Chef Myria Tisch has found a creative way to fuse two passions: food and fitness.
Chef Myria Tisch is not just an inspiration, she’s an unstoppable force of nature! A podium performer in global Hyrox fitness competitions and ultramarathon runner in her “spare time,” she often has gone the distance — that distance being a marathon-length training run — before breakfast even hits the pan. Recently, I was lucky enough to meet up with Chef Tisch in her galley on a private 197-foot (60m) superyacht for an episode of my “Behind the Line” YouTube series. Here are some of the highlights. Watch the full episode here.
How did you get started cooking professionally?
Throughout my young adulthood, I worked front of the house and back of the house in various restaurants. In undergraduate school, I studied nutrition, and this is where I became passionate about combining nutrition and exercise. After becoming a personal trainer, I decided to merge the two passions together. I started cooking and creating meal prep menus for my clients and friends. I was able to pay my way through graduate school, where I got a master’s degree in fashion design.
How did you get into yachting?
I was given the opportunity to work on a new-build 60m Feadship. This idea seemed like a great way to pay off my student loans, cook and explore the world. After two years, I took a break and moved to Bangkok, where I studied at a French culinary school.
What was the hardest job you ever had?
The hardest place was a hotel restaurant. I started out as the sous chef but was quickly promoted to chef de cuisine and then to executive chef all within six months. The hotel downsized the staff and I had to work 100-hour weeks regularly just to make it work. My mental health suffered with the stress of managing staff and the demands of the job. I chose to get back into yachting, get my mental health back on track, and focus on what is important in my life.
How do you balance work with the training demands of a competitive athlete?
As sole chef on a 60m, a sense of urgency, time management, and organization are the crucial elements of being successful. There is no galley hand, so everything must be in order from the moment I step into the galley. Most days I don’t have the time for a break. If I do, it is spent at the gym or getting another run in. Being a competitive athlete requires me sometimes to start my mornings around 2:30 or 3 a.m. If we are at anchor, I have plenty of equipment in my galley to do a full-strength body workout. If I have time for a quick swim, I will incorporate that for my cardio.
You can also listen to the interviews on Spotify.
Check out Chef Tisch’s recipes!
Spice-Rimmed Lemon & Ginger Margarita
Chef Myria Tisch
For lemon grass & ginger simple syrup, combine:
½ peeled, diced ginger
½ cup thinly sliced lemongrass (bottom part of the stalks only)
2 cups sugar
1¼ cups water
Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low and simmer for about 25 minutes. Remove from heat, strain, and cool.
For the salt rim, mix together:
cayenne pepper
habanero
kosher salt
For the drink, combine:
4 ounces silver Tequila (Milagro)
2 ounces of the prepared simple syrup
2 ounces freshly squeezed lime
Add a lime wedge on the salt rim for garnish.
Myria’s Outstanding Vegan Burger
Chef Myria Tisch
2 cups of beet pulp(juicing beets)
2 cups carrot pulp(juicing carrots)
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ cup onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
4 oz small white mushrooms (quartered)
½ cup canned kidney beans(rinsed and drained)
½ cup cooked barley
½ cup oats
½ cup chopped roasted almonds
½ cup chopped walnuts
4 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons white miso
1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon tobasco
Preheat oven to 375F.
Spread beet pulp evenly on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Spread carrot pulp evenly on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until pulp is dry and a little browned.
Scrape into bowl and set aside.
Combine the mushrooms and kidney beans tossed in canola oil, and spread in even layer.
Roast 30 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic, add ginger until fragrant. Add cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper, then add to pulp mixture.
In a food processor, pulse the barley until finely chopped, add to pulp mixture.
Next, add mushroom and bean mixture, pulse until finely chopped, add to pulp mixture.
Add almonds and walnuts to food processor, pulse till roughly chopped, add to pulp mixture and mix. Slowly add breadcrumbs and mix.
Chill mixture 30 minutes, then form patties.
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat, add a few tablespoons of coconut oil, and fry patties on each side for 4 to 5 minutes.
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