Posts from — May 2010

It was Memorial Day 2009 that dad decided to do a big blow out in Kittanning and have the entire family together. There are times that we as a family unit aren’t great but that year it wasn’t bad. Probably because all of us had in the back of our minds that this might be the last Memorial day we would have dad.  We all turned out to be right.  We decided it would only be fitting to truly honor dad if we all got together this Memorial Day in Atlanta with Bruce’s house being the focal point of our activities.  In the spirit of being with us my cousin Stephanie, her husband and daughter came down from New York. Since Stephanie was with us the entire time dad was passing his final week we were all thrilled to have her gentle comforting spirit with us over the first weekend we were all together since dad has passed. 

The one thing that is  good is all the cousins 4 of them really get along great.  They can play for hours together with minimual fighting. We really didn’t do that much earthshattering together of than just being.  Bruce has a big house with a nice pool so Bruce cooked lunch and then we all went to the pool to hang out for a couple of hours. After lunch everyone went their separate ways to do things they wanted to do individually. I took my cousin her daughter, Ava and my neice Emily (5 years) to the mall so Ava could find a dress for prom. Since prom is over here in Atlanta there wasn’t much to choose from.  BUT JUST AS we were leaving we did find a store that had prom dresses and she found an amazing dress at 50% off. Although I am scared that hemming it will cost her the additional 50% of the savings. 

Ava - May 2010 trying on Prom Dresses to be a size zero

The prom dress she ended up getting

Ava with my niece Emily (5) the both share a special bond and are very close

Next we went to the Melting Pot for dinner. I had the estate pay for dinner as I feel strongly dad would want that – he would want to pay for something that we are doing all together and in the spirit of him it should be “a meal”.  The Melting Pot is a little on the pricey side – it is a fondue restaurant but we didn’t order meals for everyone and it ended up working just fine. We had the right amounth off food and no one walked away hungry. The do a great job with presenting the fondue and really making everything delicous and fun for the kids.  I am embarrased to say it but their chocolate fondue is unbelievable.  After dinner we went back to Bruce’s house where we watched the movie “Leatherheads” with George Cooleny. It was  fun movie and a good way to end a perfect day with all of us being what families should be – together.

3 of the cousins and Lois having fun

Benny very happily waiting for his chocolate fondue to arrive.

Sunday we went out to Bruce’s house early as Bruce took a bunch of the gang up the side of the mountain on a hike. Those who went had a great time and took many pictures along the way.  I ended up going to Kroger to get food for lunch. We kept it casual with hot dogs and salmon on the grill for the adults.  Afterwards we all went to Shrek to see the final installment. It was in 3 – D and a couple of the kids have never seen a movie in 3 – D. We all loved it including the adults.  I then took Ava and Emily to go get the prom dressed hemmed.  It turned out to be not too bad. But the both of them were tired and fell asleep in the car on the way home.

My two sleeping beauties

We finished out the night be everyone coming to my house for dinner. Eytan and I made a quick trip to the farmers market to pick up snow crab.  My friend Steve cooked meats and sausages and we ended up having a large feast at our house. Steve and his family had to go home late afternoon so there were 9 of us at my house. Everyone ate until they were stuffed.

I am sure in their own ways we were all heavily thinking about mom and dad this past weekend and how much they would have enjoyed being with us. You can only hope that they are in heaven looking down with a feeling of pride that their hard work of raising 4 children wasn’t in vain. That we will try to continue to respect their wishes that we all stay together and find time in our individual busy lives to be with one another with no fighting and no drama. Which was exactly what we did this weekend. We just appreciated the fact that we had one another as we are all finding our way through our own individual processes of loss.

That is my story for now and I am going to be sticking to it.

Claire

Hi,

Had a great time working in Chicago for the National Restaurant Show for Coca-Cola. This is unusual for me as I don’t touch F & B for them I am in charge of housing and badges for their largest trade show.  Julie my client and I did manage to get some good eating in.  I love Chicago for many reasons. The main one is it is a softer version of NYC.  The food is just as creative and intense and the choices of not good food but great food is unlimited. I come back to Atlanta understanding the frustation that the culinary choices here aren’t a creative and the quality and focus just isn’t the same.

