Category Archives: Lifestyle

Shave and a Haircut – Two Bits!

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

What would you do if one of your friends or family members had cancer? Would you shave your head to show solidarity and support because they will likely be losing their hair in treatment? Each year I THINK I am going to shave my head for St. Baldrick’s on March 1st and then I chicken out.  Last year I had made the mental commitment to actually follow through with it and then I remembered that there was a family reunion to celebrate Dad’s 70th Birthday on March 20th.  It was the first time since my Grandad’s funeral in 1992 that all 5 of the siblings had been together and the FIRST time EVER that all of Dad’s grandkids had been together.  I knew if I showed up with a shaved head for the official photographer I would never have heard the end of it.

The whole Fam Damily

The whole Fam Damily

So here it is, another year later, and I was reminded by friend Al Mancini‘s FB posts that it is finally time to step up to the plate and get shaved.  Here is the thing:  St. Baldrick’s raises much needed research funds for childhood cancers.  Kids’ cancers are different from adult cancers and need to be treated differently and researched differently.  And one of the most challenging things treating infants with cancer is they can’t tell you how they really FEEL.  Years ago I dated a guy, Tony K, whose mom died of a “childhood” cancer.  It was almost unheard of for an adult to get the kind of cancer she had.  All of her treatment was FREE because she was able to talk to the doctors and tell them how she felt and what the treatments were doing to her.  She helped with research.  Well, here is my chance to something to help.

It is a joke among me and my friends that I change my hair like I change my mind. At a sales meeting a few years ago, we showed a slide show of photos taken at several different conventions.  The people in the room started laughing and I couldn’t figure out what they were laughing at.  But it was my hair!  In every single picture it was different.  A different shade of red, a different length, shape, cut, style.  Never the same! On March 1st at Ri Ra in the Mandalay Place Shoppes, I will have my head shaved for childhood cancer.  I am asking ALL of you to consider making a donation of ANY amount.  No donation is too small, $5, $10, it all adds up.  My goal is $2000, but I really want to beat my friend Al (hehehe).  I figure if he can shave his Mohawk, I can shave my crowning glory.  HERE is the link to donate. I have a little over 3 weeks to make this happen and I need YOUR help.

You can watch a Retrospective of my HAIR for a quick laugh.  There are even pics of me and my Mohawked friend so you can see all the hair that is going to disappear.  Donate, join my TEAM and agree to be shaved, show up at Ri Ra and let’s raise some much needed $$$ for Childhood Cancer Research.

A New Hope…

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

This is Red Leader –  Operation Happy Mama proceeding according to plan.  Installation in progress.  Please view attached images to observe progress to date:

Day 1:

The completely empty kitchen.

Before – The completely empty kitchen.

Josh and Lou inspecting the inventory.

Josh and Lou inspecting the inventory.

Shipment in the garage. BOTH cars had to park in the driveway!

Shipment in the garage. BOTH cars had to park in the driveway!

Day 2:

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Josh and Lou starting the tear out.

Josh and Lou starting the tear out.

Counters out

Counters out

Island with the sink and dishwasher dismantled.

Island with the sink and dishwasher dismantled.

Everything OUT!

Everything OUT!

Final piece of the destruction.

Jeremy tackles the final piece of the destruction.

Day 3:

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Day 4:

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John, our cabinet guy, was a Zen Fucking Master! He had EVERYTHING installed in less than 3 full days.

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Day 5:

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Day 6:

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And yes, John came in to work on Super Bowl Sunday. We didn’t mind – we don’t watch Fball and he was DONE by 1 pm!

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All cabinets and hardware installed. On to granite and tile…

Day 7 :

Electric installed back in the island.  New sockets ready and hot.

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Sink temporarily re-installed

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Yes, that’s the ORIGINAL formica island countertop with the old sink. Now you have an idea how large the NEW island really is.

