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Latest Addition to the Thanksgiving Table

Three weeks ago, my daughter became engaged. And I started a list.

  It’s not the invitation list. It doesn’t start with, “book venue, shop for dress, order flowers, find caterer.”

  Instead, the heading for this list is, “What Brandon likes.” And, of course, it’s about the food. What better time than Thanksgiving to find out his preferences so I can include them in the line up.

  You see, I know what my family likes. My daughter likes homemade stuffing and pumpkin pie. My son wants mashed potatoes and chocolate pie. My husband wants sweet potato casserole and apple pie. They all prefer white meat to dark, green olives to black, and jellied cranberry sauce over any other variety. I like it all, so my greatest joy is in piling the table full of enough options to please the crowd.

  With the impending addition of Brandon to our family, I watched his choices carefully. Green beans, please, and creamed corn. Like me, he went for the black olives. Like my husband, he was all about the apple pie.

  And, wonder of wonders, dark meat—finally, someone in the family who wants the drumsticks! I’ve been known to wrap up the dark meat after Thanksgiving dinner, unwilling to toss it—until weeks later, when it hasn’t morphed into anything else, out it goes. I’ve purchased just the turkey breast some years, although I miss the ooh and ah factor of a whole turkey, not to mention the ample gravy stock that you just can’t get from the breast alone.

  This year, I wrapped up the second drumstick and sent it home with the son-in-law-to-be. It was a nice feeling.

  Every once in a while I find something new that I like well enough to add to the menu.  This year we got something better—an addition to the family.

Who likes the dark meat.

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The Things You Learn

The things you learn when going on tour with twenty-somethings.

  ·     Jeans are the new business casual, as long as they are worn with high heeled boots or shoes and a dressy top

·     The urban slang definition of a pink taco

·     The behind-the-scenes insights into, and perceptions of, your corporate culture  

·     What they really want to do with their lives

·     That the principles they were raised with are the principles they are now applying to their jobs – in other words, most of their business influence is always going to come from home, not from you

·     They have opinions


I’m down with the jeans thing. Don’t expect me to look great in them, but they make ultimate sense for travel, wearability, functionality and versatility.

  All I can say about the pink taco thing, is why on earth Christen didn’t stop me from buying a hat is more than I can imagine. “I thought you knew,” she says. What bothers me, is how do they?

  The corporate culture? Let’s just say that we have plenty of great segments if we ever want to write a mini-series. Or maybe not so mini.

  The amazing thing is that they are all passionate about what they are doing. They are eager to soak in all they can from work relationships, travel, remnants of school. They see next steps and are careful to keep the big picture in front of them.

  When it comes to business, the best ones—our crew, in other words—seem to all have been raised in families where work, discipline and customer service were second nature. I heard over and over again, “I learned from my parents. . .” Dads, particularly, ranked high in teaching their daughters by example.

  And those opinions? Well, they have a ways to go to be as bossy and opinionated as I, but they are well on their way. They’ve promised to let me know when it’s time for me to step aside.

  I look forward to the day.

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A Cookbook Addict

I am a cookbook addict.

  Recently a co-worker asked for “a few” cookbooks she could use during a meeting. I brought her four sacks full—probably 60 cookbooks from which to choose.

  Tonight, I handed a cookbook to my husband as he went to pay for our dinner, telling him, “I need this cookbook.” He looked at me over his glasses, smiled, and said, “Need?”

  Enough said. But not necessarily enough said about cookbooks—oh, no. There is always going to be another one with some recipe I haven’t seen, some idea I hadn’t heard of. It’s the thrill of the pursuit, and I expect I’ll continue as long as the budget allows.

  You’d think that with all the recipes online, and the continual flow of new recipes from the Kitchens of The Food Channel, I would have my fill of recipes. In fact, our Food Editor tells me that there are no truly new recipes – only ones that have been recycled and tweeked. And yet I find it fascinating to thumb through the glossy photos, the tantalizing words, the mouthwateringly good descriptions.

