I found my mental block released. I felt more connected to myself and so grateful for that place and even, for a place I was beginning to miss.

This trip made me appreciate our restaurant pavilion by the sea even more. Lola’s mediation, Lina’s welcome, and finding myself in a place that understands the true meaning of hospitality all reminded me of our places in Asbury Park. The people of the Dominican Republic allowed us to feel like we were the only people they were taking care of, and that is the heart of hospitality that others should truly strive for and live out each day. Lina, El Encurentro, Lola, and the other amazing people we met on the island (including Myran Lindblom who took photos of us enjoying the surf and sand) understood and lived this idea fully.

Home Is Where The Beach Is: Come Visit Us At Ours!

The welcome and true hospitality we experienced in the Dominican Republic allowed me to come back to this table by the window at Langosta and to feel as though there is no need to leave it right now. I find myself all the more committed to our work, to this beautiful ocean view, to my amazing team, and my phenomenal family. I’m glad to have new friends in the Dominican Republic and am so glad we got to visit. I’m sure we’ll be back sooner than we think.

But for now, it’s summer at the New Jersey Shore. And that means it’s time to make some amazing food, surf our hometown waves, enjoy the weather at our pavilion by the sea, and welcome our own visitors with the heart of hospitality that is rare by remarkable.

I hope you’ll come visit us at Langosta, Pop’s Garage, or the Asbury Park Yacht Club this summer and I can’t wait to meet you!

Marilyn's May Preview

Is It Really May Already?

May, from where I sit, seems like such an amazing month.

There’s so much going on and so much good that will come of it all. From our Vehicle For Change Program, to volunteer opportunities with the Boys and Girls Club, To my Cook Book, Mushrooms, and Moringa Supplement Line, I’m giving you the rundown on everything that’s going on for my partners and I this May.

Paint Beach-Bound Trash Cans with The Boys And Girls Club

This month you’ll find me spending my Tuesdays getting messy with the kids and crew over at the Boys and Girls Club. Bring some clothes you’re ready to  paint in and get creative with us from 4:30 til 6 at the Boys and Girls Club in Asbury Park. You don’t need to be Picasso or Monet to paint with us and the trashcans we’re designing will be used on the beach this summer!

2 River Mushroom Company and Wave Of Balance Are In Full Swing

Ready to taste the most delicious organic mushrooms of your life? Be sure to check out 2 River Mushroom Company where my partners and I are working to bring you some out-of-this-world delicious, hyper-local, organic, and gourmet mushrooms. Check out our instagram page to feast your eyes on the beautiful colors and shapes our mushrooms take, and feast on the real thing the next time you stop into Langosta.

Ready to bring your body into better balance? Not sure where to start? Check out my Moringa Supplement line, Wave Of Balance. Moringa is the tree of life and whether you top your smoothie with our powder or take the supplements each morning and afternoon, you’ll know why once you try it out for yourself.

Food And Drinks By The Water. What Else Is Spring For?

From live music to dining outside on the boardwalk, the pavilion restaurants have what you’re looking for as the weather warms up. Grab a taco and a margarita at Pop’s, see your favorite local band play at Asbury Park Yacht Club (APYC) or grab everything from sushi, to lobster to curry  at Langosta Lounge .

Have You Heard About Our Food Truck?

If you haven’t heard of our Food For Thought Food Truck, you can learn more here. The best way I can explain it is that we’re building a vehicle for change. Staffed with locals, able to provide just about any type of menu you can imagine, and with all proceeds going to a charity of your choice, we’re going to be rolling in to your next event to make a real difference in the community. We’re so excited to bring this literal vehicle for change to you soon.

But we can’t do it without you.

To learn more and to donate please visit the Food For Thought By The Sea page here.

One Last Thing…

Whether you’re ready to get serious about your wellness with my Wave of Balance products or want to give back to your community by donating your time with the Boys and Girls Club,  I’d love to have you get involved and make things happen with me this May!

Our Spring Menu: A Collaborative Effort

The Spring Menu: On Full Display At Our Collaboration Dinner

On Wednesday March 27th we hosted our Collaboration Dinner at Langosta Lounge. It was en evening of wine, food, and friendship and I am so grateful to everyone who came to support the restaurant as we finish the curation of our spring menu.

What Is A Collaboration Dinner? 

The Collaboration Dinner is an opportunity for my team and I to showcase the items that we hope to place on our spring menu. We always hope to garner fresh perspectives and honest feedback so that we can tweak and improve the dishes before they hit the tables in the busy season. It’s a simply awesome chance to let locals, family, and friends know what’s new with my work, my team, and our community outreach.  It’s also a great chance to allow the people we know and love to connect with new people as well.

Big Things Coming This Spring!

