Not just coffee

Archive for May, 2009

It's Not a Bad Word Anymore

May 22

Posted by admin in Administration, dining out, First family, news

37605I know the last Administration thought if you said “French’s” mustard, you were somehow supporting the French!

Those days are long gone. It was a tough 8 years, and now we are friends with everyone. Well, almost everyone.

Yet, we do have a little problem: Grey Poupon. Please, President Obama, you know how I elated I am about you as President and continue to glow with your many improvements and changes, but seriously, just ask for mustard and take what you get. No need for name calling, especially what some consider high-end calling.

Remember the beer debacle during the long election process, well, this is its cousin. Those who are not as accustomed as you and Michelle are to dining out, may consider this branding a sign of elitism. I call it “mustard.” You can, too. What you serve in the White House Mess will be what you want and you can ask for whatever–your secret is safe. No one will tell.

When dining out, the world is watching. It’s a good watch to see that you are out and about. Keep on dining out. Forget the state dinners; that’s not where the action is. It’s the restaurant scene: Dining Out by the President and the First Lady shows the country that you are in touch. That you are human and enjoy many of the same activities as your constituents.  

Keep up the good work.

Celebrate life with an all-American favorite.

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Love the Subtle Changes

May 21

Posted by admin in Economy, life

zoom-1224899351-8466We’ve talked a lot about coupons and the importance of coupon giveaways in this economically challenging environment. Now, here’s a fun one: Balducci’s.

This high-end grocery/gourmet market on the East Coast has had its share of trouble including shutting down the original brand name in New York City. Some of the stores were kept open and the barrage of coupons began: daily deals, on-sale items and a weekly flyer. All of this, as with most coupon savings whether grocery or restaurant, come to those willing to receive email–not so hard–truly worth it.

Then there was the $5 off $25 coupon–a true local favorite. Have had neighbors come by and ask if I were using mine or if they could have it. Now, I’ll probably have to disconnect my door bell as they just introduced a lower spending amount and $5 off–coupon reads $5 off $20. You do the math–you can save $5 in your Balducci’s spending and literally receive a $10 savings. That translates into having only to spend $20 not $25–so $5 there and $5 off the new lower spending promotion. Stick with me–this gets interesting.

They are definitely trying to get a message out–help us stay in business–not a bad plan if they lowered all prices. Just think of how that equation would work: People would enter the store and shop because there would be noticeable savings and then they would receive a double reward: Lower prices and $5 off!

They hear something howling outside the remaining stores; now they just need to open the doors to savings a little wider.

It’s possible that it can work.

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Fire It Up: Grill Season Is HERE

May 20

Posted by admin in cooking, food

IMG00346OK, Californians and other hearty Midwesterners, ignore the headline: On the East Coast we save a lot of propane and charcoal costs 5-6 months a year depending on how dedicated we are to the grill. One thing is certain, this weekend, even with its early calendar date, inspires us to think gas, charcoal, and even electric fire power. It’s grill season, Baby.

Let’s go. First, we need to scrub, clean the grates–yikes, are they in bad shape. Then we need to use the old aluminum foil trick–turn on the grill, cut a piece of aluminum foil that covers the grates, and let it do the burn-off you’ll be thanking me later for this one.

Now we’re ready. Maybe not, we need a menu. What better way to start the season than with the all-American winners: the hot dog/hamburger combo with fresh corn? Stop–don’t scream–there are plenty of both products that almost pass under the radar of the food police.

Hot dogs for instance–go with the all-beef or antibiotic-free turkey dogs–yes, their color is a little off-putting but they come with far less guilt. As for burgers, extra lean beef may not give you the char you want but you’re afraid of the char anyway from all the off-season reading you did about healthy cooking. Or, do the turkey burgers–with a little condiment help, they’ll be fine. 

