If You Are Scared Say You Are Scared

In writing Supper Club menus you have to take into account that some things you think are easy can be really challenging for others. I once wrote a menu that including steamed lobsters. I grew up on the east coast where boiling a lobster was considered simple. For others it was a real challenge.

I knew I was in trouble when I saw my friend Kathy having a panic attack in my kitchen. Our neighborhood Supper Club is large and involves 5 dinner parties of 4 couples each. To make it a little easier I ordered the 40 lobsters and arranged for the hosts to pick them up at my house.

Kathy stopped by to pick up the lobster and her anxiety started to show. Let me say that Kathy is a very clever lady. She grew up in Kansas City and had never cooked a lobster. Seeing the squirming lobsters in the bag set off a look of panic that reminded me of a lady I had seen having a panic attack in the Shannon airport in Ireland. Fear of flying is a real phobia. Fear of cooking lobster was apparently just as real.

I felt really bad. Kathy is one of my favorite people and I was the cause of her anxiety. My initial answer was to offer to cook the lobster for her. She would never have to see an uncooked lobster again.

Somehow we talked Kathy down off the panic level. I took her through the simplicity of boiling water. Dropping the lobsters in head-first. Cooking for 7 minutes. Checking for the lobsters to turn red. Explaining how lobsters have built in doneness devices. Sort of like the pop-up device in Roasting chickens that pops up when the chicken is done. Lobsters turn bright red when done.

She got through the evening and her Supper Club was a huge success. Has she cooked a lobster since? When asked her response was: “NO WAY!”

When faced with a Supper Club challenge, do a little research. You can get a video on YouTube or several “How-to’s” via a Google Search. Another tried and true method is to invite the person that suggested the menu and tell them: “It was your idea so you can cook the Lobster”.

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.

Better Than McDonalds.

Just about everyone loves good French Fries. At the same time there is nothing worse than bad fries. The secret to great fries is simple:

YOU HAVE TO COOK THEM TWICE.

I will never forget my first trip to France when I was in high school. The first night in Paris we had dinner at a small bistro. I ordered “steak frites” and had an epiphany. The French Fries were better than McDonalds. Both at that French bistro and McDonalds they go through the extra step of cooking their fries twice.

What they do at McDonalds is they have their potato supplier pre-cooked the fries by blanching them in oil and then freezing them. At your local store they then flash fry the potatoes at high heat to crisp them up.

Growing up my mother made fries and she always struggled to get them crispy. She tried different oils and different potatoes but could never get them consistently crispy. No one told her the secret.

I am amazed at how often French Fries are soggy at restaurants. There is nothing worse than a soggy/oily fry. And there is no reason for it.

People love a good homemade fry. To the inexperienced cook making a good fry is a challenge. Again the French have the answer…Mise En Place. Precook your fries in advance and then flash fry them for second cooking and serve. Voila!

My neighbor and I host an annual Oktoberfest where we serve grilled Brats and coordinate with the rest of our neighbors to bring side dishes. One year I had some extra potatoes so I brought out my fry station and made fries. Using two baskets I would pre-cook one set potatoes in basket one and then let it cool. I would use basket two to do the second cooking. The fries were a big hit and a bit of work. The next year I tried to get away with not making the fries much to the disappointment of the crowd. From then on French fries have become a tradition.

Watch the video of my propane burner and large pot

French fries are easy for McDonalds and me as we have a fry stations and have been making them for years. Not every supper club host has the luxury of a fry station. If you ever do make fries remember the key:

YOU HAVE TO COOK THEM TWICE.

Check out the recipe

Focus On The Positive

Do you ever catch yourself focusing on what went wrong versus what was done well? We all do. It is really easy to be your own worst enemy.

Back in my school days I used to work for a great golfer. Bill Collins was the club pro at the course I caddied at as a kid. Bill was a five-time winner on the PGA tour and had played in a Ryder Cup. Bill was a great golfer back in the Hogan, Snead and Palmer era. In those days it was tough to make a living on tour and many great golfers took club pro jobs to provide for their families.

Working for Bill was a valuable experience. He must of liked me because he would listen to me complain about my golf game. He once cut me off by asking me if I hit 5 good shots in my round. He explained that Hogan would say that he was lucky to hit 1 or 2 good shots in the round. Of course it was relative, but Bill’s point was that it is better to focus on the 5 good shots versus dwelling on the negative.

Do I have five good dishes? I don’t know, but I certainly get good feedback on the following:

– Rack of Lamb Provençal

– Grill Roasted Shrimp With Bacon

– Romaine Lettuce Wedge

– Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

– Grilled Pizzas

It would be easy to focus on the times I have over-cooked a steak or messed up a menu. I know that some of my menus can be complicated. There have certainly been times when I didn’t do the right preparation. While I can be my worst critic, I will say that most supper clubbers are more than polite. I have never heard a complaint. Most are just happy that someone is hosting the party and cooking for them.

Social media has opened a door negative feedback. People will say nasty thing via the internet that they would never say to you in person. I have a rule. I have to make 5 positive comments before making 1 negative.

Focus on the positive. the five good shots, the five good dishes. Have a good time. If your supper club menu or dish isn’t the best, focus on the wine.