This time around there was so much to share with our Collaboration Dinner attendees. Our Kula Farm and Kula Café efforts are growing and the farm will be catapulting into spring with the same joy and community-minded action it always offers. My new Moringa supplement line, Wave of Balance is launching (Our party favor gifts at the dinner featured a sample size of each supplement and you can learn more here) and I’m so excited to bring the tree of life to the community that fuels my life. The featured meals that evening featured mushrooms from Two River Gourmet Mushroom company. My new cookbook Feed This Community was on display and available for purchase at the dinner and, if you missed it, you can grab your copy here. I also had a chance to mention our Food For Thought By The Sea food truck and the Vehicle For Change Initiative to fundraise for the truck (To learn more about that click here )

With so much going on this season from mushrooms to food trucks, to cookbooks, we took time to pause, exhale, and enjoy the company of some fantastic people while tasting some new menu items. 

What’s For Dinner

One of the first plates of the evening was a Laissez Crab which included Creole spiced warm jumbo lump crab meat, delicately diced jalapenos, spicy creole mustard,  and house sourdough crostini  for dipping. The cheese was one I learned to make with my husband Scott at Bobolink Dairy Farm in Pennsylvania. We took with a renowned cheese maker named Nina White.

You can never have enough appetizers and so we also offered our guests some carefully cared-for Cuban olives. The olives were chopped with garlic, mixed with ricotta, and covered in panko. The soft, sweet, crunchy, lovely little bites make an awesome accompaniment to the rest of your meal.

One of the evening’s salads was what we affectionately call our Carousel Salad because it changes seasonally. The salad featured items grown right here in Asbury Park at our Kula Farm. The farm serves Kula café and other local restaurants who desire locally grown, organic vegetables and Lisa has taken the farm on like a dragon, as I said that evening. We’ll be hosting a Farm Dinner in April, so be on the look out for that!

Another salad that evening is what we call our Umami Salad. This offering featured a marinated Two River organic mushroom and broccolini salad with pickled grapes, miso Chinese mustard dressing, brûlée-ed burrata, and crispy noodles. Umami in itself is a full experience and this salad certainly follows suit.

One of the items we showcased that evening was a lobster pizza with corn and bacon.

We think those two words, lobster and pizza, just belong together. Be sure to try them and let us know if you agree!

An Entire Menu of New Tastes And New Connections

Our dinner entrees featured an Asian Chicken Marsala with spiced sake demi-glace, snow peas, a pepper sauté, and our very own Two River organic mushrooms. This unique take on Marsala featured a sweet but delectable sauce and aromatic mushrooms that glide on your palate and warms your heart as it does.

 A fan favorite that evening was our Ravino Lemon Mascarpone Ravioli. The local summer squash, heirloom tomato, carefully charred Vidalia onion, farm fresh thyme, black garlic rose velouté, and pine nut gremolata topping gave our guests the chance to experience an absolute adventure in Italian tastes.

Jalisco Steak made an appearance as well. This divine grilled and marinated skirt steak features caramelized onions, lobster potato cake, and corn equites. Juicy, cooked to perfection and expertly seasoned, this is sure to be a dish that you come back for.

If you’ve never tried Buffalo Cauliflower, I’d suggest you stop by Langosta this spring. Ours features Mazi buffalo sauce with cambozola blue cheese drizzle and Kula’s own micro celery is definitely worth the trip if you’re looking to spice things up.

Our collaboration dinner also featured General Tso Chicken  with farro, Two River organic mushrooms, bok choy, and a flavorful broccolini sauté. So, if you’re looking for an excuse to put down that take out menu, come see us instead.  

Surf and Turf, met Farm to Sea on Wednesday. Our dish features white miso and cilantro marinade, coconut, chili, ginger broth, carrot, and radish slaw, with lemongrass jasmine rice and fish sauce vinaigrette. This is a perfect dish for when you’re at Langosta on the boardwalk with a view of the crashing waves and the sound of the roaring ocean. You might even enjoy your Farm to Sea with your favorite wine as well. 

Speaking of Wine…

One of the toughest parts of curating a seasonal menu is the wine list. Tasting wine is a tough job and not nearly as glamorous as it sounds. There are thousands of wines from around the world that could be featured in our list and so we’ve taken to including our staff in wine research and including our Collaboration Dinner guests in the pairing down of that well-researched list.

Among some of the most notable wines of the evening were those from Sophie Bertin (Her wine label features a fossil from the place where the grapes in the wine are grown.) and Rumson Red from my very own Community Vines (A community-serving collaboration with the incomparable James Foley of SÉAMUS Wines and Shore Point Distributors. Click here to learn more ).  Needless to say, we are grateful for the help in tasting and exploring each of the wines and we can’t wait to share our wine list with you all!  