Day 8:

Red Leader here – we  have a problem…

And  now I wait…  If the promptness of the granite guy’s appearance (he was 2 hours late) and his attitude are any indication, I MAY have a functioning complete kitchen by Halloween.  I can promise you, when you hire me I will show up ON TIME and if I am going to be late, I will pick up the goddamn phone!

Apparently I have to wait for the granite to come in from SoCal and THEN they cut it and THEN install it (Moment of Truth – I thought the granite was an IN STOCK item, which is one of the reasons I chose that particular one).  I thought the counters would be fabricated today and tomorrow and installed by the end of the week! According to the guy who was here yesterday, the granite won’t even BE IN LAS VEGAS until next Tuesday!  Oh, BTW, I can’t put a fucking thing in any of the lower cabinets or drawers until the counters are in.  The uppers are all filled already.  Thank you Friend Lynn for coming over and handing everything to me while I was on a ladder.  But I still have appliances, cookware, flatware, Baking Stones (yes, of course they are Pampered Chef) and Tupperware without homes, resting on every flat surface of the house.  Three tables and the guest bed are covered and the drawers are stacked EVERYWHERE.  Will the granite guys be late for each appointment?  Who the hell knows!

Today the guys come to measure for the tile flooring and the backsplash.  The floor can go in, but the backsplash has to wait until the granite guys get done.  Have I mentioned I am not good at waiting and that my fridge in plugged into an outlet in the living room?

And before you ask, yes those awful light fixtures will be replaced too, but that is WAY down the road.  I will keep you posted.

Red Leader OUT!

An Attitude of Gratitude

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

This is kind of a follow up from last week – less about food, but follow to the end for the FOOD part, and more about life in general.

Simple Abundance

Several years ago while watching Oprah and feeling sorry for myself, because I only ever watched Oprah when I was feeling sorry for myself, I saw a woman named Sarah Ban Breathnach. She talked about feeling gratitude for simple things and creating a Gratitude Journal.  She even has a book (of which I have a copy) called Simple Abundance to teach you how. (Moment of Truth – I have tried several times to get through this book for more than 10 years, and I fail each time, but it doesn’t stop me from trying anew each year.) So I began a life of gratitude that week.

Flash forward to December 10th of 2013. I was contacted by a cancer survivor, Heather. She is a SURVIVOR of a rare type of cancer, mesothelioma (read her story HERE). She asked me to participate in a personal project for the blogosphere that she was working on.  She asked me to share in my blog what I was grateful for. Ok!  Cool Project, I am IN! My first thought was, “I am pretty good at this gratitude thing. I have been working on a gratitude journal on and off for years now. This should be easy.” I know that my life is better when I focus on the gratitude. Hell, each week a group of friends and I share what we are grateful for on Mondays through a private Facebook message.  We call it the “Monday Gratefuls”.  Easy right?  Oh REALLY…and then I got to thinking, about the past no less. Yes, dangerous, I know.

CS Lewis

But I had to learn about gratitude. I grew up in a perpetual state of want.  I always wanted more than what was available to me, on every level. I grew up in a small rural town after having lived on Long Island.  I wanted to move back there. I wanted to leave the country life, I hated it (and still do). I wanted new clothes, not hand me downs. I wanted not to have to grow my own food. I wanted SO MUCH. ALL THE TIME. I didn’t know about gratitude, because all I could feel was want. My life is VERY different now. My childhood was ROUGH, with abuse at the forefront. But guess what? I lived through it and I am stronger and more capable because of (or maybe in spite of) all that happened to me. I am amazing now. I have been rebuilt. I had the technology. I am better, stronger, faster (bonus points for you if you know where I paraphrased from).

