Category Archives: Blog

Mike Strauch, A Good Guy And A Better Friend

Mike Strauch’s passing brought a flood of wonderful memories. Back in the 1990s, Mike and I traveled the world together as we grew the international business for Kraft Food Ingredients. Mike was a microbiologist by training and, at the time, the head of Operations for KFI. I led our international business, which also included responsibility for our coconut subsidiary, Franklin Baker Company of the Philippines.

Some of my fondest memories include:

On one of our early trips together to the Philippines, we were stuck in Narita Airport in Tokyo, Japan, waiting for a flight. The delay dragged on, and we kept hearing the same announcement repeated over the PA system in Japanese. With neither of us understanding a word, Mike turned to me and said, “Those bastards are probably telling us that American productivity sucks.”

Mike and Paul at work with hands folded in prayer or are they protecting something?

Mike and I were usually the first to get into the office in the morning. Over coffee one morning, I told him how my mom had called with a story about Bill Clinton, who had just retired to New York after his presidency and the Monica Lewinsky scandal. The story was that Bill walked into a Baskin-Robbins in Chappaqua, NY, where a buddy of mine was having ice cream with their 4-year-old daughter. Mom told me how charming Bill was as he got down on one knee and talked to my friend’s daughter for 20 minutes. After I finished, Mike responded, “Little girl, huh.”

Two friends working together. Mike was very trusting with me being the one with the hammer

Mike once took a trip to Brazil to help one of my customers there. Our representative, Paulus Barros, was taking Mike to meet with a customer when they got stuck in traffic, blocked in between two trucks. A robber walked up and stuck a gun in their faces. Paulus—no stranger to this kind of incident—had a spare wallet with some cards and a few bills and handled the situation diplomatically. Mike said the scariest part was how much the robber’s hand shook.

Mike, always the good listener with his friend Chef Lucien Vendome

Mike at the center of his team (from left) Todd Hrubes, Pam Gray, Jody Driver,  Greg Leininger, Lucien Vendome, Mike Strauch, Amanda Hasner, Steve Williams, Bruce Boehmer, Amy Loomis and Paul Kenny

Later in our careers, when Mike was General Manager of KFI, Mike, Steve Williams, and I took a day off to go fishing while we were in New Orleans for an IFT convention. We hired a guide and rode out in the boat. I asked how the fishing had been lately, and the guide—not wanting to overpromise—said, “The fishing has been steady.” The fishing that day was phenomenal. All three of us went home with a big supply of redfish. Better than that, three friends went home with a memory we will always cherish.

Steve Williams was KFI’s head of technology who along with Mike, loved to fish

Mike passed away too soon. For those of us who grew up with him at KFI, we will cherish the memory of a good guy, a solid businessperson, and a better friend. Mike is in a better place now, and I’m betting that the fishing is steady.

I’m Dealing With A Lot Of Shit

Spending the summer with my kids and grandkids is great. Having everyone together also means that we have 3 dogs living under one roof. That means someone has to clean up after the puppies. Hence, I am dealing with a lot of shit. It ain’t so bad.

Summer in Westhampton is pretty nice. The weather is better than nice. An average temperature in the mid-70s is very comfortable. Living near the ocean does mean a bit of humidity, but then again, there is a pretty constant sea breeze. The following 10-day forecast is very typical. There is rain in the forecast, but as my mom would always say, “The rain will probably wind up in Connecticut.” Mom always wanted rain to support her gardens. Winding up in Connecticut meant her sister, Margaret Mary, would get the rain, and she wouldn’t. It is amazing how often storms will pass by Westhampton.

A pretty typical forecast

Having the whole crew here has been a lot of fun. The usual pattern of activities includes:

  • Beach
  • Boogie boarding
  • Sandcastles
  • Boating
  • Tubing
  • Cruising
  • Fishing
  • Clamming
  • Crabbing
  • Winnowing
  • Pool time
  • Golf
  • Basketball

 
  • Pool Baseball
  • Rockets
  • Bird watching
    • Bald Eagles (New in 2026)
    • Osprey
    • Egrets
    • Herons
    • Ducks
    • Sea Gulls
  • Gardening
  • Al fresco Dining
  • Shopping
  • Cocktail Hour

 

Check out the video

The puppies are the biggest fans of cocktail hour and pretty much dictate the schedule. Around 5:30 every afternoon, they line up and wait for their treats. And God forbid we skip cocktails for an early dinner reservation—the dogs get indignant.

As for dealing with a lot of shit… DON’T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA

If you enjoyed this blog and similar stories about wine, supper clubs, and food, follow me on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). Subscribe to future posts at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights—a Guide to Supper Clubs, published by Morgan James Publishing and available wherever books are sold.

 

When You Decide

 

When you decide what you want to do with the rest of your life, you want the rest of your life to start right away. For Susan and me, that meant rebuilding our house in Westhampton. We started working with a builder and an architect and got an initial estimate. Then Covid hit, and costs skyrocketed. The final quote came back at nearly double the original estimate. The businessperson in me kept thinking buy low—sell high, so I told the builder we’d wait a few years. Then I remembered: When you decide what you want to do with the rest of your life, you want the rest of your life to start right away.

Moving forward at that time probably wasn’t the best business decision, but from a personal perspective, things really worked out. So many related decisions just seemed to fall into place. For example, we locked in a lower interest rate on the mortgage. Then interest rates rose, and we were able to take advantage of the higher rates and markets to pay off the mortgage faster. And yes, you can rationalize anything.

The real reason we went ahead with the rebuild is that Dylan (a.k.a. “Dilly Bear”) loves his Gramp’s BISTRO CLAMS. Said another way, rebuilding the house in Westhampton has given us more time with our kids and grandkids.

One of our favorite pastimes in Westhampton is clamming on the deserted islands in Moriches Bay. There’s something about getting something for nothing that the women in my life love. Last summer we had the whole crew digging clams. In about an hour, we dug up over a hundred.

Digging clams is fun. Eating them is wonderful. My recipe for “Bistro Clams” has its origins in my first trip to France years ago, when I experienced escargot. I soon figured out that it wasn’t the rubbery snail I loved, but the wonderful garlic herb butter. You could put this butter on shoe leather (or a lowly snail) and it would taste good. Pair it with a freshly harvested clam and a piece of bacon, and you have culinary heaven. The look on Dylan’s face says it all.

Check out the recipe

https://impromptufridaynights.com/bistro-clams/

When it comes to the important things in life, economics are usually way down on the list. A tasty clam dish can be important but the look on Dilly Bear’s face is priceless. Just Don’t Blink.

This video says it all.

If you enjoyed this blog and similar stories about wine, supper clubs, and food, follow me on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). Subscribe to future posts at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights—a Guide to Supper Clubs, published by Morgan James Publishing and available wherever books are sold.