In the 1980's, a movie adaptation of a play called I'm Not Rappaport gained considerable popularity. Apparently, the title came from an old joke. Here's what I cut and pasted from our friends at Wikipedia:
"Its title comes from an old vaudeville joke, a variation of which evolved into dialogue between the two protagonists:
Nat: Hey, Rappaport! I haven't seen you in ages. How have you been?
Midge: I'm not Rappaport.
Nat: Rappaport, what happened to you? You used to be a short fat guy, and now you're a tall skinny guy.
Midge: I'm not Rappaport.
Nat: Rappaport, you used to be a young guy with a beard, and now you're an old guy with a mustache.
Midge: I'm not Rappaport.
Nat: Rappaport, how has this happened? You used to be a cowardly little white guy, and now you're a big imposing black guy.
Midge: I'm not Rappaport.
Nat: And you changed your name, too!"
I give you all of this background in order to explain my thoughts on Bon Appetit magazine, now edited by Adam Rapoport. For years, when Gourmet magazine was still on the newsstands, I viewed Bon Appetit as the more seizable, housewife-y kid sister to Gourmet magazine. Gourmet had us flying the Concorde and eating regional delicacies on breathtaking cliffs above the Aegean. Gourmet afforded poor schlubs like me the ability to travel (virtually) like a first class member of some elite society of gourmands. Bon Appetit, on the other hand, explained how poor schlubs like me could cook a slightly Americanized version of some elevated foreign cuisine so we could put on a pretty nice dinner party. Bon Appetit did not have the same fantasy lifestyle element of Gourmet, but it was still an enjoyable enough read, and it was certainly filled with useful information.
When Conde Nast folded the pages of Gourmet in 2009, Bon Appetit was called to step up their game. I can imagine board meetings in which marketing experts probably stressed how important it would be for Bon Appetit to fill the fantasy lifestyle vacuum left by the now-defunct Gourmet. So they hired Rapoport, who was a cool, in-the-know tastemaker from GQ who could show us the modern way to live and eat. I imagine that Rapoprt's vision probably indicated that the latest and greatest lifestyle fantasy of the masses was to aspire to be (and eat like) a modern-day beatnik-style hipster.
I know a handful of modern-day beatnik-style hipsters and they're fine people. And the problem is not that a magazine is promoting a lifestyle of .1% of the American public. It's just promoting a lifestyle that doesn't resonate well as far as culinary pursuits go. It's not really stretching our imaginations at the table. Although the modern-day beatnik-style hipster may keep his own urban chickens and nobly rides his bicycle to the Farmers Market for the freshest local produce, what he cooks with his bounty is kind of, um, a little ho-hum.
Case in point: The February cover story of Rapoport's Bon Appetit was fried chicken and the March cover story is pizza (with a burnt crust, no less). While I love a good piece of fried chicken, I have to say that I want the cuisine I am reaching towards to be a little less pedestrian, even if the super-cool hipsters are eating it. While I am decrying Rapoport's extra-crispy drumstick cover shot, I am not insisting that he put Pheasant Under Glass on the cover of Bon Appetit...but how about his fried chicken with a Sauce Supreme? Sure, you and I know that it would basically be chicken and gravy, but throw in some asparagus tips and fine herbs and the reader can serve almost the same fried chicken to the most dignified guest. The reader would also reap the benefit of learning a new sauce.
As Rapoport's new generation of Bon Appetit magazine currently displays itself...well, I'm just "not feeling it", as his hipster demographic might say.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Entertaining Tips
I like parties. Whether I am a host or a guest or a behind-the-scenes worker-bee, parties are often delightful occasions that the participants remember for years to come. It's also nice that they can be as unique as the spirit of the host...casual, formal, themed, thrown-together, over-the-top, under-the-radar...you name it. Done right, they are all a rollicking good time. But hosts often stress about the food. With 20-plus years of experience, both personally and professionally, I have a few entertaining tips that might help you plan your next house party adventure, no matter what style of event you choose:
1. YOU DON'T NEED MUCH SALAD. I rarely even offer it anymore, because you wind up throwing away over half of it, no matter how little you make. Even the strictest dieter is going to ease up a little at a party and choose something besides tossed lettuce. Sure, you'll "sell" a little of it, and you might feel obligated to offer it, but when you are in the grocery store, choose your greens and then put half of them back. Really. And the same goes for crudite or veggie platters.
2. WHEN YOU DO MAKE A VEGETABLE PLATTER, INCLUDE MORE CARROTS THAN ANYTHING ELSE. You'll get a couple celery, broccoli, and radish eaters. But not many.