So here, for Heather and for everyone reading this, a list of 10 things I am grateful for EVERY day:

  1. Supportive friends, family and chosen family.
  2. My husband of 26 years who loves me because of AND in spite of myself. He encourages me to be my best self.
  3. My grown ass son is healthy.
  4. A full pantry because that was not always the case.
  5. A skill set culled from a shitty childhood that allows me to do things others find impossible. (And according to my son would help me survive the Zombie Apocalypse.)
  6. My itinerant 21 year life as an Air Force wife. 13 moves in 21 years introduces you to a TON of people and helps you learn new things, whether you want to be taught or not.  See #1 –many of the friends came via this experience.
  7. Teachers who instilled in me a love of knowledge for the sake of just KNOWING things (I am a fount of useless information now).
  8. Travel and the experiences it affords me.
  9. Strength – of mind, body and spirit.
  10. Facebook – yes really.  It has allowed me to reconnect with people I thought long gone from my life.  And I get to see pics of my nieces and nephews all the time!
My Grand Niece Grace - apparently my love of shoes is genetic.
My Grand Niece Grace – apparently my love of shoes is genetic.

So be grateful for who you are and what you have.  What are YOU grateful for?  Share in the comments, I’d really like to know!

On another note of Gratitude, I am grateful to have the scratch to participate in Chefs to the Max to benefit food writer Max Jacobson who was hit by a car while crossing the street 2 days before Xmas.  he remains in critical condition.  To learn more, click on the links.  The first event is Sunday January 19th at RX Boiler Room at Mandalay Bay.  There are about 30 tickets remaining for this star studded culinary event (Of course I will post pics!) and if you are in Vegas and can attend, you should!  A fish throwdown with Bobby Flay and Rick Moonen?  Yes, really!

And CHEERS to Heather and her recovery and survivor-ship! Many long and happy years to you!

In the Moment

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

My Dad told me that he took his watch off April 25th 2007 and hasn’t put it back on since. WHY?  He had a massive heart attack that day and decided that what was going on around him was so much more important than what was going on with the face of his watch. 

In July 1985 I had a similar experience. I nearly died in a car wreck. First they thought I was dead, and then they thought I was paralyzed. If I had pics of the car or me after the accident, I’d post them. As I lay in bed watching Live Aid in the hospital room I made a decision to live in the moment. I made a decision to embrace everything that was thrown at me. I made a decision to take risks and live as if each and every day was my last. I know I did some unpopular things. I know I did some things that pissed off other people.  That’s just too fucking bad. I think I have done a pretty good job with what was thrown at me.

Dad and I geared up to jump out of a plane!

Dad and I geared up to jump out of a plane!

So, why talk about this here? Because sometimes I forget and sometimes I need to be reminded. In March 2010 I received a phone call that changed my life and career path.  Initially I said no, but hubby John encouraged me to say yes, even with the negative circular dialog in my head:

  • What if I fuck up?
  • What if they hate me?
  • What if I can’t do what they want?
  • Is anyone going to yell at me? I can’t take that shit!
  • Isn’t there anyone more qualified for this job?

IMHO – if you don’t stretch your comfort zone, you never really grow. Risk taking has to become part of your regular life. It’s funny, I am perfectly comfortable taking risks with money and my well-being, but when it comes to putting myself out there for potential ridicule, I pull up on the reins. I have no idea how theater people and musicians do it!  I will jump out of a plane or rappel down a waterfall, but auditioning makes me CRAZY – like can’t sleep, vomiting in the trashcan crazy.  But I am determined to take more risks and put myself out there even more (as witnessed by launching myself onto the web). Luckily I have a few cheerleaders and a couple of coaches in my corner. If you don’t have that, you might be hanging around with the wrong people.

So here are my wishes for you for 2014:

  • I wish you would live in the moment! Put down the damn phone during social gatherings after you “check in” and LIVE IN THE NOW, not on the web. FB will be there when the friends are gone, enjoy the friends while you are with them.  And take pictures so you remember the days!

Celebrating friend Janet's birthday at Pinot Brasserie

Celebrating friend Janet’s birthday at Pinot Brasserie

  • I wish you would take chances you never thought to take before.
  • I wish you would follow your gut and go for it!
  • I wish you would create a Vision Board for what you want.
  • I wish you would try new food and, new restaurants

Friend Christian getting ready to eat balut - look it up.

Friend Christian getting ready to eat balut – look it up.

