Need A Christmas Gift Idea?

It is that time of year where we all struggle to figure out that perfect gift. You can’t go wrong with anything on this list, but my favorite is the white knife.

Here is my list:

My “White Handle” knives

Most chefs use a set of knives, but also have a favorite. Mine is a Victorinox paring knife with a serrated edge. We started using them after September 11^th when it became impossible to bring knives on a plane. Our Executive Chef found the White Handle knives and started to send them to customer presentations in advance. They are less than $5 a knife when you buy them in bulk so we could leave them behind after a presentation. We started giving them to customers as we were leaving telling them how great they were and that we couldn’t take them home through airports. We wound up getting more complements on the knives than we did on our products. These are multi-purpose knives that work really well for all kinds of tasks.

As the years go by I have become the “Johnny Appleseed” of the “White Knives”. I leave them everywhere. We gave given them as a hostess gift, (See My Hostess Gift Blog), house warming gift, engagement gift, and multiple thank you gifts. They are just great. I have even found a great source. Katom Restaurant supply

Food Processors

Please note that I say food processors, I have more than one. I have a traditional 12 – cup processor and a 4 – cup mini processor. I use the 12 – cup processor for most jobs like blending and grating. The 4 – cup mini has a blade that goes in two directions. You can use this function to get a more consistent dice on onions, etc.

What is simple for some people is hard for others. I once wrote a supper club menu that called for diced onions. One poor clubber complained to me that she spent over an hour crying over diced onions. I made the same recipes and it took me less than five minutes to dice the onions and not a tear was shed. I asked my friend if she had a food processor and she said yes, but I never use it…da!

Wood Spatula’s

I use these for all sorts of things like: browning/breaking up chopped meats, stirring sauces in non-stick sauté pans, folding ingredients together. I could go on and on. They are always within reach in my kitchen and get used all the time.

Mandolin slicers

Again, I am using the plural term because I have three. My wife used to give me a hard time about having three. Then we visited her brother and he has six. Different mandolins have different uses. They are also one of the more dangerous utensils in the kitchen as most chefs have lost more than a piece of skin by getting careless while using one. The bottom line is that if you need a uniform cut or dice, mandolins are a great time saver.

Garlic Peelers

This definitely falls into the category of something you really miss if you are cooking in a kitchen where you don’t have one. My father once accused me of not cooking anything that doesn’t have garlic and onion in it. He might have been right. I do know that when I am peeling garlic without a peeler I feel like I am herding cats. It takes way too long.

This is my top five today but I have to confess that my list changes pretty regularly. Another great sign of how important to me a utensil is, is how often I gift an item. We regularly give away “White Handle” knives and they have developed a cult following amongst family and friends. Just about everything on this list has been a Christmas or Hanukah gift.

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.

A Special Memory Of A Great Man – George H.W. Bush

This blog is off the supper club topic, but in light of the passing of George H.W. Bush, I wanted to pass on a special memory of him that Susan and I have.

We met George H.W. Bush 20 years ago at his presidential library in College Station Texas on the campus of Texas A&M University. We were in Houston visiting our friends Jerry and Tricia MacDonald. It was a cold snowy/rainy day and instead of playing golf as planned, we decided to visit the George H.W. Bush library.

I remember that day clearly. I knew that Bush was from Greenwich CT where my wife Susan went to school, lived and taught and Barbara was from Rye NY. Our friends Tom and Mary Julian, lived across Onondaga Street from the house that Barbara grew up in.

Presidential libraries are all great. History comes to life. On the day we were at the library there weren’t a lot people there because of the weather. The tour was great. I loved his emphasis that while from Greenwich he was really a Texan. At the end of the tour we were in the back of the library watching a tv with funny video clips of Bush. We were watching one where a post President George was playing golf, complaining that putts that friends used to give him when he was President, they now made him putt (with his long putter)

Just as we were watching on tv the real George Bush appeared in person. He walked up to Susan and said: “watch this, it is really funny”. He just happened to be there that day to throw out the first pitch for a Texas A&M baseball game that had been canceled. George Bush had a sense of humor. He could laugh at himself. The way he did it, was a testimony to the self confidence of a great man.

Video clip of George Bush and Dana Carvey

I had been a fan of “41” for years. As a history major in college, I always have felt that he was the best trained president in history. (War hero, Yale graduate, Senator, Ambassador, CIA Director, Vice President). Past that, he was such a good person. In the presence of his greatness, I could have asked a lot of questions. We had common history having grown up in neighboring towns. I could of asked a historical question.

But no: I asked him if he gave lessons on how to use the long putter in golf like he was doing in the funny video we were watching? He looked at me like I was from another planet. Then, he and his secret service contingent whisked away.

A stupid question, but a great man and a special memory.

George and Barbara Bush with Amy Grant, Jerry MacDonald and Michael W. Smith at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on December 5 2015. Jerry (in black) runs the Pavilion and was with us when we met President Bush at his library.

Cookbooks Lie Experience Doesn’t

Have you ever wondered why when you cook a roast beef to exactly to the instruction in the cookbook, it doesn’t always turn out the way you want? Many cookbooks call for cooking a roast beef 130 to 140 degrees for medium rare. If you pull your roast out of the oven at 135 degrees, let it sit for 15 minutes (as recommended) you are guaranteed to have your roast cooked to medium well. The fact is that beef and other items will continue to cook after coming out of the oven, and cookbooks lie.

My kitchen Bible has always been the Joy of Cooking. Older editions, like mine, called for cooking your roast beef from 140 for rare to 170 degrees for well done. I have annotated my copy more than once. As you can see in the picture, I originally crossed off 140 and penciled in 130 for rare. Finally, I have written, “Cook to 120 to 125 degrees and let stand”. That pretty much says it all: Cookbooks lie, experience doesn’t.

(My notes on Roast Beef in the Joy Of Cooking)

My family has a tradition of over cooking the holiday roast. We all like our beef medium rare. We always used to wind up with beef at medium well. It wouldn’t be the holidays if the beef isn’t overcooked. The fact is that your roast will continue to cook and Mom’s roast beef pulled out of the oven at 140 degrees wound up at 150 degrees. That nasty grey color is just never good, unless you are one of the outliers that like their beef well done

I used to work with two great chefs that ran the top white tablecloth restaurant in Memphis. I asked them what percentage of their customers like their beef medium rare? They claim that 85% of customers at higher end restaurants like their beef medium rare. Of course there are those that grew up in households where their mom’s overcooked everything and medium well was the standard. I do believe people like what they grew up with, but I still have a problem killing a good piece of meat. I have a friend that likes his meat cooked well done. I will admit that I don’t invite him to a dinner knowing that it pains me to ruin a good piece of meat.

As we get into winter and the holiday season, there is not much better than a good roast beef. If you are planning a big dinner party, it is never a bad idea to have a test run with family or a few guests. Just remember Cookbooks and bloggers lie, experience doesn’t.