The voice on the phone overflows with upbeat energy: “Hi Jan, this is Vladimir.”  Past experiences have taught me to respond: “Vladimir, where are you?”  Sometimes he is downstairs in my condo building and at other times just a few hours away, perhaps, in the Florida Everglades.  Typically, friends calling on the spur of the moment might not be a surprise but Vladimir lives and works in Moscow.  My spontaneity quotient cannot compare to his as I’m too timid to just arrive in Moscow and surprise him in the same way.  In the first place, I lack his sense of ease with travel as well as his loveable exuberant personality, which just makes one want to throw open the door and hug him.

What connects Vladimir Zakharov and myself is our love of the Earth Charter—a courageously optimistic global vision and people’s declaration for a caring and sustainable world. His official title is Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development in Moscow and his travels to the US are sometimes part of his work as a bridge between Russia and the US for the Global Foundation for Understanding. But, Vladimir is so much more.  He is an exquisitely sensitive photographer, intense conversationalist, and an authentic, and spiritual human being.  AND, don’t ever ask him for an opinion unless you want the real truth.  Vladimir always arrives with Natalia Sharova, Executive Secretary of Center for Russian Environmental Policy and Culture—an NGO, and my one regret is that because I do not speak Russian, I can only sense her depth and intelligence and I don’t get to know her as I wish that I could.

When Vladimir called me from the Everglades to say he was coming, I quickly called Susan Edwards, who had met Vladimir on his last visit, and invited her to have dinner with us.  Susan is an award winning writer with thoughtful and savvy opinions on a range of subjects including politics. I am lucky to have her on my Cultural Innovations Agency’s Board.  She and Vladimir had connected on a previous visit and enjoyed their conversations together.

Vladimir arrived bearing gifts.  There were small cloth dolls depicting Russian people, a bottle of very nice Pinot Noir from his travels in Oregon and a parchment covered book, “Searching for Reality” of his mist infused photos of the landscapes of Oregon, Virginia, Wyoming, Costa Rica, Altay and Tula in Russia.  The sense that permeates the scenes is a soft focused Oneness of Nature. The photos are an eloquent expression of the Earth Charter’s core value of the interdependence of all life and I am touched by the beautiful way that Vladimir captures that reality with his photos.

Our conversation rollicked along over wine, dinner and dessert.  I do not recall much breathing space.  A thoughtful Vladimir asked the question: “What is it you do in life?”  It was not just “what do you do”—which could be easily answered by citing what you do for work.  No, it was not as easy as that. Instead, I could almost see my life passing before my eyes—what is it that I do?  What fulfills me?  What would my legacy be?  All that and more seemed to be encompassed in the question.  Susan answered first: “I am a learner”.  I can see that to be so true in the informed and empathetic perspective and understanding found in her commentary and descriptions ranging from Muslim women to old roads through town to today’s political circus.  I responded: “To engage ordinary people in making a difference”—jargon sounding, perhaps, but nevertheless heartfelt.  Vladimir’s response was about seeking to understand people. That is his mission in life and he does it with intensity and an endearing openness that accompany his adventurous spirit.

A highlight for me was Natalia’s reaction when I spontaneously gifted her with one of our Operation Bon Appétit aprons making her an honorary Culinary Agent.  Her delight was so sweet that no words were needed.

As I look back on the evening, I can see that it fulfills one of our Operation Bon Appétit Dinner Party themes—Global Friendships.  I’ve always thought such friendships could be an important contribution to a larger goal of global understanding and peace but what Vladimir has taught me is also how much fun they are.

 Operation Bon Appétit Dinner Recipes Served with French Bordeaux:

Slow Roasted Red Wine Lacquered Salmon

Serves 8 to 10  Found at Epicurious.cm

1 4inch piece peeled fresh ginger

1 c soy sauce

2 c red wine dry

1 1/3 c  mirin Japanese sweet rice wine

1/4c packed dark brown sugar

2 tsp lime juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1  41/2lb salmon fillet about 1 ½ inches at thickest point.