2013 was filled with chances for me to stretch, grow and spread my wings. Did I take all of them? I am not sure. Did I take as big a bite of life as I would have liked? Maybe. 2014 will be filled with challenges and changes and I am ready. Tomorrow is my birthday and the official beginning of LeAnne-uary. I plan to celebrate all month long, so if you are reading this and see me out and about in Vegas – buy me a drink! It’s my birthday dammit!

What are you going to do in 2014?  Other than launching this site, what do you think I should do in 2014 (other than stop smoking and cussing so much, Mom)?  Share in the comment section – I’d love to hear!

Next week?  Attitude of Gratitude – Live it, Love it!

What Possessed Me?!

Posted on by RedFlair14

Why would I, a seemingly intelligent woman with a lot of holiday obligations, think that the end of the year would be a good time to devote countless hours learning to become an internet presence?  I like things to start on the 1st and end on the 30th.  Start in January and end in December.  Get it?  I like and need deadlines.  Even numbers and concrete start and end dates work for me.    THAT’S what possessed me in October to launch my own website.  I thought it should be as easy as Blogspot; just choose a few things, plug in some info and photos and voila!  Little did I know that there was a helluva lot more to it than a simple plug & play job.  TONS of decisions needed to be made on everything from host, template and design to colors, pictures and content.  And each choice came not only with a HOW but with a WHY.  So I have been worked up, worked over and generally distressed (albeit excited) for the past two months.

Some people say that launching a website is like giving birth.  I beg to differ.  It is more like getting the crazy idea to ask that hottie out on a date.  When you ask someone out, you are making yourself INCREDIBLY vulnerable.  What if they say no?  What if they laugh at you?  What if they just walk away?  But they COULD say “yes”!  Putting yourself out there on the web, feels like doing the same thing.  The people still may say no, laugh at you or “walk” away, but they may also say “YES”!

Working with pros that I trust and have confidence in made the process so much easier. Thankfully I have had amazing help and support from two fantastic friends who are professionals in fields necessary to make this project work – Byron Gronseth (graphic design) and Erroin Martin (business coach and web design).  They have guided and coached me in just the right way.  Thanks guys, you are the best.  I needed to be OPEN to criticism and suggestion, from friends no less.  Here are a few examples:

  • I had a single idea in my head of what I wanted my logo to look like and Byron dutifully drew a mock-up.  Once I saw it I realized how truly ridiculous it was.  Byron, having good sense, had alternatives ready for me to look at because he KNEW it was ridiculous, but told me in the gentlest possible way, with a chuckle in his voice, offering alternatives.  FYI – the new logo looks nothing like I originally envisioned.
  • I loved my little point and shoot camera.  It fit into all of my handbags and I THOUGHT it took pretty good pictures.  Erroin told me to go get a new camera (Moment of Truth – I spent more on this ONE camera than I have on ALL of my cameras in my lifetime COMBINED).  Now I realize my little camera takes great pictures of people and suck ass pics of food, and that’s what you all really want to see!  Old camera on left – New camera on right.

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  • Byron lives in Seattle and Erroin lives in NoCal – and yes I am still in Vegas – but I learned there is so much more than Skype out there for videoconferencing.  Did you know you can share screens?  Well hot damn!  Don’t ask me to set it up, but I know how to link in if you invite me!
  • Both were incredibly patient with me while I learned a new language, tried to explain myself and adjusted to the fact that I didn’t know what the hell I was talking about. (I just found out what a “favicon” is, even though I insist on calling it a “FLAVicon”.  I have one BTW.)
  • They both encouraged me to be true to myself and stop trying to be so fucking proper.  I am having fun discovering my authentic self (in print and online) and not focusing on what I think everyone expects.  Huge thank you to THIS BOOK by Erika Napoletano.

Unpopular

 And mostly thank you to my supportive spouse John.  He took a simple conversation and ran with it.  While we were talking, he went online, bought my domain and then said, “Congratulations!  You ARE GoodforSpooning.com.  Now what are you going to do with it?”  He made everything possible not only financially, but helped me stretch my comfort zone and forced me to jump into the “big kids” pool.

