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Blue Plate Special

Throughout the decades of the 1920’s – 1950’s, a popular restaurant promotion was the “blue plate special.”  Served mostly at dinners and other simple eateries, the blue plate special was a reduced cost meal consisting of some kind of meat, (beef, pork, chicken, fish etc.), with a number of vegetables side dishes.

It appears to have gleaned its name from the actual plates it was presented on.  Solid blue, or sporting a blue pattern, the plates were also divided into sections, a large one for the protein, and smaller segments for the vegetables.  Typically the items were pre-cooked and held at serving temperature.  This allowed for alacritous service and more efficient turnover.

Furthermore, the one plate meal saved time and money on dish washing.  Needless to say, the previously cooked victuals, languishing in whatever container to maintain their temperature, were usually less than inspiring.

While the “blue plate” sobriquet has all but faded from use, many modern restaurants still offer “specials.”  However, daily specials are no longer the sole domain of workaday eateries but are proffered at more upscale establishments as well.  But caveat emptor!  “Special” doesn’t always mean propitious for the patron.

Why Blue Plate Specials?

There are a variety of reasons restaurants may offer specials.  First, specials are often used to generate business on slow days or off-peak hours, e.g., all-you-can-eat-rib-Mondays, early bird dinners, and half price appetizers during happy hour.  In these cases the “special” is not necessarily a novel item for the establishment.  Rather, it is one of the customary offerings “specialized” by the lower price.  Sometimes these specials are portents that the restaurant is circling the drain and making desperate attempts to stay afloat.

New dishes that the chef has created sometimes start off as specials.  This is simply an attempt to showcase a new concoction and test the waters.  If the newcomer is a hit, then it may be worth the expense of reprinting the menu to include it as a mainstay.

Seasonal menus often include specials composed of items that are only available, or at their peak during certain times of the year.  These can be very exciting specials, especially if you’re an aficionado of the comestible in question.  Soft shell crabs, white truffles, pumpkins, spring vegetables, etc., are best savored during their prime time.

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Occasionally restaurants get a good deal on a particular item.  The vendor may be overstocked, especially on something highly perishable and needs to unload it.  The savings however, may or may not be passed on to the customer.  Other times the special is an item whose availability is random.

One afternoon at a restaurant where I worked a local fisherman suddenly arrived with a cache of large sea bass just caught that morning.  Sure enough, that became one of the evening’s specials.  Oh and by the way, I’ll give you one guess who got the dubious honor of gutting, scaling, cleaning, and portioning all the fish.  Yeah…….aint that special.

A final venue by which a special is born is the most precarious for the patron, namely when the ingredients are on the brink of going stale.  Being a chef is far more than just cooking the food.

A chef must be a good businessman if he holds any hope of surviving.  Thus, any chef worth his salt closely monitors his inventory, economically utilizing older items before they spoil into red ink.  Ergo, product that is “on the turn” as we say in the restaurant world, must be used promptly.

The pitfall for the consumer is the degree to which these items have flagged.  There’s a huge difference between a food that has aged but remains serviceable and one that has begun its descent.

Generally speaking, the more preeminent the establishment, the more likely they are to forgo items in the gray zone.  But the local mom & pop eatery, or any restaurant on life support, may be more willing to roll the dice.  Your blue plate special won’t be the only thing turning blue.

Quoting the Specials - Pleasssse

A final issue about specials, one that can be aggravating as well as financially perilous for customers, is how the specials are presented.  I am referring to servers who verbally present a laundry list of specials, often in agonizing detail.  The patron is literally held captive, forced to feign interest and maintain perfunctory eye contact, often all for naught.

Who can recall the dizzying array of information afterwards?  The server leaves and the guests look at each other with queries such as “What was the second thing he said?”  “What did he say was on the salmon?”

This is one of those aspects of human nature that absolutely boggles my mind.  You don’t need to be a psychologist to realize that a cavalcade of verbal information is difficult to retain.  You don’t need to be a teacher to appreciate that written material is infinitely easier to review and digest.  All you need is common sense.

