March is a great for foodies. This year we celebrate Easter, National Frozen Food Month; the federal government designated the second week of March as National School Breakfast Week. There are “extremist” groups as well, promoting the evils of caffeine during National Caffeine Awareness Month® (those of you who can’t function without your morning cup are most certainly aware!) to a call for vegetarianism on The Great American Meat Out Day (March 20, or the first day of spring).

And you thought there were only St. Patrick’s Day and the obligatory corned beef & cabbage dinner!

However, there is another food-story during March that few Americans know: Duncan Hines was born (March 26, 1880) and died (March 15, 1959) during this month. You didn’t realize Duncan Hines was a real person? Not surprising, considering the attention given Betty Crocker (a purely fictional persona).

The biography “Duncan Hines: The Man Behind the Cake Mix” by Louis Hatchett provides a fascinating look at the life of arguably the most powerful man on the American food scene during the mid 20^th century. Although slightly dry and scholarly (it started as Mr. Hatchett’s thesis for his Master’s degree), the book is definitely worth seeking out. It provides glimpses of American life from 1936-1959 that are in many ways still relevant to us in 2008. We still purchase travel guides to help us find lodgings and restaurants (think Fodor’s and Zagat), and we still purchase convenience foods to make our lives easier (think Duncan Hines cake mixes).

Duncan Hines was a salesman and his hobby was seeking out good, local places to eat during his travels. Other salesmen who knew of Hines’ hobby eagerly sought his advice on where they might a good meal. Demand for this information eventually forced him to publish it in the form of a guide book, and in 1936 he self-published Adventures in Good Eating, a guide to roadside restaurants. The success of his book was predicated on the trust people placed in his recommendations. Duncan Hines did not accept paid endorsements from any restaurant, and went to great lengths to ensure that those establishments he recommended had consistently good food and sanitary kitchens. Why should this have been so important? Back in those days, refrigeration and widespread food safety knowledge were not the norm. Travelers who ate in restaurants literally took a chance with their lives; death from food poisoning was not uncommon. (This may sound almost comical to today’s traveler, who typically partakes of chain restaurant food, regulated by public health departments nationwide.) If a restaurant refused his request to inspect their kitchen he not only would not recommend it, he would not even eat there. So great was his influence on public opinion that both the restaurant industry and the hotel/motel industry were forced to maintain his high standards, or risk losing the patronage of his readers, often representing a significant portion of their business.

The Duncan Hines that most of us know, the name on the box of cake mix, did not come about until he was 68 years old. He agreed to lend his endorsement to a variety of food products – over 60 brands ranging from bread to canned pears. The first Duncan Hines branded product to hit store shelves? Ice cream, not cake mix.

In 1956 Procter & Gamble purchased Duncan Hines (yes it was happening even back then), eventually selling the brand to Aurora Foods in 1998. The brand was sold again in 2004 to Pinnacle Foods and the product line is limited to cake, brownie, muffin & cookie mixes; canned frostings, and the new “oven ready” brownies.

Though “big business” appears to have dealt rather roughly with the brand name Duncan Hines, his native state of Kentucky and Pinnacle Foods (as a financial sponsor) treat the memory of the person rather well. Bowling Green, the town he was born & died in, pays homage to their native son with the “Duncan Hines Festival” (August 14-16, 2008), and since 2007 The Kentucky Library and Museum has featured the exhibit “Recommended by Duncan Hines” where visitors can learn about “the man behind the cake mix”.

Bon Appetit!

Chef Glenn Burgess

In America, Corned Beef and Cabbage is a St. Patrick’s Day tradition even if you are Irish only on March 17th Ever wonder why it is called Corned Beef? Well, corning is a form of curing and it has nothing to do with corn. The name comes from Anglo-Saxon times before refrigeration. In those days, the meat was dry-cured in coarse “corns” of salt. Pellets of salt, some the size of kernels of corn, were rubbed into the beef to keep it from spoiling and to preserve it. Today brining — the use of salt water — has replaced the dry salt cure, but the name “corned beef” is still used, rather than “brined” or “pickled” beef.

Traditionally, corned beef is braised slowly in either the oven or on the stovetop. If using either method, generally allow one hour of cooking per pound of meat. A quicker method for cooking this traditional fare is to use a pressure cooker and allow approximately 15 minutes of cooking time per pound of beef. Whichever method you choose, be sure the beef reaches an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F to ensure it is safely cooked.

In our home we enjoy this holiday fare with Irish Soda bread, a good mustard made with beer and the wearin’ of the green! Oh, and we can’t forget the Irish coffee for dessert. Enjoy.

Corned Beef and Cabbage – Pressure Cooker method

4 lb. corned beef brisket

1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise

1 onion, quartered

2 TBS. pickling spice

5 whole black peppercorns

3 whole allspice berries

2 TBS. cider vinegar

1 head of cabbage, cut in 8 wedges

8 small red potatoes, peeled and halved

4-6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

Horseradish or horseradish sauce, for serving

Place the beef brisket in the pressure cooker and cover with cold water, making sure the amount does not exceed the recommended level for your cooker. Add the garlic onion, pickling spice, peppercorns, allspice and vinegar.