Accompaniment lime wedges

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 225

Finely grate ginger on small holes of box grater into fine mesh sieve, then set sieve over a bowl and press on ginger to extract 2 tsp juice.  Bring soy sauce, wine, Mirin, brown sugar and ginger juice to a boil in 3 to 31/2 qt heavy sauce pan.  Reduce heat to moderate and briskly simmer, stirring occasionally, until syrupy and reduced to 1 cup.  45 to 55 min.  Transfer to a bowl, then quick chill by setting bowl in larger bowl of ice water and stirring occasionally for 5 in.  Stir in lime juice.  Reserve ½ cup glaze in a small bowl for brushing after roasting.

Line a 17 by 12 inch heavy shallow baking pan with foil and coat foil with oil 1 tbsp.

Arrange salmon, skin side down, diagonally in pan, then spoon about 2 tbsp glaze over salmon, spreading it evenly with back of spoon.  Let stand 5 minutes, then spoon and spread another 2 tbsp. glaze over salmon.  Roast 15 min. Remove from oven and glaze again (use clean spoon each time) and roast 10 min more.  Repeat glazing and continue to roast until fish is just cooked through 10 to 20 min. More (35 to 40 min total, depending on thickness of fish, check frequently after 35 min).  Transfer  with 2 wide metal spatulas to a platter, then coat with final layer of reserved glaze (about 2 tbsp) using a clean spoon. Serve remaining glaze on the side if desired.

Glaze can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.  Bring to room temp before using.

Serve with steamed asparagus with lime butter sauce and

Arugula and radicchio with goat cheese and figs

Serves 8

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2c extra virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp salt

1/8tsp black pepper

1/2c figs

¼ lb baby arugula 8 cups

1 3/4lb head radicchio torn into bite size pieces 5 cups

3 oz crumbled goat cheese ½ cup

Whisk lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl until combine well

Have figs lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise

Toss arugula, radicchio, cheese and figs in large bowl then toss with enough vinaigrette to coat.

Differences Can Be Fun

We recently did a script re-write for our Sizzle Tape to promote our Operation Bon Appétit TV Series to engage folks in eating, drinking and changing the world one dinner party at a time.  We want to travel the country and while cooking good food and sipping wine, we will interview people who are creatively making a positive difference in their communities.

When I write “we”, I am referring to my co-host Shannon McIntosh and myself.  We are a couple of opposites who have come together to make this “cooking with a purpose” TV series happen. We do have a sense of humor so we can play with our differences, which are obvious on the physical level. One of us is a tall, lovely, young red-head and the other is a short, sturdy silver haired elder.  I joke about the cost of make-up for us—we have a budget of $275. for the Sizzle Tape with $1.25 allotted to Shannon and the rest to me.

However, we balance one another very well in other ways as well.  Shannon has young daughters and is devoted to cooking non-toxic healthy meals for them and her loving husband.  I, on the other hand, do make an effort but do indulge now and then in dips and chips and French fries.  The difference in our eating habits does show up in our bodies so I’ll be easy for you to recognize. However, we do both enjoy a nice glass of wine–an important ingredient in our shows.

Another difference is our cooking techniques.  I mentioned “knife skills” to Shannon the other day as I had been amazed to learn that there are classes for such learning.  She did not even bat an eye as she responded that she studiously watches cooking shows and takes in the details of their knife skills—which she wields with aplomb.  However, it’s probably safe to assume that spattering things on the stove and nearby wall while cooking is an undeveloped “skill” on her part—not so much on mine.

It might not be knife skills, but there is a place where I have the edge. After 35 years of community building, I have pretty good knowledge of what is going on at the community level around the country to create a healthy quality of life for people and the planet. At our recent fundraiser for the production of our Sizzle Tape, Shannon and I both gave short speeches.  I had written down a couple of “talking points” for her regarding a wonderful initiative that we will highlight on our Sizzle Tape of a new national scouting program—the Earth Scouts—to promote Fair Trade chocolate and buycott Hershey’s chocolate as they buy from cocoa farms that use child labor.  It was part of the Earth Scouts’ Economic Justice badge.

Before we began to speak, Shannon said that she had a problem with some of the words in her script, specifically “economic justice”.  She had not heard them before and was trying to wrap her head around their meaning.  Her “confession” was both sweet and endearing in its innocence and made me aware that some of the jargon that comes so naturally to me will also have me disconnecting from some members of our audience.  So, I’m delighted that Shannon will be their “voice” and help to keep me as jargon free as possible so that everyone can get excited about wanting to change the world one dinner party at a time.

