Language Can Be Nuanced

You have to love the nuance of language. The same thing can be said the same way and mean many different things. It gets particularly nuanced when travelling and talking to people in a language that is not their mother tongue.Yet, you need to be careful pretty much all the time, even at supper club dinner parties because the old adage is true: “It is not what you say, it is how you say it”.

“I Am A Communist, And I Eat Capitalist For Breakfast”

A friend of mine was in Berlin back in the early 1990’s right after the Berlin wall had come down and reunification of Germany had just begun. He went for a jog in the morning in his sweatsuit and wearing a NY Yankee baseball hat (He is a native Memphian but…?). After his jog he went to a Burger King to get coffee. A scruffily dressed man walked up to David dressed in his American uniform and gruffly announced. “I Am A Communist, And I Eat Capitalist For Breakfast”. My buddy noticed how the Burger King employee taking his order winced and thought: “Now I am in trouble…”. Then the communist smiled and David realized that he just wanted him to know that he liked American food. Language can be nuanced.

“Une Femme D’un Certain Age”

You have to love the French. Not only can they really cook, but they have such a wonderful way with words.

They wouldn’t call someone an:

“Older woman”.
- A woman of a certain age sounds so much better

They wouldn’t say:

“He looks good for his age”
“He reminds me of his father” or worse: “His grandfather”.
“He looks so much older than his wife”
- “Un home d’un certain age” sounds so much better.

A classic example of Une femme d’un certain age was the French actress Simone Signoret in her later years. She was a great actress who was also married to the actor Ives Montand. Ives was famous in the U.S. for the movie he made with Marilyn Monroe, Let’s Make Love. It just so happens that Ives was a first cousin of our International Sales Manager at Kraft, John Argiro. John told us the story of how Ives had an affair with Marilyn during the filming of movie. As John said: “Who could blame him, he was French”. Simone never divorced him. She just made him pay. I am sure that more than language was nuanced.

“OK, OK, OK”

I was once going to Japan to negotiate a business deal. Before I left our corporate attorney, who had lived in Japan for a few years as a young man, gave me some advice: He said if the Japanese start saying “OK, OK, OK” that means they don’t understand what you are saying. To which I replied: “You mean it is basically the same as with an American talking to another American?” Language can be nuanced.

The good news with supper clubs is that if you are enjoying a meal with friends, you are probably on safer ground. It is always a good idea to think about what you say and how you say it, but if you say it with a glass of wine in your hand and a smile on your face, you are almost certainly OK.

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.

Supper Clubs Are Going Global

The supper club concept is a good fit anywhere in the world. We recently had a wonderful evening with old and new friends in Puszczykowo Poland. Our Impromptu Sunday Night combined interesting people, amazing food and engaging conversation in a perfect setting. It was the perfect supper club dinner party.

Lucien and Ela Vendome hosted the evening in their wonderful new home. Lucien and I have been friends for many years. The book, Impromptu Friday Nights- A Guide To Supper Clubs is an offshoot of a question Lucien asked me after a fun evening in Memphis years ago. He said: “Lots of people write cook books, have you ever thought about writing a book about what you and Susan do with supper clubs?” It took over twenty years, but the book published this year is the genesis of Lucien’s question. So much of what I know about food and fine dining comes from lessons learned from this friend and culinary genius.

The menu for the evening was fantastic:

Hors d’Ouevre

Tartellete aux champions (Marsala wine -cream – sage)
Chaussons a la Polonaise (Caramelized onions – Parmesan – sausage)

Salmon Saltimbocca

Pan seared – Beurre rouge – Parisian de celeriac – Melissa

Pork Medallions

Cider honey Mustard glaze – Rosemary – Caramelized apples

Pommes de Terre Anna

Butter – Chives

Roasted Root Vegetables

Citrus and chive butter

Fondant aux Chocolat

Crème Chantilly – Coulis de framboise – Melissa

For me, one of the most fun components of the evening was the preparation as it brought back so many fond memories. Lucien and I worked at Kraft years ago and had practice of:

Lucien would stop by my office at 3 pm on a Friday afternoon asking if Susan and I were in town this weekend
I would respond: “The usual suspects?”
A quick call to Susan to get clearance and the invitation chain started
Calls would go out to five couples at 4 pm. The guys were traveling the world and normal scheduling was a nightmare. But, amazingly 9 times out of 10 everyone would show up at 7 pm to enjoy a a la minute menu prepared by Lucien and myself.
The meaning of “Impromptu Friday Nights” was born and a lifetime friendships and memories created.

