Watch celebrity interviews, entertaining tips and TODAY Show exclusives | TODAY All Day - May 31

foreigner well, hello and welcome to start

today

, we come to you from beautiful Sonoma County in California, oh that's great, welcome to the Golden State, we are here for a great start

today

, the event and the event sponsored by tourism of the Sonoma County. I love it, it was absolutely beautiful, a perfect image. I was going to say you guys struggled a little, oh yeah, beautiful, you're welcome, beautiful, you're welcome. Well, we have a packed

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for you here today all day long, including some. inspiring conversations with Olympic gold medalist Allison Felix and twin WWE superstars Nikki and Bree Garcia, start today, our start today, all members joined our online community with the same goal of working towards a lifestyle healthier, whether by exercising, eating healthily, or simply spending more. free time in nature like what we are doing here in Sonoma County, look what happened when we went in search of calm to the forest, made our own wine and got a panoramic view of this beautiful region, this is our friend, adventure Thank you, we are here in Sonoma County and this is briclog vineyard, one of 425 vineyards located here in Sonoma County.

I thought it would be nice, maybe go for a little walk, oh let's do it. Would you like it? Yes, we're headed to Brooklyn's Olive Grove where we're meeting Jenny Harrow Keeler, a natural therapy guide, so our first activity is to let go, come on, we'll be told about forced bathing today before you roll your eyes. . Wellness Trend that dates back to the 80s in Japan, where in some way it connects meditation with nature. We don't have a forest, you can do it anywhere. Forest bathing comes from the Japanese word shinrinoku, which means bathing in the forest atmosphere.

If we stay with our clothes on, there is nothing really good. It worried me. I was worried about some of that mulch. Some of the benefits have been

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n to reduce stress. They reduce anxiety. They reduce depression. Yes, we are going to start with a guided sensory awareness practice. What do I do with my hands Jenny? It's closed. Can we have some gong action? Thank you very much, well guys, now that we have detoxed, what do you say? Let's go back and talk to everyone we know. People say we are monkeys. to the Barn winery where we were accompanied by two of the members of the Bricolor winemaking team, Tom Pearson and Bob Cabral.

I mean, we couldn't come to Sonoma without trying one of the best vineyards. We have something special planned, Tom Bob, come in. two of the wine experts here, all right, we're going to have a friendly winemaking competition, news, nerds versus weather wizards, who will make the tastiest blend, probably a deeper red than yours, right? I like it a little light, so maybe we'll use the Zen as a base. I don't care, you don't care, it's okay, I like the little bite it's taking, it's okay, it's a little sweet, but I like it a lot like you and I spin it around so you guys go there, no It's your business. oh, the real answer is I don't know, we feel really good about it.

I'm actually clapping instead of high-fiving. Oh, that's how sure we are. I'm going to choose wine blend number two, which is our weather wizard. Thanks for joining. The wine topic here at Brie Killer we thought we'd finish it with our custom blend that we made for you today, so cheers, very excited, thank you all so much for the hospitality and for doing your research on all of this. part of the Golden State has to offer He had a few tricks up his sleeve Who has ever had that drink? That fabulous side drink drink. I love Mr.

Surprise, so let's get our help. Wait, where do we sit? Let's Ride, we took a sidecar tour of The Vineyards grounds before arriving at our final destination a hot air balloon Velvet has always said I'm full of hot air, that's what I decided, I decided we're going to take advantage of some of that hot air , we saw all this from the ground today, but from above it is a much more beautiful, perfect postcard, what a day we have had here, what was the highlight, spending time with you, that is really nice, oh, I love you guys , oh, you know what they said, what life opens up in Sonoma County and this.

It's as open as it gets, yes what a sight it was first time in a hot air balloon, yes 30 seconds just as special and now an enriching conversation with Olympic legend Allison Felix, yes she joined us for a ride and We also spent some time. talking about her storied career and how she is now finding the balance between motherhood and her business. Check it out. Well, Allison, it's been about a year since you retired from your professional career. So how would you say your well-being has changed over the last year? It's very different, you know, I'm really trying to transition from training for competition to training just for wellness and I've really had a ticket, how do you do it?

It's hard, you know, I'm trying to do new things that I've done. I haven't done it before, you know, starting tennis lessons, Pilates, um, not making myself throw up smart things, what is this? I hear about this new sport you play. Yes, my daughter is playing tennis, so I guess she should probably learn how to do this too. so I'm on the front end of things, but I'm excited for your tracking field skills to translate exactly. I feel like you'll be fine. She was looking at your Seekers, so tell me about Sage. I mean, you're really putting women first and not just in an ad but in production and marketing, tell me a little bit about absolutely.

I mean, our shoes are made to fit the shape of the female foot. Well, something that many companies are not doing. Feet are different and that's why we feel like we need to address those issues and we also want to think about things differently. We have a maternity return policy, which means if you are pregnant and your foot changes size, many times that change is permanent, so we have Our good news is that we will give you your new size, that's great, that's great , one of the things you should be so proud of in the universe.

USC, your alma mater, the University of Southern California recently renamed its athletics area. the Allison Field Felix Field yes, how special is this, oh my gosh, it was incredible, it was an honor, a beautiful ceremony, my whole family was with me, my daughter and I, it was more than I could have ever jumped. I love you, Allison. She has been a great inspiration to women and girls. You are raising a girl and you mentioned your daughter. How do you educate her so that she is a strong woman? Yes, I really want to empower her and just give her the tools so that she can face this world herself.

I try to give her confidence and just try to be a good role model for her. Yes, I read that you do these affirmations, you do them every morning and she has become very used to them if she forgets. they'll be like mom we haven't done our affirmations how old is she now she's four she's four yeah okay guys you wanted some affirmations how do we do it what do they do so we just repeat a saying etc. we can say that I am strong and capable I know my worth and the challenges help me grow and the challenges Help me grow we always end with I'm going to have a wonderful day it's like we start every day every day can you imagine if you start saying that? at two and every day at four years old, yeah, the most confident five-year-old going into kindergarten, the repetition over time, you know, it just puts it in your well, we have three chefs.

I will love preparing some of the best cuisine Sonoma County has to offer. A little later, we'll share some ways to help you improve your self-talk and stay motivated during your fitness journey. I'll be back, okay, it's so beautiful. I know welcome back to start today healthy eating is a key part of any wellness journey and here in Sonoma County the food is known for showcasing the freshest California ingredients so we were eager to try it. Three local chefs gave us a taste of the region with dinner, dessert, oh yes, and wine. Casey Thompson, she's the executive chef at folktales, uh, in Sonoma, so we're doing it at the folk table, so tell us about Casey, where you got a soup A here, so what's in this garbage?

