When I was in college, I worked briefly as a telemarketer. I
sold subscriptions to the San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune from a
dark office in an industrial area of town.
When I was in college, I worked briefly as a telemarketer. I sold subscriptions to the San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune from a dark office in an industrial area of town. My job was to call people at home in the evening, 7 to 9, and get them to buy a subscription to the newspaper. I was so demoralized the first night, I cried while driving home.
Most nights, I’d sell two subscriptions in two hours. The phone was slammed in my ear dozens of times and people screamed at me after I interrupted their dinners. I only worked two nights a week, and I couldn’t take it. After a couple of weeks, I turned in my letter of resignation and collected a piddly check for about $20. I had been an utter failure at telemarketing and I’d never been so happy to be out of a job.
I’ve also been a waitress and I am always nice and respectful to waitresses. Not so with telemarketers. I hate their calls and I don’t hesitate to do mean things. I slam the phone without saying anything at all, I make them wait interminably, I instruct my daughters to just hang up. I am not nice. And we signed up immediately to be on the no call list. While the courts fight out whether “the list” is constitutional or not, you may continue to get telemarketing calls. No matter what they decide, it sounds like we may continue to get phone calls from political and charity organizations.
A few weeks ago, I put out a call for telemarketer-shooing techniques. Here are the top five replies that I received:
1. Make them wait: “I tell them to hold on a minute while I get the person they asked for. Then I put the phone down and walk away. I figure, time is money, and the more of their time I can take, the better.” ~ Stewart Small, Hollister
2. Be sweet: “I was getting so worked up after they called. I decided it would be better for my health if I was nice. Now, I say, ‘I’m sorry. I just don’t have time to talk to you. Have a nice evening.’ Then I hang up.” ~ Gail Sherwood, Morgan Hill
3. Avoid the worst times: “I hate dinner interruptions more than any other time. We take our phone off the hook at 6 and don’t put it back until we’re done with dinner. If the kids need to make a call, they do it and then take the phone back off the hook. It has really cut down on stress during dinner.” ~ Shelly G., Gilroy
4. Ask a question: “Before they get started on their pitch, I ask one question. ‘Is this a sales call?’ If they stutter or say anything other than ‘no,’ I hang up … It keeps the conversations very brief.” ~ Jack Fernandez, Morgan Hill
5. Get their phone number: “… This one takes some effort, but it’s worth it. I stop them in their tracks … and ask for their home phone number. I say I’ll call them back when they’re at home. They usually hang up on me and I hang up smiling.” ~ Marion Casey, Hollister
• This satisfying Italian-style soup features a delicious combination of red kidney beans and spinach, which makes it high in fiber and calcium. This is an old favorite from Cooking Light.
Hearty Bean & Barley Soup
7 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 (4-inch) rosemary sprigs
1 (19-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
10 cups torn spinach leaves (about 1/4 lb., if you’re weighing leaves at the
store)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 15 minutes. Drain through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Measure 1 cup beans, and mash with a fork in a small bowl. Reserve the remaining whole beans.
Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add onions, carrot, and celery; cook 4 minutes. Add broth mixture, mashed beans, whole beans, tomatoes, and barley; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes.
Stir in spinach and black pepper; cook 5 minutes or until barley is tender. Sprinkle with cheese. Makes 8 servings.
• Red ravioli: If you have a vegetarian in the house, serve this sauce over cheese ravioli for a satisfying meal. My vegetarian loved this dish.
Ravioli with Cream Sauce
9 oz. ravioli
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs. ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 T. chopped fresh tarragon (or basil)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain.
Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and simmer until juicy, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine; simmer 3 minutes. Stir in cream and tarragon (or substitute basil); simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in cheese. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Place ravioli in serving bowl. Spoon sauce over. Makes 4 servings.
• Lentils for winter: Marion King asked for a repeat of this hearty soup, which takes about 45 minutes (not bad for a very good and rich homemade soup).
French Lentil Soup with Sausage
3 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups lentils
6 cups water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 oz. smoked sausage
1 T. balsamic vinegar, or to taste
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add lentils, water, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
While lentils are cooking, heat remaining tablespoon oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown sausage on all sides, about 5 minutes. Cool sausage slightly on a cutting board, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Add sausage to soup and stir in vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes more to blend flavors. Serves 6.
Tip of the Week:
“Three remedies for garlic breath: Eat fresh parsley, chew on a coffee bean, eat a bowl of lime sherbet.”
~ Gilroy’s Finest Garlic Cookbook
Notes from Jenny’s Kitchen
• Manners: How to eat shrimp cocktail: If oversized shrimp are served in a stemmed glass, pick them up with an oyster fork and bite off a mouthful at a time, dipping into the sauce before each bite. It is too precarious to cut shrimp in this kind of dish. If large shrimp are served on a flat dinner plate, they can be cut with a knife and fork.
• Never, never pour water on flaming fat or oil – you’ll spread the fire. If the fire’s inside a pan, slap on the lid. If outside, turn off the heat and douse the flames by tossing on a handful of baking soda or salt.
• Place an open plastic bag near the telephone before you begin kneading dough or mixing meatloaf. When the phone rings (and it will), simply slip your hand in the bag before picking up the phone and avoid a sticky mess.
• End notes: “There is no great achievement that is not the result of patient working and waiting.” ~ Josiah Holland
Happy cooking!