These are the last words on Blogspot – next Tuesday Good for Spooning launches and the blog will be there, along with more info about me, my job and how you can hire me to improve your events.

Here goes SOMETHING…

 

How to be a Good Guest this Holiday Season (or any time, really)

Posted on by RedFlair14

The mantra when I was growing up was, “Never show up at someone’s house empty-handed.” I still adhere to that rule, but what does it EXACTLY mean? Each time I go to a friend’s house I should bring something? Well…not precisely. Here are a few guidelines for you. And if you are coming to MY house for any festivities please know this is NOT a hint.

Picture of leaves on the ground

Fall is for families.

When to bring something:
 If you are an overnight guest in someone’s home
 If you have never been to this home before. Especially important if it is a coworker or business associate
 If there is a party going on. A small gift for the host(ess) lets them know you appreciate the invitation. Friend Sam has a HUGE catered Xmas party every year, and even though I have been to her home numerous times, I always bring a little something.

When NOT to bring something:
 If the host has specifically asked you not to (a planned menu or catered event might be disrupted by an unexpected dessert showing up).
 If you spend as much time at the host’s house as your own. For example, Friends Laurie, Lynn and I are always at one another’s homes. We’d go broke gifting for each other!

What to bring:
 Sweets are almost always welcome
 ANYTHING homemade – baked goods, jams, jellies, soaps, etc. They are all great ways to show appreciation in a very personal way
Simple Banana Nut Bread

Lovely Mead that Friends Tina and Nate brought. Extra special because of the custom labels.

 Alcoholic gifts – see rule below* – Wine, spirits, funky cool barware, all good choices
 Flowers – because according to my husband, “Bitches love flowers.”

 Anything from your garden – If you have fab herbs or an abundance of veggies, it’s always nice to share.

There are exceptions to every rule, so always use your best judgment. My friends Bobby & Chris invited me to their upstate NY country home for a long weekend and I had no idea what to expect, and since I flew there, I didn’t want to pack anything extra. When I returned home I sent them a thank you gift appropriate for that house and stocked their NYC fridge with goodies from the corner store. As an overnight guest, taking your hosts out for a meal is also a fab idea. They appreciate the gesture and it takes pressure of a meal off them.

As for being a good host(ess) – don’t EXPECT gifts, but be gracious when they are given. Personally, if it is something edible, I always ask if we should open it and share it that day. Flowers immediately go into water.

Enjoy the Holidays with your friends and family, and be on the lookout for my Holiday shopping guide coming soon to this blog!

*KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE – when I was a very young newlywed wife, John and I were invited to dinner at one of his classmates’ homes. Of course we brought a bottle of wine. Yeah, well, they were Mormon (I had never met any LDS folks before so I didn’t know the drill). Needless to say I was mortified, right up until they showed us a “recruiting video”….

New Traditions

Posted on by RedFlair14

As John and I age and the years pass us by, the holiday family traditions we have had from our youth have gone the way of the Dodo, and we have created our own. It started innocently enough. Pizza on Xmas Eve, Chinese on our Anniversary, dinner out for Xmas day and the Island of Lost Toys Thanksgiving. Amidst all of it Jack has grown and been there for the changes. Well, he is off to college and we are on our own as a couple more often than not. Maybe it’s time for some NEW traditions? Vacationing in the Caribbean for Xmas anyone?