Well, it's spring and the sun is out, so fish soup doesn't seem like the appropriate dish, but this is it, we have our own farms at the popular table, so one of the things I always asked the chefs who grew me is kale because I grew up. on them and I love them so essentially this is made with a ham stock, ham hock stock, you can see that here and that's something that my grandmother would have made to make her beans when I was a kid, oh my gosh, like that. which in this case just make the broth with a lot of aromatics and then add the corn potatoes with ham make a soup and then health and wellness we add a little bit of turmeric which you can see here fresh turmeric ground and added to give it that beautiful color and done. pairing this with a Chardonnay, this is topophilia, this is a local Chardonnay from Sonoma, it has these beautiful peach notes, a little bit of bright acidity to round out the cream and ham type of that soup and I like that ham, our tasters. you say oh, it's fantastic, delicious and very fast, we don't have it, you're excited about this one, but I'm excited about what chicken rice, chicken rice, chicken rice, so we also grow our own chickens on the farm and so on we use every part we give it the skin to get the fat we cover it with local friends Sacramento uh caviar so it has fresh row fried Thai basil what's the name of your place it's called popular table yeah, we have a lot of fun stuff here we are with Ari Weiswasser, the chef and owner of Glen Allen, star at Glen Allen and I love that you're making a seafood-free paella, you're using just all the regional ingredients, yeah, what a great way to showcase. all local farms here in Sonoma this is a vegetarian paella that we cook in wood fired ovens at the restaurant you can see a little bit of Sakura or the burnt on top yeah that's intentional so okay something specific. to our wood fired oven and a lot of people like this part, it's like the crispy bags on top, a lot of vegetables that we're displaying, from our farm in Glen Ellen, Kentucky Farms, among all the others, let's look at Rancho Gordo and just local. produce, it tastes fresh, it's really good, it's delicious Sonoma County is known for its farm-to-table cuisine and the next dish is no exception, you created a spring pizza, we made some garlic stir-fry green, we used some Zoe salami from Petaluma, oh.

Oh my goodness, some golden Estero cheese and some egg yolk jam from our chicken, yeah, we'll pair it with a vodka drink, right, this is what's in there. Local Hanson Vodka, it's their transfusion, some organic white grape juice, yes. I mean, this is driving me crazy, it tastes like crazy executive chef and owner of table culture Provisions in Petaluma, uh, you got it, we'll get to dessert in just a second, but this gratin looks delicious, yeah, so this is a dad. gratin, usually this is a French classic, but what becomes so normal are all the ingredients I use in it, from a thick clover cream to a Cowgirl Creamery red hawk cheese and Estero gold, also parmesan cheese and you're from the area we should keep in mind Chef too you grew up in Petaluma you didn't even see that there yeah I actually grew up in Haiti and then I moved to Petaluma in 2008 and I've been a chef in Petaluma since then and about two years ago we we stayed at our restaurant also in downtown Petaluma, very quickly here, the creme brulee and then this is the classic French creme brulee with Tahitian vanilla beans, this is one of my favorites, it's also one of my mom's favorite desserts and then So I felt like I had to share it with you in my group.

This is delicious. What is the verdict? Your table, well, I have food in my teeth. I mean, the wine, obviously, is the best, but the food. Fantastic, awesome, so I think we're done next, our fearless fitness leader today, Stephanie Mansour, is going to show us how to improve our self-talk and we're also catching up with two super sisters, Nikki and Bree Garcia, who let's talk. your lives after wrestling we are back ready for this foreign foreigner thank you thank you we are back we will start today here in Sonoma County California anyone who is embarking on a health change knows that sometimes you know that negative negativity can absolutely creep in but there's always a way to stay motivated and who better to show us that than today fitness contributor Stephanie Mansour check it out so what I want you to do is go over the causes of the routine so that when you leave here or maybe You'll feel really good about things for a week or two and then you might go off track or maybenominated for a James Beard award, finalist on season 18 of top chef and is set to open her restaurant in late August in Houston later this year, how to eat like an olympic height. good morning good morning good morning I mean, I guess you're just a star at everything you try.

I mean, I've been told to do my best in every endeavor. It is so nice. Well, just like you, we're not Olympic athletes. anything except that we want to start the day with breakfast, right? You say there are three things we have to eat every day. So I like to say that you should eat some nuts to get really good protein and good fats. You know, for your body, raw fruit and some grains that are also delicious, so women will help you. This is a chocolate granola, granola, yes, chocolate, something fun with vanilla yogurt or, you know, on top of maybe like a little bowl of chia seeds or something, that's beautiful, yes, and then this It's an energy shake, this energy shake is full of protein, antioxidants and good fuel for your morning workout, okay, and it's a good on-the-go breakfast, uh, that. you know you can hit the trail with some banana dates uh blueberries and um and um and then avocado you say start your day with a little bit of good fat exactly so if you're a person who prefers salty breakfasts, this It's one way to do it.

Well, because you have a good protein from this is a chili paste with almonds, yes, and in other places that is Trader Joe's red chili, yes, yes, and then you add a little bit of almonds in there and then you have a little bit of protein . breakfast for you now once we move on to lunch one of the things we never ate when we were in Tokyo was some vegetables oh I haven't eaten anything green in three weeks well I'll help you with that because we all need them so here we have a salad rich in vitamins, with excellent antioxidant qualities, also because it is a turmeric and vinegar dressing, I mean a ginger dressing, and what you will do is I will overcome it. this a little bit um um this is a versatile dressing, you can use it with chicken or fish, you don't have seeds in your salad either, yeah, because it's interesting, seeds are also rich, rich fats, good fats for the body and um and also. a little bit of fiber some fiber that's great that looks so good thank you thank you sorry and for dinner you swear by this Chutney this is um yeah this is a preferred Chutney is from Trinidad um as far as cultures go but you can also puree it and make it into a glaze that is functional for roasts and things like that, what we did here is just use it as a chutney or condiment for this chicken, it's called Coachella, it's made, it's a little spicy, it's made with mangoes and ginger, this amchar um amcha Masala, which is a um, thank you very much, oh, it's my pleasure to find the food recipes from today.com and she came back in the third hour, uh, to tell us how to convert the food An athlete's jeep on the little birthday we have. a special uh bubbly oh yeah you got cider, thanks for the cider, well you got apple cider, yeah I call 40.

Wow, you're only four, wow, how old are you, anode? Are you 21? No, you better not, no, no, I can. I don't drink, I know it's just a baby, yeah, congratulations, yeah, like you need a reason to drink. I know, thank you, foreign, foreign, foreign food and it's inspired by a trip to London, so we thought Nicholas would like to stay and also he said. has never had a visit, so we have Gail Simmons, our culinary, not as you know her, that's right, food writer, permanent Top Chef judge now in its 20th season, 16 former competitors from around the world are heading to London to face the ultimate.

World Title Jail All-Stars join us now for a traditional Sunday roast with lamb Gail, good morning, good morning, see you, that's right, London, London, Top Chef, this is the first time in 20 seasons that we do our entire season abroad. I lived in London for two months filming during the summer and fall. It was wonderful, it was wonderful and most of all I have to admit that I love British food. I think it gets a bad rap, but first of all, London is an incredibly global city. Yes, but Nicholas really laughs at them. What was the Sunday roast is a beautiful tradition, right?