  So, when I wandered through an antique mall a few weeks ago, I of course gravitated to a booth with a nice selection of—you guessed it—cookbooks. Most I had seen, but I caught my breath at a slim volume entitled, “2,000 Useful Facts About Food.” It had a copyright date of 1941 from Consolidated Book Publishers, Inc., and was edited by Ruth Berolzheimer, listed as the Director, Culinary Arts Institute.

  Did you know, for example, that a calorie is, “a measure of the heat and energy produced by foods when used in the body. Work and play use up the energy and cold weather increases the need for heat, but even so, increasing the food of high calories eaten each day causes a gain in weight, while a reduction should cause loss.”

  OK, you knew that one. How about this: A “Macedoine” is “a mixture of vegetables or fruits.” Or, “To hold eggs together while poaching add a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice to the cooking water.”

  Sure, some of the book is outdated, and some of it is pure common sense, but there is also a lot of great food knowledge. Exactly what I go to a cookbook for.

  Check out more great foodie information at http://www.foodchannel.com!

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Of Big Sisters and Women of Influence

Of Big Sisters and Women of Influence There are a lot of ways to influence a future leader. Some of those influences start quite early.

  Case in point. As a child, my sister taught me about authority.  “Here’s the line,” she’d say, as she drove her finger down the middle of the double bed in our shared room. “You stay on your side, and I’ll stay on mine.”

  She gave me the courage to experiment. “Here, you should try this new lipstick,” she’d say, then add with her finger to her lips, “Just put it on in the bathroom at school so Mom doesn’t tell you you’re too young.”

  She gave me experience in pacing myself. “If we finish our homework, then Mom will think we’re not busy and we’ll have to play with Kevin,” she’d tell me. “So don’t get it done too fast!”

  She taught me how to serve. We had a huge wooden display unit in our basement that had lots of little cubbyholes, and we used it for all of our travel brochures when we played travel agent. “You be the sales clerk,” she’d say, “and I’ll be the boss. Now, you mind the store while I go to Hawaii.”

  She showed me how to negotiate. “If you want to wear my dress to the party, OK, but I get to wear your new sweater tonight.”

She taught me the value of money. She had built quite a babysitting clientele in her teenage years, which she turned over to me as boys and other activities took precedence on her Friday nights. I learned early how to save enough to afford my own social life a few years later.

  She taught me about ownership. This is the sister who wouldn’t trade with me when I wanted her toy . . . until she lost hers. Then she charmingly said, “Kay, do you still want to trade me for your ball? ‘Cause I’ll take that one now.”

  She taught me how to own up to mistakes. When I broke her Chinese fan (accidentally on purpose), she just looked at me sadly. Mom suggested I give her mine, and apologize. She accepted the apology and suggested we share the remaining fan. I learned that kindness could teach a powerful lesson.

 And, she helped me understand reporting to senior management with three simple words: “I’m telling Mom.”

  My sister was named a “Most Influential Women” recently, and they chose wisely. She took her nursing career all the way to a doctorate, and has influenced who-knows-how-many-thousands along the way. She is an administrator, a teacher, and a health care professional who still reminds us all to get our flu shots and take our vitamins. She is, indeed, a woman of influence.

After all. She got to practice on me.
 

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The New Banquet Food

I know what you’re thinking. Banquet food equals another wilted salad, another piece of rubber chicken, another dessert that’s sat out too long. We’ve all been there.

  But this weekend I had occasion to attend one that was exceptional. Let me describe the food.

  The appetizer was “Succulent Shrimp Brochettes with Mediterranean Goat Cheese Spinach Pastry Tartlet.” It was presented with a vertical build, using long skewers to elevate the jumbo shrimp, with cocktail sauce decorating the plate. The tartlet had paper-thin layers of spinach pastry stacked in a mini-muffin format, and the goat cheese was a surprising accompaniment that transformed what might otherwise have been labeled shrimp cocktail.

