Female Table-flipping Across U.S. Has Food-service Industry On Edge

A rash of table flipping across the country has major restaurants in a panic. The cost of damages alone is running into the tens of thousands. Woman of all ages are taking their aggressions out on tables in public places, specifically, in major food establishments. The finer the restaurant, the more the table flipping.

“It a phenomenon like I’ve never seen before…at least not outside the State of New Jersey, until now,” one Virginia restaurant manager stated, who asked to have his name withheld.

The reasons behind the table flipping are as diverse at the women themselves. A wife of a well known state politician explained the rationale behind her recent table-flipping behavior. “I was at this upscale Italian restaurant. After dinner, I ordered the tiramisu and coffee. They brought me Sweet-n-Low instead of Splenda. I was so mad, I flipped the table,” she says with a casual shrug. “Hey, I want it how I want it, you know?”

Martha, a librarian in Ohio, explained that her recent public, table-flipping temper tantrum was due to her too-quiet love life. “My husband and I have been going through a dry spell and I was sick of it. We were sitting at a high-top at the bar in Appleby’s and I was so frustrated by our love life, I heaved the table over and screamed at him that I needed it and needed it bad.”

Martha has since reported that the sex is much better now.

“It’s very freeing for a woman to flip a table,” one nationally renowned therapist asserted. “The release of aggression in such a manner allows for the true emotions to pour forth. When a woman flips a table, it’s a serious matter. It needs to be taken seriously because she needs to be taken seriously.”

But is table flipping a cry for help?

“Not necessarily,” the therapist goes on to say, “attempted suicide is a cry for help. Kleptomania is a cry for help. Table flipping is a physical manifestation of a woman who needs to be heard, whose needs need to be met. She’s taking a last stand. It’s a way for a woman to assert that she is a force to be reckoned with. Flipping a table says to the world that this woman can stick up for herself and refuses be victimized by society’s antiquated values on how a “real” or “classy” woman should behave.

But restaurant owners beg to differ. In these tough economic times, restaurants are barely keeping afloat and the added cost of replacing broken items, the liability of anyone getting hurt, and the insurance hikes due to table-flipping just might be last straw that sends these eateries into bankruptcy.

“Please, if these women don’t stop smashing our glasses and destroying our furniture, we will be forced to close our doors forever,” one steakhouse owner lamented. “Today, it’s table flipping. Tomorrow, it’s breaking the windows. Or smashing bottles of Cristal. Where will it end?”

If one is to understand this rash of behavior, one must trace it back to its roots. Table-flipping is not new. It’s a long held tradition that can be found in certain cultures, but it has since crossed into the mainstream. This crossover had its pivotal moment during an episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. During the season finale, “Theresa” hosted a dinner party at an exclusive restaurant. Tensions ran high. A confrontation between “Theresa” and “Danielle” escalated. “Theresa” reached her breaking point and flipped a table.

To viewers and fans alike, the scene was thrilling and scandalous, sending shock waves through America. The message? You can be classy and beautiful and rich, but you don’t have to take anyone’s crap. And millions of women across the country heard that message loud and clear.

As for the worried restaurant owners, we don’t see the end of table-flipping anytime soon…not as long as we have re-runs.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs on BravoTV. To view the final flipping episode, check your local listings, however, it is recommended that you watch the NJ season in its entirety first.

Bravo.tv.com

–Diva Kimberly Llewellyn
“The Quest for the Holy Veil” — A novel; Berkley Books
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Have you ever flipped a table? Had an emotional outburst in a restaurant or other public place? Share you stories in the comments section now!

CREATIVE LEFTOVERS

Those who know me, know I’m all about cooking ahead.  I have at least two meals (often three!) in mind when I cook one.  This is a great creative outlet for me, but it also saves money.  Times are as tight as they’ve been in years and years, so read on even if you don’t like to cook.

Leftovers don’t have to be last night’s dinner warmed in the microwave oven, or what I call cuisine deja vu. *LOL* My favorite leftover recipes are burritos.  I don’t limit us to Mexican burritos, either.  (The difference between a burrito and a wrap–as I see it–is hot and cold.  A wrap is like a sandwich rolled in a tortilla; a burrito is like a hot casserole rolled in a tortilla.)  One of my favorite recipes is the Hoppin’ John Burrito.  It’s Cajun, and here’s the sequence.

Meal One: I make a Cajun dinner.  I cook lots of brown rice and black-eyed peas, about twice the number of servings I need for this meal, along with some greens, cornbread, and blackened catfish.  If you don’t mind a little spice, season the catfish with lots of Cajun spices.

Meal Two: I make dinner the next day with green beans, steamed kernel corn, grilled chicken breasts, and Hoppin’ John (made from combining the extra rice with the extra black-eyed peas and a bit of pot likker.  If you don’t know what pot likker is, you’re not from the South, are you?  Well, just season ‘em the best you can.).  After dinner, stir the leftover corn into the Hoppin’ John and refrigerate.

Meal Three:  Two or three days later–you don’t want to wear out the Cajun cuisine’s welcome by having this meal on the heels of the first two–mix the Hoppin’ John and corn with a cup of salsa (or a can of Rotel® green chilies and tomatoes) in a two-quart saucepan.  Add a cup of diced onion.  Bring all ingredients to a simmer over medium-low heat until heated through.  Meanwhile, warm eight whole wheat tortillas in the microwave oven.  Remove Hoppin’ John mixture from heat.   Divide the mixture into eight equal portions.  Spoon one portion into each of eight whole wheat tortillas, add 1 ounce of shredded Monterrey Jack (or any cheese you like) to each,  fold tortilla over, and serve.

I have many variations of the burrito theme, but let’s move on to another cuisine: Italian-American.

Meal One: Make veal Parmesan with breaded veal cutlets covered with your favorite recipe pasta sauce (I usually make my own from tomato sauce, garlic, and seasonings–lots cheaper than the jarred varieties.) and serve over whole wheat spaghetti cooked al dente. Make at least a cup more of the pasta sauce than you’ll need and refrigerate.

Meal Two: Place four whole wheat tortillas on cookie sheets.  Brush on two ounces of the leftover pasta sauce.  Add toppings of your choice, including shredded mozzarella cheese.  Bake in a 400° oven just until cheese melts, approximately ten minutes, depending on the type of pan used.  Voilá!  You have four individual pizzas.

You’ll notice I use whole grains, but that’s my choice. I like the taste of brown rice over white, and whole wheat pasta over semolina, but use whatever you like. Also, don’t forget the more obvious leftover dishes, like stir-fry, stew, and vegetable soup. My husband and I once brought back leftover steak from a restaurant dinner. The next night, I cubed the steak and made fajitas, another dish using the tortilla wraps.

Regardless of who does the “cooking ahead,” use your imagination and develop dishes for leftovers. Your family won’t know, or if they do, they won’t mind!

Diva Cheryl