And I'm really excited about that, yeah, and it really goes well with Easter, obviously, or Passover or whatever you're celebrating right now, um, this time. of the spring year, so I decided that it is normally done with the big roast beef. I'm making a leg of lamb. Okay, so this is a boneless butterfly. Can you ask your butcher to get it for you? Absolutely yes, it's very standard. Okay and I'm going to Start by making the marinade, so you're making mint, which usually people, you know, pair with lamb exactly, it goes so well. I'm using a lot of fresh mint.

I'm going to pour it into a bowl with lemon juice and, oh. You're going to help me here, so in the bowl I'm going to throw in you can add lemon zest, garlic and a little bit of Aleppo pepper. You can just use chili flakes if you have them, let's spice it up. It's that spicy, they are spicy, but Aleppo. It has a beautiful mild chili flavor and then Alex, you want to blend. I'm going to pour some olive oil. I have salt. This is absolutely delicious, yes, well. I'm glad you're dead like you are when it's hot, especially the popover that Nick Well, you'll know it as Yorkshire pudding, it's the same thing, essentially exactly the same, but they just cook them in these crazy tins which we'll look at in a minute instead. on a large plate, okay, okay, so you've got your marinade, so I've got my marinade, now pour it over my Legoland, but not all of it, except for a little bit, which will act as an additional sauce later, that's great .

Thank you very much, you've done this before once or twice and how. How long do you let it sit in the marinade at least four hours? You can put it in the refrigerator. You can leave it overnight and cook it the next day. If you want, you'll stir it around and make sure it's well coated. let it cover it and then you will take it out, pat it dry and throw it on a very hard surface. If you let the meat come to room temperature earlier, yes, you want to take it out at least 45 minutes and you actually want to season it because there isn't any. salt in that marinade, we'll do that as we go, season with salt and pepper, you want to pat it dry after it comes to room temperature and then you're going to let it dry.

I've never cooked lamb, do you? a little redness inside or a little, I find it and this is personal, that unlike steak which I like really medium rare, like lamb completely pink inside, it can be a little tougher and a little bit chewy, so I like to cook it a little more medium rare, well medium rare. So every now and then I put the top exactly, which is very important, in one bowl I have flour and salt in the other bowl. I have four eggs that I'm going to beat. I like to add a little bit of maple syrup, something untraditional, but Canadian, this is what I was excited about because I took a bite and I love ultra pudding, but it has a nice sweetness to it, that's right, a little bit of sweetness, a little melted butter.

Nicholas Cooks, so he's taking notes. I love it, I love it. I feel like it's very um it's fortuitous that we have a Brit to eat my uh my Sunday rice, cook it in beet fat, but this is a yeah, I'm using melted butter here and then I'll just put in my dry ingredient beaters. it's like a lot of moisture, this is exactly like that, but when they come out of the oven, they're actually huge, like you saw before, and they deflate a little bit, but there's so much I don't know about shrinkage. Jerry like a Precisely okay, so I mixed it all up, put it in a can.

Now here is the key to Yorkshire pudding. The key to popovers. Do you want to preheat this pan? This is a stylish popover mold. You don't need it. You can use a muffin. Okay, but you can see there's already melted butter sizzling on the bottom because I've preheated it, take it out of the oven and immediately, while it's still hot, pour it in three-quarters of the way because you don't want it to come out. It matters, that's because they last a few hours, yeah, and that's the name, so you pour it in and then you put them in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes at 4 25 and they come out so puffy, serve them immediately, I mean, now. they have I mean it's late but they are seconds and delicious are you happy Nicholas and then you have the extra much better than the Crickets that's how my Sunday Rose is still it's amazing is this the best interview you've ever had without a doubt it's me?

I'm so happy you're getting a bad taste of crickets. Nicholas came to play. I like it. Alright. Gail. Thank you so much. Nicholas. Thank you very much for these recipes. Go to today.com. Thank you. Good morning guys, welcome to Boost. That is. time of year again, prom season, and today we get into the spirit with stories that celebrate this special time, from the incredible bond between two very special prom dates to the dress shop that makes prom dreams come true, but This year high school students are not the only ones. those attending prom, check out this first prom for seniors Emily Aqueda has that sweet story, let me put a little shine on that, at 95 years old Evelyn Hauser doesn't experience firsts very often anymore, oh my god, but right outside. from Baltimore, she is getting ready and pampered for a day that was long overdue.

The last thing to complete the set. Evelyn's daughter-in-law is helping her prepare for the senior prom. Evelyn, why didn't you go to the dance? I did not do it. finish high school I had to go to work I think it was hard her mother raised seven children alone forcing her to work a lot and the children went out to work as soon as they could it turns out that Evelyn is not alone dozens of the residents of Atrium Village Senior Living have never gone to a prom before. I said, well, we have to have a prom.

You have to go to prom once in your life. Seniors and staff spend weeks planning the perfect night, including clothing shopping, dance classes, and even proposals. at the door and Joan was on the other side saying, will you go to prom with me? and she said: I'll go to the prom with you. Well, thank you very much, it was a little cheesy, but it sure was fun. In the spirit of prom absolutely after much anticipation, sadly, the big night has arrived and so have the Melvins, who arrive in style, even if the limo ride is just a tour of the senior housing community, the Celebratory evening filled with glitz and glamor from the gold-adorned walls, from the carefully curated dinner to the photo booth complete with props, the residents' families are also there to share in the fun, how meaningful is it for the two of you to go together? to the prom.

This is like a dream come true. going to prom with a man I love, my heart is tap dancing and I don't tap, while Joyce Melvin missed prom entirely as a teenager for her 93-year-old husband Oscar, the day is about to recreate a memory tarnished by discrimination. In the 1940s I was the only black man there, it wasn't very pleasant for me, so his wife is making sure this time is different by swaying and swooning to their wedding song they danced to two decades before. the works is this a long overdue time for many of these very late residents several comments tonight say oh my gosh we haven't had this much fun in years.

I haven't smiled so much in years and those smiles that reach from ear to ear say it all, it's very exciting. All of this continues below. Bobby Thomas steps in to make prom dreams come true for a very deserving team who helps her say yes to the prom dress. Dear Bobby, My daughter who is now 18 years old has been battling severe colitis ulcers diagnosed in June 2021. We spent 45 days. together in the hospital she dropped three quarters of her classes, all extracurricular activities, her job and her internship her body has changed so drastically with all the steroids that she can go to the prom which she is very excited about, but she has no dress, just I want her to feel beautiful after hearing Jenna's story.

She was prepared to give it her all. I'm Bobby Thomas, copy editor of the Today Show. Oh, I want to help you feel beautiful and confident. Are you willing to come to New York City for the three of us? I can go find you the prom dress of your dreams, oh my god this is amazing. The mother-daughter duo hopped on a plane in Ohio and headed to New York, where I got to know them a little better. A lot of your story really resonated with me. As was? You find the strength. I think a lot of that was my mom.