So over a lunch of Seared Sesame Salmon and Raspberry Salad with whole grain bread and fresh raspberry butter and, of course, a glass of Chardonnay, Shannon, Andrea Aprea (our Sizzle Tape producer), Susan Edwards (our script writer) and I re-did ideas for our Sizzle Tape script.  Now, we will engage our audience in the fun of our differences as well as excite them with delicious food, wine and creative community initiatives

Next step–shooting the Sizzle Tape!

Lunch  Recipes

Seared Sesame Salmon and Raspberry Salad

4 Wild Salmon fillets

2 Tbsp of Sesame Oil

4 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Fish Sauce

Enough Brown Sugar to coat Salmon

Pint of raspberries

Bibb lettuce

Girard’s Raspberry Salad Dressing (found in most supermarkets)

Spread brown sugar on plate and dip salmon fillets until coated.  Heat sesame oil in saucepan over medium high and sear fillets on both sides—beginning with underside.  Sprinkle soy sauce and fish sauce over fillets. Turn down heat to medium and cover pan until cooked to desired doneness.  I like mine cooked through, so about 6 minutes.

Cover plates with Bibb lettuce, place fillet on lettuce and sprinkle with raspberries.  Pour Salad Dressing in small pitcher and pass around table. Serves 4.

Fresh Raspberry Butter

1 cup softened butter

1 cup fresh raspberries (1 6 oz container)

1/4 cup sugar
1 lemon, zested
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix with a hand mixer until smooth. Serve at room temperature. Recipe found athttp://www.rookie-cookie.com/2010/07/fresh-raspberry-butter.html

Reviving the Art of Entertaining

The savvy, 30 year old, architect and community advocate blew my stereotype of the younger generation’s love of social media when he expressed a longing for conversation around the dinner table with friends.  His lament was not about working so much that there was not time for such interactions; it was about the existent culture of contact through social media rather than real-life connections. His remark was echoed a couple of weeks later by my 13 year-old grand-daughter, Augustine.  She loves her IPhone and texting with her friends is a way of life after school.  I was surprised to hear her unsolicited observation that she is not that happy with all the texting or even the phone calls; she would prefer more face to face time.

Are these isolated and passing moments of unhappiness with the wired world we live in? Or is the upsurge in technology advancements and constant social media shifting the Earth on her axis?  I’m not sure, but I’m leaning towards the latter.  This belief is supported in part by my experience with the Operation Bon Appétit fundraising dinner that offered good food, wine and conversation with like-minded folks and had such a strong response that I had to shut down reservations. If I am right, then Operation Bon Appétit Dinners has a delicious side effect of face time with friends.

The aforementioned architect was part of a focus group about the Operation Bon Appétit TV Series that had several participants from Tampa’s Urban Charrette, a collaborative of professionals committed to shaping a sustainable community. The group was enthusiastic about the OBA idea, something we kind of expected to hear, but they offered two comments that did surprise us:

• Entertaining is a dying art and OBA offers through its food, tablescapes, and conversations an opportunity to revive it.
• In person connection is something we all want despite our growing technological connection.

The Operation Bon Appétit focus group was held over dinner and wine, naturally, at the home of Cultural Innovations Agency’s board member Judy Ryan.  The conversation flowed easily and in the process group members got to know one another better.  It was a very enjoyable evening and that is what prompted the above comments.  It was very tempting to schedule a follow-up dinner just to continue the fun.

The very same reaction of “wow, this was fun, let’s do it again” was what occurred at the OBA fundraising dinner.  Guests, including those who did not know one another previously, connected over mutual interests and did not want the evening to end.