Don’t forget the extras: onions and mushrooms grill nicely in their aluminum foil (recycle, please) boats away from direct heat. As for corn which is already crazy good and the season has not really begun, clean by stripping off the silk and then closing the cob back into its husk before putting on the grill. The charred cooking gives it extra flavor–watch it, prick with a fork for doneness–it cooks quickly.

Cut up some hothouse tomatoes (until the weather warms up around here, these are the ones), pickles, and the condiment groaning board possibilities, and let the feast begin.

Here’s an added plus: No pots, no pans, no fuss, no mess.

Oh yeah, it tastes great. Fancy foods on the grill for another day, but this the official week of summer grilling, start with the easiest foods to kick-off the seasonal shift.

Breads are optional.

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My Kind of Town: Memphis

May 19

Posted by admin in dining out, food, restaurants

centralcorkysInterstate

OK, I know it’s a total rip from Chicago’s tune, but I went to Memphis this past weekend, and it gets the accolades today. 

It is truly an eating town. Yes, it’s BBQ (for purposes of ease and not to offend anyone, this blog will short spell the food as BBQ). A weekend devoted to BBQ, part of the Memphis in May Festival takes over the downtown corridor, but you can BBQ your way around town with a rental car and a good ole fashioned nose sniffer as so much smokin’ is going on. 

Get off the beaten track and find some of the lesser known places, many of which have multiple locations to help with the feeding frenzy. Actually you never have to leave the airport: Both Interstate and Corky’s make traveling a lot more tasty with their airport locations. So much BBQ, so little time–not enough napkins in the world for this excursion!

The Beale Street corridor is a beginner’s stop with a trip down an alley to Rendezvous, a popular, always-packed spot.

Or get into the neighborhoods. Take Central for instance. It’s on a funky little strip lined with more antique second-hand shops than BBQ but worth the sniff test. Even the customers are friendly here and have all kinds of advice: Try the chicken nachos. We did and got pulled chicken in a nacho messy plate deal. Not bad. Could go for a better chip but the chicken–first rate. 

Everyone loved the ribs and the only real complaint was the beef–if it was brisket, someone needs a slicing lesson as this was tough and not well trimmed.

No problem.

On to the next stop.

Although exploring places was part of the goal, and we did, no trip should end without returning to a FedEx friend: Corky’s. Lots of places now ship out their food, but Corky’s has championed this for what seems like forever! 

Why settle for delivery when you can visit one of their 3 restaurants? Nothing gets in the way of server and staff training. Not just the food but the friendliness takes over, and by the way, don’t forget to add chicken drummies and seasoned fries. I do laugh when you order drummies and they tell you it will take 15 minutes. Makes it sound like everything else is ready to come on out. It is. Smokin’ is not 15-minute exercise. You don’t get that wonderful aromatic without a continual process.

Wet or dry–those are the key questions you’ll have to address no matter where you saddle yourself. Each so-called BBQ capital has its own style–Memphis for ribs; Kansas City for brisket. We’re talking spices, secret sauces, and rubs–lots of questions to answer.

Take advantage of airline and hotel deals and make your own personalized BBQ fest.

Why not?

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Was It A Savings Or A Game?

May 18

Posted by admin in food, shopping

IMG_0051Sometimes in the process of amusing ourselves, we figure out ways to save money. That’s true with the new grocery scanners–no, I do not mean self check-out–that’s been around. I mean the scanner gun–the weapon of choice for those looking to save time and watch how much they are spending.

The beauty of the gun is that the shopping cart comes with a holster so you do not need to hold the upc reader as you go through the store. You find what you want, hit the bar code, as you do when you self check-out, and the item comes up on the screen with the amount. If you want to change your mind, you can just as easily remove the item.

Are we having fun yet? Maybe, but here’s the best. As you go through the store and see the posted prices, you can quickly spot an error, a price discrepancy with what it reads and what the advertised price is. Bingo–at the Giant, that discrepancy means the item is free. That’s a great big win.