She was very strong for me when I couldn't. Can you tell me what that was like for you? The hardest thing was that I didn't realize how sick she was. until I literally lived with her,between plus size and regular size, yes, and I cater to those two, which is beautiful. I feel colored. I feel like confidence is her. middle name we know you wanted pink, but how did you feel when you saw your girl in this beautiful dress? Even though I love pink, I love pink, this one is for her, I mean it's for sure, she's only half of it, just a good one or about herself. she is smiling from ear to ear you also have a beautiful smile yes yes okay guys we have one more thing for you ladies the people at Ulta Beauty will help you look glamorous so they will give each of you a gift of 500 card for makeup products in store or online they want you to feel like you have to have the perfect everything oh that's amazing, that's great, well summer, you're amazing, you're an amazing human being, thank you all for sharing this with us, beautiful. beautiful girls just below, the latest viral video to make your day better, stay with us abroad, thank you, welcome back to Boost, we have one more video that will surely brighten your day, check it out, a heartwarming meeting between some students in a Pre-K class and a boy who moved in February, so the teacher and the boy's mother arranged for Cason to come back and surprise his old class during graduation, which was a great welcome, he finally teacher made everyone stand in a single line so she could give them up. one in a casein and very good hugs too as you know what sizes that's good that's cute that's sweet well that's all for today we hope we can start your day with a little smile and see you here tomorrow with more of the momentum here today everything the day hello and thank you for joining us in consumer confidentiality.

I'm Vicki Nguyen, learn how to sell your house faster for asking price if not higher, reduce your energy bill and why you should think twice before giving away your email it's all coming your way, but first a warning about a danger potential for drivers and pedestrians ultra bright headlights that can cause accidents and what you should do now to stay safe on the road social media is full of photos and videos of blinding headlights I can't even see, I'm literally blinded by headlights from the kind that it's behind me. Check out these close calls apparently caused by glare.

This driver barely misses that pedestrian. Another near collision with a car coming from the opposite direction and this one crashing into a fallen tree. The light. It looks much brighter John Bolo is a scientist who studies lighting for the Mount Sinai School of Medicine's Light and Health Research Center. It says that older headlights use halogen bulbs that have a softer orange color, but the newer ones are bluish white and are creating a lot of glare for other drivers and a potentially dangerous situation, that's right, Bola showed us the difference firsthand with an older halogen headlight and a newer LED that emit the same amount of light.

I'm going to look at the warm light just to understand a feeling, okay, yes it's bright, let me see what the LED light does, oh this one is much brighter, it hurts my eyes and actually I still see the spots, why do they seem brighter? Well, our eyes are more sensitive. to Blue Light, he says the problem is magnified when a headlight is misaligned, a common problem. An NBC News analysis found that only 10 states require annual inspections, the check to see that headlights are properly aligned, pointing outward and downward, the noise that turns off an LED headlight. alignment just a few degrees to show me what can happen on the road.

Wow, the LEDs are already pretty bright, but when they're tilted up you can't see anything else. This would be very dangerous if you were driving, says another. The contributing factor is large trucks and SUVs, which accounted for 75 percent of all vehicle sales last year. Those taller vehicles mean the headlights are higher and more likely to shine directly into a driver's eyes in a smaller, lower vehicle I couldn't see for five to ten seconds, Aaron Madrid totaled his Chevy Sonic in November when he says an oncoming van blinded him when I could see I had swerved into oncoming traffic and then ended up in a tree luckily he wasn't hurt it just felt like the lights went out but Ashanti Collins wasn't so lucky , says that in May 2021, the lights of an oncoming vehicle caused his accident.

Was he totally blinding? Yeah I couldn't see anything that was the only thing I saw before I woke up on the side of the road in my car I had to be airlifted to a hospital to treat a broken arm and a dislocated wrist when you looked at the photos of your car Did you think it was a miracle that you survived that accident? Yes, definitely looking at the car. It was just crazy, experts and automakers agreed that the main solution to this glaring problem is something called adaptive headlight technology. Right now it's only available on test vehicles here in the US, but I'll show you how it works.

I'm here in Virginia. at Audi's US headquarters to show you what the future of night driving will look like Philip Robek, head of product management at Audi, what did these lights do right instead of thinking of a static light as a low beam? and a high beam? a projector there are 1.3 million micromirrors in each headlight that create this image and they don't blind other people and they don't blind other people I get behind the wheel to see for myself wow, I can see yes, this whole experience of driving at night It's completely different and much better, I feel like a safer driver.

Notice these arrows on the pavement. They help you stay within the lanes when entering the highway. The lights highlight my lane without affecting other drivers. Okay, so this car now pulled in front of him. and I notice it has a shadow now, yeah oh interesting but the real light show takes place on this dark windy road, it almost feels like magic because of the amount of light being cast everywhere, I'm not used to it let's see. that as a driver I change cars so I can see what it is like to drive towards the test car with adaptive headlights, its high beams are on, yes, but they are not a problem for me, yes, while this car behind it with the LEDs is quite bright.

Yes, it is noticeable to see the difference. Do you think this technology saves lives? Fully adaptive headlights have been used in Europe and several other countries for about a decade, but automakers and safety experts here say bureaucracy in the United States means it could be years before we see this one. technology is allowed in cars here, so in the meantime you want to drive slowly at night, look towards the right edge of the road to avoid the dazzling lights and if you suspect your headlights are misaligned, you can check it. See if one light is higher than the other when you pull into your garage or point your car at a wall, even an inch or two can mean major misalignment 100 feet from the road and don't forget to check with your mechanic, they should be. able to easily realign your headlights It's not just road safety that has become a hot topic, retailers have also started tightening their refund policies and charging additional fees, all according to the National Retail Federation.

Americans will return $816 billion worth of goods in 2022. So how? Do we avoid those additional fees? Here's how you can make your returns easier and cheaper. So Vick used to be when he bought something online and he didn't like it. It was a simple and easy return, but that is no longer the case. Definitely switching to Hoda Once upon a time we were nervous about going online to buy something. What is this? They were the online shopping retailers. Look, we're going to make it very easy for you. We will send it to you for free. You can return it to us, it will be like going to a brick and mortar store fast forward 15-20 years and now we are doing spectacularly but it is not free for the retailer when processing a return it costs 15-20 minimum and we Se talks about 16 and a half percent of all online purchases coming back and there's a real cost and now retailers are trying to recoup that.

A recent survey by go TRG shows that 60 of the retailers are reconfiguring their return policies in one way or another. feel like they do want you to go try it on at home, send it back, no problem, well there's a change these days, so what are some of the new rules and pitfalls we should work out? Okay, for PBP. Okay, I admit I'm pausing before. buying yes, the less you buy, the less you will return, this is a good time to check your favorite retailer's return policies because something has probably changed and then when you get that item, if you are not sure you want it. make sure you keep it in its original packaging try it without makeup or perfume because if you return it it must be in salable condition, many of these returns end up in a landfill so it's a waste even if you get your money back it's very a waste and there's a cost to the environment, all that shipping, that carbon footprint of shipping something to you that you package it up and send it back, so those are things that you have to keep in mind and if you're going to go back to the store, always bring your ID and your original payment method that just helps expedite, so Liberty said wait a, someone said wait a week if you're going to buy something online that's not urgent, yeah, if you look back in your little basket and It's a week later and it's still there and you need it so get it yeah so let's look at the policies of some of the biggest stores in the country.

