What's On Karen's Plate

I’m sorry it’s 85 degrees today

2012-01-27T12:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I made a phone call to a client in Pennsylvania. As part of the conversation, I asked about the weather. "Cool and raining" was his answer.

I apologetically told him it was going to be 85 in Southern California.

What I didn't tell him was that I was going to be trekking throughout the citrus groves of the Citrus Variety Collection at the University of California Riverside (UCR) later in the day.

At 8 a.m., my colleague Dorian and I got in my car, and by 9 a.m. we were under a tent in Riverside with 200 other citrus enthusiasts being welcomed by Marylynn Yates, the new Dean of the College of Agriculture.

Marylynn Yates, UCR's new Dean of the College of Agriculture

My first hour was spent listening to two women from the global multi-billion dollar company Givaudan, which is the leader in developing flavors and oils used in our foods, beverages and fragrances. I learned that citrus – lemons in particular – are the base of most beverages, from colas to fruit punches and more. Givaudan recently made a large endowment to the UCR Citrus Variety Collection, to ensure its future viability, because they have found that this repository of citrus germplasm has become their primary source of flavor inspiration worldwide. Over the past few years, Givaudan has brought more than 200 of their flavor developers from around the world to Riverside to sniff, smell, taste and play with the citrus. (Givaudan was recently featured on 60 Minutes. Click here to view “The Flavorists” – second story, about 16:30 minutes in.).

Brochures from Givaudan

We then sampled more than two dozen varieties of Mandarins and grapefruit hybrids. Growers next to me were whispering to each other what they thought were the best tasting, and which ones had future potential. Some of them planned to tear out their acreage of white grapefruits and oranges and were looking for a better-selling citrus fruit.

We convened for lunch (barbecue, of course). I was able to snap this photograph of two of the most famous Citrus Aficionados: David Karp (aka the “Fruit Detective”) and Tracy Kahn (curator of the Citrus Variety Collection). These two people know more about citrus fruits than anyone on the planet!

From left: David Karp, me, Tracy Kahn

As I turned around to leave, I noticed a man smiling at me. His name tag said "Bob Knight." He was about my age, and I thought to myself, could it be?

I went to introduce myself: “Are you related to THE Bob Knight? Yes, it turns out he is the son of one of my mother’s first kiwifruit growers! We started to recount memories of the 1970s, when we were both teenagers helping our parents market the first California-grown Kiwifruit.

Me and Bob Knight

Yesterday was such a beautiful day in Southern California, in many ways!

Karen

Turning your passion into a business

2012-01-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

Last week I wrote about my recent trip to the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. Held by the National Association of the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT), this show brings together many foodies, producers of artisan foods and buyers, and many others.

For many, it’s also a show for reuniting with old friends in the food business.

As I headed down the last aisle on the show floor around 3 p.m. that Sunday, a big smile came over my face. I saw my long-time friend, Paula Lambert, of the Mozzarella Company in Dallas, Texas.

Paula started The Mozzarella Company in 1982 – which means she is celebrating 30 years in business. My mom and I met Paula years ago at another food conference – I think it was the American Institute of Wine and Food. That’s where we also met Julia Child.

When I came up to Paula’s booth at the Fancy Food Show, she had laryngitis. One of her cheeses (Hoja Santa Goat Cheese) had won a national award the afternoon before at the Good Food Awards at the Ferry Building in San Francisco and she had spent the afternoon handing out samples and talking with consumers (thus the laryngitis).

Since I was travelling to Dallas for business the following week, I asked if Paula wanted to get together in her hometown when she had her voice back.

So, during my trip to Texas last week, I caught a taxi and was whisked off to a small community near uptown Dallas.

Paula’s home is adjacent to a cemetery and after navigating down a cobblestone walkway, and through a rusted gate (I felt like I was in a Harry Potter Movie), I came upon a Booziotis-designed modern home. I then felt like I was walking into an Architectural Digest photograph.

Paula recently became a widower, so she always fills her home with friends and food. It was my great luck to share a short dinner with she and her longtime friend and former neighbor, Bill. And of course, we sampled many of the cheeses she makes in her local cheese “factory.”

My absolute favorite was what she calls the “Christmas Cheese.” It has the texture of polenta, and crumbly cheese with chile pepper overtones. I could not stop sampling it!

I asked Paula how she ended up starting a cheese business, in Dallas, of all places.

When Paula was younger, she lived in Perugia, Italy to learn Italian. After returning to Dallas, she missed the delicate homemade cheeses of Italy. Thus, her idea for a business was born. That was 1982 (and you can read about it here). Paula has grown the business from producing 100 pounds of cheese her first week, to now more than 5,000 pounds a week!

Not only did Paula and I sample some of her amazing cheeses, we also made dinner together. I found out that Paula takes small groups to France and Italy twice a year to cook in farmhouses. She’s a fabulous cook, so, it was especially fun for me to learn a new way to prepare broccoli and a recipe for homemade vinaigrette from her.

If you love cheese (and who doesn’t), I encourage you to check out her clever website, MozzCo.com! You may even want to order some cheese from her.

One of the joys of being in the food business is that you not only get to taste some delicious foods and travel to interesting places – you also get to meet some amazing, sincere and passionate people who become lifelong friends.

And if they are like the beautiful, charming and genuine Paula Lambert, you also get inspired to live your passion.

Thank you, Paula, for an amazing dinner!

Bon appétit!

Karen

I left my heart in San Francisco

2012-01-16T13:46:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I took my youngest daughter Sophia, on her first business trip. Each January, the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) holds the Fancy Food Show at the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco. I like to attend this show -- even though they don’t typically have any fresh produce -- as many of the newest foods and food trends start here.

Since the show starts on Sunday, I decided that Sophia and I would fly up on Saturday morning and spend the day touring the city, and then attend the show on Sunday.

We actually flew into Oakland Airport (in the East Bay) – my preference whenever I travel to San Francisco. The airport in San Francisco (SFO) is often plagued with fog delays. (A tip for anyone coming out west for a vacation or business – fly into Oakland!)

Sophia is a high school senior, so we spent the first part of the morning visiting San Francisco State University, which is located south of Golden Gate Park near Daly City. She has applied to this school so it was a good opportunity to see the campus, which is beautiful, green and very friendly.

We then headed over to the Ferry Building (located in the Embarcadero area, nestled under the Bay Bridge), which is the home to a Saturday morning farmers market and a collection of some amazing artisan food producers, all housed in a historic building.

After snacking on lunch and my BEST FIND of some very yummy vegan kale chips I did something that I have resisted for years: I bought two tickets for the Hop On /Hop Off bus tour of San Francisco. (I first rode a Hop On / Hop Off bus when I was in London about 13 years ago with eldest daughter Alex. Great way to get an overview of a city).

We rode on top of the red double decker bus and learned about everything from the Disney Family Museum which is housed in the Presidio, The Japanese Tea Garden which is in Golden Gate Park, the Haight Ashbury section of SF. (I tried to explain the popularity of that area to my 17-year-old daughter… I was definitely dating myself when I used the words, “hippies” and “flower children.”)

Even with the bus tour, we ended up walking more than 7 miles on Saturday. I know this thanks to my Nike+GPS app on my iPhone. But, we were just prepping ourselves for our walk around the Fancy Food Show on Sunday.

Sunday morning we arrived at show early so we could pick up our badges. This show has three large halls filled with more than 1,000 booths that are usually 10 x 10 feet. Oftentimes you will find the owner(s) and their family members and friends staffing the booths, handing out samples of their latest products. Most exhibitors are small companies with less than 10 employees who may have started by hand producing and packaging their products.