  The salad was described as a “Delicate Blend of Mixed Field Greens with Parmesan Triangle Lightly Tossed with Raspberry Vinaigrette.” The carrot curly cues were attention getting, but the cheese triangle was the star of that piece.

  The entrée was a “Petite Filet of Beef Wellington Napped with Gorgonzola Crème Laced Demi-glace.” This dish could so easily have been a disappointment since the pastry around Beef Wellington can easily become soggy—but not in this case.  It was served with “Herb Stuffed New Potatoes” and a “Mélange of Baby Brussel Sprouts and Petite Carrots Sautéed in Clarified Butter.” The butter was key here, because even though Brussels sprouts are the trendy veggie these days, not everyone will venture down that path. I found them tender and tasty, with a little crispiness on the edges that provided a new and welcome sensation.

  For dessert, we had “Individual Charlotte with Bavarian Mousse Served with Fresh Berries and Hand-rolled Chocolate Straw.” The Charlotte (lady fingers formed into an individual pastry shell) was a nice choice, and the blueberries and raspberries provided a balance for the sweet mousse.

  Not a chicken to be found. Instead, fresh food, beautifully presented, with warm herbed rolls, butter roses, freshly brewed coffee and great service. It made for great conversation around the tables—which is part of what makes a meal great. People were able to comment on the food and enjoy a culinary experience when they were probably expecting, well, rubber.

  Banquets have come a long way. Given the number of them we attend, it gives great hope for the future. I’ll be anticipating next year’s invitation.

  Kudos to Melinda Love and crew, and Jim Williams – the people responsible for putting the banquet meal together.

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How to Taste Your Food

There is a scene in the new Julie & Julia movie where Meryl Streep, as Julia Child, takes a forkful of French food and practically swoons. In fact, there are several such scenes with all of the characters!

  Face it. That’s what true food lovers love to do. We love to savor the flavor and let the taste travel across our tongue.  It is delightful to discover, in that first bite, a bit of perfection and to take the moment to truly enjoy it.

  We don’t do it enough. So, in the spirit of encouraging more enjoyment of our food—and our lives—here is how to taste your food.

  First, carefully examine the dish in front of you, even if you cooked it all and plated it yourself. Notice the colors, such as the beautifully browned meat or the sprinkling of seasoning on the beans.

  Next, slowly inhale. You don’t have to go so far as to wave your hand over to waft up more scent, but do allow the aroma to fill your head. They say that taste is really the interaction of taste and smell. So don’t skip this step.

  Now, take the appropriate utensils in hand and methodically slice, spear, or flake off a small bite. Remember Julia’s own philosophy—small portions, no seconds—and recognize that you want to make each bite last. With great purpose, put the bite in your mouth and don’t move. Allow the saliva to waft around the food, and the taste buds to realize they have a visitor.

  OK, chew. Not quickly, so you can shove in the next bite. Not multi-tasking, as you are talking to your dinner companion. No, chew as though your eyes are closed (as well they may be) and your tongue is touching each and every molecule.

  Finally, make a “yum” sound—but only if the food is worthy. Yum sounds should not be wasted on the ordinary.

  Rinse, and repeat.

  Bon appétit.

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Don't Wait For Me

Don’t go with me to a restaurant if you are in a hurry.

  It starts at the door. I don’t walk into a restaurant with purpose—I wander in, letting my eye go to the décor, the people, the scurrying wait staff. I let my nose sniff out the popular dish of the night. My senses come alive as I stroll behind the sometimes-impatient host, but I refuse to be hurried. This assimilation to the environment is part of my dining pleasure.

  As I’m seated, I note the table. Cleanliness, appropriateness of settings (linen for higher end, checkered oilcloth for the pizza dive), seating arrangements, and even what condiments they consider “right” for the table.