Each year around this time, John goes to a conference and when Jack was living at home it wasn’t boring for me. We’d do stuff together and eat food that John hated (Mac and cheese for example – yes, really). Now it’s just me. And the dogs. And a really big empty house. So I started chores, beginning with the pantry – it’s so nice now – but I enjoy chores about as much as the next girl, so then I got to thinking…dangerous I know…

I LOVE to cook and I really enjoy entertaining and when John is gone I don’t like to cook for just me. I WANT TO COOK for a crowd. I am quite sure you are thinking, “LeAnne, T-giving is right around the corner. You’ll have plenty of people to cook for.” So what? I should only cook for friends on holidays? I call Bullshit! So the idea popped into my head to do a Girls Night IN. This MAY become a new tradition depending on how it all turns out. I invited just a few gals over, more so I could have someone to cook for than any other reason. Of course I love their company, otherwise I wouldn’t spend time with them ever, but if that were the ONLY reason, we could eat at IHOP. No, this is purely selfish. If this turns out to be great fun all the way around, I may do this every time John travels for work!

Whenever I have entertained crowds in the past I always made sure to have at least one vegetarian option, but this time the invitation said:

Come have dinner with me!

I don’t know the menu yet and I won’t know until I shop that morning. I CANNOT promise any of the following:
I cannot promise we will eat on time
I cannot promise it will be vegetarian
I cannot promise it will be gluten free
I cannot promise there will be dessert

I CAN promise there will be cocktails
I CAN promise there will be cheese (I am Sister Flaming Hair Goddess of the Cheese after all)
I CAN promise there will be a green salad
I CAN promise there will be homemade bread

PLEASE RSVP no later than Wed at noon.

NO MEN, NO KIDS, JUST US GIRLS!

I had decided that I would cook what pleased me and joining me for dinner meant a roll of the dice for the guests. I mulled over a few options in my head and finally decided on a soup buffet. It’s easy to prep in advance and has something for everyone. PLUS I’ll be trying out a few things. Of course there will be a green salad – a riff on this one

and a punch to get us in the mood for the holidays, like this one.

The only thing I have decided NOT to do is make a dessert. Want something sweet, have another cocktail!

Needless to say, I hope I have a good turn out and I hope everyone has a good time, the two main worries of every host for every event. I’ll keep you posted!

It’s THAT Time of Year Again…

Posted on by RedFlair14

For some reason or other I always have a hard time sitting still in the fall. I jump from project to project and leave half-finished tasks all over the house. Well, this year I don’t have that luxury. As per usual I am hosting the “Island of Lost Toys” Thanksgiving and immediately following that event will begin the teardown and renovation of our kitchen.

I can only imagine the horrified look on your face right now. Tearing out the kitchen between T-giving and Xmas!? Are you crazy!? Yes and no. T-giving is a MUCH bigger holiday for us than Xmas. We entertain for T-giving, and we don’t for Xmas. I started looking into this project ages ago and worked on design, styles, etc. for months. This has been more than 2 years in the making since the original design work. I am READY. I have been ready for the change, but John and I couldn’t agree on styles, colors and how much to spend. When we moved into this house on Valentine’s Day in 2008, I told John the kitchen needed to be gutted and redone. It has taken almost 6 years for that to happen. I am striking while the iron is HOT!

To get ready for the big change, I will have to empty all of my cabinets…ALL of them and I have a LOT of cabinets and a LOT of stuff jammed into them. I will also have to empty the pantry which is just a glorified overstuffed closet (Moment of Truth – my pantry is like that TV sitcom closet that everything falls out of when you open the door). To prep for that, I am organizing EVERYTHING in the cupboards and drawers. Cleaning out the junk, tossing things hither and yon and generally acting like it is spring with all the cleaning and organizing. I don’t do this in the spring, I am too excited to get out doors. With the colder weather and the work life changes that I am going thru, this is the PERFECT time to attack the big nasty jobs. I probably should have taken a BEFORE picture so you could really appreciate the AFTER, but here are my spice cabinet (well, most of it) and salt collection with all the lovely labeled jars thanks to Ikea and a Brother Label Maker.

This is kind of what the cabinets will look like when completed.

I have decided that if I can have this done before my birthday in January, I can forgo setting up a tree, but that doesn’t mean there will be no gifts! Oh, there will be, but I am sorry to tell all of you there will be NO cookies this year if I get my way. If the kitchen is ripped up, how will I bake? If PART of it is done I will make everyone’s 2 fave cookies and that’s it. No fancy cookie platters (especially after last year).