3. OFFER SOMETHING "REAL" FOR VEGETARIANS. A "real" option for a vegetarian is something more than a potato and vegetable side dish. Consider including a colorful, veggie-loaded pasta dish or something with legumes. Your goal should be to make every guest feel really welcome, not a pain in your menu-planning side.
4. UNLESS YOU ARE USING A CATERER, MAKE BUFFET ITEMS THAT HOLD UP FOR HOURS. Salmon is good hot or cold. So is roast beef. But rice noodles get mushy after 30 minutes. Green beans start turning brown when left to wilt in a chafing dish. When you plan your menu, think about the shelf life of your proposed dishes. And on that note...
5. MAKE SURE YOU NEVER LEAVE POULTRY OR SHELLFISH OUT FOR VERY LONG. This is literally a get-it-while-it's-hot (or cold) type of item. These items can "turn" relatively quickly. So please be really conservative with poultry and shellfish. When I was young and didn't know much about food, I polished off a piece of chicken sausage during the final hours of a summertime barbeque (the sausages had been made much earlier at the event) and was put out of commission for the next 48 hours with a brutal case of food poisoning. Please don't let this happen at your party from your food.
6. HAVE LOTS OF NON-ENTREE ITEMS ON HAND. Little snack-like nibbles will get consumed throughout the night. Small bite/small plate items, especially those with a crunchy texture, will get eaten before, during, and after dinner. Guests love to enjoy olives, nuts, chips, and so on, especially if you are serving adult beverages, with which you should always offer food to slow down the rate of alcohol absorption.
7. GO AHEAD AND BE A LITTLE BAD. You might have the most regimented, health-conscious diet 364 days a year, but when you are entertaining, please understand that not everyone wants to be on your diet. If a milk-based dish tastes really does taste better with heavy cream than skim milk, then go ahead and do it "full-strength" this one time. If the recipe wants you to butter every sheet of phyllo dough, melt the whole pound of butter, my friend. You can absolutely offer some lighter fare, too, but give your guests a chance to let their hair down, dietetically-speaking, at your special event.
8. OFFER BOTTLED WATER AT THE BAR. This is easy to forget and I often forget it, myself. But sometimes, nothing refreshes like pure, clean water.
9. SEND GUESTS HOME WITH LEFTOVERS. If some poor child is sitting home with a babysitter while his parents are living it up at your house, maybe you can brighten the kid's day with a slice of cake you offer to his parents to take home for him. If you know that your eternal bachelor buddy is probably going to be eating canned soup for the rest of the week, make sure you don't let him out of the house without a giant doggy bag. These guest are your friends...take good care of them.
10. DON'T FREAK OUT. Don't fret if your souffle fell. Don't create a menu that would intimidate Ferran Adria, keeping you locked in the kitchen all night. Don't try to wash all the dishes while your guests are still there. Keep the carpet cleaner's number by the phone so you can really mean it when you tell your guest who knocked red wine on your white carpet that there is no need to worry about it. Don't look down your nose at the value-store pigs-in-a-blanket appetizer that your guest brought to "help" you. Life isn't perfect. Your party might not be either. All any of us ever needs to do is try to enjoy ourselves and the good people around us.
1. YOU DON'T NEED MUCH SALAD. I rarely even offer it anymore, because you wind up throwing away over half of it, no matter how little you make. Even the strictest dieter is going to ease up a little at a party and choose something besides tossed lettuce. Sure, you'll "sell" a little of it, and you might feel obligated to offer it, but when you are in the grocery store, choose your greens and then put half of them back. Really. And the same goes for crudite or veggie platters.
2. WHEN YOU DO MAKE A VEGETABLE PLATTER, INCLUDE MORE CARROTS THAN ANYTHING ELSE. You'll get a couple celery, broccoli, and radish eaters. But not many.
3. OFFER SOMETHING "REAL" FOR VEGETARIANS. A "real" option for a vegetarian is something more than a potato and vegetable side dish. Consider including a colorful, veggie-loaded pasta dish or something with legumes. Your goal should be to make every guest feel really welcome, not a pain in your menu-planning side.
4. UNLESS YOU ARE USING A CATERER, MAKE BUFFET ITEMS THAT HOLD UP FOR HOURS. Salmon is good hot or cold. So is roast beef. But rice noodles get mushy after 30 minutes. Green beans start turning brown when left to wilt in a chafing dish. When you plan your menu, think about the shelf life of your proposed dishes. And on that note...
