A little glimpse inside the glamorous world of culinary journalism:
I decided to do a story pegged to Major League Baseball’s opening day about the many ways food and baseball intersect. I mean, they have a “home plate,” for crying out loud. They hit “taters.” They call the ball an “egg.” There had to be something I could do with that.
So I talked to a baseball linguist who had written a book. And I heard that the new skipper for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Joe Maddon, was a big food and wine guy, so I arranged for an interview.
I went and hung out in the clubhouse after one of the early spring training workouts and waited a couple hours until all the beat writers and TV people had done their interviews. Maddon sat down and gave me a great interview.
Then a week or so later, I got an idea to have him pose with a table setting, only with home plate instead of a dinner plate. The D-Rays P.R. guy, Rick Vaughn was gracious enough to set it up and we were ready a couple days after that.
So I show up at the training complex in St. Pete one day. Of course it’s overcast. To the point of almost raining. I’ve lugged a table, chair, place setting, tablecloth, wine and wine glasses, you name it. And now it looked like garbage outside.
Photographer Mark Guss and I waited again until all the beat writers were done. And the TV crews. And waited. And waited.
Ever the optimist, Mark decided that the impending rain was a good thing. “If we can get this shot before the storm, it’ll make for nice light,’’ he said. Mark’s so cool that way.
Meanwhile we set up the table and chair and place setting just to be ready.
Only problem was, the groundskeepers needed to do their job.
So we moved the table and chair and place setting…
Then the lawn guys had us move the table again.
Then the clouds parted and bright sun shone through.
Still the optimist, Mark said, “No, this is good. It’ll make nice color this way.”
Maddon eventually rode up on a golf cart, got off, shook hands, sat down and asked what we wanted him to do. He noticed the bottle.
“Hey, a rose’,” he said, pegging it right away.
We asked him to open the bottle and pour a glass. Then he noticed the label on the bottle: Ménage à Trois.
“Oh, I’m gonna get so much [expletive deleted] for this in the clubhouse from the guys,’’ he said.
Five minutes later, we were done.
Here is one of the photos Mark made:
You can read the story by clicking here.
They want us to travel naked, they do.
As if continually climbing fees for checked bags aren’t bad enough, some travelers flying from Orlando must now add some extra time to their airport adventure.
Starting today, Delta Air Lines will require passengers with checked bags to check-in at least 45 minutes before flight time. Yesterday it was 30 minutes.
That means luggage check-in for its earliest flight to Atlanta, at 6:00 a.m., closes at bleary-eyed 5:15 a.m. Show up at 5:16 a.m. hoping to turn over your bag and you’re quickly learn out of luck. They’ll charge you a fee and stick you on the next flight, an hour later.
Delta says it is implementing the changes “due to the size of the Orlando airport and security measures.” Changes are not anticipated at Tampa International Airport.
The time shift is designed to ensure bags get aboard before the plane takes-off. That makes sense because federal figures recently showed airlines are losing more luggage than ever before.
Passengers who simply want to carry-on their suitcase need not worry about the 45 minute rule. If you don’t check-in online, you must do so at the airport more than 30 minutes before departure time.
I’m endlessly fascinated by the recipe variations people make in their kitchens.
Maybe it’s because when I was a kid, my mom let me and my friend Keith experiment with a blender to make our own milkshakes. We used milk and ice cream, of course. Then we’d throw in chocolate syrup, peanut butter, raw eggs, you name it. It tasted like ca-ca, but to us, it was frozen nectar of the gods.
That’s what happens in some people’s kitchens. They tweak recipes and try new things. Sometimes it’s treasure. Sometimes it’s trash. Most times it’s trash that tastes like treasure to them.
So when my friend and former colleague Mike Taylor, who also invented and sells a great office device called the Cubescope shared some pictures of a recent breakfast he made, I felt the need to pass along his wisdom.
