Featured Contributor
J
anice Nieder could be the love
child of Indiana Jones and Julia
Child. A culinary trendsetter,
Janice might be found sharing
a smoked monkey with the
local shaman deep in the Amazon
jungle, “running with the dogs” while
truffle hunting in Marche, Italy or
crashing a wedding in Pakistan, where
she was wined and dined by over 200
men — and no women.
To keep things in balance Janice also
enjoys writing about her luxury
Girlfriend Getaways, such as the time
she stayed in a Pasha’s palace in Istanbul
($10,000 /night) in a room that had just
been vacated by Paris Hilton.
Janice has received San Francisco’s
Community Leadership Award of
Excellence for her on-going work as
the Volunteer Coordinator for
C.H.E.F.S. (Conquering Homelessness
Through Employment in Food Service)
a program she helped develop that
provides culinary and job skill training
for the homeless.
She is a proud member of Society of
American Travel Writers, Bay Area
Travel Writers, the International
Travel Writers Alliance, and
International Food, Wine and Travel
Writers Association.
RECIPE COURTESY OF CHEF NORMAND LAPRISE
How did you discover your love
of travel?
I was raised in Seattle and every
Christmas my parents would take our
family someplace in Mexico for a
much needed sun break. While my sibs
were lounging by the pool ordering
burgers, I was off scouring the
streets for the best Elote, Mexican
Corn on the Cob with Cheese, washed
down with a colorful Agua Fresca. I
knew then that this was my calling
since I was the only one who never
got Montezuma’s Revenge.
Which are you more passionate
about writing or photography?
I’m passionate about other talented
writers and photographer’s work but
when it comes to my own, there’s no
love lost. It really is just long, hard
work that can be very rewarding. I
wish I had time to learn video since
that seems to combine the best of
both worlds.
What is your writing process?
After my trip, I spend many tedious
hours typing my copious notes. The
semi-organized observations in my
Moleskine aren’t bad. The problem
arises when I try to make sense of
the illegible scribbles jotted down on
menus, business cards, sticky notes,
and napkins-- very similar to doing
my taxes!
When you get the chance to pick
your travel destination, where do
you go?
Almost anyplace I haven’t been. I’ve
been to 97 countries and I want my
100th to be someplace really special.
If I ever get a tattoo it will be Susan
Sontag’s motto, “I haven’t been
everywhere, but it’s on my list.”
Contenders are Isla de sa Ferradura, a
private island off Ibiza, where the
hacienda rents for a mere $230,000/
week. If that’s already booked then
I’ll check to see if they have finished
building the Poseidon Undersea
Resort, where you’re “shown” to your
fish bowl-ish room by submarine.
me. He was completely mesmerized. I
found out that he would run in from a
neighboring village, about three miles
away, just to watch the magic white
foam flow out of my mouth. Luckily, I
had an extra toothbrush, which I
taught him how to use. (It was a lost
cause trying to get him to understand
that you spit out the toothpaste
instead of swallowing it!)
Afterwards, he gravely took off his
bone and leather bracelet and put it
on my wrist. We then exchanged
huge, clean, toothy smiles.
Do you have a favorite dish or chef?
Funny you should ask. Last month at
the Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine and
Food Festival, I met my new fave
chef, Normand Laprise, Canada’s
equivalent to Thomas Keller. I fell
head-over-heels in love with his food,
his stunningly gorgeous cookbook,
Toque! (named after his restaurant in
Montreal) just won Canada’s “Best
Cookbook of the Year” award and his
culinary beliefs. His philosophy
involves “Cooking from Scraps” which
he explains is about being respectful
to his locally sourced ingredients by
using every last bit of the trimmings
with zero waste. One example is this
infusion, made from strawberry
stems, which he uses for Strawberry
Hull Martinis.
If you could be anyone else, who
would it be?
I wouldn’t mind being Angelina Jolie,
although I might have to double up on
nanny care. I greatly respect how
serious she is about her role as a
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and
that she also has donated
considerable monies to conservation
groups, Doctors without Borders, and
many African causes. Plus, I’d get to
come home to Brad Pitt.