5. MAKE SURE YOU NEVER LEAVE POULTRY OR SHELLFISH OUT FOR VERY LONG. This is literally a get-it-while-it's-hot (or cold) type of item. These items can "turn" relatively quickly. So please be really conservative with poultry and shellfish. When I was young and didn't know much about food, I polished off a piece of chicken sausage during the final hours of a summertime barbeque (the sausages had been made much earlier at the event) and was put out of commission for the next 48 hours with a brutal case of food poisoning. Please don't let this happen at your party from your food.
6. HAVE LOTS OF NON-ENTREE ITEMS ON HAND. Little snack-like nibbles will get consumed throughout the night. Small bite/small plate items, especially those with a crunchy texture, will get eaten before, during, and after dinner. Guests love to enjoy olives, nuts, chips, and so on, especially if you are serving adult beverages, with which you should always offer food to slow down the rate of alcohol absorption.
7. GO AHEAD AND BE A LITTLE BAD. You might have the most regimented, health-conscious diet 364 days a year, but when you are entertaining, please understand that not everyone wants to be on your diet. If a milk-based dish tastes really does taste better with heavy cream than skim milk, then go ahead and do it "full-strength" this one time. If the recipe wants you to butter every sheet of phyllo dough, melt the whole pound of butter, my friend. You can absolutely offer some lighter fare, too, but give your guests a chance to let their hair down, dietetically-speaking, at your special event.
8. OFFER BOTTLED WATER AT THE BAR. This is easy to forget and I often forget it, myself. But sometimes, nothing refreshes like pure, clean water.
9. SEND GUESTS HOME WITH LEFTOVERS. If some poor child is sitting home with a babysitter while his parents are living it up at your house, maybe you can brighten the kid's day with a slice of cake you offer to his parents to take home for him. If you know that your eternal bachelor buddy is probably going to be eating canned soup for the rest of the week, make sure you don't let him out of the house without a giant doggy bag. These guest are your friends...take good care of them.
10. DON'T FREAK OUT. Don't fret if your souffle fell. Don't create a menu that would intimidate Ferran Adria, keeping you locked in the kitchen all night. Don't try to wash all the dishes while your guests are still there. Keep the carpet cleaner's number by the phone so you can really mean it when you tell your guest who knocked red wine on your white carpet that there is no need to worry about it. Don't look down your nose at the value-store pigs-in-a-blanket appetizer that your guest brought to "help" you. Life isn't perfect. Your party might not be either. All any of us ever needs to do is try to enjoy ourselves and the good people around us.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Paradoxes Solved
Everyone has heard about the French Paradox---the French eat heaps of rich sauces and wash it down with wine and still manage to remain svelte and keep a lower incidence of heart disease. You may not have heard about the Asian Paradox. I just read about it this morning. It seems that the pervasive idea that grain-based carbohydrates are doing us all in, causing organ inflammation and stubbornly depositing themselves around our waistband area, does not seem to be a problem in traditional Asian cultures that eat a lot of rice. Per capita, Asians have a lower BMI and a lower incidence of heart disease than the western world, but they have plenty of carbs on their dinner plates.
So what gives? We have doctors and scientists preaching to us in books and magazines. We have dogmatic signage in health-food grocery stores reminding us what we should be doing. We have television weight-loss experts chiming in about the clear path to the body beautiful. Are we supposed to eat like the French? Are we supposed to eat like the Asians? What are we doing here? Chop, chop. Let's go. Answers please!
If you read closely the treatises on these diet paradoxes, you'll note that these "healthier" cultures seem to move around more. The French tend to live in towns or city centers that we would call "walkable". And so they walk. To the shops. To the park. To the restaurant that will serve them a dollop of cream sauce and a glass of Chateauneuf du Pape. Asians tend to use bicycles as their primary mode of transportation...they are moving around on their own steam.
Not a one of these arguably healthy cultures live in a gated community without sidewalks located 20 miles from commerce so they necessarily have to gas up the SUV to get to work or the shops. These arguably healthier cultures are not exercising because they want to look like they did the "Jillian Michaels 30 day shred", they are exercising because it is a means to an end, namely transportation. If they want to go somewhere, they take the shoe leather express, rain or shine. It's not a choice. There is no need to motivate to go to the gym. If you need something, anything, you have to go there on your own steam and get it. And while you do, you are secretly getting exercise.
I think the movement component is far more important than the minute details of their dietary intake.
