Wow… Michael Jackson has died.

It almost doesn’t seem real. Not that I was his # 1 fan or anything, but just because he was such a big part of pop culture and whether you liked him or not, you knew who he was and when he made the news (for both good and not so good reasons) you took notice. To me, I’m not sure if I looked at him more as a person, a celebrity, a musician or just “different”. And by “different” I mean that because he was so unique and lived life so different, it is hard to classify him.

When you watch clips of his performances, they are “different”. When you listen to his music, it is “different”. When you see him with his kids, he is “different”. When you see him in interviews, he is “different”. All in all, he just did things his way and did not care what we all thought. And in the process, he sold millions and millions of records, won numerous awards, became one of the most recognizable people on Earth, made a ton of money (and lost a ton) and was very giving to charities. But, he also had other issues.

How can we forget the marriage to Lisa Marie Presley which nobody believed to be real? Or the kids he had with Debbie Rowe? His pal Bubbles the chimp. The questions about his skin color? Why an adult would build an amusement park at their house? Oh, and the accusations of being a child molester. That is the 1 thing I have heard over and over again since his death is that how can people be so sad that a child molester is dead. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I’m not really sure what mine is. Yes, I know what he was accused (and acquitted) of. I also know what he did with his music and how passionate his fans are about him. I think you have to look past the accusations and whether you like him or not, he is still leaving behind 3 children who loved their father and millions and millions of fans who loved their icon.

Watching CNN and FOX NEWS last night was really an experience. They had so many people on talking about Jackson and his life. Then there were the crowd shots at the Apollo where Jackson 1^st performed when he was 9 if I am correct. People were listening to his music and dancing, choosing to celebrate his life rather than show tears of mourning. Celebrities were sharing their thoughts about him, and some like Stevie Wonder and Elizabeth Taylor were too grief stricken to even comment. Twitter and TMZ both crashed due to the enormous amounts of web traffic they were receiving worldwide. Google thought they were under attack from hackers as there was an immediate rush of “Michael Jackson” searches. News stations in Australia, Tokyo and everywhere else broke away from their formats to report on this.

When Elvis and Lennon died, you had to wait to hear it on the radio or TV. Now, you can just “Google” it or read a gossip site like Perez Hilton from your cell phone while on the treadmill at the gym and get the details as they break. And again, no matter how you feel about him, people were searching, reading, listening to the radio and watching the TV for details. I’m sure it will go down as one of the top 3 all time mass media events ever.

I’m sure we will find out more details as the days go by and a lot of rumors will be out there. Was it a drug overdose? Suicide? Was he murdered? Reporters will be out there digging up things for a story and I’m sure we will learn a lot more about Michael Jackson and his last days than we would care to know.

Finally, there have been a TON of jokes tossed out there about Jacksons passing. I will not repeat them as they are not appropriate but 1 that I thought was good was that Johnny Carson was excited last night because he had a full couch for his show up in heaven with Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. If they were all still alive, that would be a pretty damn good show, wouldn’t it?

Feel free to share your thoughts about Michael here for other viewers/listeners to read.  I never sensor posts, but ask that you please keep them tasteful so I don’t have to sensor them.

Today let’s embark on the discussion of cooking at home vs. eating out.

There are many great eateries to suit your taste buds these days. I know more than a few of us have responsibilities outside the office that extend into the evening. We choose fast food, sit down restaurants, grab and go from the local grocer or specialty shops to satisfy our appetite desires. There are some that use a restaurant to take time and connect with each other. The dinner table also provides this opportunity. When eating in the car from one place to another, I have noticed we eat faster so not to be distracted by what’s in our lap! Not good for digestion or if you’re the driver. At a restaurant we are paced a bit depending on what you order: appetizer, salad, and entrée. These days it’s just an entrée unless you’re out for that special occasion which you have budgeted for. Some of us enjoy cooking at home. We plan the menu in our mind, identify what we need and create a satisfying meal. Some days it’s a home run and other days were all glad just to be together. Even if you cook for yourself it helps to develop your skills and then you have a repertoire of favorites, when you have company.

I enjoy cooking at home, it gives me a sense of relaxation, I can reduce the quantity of food I prepare so that I don’t over indulge and it stimulates me to think about crafting new dishes.

