mizchef

Evening w/ Dorie Greenspan program

What would you expect when you meet a person who has twice won a James Beard Foundation Award and two International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook of the Year Awards, not to mention being listed on the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America?

You might expect a big head and a blustery mouth. In many cases, that’s exactly what you would get.

But that’s not what I found in Dorie Greenspan. I met her at “An Evening with Dorie Greenspan,” a fundraiser held by New York Women’s Culinary Alliance at the Institute for Culinary Education in New York.

When Dorie was speaking to her rapt audience, as well as when she was speaking with me personally, Dorie was gracious, humble, and as sweet as any of her famous desserts. Plus, she had a great sense of humor.

When I first spoke with her, she saw my name tag and asked, “Did you marry into that name or did you come with it?” I told her that I came with it and she asked, “Do you just love it?” When I said “no,” she said, “Well, I do.”

Dorie Greenspan (right)

She had me at hello. Right there she showed me the kind of person she is. She directed that comment toward me—that is, the remark was about me, rather than her. What that told me was that she is not all about herself, that she takes an interest in other people. And when I told her that I had baked her Marie-Helene’s Apple Cake for the event (about 30 people volunteered to make something out of Dorie’s latest cookbook, Around My French Table), she acted as if I had done HER an honor.

I also expressed my concern over having had to transport the cakes on the train twice (once to work and then to ICE), she replied that she didn’t think that Marie-Helene had ever put it through the subway test. I told her that now it’s been through the subway test and it passed. Later, when she was signing a copy of Baking: From My Home to Yours for me, she thanked me for making the apple cake, which I thought was very sweet.

Dishes lined up for tasting

When she addressed the gathering and talked about her life in the food writing business, she was genuine about herself and her career. She did not sugarcoat her experience; rather, she was almost amazed at how it all worked out for her.

What struck me, though, was how similar her experiences are to mine (or her feelings about them). Although we obviously have very different levels of success, her life seemed to mirror mine in many ways (which probably means that many food writers have been through the same exact obstacle course).

She mentioned that after getting her very first piece published in Food & Wine, she didn’t have anything published for 2 years. She said, “There are always dry spells.” Boy, don’t I know it. She also asked the audience if we all found that we never have the time to cook for fun because we’re always so busy testing and developing recipes. Many of us nodded and I, in particular, was glad she voiced that sentiment because for someone who loves to cook, I can never really do it in the way I want. In the little “free time” that I have, I’m always working on some recipe or another.

Anyway, the event was a success and everyone seemed to have a really good time. I saw a few people whom I’d met before and met some people for the first time. So, for me, it was worth dragging 2 apple cakes up and down subway stairs, lifting my rolling case above my head to get it through the turnstile then rolling it across rutted and pocked streets. I was actually amazed that it survived and that it stayed in one piece.

Marie-Helene’s cake has truly been through the subway test and survived.

Marie-Helene’s Apple Cake, post-travels

I had the original recipe for this porridge in my collection for a while but never gave it a try.

Multigrain Porridge

Not because it didn’t appeal to me (otherwise, I wouldn’t have clipped it) but because I so rarely make homemade porridge for breakfast. During the week, I never eat breakfast at home; on weekends, I never have time and so usually just grab leftovers. I still don’t often

have time, but I’ve been trying, whenever I can, to make a healthy, energy-inducing breakfast. So, I made some modifications, based on what I had on hand and my personal preferences. The good thing is that this stays well in the fridge for a few days, so I can make a big batch and just reheat it.

Mulitgrain Morning Porridge

Clockwise from upper right: Wheat berries, grits, amaranth, oats.