Langosta In Spring Time

Whether you’re having a drink with a friend or a family dinner to celebrate a milestone the team and I at Langosta are excited to welcome you and all of our visitors this spring.

Connect With Us! 

To stay in the loop with all that’s going on for us this season be sure to stay tuned to our website and blog and don’t forget to stop by and try our Spring menu!

See you soon!



Feed This Community Spotlight: Clean Ocean Action

Clean Ocean Action And The Beach

It’s a beautiful (albeit, brisk) spring day here in Asbury. I get the privilege of looking out the restaurant window and seeing the ocean’s waves crashing on a tan and beautiful shoreline here in Asbury Park. As I prepared today’s blog, I got to reflect on a time when I would have looked out onto Asbury’s shoreline and seen something very starkly different. I’ll tell you all about that today as I highlighting another amazing organization that I’ve chosen to donate to as part of the purchase price of my cookbook, Feed This Community (You can pick up your copy here).

 I’m grateful for the chance to tell you all about the amazing work and living legacy of Clean Ocean Action. Clean Ocean Action is an organization that is dear to my heart, not only because it’s creation and timeline mirrors my own culinary and event-planning growth, but because the organization is active in its efforts to protect our shorelines and water. I truly believe that I wouldn’t be looking out onto that pristine beach right now if it weren’t for the tireless efforts of Clean Ocean Action.

The Origin of Clean Ocean Action

Clean Ocean Action was created by Cindy Zipf in her living room around the time I began my adventure in the culinary world. At the time, I was working at Oshin and Clean Ocean Action had its kickoff party at the restaurant (which was located inside a dive shop in Avon). I was waitressing in the restaurant that year and so Cindy and I connected. She was driven, passionate, and thoughtful. We were both passionate about the work that Clean Ocean Action was doing and I was excited to help in my own way as well. 

Around that time, I started to work for COA to lead fundraisers and plan and execute bigger events for them. There was one time that remains in my memory even in this moment. It was an amazing evening for an event. We’d invited people to buy tickets for an event on a boat so that the funds could go to Clean Ocean Action. We’d chartered a boat going out of The Highlands with food, music, dancing, and drinks. The boat traveled out of port and went around the New York area, up the Hudson. It was quite an evening. Those in attendance got to connect with one another, enjoy delicious food, and take in beautiful views. They also got the added bonus of knowing that their ticket price included a donation to an amazing organization.

 Clean Ocean Action raised a great deal of money that evening and a great time was had by all.

I’d say that was my first major dive into marrying food, fun, and awareness to raise money for organizations who were doing work in the world that I truly believed in. It’s easy to forget, because we live in a world of fundraiser events, but back then this combination of raising money and holding an event alongside one another was a new approach. It was also my first real event job and I can’t think of a better way to begin that adventure because I was (and remain) so passionate about Cindy, Clean Ocean Action, and their mission.  

Coming Together For Clean Oceans And Shorelines

When Clean Ocean Action began, it was a time along our coast where there was on-going horrible toxic dumping.  One summer, there were people in hazmat suits patrolling the beaches and testing fecal and medical waste in the water and along the shoreline. People, tourists included, couldn’t go into shark river, the beaches closed, and for a time tourism essentially died. People finally became angry. The community really got lit up and environmental groups got involved including Clean Ocean Action. People collectively realized that the dumping was killing our ocean and that the off-shore dumping had polluted coast so badly. I was among them and began getting involved with organizations, of which I’d say Clean Ocean Action was one of the pioneers, to protect coast. Cindy and the organization traveled to fight against off-shore dumping in DC and the work of Surfrider and Clean Ocean Action shaped how people worked to protect coast.

Advocacy, Tourism, And The Common Good

Organizations and the people who supported them through advocacy and action no longer let government structures and politicians slide on things that mattered when it came to the safety and cleanliness of our ocean and shoreline. It was as simple as it was revolutionary: We’re in this together. No one wants a polluted ocean, a hazardous shoreline, dead fish washing ashore, or to tell their children that this is normal. It was not normal. It was not acceptable and that remains true even today.

Clean Ocean Action works with fishermen, tourism organizations, and surf organizations to educate and to communicate the importance of the coast to the enjoyment, livelihood, and wellbeing of all people.  

The Future of Our Oceans And Shorelines

Nowadays, I’d love to say that the troubles of that era are behind us. But that’s just not the case. There is still work to be done and Clean Ocean Action is still making that work happen. Cindy is a mentor of mine, a leader, and a fiercely strong woman who put herself out there when people weren’t fighting for the coast on the grassroots level. She built Clean Ocean Action in that way and has been activating and empowering people in that way each day.