There are also large companies who exhibit, like Walkers Shortbread, Stash Tea, Hormel Foods and Stonyfield Farm (yogurt).

So, what’s going to be “hot” in the coming year?

• Gluten-free and vegan selections were definitely everywhere. Whether it’s gluten-free cookies or salad dressings, I could see a big trend of adding the words “gluten-free” to the label, as consumers are demanding this feature.

• Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Artisan (made in small batches) chocolate was everywhere. And the big new flavor? Caramel with Himalayan salt crystals. Yum!

• Loose leaf tea. Unique new blends, some highlighting medicinal properties, were in full force, along with all the latest tea accessories. Clear glass tea pots and teacups are definitely “in”.

• Olives. No wonder olive bars have become prevalent in upscale supermarkets – who knew there were so many types of freshly cured olives!

One of the most encouraging things about this show was this giant sign I found in the middle of the show floor.

Like all trade shows, there had to be a giant, attention-grabbing stuffed animal character. Here’s Sophia with a PANDA who was sampling something yummy.

I asked Sophia to share her observations of the food show:
• There are so many companies and many have very similar products – it was overwhelming. (I felt the same way.)
• What really made a company stand out was when the people working the booth were engaging (but not too pushy).
• There were so many samples that you have to pace yourself, and it helps to know what you are looking for. (Great perspective if you are a gourmet food retailer attending this show for the first time.)
• You only have one chance to make a good first impression.

The best part of this weekend excursion is that when we arrived back home to So Cal, Sophia received an email that she was accepted into San Francisco State University! A perfect ending to our weekend!

Karen

My favorite apple: The Honeycrisp

2012-01-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

When I was younger, there were only three main varieties of apples in the produce department: Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith.

I used to enjoy the sweet Red Delicious because its skin was not too thick. But I couldn’t depend on their crunchiness. Sometimes they were mealy and totally unappetizing.

Red Delicious

Then I found the Fuji. I wrote a previous blog about how Fuji apples revolutionized apple sales and consumption, because they were not dark red on the outside. (Years ago, everyone thought that apples had to be red for consumers to buy them!) Fujis were kind of “ugly” and the flavor profile was more sophisticated than the Red Delicious.

Fuji Apple

But after a few years, Fuji apples didn’t taste so exciting to me anymore. Back to the grocery store to find a new apple variety.

Enter the Honeycrisp. Yum! I’m sure you’ve seen or tasted this apple or at least heard about it. It was developed in Minnesota and first introduced commercially in 1974. It has grown so much in popularity and significance that in 2006, Andersen Elementary School in Bayport, Minn., petitioned for the Minnesota state legislature to make the Honeycrisp apple the state fruit; the bill was passed in May 2006.

Honeycrisp

Last fall, as I traveled across the United States, I heard the same story. The entire Honeycrisp crop had sold out early last season and consumers were asking their produce managers, “Where are the Honeycrisp apples?” When they finally arrived at my local store, even though the displays were large, they sold out quickly and it took a few weeks for my produce manager to order enough! (What a great problem to have, right?)

This year the Honeycrisp season will be ending early again. I was at my local Trader Joe’s last week and noticed some bruising and the TJ’s employee working in produce that day told me, “Yeah, it’s nearly the end of the season.”

Golden Delicious

So, now I am on the hunt for a new variety to try until my beloved Honeycrisp comes back into season. I tried the Ambrosia last week. My produce guy thought I would enjoy them as much – but their flavor profile wasn’t as satisfying. But the Ambrosia are crisp, which I like.

Granny Smith

If you’ve always purchased the same apple varieties, maybe it’s a good time to try a new variety. When you are shopping and want to know what they taste like, feel free to ask your produce manager to cut one up for you. Did you know that many produce managers LOVE it when a shopper asks for their advice or recommendation?

Ambrosia Apple

What’s your favorite apple variety to eat out of hand? I would love to know – you can comment at the bottom of my blog online.

Remember the old adage? An apple a day keeps the doctor away. I think it’s true!

Enjoy!
Karen

I am krazy for Kale

2012-01-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

When I wrote about kale last year (read my post here), I initially thought it was purely used as a garnish on a plate or in a supermarket display. I never really thought about eating it. Then I discovered a raw kale salad.

Last week, after writing about how Dr. Terry Wahls reversed the effects of multiple sclerosis by changing her diet, I changed my diet to include more raw vegetables. (I’ll write more about that at a later time).

I am now eating a raw kale salad for lunch every day. Like most working people, if I can find a pre-cut version of a food that tastes decent with no additives, I will likely purchase it. Time-saving is the name of the game for me.

So, imagine my happiness when I found an organic kale salad package at my local Ralphs Grocery store! I purchased one bag and tried it. Not bad. The shredded carrots and red cabbage add some color and a little flavor. I added a light vinaigrette dressing for the perfect salad.

Maybe it’s a new variety of kale that is not quite as chewy, but I found it very palatable and satisfying. And I am eating a RAW, dark green, cruciferous vegetable for lunch. I feel like I am instantly getting healthier.

A couple of lessons I’d like to share:

When produce shopping, take some extra time to look at the products you don’t normally purchase. New packaged produce items are always showing up. Maybe you’ll find something new that you’ve been looking for!
If you tried a fresh fruit or vegetable in the past and did not care for the taste, it doesn’t mean that you will have the same experience now. Farmers and seed companies are always developing “new and improved” varieties that have superior taste profiles. Seed companies have taken consumer feedback on flavor, texture, color and nutrition and I bet you’ll find some improvement at your local grocery store or farmers market.

Apparently, I am not the only shopper who has discovered kale and the health benefits. The California produce industry has been publishing research on what’s selling and what’s hot in produce departments in Northern and Southern California -- and guess which vegetable has seen a 40 percent increase in purchases during the last year?

Yes, it is kale! Who would have thought?

I’m “krazy” for kale, and I think you might be, too, after you try it!

Good eating!
Karen

Dragon Fruit at the dentist

2012-01-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

The dentist is the last place I thought I would find one of Frieda's tropical fruits, but that is exactly what happened yesterday.

I am very conscientious about my teeth, so I have them cleaned 3 or 4 times a year. Did you know that one of the ways to maintain and improve your health is to have your teeth cleaned regularly and floss daily. I once asked my dentist how often I should floss my teeth. He said, “Floss your teeth only on the days you want to keep them!” ’Nuf said.

As I walked into the dental office yesterday, my eyes were immediately drawn to a pink can of air freshener made by Febreze. Then I saw the name of the scent: “Thai Dragon Fruit.”

I was so excited that I grabbed the can and ran to my hygienist, Chow. I asked her if she knew where that piece of Dragon Fruit came from.

She said, “Thailand?”

I told her: “No. It came from Frieda’s…my company!”

It was fun to share the story with her: A couple years ago we got a call from a photographer who was doing some work for Procter and Gamble’s Febreze air scent line. We were sworn to secrecy.

Febreze was launching a new line of scents, and one was Thai Dragon Fruit! The folks at P and G were told to call Frieda’s Specialty Produce as we were recommended as a great source of product and information. So, we immediately shipped them a box of fruits. And the photo session took place.

The funny thing to us is that Dragon Fruit really has NO scent! And the flavor is very mild. But it sure looks good on the package. Here is the description from the Febreze can:

THAILAND: Thailand means land of the smile. Easy to do when you welcome the tropical freshness of Thai Dragon Fruit to your home land.