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Earth Scout at Academy Prep Tampa

The film, “Dark Side of Chocolate” was an eye-opener for the girls, who were working on their Earth Scouts’ “Eat Fair Trade Chocolate & Change the World” badge. A sense of disbelief and outrage fueled their determination to launch a buycott of Hersey’s chocolate for Halloween treats.  They mounted a school-wide campaign that included posters and the signing of petitions to be sent to Hershey’s as part of the Green America initiative.  Hershey’s is one of the largest chocolate companies that still buys from cocoa farms that use child labor. http://www.greenamerica.org/takeaction/hershey/

The Earth Scouts (ES) is a program of Earth Charter US that provides a highlight for the Operation Bon Appétit Sizzle Tape being produced to promote the Cultural Innovations Agency’s planned TV series to Change the World One Dinner Party at a Time.  Earth Scouts is for boys and girls ages 3 to 13 years and features badges based on the Earth Charter’s principles for economic justice, human rights, respect for nature, participatory democracy and a culture of peace. Although I may be given credit as founder of Earth Scouts, it truly is the work of parents and community members around the country that share their ideas and experiences for the badge activities and field trips.  http://www.earthcharterus.org/ecus-youthchildren/earth-scouts 

I ended up teaching the Earth Scouts class at Academy Prep Tampa, an amazing middle school for low income students, so we could video it for our B roll for the Operation Bon Appétit Sizzle Tape—and because I have long wanted to create this ES economic justice badge. My friend, Susan Edwards—a wonderfully creative writer—and I had previously gotten together over food and wine (naturally) to spark ideas for the script that she ended up writing for our Operation Bon Appétit Sizzle Tape.  We wanted to capture on the Sizzle tape the creative energy and diversity of grassroots actions around the country.  We decided that exciting glimpses of subversive nuns, bright-eyed Earth Scouts and dancing village women in Zambia would do that.

Currently, we have the script for the Sizzle Tape, the funds for the shooting and editing and the B roll (the visuals that demonstrate the narrative) for the Earth Scouts and Zambia women highlights. Now we have to find a great looking kitchen for my co-host and I to use as we prepare the dish for the tape; get the B roll from the nuns in North Dakota who have the wind turbines; and find a terrific makeup artist that will make me look 30lbs lighter and at least 25 years younger.  Wish me luck!

The questions bugged me—how do I turn the prevalent love of food and wine in this country into making a positive difference in the world? How the heck do I raise money for this new nonprofit when so many organizations doing great things are struggling for funds?  How do I know that my idea for this new initiative to change the world really is the next best thing since spanx and not like the latest tweet from a fading celeb? The only way I knew how to answer these questions was to ply folks with good food and wine and do my pitch–which is what I did and what a party it was!  My friend Lorna’s spacious home was filled to capacity with potential culinary agents wild about my new idea—Operation Bon Appétit TV Series.

It turns out that what I enjoy—feasting and drinking in merry company while making a difference—is what so many other folks enjoy. That is what Operation Bon Appétit is about—changing the world one dinner party at a time.  The idea springs from a long time belief that is backed up by opinion polls that most people do want to contribute to making their community/society better.  After being a social entrepreneur for nearly 35 years, I also know that they don’t want to do it if it takes too much time or money and if it is not fun.  So why not do it over food and drink with friends—a past time that rates highly with just about everyone.

I owe my idea for Operation Bon Appétit to Julia Child, who loved good food and wine and showed people how to enjoy that in their own homes. You might not know this but Julia worked for the OSS, the forerunner to the CIA. It is my belief that she was subversively getting people engaged in living the good life and her toast “bon appétit” at the end of each show was a signal to other culinary agents in the field that her work was going well.  So I want to engage people in living the good life and helping to make it that way for the rest of humanity and the planet itself.

I took Julia’s life work and the branding of the CIA to create Operation Bon Appétit with the elegantly simple goal of bringing people together over food and wine to enjoy enlightened conversations and engage in activities that made their own quality of life and that of their community a little better. For the TV show, I and a sexier, younger co-host—Shannon McIntosh—will travel around the country, cook delicious food and sip wine with folks in their communities who are creatively solving local social and sustainability problems. Following the show, folks can go to our website www.operationbonappetit.org and use our World Factbook on Conviviality as a resource for recipes, conversational guide and examples of positive and successful quality of life activities.

I just completed the first step, which was to raise funds for the production of a Sizzle Tape to be used to promote Operation Bon Appétit’s TV show to networks, sponsors and funders. The folks that filled Lorna’s home came because for $20 donation they could eat dinner, drink French wine and engage in conversations with other like minded people while supporting an idea that appealed to them.  At the end of the evening we had the costs for the Sizzle Tape covered but even more than that, we had 65 potential culinary agents who would spread the word and also host their own OBA dinner party. However, the very best part of me was the sense of abundance I experienced when I thought about how very hard my CIA board members had worked to make the evening such a wonderful success simply because they believed the potential of Operation Bon Appétit.