Cover and bring up to high pressure. Reduce heat to stabilize pressure and cook 60 minutes. Release pressure and remove meat. Tent beef and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

Add the cabbage, potatoes and carrots to the cooker. Bring cooker up to high pressure for 1 minute. Release pressure.

Serve the meat cut into thin slices along with the vegetables. Pass the horseradish on the side.

Serves 6 to 8.

Chef Vickie Kirlick

In the chilly fall it’s a nice treat to ‘warm up the house’ by having the oven on all day roasting a big turkey, baking pies and bubbly side dishes, but that’s not the case for spring. Easter Sunday is often a lovely, mild spring day that makes you want to open all the windows and let the sunshine in. Who wants to work in a hot kitchen on a day like that?

A few years ago my husband and I got the notion to use our grill to cook Easter dinner, and now it is a family tradition. We love lamb for Easter dinner and figured out how to grill enough for a crowd of 12 in less than 30 minutes. You can do the same in just a few simple steps.

1. Ask your butcher to butterfly a boneless leg of lamb, allowing about a half-pound per person. For our crowd of 12 we ordered between six and seven pounds.

2. Secure the meat with 4 long metal skewers, running 2 lengthwise and 2 crosswise. Because this cut of meat is not as streamlined as boneless poultry, use the skewers to keep the meat in one piece so it cooks evenly on the grill.

3. Make a marinade of garlic slices, fresh rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Rub evenly to coat both sides and marinate at room temperature for about one hour.

4. Grill the lamb over high heat, allowing about 10-12 minutes per side, flipping once. A six to seven pound piece of lamb will be done in about 20-25 minutes.

5. Remove from grill and place on cutting board, tent with foil, and allow meat to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the skewers and cut into pieces to serve.

How’s that for a simple holiday meal?

To round out your menu, prepare light, refreshing side dishes in advance and finish them while the lamb grills and rests. Keep it simple with your vegetables and just steam, grill or roast them.

Here is our favorite Easter menu:

Greek Salad
Grilled Leg of Lamb with Fresh Mint Sauce
Steamed Asparagus with Butter & Lemon
Green Beans Amandine
Oven Roasted New Potatoes

This Easter, think outside the oven, crank up the grill, and enjoy the spring weather with your family and friends!

Recipe for Fresh Mint Sauce
An excellent alternative to mint jelly, and especially tart and delicious with the grilled lamb

½ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup water

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup mint leaves, chopped

Combine vinegar, water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the mint leaves and let stand for at least 1 hour before serving.

Chef Sarah Copeland

It’s Leap Year, time for the calendar that mankind created to catch up with “real time”; for that we need an extra day once every four years.

Seriously, who makes up this stuff? Only ONE extra day every four years???? Lord knows I could certainly use an extra day a little more often. In the corporate world we called them “mental health days”, sick days that we used not because we were physically ailing, but rather to prevent complete mental breakdown if we didn’t get away from the grind, or tidy up the house, or do the yardwork. Or, if you’re a personal chef, a “mental health day” might entail organizing all those recipes we cut out of magazines. Or spending hours in front of the computer looking up food-related trivia such as February 29 being “National Surf & Turf Day”.

One might think that when a “holiday” is labeled as “National Surf & Turf Day” that it must carry some sort of government approval. For example, the date for Thanksgiving was established by Congress. Of course in true government fashion it was changed from the fourth Thursday in November to the third Thursday, then finally back to the fourth Thursday.

So then did some Congressman from Maine decree that every Leap Day should be “National Surf & Turf Day”?

As near as I can tell, no. For starters, any Congressman who declares a holiday once every four years would not be reelected by a constituency of lobstermen dependent on, shall we say, more consistent sales?

There are well over 365 “national” food holidays, and very few have the government’s seal of approval. Which frankly doesn’t mean very much. Just because Congress passed a public law (102–468) and then-President Bill Clinton made a proclamation making the fourth week of February “American Wine Appreciation Week” does not mean we get an extra week’s vacation from work. I rather imagine the wine growers in California applied some pressure to their elected officials who spent valuable time and effort making a law praising wine, instead of fixing say, the healthcare crisis?

No, the more I thought about it, the less I liked the idea of a government-sanctioned food holiday. In fact I suspect most of those 365+ food holidays (some days are bestowed with more than one food holiday, hence over 365) are simply marketing tools, created by ad agencies, marketing cooperatives, growers, and manufacturers. The month of March is “National Frozen Food Month”, sponsored by The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association on behalf of its some 400 member companies. As one of the more commercially visible food holidays, it features a $10,000 sweepstakes. And you don’t even have to create a recipe using frozen foods. Nice.

There are also “traditional” food holidays, which are some of my favorites. “Pancake Tuesday”, “Collop Monday” and a host of others mostly taken from religious calendars and celebrating the Saints’ feast days.

So get thee to the grocery store on February 29, buy a lobster and a filet mignon and celebrate “National Surf & Turf Day”.

Or hire a personal chef to cook it for you.