If you want to know more about fresh Dragon Fruit – check it out on our website.

A beautiful slice of Magenta Dragon Fruit.

Dragon Fruit is quite eye-catching arranged in a tropical fruit centerpiece and it comes in a variety of colors. Frieda’s sells both the magenta and white-fleshed varieties. The flavor and texture reminds me of a very mild Kiwifruit. It has become much more popular in the past few years and it’s encouraging to us that many supermarkets now carry it as part of their tropical fruits displays. Dragon Fruit is available intermittently year-round and is grown in Thailand, Vietnam, and the U.S.A. (and other places, too).

I wonder what I will find on my next trip to the dentist…

Karen

A possible cure for Multiple Sclerosis

2012-01-03T14:48:00.000-08:00

Each day, I walk by my sister (and business partner) Jackie’s office and stick my head in. This morning, I stopped in to run a couple of ideas by her for my blog. Before I could even get through my first idea – she said, “Did you watch that video that our brother Dennis sent us?”

Well, I guess my brother doesn’t send me ALL of his emails with random information. This one time, I wish he did.

Jackie forwarded me a link to an article and video from a TEDx conference held in Iowa City.

You’ve probably heard of “TED” conferences, right? TED started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, and Design. You can find out more here. These sold-out conferences and spin-off events have changed the way we think and the way we share information.

The most amazing thing about a TED talk is that it brings together the world’s most incredible thinkers and doers and lets them tell the story of their lives – in 18 minutes or less. Can you imagine that? Bill Gates? 18 minutes. Steve Jobs? 18 minutes. President Bill Clinton? 18 minutes. The Dalai Lama? The same 18 minutes.

Well, the video link which I am including here is from Terry Wahls, a female physician who was diagnosed with incurable MS (Multiple Sclerosis). You may not have MS, but I’m sure you know someone who has been affected by this dreadful disease.

After much personal research, Dr. Wahls was able to REVERSE her Multiple Sclerosis by switching to a “Paleo-style” diet focused on eating fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, wild fish, grass-fed meat, organ meats and seaweed. And, no aspartame.

Her talk is less than 18 minutes (of course) and seeing her before and after photos of the dramatic and incredibly positive effect the diet change had on her body and spirit is mind-blowing.

I know a few people who have Multiple Sclerosis, or other serious health issues. Because of all the nutritional information I am exposed to as part of my work in the produce industry, I have always wondered how many of our health issues could be controlled or eliminated by making different food choices.

As you are starting the New Year, and already implementing your New Year’s Resolutions, I suggest you take a moment to check out this article or take 18 minutes to check out the video. You may want to modify a few of those resolutions to include a diet more heavily weighted to FRESH fruits and vegetables.

Watching the video changed my life (as I was trying to figure out a reason NOT to eat my beloved bread and butter that is my downfall). I would love to hear what you thought of it. Please comment at the end of my blog post online.

Happy New Year!
Karen

Feeling Lucky?

2011-12-29T13:42:00.000-08:00

At this time of year, we get kind of crazy in the office and sometimes use “Feeling Lucky?” as the subject line of our emails. While it certainly can get our recipients’ attention (if it doesn’t get spam-blocked), our real reason for this subject is that we sell Blackeyed Peas!

You may know that it is a Southern tradition to eat Blackeyed Peas and “greens” on New Year’s Day to bring good luck and prosperity. The greens -- mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens or kale (all cooked in bacon fat, of course) -- symbolize “greenbacks” (dollars) and the Blackeyed Peas symbolize coins.

Frieda’s has been selling pre-soaked, quick-cooking Blackeyed Peas for more than 40 years, and every year our warehouse refrigerators are filled to the rafters with boxes of these good luck beans. (We call them BEPs for short.)

I mentioned that it’s a Southern tradition to eat the Blackeyed Peas on New Year’s day. Many years ago, a woman named Cathy Perkins worked at Frieda's -- a true marketing genius. Cathy realized that EVERYONE wants good luck in the New Year, so she decided that Frieda’s should convince supermarket produce buyers to sell them nationwide.

So, if you live in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Southern California, or anywhere in between, you should be able to find Blackeyed Peas in your local supermarket produce department. I wish I could say that Frieda’s brand BEPs were the only ones you would find, but good news travels fast and we now have dozens of “competitors” all over the United States. That’s OK with us – it’s typical of product life cycles. (By the way, you can also find Blackeyed Peas in the frozen foods and dried bean sections.)

When we first introduced BEPs to non-Southern consumers, we had to provide recipes. The easiest way to make Blackeyed Peas is to boil them until tender and then add butter and salt and pepper to taste (I like them this way). But, the classic recipe for Blackeyed Peas on New Year’s is Hoppin’ John.

Frankly, we found the recipe a little mundane, so about 20 years ago, after we introduced Habanero Chile Peppers (which are 100 times hotter than a Jalapeno Chile), we decided to create a recipe using both Blackeyed Peas and Habanero Chiles – Habanero Chile Chili. This became my all time favorite Frieda’s recipe and is featured in my Purple Kiwi Cookbook.

If you’re in the mood to cook on New Year’s and you like freshly made chili, try this fantastic and flavorful recipe. And thank you to our former recipe developer and long time friend, Marlene Brown Oliphant, for creating this amazing recipe.

Habanero Chile Chili

3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. lean round steak, cubed
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped red and/or green bell peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 16-oz. can kidney beans
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 16-oz. can tomato sauce - low sodium
1 cup beef broth
1 11-oz. tub Frieda's Fast Cooking Blackeyed Peas (or 2 6.5-oz. pkgs. Frieda’s Dried Blackeyed Peas, cooked according to package directions and drained)
1-2 Frieda’s Dried Habanero Chiles, rehydrated, seeded and minced
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Frieda’s Bay Leaf
1 cup niblet corn - low sodium
Salt to taste
Shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Warm tortillas

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven. Brown the steak in the oil on all sides. Remove form the pan with a slotted spoon. Drain the drippings. Heat 2 tablespoons oil. Sauté the onion, bell pepper and garlic in the oil for 3 minutes. Stir in the beef, undrained kidney beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, Blackeyed Peas, Habanero chiles, cilantro, basil, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat. Simmer, partially covered, for 35 to 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the corn and salt. Cook for 5 minutes longer. Discard the bay leaf. Ladle the chili into bowls. Top with shredded cheese. Serve with warm tortillas. Makes 8 servings.

So, Happy New Year and I wish you lots of prosperity and good health!

Karen

Ever wonder how that lemon got in your water glass?

2011-12-28T08:31:00.000-08:00

I’m sure you never gave a thought to how you ended up with a piece of lemon in your water when you go out to a restaurant. You probably figured that it was always that way.

Well, guess what? There is actually a person who came up with this idea. And his name is Joe.

Me with Joe Stubbs and Mom (Frieda)

Joe Stubbs. Retired executive in charge of foodservice sales for Sunkist Growers.

I had lunch with Joe last week at our local delicatessen and it was so much fun to hear his story.

He told me that he never finished high school and went into the Navy. When he got out of the Navy, he ended up working as a bellman at a local hotel in Long Beach. He is such a personable guy, I can see why he was successful. He eventually went on to work in sales for a meat company and finally made his way to Sunkist.

Right away, he was put in charge of foodservice sales for Sunkist. I am guessing there weren’t a lot of citrus items they could sell to restaurants and institutions at that time. After all, back in the 1970s, it was basically oranges (for juicing and cut pieces), grapefruit (halves were served for breakfast) and lemons (as an ingredient).