Friday night we went to Blackbird to dinner. This was an exciting evening to be there because it was recently announced that their chef received 2010 Best New Chef’s from Food and Wine Magazine.  The food was distinctive but I learned a couple of things.  The female server was amazing. It reminded me how important good service is and how it really does add to the overall dining experience.  Our server wasn’t dressed in a uniform but a soft feminane dress that  I thought she was the hostess. She was  educated on the menu and was very patient with our questions. Never rushed us or talked down to us as we asked endless questions on the menu and struggled with what to order as there were so many choices. What I also learned that night is that it isn’t good to overwrite a menu. Especially a dessert menu that was so technical you couldn’t understand it. All the sudden dessert wasn’t a pleasure but a chore.  Then you realize that it is too much work after drinking and eating the first 2 courses.  Moral of the story is don’t overwrite the dessert menu. Keep the flavors that you have but make the writing simple to understand.

Soft shell crab that was light and crunchyperfectly done

My duck entree

Banana bread pudding with banana ice cream and infused chocolate mousse and foam

Coca-Cola Freestyle machine

Their booth that highlighted their coffee offerings

Cupcake Tower

Mini ice cream cones - love the different shape of these

Interesting cookingware to do small individual portions

How fun is this milk case

My Kobe Beef Salad with Grilled Pineapple and Coconut Viniagrette

Coca-Cola red dress of Heidi Klum

Heidi Klum's dress that Coke commission for their Heart Healthy campagin

Silverware centerpieces that I thought was very clever

Veggie centerpiece - they did a large veggie station at the reception. A play off of farm to table

More of the veggie station

Love the clean look of this decal on this table

Interesting cone holder

CHOCOLATE!

May’s Monthly Morsel

I was in Indianapolis working an intense food weekend at the NCAA Final Four and I had something interesting occur that rarely happens. What, you ask? I met a chef. Well, that’s not the interesting part because it is only natural that I would be dealing a chef. But this wasn’t any executive chef; it was a female executive chef — at the Conrad Hotel, no less.

Now I know I have my dear readers confused, thinking, “What is the big deal about this?” Well it is a big deal for a lot of reasons.

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About 2 years ago dad decided he wanted an herb garden in the back yard. He and his trusted handyman Russ put their heads together and made a planter box that dad could easily manage.  Dad really enjoyed his herb garden and even planted a couple veggies in there as well to round of the fresh offerings.

Now that he is gone I decided that while we (kids to include Pam) have the house that we should plant his herb garden.  I mistakenly bought everything at the end of April. And apparently that is way to early to plant because we still get frosts up here.  Since my thumb isn’t anywhere close to green I had no idea until “Team Gene” told me. (that consists of his handimen who help me with this place and Pam my friend who lives here full time).  We still decided to go ahead with the planting and cross fingers. Well, dad must be looking down upon me as the garden is doing just fine.  I planted lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, onions – his favorite and strawberries. After I told Pam what I bought she said “I hope you didn’t plant the onions near the strawberries”..I rolled my eyes because OF COURSE I planted the onions near the strawberries. We decided we would call them straonions if the 2 combined.

Here are some pictures.

Dad's and now mine herb garden

Bib Lettuce

Flowers from a bush at 206 Locust Lane

Another bush at 206

 I am now off to get my teeth cleaned by my friend Becky,

This is my story for now and I am sticking to it.

Claire

Yesterday was the annual Sedwick Heights yard sale with many thanks to the wonderful ladies of the neighborhood who coordinate this every year for who ever wants to participate.  As we all know yard sales take a lot of work but in the end it is worth it to see the happy faces of the people who are recepients of goods they can purchase for under a $1.00. Since “team” of 206 Locust Lane has been packing since January we were all eager to get this stuff sold and out of the house. Now that it is on the market we or “I” need to continue to clean out.  But what was even more important to us was that it gave us an opportunity to let the community know that we are still engaged in being in Western Pa and taking care of dad’s property and interests.  Many people who stopped by was a patient of “Dr. Gould’s” at one time or another. We heard many Dr. Gould stories throughout the day. My 2 favorites was this one older woman was so excited to be at his house as he was her eyedoctor for years – that when she bought a sailboat piece my sister told her that this was one of dad’s favorite pieces she got so excited that she got something he personally picked out that she was going to go straight home and write on the back of it that it came from Dr. Gould’s house. How lovely is that. This other woman that is into her 60′s told me that when she was 16 years old that she couldn’t get her drivers liscense until she got glasses so of to Dr. Gould’s she went for glasses.  She was a patient up to his retirement. And the stories go on throughout the day.  The yard sales was busy since Sedwick Heights is a nice neighborhood and there were about 10 sales going on that day.  Then we got some people who came by to pay their respects to my sister and I.  All of it was lovely. And to all who stopped by  ~ we say thank you.