Okay, let's start with Target. Target allows you 90 days to return almost anything except electronics, so it's 30 days, but if you have a Target red card. You have up to 120 days to make the return now. Amazon is interesting. There have always been 30 day free returns as easy as possible, but you have to pay attention because there are many third party sellers on Amazon, yes, and sometimes their return policies are different they are also starting to implement according to the information a one dollar return fee , so if you go to UPS to return something to Amazon but there is a Kohl's or Whole Foods that is closer to you, they will charge you a dollar for that item. return and finally Walmart is 90 days in person uh in store same thing they have a shorter return window for electronics but those are the big companies and their policies as of now what about Nordstrom always had the best return? you pick it up, do retailers definitely have their own thing, for example, Zara 395 to return an item, um, JCPenney, eight dollars, but if you go to the physical store, as with most retailers, it's usually free if Don't you give it back?

The other thing is loyalty programs, so DSW, which is Designer Shoe Warehouse and HM, if you return an item online by mail, there is a fee, but if you are a member of the loyalty program it is free, so really the fine is worth looking at. print to see if you should register, but again pause PBP before connecting to the person following

tips

to help you save on your energy bill this summer and later how to protect your privacy online and avoid the dangers ahead online consumer confidentiality matter thank you foreigner, we're Back to consumer confidentiality, summer is here and that means higher energy bills are coming too.

The good news is that there are easy ways to save big on your bills. Let's talk about some ways to maximize efficiency. I mean, I was talking about some of these places. in west coast country, back in the 90's, so yeah, when was the last time you checked your air conditioning unit to see if it was clean and clog-free? We just let that thing run and go, it needs to be inspected, it needs to be cleaned. Now is the time before things get busy and summer begins. The next thing to do is think about your thermostat.

What do you have next to the thermostat? Is there a TV next to it? A lamp that emits heat and is activating the thermostat. to keep the air conditioning running longer, so make sure you move anything that's hot away from your door and then we'll talk about strategic plantings, think about your landscaping, if this is the time to put in some new trees and shrubs, what Can it be done to shade the air? the conditioning unit just makes all the units, yes the unit itself is correct, you don't want a messy Bush, although that will drop things on it and the other thing is to think about the hottest part of your house, the part that looks south and west.

If you can plant some trees that provide shade, that will reduce your air billconditioning at a 10, at least, yeah, it's a big difference in the strategic landscape, so let's jump in now, let's talk about some ways, some

tips

to maintain the interior of your house. a little cooler for Less fans is your friend a fan uses 160° the amount of energy than an air conditioning unit so use it in conjunction with your air conditioner and every degree you can keep your air conditioner above 75 degrees you are saving another 15 on your electric ceiling fans, ceiling fans, or even floor or table fans, any type of fan that can help move air will not cool the air, but it will move your body heat away from your skin and make you feel warmer. cool.

What is very simple is to buy some caulk or weather stripping to seal any cracks in the walls and then if you have gaps under the door or around the windows order weather shipping, it is a very economical solution in the hardware store. Finally, if you can keep the blinds closed during the hottest parts of the day, you will reduce the heat gain by 45 33 if you keep the curtains closed, so it's simple, if you want the sunlight outside, these things add up. in the middle, you know, okay, I didn't realize this, a lot of electric companies charge different rates for peak hours, they really do and it depends on where you live at the end of the season, so you have to look for it in the your energy company's website. or call them usually between two and six is ​​when you want to avoid using your large appliances your dishwasher your washer and dryer use them after 6 p.m. m. or on the weekends the other thing we don't think about is unplugging those small appliances the chargers everything you have plugged into the Vampire devices are slowly sucking the juice out of the electrical system and causing your electric bill to go up those incandescent light bulbs think about how many light bulbs do you have in your house light fixtures in the ceiling switch everything to LED Not only does an LED bulb last 25,000 hours compared to 1,200 hours for an incandescent bulb, but those older bulbs only emit heat, which also makes your home is warmer, yes, and it costs three times more to operate.

I don't realize that our water heaters and our homes are responsible for about a fifth of our bill, yes 18 of your annual energy bill comes from your water heater. I was going to ask you Craig last time you remember what degree we were supposed to set it to and I didn't know I didn't even look down now 120 degrees. I was going to say 120 degrees perfect. Right on the money, you learned something from the last segment, so the consumer product safety commission says not only Is this safer? It will prevent someone from getting burned by hot water, but it is more energy efficient.

The other thing is just wearing a full load of laundry. I'm sure we already know this and use cold water unless you have very dirty clothes. The last part is using this sun, at least start getting some of your clothes outside and maybe if you don't like how crispy they are, throw them in the dryer for the last five or ten minutes to fluff them up again. Okay, use the sun, use the outdoors, you know, with credit cards for example, you'll say just call, just ask for a discount, apparently with this maybe you can try it, that's right, always ask for a discount, no matter where you're going to hang the situation, no.

And this is what your energy provider has, programs to help you with your income and that will show people with disabilities that you may qualify for some of these programs. The other thing is that many companies want to encourage you to weatherize your home. Install Energy Star. Appliances We bought some light bulbs through Con Ed, which is here in New York, and the light bulbs were like 25 cents each, so there are programs that can save you up to 500 or more on your energy bill. Okay, I think you win. I know, great. tips save almost 30 percent she's like an encyclopedic people thank you Vicky thank you here's what you need to know to make it harder for advertisers to track you online plus how to reduce subscriptions and save more money we'll be right back after this thank you, foreigner, thank you, thank you, thank you, welcome back to Consumer Confidential, hand in your email and get a discount.

Well, it sounds simple, but did you know that your email is a valuable key to unlocking a lot of personal information? Here's what you should consider before sharing. email This is a common site on most websites pop-ups that ask you to enter your email address to get a discount, but it may not be worth it Your email connects businesses with a treasure trove of information which can go back decades what you read where you shop your age marital status sexual orientation medical history income including where you traveled and lived all the information that comes together to reveal your personal profile I've had my email longer than my phone number and that's a reality for many people.

Patrick Jackson is a cybersecurity expert with an online privacy and offline company. His email address is much more valuable than people probably realize. You can get the first and last name of him. His birthday. Who does he work for? What school does he go to? he says like Apple and to block apps, apps, cookies, not those cookies, these cookies, advertisers and brands now directly ask you for your email, it's something that consumers don't really understand, they don't understand that this is really the glue that connects all these pieces. of information together and when you open an email that can give advertisers even more information about you, Jackson showed me how it works in real time.

Well, I got an email that says Shoe Sale. That is for me. Yes, that's for you. You're going to open it, you hit a tracker on this mailer and the moment I open it, you learn a lot about me just by opening this email. I can get your location, which is New York, New York, you're connecting from an iPhone. using the Outlook app on your device at a time when you open it and if you open it again, why should I care that you know all that about me? It's not clear what happened, it creates this Beast that we no longer have control over once this date is collected and where all that data goes.