As for me, I am just as committed to their cause and just as full in my support for their work as I help in whatever way I can.  Any time Clean Ocean Action wants to do a press conference they tend to do it at Langosta Lounge and the organization also held their 25th anniversary at the restaurant when it first opened. My twenty-fifth year of as a chef was also my twenty-fifth year working with Clean Ocean Action and the adventure in actively defending our ocean and shoreline continues.

Looking For Some Next Steps

• To learn more about Clean Ocean Action or to get involved, click here

• To pick up your copy of my cookbook and donate to amazing organizations like Clean Ocean Action, click here

Feed This Community Spotlight: Lakehouse Music Academy

Lakehouse Music Academy In The Spotlight



Hello again everyone! Today I wanted to share with you a bit about one of the organizations who will benefit from sales of my cookbook, Feed This Community (You can pick up your copy here ) Lakehouse Music Academy in Asbury Park is more than a place to take music lessons, it truly is a music movement in Asbury. It’s helmed by the incomparable Jon Leidersdorff and I’m so grateful to be able to share a bit about Lakehouse and all that they do in the community.

Lakehouse Music Academy And Asbury Park

In starting Lakehouse Music Academy, Jon Leidersdorff took a leap of faith and started a movement. There is no doubt that Asbury Park New Jersey has a music connection unlike any other. At the same time, when Jon launched Lakehouse there was nothing in town that did for music what I was working to do with food: transform community from inside out.

Of course, there were so many musicians who were either from Asbury and coming to the city to see or play concerts and shows. The people were there and so the question was, “How do you connect these musicians and music lovers to the community and attract musically passionate people of all kinds, of all ages and interests?”  That’s the question that Jon answered in creating and helming Lakehouse.

Lakehouse does more than offer a place to play around musically, to sing or to go to shows. It certainly makes those things possible but it also created a center for talent and passion, a magnet for those who felt pulled toward creativity, music, and community.

Fire Jam Hockey Rocks!

Full disclosure, two of the adorably talented tikes in Lakehouse’s Fire Jam Hockey are my daughters (And yes, they and their two bandmates picked the band’s name themselves!).  I’ve seen the confidence building, fear facing, and creative discipline that my daughters continue to learn from being students at Lakehouse and so I know first-hand the impact of the work that Jon and his team do. My girls play the Big Gig, which is a concert put on by groups of students who become bands. They study together and perform 2x a year at real music venues in Asbury Park. The young students get the experience of the big gig and it’s an awesome teachable moment for parents and guardians to share with their kids. I remember a really poignant conversation with my daughter Hari before the most recent Big Gig. She was having a hard time and didn’t want to go back to the stage. I got to connect with her and let her know, “You’re going to feel empowered each time you go up there.” I smiled at her and reminded her, “The first time is only the first time.” She and the rest of Fire Jam Hockey rocked that show, of course. 

The Lakehouse Effect

Lakehouse allows its students to fill themselves with the energy of others, to feed off of the energy of bandmates and the audience, to face and feel the butterflies, to confront the feeling of “less than”, and to rise and grow in new ways. Jon and his team provide opportunities for challenge, for growth, for feelings and nerves. But afterward, it is a high and it is pretty darn amazing. The Lakehouse captures that same energy in how they curate and run the school itself and the building which the studio calls home.

LakeHouse And The Asbury Park Music Foundation

Aside from the adrenaline and growth fostered in lessons, band practice, and Big Gig experiences, Lakehouse’s non-profit, partners with Asbury Park Music Foundation and is active in the community. Lakehouse has a Hip-Hop Bus fitted-out with the latest technology. This bus goes to the local Boys and Girls Club, for example, and teaches kids there things like concert lighting, sound, and tech. This is an awesome opportunity for people different abilities and the same love of music to be involved in the music creation and performance process.

Behind The Scenes And In The Spotlight

We may know that there are many people involved in the orchestration of the music, from producers to lighting techs. What sets Lakehouse apart is that Jon and his team give young people in the community, who may not have exposure to these sorts of things, the chance to explore these things in a very real, very powerful way. Young people in Asbury Park are no longer on the sidelines of the music in their town because of a lack of confidence, exposure, or financial resources: They are an active and meaningful group of contributors to that music culture. The music comes to them and they, in turn, become a part of the music.

Music Culture And The Future of Asbury Park

Jon and his team have truly become stewards of music culture and creativity in Asbury Park and have brought about meaningful change in regard to how members of the community interact with and access music and music education. One of the big reasons I selected Lakehouse as one of my organizations to donate to through the cookbook is because I draw distinct parallels between what I do for food and what Jon does for music. In each of our approaches to our passions we choose to act in a social conscious, community-focused manner.

