Roger's View of the World, Love and Seafood Gumbo!
Seize the Day! Put no trust in the morrow! — Horace
My daughter Kristin relinquished her Army Engineer Company Command in Hawaii! We’re very proud of Kristin.
Kristin’s Change of Command Ceremony had a wonderful historic flavor … as did the celebrations afterward! Obviously, over the week, we had to dine at all the great places: Ruth Chris, Hatsuhana and Momoyama.
One of the highlights – for me – was receiving a ‘challenge coin’ from Major General “Ray” Mason.
Roger Freberg
Probably one of the more interesting articles on controlling obesity through marketing food products that are more in-line with most people’s consumption habits is entitled: “De-Marketing Obesity” from the California Management Review vol. 47 No.4 Summer 2005. (produced by Brian Wansink and Mike Huckabee)
Marketing Nutrition also by Brian Wansink is “a book that examines the intersection of consumer psychology, nutrition, and business.”
For me the four points that jumped out of the study:
1) 57% of consumers would pay 15% more for packaging ‘that helps them better control what they eat.’ Practically speaking, folks want multi-packs with smaller individual servings, and packaging that is ‘slightly more difficult to open, access and eat from.’
2) Change the Product but not the price. When prices go up on goodies, consumption also goes up … oddly enough
3) Small changes in the recipe will reduce calories without changing the perceived taste.
4) ‘Consider co-promoting healthy options, recipes…’
Many marketers are already utilizing the principles. Jenny Craig is a master at all of these principles. Anyone who has had to wrestle a ‘Jenny Craig’ package KNOWS that this is ‘part of the dining experience!’ The food is very low calorie and low fat, but tastes very close to ‘the high priced spread’ and this makes all the difference! The chocolate cake is delicious!
So…. what are you waiting for?
Roger Freberg
Oh, I know people who think they have had wonderful chocolate. I even know folks who debate on the best places to buy this or that. No store carries what I REALLY want!
They don’t really know chocolate. They don’t love it. They don’t know Peter’s Chocolate.
Peter’s Chocolates has a wonderful history. Years ago, Peter’s was part of the Nestle’ family of products … and there hangs a story. While I was in marketing at Nestle’, it was customary to exchange samples between managers of various products for scientific research purposes…. Ahem! I would bring down a couple of cases of Chocolate Chips and trade for a case of Peter’s Coating Chocolate…. the best!
Unfortunately, Peter’s Chocolate is no longer owned by Nestle’, but the chocolate is still the standard! Pictured above is a ten pound block of ‘Ultra’… the best of the best! There is nothing finer — in my humble opinion — anywhere!
So, I am bringing to my daughter Kristin’s Change of Command Ceremony 50 lbs… less my taxation. The perfect gift for the chocolate lovers – and there are many — in her company and brigade.
How did I acquire this? Ah, with the help of an old friend….
Roger Freberg
PS. I have a desire to bake a favorite Chocolate chip recipe of mine to celebrate… something from my old days hanging around the test kitchen at Nestle’.
There’s a bunch of talk about various countries bowing out of the Olympic Games in order to ‘teach China a lesson.’ I wonder what kind of lesson that would be?
I remember the last time we boycotted the Olympic Games in 1980. This was at the time Jimmy Carter was President. It was merely a distraction from the reality of double digit inflation and having our butt handed to us around the world. I remember our poor Olympic athletes being paraded on the White House lawn and being presented a meaningless medal for their non-attendance in the games in Moscow.
Many say that Martin Van Buren (“Martin Van Ruin” by critics) was our worst President, but I would nominate Jimmy Carter the incompetent, micro managing peanut farmer.
Some european countries and some from our American House of Representatives feel ‘morally’ moved to keep their young people from competing in the Olympics.
I hope no one is stupid enough to believe that this boycott talk is all about “Tibet?” Ask yourself if these two things have any connection: first, Arab oil producing countries have been squawking about the recent crack down on Muslim Terrorists in China in preparation for the Olympics; and now, China has just provided the United Nations with evidence of Iran’s Nuclear Weapons ambitions. Is this ‘tit for tat?’
Let’s let the youth of the world fight it out in the Olympics as Baron Coubertin originally envisioned and not in the oil field. He wrote:
“the important thing in life is not victory, but the fight; the main thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.”
Let the Games begin!
Roger Freberg
When I think of distinctively American Foods, I always come back to the “Noodles with Cheese” Casserole! It’s hard to find a recipe book or a listing in a family’s epicurean collection of 3 by 5 cards that does not reference this dish!
History tells us that this bit of yummy Americana can be traced to before Thomas Jefferson’s time (circa 1800)… however, something always was missing in this dish for me… I always asked,”where’s the beef?” Somewhere in time, possibly to make it more appealing to young boys, chefs added a bit of hot dog or such to raise the male interest… which worked.
So, I decided to put a recipe together, that contained the traditional three ingredients: cheese, noodles and butter… but added some needed refinements: cream, various sausages, Mirepoix and complementary fresh herbs and spices. I think it turned out wonderfully.
So, here is my recipe for a “Mighty, Meaty Noodles with Cheese Casserole”.
Enjoy!
Roger Freberg