Patrick says he often ends up with so-called data brokers who might collect it and sell it to people like Michael Preme, the CEO of Modern Impact, an advertising agency that helps brands target their customers. Some of this data collection helps consumers by providing them with a better online experience. What is the benefit for the consumer? The benefit to the consumer is actually receiving ads that enrich or create a better digital experience. There is no way to remove all advertising from our digital ecosystem except framing. also advocates for consumer privacy and enforcement of privacy laws. The balance then for brands is to ensure that they do not infringe our privacy and do not appear to be harassers.

Do you think there is a world where you can have both for a consumer to protect? their data and have their privacy and still have ads and an online experience that is relevant to them. I hope so. While it's not perfect, I think the goal of many smart advertising brands is to continue to enrich that experience, not hijack it, and it's not just your email, but also your phone number, which allows companies to text you and target you for ads, and the more your phone number is available, the greater the chance that you could be part of a data breach that would make you a bigger target for robocalls. and spam messages, and like mailing lists, it can also be difficult to keep track of monthly subscriptions, which can easily add up, but there are some simple steps you can take to reduce your expenses.

We all have that list of subscriptions we are paying for. From TV and music streaming to meal plans and fitness apps, it's HBO Max Netflix and Hulu Spotify. I think gym memberships are automatically charged each month whether we remember them or not, and as the Wall Street Journal recently reported, they add up to a 2022 survey that respondents estimated. I spent $86 a month on subscriptions, the actual average amount was $219 and it was a lot more for Lakeisha Mosley, the pandemic really put us all on edge financially until I was trying to set a budget, she found a lot of forgotten subscriptions and I I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm paying for this and I'm paying for that, including a recurring class pass membership that was costing about a thousand dollars a year, which I could count on one hand at the time I signed up. , maybe once. or twice Mosley added more than 700 per month in subscription charges, ended up canceling more than half of subscribers as she says that's enough cancellations for Netflix Hulu HBO Max and others Increased about fifty percent in 2022 over the year previous our subscriptions one of those things that are easy to forget because they are automatic, absolutely your subscriptions are very often they are small amounts, so sometimes we forget about them five dollars six dollars twelve dollars a month and a rule proposed by the Federal Commission of Commerce would crack down on companies that place orders to make canceling as easy as it was to sign up, they should tell you how long the trial period is.

Variety of apps that can help you track expenses and flag subscriptions you may have forgotten. I realized I was paying for two Netflix accounts and two Spotify accounts. Dustin Hensley used the Rocket Money app to identify duplicate payments and a mysterious 300 annual fee that I was refunded what What advice would you give to other consumers after going through your experience? Pay attention: you will receive five cents instead of a thousand cuts. If you don't want to use another app to track your subscriptions, you can expedite your payment to make it easier to track them. For example, use your most used credit or debit card and set alerts on your phone for when those charges come in, then you'll see that you'll be reminded that you're still paying for subscriptions, but you can still prepare your home to pay for the cancellation. the market faster and at the price you are asking or even more below the tricks to make your house an attractive property when the consumer returns confidentially thank you thank you foreigner welcome back it is a complicated market for home buyers and sellers in this High mortgage rates cause a drop in sales, but staging your home can make a difference and the right changes can even cause your home to sell for above asking price.

The best part is that you don't have to spend a fortune. It's all a stage that includes your home when it's time to sell, with existing home sales down nearly 23 percent from last year, some homeowners are now choosing to set the stage for potential buyers by giving their spaces a little makeover before putting them on the market. We prepare the main living areas. We also repainted a lot of walls, but more importantly, the man massively tidied up the house, from a fresh coat of paint and unobstructed windows to updated furniture and floor coverings. A recent survey found that 81 percent of buyer agents said staging made it easier for a buyer to visualize a property as their future home.

It's like you have to move the seller a little to help the buyer feel like he can move. Stacy Esser, a real estate agent in New Jersey who runs her own staging company, says most homes don't need a complete renovation to attract buyers; small changes can receive a big return; sellers spend an average of $400 to 600 in staging, you have seen it time and time again that when you make a small initial investment that increases the selling price of the house, yes, you will actually sell your house for more money every time Essers staged houses are also They sell this listing under contract faster in one weekend for one hundred and twenty-six thousand dollars over the asking price and when the average house spent 160 days on the market in their neighborhood, the owner of this house organized by Esser says he accepted a offer in less than a month what today's buyer is looking for so today's buyer is looking for more flexible spaces open floor plans great storage places to work at home where they can exercise and more informal spaces to spend time with family Esther says wherever the sight rests, the sale begins, you really want to help the buyer.

Visualize yourself in that space, the most important rooms fororganize the living room, master bedroom and kitchen, so this is a house that will actually go on the market this weekend. Ezra takes us on a tour of the spectacular before and after of this home, one of the things we start with is always removing the heavy curtains from the windows and letting the sunlight into this what would be a formal living room Recently painted a neutral color before its transformation into a more informal and flexible space, tell me what you did here. First of all, I think what we did was make the room look much larger and created multiple seating areas in this really large space.

What can you do in the kitchen to organize it? and make it more attractive to buyers, so one of the easiest things we can do is basically help a seller declutter a kitchen, because there is a recipe for a market-ready kitchen, clean the counters, change furniture bulky and customize with pops of color using items you already have in your refrigerator or pantry, you really livened up the kitchen, yes we totally did it, it's expensive and anyone can do this, these are just vegetables, so we like to use this book kitchen to make it look like someone was here cooking and just changing. the table made a huge difference, you combine the round table with a pop of white and it really brightens the space, and the team above from Esser turns this den into a kid's bedroom.

Bedrooms help sell homes when it comes to staging, it's not just about what's in it. It's the inside that counts. First impressions matter too. Don't forget the outside. Make sure your home has curb appeal. Flowers should be planted outside. People should trim their hedges. People should make sure their lawn is well maintained. Simple touches to help prepare your home. For Showtime essers, the best time to sell is when interest rates drop. She encourages you if you're thinking of selling to start your decluttering process now, for example, take down family photos like this one and see how much cleaner and clearer it looks next to you.

If you are going to want to remove the curtains to allow more natural light into those windows it makes a big difference and if you have a busy wallpaper you want to change it to a neutral color, maybe paint it to liven it up and brighten your home. All of this will help interested buyers to imagine themselves living in their space, that's our time for now. Thank you so much for staying tuned to all of us at NBC News. I am Vicki Nguyen foreigner. I've been coming here for years and if there is one. What I do know is that the city of Baltimore takes its trash seriously.

I love Baltimore crabs. This is Scotland's crab vine and I've been eating crabs since I could sit at a table. It's a little spicy, salty and tasty. one, if I could describe the taste, you can't, you just have to try it, we have to try it, it's time to get out of Studio 1A and hit the road for a new kind of culinary adventure, follow me as I try some of the most iconic foods across the country and we will meet the families behind them together, we will learn how a good meal has the power to connect us with our past, our future and each other when you think of Maryland, you must think that blue crab is an essential part of the culture and cuisine of the state and no place knows how to cook it like Baltimore.