Adapted from “Multigrain Breakfast Porridge” by
Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, Cooking Light, Oct. 2007

½ cup wheat berries, rinsed

¾ teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup steel-cut oats

3 tablespoons regular grits

¼ cup amaranth

¾ cup coconut or almond milk

¼ maple syrup

¼ cup dried blueberries or other dried fruit

½ cup chopped walnuts or other nuts

Bring 5 cups water to a boil. Add the wheat berries and salt; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered until almost tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the oats, grits, and amaranth and stir. Continue simmering until all grains are tender, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in coconut milk, maple syrup, and fruit and cook another 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in nuts. Serve hot.

This porridge will keep for several days in the refrigerator. To reheat, stir in a little more coconut milk or water until it reaches the desired consistency. Heat over medium-low heat or in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

I just got back from FoodBlogSouth 2013 in Birmingham, AL, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. I learned some really good stuff about optimizing my blog, working on TV and in radio, how to take great food shots with my smartphone, strategies for creating a brand, and using video content. Plus, I met some really nice people.

The most informative and helpful (to me) session was the optional one I took on Friday, called Honing Your Edge (which was a great play on words). We got a detailed lesson on using various media outlets—TV, social networking sites, print, and radio—to market ourselves and increase our visibility. It was a really useful session. So, a big thank-you to Lisa Ekus, Virginia Wills, and Tamie Cook for the information and help on my personal marketing material.

I got to meet Dianne Jacobs, author of Will Write for Food, which is a necessary book to have if you’re a food writer. She was not only very nice but funny and witty, too. She did a seminar about the ethics of food blogging. Most of what she said I knew already because I follow her blog (also called Will Write for Food) and she talks about this stuff regularly. But seeing her talk about this stuff in person brought her points home and clarified a couple of things.

The pre-party was catered by Jim & Nick’s BBQ and the afterparty was at Good People Brewing Co. and sponsored by Visit Baton Rouge. BBQ before and Bayou cuisine after. (If you’re wondering what Bayou cuisine entailed, let’s just say that along with crawfish, I was looking at alligator meat and frogs’ legs. The alligator tasted rather bland, but I couldn’t bring myself to try the frogs’ legs.)

The thing about creative conferences (i.e., writing, cooking, etc. versus business/work-related) is that I often go feeling discouraged and depressed. The reason for that is twofold: 1) By the time the conference rolls around, I’ve reached a level of frustration over the fact that I’m still not doing what I want to do (for a living); and 2) knowing that at the conference I will be meeting people who ARE working in the field I want to be in, if not full time, then at least part time successfully. And seeing other people enjoying their work and being paid for it gets me a little crazy. I become quite envious.

Envy is a horrible thing. It eats you up and makes you unhealthy, and karmically, it’s bad too. There’s a reason why envy is one of the 7 deadly sins. It’s just bad. Very bad. But I digress.

So, I go to these conferences with those factors bringing me down. On the plane, I sit there and wonder just how many of those people I will meet and hate. When I shake someone’s hand and say, “Nice to meet you,” will I really be thinking “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you?”

But something happens while I’m at the sessions. I find myself getting inspired. I mean, that’s the whole purpose of going there—to learn new things and get inspired—but because I’m so low from my screwed head, I just don’t expect it.

But when the sessions are interesting, informative, and fun, it sparks the ambitious part of me that was dampened. Then I start meeting people and I discover that they’re a lot nicer than I thought they would be. I manage to step out of my comfort zone and talk to people (a few) and exchange a few business cards and that makes me feel good.

I don’t expect anything to change right away, but I feel more positive about my possibilities. And that alone makes it worth the trip.

Well, another year is over. Hard to believe. Some people had a very good year. Others had a very bad year. For most of us, it was some good and some bad. But that’s life, isn’t it?

Lentils. Photo: Adiel lo

I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy New Year. May you be safe, healthy, and prosperous. May you enjoy every moment and appreciate all the good things that you have in your life, and even some of the not-so-good things because, after all, if everything is hunky-dory all the time, we wouldn’t be able to appreciate the good things.

