FALL 2008

 

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At Home

Pg 22 - At Home with Marcus and Jamie Guiliano
Their cozy, country bistro and meals cooked with love (and the freshest of ingredients) are gaining notoriety. We went behind the scenes to see what makes this couple tick.

Who: Chef Marcus Guiliano and his wife Jamie, founders of the organic restaurant, Aroma Thyme Bistro

Where: Ellenville, New York

Why: They successfully overcame family health issues and changed their outlook on life by eating and cooking healthfully. The mission of this pioneering couple is to educate others on what constitutes real nutrition.

Organic Spa: You've created and tested recipes for health guru Gary Null. How did you survive such scrutiny, and what inspired you to cook in such a seriously responsible way?

Marcus and Jamie Guiliano: We were on lots of medications, overweight, and our family health history was not very promising. When our daughter refused to drink whole milk at the age of one, we began to do a lot of research and realized that we needed to change our whole outlook. We saw Gary on TV and were impressed with his philosophies. At the time we were living in Colorado, and we became very conscious of where food was coming from.

OS: What's your food philosophy?
MG: People like to ask me questions like, "Is a date healthy?" Well that depends. You could say that there are no refined sugars and it is a good source of energy. I would say, however, that it is an acid food that has become a hybrid. Better to choose a fig. My biggest mission is to educate and bring awareness to what is real nutrition. The standard of labeling something healthy by focusing on calories, fat content, portion size-yet never consider where and how something is grown or tolerated by the body-is absurd. Wheat was something we took for granted as healthy. But with today's farming methods, this is no longer true and many people can no longer enjoy many of the foods they knew and loved. Our menu features gluten-free foods, so that people suffering with celiac disease can enjoy a beer and a pizza for maybe the first time in years. We also serve gluten-free chips, tortillas, soy sauce, and desserts. We only use Himilayan mountain salt that has 84 ionic minerals and stevia, a sugar substitute that can control blood sugar, not cause drastic rises and falls. Even our simple syrup is made with agave nectar.

OS: How did you come up with the name Aroma Thyme Bistro?
MG: I love cooking with essential oils, and my favorite herb is thyme. The health benefits of thyme oil are staggering-it's been proven to kill viruses, molds, and bacteria. I finish all my dishes with therapeutic-grade essential oils: orange, tangerine, lemon, lemongrass, ginger, tarragon, or dill. Their antioxidant value is a thousand times better than vitamin C. It's not the same as adding herbs to oil, it is the life blood of the plant. If you took the actual herb and rubbed it between your fingers, what comes off is the oil. Cold extraction of oils from herbs is ancient, they were even found in King Tut's tomb.
    
OS: This summer you grew veggies in your garden out back. Let's hear about your successes and failures. What will you do differently in next year's garden?
MG: We talked about doing this for four years, and then one day I just went out back with my weed whacker. My five-year-old son and I planted arugula, dill, basil, and lots of heirloom tomatoes. The tomatoes grew like a jungle-you couldn't even get under the plants. So next year we are going to plant a lot less tomatoes, and get a lot more organized. We grew some stevia plants, which are flowering now, and will make tea out of it. Next year we are going to add more mint for our Friday night mojitos. We try to pick the food as close to cooking as possible, and a fun thing we tried this year was to hand our customers a flashlight and let them pick their own tomatoes. They were delicious enough to eat with a pinch of salt.

OS: You even have a special water you've developed. What brought this on?
MG: We wanted to cut down buying bottled waters for the tables for obvious reasons, and after tons of research we found an ionizer that alkalizes water up to 10 on the pH scale. It also supercharges the water on a scale of -100 to -400. Our bodies rely on charged foods (soy sprouts are around -250 and are considered a super source of energy). The charge actually changes the clustering of the molecules so the body can absorb the water and hydrate properly. Since the charge only lasts a certain amount of time, we prepare each bottle right before it comes to the table. So, basically, not only are we serving the Rolls Royce of waters, we're doing our part to cut down on the amount of plastic in the world, we don't need to have a delivery, and we save money.

OS: You serve a host of delicious meats and fish, along with vegan entrees. Which are you: vegetarians or lovers of the flesh?
M&JG: Primarily we are vegan, but on occasion we like to eat certain selected fish and can appreciate a good piece of grass-fed, well-raised beef from time to time. Many of our customers tell us that they only eat meat when they come to Aroma Thyme. Of course, we do a lot of tasting when preparing dishes, but raw food is our absolute favorite.

OS: What ingredient must you always have in your pantry, in the restaurant, and at home?
M&JG: Olive oil! We enjoy experimenting with oils and always have many around. Our daughter has a knack for picking really good ones. She loves to eat salad with olive oil and lemon and a hemp shake (raw coconut water, raw organic cow powder, hemp, goji berries, stevia, and ice).

OS: Your restaurant is like an oasis in this area. How did you pick this location?
M&JG: We're from Ellenville [they are high-school sweethearts] and we wanted to bring something back to the community. We knew our menu and focus were unique and that people interested in eating this way would come to us.

OS: How do you find the sources for all the delicious things you serve?
M&JG: Research, research, research! We scour the internet, do wine tastings, and are always trying other restaurants. Our favorites in Manhattan are: Pure Food and Wine, Candle 79, Candle Cafe, and Caravan of Dreams (it's a cute little place). We're dying to try Raw Soul in Harlem. For fast food we love Hampton Bay Chutney Eatery, and Bonobos.

OS: Do you always eat this healthy? What are your secret indulgences?
M&JG: Non-dairy ice cream! We just found a raw ice cream that sells for $70 a gallon, and it's worth it!. We top it with a chocolate sauce made with rice syrup, or pour over a maple syrup mixed with cacao powder. When you cook it, it becomes chewy, like caramel. We also do chocolate tastings, and love when holistic ingredients, like goji berries, are married to the chocolate.

OS: Do you have any future projects on the agenda?
M&JG: Our style of cuisine has been extremely popular, and we have had many inquiries about reproducing our formula. Currently, we are looking at a historic property in Kingston that is being renovated into a restaurant and office space using all green energy systems.

OS: What advice would you give to someone who wants to open an all-organic restaurant?
MG: (laughing): Call me!

-Ellen Swandiak