I mean, as many ways as you can count, you can find ways to eat crab, of course, there's the basics, your crab steamed with beautiful spices and just get started. By punching that bad boy you can get all that beautiful meat out, you can get canned crab if you want, of course, there's also the fabulous hot dog crab macaroni and cheese, there's the crab dip, there's your crab soup, and of course , king crab, crab cake, yes, but this is a cake that doesn't need frosting. Crab cakes have been enjoyed by many for centuries throughout the Chesapeake region, but here in Baltimore they are a way of life and one of the city's most popular dishes is hidden away. away, just inside the world famous Lexington Market, today we returned to Houston and wanted to have the best crab cake in town.

We are from Orlando. I'm glad to be here. People have been coming to favorites for years. Yes, since I was little. and I'm 25 years old. People from all over the world come here to Baltimore just to try Fatally's famous crab cake. It's made with fresh Maryland crab and family love. Thank you. They all look the same. How are you dear? Hello hello. Hello, it's good to see you, how are you, sir? You look good. get something for yourself. there you go, there you need it, you need one of those, oh yeah, there it is now. I feel very grumpy, forgive me.

I have to get a lawyer because there is a clause that I must have checked. I've known the folks at Fatly Seafood for years, but they've been serving fresh crab cakes even longer. Nancy Feedly divine. I'm a family owner of Seafood, it's been in my family now for four generations and the fifth is coming, so we've been around a long time. I think people are surprised to see my parents at 84 and 89 still working to make a second batch if necessary with them. People ask him. They asked for a photo for an autograph. They asked her to hold their babies.

You know, it's a lot of fun. I mean, here's this company that's been a part of Baltimore for over 130 years. Why what is it about your house that keeps people coming back? I think it's just that people walk in here and leave right away, there's a warmth there, it's like walking into someone's house, they're happy to have you, you know, you come and you feel, oh my gosh, I feel at home and I receive people. We were here 20 years, it's exactly the same, in fact Faidley is still in its original location, founded here by John W.

Faidley Sr. in 1886. It started as a seafood stand, but over the generations it became a Baltimore tradition led by Bill and Nancy Devine. with her daughter Dami Han and I are the fourth generation of families, so I do everything from filleting a fish here to cooking an oyster there, steaming a crab here, frying here and making a crab cake. talking on the phone in the shipping department or a tray like that is about uh let me see one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight bushels of crafts to get that tray, which is a lot of work and I don't think people I realize how much work it takes to get a giant bump as you grow up.

Did you think you were going to end up here? You were going to do this. No, no, but it was hard to get away from him and I couldn't see him. I couldn't see how it would end up with my parents, so the pandemic hit, yeah, you really had to step up. My father called me and I said dad, you guys can't come here. They know we don't know anything about this virus. and the effects especially on older people and I know you want to be here but you can't and he said, Jamie, do what you can to make payroll.

It makes me cry when I think about it. um, he said, just do I'm sure we don't have to fire anyone. I don't want to fire anyone. I don't want anyone to lose their job. We did it and I

watch

ed it after I got here in the '90s and I still

watch

it. today This is really a fan oh okay and it's funny because I often tell people that mom and dad don't treat employees any different than how they treat me and that's why you end up having so many families of several generations staying here, that's true.

Faidley's is not only a family business, it is also family run and several generations of employees, father and daughter, father and son, mother and daughter, all built a home here. I've been here since I was a junior in high school so I've been doing this for a while I'm going to say it's been about 33 34 years and I started at 1079 a week before my son was born. I started when I was 14 and I will be 42 years old and in December it is always a challenge to work. with family there are many personalities but they love each other and it always works, you know, it always works well, that's what's really bad when your children are grandmothers, well we were in the middle of the news, oh you just broke in, you have to start .

Also, yes, you were saying about the challenges of working with family on some levels, you know, while the family spirit makes customers feel at home, it's Faidley's crab cakes that keep them coming back. What type of oil do you cook your soy crab cakes with? Thank you. and I see people for the first time put it in their mouths and they say: Oh my God! and they are standing at a table in a market, they are not sitting in front of a white tablecloth and someone serves them on a silver tray and so on a paper plate but it belongs on a silver tray Nancy created her recipe in 1987 saying that she would never I had changed it so, besides you, how many other people know the Fatal Crab Cake recipe?

He doesn't even know how to make a cup of coffee. Why would he tell her? So some people use breadcrumbs, you use Impressions Broken Saltines, yes, and no, it's not right, because you have to use more and then this is the magic song, this is the secret sauce, yes, then it's enough to mix the ingredients, that's how it is. a big crab ball right there, boom, oh, look at this, oh boy, oh, just like I remember eating it 26 years ago. They tell me all the time, when people come here, the best part about it is that you haven't changed a thing.

Well, this is a legacy, we already know how crabs end up, but how do they get them? Let's discover the next generations of black sailors who have made their living fishing Maryland's most famous fishery abroad, the men and women of the Chesapeake Bay. Those who work these waters are probably as famous as the legendary catch they get and in fact it is backbreaking work passed down from generation to generation, including the blackjacks, those were the black boatmen who worked these waters to the bottom. 1800s and are a vital part of this community, the Chesapeake Bay is home to a wide variety of seafood, but none as valuable or well-known as the blue crab.

The catch here represents more than a third of the country's supply and, on average, more than 50 million pounds of blue crabs are harvested in the bay I'm Captain Tyrone Meredith Charlie Boot Captain Island Owner Operator The Queen Too Captain Meredith knows these waters well, grew up on them I'm a fourth generation uh Waterman and my great great grandfather he worked on the water my grandfather and my father we've been here since the 1860's making a living working in the Chesapeake Bay this has been the way Life of generations of fishermen here in Kent Narrows, a town just 50 miles south of Baltimore.

For hundreds of years they caught processed blue crabs and sold to East Coast markets. By the mid-to-late 19th century, Kent Narrows had also become one of the bay's many unlikely havens for free and enslaved African Americans. Black boatmen anywhere along the entire East Coast, probably in the United States, those boatmen also known as blackjacks forged their path to Liberation on the water. Their expertise is essential to the burgeoning fishing industry, to the point that the government granted some black boatmen Siemens protection certificates that grant sailors U.S. citizenship and a path to economic freedom Hi Lewis, I'm approaching you now, okay, I got you, hello, today you answered that good well-being awaits you, you are your own boss and do what you want and don't let anyone tell it.

Go get this for me and find me that 75-year-old Lewis Carter still finds that same sense of freedom in the water today. He is also one of the last generations of living black sailors who sets out to fish every morning before the sun rises. Crabs in the Bay I started in 1961 all day 15. and I've been at it ever since. Now I'm going down the line and when I get to the other end I'll throw it. All the crabs will appear. that debate the pressure of the water pushes them back in this Dipper pills you put them in a basket that's a woman with red claws you put them in a basket he wanted the last of the Mohicans there aren't many people left who still work they make a living from water most of them moved out and got all the jobs and this is changing because it's harder to make a living with the bank crabbing season which runs from spring to late fall but changes in climate cost and labor have made each successive year more challenging as younger generations take on new jobs.