Adieu!

Chef Glenn Burgess

In the spirit of the Leap year, which you can read all about from Glenn Burgess’ post HERE, a New York Restaurant with a Leap Day Birthday is having a celebration of it’s own:
Tiny New York Meatpacking District restaurant Jarnac will turn 8-years-old but celebrate just its 2nd birthday on the coming leap-year day of Friday, February 29.

The famous 32-seat French restaurant on the corner of West 12th and Greenwich St opened on February 29, 2000 – another leap-year day.

Owner Tony Powe has only been able to celebrate one birthday for the neighborhood restaurant.

Jarnac has managed to survive 8 years of turbulent market conditions despite being one of the smallest restaurants in Manhattan.

On the leap year day of Friday, February 29, Jarnac is offering the public entrees at a special Leap Year price of $20.08 (2008, 2nd birthday).

NY Metro USPCA Personal Chefs receive recognition from troops abroad for their donations of spices and other culinary tools to help chefs working in Afghanistan prepare better tasting meals for military personnel stationed there.

(PRWEB) February 14, 2008 — The New York Metro Chapter of the United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA) is proud to announce a second donation drive for culinary spices, ingredients and tools as well as personal items to be shipped overseas to bring the taste of home to our active duty troops.

In 2005, the NY Metro Chapter of Personal Chefs collected and sent donations of spices, specialty ingredients, and other items not readily available to chefs in military kitchens to Pat Day, a personal chef out of Houston, TX who put aside her personal chef business to take a position cooking for our troops stationed at military bases in Afghanistan.

In December 2007, the New York Metro Chapter of Personal Chefs received a certificate of recognition from B Company, 2-227th Aviation Regiment 1st Cavalry Division “Nightbirds” along with an American Flag which was dedicated to The New York Chapter of US Personal Chef Association Chefs and flown on a military mission in Iraq on December 10, 2007 in recognition of their support of our troops. Enclosed with the flag was a personal note from Pat Day with her thanks. “We were often under blackout,” stated Pat, “and had trouble getting many of the necessities at that time, so we had to make the magic happen in the middle of the dessert when supplies did not arrive. Thanks to your donations we won several awards for best tasting food in the region and your group helped make that happen. You wouldn’t believe how many soldiers during the holidays said it was the best home cooked meal they ever had…it really brought tears to all our eyes.”

Pat Day is now stationed in Iraq and is “still making the magic happen,” and, says Pat, “it’s all about teamwork for the troops.” The New York Metro Chapter of Personal Chefs are eager to help Pat and her kitchen team again. The Chapter is asking for local businesses along with individuals to join in this second culinary ingredient and tool drive. Specifically, the NY Metro Personal Chefs Chapter is looking for spices, seasonings, non-perishable specialty ingredients, culinary tools and any culinary items that can be shipped overseas. They are also looking for a donor to support the shipment of these donations to the base in Iraq.

“It is such an honor to have received this flag. You can’t imagine how please our Chapter members were find out how what we considered a relatively small donation, in comparison to the 4000 personnel Pat and her fellow chefs fed daily, benefited so many of our men and women serving our country in Afghanistan and Iraq,” states Jennifer Urda, President, New York Metro Chapter. “We are eager to continue to support these hardworking chefs with special ingredients that can delight and energize our troops by allowing the chefs abroad cook tasty, home-style meals. Our ability to continue collecting and sending as many ingredients as we can to Pat and her kitchen team is the best way we can show our support,” states Glenn Burgess, Vice President, New York Metro Chapter.

The 2008 Spice Drive begins February 14, 2008 and will continue for as long as the Chapter receives donations. If you are interested in donating or learning more about the NY Metro Chapter of the USPCA, please call 1-800-358-2857 or visit http://www.NYPersonalChefs.com for more information.

Chef Mark Tafoya of ReMARKable Palate PCS was profiled in a business feature for the Associated Press. The article, Popularity of Personal Chefs Rises, was picked up by newspapers around the country, including USA Today, Business Week, the Miami Herald, the San Jose Mercury News and the Arizona Republic, as well as ABCNews.com, FOXNews and CNBC.com. The article focused on the accessibility of personal chefs to busy working families, and also quotes USPCA Executive Director John Moore.

Westchester Magazine, the leading regional monthly for the northern NYC metro area, featured three of our chapter members in their Fall 2007 Home & Garden issue. Jonathan Taube of Rocky Rill PCS, Jennifer Urda (chapter President) of The Runcible Spoon PCS, and Stewart Goodwin of Dinner by Design were all featured. In the article, entitled Chefs for Hire, one client is quoted as saying “It was just fabulous. It was like being at a four-star restaurant in your own dining room.”

Chapter members Vickie Kirlick and Mark Tafoya were elected to the National Advisory Council (NAC) of the USPCA. They are both proud to represent the members of the New York Metro chapter and the membership as a whole to the national organization.

The NY Metro chapter has elected new officers: Jennifer Urda - President, Glenn Burgess - Vice President, Wendy Collett - Secretary, Lia Soscia - PR & Marketing, Mark Tafoya - Webmaster.