Jon’s brought music education to the people of Asbury Park and has knocked down barriers of all kinds in order to ensure more equitable access to a key facet of the city’s culture. When I reflect on my own work with Food For Thought By The Sea, I note that I’ve worked to do the same thing for food and hospitality. In my blog about Kula Café (read it here) I also explore how that venture has given Interfaith Neighbors and I the opportunity to address a need in our community as well. What I’ work to do for food, I believe Lakehouse works to do for music and that is a beautiful, powerful passion that Jon and I share for the people, culture, and future of Asbury Park.

Looking For Your Next Set List?

• To learn more about Lakehouse, click here .

• To pick up your copy of my new cookbook and contribute to amazing organizations like Lakehouse, click here .

Feed This Community Spotlight: Kula Cafe And Kula Urban Farm

Kula, Ideas, And Community Transformation

Have you ever had a thought, idea or dream, that just would not cease to pull at your heart, drawing you in? It’s filling you with passion, determination, creativity, and fulfillment, even if it doesn’t even exist yet? That’s how I felt about the Kula Café and I can’t wait to describe the Café and its work to you today.

Several years ago, I went to my friends at Interfaith Neighbors and I told them that I had the idea to do training café for front of house work. I’d seen that young adults in our community didn’t have opportunities to work in restaurants. At that time a lot of restaurants were opening and this meant great job opportunity, if young people had the confidence and training in hospitality.

The Empowering Experience Of Training And Working In Hospitality

I am a firm believer in the power of training people in the work of hospitality because it can build confidence, communication skills, and leadership skills. It’s been my experience that if you can communicate in a way to makes people feel good you’re going to find success in what you do. Training in hospitality offers access to a great skill set where people learn to manage themselves in a business, acting a sort of independent contractor in the moment. You have your section, your tasks, and you’re running that part of the business in that moment. I feel that if young people learn these skills they will learn to feel good about themselves and they will then take that into whatever career they pursue. Whether they work in retail, in an office, in a warehouse, in a school, they can take those skills, those abilities, and that confident communication, into that job and create success.

Coffee, Hot Chocolate, And The Common Good

When I had the idea for Kula Café, I found that there was not much of that front-of-house training, at least not in my neighborhood. I also knew that, while I loved cooking, not everyone wants be a cook and that is a different skillset all together.

When we began, Interfaith Neighbors and I went out into the community to give coffee and hot chocolate to people and businesses in town. The next step was to want to have people in community give to community.  There was a good deal of gang activity in Asbury but when the hot chocolate and coffee came by, people of every walk of life would come together to share a cup.

 This became a time where we realized we all wanted the same things, we just went about them in different ways. Someone might not want to interact with different gangs but both parties want a cup of coffee. So, for a time they’re willing and able to share that space with people whose experience is different than their own. This kind of community effort brings different people together. After the coffee and hot chocolate experience, Interfaith loved the as-yet-unnamed-idea and took it on. 

Asking “What’s Next?” And Answering In A Big Way

I had just left politics, and my husband Scott and I discussed the next chapter of our personal lives (Do we want kids? Do we want to move? What’s next?)

For me, travel has always been something I love and I’d always wanted to go on a women’s surf meditation trip. It just so happened that one was available and affordable at that time and so I went to Maui on a retreat that was sponsored by the surf brand Carve.

I was there. I was soaking in the Maui sun and so I headed to our first meditation. The topic of that first meditation was on the idea of Kula. Kula is the Hawaiian concept of a community of the heart (We wrap around our community with a passion for that community.) I loved my surf retreat experience (To read more about it, click here ) and returned to Asbury Park with a revitalized spirit, and a name for this place for Interfaith Neighbors: We decided to call it Kula Café.

Kula And Community Impact

 I know it’s not a Jersey word, but it is a beautiful word and a beautiful representation of what Kula offers the community and its people. Kula Café empowers the community grow, to strengthen itself, and to believe in itself.

The Kula Café has since been joined by Kula Urban Farm (right beside The Kula Cafe) where greens, microgreens, and edible flowers are grown. They’re then sold and delivered to local restaurants. Kula Urban Farm offers access to locally grown organic produce. The Farm’s work means that more people in the community are involved in knowing where their produce comes from, how it feels, and perhaps even what it means to want to pursue a career in some form related to that sort of work.  

This work may mean that people, who may not otherwise be exposed to such things, might explore careers in urban farming, horticulture, landscaping, and other related areas. The Café and The Farm are giving the people of Asbury Park the opportunity to discover passion they may not have been Intune with otherwise.

Igniting Passion Through Experience

Thinking about Kula Café And Kula Urban Farm brings me back to the first time I ever cooked at Oshin. It’s an understatement to say that something was just ignited in me. I know that it was a transformative moment and yet, I am also aware that we don’t always know where that passion will come from. Exposing community youth to new things will be of benefit to them because they will have the opportunity to explore things, all sorts of things:  From the beach, to business, to the chance to find desire in ways that were not always full available to the prior generation. When we find ways to provide these opportunities we give everyone in our community a way to look forward to what lies ahead.

