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cooking it yourself or eating out in 2012?

There has been a long held view that restaurant price points vs. fixing it yourself are related. The answer is yes and no.

No matter how tough the times, modern day ‘Bob Cratchets’ will find a way to deliver a special occasion quality meal to their families or find some special place to bring them to dinner. I was very impressed with the fact that Burger King could offer a family meal ( 2 adults and 2 children) for $10. Maybe it wasn’t as much as one might want, but the price would be tough to duplicate on your own.  On the other end of the scale, the more wealthy among us have placed their own demands on the many upscale restaurants: smaller portions, exotic cuisine and something I really haven’t seen around in cookbooks for 100 years or so… this is what is called ‘presentation.’

Presentation is something to add a flare to any meal. One restaurant served a fish breaded, folded in a gentle curve, deep fried and presented on a bed of rice or equivalent rice shaped pasta. The head and tail pointed to the ceiling and definitely created a stir when brought into the room. Creating this attention is what ‘presentation’ is all about. The  Michelin Guide folks  have reiterated the importance of presentation to the chefs of the world stating that it was no longer important to the  ‘Gourmands’ ( those who love food) that the food be ‘just’ exquisite; culinary offerings had to be ‘unique’ and ‘creative.’ Lest we forget, the meals also had to be priced right.

Personally, if I were to point to the 2 biggest trends in food for the coming year, I would say we’ll see the following:

1) Price will still be an issue for those who pay the bill regardless of socioeconomic level. A lower portion, perceived ‘healthier’ cuisine and ‘meal deals’ will appeal to the fast fooders. A creative and entertaining experience (like going to the Daniel in NYC) will more than compensate for the higher ticket crowd. I think the middle restaurants will still see a resurgence from those many folks who trade down and a those very few who trade up, but keeping that fickle business will be tough.

Unfortunately in any community, when the top restaurants slide, everyone starts to suffer. The fact that a Michelin book wasn’t prepared for either  Los Angeles nor Las Vegas  that contain no 3 star restaurants is quite a conversation starter. By contrast, the city with the most 3 star restaurants in the world is not French… it’s Tokyo!

2) Learning to cook will become increasingly fashionable if not a necessity among many. When I would stand before college classes, I would inevitably ask one question: ‘Who in this room knows how to cook?’ I was pleased to see a few hands. I would then ask  “How many of you know how to cook without a microwave?” Those hands disappeared. Today, I get all kinds of questions on cooking… I answer what I can or help them find out.

I like to give cookbooks as wedding presents. There was a time when I could see the couple’s noses wrinkle, today there are plenty of  ‘oooou’s and ahs!’

3) People may cut down on their travel, but I think many will do as I suggest and bring the world to you! It isn’t all that hard to find a great recipe for South Africa’s finest casserole  “Bobotie”,  enjoy a well loved Greek pasty dish  “Pistitsio”,  discover the wonders of Chinese “Sweet and Sour pork”, make an inexpensive Spanish seafood  “Paella”  or an American “Chicken Tetrazinni”  the way they were meant to be prepared! Cooking is fun and enjoying it is more so!

I have always felt that one step in understanding a culture is to understand their food. The ancient Spartans enjoyed a stew of pork and blood, enough said. Take a first step in exploring the world with someone you love from your kitchen .

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as Laura says – a new way to teach psychology

John Cacioppo and Laura's new textbook: "Discovering Psychology -- the Science of Mind" CLICK on the picture above to visit Laura's site.

I like to keep up with what my family is doing and they often do astonish me. My bride of 40 years has been squirreled in our mutual office around her various computers for the past 7 years or so helping John Cacioppo with an interesting textbook project. One may think that writing a textbook isn’t all that hard to do, and maybe they are right, unless what you are trying to do is write something that offers more. Psychology is a highly integrated field in which advances in our understanding of biology can influence how we see certain things differently in Social Psychology. Psychology is not a subject that can easily be offered as modules, although we see this is all too often the case. We know enough now to fully integrate the various areas of Psychology, something a few have claimed to do, but none have succeeded — in my not so humble opinion — until now.

Let me step back for a moment, I was an undergrad Psych major and later obtained 2 graduate degrees in Business. Although I felt a step or two behind those who had majored in undergraduate business, the value of what I learned from my professors in Psychology helped me directly in business and throughout my life. The reason for this is simple, John Cacioppo refers to Psychology as a ‘hub science.’ Does an architect need to know something about Psychology? Buildings need to be liveable after all. A good understanding of Psychological Science helps in every field.


If the Psychology ‘hub’  was a constellation in the sky abiding by all of the other major discipline ‘hubs’, we would clearly see how connected it is to the other major fields. The influence of Psychological Science is everywhere, but not everyone recognizes how important it is to understanding who we are … and the changing world around us.

A famous Psychologist once said, a hundred years or so ago, that new leaps in the field will be made as leaps in science help to increase our understanding. For example, the major advances in neuroscience have pushed open our collective mind regarding  what is environmental constructed, what heredity influences and how these two major factors continue to change us over time. The simple labels of behavior are no longer so simple any more. Psychology is itself evolving into Psychological Science.

Allow me to conclude that I am biased, John and Laura have raised many interesting thoughts, but I do find it a good read.

CHECK out: “Discovering Psychology — the Science of Mind”

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He eats NO meat? Okay, we have lamb!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PedECrUc3L8&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

For those who know our family, nothing is more enjoyable than fixing food. Let’s say, it is very Zen. Whenever we have an excuse, we have ‘Greek Night’, Greek Food , as a general rule, is very natural and clean… and delicious. Last night, we had: a lamb on a spit, Baklava, Dolmades ( rice and meat rolled up with grape leaves and covered in Greek Yogurt), Giant Beans from Greece in Tomato sauce, garlic bread, and Pistitsio (pah-STOO-shio!) is a cheesy noodle dish with a layer of meat sauce.

A collection of my blogs on Lamb on a Spit

I would like to thank American Farms for producing wonderful Lamb. It was a pleasure to travel to Vernon, California and purchase one directly for myself! Also allow me to thank the fellow who made this compact and very functional barbecue and rotisserie… it worked like a charm, which is my highest praise.

Here is a 7 minute slide show of my daughters Karen and Kristin with their mother Laura enjoying the food, culture and the heritage that is Greece!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQV-VUV0h1Q&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

OPA!!

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Christmas Barbecued Ribs

Nothing like taking the extra time, making your own sauce for the perfect BBQ'd rib experience!

 

My family has a pension for ribs. I don’t make them as often as I like, but I do take all the time necessary to make them extraordinary. I went a bit over the top in curing my ribs this year… here’s a post about it I wrote when I checked how they were doing back in October.

Before opening up his rib restaurant, a friend of mine traveled all over the south checking out the many fine techniques before he settled on his own style. Frankly, I thought it was a great excuse to travel and sample the best ribs on the planet. I add a step or two … which I think makes the ribs more flavorful and allows me to utilize a milder and sweeter sauce flavored with brown sugar, whiskey, mustard and a few fun things. The steps involved are: curing the ribs (soaking in beer and spices) for a few months, boiling in similar spices and beer, saucing them and allowing them to absorb the flavorings for a few days, then finally baking or bbq-ing!

Looks good to me already!