Why in the world would a restaurant trying to promote its specials, advertise them in such an ephemeral manner? Maybe they’re too lazy or too cheap to follow the lead of other establishments and print the specials out every day.  Or jot them down on little blackboards strewn about the facility.  Or maybe the manager is just that fatuous.  Or is he devious?

And How Much Does That Special Cost?

The only thing worse than an oratory about the specials is when the server neglects to mention their prices.  We’ve all fallen victims to this on occasion.  You order a special, enjoy the meal and then get sticker shock when the check arrives.  All because you failed to ask how much the special was.

(They pull this with wines as well.  If you inquire as to the wines by the glass they’ll rattle off Chardonnay, Cabernet, Pinot Grigio, etc., but never the cost.  Later you discover the box-wine Chardonnay was $10 a glass.)

I am convinced that at least in a few cases, this is a deliberate ploy to sell specials that foreknowledge of the price would have prevented.  The restaurant is exploiting your fear of looking cheap by asking the price.  Or hoping you don’t care or forget, thus affording them an opportunity to sell a special at an inflated price.  Be an informed consumer and have no compunction about inquiring.  Or else your special could be special for the wrong reasons.

Chef Mark R. Vogel

A Recipe For Getting Into the Spirit of the Holidays

Every year we start the holiday season by watching as a family the 1938 version of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens starring Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart and Kathleen Lockhart, the parents of June Lockart who played one of the daughters in the movie. Later on she starred in two of my favorite shows growing up: Lassie and Lost in Space.

I know there are newer versions of this classic and even watched a little of Jim Carey’s A Christmas Carol in 3D at my friends Jonathan and Abby’s house this weekend but as amazing as the 2009 version is technically, give me the 1938 version with Terry Kilburn as Tiny Tim. If you need a dose of Christmas spirit, this film is the right recipe.

This post is from contributing writer and friend Chef Mark Vogel. I want to thank him for sharing it with us and describing eloquently a little Dicken’s history and his recipe for Colcannon.

A Dickens Christmas

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) is indisputably one of the most renowned and beloved authors of Victorian Age England.   He virtually resurrected not only the celebration of Christmas, but the nature of that celebration.  Thanks to the Puritans and their anti-pagan paranoia, the commemoration of Christmas was suppressed.  It was a dour holiday, solely focused on the church, and devoid of any form of merriment.

Dickens’ 1935 short story “A Christmas Dinner,” and more importantly the landmark “A Christmas Carol” in 1843 generated a rebirth of Christmas.  Christmas, while not forgetting its Christian underpinnings, now embraced jubilation, music, joyous feasts, an emphasis on family, and good will toward men. Indeed, even the practice of wishing others “Merry Christmas” can be traced back to “A Christmas Carol.”

Christmas Dinner

Christmas dinner became a time honored tradition and epitomizes the secular meaning of Christmas, i.e., the richness of friends and family.  Christmas dinner is a time to exult with our loved ones and cherish their importance to our lives.  As I’ve said so often, food is so much more than physical nourishment.  It is a vehicle by which we celebrate the most meaningful things in life.  Every Christmas-observing culture on the planet has special Yuletide foods.

Catherine Thomson Hogarth, (1816–1879) was the Scottish wife of Dickens.  Apparently she was quite an accomplished cook for in 1851 she published a cookbook entitled “What should we have for dinner?”

Colcannon

One of the dishes made by Catherine for Christmas was colcannon.  Colcannon is a mixture of mashed potatoes, cabbage, (or sometimes kale), some type of onion, butter and milk.  Originally an Irish recipe, colcannon was an economical and provincial dish eaten throughout the fall and winter when fresh green vegetables were unavailable.

It saved many a peasant from hunger when money and other fair weather foods were scarce.  By the 18th century it found its way to Scotland and England, and eventually to the Christmas dinner table.  Despite its pedestrian roots, it is said to have been a favorite amongst the upper class in England as well.  Similar concoctions of potatoes and cabbage can be found in other European countries and Russia.

