WOOS HEALTH CONSCIOUS DINERS BACK TO THE SWEETEST COURSE

Lifestyle Cuisine Plus ensures guests with diet-dependant conditions need never bypass a dessert cart again!

With a mantra that healthy eating should always be as delicious and diverse as any fine dining experience, Fairmont’s newly introduced Lifestyle Cuisine Plus program revisits the oft-declined, much-maligned dessert and gives discriminating diners one more reason to linger over coffee.

The program addresses today’s need to cater to guests with specific diet-dependent conditions and unique dietary choices.  From heart healthy diabetic or raw to vegan, macrobiotic and gluten-free, guests can now expect their needs to be deliciously honored at any Fairmont property worldwide.  And because no great dining experience is ever complete without an equally indulgent finish, Fairmont’s ever-imaginative culinary brigade has stepped in to reinvent some familiar favorites.

Faced with the challenge of creating a delicious diabetic dessert that is sweet, satisfying and won’t spike blood sugar levels, Fairmont Battery Wharf’s Executive Chef Brendon Bashford says, “What could be better than a guilt free cheesecake? For the hotel’s pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust, I use naturally sweet pumpkin to avoid using refined sugar.”  Another small touch that guests won’t even notice: the reduced fat cream cheese that rounds out the dish, but not the diner.

The demand for deliciously uncomplicated and nutrient-rich vegan desserts was the catalyst behind Fairmont Beijing’s creative alternative to traditional ice cream – Almond Tofu with Lychee Sherbet. Rich in calcium and protein, the addition of local lychee infuses this chilly combo with vitamin C and potassium, providing the perfect close to any meal.  Similarly, Abu Dhabi’s Fairmont Bab Al Bahr offers diners wafer-thin, beta-carotene-loaded Pineapple Carpaccio with Vanilla Sorbet. A healthy, flavor-packed alternative to the typical dairy-laden dessert, this option has a refreshing quality that delivers a delicious and satisfying finish for vegan diners.

Seasonality and the lack of quality key ingredients can often railroad a great dessert, turning high expectations into big disappointments. Not for guests seeking heart healthy options at The Fairmont Palliser in Calgary. Executive Chef Greg van Poppel offers his potassium–rich Organic Goats Milk and Raspberry Frozen Yogurt only during the spring and summer months, when the goat’s milk provided by the hotel’s local supplier is at its sweetest, flavorful best.

Classic hotels call for classic desserts and many of Fairmont’s chefs have revisited the well-known favorites with an eye towards updating them to meet the needs of today’s more lifestyle-orientated eater. The Plaza’s new take on traditional Ambrosia incorporates cholesterol-free, vitamin E-packed toasted almonds into the recipe, kicking the health benefits of this venerable dessert up a few notches for guests following a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) program.

When developing a mouthwatering dessert for guests with celiac and gluten related sensitivities, chefs at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver defer to a tried and true technique implemented by at-home gluten-free chefs: using silken tofu in place of white flour. The substitution gives the hotel’s Chocolate Ganache Flan a rich, velvety texture and guarantees that patrons with wheat and grain sensitivities leave with nothing but great memories and future dining reservations.

While a macrobiotic lifestyle embraces a diet of grains, vegetables, seeds and fresh fruit, it doesn’t mean that travelers have to say goodbye to dessert.  A quick re-work of a decades-old favorite by the chefs at The Fairmont Orchid resulted in the resort’s Whole Grain Carrot Cake finished with lime-laced whipped avocado. As an ever-so-clever variation on the usual whipped cream topping, the oleic acid in avocado helps lower cholesterol and the addition of flax seed high in omega 3’s helps keep the cake moist and always appealing.

Developing a “to-die-for” chocolate dessert that would still respect the raw diet requirements of no dairy, fat or processed foods was the challenge for Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn’s Pastry Chef John Radzik.  His Dark Chocolate Tart with Marinated Citrus and Crushed Hazelnuts uses dates and agave nectar as a natural sweetener, offsetting the often bitter raw cocoa powder.  Avocado adds richness similar to cream or butter, and banana provides thickness and body to the tart.  Careful ingredient choices mean this rich and satisfying dessert is also an excellent choice for guests seeking a delicious, diabetic, vegan or heart healthy option.  This dish is available upon request or can be found with other Lifestyle Cuisine Plus recipes on Fairmont’s online community site at http://www.everyonesanoriginal.com/.

Launched earlier this year and offered worldwide, Lifestyle Cuisine Plus is a new program at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts that addresses specific diet-dependent conditions and preferences such as gluten free, vegan and more. While the same nutritional parameters guide Fairmont chefs across the globe, actual menu offerings reflect the distinctive style and unique food products of each destination. The new program is an extension of the brand’s Lifestyle Cuisine program which targets common dietary requests found among guests including low-fat and low-carbohydrate concerns.

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ABOUT FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS

Located in world-class destinations around the globe, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a celebrated collection of hotels that includes landmark locations like London’s The Savoy, New York’s The Plaza, and Shanghai’s Fairmont Peace Hotel. With more than 60 hotels, Fairmont is known as much for its warm, engaging service and culturally rich experiences, as its classic hotels that imbue a sense of heritage, sophistication and social importance and are often considered destinations in their own right. A community and environmental leader, Fairmont is also regarded for its responsible tourism practices and award-winning Green Partnership program. Fairmont is owned by FRHI Holdings Limited, a leading global hotel company with over 100 hotels under the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont and Raffles branded estates and luxury private residence club properties. For more information or reservations, please call 1-800-441-1414 or visit www.fairmont.com.

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