The way Joe told the story was this:

One of the “BIG” hotel chains back then was the Park Hyatt. It was the high-end part of the HYATT HOTEL chain. Joe was visiting them in Chicago and was in the kitchen. (When you are in foodservice sales, in order to talk with the chef – who is the decision maker – you end up spending a lot of time in the kitchen.)

Joe saw this big Globe slicer, which was used for cutting thin slices of potatoes and meat. Joe got an idea. He recognized that the chef of the Park Hyatt chain was looking for ways to make his boutique upscale hotel chain and its restaurants stand out. How about floating a thin slice of fresh lemon in every diner’s water glass? That would look pretty upscale, right?

I’m sure Joe had a bag of lemons with him, and showed the chef how easy it was to slice them using their existing Globe slicer.

The Park Hyatt restaurants were immediately seen as a “cut above” other hotel restaurants.

And that’s how it started!

Not a surprise that this idea caught on. When a chef gets a great food or garnish idea – it is always copied (or built upon) by other chefs. And as chefs move from restaurant to restaurant as they advance in their career, they take their ideas with them.

As a side note, that’s one of the reasons the Kiwifruit caught on. Even though Frieda’s introduced this fuzzy fruit to consumers through supermarkets in 1962, it was not until the 1970s, when chefs like Alice Waters, Wolfgang Puck and Jeremiah Tower, started to garnish their desserts with fresh sliced Kiwifruit. They started a trend, and by the 1980s, Kiwifruit caught on!

Back to Joe and the lemons. Joe’s career at Sunkist lasted 28 years and he retired a few years ago. Just this past summer, he was invited to an industry foodservice conference. It was the 30th anniversary of the conference and Joe was recognized as one of the masterminds of the original conference.

Joe had many stories to share last week at lunch. After the lemon story, he started to tell us about how he got restaurants to serve freshly squeezed orange juice. Can you believe this guy? He’s full of a lot of creative ideas.

Actually, as we were finishing up lunch, he started sharing his thoughts on how we should celebrate our company’s 50th anniversary in 2012. Stay tuned for that one!

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Karen

Happy Hanukkah and Seedless Lemons

2011-12-20T16:25:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I had 30 family members over for our annual Hanukkah Dinner. I always serve homemade latkes (potato pancakes) with applesauce and sour cream as part of the meal. In addition to the latkes, I like to make the applesauce from scratch.

I have found that homemade applesauce is very easy to make. Actually, one of my favorite cookbook authors, and personal friend, is Joan Nathan. Her cookbook, Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Cookbook, is my “go-to” reference guide for preparing Hanukkah dinner.

As I began to make her Homemade Applesauce Recipe, I grabbed a couple of lemons out of my refrigerator to add to the pot.

Darn – I had to pick out the seeds.

Then I had an Aha! moment. I realized exactly why Seedless Lemons were invented…for the chef and home cook. You don’t have to stop and remove the seeds before squeezing the juice into a recipe.

Have you heard of Seedless Lemons? They’ve been around for a few years and more and more growers have planted them, so you will probably be seeing them in your local produce department. I predict they will be the “new citrus fruit” this season.

Here is a little known anecdote about them. One of our California State Universities, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, has a very active and world-renowned agriculture business department. Each year, students in the ag-business program participate in the NAMA (National Agri-Marketing Association) competition. Dozens of teams from various ag schools around the country compete each spring by developing and presenting a marketing plan to a stiff panel of judges from the business world.

This past spring, the Cal-Poly NAMA Team submitted a business plan for Seedless Lemons. Actually, they won the national competition (for the 8th time in 22 years)! We are so proud of the team – you can read about the story here.

Interestingly, it was about 30 years ago that this same NAMA team from Cal Poly collaborated with Frieda’s Specialty Produce to put together a marketing plan for a then little-known product: Oriental Stir-Fry Vegetables. And guess what? They won the national competition that year as well, and the product became one of our best-selling produce items.

I will be looking for Seedless Lemons at my local store, as I know it will save me time in the kitchen. They will be in season for about 4 to 5 months.

Tonight, like Jewish families around the world, my family and I will be lighting the Hanukkah candles to commemorate the Festival of Lights. We will do so for eight nights, adding an additional candle each night, until our Menorah (candelabra) is completely filled eight days from now.

We wish you a Happy Hanukkah, a Merry Christmas, a Happy Kwanzaa and a Healthy New Year!

Most importantly, we wish you a year of Peace.

Karen

Giving a true gift during the holidays

2011-12-15T13:47:00.000-08:00

With only 10 days left until Christmas, many people are struggling to find the “perfect gift” for a family member or close friend.

I don’t like the “mandatory” gift giving. You know what I mean. A friend of yours lets you know that they bought you a gift -- putting you on notice that you better get them something too.

Over the years, I have gotten much more pleasure from thoughtfully selecting a gift that reminds me of someone (even if it’s not for a special occasion), than buying a less thoughtful “mandatory” holiday gift.

This is exactly what I did in Texas this past weekend. I walked into a boutique bath shop and was reminded of my friend M. So, for no special reason, I surprised her with a few soaps and bath salts that I knew she would love and matched her “girls only” bathroom at home. My note to her was just “Thinking of you.”

Better yet, when you have friends who really have EVERYTHING, why not celebrate them and your friendship by making a donation to a cause that you both find important.

One of the great things about my mother, Frieda, is that she is an amazing “clipping service” for me. Thanks to the Internet and email, if she reads an article of interest, she can forward it to me with two clicks. Instead of being annoyed with her regular stream of emails saying, “Thought you would find this of interest,” I have actually begun to open her emails with great anticipation and glee as she forwards me so many interesting things.

Last week, she forwarded a December 4th Op-Ed piece from the New York Times entitled: “Gifts That Say You Care,” by Nicholas D. Kristof.

I was intrigued with his opening line:

GIVE Grandma a bit of credit! These holidays, would she rather receive a silly reindeer sweater or help a schoolchild acquire glasses to see the blackboard clearly for the first time?

You can read the entire article here.

That’s exactly how I feel. No more silly gifts for people who don’t need them. Share a little bit of wealth by significantly improving the quality of life for someone you do not know.

Now, if this seems too impersonal for you, or you just HAVE to bring a gift – try what my good friend Betsy does. This weekend we will be attending her holiday party and each of the guests must bring a “white elephant” item. White Elephant? Yes, we can clean out our closets or garage and find an item or two that is “like new” that we do not want or need. We wrap it up (to disguise it) and do a modified gift exchange.

What a great way to share the love! From my family to yours, have a happy, safe and peaceful holiday season.

A little peace here. A little peace there. And perhaps someday peace everywhere.

Karen

Inspired in San Antonio

2011-12-13T09:04:00.000-08:00

I was in San Antonio this past weekend visiting with friends and I was so happy that the hotel we were staying in had a good gym. (The Embassy Suites around Texas are pretty decent.)

So, early Saturday morning, after a swig of coffee, I was down at the gym. There were not too many people working out, but there was one energetic woman running on the treadmill, sweating like crazy.

As I started my treadmill walking-backwards routine, she and I began talking. Turns out, Julie (that’s her name) was in town all week for a national oncology conference. Julie is 35 years old, and a research doctor for a large pharmaceutical company in Boston.

Not sure how we got on this subject, but she told me that she has always been an avid runner. However, about two years ago, she woke up and could not move her lower body.

Turns out she had developed hip dysplasia. (I honestly thought only dogs got this condition. Learn more here.) After more than a dozen surgeries on her left side and one surgery on her right, she was told she would never walk, let alone run again.

