Like many things dealing with food, spice and cooking, catering found its roots in the 4th millennium BC in China. During this same time Ancient Egypt, Greece and the Roman Empire were experiencing prosperous times and the idea of having large portions of food cooked and served to soldiers traveling to and from various trade routes was common.

Soon the idea of catering was used for the purpose of providing divinely prepared food for the upper classes; and the idea of serving the rich and famous the best of the best flourished into the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

Today catering has moved from providing food for weary travelers to serving up elegantly prepared dishes for special occasions. There are caterers that serve every cuisine known to mankind, offering menus as vast and the ocean is wide. There is no other culinary area that allows such an explicit exhibit of culinary creativity encompassing multitudes of meats, fish, fowl, vegetables, fruits, spices, breads and sweets. Anyone who has ever been on a cruise knows that the catered midnight buffet can be totally overwhelming.

A caterer has the responsibility of not only preparing delicious food, but styling the food in such a manner that the mere sight of it will linger in the minds of the diner for days if not weeks to come. Have you ever been taken back, knocked off your feet by a catered affair?

Perhaps it is the carbs carried in bread that makes us shy away from a really great sandwich. One thing is for certain, sandwiches are definitely not what they use to be. There was a time when a bowl of soup and a sandwich would get you through the entire afternoon. In fact there were all types of sandwiches, from cold cuts, to fresh cuts, to pickled, grilled and roasted meats. A sandwich might have lettuce, tomato, red onion, peppers, cheese, mayo and mustard.

As we move forward into 2011 it should be remembered that a sandwich is not only easy to make, but satisfying. The challenge today is to reach back and bring forward some of those more creative ways to slap meat, cheese, veggies and condiments between two pieces of bread.

Tired of eating the same old thing for lunch, learn to make some of the most delectable sandwiches on the planet.

Check out American Sandwich by Becky Mercuri, or 200 Best Panini Recipes, by Tiffany Collins. Most foodies are always looking for quick, easy, tasty food to make and everyone likes to impress family and friends. So what if you can’t make Lobster Newburg or Oysters Rockefeller, if nothing else, you can learn to make the best sandwich in town.  Here’s one of my favorite mayo’s, it works great on all grilled vegetable sandwiches.

Tangy Mustard-Mayo Sauce
Makes about 1-1/3 cups

1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons coarse-ground Maille or Dijon mustard
1/2 cup lowfat yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients until blended. Cover and chill until ready to use. Taste before serving to correct the seasonings. This sauce goes especially well with grilled corn beef and turkey and grilled eggplant sandwiches.

It would be nice if all mothers, okay and some fathers had the time to teach their children how to cook. Unfortunately that is just not the case. I learned early that cooking is an acquired skill like sewing, needle work and organizing your drawers. Some folks take to it and some don’t. Knowing how to cook and bake does not make you special, like having violet eyes or perfect toes, it just makes life more tolerable.

Most people will tell you that their cooking skills are decent, the food they prepare is at most tolerable and edible; however there are a few things mothers should tell their children from the day they are old enough stir the gumbo pot.

1. You will burn a dish, it’s inevitable
2. Know the 7 food groups; fruits, grains, meats, beans, milk, oil & #7
3. Cooking and Baking go hand-in-hand, know how to do both
4. Spicy does not equal hot (heat)
5. Butter is not bad
6. Frying is only non-negotiable in eyes of men
7. Comfort food (Yes, it’s the 7th food group)
8. Flavor is power
9. You must cook more than one dish well
10. Variety is and will always be, the spice of life

You will burn a dish, it’s inevitable
No matter how careful you are, every cook burns something, even it if just a slice of toast. Get over it and move on, no tears and beating yourself up…keep it movin!

Know the 7 food groups; fruits, grains, meats, beans, milk, oil & #7
Having insight into the 7 food groups puts you a step above all those folks who have no clue and it means you will always be able to plan some reminiscence of a meal.

Cooking and baking go hand-in-hand, know how to do both
It is not enough today to just be able to cook, you need to know how to bake; not knowing how to do either puts you at risk of always devouring foods that are heavily saturated with artificial garbage and preservatives that will withstand the next ice age.

Spicy does not equal hot (heat)
No matter what anyone says, learn how to use spices and spicy food does not equate to fiery hot food. Spice equals flavor, lots of flavor.

Butter is not bad
There are just some dishes that cannot be prepared with anything but butter, just shut up and use it.

Frying is only non-negotiable in eyes of men
Look it’s a little know fact that even the most fit specimen,  Michelangelo’s David will every once and a while want a fried oyster po-boy, learn to fry and fry well.

Comfort food (Yes, it’s the 7th food group)
Ask your family and friends what they would want before entering the pearly gates, and they will most likely list “comfort food.”

Flavor is power
No matter what any one tells you salt and pepper is never flavorful enough, learn to use herbs, spices, and anything else that puts peep in your step.

You must cook more than one dish well
A great pot roast is divine, and serving up spectacular macaroni and cheese is wonderful, but mastering one dish will never, get you through a lifetime of meal preparation, you simply must learn to cook more than one thing well.

Variety is and will always be, the spice of life
No one wants the same dish all the time, but as Americans we tend to gravitate to the familiar. Stop and learn about  ingredients, not the dish. It is far better to take a chicken breast and make it 20-30 different ways than modify a recipe.