Mike writes:
Facing a big day of yard work Sunday, I needed a breakfast that would stick to the ribs. Introducing:
THE TOWER OF POWER BREAKFAST
Ingredients:
½ package Ore-Ida frozen hash browns
3 eggs
½ onion
2 ½ cups homemade chili con turkey carne
1 ½ cups Original Frito’s Corn Chips
DIRECTIONS
Foundation:
Begin cooking hash browns according to directions on package. (Medium-high heat). Top with finely chopped onion. When skillet-side is browned, flip potatoes. (To facilitate flipping, cut circle of hash browns into quarters with edge of spatula and flip each fourth separately using a large spatula.)
Nudge hash-brown quarters back into place to form unified circle. Using edge of spatula again, gently tamp potatoes starting in the center and moving outward to create a small depression in potato mass.
Crack three eggs and let them settle into potato depression. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 5 minutes.
When egg whites begin to go from clear to solid white, add 1/16 cup of water directly to skillet metal (not onto food) and cover. Allow to steam-cook until yolks are done according to individual preference, usually when watery giggliness is eliminated but the yolks are not yet cooked to a solid state.
Main floor:
Reduce heat to low. Top potato foundation with homemade chili con turkey carne and cover for 4½ minutes.
Penthouse level:
Top with Fritos Original Corn Chips.
Enjoy with your favorite low-calorie sports drink.
Or, what the hell, you’ve come this far … a big glass of eggnog.
Serves: 1
I know what lollipops I’ll be handing out for Halloween:
Take a closer at the label.
Mmmmmmmmmmm. Them’s good eats.
And in case you didn’t get the point that this is all about the pollo…
They put the international symbol for poultry on each lollipop.
Didn’t Sylvester see this image right before he tried to eat Tweety?
Just asking.
Every now and then, you see stuff on the road that you almost can’t believe.
This truck I saw on Bloomingdale Avenue in Valrico finally answers the eternal question: Do Marshmallow Peeps have fingers?
Apparently, they do.
The long, brutal war is going into overdrive. It’s getting bloody out there on the battlefield.
Morale is low. The bodies are piling up. A new weapon is being unleashed. And unless you’re Oprah bin Laden or her lieutenant, Rachael Ray Zwahiri, it’s not safe to go out in the afternoon any longer - not if you’re a talk show host who’s about to get steamrolled by the bunker-buster-Food Network-turned-chat-star.
The New York Post has identified the first casualty of this god-forsaken war: Tony Danza.
It’s Danza’s last stanza
Tony Danza’s daytime talk show is headed for the scrap heap.
Danza told his audience yesterday that it was “unlikely” his show would return next season.
However, the show, which airs on WABC/ Ch. 7 at 10 a.m., will be on until the end of the season.
“We are going to finish real strong and enjoy what we have left,” he told viewers.
Danza’s show has been dogged by cancellation rumors for much of the season, fueled to a large degree by the announcement that Ch. 7 picked up a new daytime show hosted by Rachael Ray.
Damn you! Damn you to hell, you craven gods of TV sweeps! Was your thirst not slaked by Queen Latifah’s gabfest? Did your bloodlust not end with Tempestt Bledsoe’s show? Why, oh why, we beg to know, did you have to sacrifice your son Danza so that we may live in eternal chipmunk-cheek bliss with Rachael? Will this carnage ever end?
Your worship of false idol Rachael Ray shall doom you all. And then you will know the true measure of Nielsen retribution.
Mark our words. This aggression will not stand.
PREVIOUS MOMENTS OF RACHAEL
Gag me with a spoon.
Last Friday, I made an appearance as “Miss Pasco County” at Osceola Middle School in Pinellas Park. I visited with a few 6th Grade Health classes at this school which was an amazing experience for me. At the beginning of each class I spent a few minutes talking about my platform, “Moving to Prevent Childhood Obesity”, and explaining what the whole “Miss Pasco/Miss Florida” thing was all about. Soon after rattling on about myself, I realized that I really wanted to get to know each of the kids. I wanted to learn their names and a little bit about themselves. I asked questions such as “What kind of sports or extra curricular activities do you like?” Or “What are you going to do over your Spring Break?” These questions allowed me to learn about how busy and active they actually are. And these kids were definitely all about sports! Most of them told me that they loved playing football, baseball, soccer, and cheer-leading . I thought that was so great they are into staying active instead of watching 10 hours a day of TV or playing on the computer for 9 hours each day.