A Leap Of Faith And The Kula Movement

Kula Café brings in a youthful demographic to explore something that excites and inspires them. The Café is a new, stable, and grounding place for the west side of Asbury.

This area is also experiencing the development of new gardens, parks, and affordable housing. It’s a transformation that has just begun with Interfaith Neighbors taking on this project and taking on this corner of the community.  Interfaith’s work, and my own, has convinced me that it only takes one person or group to take that leap of faith and hope that others follow.

That leap of faith, when made with amazing partners like Interfaith Neighbors, creates a movement.

Kula is The Café.
Kula is The Movement.

What’s Next? 

• To learn more about Kula Café and Kula Urban Farm, click here

• To learn more about Interfaith Neighbors, click here

• To pick up your copy of my new cookbook and support amazing organizations like Interfaith Neighbor’s Kula Café And Kula Urban Farm, click here

Feed This Community

Feed This Community: My Life Immersed in Food & Community With a Dash of Fun!

Marilyn And The Many, Many Hats

I tend to wear a lot of hats. I’m a chef, mom, community builder, entrepreneur, surfer, world traveller... and the list goes on. I've run restaurants, helped to organize community members to visit disaster-impacted areas in other countries, and created a non-profit. I've traveled the world, cooked across several continents, and taught people around the world about elevated hospitality. Like I said, I've worn many hats. But the craziest thing about writing to you all today is I can now add author to that list of hats.

I struggled a bit with this "writer" moniker at first.  "I'm not a writer." I'd argue to myself. But it's getting harder and harder to make that argument now that the book is in my hands.

One of my hats, as I mentioned, is that I'm a mother. I have two silly, sassy, awesome daughters. And it's always been important to me that I not set limits on their potential. So, I'm learning that I also need not limit my own potential either.  And I'm growing. I'm learning.I'm breaking down my own preconceptions of my "limits" each day and I hope we all learn to do the same. This book, as it rests beside me on the table, is evidence of my potential and I am so excited to share it with you!

Today I'll give you a glimpse into Feed This Community. I'll share where you can pick up your copy and share how doing so will make an impact in the community.

Feed This Community: The Cookbook For People Who Crave Something More Than A Cookbook

Writing this book was, as many authors tritely (and rightly) say, "a labor of love". I was driven to create a new way to give back to the communities I love, including my own (more on that in a bit...). I knew a cookbook could help me do that, but I've never thought of myself as a writer in the formal sense. And, as a self-taught chef who favors flavor over formality, a predictable recipe book seemed out of alignment with who I am. Even so, there is a certain magic in doing the impossible. I knew how to make a cookbook. I had read recipes in hundreds. But I found the challenge and the magic, not in making "a cookbook", but in creating MY cookbook.

The process of creating my cookbook was one of learning the rules and breaking them. Much like my experience as a chef and entrepreneur, I learned the formulas and the boundaries. I knew that I could make one of those  "family style" large serving cookbooks. I could make a cookbook focused on a specific meal, like dinner. I could even make a cookbook driven by a particular type of food, like seafood. We've all seen those formulas used by some amazing chefs. There is nothing wrong with those formulas nor the people who use them. But I knew those kinds of cookbooks worked. I knew that I might one day create something like that. Heck, I was even pretty sure that, if I made one like that, it might really sell!  But I also knew, deep down, that this was not my path. Not for my first cookbook. I knew that this book was different. I knew that it must be different. And I could not wait!

In Feed This Community I cover everything from the perfect tools to use in your kitchen, to how to create some lovely lavender truffles. I'll teach you to pour that perfect Sazerac, how you can craft a mouth-watering lobster enchilada with mole that is to-die-for,  and I'll explain what Australians call breakfast (and how I feel about it.). By the time you finish Chapter 7 you'll have a pile delectable restaurant recipes in your back pocket. (And you'll know what it means when patrons and friends call one of my restaurants "the mothership".) Needless to say, when you pick up my cookbook, you get a hearty helping of Marilyn along with it.

With all of its stories insights and thoughtful tips, you're sure to find your reason to keep on reading. So, while it is a cookbook in the legal sense, (There are recipes you'll adore and you'll learn to make them!) this one is unlike any other recipe book that may line your shelves at home.

Another Reason To Pick Up The Book: Feed This Community Gives Back To The Community

One of the first things I thought about when I decided to create a cook book was, "Who can I help by doing this?"  It's just how my mind works. And I don't just want to raise money. Money's great, of course. But I want make an impact, create change, and raise awareness. So, whether you're gifted with time, with money, or with both,  I invite you to pick up a copy of Feed This Community. When you do, you'll be supporting twelve amazing organizations. You can learn more about them here (LINK).