But, she told me that one day, she decided she was going to stop believing what her doctors told her and threw her cane out the window! (No, she did not hurt anyone.)

And she started pushing herself to walk, and then finally run. She shared that her normal workout is two hours a day running on the treadmill and one hour of weight-lifting.

I was inspired beyond belief as I talked with this amazing woman. Just two years ago she could not get on a treadmill or do simple things that I take for granted. She just said, “I can.” No matter what obstacle was in front of her – she overcame it.

So I decided right then and there, that, I too, could do what seems impossible to me. Being fit through regular exercise is such an important part of being healthy that I decided if Julie could do it, then I most certainly can.

Will you join me? As we go into the craziness of the holidays and the New Year, I challenge you to make a commitment to your own personal fitness. Make a commitment to a regular exercise regime. I know it is different for each of us, but make a commitment.

And push yourself to go beyond what is comfortable. Just think – Julie did!

Happy Exercising,
Karen

My favorite citrus fruit

2011-12-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

The wonderful thing about this time of year is that California-grown citrus is in season and is being harvested daily!

I have so many friends who are growers and I have learned that freshly harvested fruit can taste completely different (and better) from fruit that has been in storage. From November through March I love to try different "new crop" citrus.

Last year I wrote about some wonderful things happening in the orange and mandarin world, and as each week or two goes by, different varieties become available in your local supermarket, and especially at the farmers market. Click here for a link to the mandarins and their seasons.

Well, the same applies to grapefruit. Of course there are the usual white or pink grapefruit varieties. Unfortunately, grapefruit has gotten some bad press in the last few years. Although this doesn’t apply to every person or prescription, there has been a lot of press highlighting the negative interactions grapefruit has with certain cholesterol-lowering medicines. (You can find more information about this here.)

But for most people, eating grapefruit is just fine. It is refreshing, and of course, almost everyone has heard of the “grapefruit diet,” so if you are trying to lose weight or get in shape, there’s a good chance that you might be eyeing those grapefruits during your shopping trip.

Earlier this week I took a road trip with two colleagues and we ended our day in a grove of Oroblancos. Oroblanco (translation from Spanish: “white gold”) is an amazingly delicious low-acid white grapefruit.

Oroblanco grapefruit

You can see that the outside rind is a pale green – which might lead you to believe that it is not sweet and ready to eat. But I can tell you, the fruit’s flavor was amazing. Juicy. Low acid. Mouth watering. Even though the outside rind is green. Color is not an indicator of ripeness and sweetness. Actually I was reminded yesterday that there are citrus standards for picking fruit, which are regulated by the California Department of Agriculture. Our grower told me that they have to measure the sugar (called brix) before they can even harvest.

As we stood in the citrus grove at dusk, enjoying Oroblancos, I was reminded of my mom. As I told our grower friends, many years ago my mother proclaimed that Oroblanco is her favorite fruit and each year she can’t wait for the season to begin.

So, we grabbed a few empty mesh bags from our grower's truck and we started harvesting Oroblancos. We put two large bags of them in the trunk of my car. I knew my mom would enjoy them back at the office.

I couldn’t help myself – and decided to harvest a few other samples… I picked some Moro Blood Oranges (Even though they are yellowish orange on the outside, you can see that the inside has the trademark dark red color.), some seedless and variegated lemons and a giant Buddha’s Hand Citron.

Moro Blood Orange

Variegated Lemons on the tree

Buddha's Hand (Fingered Citron) on tree

As the sun was starting to set, we couldn’t help but stop and enjoy the beautiful view. I recently got a new camera and am enjoying taking photos for our picture library. Here is a view of the orchard at nearly 5 o’clock in the afternoon. It was 50 degrees and you could tell winter was just around the corner.

Well, this city girl sure enjoyed her trek into the country this week. And the best part is that I have plenty of Oroblanco grapefruits to enjoy now that I am back home.

So, when you see Oroblancos in your supermarket produce department or at the farmers market – and you are wondering if that green-tinged skin means they are ripe – take a chance and buy one. You won’t be disappointed.

And – for an easy recipe, try one of my favorites: Oroblanco Sorbet (from my Purple Kiwi Cookbook).

Enjoy!
Karen

Fresh Inspiration: Edible Centerpieces

2011-12-05T12:06:00.000-08:00

I was giving a tour of the Frieda's warehouse last week, and as our visitors walked through the refrigerated coolers, opening boxes and asking questions, one of them asked, “What do you do with those cute little things?”

She was referring to our spiky orange Horned Melons.

I explained to her that Horned Melons (aka Kiwanos) taste like a combination of cucumber, lime and banana (but are a little slimy), and they make a great conversation piece. (We actually have a fun little video about these odd fruits on YouTube.)

As I spoke, an idea popped into my head. Wouldn’t these Horned Melons, and many more of our unusual looking fruits, make great centerpieces?!

Voila! Check out this decorative holiday centerpiece!

Can you tell there are half a dozen Zululand Queen Baby Pineapples in this beautiful arrangement? And in between are little Lady Apples with a bright red blush.

In addition to the decorative pine needles, you can also see a few Cinnamon Sticks, which add to the wonderful smell.

And depending on what you use to mount these exotic fruits (you can use bamboo skewers), this is also an edible centerpiece!

As you get your home ready for the holidays, whether you are hosting a party or just sprucing up the place, don’t forget the produce department for some fresh inspiration!

Enjoy!

Karen

Passing up a chance to meet Diane Keaton

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, I had to pass up the chance to personally meet Diane Keaton earlier this week. It all came about as a result of my last post on Finger Limes (aka Lime Caviar).

Well, I really should start at the beginning of the story, which was about 20 years ago. I forget exactly how I was introduced to Chef June Pagan, but it was through a mutual friend. June ended up cooking at my house several times (20 years ago) and what I liked best about her was her quest to use only the freshest and healthiest ingredients. She calls it “clean cooking.”

You can check out her website here, www.junepagan.com, and what you’ll see is her personal quest to optimize flavor, health value and cost for those people she personally cooks for.

June and I lost touch with each other (as we were busy having families, etc.) and we somehow reconnected a few years ago. I invited her to our offices, as she had developed some new products and wanted my feedback.

In preparation for her visit, I told my team that she was the personal chef to Hollywood celebrities like Sally Field, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, and Elizabeth Taylor. Yes, THAT Elizabeth Taylor (RIP).

Actually, June revels (in a very low-key way) about how Elizabeth Taylor’s favorite was the “Fried Chicken” that she created for Ms. Taylor when she needed to lose weight before a movie shoot. (June loves challenges.)

(I have to admit that part of the reason I wanted June to prepare recipes for us was because I thought it would sound amazing to say that she cooked for all those hip and cool celebrities…and my family!)

June and I continue to exchange emails, visit every once in a while, and at the holidays she often sends me samples of her gluten-free, sugar-free holiday goodies. And she subscribes to my blog.

So earlier this week, after she read my blog post on Finger Limes, she wrote to me:

Mmmmm, sounds intriguing, many possibilities.
Where can I find them? I'd love to play around with some.

Hope your holidays are warm and cozy,
June

I wrote back to her that in her area, she should probably go to the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market.

She then shared her newest passion, the Urban Survival Kitchen, a program that is in the early stages of development and hopefully, will be incorporated into the CASAA program (Culinary Arts and Sustainable Agriculture Academy) at Venice High School here in So Cal. It's designed to help teens learn how to access and cook inexpensive but healthy and tasty meals for themselves and their families.