In the trades there are fewer people working on the waters and ultimately fewer black boatmen when I started it was a black water planet but they died out and the younger ones never fit into their place. Captain Meredith estimates there are less than a dozen black boatmen in the bay as many of his mates had to take up other jobs when I was crabbing as a teenager. Right now I caught highs of 50 bushels a day, now the crab is catching two or three bushels a day. I started totake fishing charters because crabbing began to decline and fishing was more lucrative from an economic and educational point of view.

Their Charters are an opportunity to keep the stories of blackjacks alive for generations to come, although the tradition in these waters is changing. One thing remains the same. Nothing tastes like Chesapeake Bay Maryland crab. It has a defined flavor. He, his only such place in the world is the bluegrass of the Chesapeake Bay, thanks next, an up-and-coming Baltimore chef inspired by his family's love of cooking. foreigner foreigner thank you thank you foreigner Baltimore a new generation is putting a spin on crab cake I'm Alex Perez, I'm the owner of Poppy Cuisine. I'm an artist at heart, so cooking the culinary arts, you know, that's something I'm very passionate about, not necessarily having a recipe to follow and just getting in the kitchen freestyle and creating a masterpiece.

It's that freestyle approach that keeps people coming through these doors clamoring for a flavor. Crab is king in Baltimore, so you'll see crab cakes, crab cakes, French fries, crab cakes, egg rolls, they've all been going. I'm crazy about it too, this is the ball so I just come back for it and enjoy it every time I come here, we actually live in DC so we came all the way here for an hour just to come here right now. I'm drizzling. our Warhead and our aioli sauces. I have a family from the Dominican Republic. I am Afro-Latino.

I'm black on my mother's side and pretty much, as always, I love food and cooking, eating food, so I learn. how to cook from my dad, my dad taught me how to cook at the age of 10. I grew up, you know, I also watched my grandmother cook a lot, so I started combining the foods that I learned to cook for my grandmother with the foods that I learned to cook for my father and that's how all the poppy cuisine that you know was born in her kitchen, essentially that was eight years ago, while I was working full time.

Alex began to build a new business on the catering site. food from his grandmother's kitchen in February 2020, he was finally able to open a restaurant and then the pandemic hit, of course, you know, a month later we got the news that we have to close and only do takeout, so the uh the basically opened, there are floodgates and you have people lining up, hundreds of people on the block and in that mass you know there are cars double parked on the streets and it was just done, it was chaos during a global crisis, the city ​​where Alex was born and raised.

Now I have joined her. Poppy's Kitchen is packed with locals and tourists alike, but the chef stays true to his roots and runs it with family and close friends. My little sister Natasha, how are you doing? Natasha, my older brother, Alex. I can employ family, friends, etc. You know the people I grew up with, people I'm close with and it's very rewarding. You know I'm going to grab my apron and join Alex and Grandma Gloria for a lesson in cooking crab. Thanks foreigner, come here, hey, how are you doing? Pleased to meet you. I wanted to meet Alex and his grandmother Gloria, the inspiration behind their cooking, so I stopped by their kitchen to say hello.

Well, I know I learned it from my grandmother, my mother-in-law, and, um, just for my own spin. certain dishes I didn't follow the recipe to the letter if you could add levels yes, but he always asked me uh when I fixed the dish what did you put in this how did you do it how did you do this and I tell him I said you don't have to follow the recipe to the letter the lyrics, you know, put your own spin on it and Alex has done just that, turning the classic crab cake into a genius egg roll, the ingredients are simple, a pound of jumbo crab, Panko breadcrumbs, aged cheddar cheese wrappers egg rolls with cheese and a couple of sauces and micro greens to top it off there's the star of the show the crab meat he put on an apron I have rubber gloves everything good the patient is ready so how do we start Alex?

So, first what? What you want to do is say we have some Maryland giant crab here, so for the most part it will have a lot of shells, but I usually like to examine it, I just have to see if there are shells and if so, you can put the shells . Back to that bowl, yes Gloria, did you know you were helping raise a culinary genius? Well, no, but I know you'd like to eat your sauce, particularly like our crab sauce mix, so we're going to drizzle on a little at a time. because I don't want to put too much in, just enough to hold together, yeah, I like this lady, that's why I'm so picky about, you know, when I'm doing things in the kitchen trying to start rolling these things, why?

Do you think this recipe is so popular? The restaurant is the most popular. Well, I think because it gives you the possibility of taking a bar, more favor than you imagine, doing it in your hand and anywhere. You know I was pulling. your hand, yes, exactly, so I think that's one of the main reasons why it's very popular, besides the taste, you know, yes, exactly, come back for it, yes, so what we're going to do is , uh, let's take like a pinch of shit that feels like a real quarter cup or something, they're going to stay too much in the middle, yeah, you want to get a little bit out, a little bit of Punch Out, you actually want to put a little more, yes, that's all.

Okay, that's perfect, that's perfect, perfect and we want to literally fold them into an envelope shape. What is it about cooking and family that is so important? Yes, that's it for me. You know, living a busy life as a business owner and father. a husband and things like that I feel like food is an opportunity for family to come together you know how to talk about things especially if you haven't seen each other in a while you know there's a way to connect so yeah right? It's true, you've never done this before. No, I haven't. It's true.

He could have fooled me. You never did this before. Check it out. Bam, wow, that's a natural thing for grandma. I love it, so now let's go find the deep fryer. here and fry these bad boys you absolutely have to describe the heart of your kitchen, what it is and how it works Baltimore, uh, it's part of a lot of my story and I think that connects very well with our Baltimore, you know, because you know that i. I grew up here, you know, my whole life and I think everything that I faced during the time that, you know, I started this company until now, I've been transparent about the pain, it resonated very well with the people of Baltimore and If you saw my journey to over the years and I feel like that's really the heart of what I've done, I make sure I'm impressed around the edges and then things like that, that's why I keep getting excited, you know, so that I don't. apply too much on one particular side and I just want to fry oh nice and golden so you want to cut them on the diagonal so I'm going to drizzle this is our homemade aioli sauce and this is our Warhead sauce right here so the sauce's a little sweet, it's got a hint of spice, kind of like Gloria, that's right, well I guess you're the only thing left to do, yeah, yeah, crab cake, here we go, wow, traffic, you've done it, Baltimore pride, thanks everyone, great time here. in Baltimore is coming to an end, we tried the traditional crab cake, tried a modern twist with crab cake egg rolls, and even went straight to the source on the Chesapeake Bay in the center of it all.

One thing that still resonates is that real food tastes better when you eat it. with the family abroad, good Wednesday morning, it is a crucial day in the confrontation over the debt limit, yes, a key vote in a few hours, it is May 31, today the agreement on the limit is broken , clears its first hurdle at the Capitol by a hair and now heads to a floor vote today