What motivates you to be a luxury
journalist?
Because it so doesn’t suck! Who
wouldn’t enjoy a nightly turn-down
service that includes flickering tiki
lamps, chilled champagne and scented
rose petals floating on your private
plunge pool in the Caribbean. I love
the unforgettable moments such as
trying to understand what the
non-English speaking housekeeper
was saying to me when she kept
waving a blanket out of the window
at the Adlon Hotel in Berlin. (She was
explaining, Charades style, that I was
staying in the same room where
Michael Jackson dangled his baby,
Blanket, over the balcony.)
Strawberry Stem Water
1 pound strawberry hulls
⅔ cup sugar
In a large container mix the
strawberry hulls and sugar and
cover with water. Refrigerate for
48 hours.
Pour through conical strainer
without pressing on the hulls. Save
the water.
How do you enjoy spending your
free time?
I spend a large part of my time
researching upcoming trips. I also
enjoy eating my way through a long
list of “must-try” San Francisco
restaurants. Thankfully, I enjoy
hiking, which balances out the last
sentence. As an ex-New Yorker, I’m an
avid theatergoer, so I take advantage
of the great indie-theater scene
here. When I’m feeling crafty, I make
jewelry out of the charms and
amulets I collect on my travels.
It came as no big surprise to me that
Oprah featured travel writing as one
of the “happiest jobs in America.”
What is one of your favorite
experiences while traveling?
I’ve been fortunate to travel to many
amazing places but I will never forget
the unadulterated joy I felt after
befriending a small boy in the Omo
Valley in Southern Ethiopia. When I
went there many years ago, American
women were a complete rarity. From
the patting of my lily-white skin and
hair, it was obvious that none of the
villagers had ever seen a redhead.
Every morning I would emerge from
my cozy tent (one of the handful of
times I ever camped) to brush my
teeth in front of a mirror hung on a
tree. An adorable, shiny-eyed little
boy would come racing up to watch
2
If you were stranded on an island,
name one person and three items
you would bring. Why?
I’d invite whoever won the last
“Survivor” because I’m sure the
winner would have some handy skills.
At the very least, we could amuse
ourselves by dishing about the other
contestants.
1. I’d bring a Sleep Number bed
2. Set of Ginzu knives
3. Black mascara.
What would you recommend we do
if we came to visit your hometown?
If it were Saturday, I’d take you to
the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market for
fabulous nibbles, starting with Blue
Bottle coffee and ending with freshly
shucked oysters from Hog Island.
Then we’d jump on the historic “F”
Tram to the legendary Castro area,
stopping at the Castro Theater, a
restored 1920s movie palace, for a
peek at the all-Wurlitzer pipe organ.
If the weather were nice we’d head
over to Golden Gate Park to visit the
Conservatory of Flowers, which is the
oldest Victorian greenhouse this side
of the Thames. Then drinks at hipster
Bar Tartine in the colorful Mission
nabe before seeing Brain Copeland’s
critically acclaimed, one-man show at
The Marsh. Dinner would be at
Cotogna, where Chef Michael Tusk, a
James Beard Best Chef winner, cooks
the best rustic Italian cuisine. We
would end a perfect day with a
nightcap in The Starlight Room, a
throwback to 1930s San Francisco,
complete with red-velvet banquettes,
crystal chandeliers and a 360-degree
city view.
What are three necessities you
won’t travel without?
1. Caramelized Ginger from Trader
Joes. Pour some hot water over it for
a stomach-soothing ginger tea.
2. My iPad filled with books on tape,
which always lulls me to sleep.
3. My super light and snuggly black
cashmere shawl.
What does Luxe Beat Magazine
mean to you?
I was thrilled to be asked to write for
Luxe Beat Magazine, the premiere
resource for all things luxury. Not
only is it a perfect fit for my stories
but reading the work of other LBM
writers inspires me to do better.
Janice Nieder
[email protected]