These organizations and the people who work in and with them each day are helping to create strong, thriving, creative, and connected communities. These organizations have dedicated themselves, in many different ways, to this connection and it is a true privilege to use the sales of my book to support each of their missions and visions.

Charity comes from a selfless place and we can foster good in our communities with small, selfless, and charitable acts. I know this is true because I've been lucky enough to live it. And today I invite you to grab your cookbook and put your charitable kindness into action too!

Where To Get Your Copy

You can pick up your copy of Feed This Community in person at:

Words! Book Store

623 Cookman Ave

Asbury Park, NJ 07712

Or

Langosta Lounge

1000 Ocean Ave

Asbury Park, NJ 07712

You can order your copy online at:  https://www.marilynschlossbach.com/cookbook

The Story Continues...

I’m stoked that you can now grab your copy of my cookbook!

Be sure to check out the second part of this post here and learn more about the organizations who will receive the proceeds from the sale of my book.

Oh, and don't forget to pick up your copy of the cookbook here!

Frogs And Fishes,

Marilyn

Feed This Community: The Organizations Receiving Book Sale Donations

Feed This Community: The Organizations Receiving Book Sale Donations

Today I’d like you to meet the organizations with which the sales price of my book will be shared. These organizations offer so much time, attention, service, kindness, and support to their local communities and supporting them is a small way to give back a piece of what they’ve offered their communities and the world. It's an awesome honor to give back and I invite you to do the same.

When you purchase my book you are providing support to these awesome organizations and to the communities they serve. You are making an effort to Feed This Community!

If you’re interested in getting your copy now click here.
To read my recent post about the cookbook itself, click here.

Now on to our amazing organizations!

Kula Café

Kula Cafe is a social enterprise addressing high unemployment and mismatched training and employment market needs in the Asbury Park area. Encompassing a workplace skills training program, the cafe operates as a business and community gathering place for the West Side neighborhood. Every meal purchased by patrons generates revenue which supports the Kula Cafe’s ongoing mission.
I mentioned the genesis of Kula Cafe in my blog about my Maui surfing retreat. You can check that out here:
You can also learn more about Kula Cafe and plan your visit here:

Mary’s Place By The Sea

Mary’s Place By The Sea has a beautiful mission. Mary’s place seeks to provide a place for women to heal from cancer: mind, body, and soul. It was created in 2009 to give women a place to go during and after treatment to quiet themselves, breathe easier, listen to their bodies, nourish their souls, and gain a new perspective on their Dis-Ease. They weave carefully thought-out services such as oncology massage, reiki therapy, nutritional counseling, journaling and one-on-one counseling into a 1-3 day free program individualized for each guest. They are embraced and supported by our community and have now served over 4,000 women from the tri-state region! Each day is a gift to be surrounded by so many courageous people.

You can learn more about Mary’s Place By The Sea by visiting their site here.

The Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties (Fulfill NJ)

The Food Bank of Monmouth And Ocean Counties is the primary provider of food and services to a network of over 300 partner agencies. together, we support more than 10 million meals annually including 1.8 million pounds of fresh produce. We serve individuals and families in need and reach 1 in 10 people in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The  Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to alleviate hunger and build food security in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. We receive the highest ranking of 4 stars from Charity Navigator and are a member of Feeding America. Ninety-six cents out of every dollar raised supports food and programs. A $1 donation can provide up to 3 meals. The goal is to feed the food lines and shorten them.
You can learn more about the Food Bank here.

Community Affairs And Resource Center

The CARCNJ mission makes mention of the organization’s desire to empower their community and grow strong youth and families by promoting self-sufficiency. This mission is pursued through education, advocacy, and collaboration.  This mission is accomplished by the implementation of a variety of approaches including domestic violence victims assistance, health services, homelessness prevention programs, youth programs, and more. For example, we offer resources to domestic violence victims by providing advocacy, assistance and various support services. Our education and class-related resources are still growing and we also offer a youth program through Red Bank Regional High School. We offer a number of homelessness prevention programs including utility assistance, grants, and food stamp assistance.
Check out all the amazing information and resources that CARCNJ offers here .

The Surfrider Foundation

The Surfrider Foundation dedicates itself to protecting and enjoying the world’s waves, oceans, and beaches. The mission is driven and pursued through a powerful activist network. The Surfrider mission involves engaging environmental experts to develop solutions, engaging local and national resources, protecting the coals, and using local Surfrider chapters understanding with a national perspective. Surfrider uses 84 cents of every dollar donated directly in its programs and campaigns. In addition, 13 cents becomes invested in generating future donations. Three cents is provided to cover administrative and operating costs. Every cent is truly used to move toward the Surfrider vision of fully protected coasts.