As I get ready for the winter, I felt myself yearning to do the canning thing again – so I did – I love that “plink” sound when the lids seal!

And I find myself “nesting”; creating a more comfy space for me to live and work in, and I keep bouncing from task to task, project to project. There are three going on right now, none of them near completion. The Hubby is a real sport about it too. What’s the next project? Turning my “office” into a sewing room. There is absolutely no point in me leaving that space as an office when I am changing jobs and find myself working at the kitchen table more often than not. Perhaps a shared space for a while? But of course that means divesting myself of even MORE stuff. Maybe a little Pre Xmas sale of all the cool kitchen gadgets that are sitting up in my office? Or maybe I can just give them away as gifts…

On a more somber note – Chef Charlie Trotter of Chicago died today. A James Beard Award winner and mentor and inspiration to countless chefs and cooks across the country. RIP Chef.

What Makes YOU Such an Expert?

Posted on by RedFlair14

I have never claimed to be an expert on anything. REALLY. Even though my friend’s ex-husband called me a walking encyclopedia and an old boss (at my worst waitressing job ever) called me “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”. But in the age of everyone being an expert on something, I have begun to wonder about a few things.

I recently went to someone’s business webpage, knowing they are NOT a Chef, Food Writer, Food Critic or culinary professional of any kind, and it said they were, “…recipe developer, professional taster, photographer…” and on and on. With at least 7 things this person claims to do as a profession, are they saying they are a modern day DaVinci? Assuming that you want to hire an expert or a professional, would you think someone who claims to be SO many things is really good at any of them? I thought it was ludicrous that someone would claim to be a professional expert in ALL of these seemingly incongruous fields in addition to others I didn’t list.

So I got to thinking…I know, dangerous. I have been told that K9 squad dogs can only be trained for one sniffing job. A dog can’t be trained to sniff out drugs AND bombs AND cadavers. A sommelier and a cicerone have to go through extensive training and testing to be listed as experts in their field and claim those titles and I don’t personally know of anyone who is BOTH. They need to be able to identify several styles of wine or beer by taste, sight and smell alone. Doctors and lawyers have to be accredited by an oversight organization in order to practice and be considered professionals, as do many other professions, and while someone may in fact pass both tests, rarely do they practice both at the same time. And let’s talk about the artistic endeavors as well. Just because you have a camera, that doesn’t make you a photographer any more than owning a paint brush makes you a painter.

Most Chefs I know work in recipe and menu development for their chosen venue. They all have culinary backgrounds. In the food industry, there are corporate Chefs who work behind the scenes to create the food you buy off the shelves and in chain restaurants. You don’t think those amazing Ben & Jerry’s flavors magically appear by formula do you? There is a STAFF of people working together in recipe and flavor development. In order to be a “recipe developer” what are the necessary qualifications? Do you have to have a culinary background or is tossing together a few ingredients enough? Does working in the kitchen in ANY capacity, either home or professional, and tweaking a recipe make you a recipe developer? Any Mom who has made the perfect meatloaf worked in recipe development? If so, then I am a recipe developer. Check one for me.

Professional Taster? REALLY? You must be joking. Whoever heard of such a thing? Well, okay, sommeliers and cicerones ARE professional tasters, but see notes above. Professional taster of WHAT exactly? Could I call this person up and say, “Hey, I have a batch of [insert your food choice here] I need you to come and taste it? What is the going rate for that? How do they get paid? Is this a growth industry? If so, where do I sign up? If a Chef is a professional and he tests his recipes on his wife, then all Chefs’ wives are professional tasters as are all of his friends and family who I am sure are guinea pigs at one time or another. I like to eat out and I always tell the truth when I am asked how my food is. Does that make me a professional taster? Does telling a Chef what you honestly think about their food make you a professional taster? Is knowing the difference between herbs and spices the designator? Most everyone I know has taste buds, so is that the only qualifier? If so, then I am a professional taster too. Check two for me.

