Autumn at the Spa

Q: You’ve been at Mohonk for 20+ years, even longer than the spa building itself has been open, what brought you here?

A: Mohonk has always been a special place for me. My love for it started in the early ‘80s when I would come with my family in the winter to ice skate. Working here is generational; my cousin and my dad both worked at Mohonk. When I was going to school for Aesthetics, there wasn’t an Aesthetician on staff and the Spa building wasn’t even built yet. I brought Aesthetics to Mohonk, being the first Aesthetician to work here.

Q: As the seasons change, especially from summer into fall, what are your tips for post-summer skin/pre-winter skin prep?

A: Skin likes consistency, meaning it likes to stay balanced. Moving from summer into fall, it is a good idea to move to a richer cleanser to help combat a cooler drier environment. In the fall, even if you have oily skin you will usually experience dehydration. Having your first step, cleanse, which is like the grand opening, be a bit richer and more focused on hydration and moisture will allow your next products to be more productive.

Early in fall, you may be able to keep your day cream the same but may want to change up your PM moisturizer. Look for something that will help fight environmental stresses, the Eminence Marine Flower Peptide Night Cream we carry would be a great option.

Q: What a fantastic tip. What other home skin-care tips would you recommend that are a must for any skin-care lover, or for those just stepping into the skin-care world?

A: What is most important in skincare is to maintain balance, but you will benefit long-term vibrancy with ALWAYS wearing your SPF, it is youth in a bottle. I love our COOLA Sun Silk Drops. They are fast absorbing and can be blended with your favorite moisturizer or foundation.

Closing Pro- Tip: If you are going to do your skincare routine once a day, the evening is where to do it. While we sleep our bodies, including our skin recover. In the morning we are just protecting from environmental stresses; wind, AC, sun, air pollution etc., so cleanse or use the steam in shower as a cleanse and SPF if you really want to keep it simple and save your serums and treatments for the evening.

Q: What is your fall favorite go to crowd pleaser recipe?

A: My fall favorite crowd-pleasing dessert would have to be an apple tarte tatin.  This dessert is easy to make using only a handful of ingredients, apples, butter, sugar, and puff pastry.  One could easily eat this dessert alone, or pair the tatins caramelized apples with buttery-salty crust with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.   When it comes to food, my philosophy has always been to keep it simple.

Q: Do you have any recommendations on how to integrate pear into a fall dessert?

A: My personal favorite got to method, is poaching.   Low and slow heat is paramount. When it comes to the type of pear used, I will always choose Bosc.  Bosc pears will keep their shape during the poaching process.  If I am making red wine poached pears, I will add sugar, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and orange peel.  When making white wine poached pears, sugar, cinnamon sticks, clove, vanilla bean, and orange peel will be added to make the pears poaching liquid.   An almond frangipane cake with poached red wine pears, and whipped ricotta, will always be my favorite combination.

Q: Of course, we must talk about apples! A classic fall day in should include a visit to the orchard. Do you have a favorite Ulster County apple orchard?

A: My favorite Ulster County apple orchard hands down, is Jenkins- Lueken Orchards in New Paltz, NY.  They have options to either pick your own apples or grab them at their farm stand (which is open year-round).  Not only do they have my favorite varietals of apple (honey crisp, fuji, pink lady, granny smith, gala, and braeburn), but they also have a bakery.  There you can grab apple cider, hard cider, apple cider donuts, and an assortment of baked goods, all of which is made on premise using their fruits.  Another favorite apple orchard of mine located in the Hudon Valley is Barton Orchards, located in Poughquag, NY.   Being that I was born and raised in the Hudson Valley, Barton Orchards was my family’s favorite orchard for a number of reasons. Barton not only has a plethora of apple varietals to choose from, but they also have a farm market, tap room, live music, hayrides, a petting zoo, and food trucks, giving you much more to do and see so you can make a day out of it.

Q: Any secrets you can share on a quick and easy apple treat for the fall? This can be made into a recipe.

A: It doesn’t get any easier in making a quick and easy apple treat for the fall, than in making apple crisp!A great apple crisp requires very few ingredients, and an entry level skillset. The step of preparing your apples by peeling them, will take the most amount of time.  Toss your apples together with sugar, and spices, and place in a greased baking dish.  To make the crisp element of the dish, you will need to combine flour, brown sugar, oats, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and butter, until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Next sprinkle the mixture on top of the apples and bake at 375 degrees until the apples are tender (roughly 1 hour).  I suggest serving the apple crisp with vanilla ice cream, and candied nuts, however; this dessert is delicious all on its own.  Whether you pick your own apples, or get them from the farmers market, making this quick and easy fall treat will be a crowd pleaser, for sure!  Growing up, my mother used to always make apple crisp from our annual trips to the orchards. Anytime I recreate this dish, or my mother makes it for me when I return home to visit during the fall season, I’m taken right back in time, and reminded about that connection my mother and I shared.