So now it is even more imperative that you pay attention to the posted price, make certain it matches the scanned gun display, and hit the aisles. As you go along, you can bag so that when you get ready to checkout, you are basically just waiting for a printed receipt. Another handy timessaver, or as someone mentioned as I checked out my scanner: If there’s a line, while you’re waiting to check out, you can finish scanning the items you have not scanned yet. Multi-tasking (m-t), she suggested; she was speaking to the m-t queen!

I know some of you have had scanners for a while, but they are news to me! They’re not yet at all Giant Supermarkets, but they’re coming.

Oops, almost forgot to mention another plus: The scanner matches your frequent shopper card input with frequent purchases and generates frequent purchase coupon savings. Remember, I used to worry about those loyalty information cards, but that is so yesterday!

Loyalty, that’s what this all about. Oh, and time and money as you see the rolling total and know when to stop.

It’s love!

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Graciousness Works–Try It

May 16

Posted by admin in dining out, Economy

LMT3Sometimes the line “no good deed goes unpunished” summarizes an event most accurately.  Take a recent example: You find an error on your dining out bill. Don’t get excited, it’s not an overcharge. Rather, it’s the opposite. You find the server forgot to include the wine on the bill.

These are tough economic times, but that is irrelevant. You never forget that the right thing to do is to bring it to his attention so he can graciously thank you for finding the error and helping him. 

That’s the dream world. The reality more often than not is the following response: Oh.

Not a thank you. Not a recognition of error. No appreciation for honesty. Actually it’s more complicated than that: It’s a response without a hint of responsibility, forget the appreciation angle. Potentially, he has everything to gain as in a higher tab should improve his numbers and his tip. Duh. 

I’m not sure restaurants can teach this skill.

I can. It’s quite simple: Graciously, thank the customer and be appreciative of the fact that their attitude is a whole lot better than yours! This is one of those times you want someone in the back room monitoring the staff so they can figure out how much money they’re losing from forgetfulness or just overall carelessness.

It’s OK to admit a mistake. 

It’s not OK to be casually dismissive.

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Seriously, There Are Other Mountains to Climb

May 15

Posted by admin in FDA, news

IMG00329Why pick on the little guy? Ok, maybe this guy is really big as in one of the country’s most recognized brands, but is this really a matter of grave concern? How many people thought of Cheerios as a drug, a product that needed to be regulated for its health claims?

Seriously.

How about Cheerios as the great parent trick. Wanna teach a tot motor skills, start with the first solid food: Cheerios and see how quickly they learn to work those little fingers. Guaranteed to bring a smile every time.

The FDA is steaming because of the cholesterol claim. They are going to have a cereal bonanza as most of the brands seem to be claiming something–try this for a few weeks and watch your body get reshaped, or something like that. Are we that gullible as consumers or is this just an easy game for the FDA to grab some headlines of its own making? It had no shortage of negative press for its lack of focus on foods that have much greater urgency needs. 

Sure it’s a drug, if you consider someone’s favorite food as a drug. So many kids of all ages will testify to its delicious addictive pleasure. I know there are real issues to focus on; this isn’t one. Skip the box hype; enjoy the product, and watch the little fingers reach out and grab.

Watch out Quaker Oats, you may be next.

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Still Ugly–Not the Bag, Silly

May 14

Posted by admin in Economy, food, shopping

6a00d834515f0569e200e54febb9d18833-800wiNo matter how cheery we try to sound, people are realistically worried about the future and high costs. A recent survey from Technomic, the Chicago monitoring folks, showed that consumer sentiment is still way down. Translation: large numbers of consumers plan to increase purchases of store brand grocers and take advantage of coupons and discounts. Their research finds consumers unlikely to increase food spending anytime soon.

Some of the changes are obvious, in matters we’ve discussed such as consumers downscaling coffee purchases, and companies meeting them half way with lower prices and coupons.  