To learn more about Surfrider visit them here.  

The Center in Asbury Park, Inc.

The Center in Asbury Park, Inc. is a not-for-profit service organization made up of volunteers who proved support services for people who are living with HIV/Aids and their caregivers. The Center offers its clients and volunteers a safe haven in order to instill a sense of community and stability in their lives.  The center offers housing, nutrition, and education services along with referrals, transportation, and other relevant services. Housing programs include a residence for 25 individuals living with HIV/Aids, emergency housing for people without permanent housing, and rental and utility subsidies to prevent people from becoming homeless. Nutrition-related services include meals to go, a food pantry, Sunday dinners each month, and daily lunch programs. The center provides empowering referral services and transportation for relevant medical needs. The Center offers all of these things in order to provide care, respect, and stability to all who make use of their resources.

You can learn more about The Center here.

Purr’n Pooch Foundation For Animals

The Purr’n Pooch Foundation For Animals offers grants to, no-kill animal and marine mammal rescue and welfare organizations and non-profits. The grants awarded are to be used for the day-to-day operations of those resources. They offer emergency relief, spay/neuter efforts, and veterinary care. The Foundation also provides veterinary care, construction vehicle purchases, construction services, educational programs, and other project resources. The Foundation raises funds through fun special events for all ages, people, and pets. Events like a run/walk, a dog-friendly gala, and collection drives help to provide funds for grantmaking work for the Foundation. One of it’s most beloved events is the Foundation Grantee Breakfast. There, the unsung heroes of charities spend time in friendship and celebration and are presented with their grants.

To find out more about Purr’n Pooch Foundation For Animals visit the site here.

Clean Ocean Action

Clean Ocean Action’s goal is to improve the water quality in waters off of the New Jersey/New York coast. The goal is pursued using research, education, and action by citizens to empower others and to convince elected officials to clean and protect the oceans. This strong coalition of one-hundred-and-twenty environmental, student, women, business, and other groups works to identify pollution sources and address these sources. Whether it be through research, public action, or political action, Clean Ocean Action works to clean and protect the coast an oceans every day.
To find out more about Clean Ocean action check them out here.

Lakehouse Music Academy

Lakehouse Music Academy is a progressive music school that offers group performances and individual student lessons. Lakehouse's programs are committed to the development of comprehensive musicianship for every student at each level, regardless of age. Lakehouse Music Academy desires to engage and enrich student’s experience with the promotion of composition, collaboration, scholarship, and performance.  Lakehouse values their community and the ability of music to improve the human condition. The team teaches around the needs and strengths of each student and aims to build a community where any musician can feel at home.

Lakehouse Music Academy is active in our local community supporting live music and live music venues as well and encouraging its students to be dedicated and creative in their musical endeavors. Lakehouse’ offsite programming includes a Hip Hop Institute at the  Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County in Asbury Park where students can explore three programs that explore record label basics, audio engineering, and hip hop dance. Offsite programming in conjunction with The Asbury Park Music Heritage Foundation provides underprivileged youth in our area access to wonderful music instruction where there had not been a program The after-school component also serves to ensure the safety and engagement of at-risk youth.  

To review all of Lakehouse’s off-site resources you can click here .

The Boys And Girls Clubs of Monmouth County

The Boys And Girls Clubs of Monmouth County offer safe places for youth in Monmouth County to receive programs and services that support them in reaching their full potential.  The Boys And Girls Clubs offer safe environments, hope, opportunity, personal and character-development programs, and offer supportive and on-going relationships with caring and dependable adults. Young people who need it most receive engaging programs and supportive interactions in order to develop their sense of themselves as productive, caring, and responsible people.  

To learn more about the  Boys And Girls Clubs of Monmouth County click here.

Waves For Water

Waves For Water works to provide clean drinking water to communities in need around the world. The organization has also coordinated disaster relief efforts in Indonesia and Haiti. Post-tsunami relief has been offered in Japan, Pakistan, Brazil, and here in the US(including after Hurricane Sandy). Waves For Water works with world leaders and their strategic partners to make global change a reality. Waves For Water was founded by Jon Rose.  I mention Waves For Water in my Nicaragua blog which you can find here.
To learn more about the work that Waves For Water Accomplishes you can click here.

Food For Thought By The Sea

Food For Thought By The Sea develops creative outlets, social awareness, and positive learning environments for today’s youth. The organization’s philanthropic endeavors are achieved through programs that foster healthy relationships and learning opportunities that aid in life-long development.

If you’re ready to learn more visit Food For Thought By The Sea here.