Category: San Luis Obispo

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a really yummy Pumpkin Custard Pie!

a REAL Pumpkin Custard Pie!
a REAL Pumpkin Custard Pie!

Few people try to improve on old standby recipes. They worry about failure or they believe that everything that has been tried has already happened!  They couldn’t be farther from the truth. Without question one of the greatest chefs that have ever lived was Marie-Antoine Carême. Chef Carême lived before refrigeration and one of his greatest contributions — in my humble opinion — was in his discovery of how to prepare elaborate meals without spoiling given all the inherent time intensive nature of things and the many perishable ingredients.

Chef Carême used what we would call reduced milk or ‘condensed milk’ as a cream substitute and we can find it in many recipes over the years. The original Key Lime pie was made with condensed milk since lack of refrigeration was a serious issue in many Florida kitchens.

However, I assume you have refrigeration and we can now consider going back to cream (manufacturers cream) as a major improvement for this pie! I also enjoy a topping of homemade glazed pecans and a blend of 7 or so spices. Once you make it this way you will never go back!

Here is our recipe for a great Pumpkin Custard Pie!

enjoy!

Roger

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taking Jenny Craig around the World!

taking Jenny Craig Around the World
taking Jenny Craig Around the World

My daughters Kristin and Karen along with my wife Laura and me have trucked around  Jenny Craig to some of the darnest places! Karen has brought JC to interesting locations like South Africa, China, the Netherlands, Germany… and they all took Jenny breakfasts to Greece … and Kristin actually got her ‘complete start’ cereal blessed at the Vatican! BTW. Kristin’s cereal is a highly fought over commodity!

Where will they go next? I hear it might be Rio!!

The pictures above are posted at our local San Luis Obispo Jenny Craig! I hope people find the over 230 lbs we have lost as a family inspiring!

Congratulations ladies, 3 years and going strong!

Roger/Dad

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Halloween is a time for generosity to children

Kristin and Karen in Halloween past
Kristin and Karen in Halloween past

Halloween is the only holiday I know that offers kindness to children we may not know. It is a time in which everyone gains something. We who have seen a number of Halloweens enjoy the costumes, the screaming and the excitement of young people running around from house to house praising or complaining about the latest offering.

I know there are those who darken their homes for the night and pull in the welcome mat. However, the true test of kindness is giving to someone who you don’t know… sharing some of your good fortune with others… even if but for one night.

Roger Freberg

special thanks to Karla for saving this old picture of her sisters!

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a fond tribute to Harris Ranch Beef & Cal Poly’s program

when only the best ingredients will do!
when only the best ingredients will do!

When I cook, which is always, I am aware that it is the choice of ingredients that can make all the difference in the outcome of the meal. Yes, there are ways you can salvage a poor cut of meat through exotic preparation, but in reality, it is so much better to start off with the best.

Three kinds of meat and poultry rank high on my scale: 1) those that you grow and oversee their development yourself, 2) buying from a ethical producer (like Cal Poly’s Meat market… read about their program) or 3) buying from a brand name you know for quality and integrity…. like Harris Ranch.

Obviously preparation is another key to the final product. I was once complimented on the cut of  rib eye we were barbecuing for a large group of friends…. and they asked where they also could get a cut like that. In this case, it was as simple as buying a standing 7 rib section, taking out the bone and making 2″ cuts yourself… sometimes, it can be all too simple. Plus, recently cut meat looks fresher….

In any event, if any meat is going to be one of the focal points of your special meal, then it is important to find the best.

Roger Freberg

oh yes, neither Cal Poly or Harris Ranch paid me for this plug… but I’ll accept donations!  😉

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behind cal poly’s green door?

behidthegreendoor

We may never know what goes on behind Cal Poly’s very secretive ‘green door.’

I was saddened to learn that our Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a California Bill that would close the secrecy loop hole that our public educational institutions have in hiding many of the things they do. Although business in places like the Cal Poly foundation are done , not in Arnold’s smoke filled rooms, but with folks sucking down mineral water and munching crispy creams… it’s all done without the public’s knowledge. The cat has been left in charge of the canary.

In addition, the  Cal Poly foundation — being private — does not have to abide by many of those archaic fairness rules that public institutions must follow. The foundation has a virtual monopoly in campus food service and virtually every other economic activity on the Cal Poly campus. Don’t try to have a charitable tamale fundraiser on campus… they won’t allow the ‘competition.’  By the way, there are no ‘bargains’ on campus… the foundations pricing policies are greedy from a pricey used textbook at the book store ( which they buy back for virtually nothing) to buying a cup of coffee anywhere on campus. They even operate a store in town, so much for not competing with the private sector.

BTW, having been involved in retail pricing and marketing on college campuses, let’s just say that the foundation has a sweet deal with no competition! And in my humble opinion, somebody is making a lot of money…. a lot of money on the backs of students and employees.

So… how is this money being made and where is that money going? Well, thanks to Arnold, we may never know.

Roger Freberg

By the way, for some reason Google likes Cal Poly and this post will not be found there… however, it will be searchable on Twitter,Yahoo and Bing