January 4th - Tip Day

So, on Monday's this calendar presents tips that will help with the coming week's recipes.  That's cool...I guess...but they're boring.  For instance:

"When roasting the garlic for the beef stew on Tuesday (guess I'm making beef stew tomorrow), roast some extra to use later in the week (so you can smell like garlic for 7 days instead of 2).  It is delicious spread on toasted bread for a snack or appetizer..."

Yawn...  Really, Bon Appetit? 

So, I've decided on Monday's I'm going to share my personal tips with you:

Tip #1  Make sure your IPod is charged up before getting on the train to head into the city.

Every Monday, I teach in downtown Chicago (but live in the south suburbs).  Since I have no hair to rip out in traffic (cause I'm bald), it makes no sense to drive into the city.  Instead, I've decide to go green and take the train in.  This way, I don't have to deal with rush hour traffic, paying for parking, or getting the urge to hit pedestrians. It's just easier...on my sanity.

This morning I had, what I like to call, a "Wah wah wah wah...waaah" morning.  Have you ever seen the Price is Right?  You know when the contestant loses?  You know the music that they play?  It goes...wah wah wah wah...waaah.  That was my morning.  I left the house late, hit every red light on the way to the train station, and had to park what seemed like 2 blocks away from the platform. 

So the train finally comes,  I get on, I get a seat to myself, which is quite rare since the train gets packed, and turn on my IPod.  Wah wah wah wah...waaah.   Out of juice.  (I listened to it yesterday and must have left it on all day.) As I shake my IPod hoping that maybe by magic it will start playing, the last of the empty seats in front of my are taken...by 4 ladies...who work together...and talk...loud...for the rest of the train ride...which is 50 minutes.  Wah wah wah wah...waaah.  I won't bore you with the details, but I learned that getting your roots done is not the same as getting your hair colored and the ladies loved the movie "It's Complicated" (which I no longer need to see since they pretty much relayed to everyone in the train car the plot of the movie).

Tip #2  Just because it's called food, doesn't mean you should eat it.

The lab I was teaching today was all about sandwiches.  They had to make 6 in all (a turkey club, southwestern grilled cheese, an openfaced turkey sandwich with gravy (called a hot brown), vegetable wrap, reuben sandwich, and  monte cristo).  They also made potato chips, french fries, potato salad, and coleslaw. 
Please note: I absolutely love this class.  They are hard workers, they know what they are doing, and follow directions very well.   Almost too well. As an instructor it is my responsibility to taste everything they make in order to critique it.  BUT, I have learned that you shouldn't try everything.

A monte cristo sandwich is a ham and cheese (sometimes turkey) that is battered and deep fried.  Battered...and deep fried.  Now in my head the warning bells should have been going off.  Caution...Caution!  Cause I saw the oil it was fried in and it was an odd brown color.  Looked at the sandwich and it looked odd.  Bit into the sandwich and it oozed oil.  Spit out the sandwich, but ate some of the french fries (fried in the same oil).  Both sandwich and fries had an odd taste.  Fast forward two hours later and, yep, you guessed it...sick.  Wah wah wah wah...waaah.

Guess I'm making stew tomorrow.