Isn’t that a great idea? Teach teens how to cook healthier meals! I love it!

And now, back to Diane Keaton. Since June used to cook for Diane, she planned to meet up with her at the local bookstore on that particular evening and invited me to tag along. She was going to ask Diane about supporting her new project, The Urban Survival Kitchen.

Unfortunately, I already had other plans for the evening, but it’s always good to know that whether I want to learn how to make healthier recipes (be sure to check out her website) or I want to be introduced to a celebrity, I can always call June.

Don’t I have some interesting friends?

Karen

Lime Caviar: The newest citrus fruit

2011-11-29T07:57:00.000-08:00

About 14 or 15 years ago we got some very interesting visitors: Two ladies who managed the Citrus Variety Collection at the University of California at Riverside -- Tracy and Tootsie. (Tootsie has since retired, but I had the great pleasure of touring the Citrus Collection with Tracy earlier this year . . .following her in her Volkswagen Bug around the citrus groves.)

Tootsie and Tracy brought us dozens of samples of all kinds of new citrus varieties that were either growing or being developed there. As it turns out, this very Citrus Collection is considered the world’s preeminent repository of citrus rootstock and varieties and due to my mother’s long association with the University in Riverside, we got to preview what was up and coming.

One of the more fascinating citrus items they showcased were Finger Limes, which we have lovingly called “Lime Caviar” because of the miniature pearls of lime that ooze from these finger-shaped fruits when you break open the skin.

I admit that they are super tart. In fact, I learned to roll them around in my mouth for a few seconds (they maintain their round shape), before crunching down on them.

Six years ago, as I was walking the exhibit halls of Fruit Logistica (an international fresh produce trade show) in Berlin, Germany, I came across a grower of Australian Finger Limes. We tried and tried to get a permit to bring them into the United States, but to no avail.

Fortunately, we began working with several growers in Southern California who have planted a few Finger Lime trees and they are now being harvested.

Finger Lime trees are quite interesting. They are small bush-like trees with many thorns. I swear the thorns are there to protect those darling little limes. During a tour of a Finger Lime grove in Ojai, California, last year, the grower let me know that they have bears (yes, BIG BEARS) in their citrus grove, so I was a bit nervous after I saw a giant pawprint in the ground.

But what I learned about Finger Limes is that in order to harvest them – you shake the trees! Tarps are placed on the ground underneath the tree before the shaking begins, and because of the thorns, that is the best and only practical way to harvest them.

I do have some bad news about the Finger Limes. They are SUPER expensive. There are only a few growers and with the high cost of land, the expensive root stock and the small yield from each tree, they cost a pretty penny.

You may (and that is a big MAY) find them on the menu of a very upscale, chic restaurant. (Although I am not a big oyster eater – I’ve heard that chefs love to pair them with oysters as a garnish or topping.) Or you may find them in an upscale retail store or at a Farmer’s Market if you live in California.

They are probably packed in 4-ounce packages filled with dozens of tiny Finger Limes. Don’t be surprised if they are priced at close to $20 a package -- which probably equates to 50 cents a lime.

My recommendation is to buy a package and share them with friends. Use this “Lime Caviar” instead of fish caviar on crackers with cream cheese. Or drop a few pearls of Finger Lime into a Martini at your next dinner party – and have a real conversation starter when your guests ask, “What’s that floating in my drink?”

And if you want to find out more about the Citrus Variety Collection at U.C. Riverside, check out this link to the 60 Minutes Show that aired on Sunday, November 27. You can also find out where the most top secret Swiss flavor developers in the world go to get their citrus flavors! (Click here to watch “The Flavorists” on 60 Minutes. It’s the second story -- about 16:30 minutes in.)

And now you know!

Karen

New Traditions

2011-11-22T13:51:00.000-08:00

To me, Thanksgiving is a mix of old traditions and new traditions. And it’s OK to be personal and unique.

As I am leaving for Dallas to be with my husband’s family for Thanksgiving Day, many people in my office have stopped by to say goodbye. I am struck by all the different personal traditions there are, just in our office.

One team member is flying to Colorado to be with her only daughter. Her daughter lives there and she is making dinner for her mom.

One team member is going to stay home with his wife and daughter. “Too much drama at the regular family dinner.” (Hmm…familiar?)

One team member is taking her family and going to a friend’s house. Just two families making a new tradition of thanks.

Someone else is inviting a few friends over for a potluck, but on Saturday, as that day is easier than the traditional Thursday.

Two of my fellow workers are flying to Costa Rica on Thanksgiving Day (OK, I have to admit that one is Costa Rican). I overheard them talking about what kind of “Thanksgiving Dinner” they will enjoy – in a country outside the U.S.

Each of these different approaches to Thanksgiving celebrations tells me that in the hustle and bustle of 2011, a few people have figured it out. It’s OK to have your own tradition.

The most important thing for me is that we pause and enjoy the moment.

When I return from Texas, my immediate family and a few friends will gather at our house on Saturday for our Thanksgiving dinner. The last few years, my two daughters Alex and Sophia have helped me cook, and this year they want to start early with me. Maybe we have the beginnings of a new tradition.

One thing is for sure. At my house, we will have lots of fresh fruits and vegetables -- whether it’s a green salad, roasted fingerling potatoes, freshly made cranberry relish or roasted Brussels sprouts.

I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and a yummy, fresh dinner!

Karen

Enchantment and Steve Jobs

2011-11-15T22:12:00.000-08:00

I’m a big believer in continuous learning. Every year, I make sure I sign up for a few professional development seminars, and pick a few good business-related books to read.

Fortunately, I get a lot of outside ideas from my CEO group, Vistage. (Read my previous post about Vistage here.) At most of our monthly meetings, we have an outside, world-class speaker who shares state of the art information with my group. Whether it's on sales, the economy, finance, or personal health, it’s a great way for me to stay current on what’s going on in the business world.

Once a year, Vistage hosts an annual conference and last November I attended the three-day event in San Diego.

The speaker on the first night was the amazing and world-famous Guy Kawasaki. If you’ve been around the business world for a while, you’ve probably read one or two of his books. “The Art of the Start,” “The Macintosh Way,” and “How to Drive Your Competition Crazy” are just three of his titles.

But what is really fascinating about Guy is that he was the Chief Evangelist for Apple Computers. He started working in the Macintosh (aka MAC) division in 1983 and his mission was to convince developers to create Macintosh-compatible products. He was the MAC guru.

This Guy rocks! (pun intended)

So at the Vistage conference, he was there to talk about his soon-to-be-published book, “Enchantment.” When he took the stage and started describing the art of enchantment, I was mesmerized.

Guy defines enchantment as the process of delighting people with a product, service, organization or idea.

He talked about real stuff. How to smile. (There is a way to tell if you are sincere.) How to dress and why you should not over or under dress. The importance of storytelling. He spoke for two hours and he was truly Enchanting.

When I got home I could hardly wait for his book to be published in April.

And like many people do, I got busy and never got around to ordering it. Thank goodness for my good friend Tina. When my birthday rolled around last month and I invited a few friends over for dinner, she walked in the door with a beautiful ribbon wrapped around the gorgeous bright red covered book.


Guy Kawasaki's latest link to Amazon.com

Tina and I share a love of books and we often chat about our latest finds. (I admit she is a much more voracious reader than me.) We had discussed Guy Kawasaki’s latest book many times. So, I literally beamed ear to ear when I saw my gift. How perfect.