  As I’m handed the menu, I open it almost reverently. Inside these pages is my future. The selections I make at this meal will not only nourish my body; they will also feed my imagination and, hokey as it may sound, my soul. These pages hold the memories of food that I will talk about, write about, remember for better or worse. It’s all laid out for me in these pages, if I can but decipher the code and make the right choice.

  And, so I question my server. What’s your most requested dish? What’s your personal favorite? Do you have a recommendation tonight—anything the chef is particularly proud of? What’s not on the menu that I might want to consider?

  Friends and family who know me wait patiently, even seeming to draw enjoyment from my questions. They are, after all, the beneficiaries of some of the evening’s surprises that often result from my curiosity.

  Even equipped with more information, it often comes down to a virtual coin toss. And, after the order is placed, don’t expect me to talk for a few minutes, while the debate continues in my head. Should I have chosen the tilapia after all? What if the Chef’s Special turns out to be a dud? Oh, and that steak did sound awfully good. Wait, what’s that going by to the next table? Oh, waiter!

  But, when the food arrives, I finally relax. The choice is irrevocable. Love it or leave it, it’s a new experience. I revel in it and take my time lingering over each course, savoring each bite and enjoying the way food, friends and conversation mingle.

  Finally, after every great meal, I leisurely check out the plates of those just receiving their food as I slowly saunter past. And, wistfully, I long to be starting all over.

  In fact, you go on ahead. I may be awhile.

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My new addiction

This is my latest addiction.
 
I think it¹s because it¹s got a foodie name: Bananagrams. We saw a couple of
people playing it last year while we were on a cruise. They told us it was
all the rage in their hometown in England, so when we got home, I found it
online and ordered it. Then it sat, since game-playing is not high on my
to-do list.
 
But this weekend I¹ve been cloistered to get some serious writing done (the
kind of technical things that, sadly, don¹t hit these blog pages). And to
prevent carpal tunnel and brain overload, I pulled out the game to try out
its Solitaire option. I¹m hooked. It feeds my love of words, of change, and
of personal challenge.
 
True, with the Solitaire version there is no one to hear me shout "Split" or
"Peel," so I don't bother. But I'm thinking it.
 
I don't have many addictions. Allow me this.

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Take the Long Way Home

I like to cook. My job revolves around cooking, my vacations are built
around restaurants I want to visit, and my family knows I¹ll always bring
food for special occasions.

 And yet, I don¹t own a food processor, a mixer with stand, or several other
³essentials² of a fully stocked kitchen. You see, it¹s the process of
cooking that I enjoy. I like chopping the onions. I enjoy the rhythm as the
knife cuts through the nuts. There is pleasure in using a hand mixer‹or even
a sturdy spatula‹to combine ingredients.

 To me, using major appliances to cook is like taking a short cut to get
there faster. You risk missing the best scenery, the interesting sunset, the
great conversation of the ride.

 Today, I made a cake, using a recipe handed down from my mother. It calls
for oatmeal, and I¹ve modified it slightly by making it with a European dark
chocolate‹I can at least pretend to be making concessions to good health.

 As I measured and mixed, I thought about the many times I watched Mom make
it. I thought about my sister and how it had always been her favorite. I
took satisfaction in the smell of the batter, and in the knowledge that I
hadn¹t wasted the leftover morning coffee (can¹t throw that illy away!). I
took the long way home, and it was good.

 To the last bite.
 
Recipe link can be found at
http://www.foodchannel.com/recipes/1317-mocha-oatmeal-cake

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Three Reasons You Should Not Twitter

With all the things I do in social networking, I’m often asked, “Why do I need to be on Twitter.” That’s the right question—I like it better than hearing, “I guess I should be on Twitter.” Perhaps not everyone should. And Twitter  is not the only media out there . . . er, here. So, with thanks to Andy Ford for thinking this out, and to Nation’s Restaurant News for putting it out there, here is a great link:

http://www.nrn.com/landingPage.aspx?coll_id=728&menu_id=1582

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