Category Archives: Blog

The Perfect Corkscrew

We have all struggled to get a cork out of a bottle of wine. There is something intimidating and scary about a task that should be so simple. There are also a myriad of corkscrew options. I have been a fan of many of those options from time to time over the last 40 years. My current corkscrew of choice, is the classic Waiter’s Corkscrew. It is one of the cheapest, easy to use and most efficient options. With a little training and practice, you start to enjoy the task and will never be afraid to open a bottle of wine ever again.

Before I go into the benefits of my current choice let me take you through some of the options:

The Wing Style Corkscrew

How to use a Wing Style Corkscrew

This has always been my mother’s tool of choice. She likes it because it is easy. It doesn’t require strength. Mom is 97 and she has been enjoying one or two glasses of wine a day for 70 years. About 7 years ago she got in a car accident 1000 yards from her house. That was the end of her driving career. A few months after the accidents she told me: “Don’t tell your sisters, but I probably should not have had that second glass of wine before driving home from dinner. But the local police officer was so nice. He took the case of wine out of my car and carried it into the house for me.” So maybe the wing style corkscrew is too easy to use.

The Ah So Style Corkscrew

How to use an Ah So 

This was my tool of choice when we first started drinking wine in California back in the 1980’s. For me, this isn’t the easiest tool to use. If you aren’t proficient in it’s use, there is a risk that you will push the cork into the bottle. Where the Ah So really works well is with older bottles of wine and the cork starts to fall apart. I use an Ah So when I see that the cork is weak.

The Rabbit Style Corkscrew

How to use a Rabbit Style Corkscrew

This had been my tool of choice for over twenty years. I liked it because it opens a bottle quickly and is pretty much idiot proof. With that said, I have screwed up with it more that I want to admit. I had one for years that I bought at Costco. Funny thing, Costco stopped selling it. That was an early indicator that there are better options out there. While I was in the Rabbit phase, I bought a very expensive Rabbit corkscrew for my son in law. E is definitely a wine guy, but he isn’t a tool guy. His line is that there is no such thing as “Jews and screws”. He just could never get the hang of the rabbit style. I guess this blog is another example of where E was right and I was wrong.

Electric or Cordless Corkscrew

How to use a cordless wine cork puller

These were all the rage a few years ago. I actually got two for Christmas one year. I never could get it right. It took too long. I was never really sure how to use it. And, I broke a few too many corks. Just don’t tell my nephew about this blog, but I don’t use cordless wine cork puller.

Air Pump/Pressure Cork Puller

How to use an air pump cork puller

I have been given an air pump puller a few times to use. They make me nervous. It is probably irrational, but I worry the bottle will explode. I certainly am uncomfortable with how they work. On the surface there are lots of benefits (easy, good for weak corks…), but I don’t get it.

The Perfect Corkscrew

How to use the Waiters corkscrew. 

In my book, the old Waiter’s corkscrew is the perfect corkscrew. It has been around for centuries. It is cheap, usually around $5. Some are better than others. The one I buy at my local wine store has a two-step function that works perfectly. The key is setting the screw to a maximum depth without going through the cork. This reduces the risk of breakage. A good Waiters corkscrew has a good “catch” on the first step. Some of the lesser versions will slip on the first step. Once you get the cork halfway out you move to the second step and you are done. I also like the knife blade to cut off the foil.

My suggestion is get a Waiters corkscrew. Use it a few times. A little practice goes a long way to elimination of the fears. There is also a joy in the process. I look forward to opening a bottle with one of my favorite corkscrews. At $5 apiece, I buy them to leave behind in several places. It is simply: The Perfect Corkscrew.

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs 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 through most channels where books are sold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poor Man’s Hampton

If you tell someone that you are going to visit your mother in Westhampton. You usually get a question to ascertain if you are going to “The Hamptons”.  As in where the rich and famous spend their summers. It is true that there is a lot of stupid money, and stupid people, in the Hamptons during the summer. However, there are lots of normal, very nice people there as well. And yes, you will see a few celebrities.

I try to explain to my friends in Memphis that having a house in the Hamptons is a lot like having a lake house in Iuka Mississippi. The more you try to explain this, the worse it gets. Then I try to explain that my mom lives in Westhampton which is the “Poor man’s Hampton”.

The story that I think categorizes this fact the best is told by Ina Gartner the Barefoot Contessa. Ina opened her first Barefoot Contessa shop in Westhampton. After a few years she decided to move to Easthampton. Early on in Easthampton she noticed a customer hemming and hawing over her Lobster Salad. Her initial reaction was that her (then) price of $40 per pound was too high. She asked the man if she could help him and he said: I am just not sure if I need 5 or 8 pounds. She knew then that she was in the right Hampton. There is lots of stupid money in Easthampton.