I hope that all of you get in 2013 what you want out of life. As for me, I’ve always worked very hard and I believe that the things you want most are worth working hard for. I’ve particularly spent the past couple of years going beyond what I thought were my limits and knew was my comfort zone in order to achieve the things I wanted. I’m not there yet, but I’m hoping that 2013 proves to be the year I grab the brass ring. All I need is that right moment, that right opportunity, and the right person who will look at me and what I have to offer and realize that I’m worth a shot.

In that vein, I’m going to stick to a common New Year’s Eve tradition and have lentils and spinach for dinner. The lentils are for good luck and the spinach represents money.

Black-eyed Peas

Eating lentils on New Year’s Eve is an old Italian custom and is often eaten with cotechino, a type of sausage. Similar to this a tradition in the U.S. South, where black-eyed peas are cooked with ham hock or bacon for New Year’s Day. This dish, which also calls for rice, is called Hoppin’ John. Both of these dishes derive from the Medieval European belief that eating beans on New Year’s would bring good luck, and different beans have been used in different countries. A co-worker, who is from Panama, told me that a tradition in her country is to set the table with the following items: A bowl of black-eyed peas (aka field peas) with coins mixed into it, a small glass of water, a glass of milk, and a glass of honey. This is all supposed to bring good luck and prosperity.

So, with wishes for a wonderful 2013, here are my recipes for lentils with spinach and Hoppin’ John. Happy New Year!

Lentils with Spinach

2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dried lentils
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon sea salt plus more
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 large garlic cloves
½ teaspoon paprika
1 lb. spinach, washed and chopped
Black pepper to taste

Bring the broth to a boil in a medium pot. Add the lentils, bay leaf, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender. Drain over a bowl and reserve the broth. Remove the bay leaf.

In a wide skillet, heat the oil; add the garlic and sauté 1 minute over medium heat. Sprinkle in the paprika then quickly add the spinach. Add the salt and stir. Cook just until spinach is wilted. Add the lentils and continue cooking to blend flavors. If it gets dry, add a little of the reserved broth. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve as is or with rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Hoppin’ John

1 cup dried black-eyed peas
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
4 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon sea salt plus more
Black pepper to taste

Soak the black-eyed peas overnight with enough water to cover by 3 inches.* The next day, drain and rinse the beans.

In a medium pot, heat the oil and add the onion; sauté until translucent. Stir in the chili powder and cook one more minute. Add the beans, rice, broth, bay leaf, and ¼ teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook, partially covered, until rice is cooked and beans are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 8 servings.

*If you can’t soak overnight, place the beans in a pot with water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 1 to 2 hours. Drain and rinse and proceed with recipe where it goes into the pot with the broth, bay leaf, etc.

This year’s FoodBlogSouth conference in Birmingham, Alabama, will be my first bloggers’ conference. The first FoodBlogSouth was in 2011 and I wish I’d known about it then because I certainly could have used some help in building my blog site. I think I have refined it substantially since I first launched it in 2009, but it still could use improvement. In fact, I’m in the process of migrating my site to a different platform but that’s going to take a while. In the meantime, I have resources like FoodBlogSouth to glean from to make my content more appealing to readers.

I’m really looking forward to meeting others in the field—some of whom I’ve admired for some time—and figuring out just how I’m going to use my publishing experience and culinary degree going forward.

Although only a day in length, the agenda seems robust with some useful sessions. This is what the agenda looks like:

Read the rest of this entry »

To those of you who have visited my blog site recently, I sincerely apologize if you clicked on any of the pages (other than this front page) and saw ads for a certain pharmaceutical drug. I first noticed the problem last week and thought I’d taken care of it but, evidently, I hadn’t. I’m working on the problem and I hope to get it resolved ASAP. I’m also in the process of migrating my site to another server, which will hopefully take care of the security issues. In the meantime, please don’t be afraid to visit me—there’s nothing on the front page that may be considered offensive (unless you find my writing offense, in which case, I have bigger things to worry about).