We will produce the Sizzle Tape in January and then the fun begins to sell this next great idea to decision makers who can make it a reality.

Sisters Are Vintners of Coenobium Wine

You hear a lot about nuns—they sing, they fly and they do holy things.  But it is not often you hear about the dark side of nunnery—their subversiveness.  I’ve been working for over 35 years as social entrepreneur and I’m a firsthand witness to their not so undercover efforts in the arena of social change and sustainability.  One of our first shows for Operation Bon Appétit television series will be about my favorite subversives—nuns!

Sister Michaela Rock—the name alone should tell you that she is not a mild, submissive kind of person and I met on the phone shortly after the launch of the Earth Charter—a global Declaration of Interdependence—in the United States.  The launch involved the satellite connection of 12 cities including Santa Rosa, California—where Sister Michela and her “nunnies”—as she affectionately calls them—ran the St. Joseph Centers for Social Change.  The Sisters were attracted to the core value of the Earth Charter, which can be interpreted as the “Oneness of Being”, and the principles of the charter for justice, peace and sustainability.  It did not take them long to get crackin’ on a set of lesson plans for middle and high school students based on the EC principles that also met the California State Education Standards.

Sister Michaela and I were in sync from our first phone conversation where I loved her directness and raucous approach to life.  She took it upon herself to be my advisor offering me usually appreciated guidance.  When I was doing the Earth Charter Living TV Series, she and her nunnies would sit and critique my performance with such salient remarks as “your lipstick does not match the polish on your toenails”.  That critique I could have lived without but most often, I found her thoughtful insights truly helpful and have been deeply appreciative of her being in my life.

Sister Michaela is one of many Sisters who devote their lives to making society and this world better.  Others who have crossed my path include Sister Miriam McGillis, who started Genesis Farm– one of the first community supported gardens (51 acres)in the US and Sister Anne Dougherty, who founded Tampa’s St. Francis House in 1989 for people with HIV & AIDS.

The American nuns’ good works caught the attention of the Vatican, which ordered an investigation into their work a couple of years ago with that report coming out in the near future. There is concern that the Vatican wants to rein in American nuns, returning them to traditional ministries and lifestyles. It’s a tragedy that wonderful women, who are dedicated to making life on this planet better, have to put up with such an unwarranted intrusion.

I love the nuns and for good reason–they embrace the hallmarks of Operation Bon Appétit—subversive works for the good AND a good glass of wine.

DATE: Wednesday, October 19 at 6:30pm

CULINARY AGENTS: You, me, some other really interesting people, and Special Agent Julia Child

MISSION: Change the world, one Dinner Party at a time.

INSTRUCTIONS: Eat great food, drink French wine and engage in creative, intelligent, convivial conversation about what really matters.

LOCATION: Please email or call for location information and directions.

BUY IN: $20

MODUS OPERANDI: Sow the seeds of change through a network of underground dinner pary cells connected and inspired by our television show and interactive web platform. All that for only $20? Yep, plus a special Hot Mama culinary spice gift that you can’t buy anywhere (limited supply) AND we’ll also auction off a trip and stay at the charming and romantic Le Chateau Frontenac Hotel on the backs of the St. Lawrence River in Old Quebec, plus a few other surprises for you.

R.S.V.P.: operationbonappetit@gmail.com or 813-827-6054.

OBA OPERATIVES: Tracy Copes, Santiago Echeverry, Susan Edwards, Maryann Ferenc, Andrea Floyd, Judy Hayden, Jab Roberts, Judy Ryan, Genie Skypek, JoAnn Urofsky, Shannon McIntosh and Andrea Aprea.

Operation Bon Appétit Dinner Tablescape Art Installations are creative digital, sculptured, photographic, and/or artistic centerpieces and table settings that are created by university and school art students and/or local artists and exhibited in community settings like restaurants, grocery stores, and art galleries to promote Operation Bon Appétit artists and activities. The Art Installation themes reflect the Operation Bon Appétit Dinner themes found here.