In doing the research for this blog I saw an article from last week’s New York Post with the lead of: Which Hamptons store is selling lobster salad for $100/lb? The article explains that you can spend from $47 to $100 per pound for Lobster Salad in the Hamptons . This just proves my point that there is stupid money in the Hamptons and brings into question my logic that owning a house in the Hamptons is the same as owning a lake house in Iuka Mississippi. Besides, I am not a fan of lobster salad. If you are a real lobster lover, like my wife Susan, putting mayonnaise with your lobster is sacrilegious, the only way to enjoy lobster is freshly steamed with drawn butter.

It is a foodie heaven in the Hamptons. You don’t have to spend $100 per pound for lobster salad to get a great meal. We bought locally caught swordfish for $10 per pound at the nearby Best Market last night along with a fresh eggplant at $1 per pound and we ate like rock stars. A compound butter made with fresh dill from mom’s herb garden was a key ingredient for the swordfish. My Gorgonzola Aioli was a perfect complement to the grilled eggplant. Round out the meal with a garden salad with local greens, homegrown tomatoes and the famous Mommom’s Vinaigrette. For dessert we had a fruit compote made with fresh peaches, blueberries and walnuts topped with New Hampshire Maple syrup. As my father would say after such a meal:

“Not bad, considering that you threw it together”

Poor Man’s Hampton Menu

From start to finish, this meal didn’t take an hour to prepare and cook. The compound butter and Aioli were made in advance. The swordfish and eggplant were both brushed with olive, dusted with salt and pepper and thrown on the grill. Coming off the grill the swordfish got a small dollop on compound butter. The eggplant was plated and dressed with the Aioli. The salad was thrown together and lightly dressed with Vinaigrette. I hadn’t even thought about dessert, but when my mom asked for something sweet I tossed together the peaches, blueberries and walnuts and then dressed it with a few teaspoons of maple syrup. This last minute addition was the hit of the evening.

The total cost of the dinner was less than $30 to feed 4 people.

At $7.50 per person, even a poor man can have a pretty great meal in the Poor Man’s Hampton.

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs 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 through most channels where books are sold.

Maya and Mommom enjoying dinner in Westhampton

The Perfect Thank You. 

Have you ever needed leave something as a thank you gift? For example my mom has been in the hospital for a few days and asked me to get something for the nurses as she checks out. My “Ultimate Secret Recipe Brownies” are a wonderful option.

These brownies are simply the best. We have been getting rave reviews on them for years. They are deliciously decadent with rich, gooey chocolate and can be dressed up (or down) to meet any supper club occasion. Now you can find the SECRET behind this ULTIMATE brownie…on the box of Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate.

Yes it is true that Baker’s One Bowl Brownie recipe has been on the box for over 30 years, but there is one little twist that makes my brownies simply the best. In a previous life, I worked for Baker’s chocolate and took part in focus groups where Baker’s management got to talk to consumers that were frequent users of our products. During one of these sessions an elderly lady told us that she loved our recipe, but that she made her brownies thicker by using a smaller pan (9 X 9  or 8 X 8 inches) versus the recommended 9 X 13 inch pan to get a thicker/more gooey brownie. You can get the same result by doubling the recipe and using the 9 X 13 pan. This grandmother was right and her (now mine) thicker brownies are truly amazing.

CHECK OUT THE RECIPE

One might ask why didn’t Baker’s management change the recipe on the box to make a better brownie. Using a smaller pan also requires that you have to bake the brownies longer (55 minutes versus 35 minutes). Baker’s One Bowl Brownies competes with “box” brownies that are easier to make and we were concerned that changing the recipe and requiring a longer bake time would be a disadvantage. Ok, I lost the argument 30 years ago, but you can try my Ultimate Secret Recipe Brownies and you will know I was right.

This story proves my belief that “Nothing influences the flavor of food more than how it is cooked”. Make this little change (smaller pan, longer bake time) and you get an amazingly better brownie.

In those focus groups I did learn a few additional secrets:

  1. Line your pan with aluminum foil and spray it with Pam and you get a perfect brownie that doesn’t stick to the pan.
  2. Soak the bowl in water and cleanup becomes easy. One consumer in the focus group complained that while she loved the One Bowl Brownie recipe cleanup was a pain. The other women attacked this poor lady telling her to soak the bowl for 10 minutes. This is just another example of: What is easy for some is hard for others.

There is one secret that I have learned, but not from a focus group. If I make brownies and don’t let my wife lick the bowl I will be in the doghouse. Susan doesn’t really like brownies, but there is something about the brownie batter that she loves.

Try my Ultimate Secret Recipe Brownie recipe and it will be a hit at your next supper club or thank you gift. You can dress it up with ice cream and Gran Marnier infused fruit and your guests will be beyond happy.

If you enjoy this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons subscribe to get future blogs 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 through most channels that sell books.