Even though this is a little fuzzy - my sister Lois making the first sale of the day - I gave her the title of CFO of the yard sale.

Although I am home from Geneva I still would like to share some pictures. For some reason the pictures this trip didn’t turn out great with the camera I tend to cherish the most. Maybe its days with me are numbered.  Because I know it isn’t the photographer! LOL.

Here are some other pictures of the week.  During move in we went to The Crowne  Plaza for lunch.  The one thing  I do like about Europe is on every buffet you find this mixed berry salad.  Food in Switzerland is very expensive. Lunch buffet was $55.00 USD plus tip!

European Mixed Berry Salad

Traditional tart

European tart

Very classic presentation of salmon but I think it looks thoughtful.

The catering company did the nicest looking box lunch I have ever seen. Folks in the US take note please! Plus - it was fresh and tasted great.

Actual width of the fuselage of the SSBJ in this floor graphic.

Facts on flying at Mach in an Aerion airplane

Pictures isn't great - but to survive in business - fly faster

Conference room inside the exhibit

Graphic I had made this was in the seating area - taken during move out hence the garbage on the floor.

My friend Jack Sykes Chief Photographer - Pro Pilot Magazine taking a much needed break.

My airplane setting

After the show was over we all had to stay over to to move out the show and back “out stuff” about 6 of us decided to spend the day in Mount Blanc, France which is about 1 hour outside of Geneva.  Home to the famous Mount Blanc mountains, village and of course expensive pen.  The mountains go through France, Italy and I think Switzerland.  There in the village you can go up the side of the mountain in France the whole way to the top.  The village itself is pretty big for a village with lots of shopping and quaint restaurants.  The tram to the top of the mountain costs approx. $60 USD and takes about 20 minutes to get to the top.  Halfway through the journey you do get off and switch tram cars that take you the rest of the journey.  The ticket lady is very specific about letting you know that it is cloudy and you won’t see much at the top – being 12,600 feet in the air.  Once you are up that high though you can take another “skylift” the rest of the 65 meters to the top but it was closed that day.  But first let me back up a bit. 

Our drive to Mount Blanc

More driving

The village of Mount Blanc is really very nice and the most popular with skiiers during the season.   We all went to do what we do best – eat when we got to the village before taking the tram up the side of the mountain.  I shared a dish that I have heard about for years but never tried. Rackelette which is melted cheese and then they give you potatoes, bread and meat to dip into. This dish is well known in this part of Europe. Plus it does come with a special cheese which is perfect for melting and isn’t too strong. So if you aren’t a “cheese eater” you would still enjoy this dish.

Rackelette in Mount Blanc

Each side of cheese is heated and you lift a side and scrape the cheese off

John, LoPita, Scott and I getting into our "car" that will take us to the top of Mount Blanc. Notice the gentleman to the side with this baguette. He works there and is going to work.

Our car pulling out of the station. You go 1/2 up and then have to switch cars. These tram cars actually go pretty fast.

And higher - notice how the temperature starts to change.

And higher

Going into the clouds

Inside the tram car as they are doing a shift change.

The entire way in the clouds

Tram car at halfway point that takes you "almost" to the top

What the tram lines look like on the second phase of the trip to the top of the mountain.

John and LoPita

Lopita, an employee on his way to work and me.

The view outside the tram car window of the side of the mountain as we are nearing the top.

At the top of the mountain - or near the top they have a couple of different tunnels dug out to give toursits different views.

Home tonight from Geneva. It was a good trip and my exhibit looked great. Hoping to get some pictures up on the blog tomorrow. Yesterday I took my vendor partners – Freeman and a couple other exhibit friends to Mount Blanc for the day. Four of us did the tram trip journey up the side of the mountain on the French side.  The lady taking our money $53.00 USD per person told us not to go as it was cloudy but I was determined to go so as a result so were a couple of others. Boy was I glad we did it.  We were 12,600 feet up in the air and breathing was difficult.  I will write more about this tomorrow.  I have been up for almost 24 hours as the trip back to Atlanta was 4 hour delay because of the volcanic ash.  Then we had to go another route which was a longer flight.  I have to say the food on Air France wasn’t bad at all. Very flavorful and the portions miniscule.

Typically, in my Monthly Morsel advice columns, I talk about hotel catering. But for this Best Practices column, I want to go over what you need to think about when booking off-premise venues or restaurants for meal functions…

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