On the good news front: Target just announced that they see more of the future in food items and plan to add more fresh food and produce to remodeled or new stores. That’s great because their food prices are already impressive. Fill up the extra aisles!

Toys ‘R’ Us just added foods to some of its stores, like a mini store within the greater wonderland! That just makes shopping with young people in a toy store even more of a challenge–snack food and toys–may help their bottom line but up my pain threshold!

The anxiety coefficient still hits the nerve cycle. We are still looking for buys and bargains. Look at the various dollar stores–they’re getting a new type of customer looking for food products and overall savings. In turn, their bottom line is looking up!

We eat. it’s about food, baby, and how we can find prices that make it work.We need the boost. Pile on the opportunities.

Change the sentiment.

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These Numbers Don't Lie

May 13

Posted by admin in food, health, news

USDAOrganicLogoIt’s not surprising that the organic market continues to grow. We’re talking a 17% increase in 2008 despite the continual outpouring of negative economic news. These consumers blew that concept off in favor of quality, healthy foods.

What is surprising is how expensive it is to buy certain organic fruits. Do we really need organic bananas when we only, unless the monkey urge takes over, eat the inside under the peel?

Lettuce, now that’s another story, as the ground creates all types of issues. What does it mean for these products to be organic and why the high price tag?As Kermit taught us a long time ago, it’s not easy being green.

Going organic can often prove a costly experience for the farmer, the producer. So many rules; so much time spent cleaning up the land to ready it to meet the standards. We pay the price, and our bodies send out the big shout out: thank you.

Commitment is so high among some people that price never enters a discussion. Capturing that clientele is often a store’s goal. Look at Whole Foods which has an impressive array of organic products and often lists the ever-changing daily number as a welcome greeting when you enter the store. They are conscious about price and the fact that they suffer from high prices as a negative nomenclature, “whole paycheck,” for instance, but they have made changes. Their list of products that are organic and less costly than many of their original inventory keeps expanding.

If you can’t make the farm markets, the organics at major grocers such as Whole Foods or Wegmans are worth the investment in the meat, produce, egg, and poultry aisles. If you are buying canned or frozen, there is, likewise, plenty of availability. Don’t forget that Amazon has gotten into food in a big way. Show the power of suggestion: Check with your local supermarket and encourage them to increase the organic selections.

Whatever the route, the path to organic continues to widen.

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Everyone Has An Issue

May 12

Posted by admin in dining out, health

pa03It’s time for restaurant workers to understand ingredients or not be afraid to ask the chef, the sous chef, or someone on the line. Somebody must know. After all we are talking about a lot of people, an ever-increasing number, up 18% since 1997, who have some sort of food allergy.

We’re talking allergies appropriately during this week, the 12th annual Food Allergy Awareness Week. The numbers are staggering how many people have allergies to certain foods or have a little hunch that certain foods trigger an unpleasant reaction. We are talking potentially fatal issues here.

When a restaurant guest asks about peanuts, you better know. When they say they are not allergic to peanuts but think the pesto sauce may be a problem, you need to know whether it is made with pine nuts and if that is the question. 

Besides the peanut and nut family, there are egg, wheat, and milk allergies. Consumers know their issues and it is a restaurant’s responsibility to train the staff or have a knowledgeable person on duty who can break down the ingredients if necessary. This is not a guessing game. Food allergies are serious business and can be more than a business decision: They can be life-threatening.

According to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, more than 12 million Americans have food allergies, that’s one in 25, or 4 % of the population. Eight foods account for 90% of all food-allergic reactions in the U.S.: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios, cashews), wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish. That’s a broad spectrum.

People want to eat out. They just need to know about preparation and ingredients.

This is the week to get everyone on board. Make sure restaurant staff know actual ingredients when the question is asked. Understand how important preparation can be–was the dish prepared with a shellfish glaze? That may be THE most important piece of information..

It is time to know.

We can all help.

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