That is not to say that I don't support healthy eating...because I do. But it matters little whether you want to be high-protein/low-carb, or high-plant-based/low animal protein, or if you don't want a designer diet at all and just want to eat what folks might call a "balanced diet", what matters is that you let that food be fuel for your movement. I DO hope you choose whole, unprocessed food irrespective of your dietary habits. So whether you like carbs or think they are fat pills, the stuff you eat should be as natural and un-chemicalized as possible. And then you should get off the couch.
Now, you might wonder, what can you do if the cards are stacked against you? Maybe you have a really long commute that must be done in a car, to your really high-pressure job, that must be done in a chair, that leaves you really stressed-out so you just can't motivate to work out... you just really want to go home, eat your dinner, and enjoy a movie with your family. Plus, the nearest gym kind of seems like a meat-market for dumb singles anyway. NOT your cup of tea. Really...what can you do?
Well...you can get a dog and commit to walking him two times a day. And don't get lazy, because a dog is a responsibility and he requires exercise. If you get the dog, you walk that puppy two times a day, rain or shine. You can plant a garden and deal with it yourself. YOU deadhead the flowers, YOU till it in the spring, YOU pull the weeds. If you pawn this off on a landscaper, you've achieved nothing. While you are at it, mow your own lawn, with a push mower if possible. Paint your own living room. Clean your own house. Walk your kids to school. Or at least to the bus stop. Do a sport on the weekends. Wash your own car. Put away the electric mixer, and whisk your own batter (free tricep workout!). Take the stairs, not the elevator. Park half a mile from your office door. The bottom line is DO SOMETHING.
If you are lazy, your health and your body shape will give you away. Is that what you want to telegraph to the public?
So what gives? We have doctors and scientists preaching to us in books and magazines. We have dogmatic signage in health-food grocery stores reminding us what we should be doing. We have television weight-loss experts chiming in about the clear path to the body beautiful. Are we supposed to eat like the French? Are we supposed to eat like the Asians? What are we doing here? Chop, chop. Let's go. Answers please!
If you read closely the treatises on these diet paradoxes, you'll note that these "healthier" cultures seem to move around more. The French tend to live in towns or city centers that we would call "walkable". And so they walk. To the shops. To the park. To the restaurant that will serve them a dollop of cream sauce and a glass of Chateauneuf du Pape. Asians tend to use bicycles as their primary mode of transportation...they are moving around on their own steam.
Not a one of these arguably healthy cultures live in a gated community without sidewalks located 20 miles from commerce so they necessarily have to gas up the SUV to get to work or the shops. These arguably healthier cultures are not exercising because they want to look like they did the "Jillian Michaels 30 day shred", they are exercising because it is a means to an end, namely transportation. If they want to go somewhere, they take the shoe leather express, rain or shine. It's not a choice. There is no need to motivate to go to the gym. If you need something, anything, you have to go there on your own steam and get it. And while you do, you are secretly getting exercise.
I think the movement component is far more important than the minute details of their dietary intake.
That is not to say that I don't support healthy eating...because I do. But it matters little whether you want to be high-protein/low-carb, or high-plant-based/low animal protein, or if you don't want a designer diet at all and just want to eat what folks might call a "balanced diet", what matters is that you let that food be fuel for your movement. I DO hope you choose whole, unprocessed food irrespective of your dietary habits. So whether you like carbs or think they are fat pills, the stuff you eat should be as natural and un-chemicalized as possible. And then you should get off the couch.
Now, you might wonder, what can you do if the cards are stacked against you? Maybe you have a really long commute that must be done in a car, to your really high-pressure job, that must be done in a chair, that leaves you really stressed-out so you just can't motivate to work out... you just really want to go home, eat your dinner, and enjoy a movie with your family. Plus, the nearest gym kind of seems like a meat-market for dumb singles anyway. NOT your cup of tea. Really...what can you do?
Well...you can get a dog and commit to walking him two times a day. And don't get lazy, because a dog is a responsibility and he requires exercise. If you get the dog, you walk that puppy two times a day, rain or shine. You can plant a garden and deal with it yourself. YOU deadhead the flowers, YOU till it in the spring, YOU pull the weeds. If you pawn this off on a landscaper, you've achieved nothing. While you are at it, mow your own lawn, with a push mower if possible. Paint your own living room. Clean your own house. Walk your kids to school. Or at least to the bus stop. Do a sport on the weekends. Wash your own car. Put away the electric mixer, and whisk your own batter (free tricep workout!). Take the stairs, not the elevator. Park half a mile from your office door. The bottom line is DO SOMETHING.
If you are lazy, your health and your body shape will give you away. Is that what you want to telegraph to the public?
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