The children also asked me a LOT of questions. They were very inquisitive and their questions were impressive as well. They asked me some pretty tough questions although I was really comfortable when answering them. There were some semi-crazy questions such as “Laura, If you had 15 fingers would you still compete in pageants?” Or, “Laura, if your boyfriend asked you to cut all of your hair off, would you do it?” And, “Laura, have you ever starred in a Colgate commercial?” These kids were really intelligent for their ages.
But I want to highlight a classic and priceless moment that occurred…
I decided to have each child stand up, state their name, and tell everyone what they wanted to be when they grow up. It sounded a little bit like this…
“Hi my name is Alex and I want to be a Veterinarian when I grow up.”
“Hi, my name is Sarah and I want to be a nurse when I grow up.”
“Hi my name is Zach and I want to be a baseball player when I grow up.”
“Hi, my name is James and when I grow up, I want to be YOUR husband!”
This moment is a moment I will never EVER forget. Moments like this allow me to realize what an amazing opportunity I have when visiting schools to meet and talk with the children. I am so blessed to have the ability to travel to schools and talk about my platform and just talk to the kids in general.
THANK YOU Osceola Middle School and Mr. Topping for allowing me to visit with your students. And THANK YOU To the students for making it so memorable!!
Despite all the negative news about cruises, it reminds me of something quite positive.
Cruise lines are very good about giving passengers a refund when the price goes down. Think of it like buying a TV or DVD player; Best Buy and Circuit City give you the difference if the price of an item you bought drops after you swipe your Visa.
The same is true on the water, and it’s incredibly simple to do.
Let’s say you booked a 10-day Transatlantic cruise for $799 per passenger. Then, a friend says they want to go along. They find the same itinerary, on the same ship, in the same style room, at the same time for $599.
It happens. But, don’t get mad, even it up.
Call the cruise line and ask to “re-price” your itinerary. In this case, assuming there are two people in the cabin, you get $400. This is not $400 cruise dollars or a voucher, this is a $400 credit to your credit card.
So, how do you know when the price drops? Research.
Make it a habit. Go to a cruise website or another travel provider and search for the price of your itinerary a couple times a week. It may not change at all, but if it does it’s your windfall.
Don’t give up.
In late 2001 we took a Royal Caribbean cruise. We’d purchased it over the summer for $499 each. After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, cruise demand fell off, and it dropped to $399. We were overjoyed to get $200 back between the two of us.
Then, much to my surprise, I was checking it again about two weeks before we sailed. The price sank (I know, poor choice of words) again. This time the price was $279. I almost felt guilty calling again. Almost.
Royal Caribbean credited another $240.
Sure, I spend an hour or so doing the research, but we saved a total of $440 by placing just two phone calls. That refund paid for equivalent of our airline tickets and the gratuities onboard.
Time is valuable, and that’s exactly how I like to spend it: saving money.
When I was in college, I remember seeing tables set up throughout the student union building advertising college organizations, armed forces and credit cards.
“Sign up and you’ll receive a free T-shirt, phone card or water bottle,†the signs would say to entice students. We didn’t have enough money to buy a phone card let alone clothes. Why not sign up?
Advertising is important, especially when it comes to supporting a war. On March 6, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the government can force colleges to open their campuses to military recruiters. Federal law requires universities to give the military the same access as other recruiters or they will be denied federal money. For colleges, that would mean about $35 billion a year.
Colleges and universities aren’t alone. The No Child Left Behind Act requires secondary schools to provide military recruiters access to students’ names, addresses and telephone listings.
To me, denying federal funds unless schools provide students’ personal information seems a bit like bullying.
Anthony Nieuwendam, ROTC naval science instructor at Freedom High School, teaches history, geography and military customs to educate students about the armed forces. While he doesn’t recruit students to the armed forces, military recruiters are available on campus if students are interested in joining.
Nieuwendam said he thinks students should be required to serve in the military for two years just so they can develop more of a sense of pride for their country, which he believes is missing among youth.
I understand Nieuwendam’s argument and agree with it to a point. The national pride among the youth of our country has gone down, but what bothers me is all of the hype and propaganda for the war and joining the armed forces.
