Beware Of The Teacher!

If you don’t know what you are doing, you don’t really know if the person trying to teach you knows what they are talking about. The beauty, or downfall of the internet reality of today is that anyone can pretend they know what they are talking about. Do I know about supper clubs? Sometimes I even surprise myself.

Thirty years ago I took my 3 year-old daughter skiing with the intention of teaching her how to ski. My buddy John, who had been working at the ski resort for years, asked who was going teach Jennifer (his favorite niece) how to ski? I told him I was. To which he replied: No way! You taught me how to ski. We are going to get someone who knows how to teach skiing to teach Jennifer. Three hours later my 3-year old daughter was skiing from the top of the mountain.

Fast forward 30 years and my 4 year old grandson Max has moved to Ottawa Canada and wants to play hockey. Now Gramps may have majored in ice hockey in High School, but I think we might want to get him skating lessons from a PRO. My current expertise is more centered on PRO-VOLONE than skating.

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.

Ultimate “Secret Recipe” Brownies

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 inches) versus the recommended 9 X 13 inch pan to get a thicker/more gooey brownie. 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 and 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:

Line your pan with aluminum foil and spray it with Pam and you get a perfect brownie that doesn’t stick to the pan.
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 Brownie recipe and it will be a hit at your next supper club. 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.

What Is Easy For Some Is Hard For Others

If I have two pieces of advice for neophyte supper clubbers it would be:

Make it in advance
Keep it simple

With the above said I have been known to write menus that are not simple and require last minute “a-la-minute” preparation. The truth is some things that seem easy to me are not easy for everyone.

The best example of this is my “Onion” story. I wrote a menu that required chopped onions in a few dishes. A friend of mine complained that it took her an hour to chop onions. I asked if she had a food processor? I had peeled 4 onions and chopped them in the food processor and had my onions chopped without shedding a tear in less than five minutes. It was easy for me but…

The sequel to this story involves a friend that makes a traditional holiday dish that requires a lot of chopped onions. She is a phenomenal cook and had read my “Onion” story and called for advice on using the food processor to chop onions. Through practice I have learned that to get the required dice you need the right amount of onion in the food processor. If you have too much onion in the bowl you will wind up with onion puree. It was easy for me but…

There are four keys;

Research – Whenever I am trying something new I go to the internet and read 3 or 4 recipes describing how to make a dish and cull the process down to key steps
Ask questions – My friends in the onion story found out that there is an easier way to do things
Watch – I have learned more from watching good cooks. I love getting a table at a restaurant with a view of the cooking line.
Practice, practice, practice – There is nothing like experience. The first time I used a food processor to chop onions, I had more onion juice than diced onions. After a little practice my friend will never chop an onion for her holiday dish again.

The best example of something that is easy for me and hard for others is my rack of lamb recipe.

Check out the recipe

I will admit it isn’t easy for most as there are multiple steps that layer in the flavor. The worst example is the fact that I cook it on a gas grill and then finish it in the oven. I Do it that way because I get a great char flavor from searing it on the grill and can get a perfect crust on the crumb by finishing it in the oven.

I love this picture of my buddy Joe and me for three reasons. We are at the Bethpage Black Golf Course in NY:

They actually post a warning that the Black is for “Only Highly Skilled Golfers”. If they let me and Joe play…
My buddy Joe has probably had more of my rack of lamb than most. Joe isn’t a connoisseur, but he knows what he likes.
Cooking is like golf. You slice it, chip it and put it on some greens

The key to my golf game and my rack of lamb go back to rule number 4. – PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. The good news for supper clubbers is that if you cook they will come and there will always be an appreciative audience for your efforts.