There are varying theories as to the etiology of its name.  One posits it arose from the Gaelic term “cal ceannann” which translates as white headed cabbage.  Another asserts it is derived from cole, an old word for cabbage (as in coleslaw), and cannon, the artillery weapon.  It is said that Irish peasants used cannonballs to pulverize their vegetables into a mash.

Although associated with Christmas, colcannon was traditionally enjoyed by the Irish on Halloween.  Some families would leave out a plate of it for the spirits.  According to the Oxford Companion to Food, (Oxford University Press, 1999), Colcannon was used for the purposes of marriage divination. Irish cooks would hide charms in the admixture.  If a girl was lucky enough to find a charm in her serving, it was interpreted as a portent of marriage.

Other accounts claim that specific charms with unique meanings were hidden in the dish.  For example, a button meant that you would remain a bachelor while a thimble destined you to be a spinster.  Coins naturally, foretold future wealth.

Colcannon is simply produced by making traditional mashed potatoes, sautéing the onion, chopping and boiling the cabbage and then combining everything.  I prefer to sauté the cabbage with the onion.  Sautéing will always add a greater depth of flavoring than boiling.

The type of cabbage you employ is not vital.  I’m also liberal in my use of butter but you can adjust accordingly.  Likewise, milk is too wimpy for my dissipational constitution so like straightforward mashed potatoes, I use cream.

photo credit

Colcannon

• 4 large Idaho or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 leeks, white parts only
• Half a medium head of cabbage, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 stick salted butter, divided
• 6 oz. heavy cream

How to Prepare at Home

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, mash them and set aside.  For extra fluffy potatoes run them through a ricer.

Meanwhile, cut the greens and root end off the leeks and discard.  Cut the white parts in half vertically.  Fan out the leaves and thoroughly rinse them under running water.  Slice the whites crosswise.

In a large skillet, sweat the leeks and cabbage with some salt and pepper in half of the butter until softened.  Watch the heat and cook them gently.  Avoid burning the butter or browning the vegetables.

With a spatula, scrape out the leek/cabbage combination and all of the butter from the skillet into the pot of mashed potatoes.  Add the remaining butter, cream and additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Mix everything with a spoon and return it to the stove to heat everything through.  Serve with an ample amount of Yuletide joy with family, friends and the Ghost of Christmas Present.

Chef Mark R. Vogel

This Christmas season, I’ve decided to look at some great gift ideas and in my opinion, their not as great counterparts. This way, when you’re out shopping for your favorite home cook, you won’t be suckered into buying the fanciest and highly excessive products.

Talking Thermometer - Really?

Instant read thermometer vs. talking thermometer

My first example has to do with thermometers. I was really hoping for an instant read thermometer under the tree this year, and after doing some research on them I couldn’t wait any longer, so I purchased one just in time for Thanksgiving.

You must beware though; there are many thermometers out there that say they are “instant read” where in fact they can take up to 1 minute to get an accurate reading. I know, I own two of them and they work fine but take forever (10 to 20 seconds) to give you an accurate reading. Your food would definitely get a little chilly with the oven door open that long.

So, do your research before purchasing. Or have a look at mine. I purchased the ThermoWorks Super-Fast Thermapen and haven’t looked back. Its readings are almost instantaneous. I say almost because no thermometer is going to give you a completely instant reading, that’s magic. But a few seconds into your food and the reading is accurate.

This instant thermometer is not cheap.  I picked my up at Amazon for $96 bucks. My wife thought I was out of my mind but  after seeing how well it worked on Thanksgiving, she was OK with it.

Talking Thermometers, Really?

While looking online for other thermometers, I came across a couple that boasted their ability to talk. Yes, you read correctly—talking thermometers. Why, I thought, would anyone need a talking thermometer?  For most leave-in or remote thermometers, an alarm would suffice.

An example of an unnecessary thermometer is Grill Alert Talking Remote Meat Thermometer. While I like its remote capabilities and its big, easy to read screen, it just seems needless to have a thermometer talking to me as I’m grilling some chicken.