Do you see where I am going with this? No? Let me explain. Everyone’s tastes are different. Yes, I will admit that some people have a more highly developed sense of taste than others (Moment of Truth – I am in the highly developed category, what’s called a “Supertaster”, I gave up counting at 37 on this test and yes, my tongue is still blue and slightly irritated from the test). Does being a supertaster make me qualified to write this blog, restaurant reviews or a cookbook? Not really. Does it make me qualified to be a food critic? Maybe, but having someone hire me to do that is what would make me a professional, and frankly I would LOVE to get paid for my thoughts and opinions. Who wouldn’t? Do you know what makes a restaurant/food critic a professional in their field? There are several things. They know how to write, and write well! They know food. They know what they like and WHY they like it. They can explain to you what they like in terms that you will understand. Even if you don’t agree with them, you will see their point. For example, I often agree with John Curtas on quality of food, but I don’t always agree with him on anything else, but I do see his point more times than not. They, in essence, ARE professional tasters of a sort.

So the bottom line is this: Whenever anyone gives you a line like, “I am a professional taster”, just look at them and say, “Oh, really? Where did you get your certification?” Or you can use my line, “Bitch, please! I eat food, so am I!”

You’re Out of Your Gourd*

Posted on by RedFlair14

This time of year has the BEST produce displays in the grocery store if you ask me, and no one did by the way. All the gorgeous colors and HUGE vegetables and fruits. It’s the time of the harvest and it is evident in every aspect of the produce department. You also see the ornamental gourds. You know, the bumpy, somewhat ugly and thoroughly entertaining shapes of twisted squash that you can’t eat, but yet show up in the produce department. And yes, I did say squash. In case you didn’t know, pumpkins, squash and cucumbers are all members of the gourd family. As a kid I completely understood this and often wondered why you would put something you can’t eat in the produce section.

Inedible gourds are among the earliest cultivated plants. Their hard shells were used for decoration, water tight vessels to carry or consume food and of course we all know they make great biodegradable baby rattles. Most of us are familiar with edible squash (is the plural of squash, squashes, or is that only a verb?). We all eat pumpkin pie, bread, muffins, but did you know that pumpkin can be used for savory dishes as well. If you like butternut or acorn squash, you will probably like pumpkin. Right now my fevered little brain is concocting pumpkin gnocchi and rosemary in browned butter with pickled cranberries. I mentioned this to Chef Friend Stephen Hopcraft (STK Las Vegas) and he said he was stealing my idea. That’s fine, as long as he calls them “Aunt LeAnne’s Pumpkin Gnocchi”. The issue is that I have been so busy that I haven’t had time to really play with my food. I think that is changing TODAY!

I have been obsessed with gourds lately. I made curried roasted butternut squash soup. I have a lovely spaghetti squash sitting on my counter waiting for me to be inspired (I did see a spaghetti squash Alfredo…and John saw a recipe for it baked, like ziti). And of course the pumpkins for the gnocchi. Truth be told, spaghetti squash is not one of my faves, but I like it better than acorn squash. It wasn’t until recently that I would actually eat butternut squash. You see, growing up in Upstate New York, there were PLENTY of squash to eat because they grow really well in that environment. You have all heard the jokes about the people who planted too many zucchini and couldn’t give it away? Yeah, that was us. The entire damn squash family grew really well on our property and so we had them to eat. All. The. Time. I think Sisters Nancy and Janece STILL won’t eat zucchini, whereas I love it.

I love the fall, it has really special GOOD memories for me of a really crappy childhood, however, it also makes me remember roasted acorn squash. A NOT so good memory of my crappy childhood and I still can’t stand it!

Enjoy the fall, enjoy the gourds and above all, go play with your food. FYI – if you want the recipe for my roasted butternut squash soup, you can find it on my FB page Good for Spooning. Look in the “notes” section. And while you are there be sure to LIKE the page!

*That title, spelled correctly should make all of the spelling and grammar police out there very happy (Including Sister Nancy).