A great brunch idea! Icelandic vanilla yogurt with honey, apples, grapefruit, strawberries, grapes, blueberries and mixed nuts. Low fat and filling :)

Chicken Salad Sandwich with Raw Zucchini Salad

Homemade chicken salad sandwich and a raw zucchini ribbon salad (EVOO, lemon, Parmesan, parsley, salt/pepper.

How Long is Too Long?

According to Michael Bauer, executive food and wine editor and restaurant critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, restaurants as a rule of thumb when turning reservation tables, should allot 90 minutes for a table of two and 2 hours for a table of four. When diners take longer than this and the table is supposed to be turned for the next reservation he makes a good point: Restaurants need to communicate to the table and the incoming reservation what the situation is and never "call-out" the table that is hopefully on the way out. You think this is common knowledge to management and staff but you would be surprised how many restaurants forget about what is fundamental to their success; customer service--->communication. Not sure which is the cart before the horse but I presume both can be interchanged with one another.

I've worked in the service industry long enough and on the other side, have dined at many restaurants to know people don't appreciate being rushed. But on the other hand, diners needs to be more aware and cognizant they may not be the only ones occupying the table the rest of the evening (or afternoon if it's lunch).

For the most part, dinner, wherever you are, should not be rushed. Whether you're at home or in a restaurant it is a moment in your day where you can sit still and relax, share stories and reconnect with the people you love and be thankful for what you have. And if you are fortunate enough to have the option to eat with someone, you must never eat alone (more on that later).

In the Name of Marvel Olive

It finally came to me. M-a-r-v-e-l O-l-i-v-e! And now...I can begin.

To give a little bit of history, a week ago I was with my aunt Jan, my great uncle Tom and my grandmother Betty and they were telling me stories about my family. I found out that my great grandmother's name was Marvel Olive (last name Pitts) on my father's side. She was born July 26, 1895 and died in 1983 in Ardmore, OK. I was floored by the beauty of her name and a friend mentioned "hey, why don't you name 'it' Marvel Olive?" I sat on it for a week, and it's brilliant! I don't know much about her nor did I ever meet her but I think her name is graceful, unique and timeless. All of which, I hope the plans I have in store for myself are, as well.

According to one site, the name Marvel is a variant of "Maravilla" (Spanish, Latin) and "Marvell" (Latin), and the meaning of Marvel is "miracle to marvel at; wonderful, extraordinary". But on another site, it says the origin of Marvel is French. Who knows really, but lets run with it shall we?

I wish I could say the joy of cooking, eating and entertaining was passed down to me from my great grandmother, Marvel, since I'm naming this blog after her, but I feel it is from my mother's side I got this gene, if there ever were such a thing. I remember visiting my grandma Trudy in Florida in her small apartment, the air filled with cigarette smoke, and watching her bake all the time. A cocktail and cigarette in one hand (the classy kind of way, like Marlene Dietrich) and a spatula in another. I've heard stories of my grandfather starting a Playboy Club with his buddies in Jacksonville, FL back in the 1960s and being quite the host...and charmer.

This blog is about sustainable foods, the local food community, food policy, delicious eats, talented chefs, cooking and marketing insights of the food and beverage industry. While Austin is showing signs of having an upper echelon of amazing chefs and restaurants it still has a long way to go, and this is where I come in. I hope you like it.