Commercials show soldiers smiling heroically in uniforms as they study in a classroom or stand beside a helicopter. I’m sure soldiers do some of those things, but there is also blood, tears and psychological trauma that is not shown in the commercials.
In college, I got wrapped up in the idea of possibly joining the military. The chance to travel and have my college tuition covered sounded very appealing. Then, my sister reminded me we’re fighting a war. True, I would have great opportunities, but I could also have had the chance to be killed.
With names such as “The War on Terror†and “Operation Iraqi Freedom,†the government seems to be using the same advertising strategies to sell this war that maybe a deodorant company might use to get us to buy its products. But I don’t buy the hype. It would seem more appropriate to call it “Operation We Need Oil†or “The War of Revenge for Sept. 11.â€
Don’t get me wrong. I truly support and appreciate the efforts of the soldiers in Iraq, but I don’t support the media ploys and advertising campaigns to get us to support the war or join the armed forces.
Call me a hippie if you want to, but it bothers me that the commercials and propaganda for the war and the armed forces use the same advertising techniques as cold medicines or energy drinks. The only difference is they fail to clearly mention the harmful effects of their “product.â€
So, the 42nd Pillsbury Bake-Off is history. Anna Ginsburg of Austin, Texas, took home the prize for using spinach and waffles in her stuffing recipe.
The moment leading up to the big announcement on Wednesday at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee was full of tension. Pillsbury, in an effort to keep the decision airtight, sequestered judges away, asked family, friends and media to turn off their cellphones and forbid anyone from taking photos of the big moment (Check out the photo gallery above to see how successful they were. Stew readers will not be denied!!!)
Anyway, celebrity host Joy Behar, who knows so little about cooking that she pronounced Simple Snacks category winner Ronna Farley’s Choco-Peanut Butter Cups as “choke-oh”, asked Ginsburg what she would do with the winnings. When the stunned Ginsburg announced that she was going to buy “one of those bouncy things for my daughter,’’ Behar shot back, “You won a million-ten and you’re buying a bouncy thing, honey?”
Nice.
Behar also mocked Dick Boulanger of Williston, Vt. The excitable 67-year-old, who was one of only three men in the finals this year, made his mark by dancing with Sally Pillsbury, wife of Pillsbury grandson George Pillsbury, on his way into the Bake-Off on Tuesday morning. Boulanger made the mistake of showing enthusiasm during the awards ceremony. “Apparently the Viagra is kicking in,’’ Behar said.
Nice.
Anyway, here’s the winning recipe.
Baked Chicken and Spinach Stuffing
Makes: 2 servings.
Ingredients:
9 Pillsbury Dunkables frozen homestyle waffle sticks with 3 syrup cups (from 1 lb 1.3-oz box)
2 tablespoons peach preserves
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts (1 lb)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 cups Green Giant frozen cut leaf spinach (from 1-lb bag), thawed, squeezed to drain well
1 tablespoon beaten egg white
1 tablespoon chopped pecans
Preparation Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees Spray 9-inch glass pie plate or 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix contents of syrup cups from waffles, the preserves and Worcestershire sauce. Place chicken, skin side up, in pie plate; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon syrup mixture over chicken. Bake uncovered 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast waffle sticks as directed on box. Cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Cut waffles into 3/4-inch cubes; set aside. Spray 1-quart casserole with cooking spray (or use 9x5-inch nonstick loaf pan; do not spray). In 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in waffle pieces and broth, breaking up and moistening waffle pieces. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning and sage. Remove from heat; stir in spinach. Cool about 5 minutes. Stir in egg white and pecans.
Spoon stuffing into casserole; place in oven with chicken. Bake uncovered 15 to 25 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest part is cut to bone (170 degrees) and stuffing is thoroughly heated. Serve chicken with stuffing, spooning remaining sauce in pan over chicken.
In step 1, bake chicken 25 minutes. In step 3, after adding stuffing to oven, bake stuffing and chicken 20 to 30 minutes.
To see all the winning recipes in the six final categories, click here.
Advertisement