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, had passed away just a couple of weeks before my birthday, so everything APPLE and MAC was top of mind. I imagine when Steve and Guy worked together, that as driving and relentless as Steve was, Guy was there to balance him. Guy was the schmoozer, the charmer. The one who took the time to talk to clients, developers and many others.

It’s not a surprise to me that he wrote a book called “Enchantment – The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions.” Isn’t that what Steve Jobs and Apple Computers did for the world?

Karen

What happened to Thanksgiving?

2011-11-14T15:49:00.001-08:00

Those are the words that my assistant, Linda said to me at the end of the day.

“What happened to Thanksgiving?” She commented that everywhere she shopped (even before Halloween), all the stores were featuring Christmas decorations!

I know the feeling. It seems even before one holiday ends, the stores have already moved onto the next “Hallmark” holiday. This weekend I noticed the Christmas decorations were up at my local Costco (and they were handing out shopping flyers for “black Friday.”)

But, I’d like to ask you to pause and think about what Thanksgiving stands for. To me, it’s a time to truly give thanks. Thanks for having food on our table. For having family and friends who accept us for who we are. For having jobs or companies that we love and support us.

I find Thanksgiving a special and memorable holiday. It’s the one time during the year that I get to cook my favorite foods, try out new recipes and astonish my 25 family and friends by proving that I do have time to cook and remember how! Like most of us, my weekly schedule is packed with meetings, dinners, and other obligations that make it a bit of an inconvenience to cook a nice meal and sit down to dinner together.

So, once a year, I devote myself to creating a menu of long-time favorites combined with a few culinary surprises that I’ve never tried before. My family starts dinner at the early hour of 4pm, and everyone hangs around for 5 or 6 hours eating, nibbling and catching up. A few years ago, we started the tradition of having our family dinner on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which means everyone can go to their other family functions and relax on Saturday evening at our house.

For some, Thanksgiving is a hassle. You either have to set up your house for a large number of dinner guests, or you have to prepare food so you can go to someone else’s house. You have to change your eating habit for the day, as most Thanksgiving feasts are between lunch and dinner time. If you’re a college student, you are happy that you get a break from school, but it’s a hectic weekend to come home.

I challenge you to look at this year’s Thanksgiving as a time to reflect, give thanks and enjoy. Stop and enjoy this holiday. Don’t rush into Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

Find some traditional foods and recipes to enjoy. Do something as a family. And if you don’t have family, then do something with your friends and neighbors.

Don’t worry, all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season will be waiting for you. I guarantee it!

Karen

Demystifying the banana

2011-11-04T11:31:00.000-07:00

Did you know that in the United States, the banana (the Cavendish variety, actually) is the number one consumed fruit? (For the rest of the world, the mango is number one.)

That probably explains why every single supermarket in America has a big display of bananas in their produce department. Most stores do not display the bananas near the front of the department – they put them in the middle or back -- to make sure that you walk through the department and buy other things before you get to the bananas. (Trader Joe’s seems to be the exception, however, because they put their bananas in the front.)

I’m sure you can read anywhere about the nutritional information on bananas. High in potassium. Good source of fiber. All those basic facts.

But I doubt you can find out the correct way to peel a banana. Well, you are about to find out.

About 20 years ago, our production manager in the warehouse (Jorge Araujo) saw me eating a banana at my office. I was struggling with breaking the skin and ended up bruising the end of the banana. I didn’t have a knife to cut off the end.

Jorge told me that he used to manage banana plantations for a big grower in Central America and the natives told him the proper way to peel a banana.

Here is how most people peel a banana. They start at the wrong end:

Wrong way

Here is the correct way to peel a banana – starting at the opposite end:

Right way!

So, now you know! Enjoy those bananas!

Thanks, Aldo!

Karen

My sleepy little town of Seal Beach

2011-10-31T12:14:00.000-07:00

I have lived in Seal Beach, California, since 1999. This small coastal town is located near the Queen Mary, between Long Beach and Huntington Beach (Surf City, USA).

You may not have heard of our sleepy little town until about 3 weeks ago, on October 12.

Sadly, you heard about Seal Beach because there was a senseless shooting spree at the Meritage Hair Salon in which eight people were killed.

That afternoon, I was on a plane to Atlanta, traveling to one of the produce industry’s biggest trade shows. When I landed and got to my hotel room, the text messages and phone calls started.

Had I heard there was a shooting spree near downtown Seal Beach? Over the next few days the information was a bit sporadic and it took a while to find out what happened. Of course I immediately called a few friends to check on them and it was on my mind the entire week I was gone.

You must know that Seal Beach is one of the quietest, quaintest towns in Southern California. We all joke about the crime report in the local paper. “Man seen lingering near the mail box on Main Street,” would be typical of the crime report. It is not unusual for my friends and neighbors to leave surfboards, luggage, golf clubs, etc on the front porch… It is such a safe community.

When I returned home after my trip, I looked through our local paper to find out the details, and did not recognize any of the victims’ names.

So, when I went to my weekend spinning (cycling) class, I was shocked to find out that one of the victims, Michelle Fast, was the 47-year-old sister of my spin instructor Rooney Daschbach.

I was devastated, as Rooney and his wife Claire are two of the nicest people I’ve ever known and we’ve become friends in the year or two I have been taking their classes each weekend. I knew they must be profoundly sad and in a state of shock. I didn’t know what to do. They were absent from the gym, so I finally emailed them a heartfelt note to express my condolences.

The weekend I returned from my trip, I went to the salon to pay my respects. There were beautiful flowers and memorials everywhere surrounding the building. Around the corner, some locals were selling T-shirts to benefit the victims’ families. The shirts had a big blue stylized heart.

Actually, the entire community of 24,000 people organized several fundraising events to raise money for the victims’ families: bake sales, silent auctions and a “Cut-a-Thon” where local hair stylists cut hair for free, in exchange for a donation. This entire weekend was devoted to the memory of the eight people who lost their lives and to their families.

It was interesting how it brought our entire community together.

A few days ago, I was told that Rooney and Claire were going to be at the gym this Sunday morning, and that there would be a spinning class in which we would ride to honor the memory of his sister.

Claire and Rooney

So, when I walked into my cycling class this Sunday morning, wearing the T-shirt I purchase last weekend, my breath was taken away. Every person in the room was wearing the same T-shirt. I saw Rooney and Claire and we hugged and cried together. And then the 20 of us cycled for an hour to music that reminded Rooney of his sister. Happy music. Sad music. Angelic music.

Our Cycling Class

After the class, Rooney and Claire and I talked. Michelle was the youngest of 6 kids and has 3 children of her own. It was lovely to hear how their family had organized themselves around supporting each other and Michelle’s kids.

Interestingly, Rooney told me that he was having trouble sleeping and was reading a book by a Jewish Rabbi, “When Bad Things Happen to Good People,” and it was helping him a lot. (Rooney is not Jewish.)

I have heard a lot about this book over the years and was so glad to hear that it was helping him.

Each of us will face the death of someone close to us in our life at some time. It may be after a long illness, or a sudden tragedy like the one that occurred in my sleepy little town. I don’t think there is any way to be prepared. And you will never know how you will react.

But what is important to know is that you will always have friends and family that are there to support you. And we all deal with these occurrences in our own way. And you never know when it will hit close to home.

So, let’s live each day as if it is the most special day in our life.

Karen

Try This, Not That

2011-10-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

As I continue my travels around the United States visiting supermarkets, I've noticed how all the cooking ingredients that are used for the upcoming holidays are now located closer to the front of the store. And the displays are bigger.

Pumpkin pie filling in cans, baking ingredients, bigger displays of potatoes and onions.