Essentially we should eat three meals a day for nourishment and energy purposes but many of us don’t. I only know this from talking to people about food and listening about there eating habits. Balanced portions at meal times would help reduce the risk of overeating at one particular seating. I think planning a meal time would also assist us to focus more on cooking at home, eating a little healthier and inspire more interaction with those we care about. So even if you’re single invite a friend over and show off!

What I would enjoy most is your challenges, thoughts, and solutions to better eating habits and how you use the dinner table to connect with others? How have you created new habits, to change the way you eat today?

Ciao

Bernard

What do I meanby “food safety”? For a few years now, when I grill out side or conduct events under the hot sun I always consider the menu and ingredients. I know several of you do the same thing or have created alternative ways to keep your salads chilled. There are so many favorite recipes passed down through the years that require (or should require) us to keep them cold. They have mayonnaise base dressings, incorporate raw vegetables in them or have hard cooked eggs added to them, to name a few. I know I have a few of these recipes in my pack!

Even when I cater an event, clients will occasionally ask if we can make a” family recipe” that has been a staple, at similar events. Since I am so accommodating to my customers, we oblige. We always keep our salads on ice and have changed our own ingredients to follow the low fat trend, using vinaigrettes. One example is an Asian style slaw with julienne fresh granny smith apples. It last for about 4 days after you make it, but does well on a family outing. Tell us your changes to recipes and how you cope with eating under the sun?
What’s so great about this recipe is that, in today’s markets, you can quickly prepare a recipe with some premade ingredients:

Crisp Cole Slaw with Apples

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 Granny smith apple – unpeeled and cut into thin julienne pieces/tossed with 1T. Lemon juice
• 1 bag Cole slaw mix (8oz.)
• 1 bag Broccoli slaw mix (8oz.)
• 1 cup thinly sliced white cabbage
• Salt and Fresh Pepper to taste
• 1 T. thinly sliced crystallized ginger +1 t. reserved for garnish

Procedure:

Toss vegetables and apples to combine, season to taste, add the 1T. of crystallized ginger

Vinaigrette:

In a blender, combine the following:

• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Procedure:

Toss the dressing with the slaw mix and refrigerate. Can be made a day in advanced and mix before you place in a bowl and garnish with remaining ginger.

Ciao

~Bernard

With a checklist, one hour shopping time and two nights of preparation (2hours/night) I’m ready for 30 people. Yes, that’s it, a simple but creative menu for a few close friends. I delegated the disposables to a buddy and the drinks were divided by two acquaintances. I suggested counts on specifics like the plates etc; and what drink’s to bring with quantities. But our menu was as follows:

From the Grill:

• 2-Types Fresh Sausage with plenty of grilled vegetables for garnish and extra for the Vegetarians’ to have.
• Fresh burgers lightly seasoned and mixed with an assorted cheese blend. I use the 80-20 blend ground beef.
• 2-pack’s of plump kosher franks with fresh baked rolls from the local baker a must have for those who eat hot dogs once a year.
• Most condiments I had on hand, but I did make a “light-basil mayo spread” and “curry ketchup” just to have another selection to spread on the rolls. The rolls are so soft & tender I don’t grill them unless asked to.

Made the night before:

• We made a fresh Cole slaw which had a nice crunch because of the granny smith apples, a delicate flavor, due to the crystallized ginger- julienned into it and then combined it with rice wine vinaigrette.
• The potato salad was a Mediterranean approach and I used the fingerling style potatoes for a different look.
• I kept the pasta salad simple, using up the raw vegetables I had not wanted to add to the grilled vegetable mixture. Tossing in some fresh baby spinach for some additional balance and color. Almost any dressing suffices here.
• Most people enjoy lettuce, tomato and onion for a garnish-I make a large platter and have used this for a green salad as well.
• Fresh sliced fruit is always available as the dessert. I try to purchase 1 piece of each fruit-cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, pineapple, and 3 types of berries usually does the trick for a great finish.
• Most people ask how to do something like this for a group, I first tell them to call me, and I’ll cater it for them!

But, I explain if you create a menu, then a shop list, and give yourself a little time each day to prepare you can cook anything. Let us know your favorite traditions, secrets to successful parties or recipes you create for them?

Ciao

Bernard