The good news is that the ability to recreate these events continues with the evening at Villa Vendome a perfect example.

(Lucien & Paul bringing focus to the cooking)

The group for the evening brought together old and new friends. Lucien and Ela were hosting Susan and I for the weekend. Ela and Magda have known each other years having been professors together at Poznan University. Magda’s husband Paol is a former military attaché from Denmark, enjoying retirement as much as Lucien and I. Marta is a concert pianist and professor of music who lives in nearby Puszczykowo. The group was perfectly eclectic and conversations covered a gamut of topics. It was so much fun learning about each other’s lives and adventures. As the evening went on it seemed that no one wanted it to end. Old friendships were renewed and new friendships born.

One of the beauties of Lucien and I being old friends of a certain age is that we have heard each other’s stories many times but can’t remember them. We had lots of fun retelling them to the delight of each other and new friends (we hope). Fortunately, Ela and Susan put up with hearing the stories for the thousandth time.

Wherever you live in the world, give the supper club concept a try. Whether it is in Pittsburgh or Puszczykowo the concept works. The fun we had at Villa Vendome is the perfect testimony.

The Perfect Lobster Mac And Cheese

Capital Grille makes a fantastic Lobster Macaroni and Cheese. Making a consistently great Mac and Cheese isn’t the easiest thing. The problem is that macaroni can be like a sponge and before you know it, your perfectly saucy Mac and Cheese can become too dry. The key is to add enough sauce, (The Capital Grille Chef recommends a 2 to 1 ratio of sauce to pasta) then bake it quickly to add a crust and serve immediately. Follow this rule and you will have a winner for your supper club dinner party.

I worked for Kraft for 35 years. If you want to talk to THE expert on Mac and Cheese, hang out at the Costco in Memphis Tennessee. Larry Woodford was the research scientist that invented Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. He is retired now and lives on a lake in Mississippi. I worked with Larry for years, but now it is scary how many times we run into each other at Costco.

When my kids were young, my son’s buddy Eric Brown basically lived on Kraft Mac & Cheese. Eric was the pickiest of picky eaters. This kid didn’t eat pizza, he even hated McDonalds, but he loved “Blue Box” which was Kraft slang for Mac & Cheese. I will never forget telling Eric that I worked with the guy that invented Kraft Mac and Cheese. Eric said: “Wow, he must be rich”. I said: “No, he is just fat”.

Larry developed the cheese sauce that was used in Blue Box for over 30 years. He probably got a $200 bonus for the development. He certainly didn’t get rich. If you ever have any questions about cheese, he is your guy. He has forgotten more about cheese than most of us will ever know. One thing he will recommend to the chef at Capital Grille, or the supper club chef, is that if you are using 4 cheeses to make your Lobster Mac and Cheese, make one of them Velveeta.

Using Velveeta has nothing to do with being a Kraft alumnus. Using process cheese in your Mac and Cheese recipe will add to the lubricity or mouth feel of your product. The fat system in Velveeta is the reason for the great mouth feel. The flavor also benefits from the salt level in Velveeta. Kraft research told us a long time ago that Americans equate Cheesiness with saltiness. It doesn’t hurt that salt is cheep and by adding salt you lower cost and adds to the perception of cheesiness. Ironically, another big steak chain, Flemings, used to use Velveeta in their famous Jalapeno Mac & Cheese. It just so happens that the head of R&D at Flemings was also a Kraft alumnus and had learned a trick or two from Larry.

Check out the Capital Grille recipe for Lobster Mac And Cheese. Keep this recipe in mind for your next supper club menu. Remember to add plenty of sauce, bake and serve. If you have any questions, look for a really happy cheese expert at Costco in Memphis.