All this has made me start to think about what I'm going to make for my family's Thanksgiving dinner.

Every year, about 25 members of my family and close friends gather at my house. We have the traditional roasted turkey. And my longtime friends, the LeBayon's (they're from France) always bring steamed lobster. A variety of salads, side dishes, and vegetables round out the menu. It's quite a feast.

But the big decision for me each year is what vegetables to prepare. Being the "vegetable lady" puts a little pressure on me to be somewhat innovative.

This year, I've decided to follow the advice that my company has been giving to our retail supermarket customers. We call it Try This, Not That(sm).

Instead of promoting regular russet potatoes for making mashed potatoes, we suggest featuring fingerling potatoes for roasting.

Instead of a regular bread and fresh herb flavored stuffing, we suggest using ingredients like pine nuts and dried cranberries.

And for dessert, instead of serving apple pie, we suggest Apple Pie Crepes (which are lighter and less caloric).

Here are my recipes, if you are interested!

It's never too early to start planning your holiday meal. I hope you'll experiment a little this year... If nothing else, maybe a new vegetable!

Enjoy!
Karen

The Wall Street Journal meets “Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Veggies”

2011-10-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

Imagine my surprise when I picked up The Wall Street Journal last Thursday, October 20th and found that the entire front page of the Personal Journal section had a drawing of the produce department.

Entitled “A Food Fight in the Produce Aisle,” the article quotes a few of our supermarket clients and talks about what a popular destination the produce department has become in American supermarkets.

I often write about my favorite fruits and vegetables and occasionally I write about important trends affecting our food choices. But, what was so interesting about this article is that because our nation has become more focused on fighting obesity (thank you, Mrs. First Lady Michelle Obama), it seems as if the produce department might have some new neighbors in your local supermarket.

Think about it. Have you noticed when you go into your local store, how different food items are now near the front of the store? Last week I was in St Louis visiting some Schnuck’s Markets (a family-owned, regional supermarket company), and noticed that the front wall of some of their stores have portable foods. You know, single serve salads, sandwiches, healthy beverages, milk, cut fruit and veggies. It sure was easy to grab my healthy lunch while I was there.

And in Southern California, I’ve noticed my local Albertson’s market has a whole section of “healthy and convenient” foods, plus fresh fruit juices, etc., right inside the door of the market.

That’s what this article talks about. Packaged food manufacturers who produce cheese, juices and other “non produce” items have realized that so many shoppers are spending more and more time shopping in the produce department, that they want their own products located nearby.

Well, obviously, the grocery stores cannot rearrange their entire store to have every department close by produce… Unless of course they make their store circular and put produce in the middle. (Actually several chains have tried this with mixed results.)

But, as you make your regular shopping trip to the market, look up from your cart. You’ll notice that the location of your favorite products may have changed. Supermarket executives know that time is the most important commodity to all their shoppers and they are trying to adjust the layout of their stores to be more “shopper friendly.” That’s why most markets have coolers filled with bottled water and other beverages nearby the checkouts.

Well, you might be asking yourself, “Why are the bananas usually at the back of the produce department?” That’s because supermarkets know that bananas are often the No. 1 most purchased fruit. They know most shoppers, if they have to walk through the entire produce department to get to the bananas, might find a few other produce items they want to purchase.

I encourage you to read the entire article here. It will give you some insight into the “behind the scenes” work that is always happening in the supermarket business.

Enjoy your next shopping experience!

Karen

How to have more convenience

2011-10-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like you are on that hamster wheel of life? You know what I’m talking about. You get up in the morning and race around the house, grab a quick bite, and jump in your car. You speed to the office and begin your day by checking hundreds of emails, many of which are really spam, but you are forced to read anyway, and delete.

After all those emails, then you begin your real work of the day. But you are starving, and down a quick donut or cookie that someone left at the coffee machine. Your intentions were to eat healthy foods all day – but you are starving. You gave into temptation.

And then, at the end of the day, if you remembered to bring your gym clothes with you, you stop at the gym for a quick workout. By the time you get home you are starving, and instead of taking the time to prepare a healthy dinner, you stopped at your favorite Italian or Chinese restaurant and picked up some take-out to gobble down at home.

Just writing this is making my heart pound harder.

That schedule is pretty much what happens to me and my family on a daily basis. And I don’t think we are alone.

A few months ago, as I made my every-few-days food shopping trip to the grocery store, I began to eye those pre-cut fruits and vegetables that my local Ralphs has on display.

Since I don’t have time at 5:30 a.m. to cut up fruits and veggies for me and my daughter Sophia, I have started to buy some of our favorites, already prepared for me.

Clear plastic tubs filled with cut celery and carrots (with water to keep them fresh). Fresh Costa Rican pineapple, hand cut into chunks. Apples cut into slices and packaged in individual serving bags. Bananas at various stages of ripeness. Individual 1 oz. boxes of dried cranberries and raisins.

I have found that I can give my family healthy choices for their morning and afternoon snack times, and for their lunches, by spending a few extra dollars and getting them “cut and ready.”

I know that some consumers may prefer to save the money, and buy whole fruits and veggies to cut up when they get home, but for the time-deprived working moms and dads, I say that it’s worth it to buy pre-cuts.

What’s the trade off? I think our health is the trade off.

Since I asked my 17-year-old daughter what fruits and vegetables she wants packed in her lunch, and we searched the produce department together to find them already prepped for us, her diet (and mine) has changed completely. Each day, we both take a total of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables with us when we leave in the morning.

No more temptation from donuts, cookies and flavored drinks at the office or at the school. We are both eating healthier.

As you are trying to figure out how you can improve your eating habits, and balancing your concern for eating healthy, with the limited amount of time you have, consider spending a little extra and purchase pre-prepped fruits and veggies at your local store.

Oh, one more benefit. Since I buy almost all my produce pre-prepped, I find that I am throwing out far less. My refrigerator is no longer the rotting drawer.

Try it yourself!

Karen

What I learned at the gym last week

2011-10-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

Like many people, I work out at the gym multiple times a week. Two or three times a week, I work out with a personal trainer. I find that by having an appointment (that costs me money), I am much better at keeping that appointment and working out, than if I try to go it alone. The same applies when I have a workout buddy.

I have been working out with my trainer, Ikumi, for 8 months. With my heavy travel schedule, I sometimes feel like I take two steps forward and one step back, because I have a hard time maintaining a consistent workout schedule.

So, last Thursday, was no exception. I had gained a couple of pounds after 5 days out of town.

So, Ikumi decided we would do an intense “bootcamp” workout, instead of our normal weight training.

About halfway through my 60 minute workout, I was holding a 20 lb. weight in each hand, and having to do a rather challenging move. It was so hard.

And, I found myself saying out loud, “This is so hard. I can’t do it. This is so hard.” I actually was near tears.

And then Ikumi told me to change my self-talk. She told me that I was telling my body to react to my negative talk. She told me to say “I can do it. This is easy.”

Reluctantly, I did that. I said out loud, “I can do this”. I made myself smile. And the weirdest thing happened.

My workout got easier. It was not so hard. I was able to hold the intense moves for 10 to 15 seconds, where before I could not.

What changed? Only my thoughts and words.

As we start our week, I am reminded of that great lesson I learned during my workout last week.

We are what we think.

Simple words and thoughts can determine our success. So next time, if you are saying to yourself or out loud “This is hard. I cannot do it. This is a difficult goal.”

Instead, try saying: “This is easy. I can do it. This is a realistic goal.”

Have a great week! You can do it!

Karen