Not to mention, the settings of the thermometer are set to USDA guidelines for meat doneness temperature. For example, the turkey setting is set at 180 degrees F. If you were using those guidelines for roasting your Thanksgiving turkey, you’d come out with one dry and most likely burnt gobbler!

So if you are looking for remote thermometer for half the price that works just as well, find one that doesn’t talk.

Slap Chop vs. Food Processor

I’m sure you’ve all seen this product in the stores or on T.V., The Slap Chop. The spokesman claims that you’re going to be “slapping your troubles away with the Slap Chop.”

I always laugh a little when I hear that. While I do like the convenience and size of the slap chop as well as how easy it is to clean, it seems too good to be true. The television ad shows the host chopping onions and garlic with the skin on and easily removing the skin once chopped. This seemed a little far-fetched, and it seems some users online had complaints about the Slap Chop not living up to its expectations.

I have to be honest here, I do not own a Slap Chop and have never tried one so if anyone reading this post has had a great experience with their unit, I would love to hear from you.

How About a Mini Food Processor

While a knife may suffice in most situations, I prefer using a food processor for easy chopping, dicing especially when prepping for a big dinner party. I particularly like food processors with the mini bowl attachment, like KitchenAid’s 9-Cup Food Processor with 4-cup Mini Bowl. The 9-cup bowl is great for bigger culinary feats whereas the 4-cup mini bowl is great for smaller tasks such as chopping nuts, onions, mincing garlic and more.

The food processor comes with many added accessories like a dough blade, shredding disc, spatula, cleaning tool, stainless steel multi-purpose blade and instructions with recipes. The bowls, blades and discs are all dishwasher safe and the chrome body is easy to wipe clean. For more professional results, definitely choose a food processor over the suspicious Slap Chop.

Vinturi vs. Clef du Vin

One of my favorite wine gadgets is the Vinturi wine aerator. This little device is placed over a glass or a decanter and you pour your favorite red wine through the Vinturi.

As the Wine Enthusiast says, the Vinturi is great at “mixing just the right amount of air with your wine at the precise moments, this see-through aerator allows your reds to breathe instantly.”

This supposedly leads to a much more enhanced flavor and smoother wine. I’m not sure if I agree with everything they say, but it does aid in aeration and is a lot of fun to break out when entertaining. It makes a unique whirling - sucking sound that never fails to impress my friends.

The Vinturi aerator comes with a standing base, both dishwasher safe. You can also purchase the Vinturi Tower, which suspends the Vinturi aerator, allowing you to aerate your wines without having to hold the device but come on – is that really necessary.  It also comes with a grate base for catching any drips. Now that’s innovative.

Under the You Have To Be Kidding Category

Another product that Wine Enthusiast endorses is the Clef du Vin Pocket Wine Tasting Tool. The tool claims to “Mature young wine instantly.” I had a good laugh when I continued to read about it.

Basically, Clef du Vin claims that if you dip its metal alloy tip into your wine it will replicate the aging process, stating that if you leave it in your wine for 1 second, it will age your wine 1-year. So you’re telling me, I thought, that if I leave this thing in my wine for 30 seconds, it would possibly turn to vinegar??

I ventured to the Internet and found some positive reviews about the Clef du Vin, saying that it enhanced the flavor of their wine and definitely seemed more mature. I also read some reviews of people finding that their wine wasn’t enhanced, but rather ruined because of the device.

Many people felt that the $99 could be spent on better wines than this product. One customer purposely left it in their wine for 30-seconds and found that their wine was no longer enjoyable. Talk about a vintage wine.

Although I have not experienced the Clef du Vin, my recommendation is to go with the Vinturi instead and definitely invest in a good quality decanter and make sure you let your wine breathe for at least half an hour before drinking. But again, Just My Opinion!  I would love to hear from you if you have had any experience with this tool.

I know these suggestions are really late and most of you already have your shopping done, but they would all make fine New Year’s Eve gifts. Happy Holidays