misstenacity

I've done the Pizzaria Bianco tango for 90 minutes.... great experience and worth it do to at least once. Santa Fe has one of these critters, too: Cafe Pasqual's. I have NOT done this wait, as the times I was there I was hungry NOW, and also have had rather chilly reception from the front-desk person. Finally, I've stood under a warm sun for 90 minutes for The Griddle. In a sense this was my group's fault - we went at 11 a.m. on a Saturday. Yep. However, watching the glitterati wannabes and the maitre'gay dude flit around keeping everyone happy was very fascinating. So, it was worth it. And those pancakes, holy crap! So, some are worth it for the ancillary experiences, especially if you do not arrive completely famished. Andrea in Albuquerque

Inflating of serving sizes can, in some cases, be a good thing. Case in point: my usual stir-fry. Take one 5-serving bag of frozen "stir fry" veggies (Harvest Hodgepodge is a nice one, from Trader Joe's), and cook/combine in the desired stir-fry manner. 5 servings my butt! One package = one serving. I like my veggies a pound at a time, please... Andrea http://foodpart.com

Here's a great blog post on how to do it in a pan with butter.... no sous vide required! Slow Egg on Paupered Chef Enjoy! Andrea http://foodpart.com

I made a "PI-are-squared" in the form of bread pudding, complete with PIeces of torn-up sweet bread (TJ's pumpkin loaf) as the filler. Darn tasty, and no PI dough to deal with. Andrea http://tenacity.net

It's a good issue, but it isn't completely without influence - the "super duper eat-more-American-shrimp" organization has recently launched a massive ad campaign to ..... ...wait for it.... ... get people to eat more Wild American Shrimp. Study on Marketing Blitz An (eek) powerpoint presentation on the marketing thing... Old Press Release from 2004 on shrimp promotion And even more.... google search for shrimp marketing.... Now, I'm not saying that that's a bad thing, but know that Saveur didn't just pluck this story idea out of nowhere. I like shrimp. I've had very icky shrimp from China. If they can bring in tasty shrimp domestically and not kill insane amounts of other critters, I'm all for it. Andrea http://foodpart.com

Let's get it out of the way that I am about as far from being in Friday's "pocket" as you can get, but they are responding to the portion-fiasco in a way that is, I hope, sustainable: TGI Friday's introduces "right size" portions Given that this must have been in the works for many months now, with the extreme eating article newly out, they couldn't have timed this much better, IMO.

Oh, good lord. Haagen Dazs has just fulfilled many of our fantasies with its "Reserve" line: Brazilian Acai Sorbet Amazon Valley Chocolate Pomegranate [chocolate] Chip Hawaiian Lehua Honey & Sweet Cream Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle (sounds like one of the finalists from the last contest...) ...and they added Cinnamon Dulce de Leche to the "Light" line-up. I'm all for the Honey & Cream, and starting the stakeout at my local store... Andrea

On a few occasions I've purchased those little single-serve Black Diamond aged cheddar slices for snacks. The cheese is bland but not horrible with a little bit of sharp twang - not bad for something so easily aquired and stored in a pocket or purse. The second or third time I looked at the label to see where it came from, and saw, "...Mayville, WI". That's my hometown! ...but now I see sad news about Black Diamond's company, DCI, regarding Mayville: Plant Closing. Now, if I want cheap hometown cheese I'll have to buy SQUEEZE CHEESE! Andrea http://tenacity.net

"staleocity" - state of being horribly grossly stale. Made up last night for my weekly blog post on Duke City Fix Andrea in Albuquerque http://foodpart.com

My two latest samplings (inspired by the NoKa take-down on Dallasfood.org), were Bonnat Chuao and 100%: I've had one or two other hundred-percents before, and this was by far superior - amazing texture (from the loads of cocoa butter, of course), and that now-familiar "winey" taste that is more pronounced when eating raw cacao nibs. The Chuao 75% was also quite good - intense color, hard snap to the bar, no visible flaws - and flavor was, to my untrained palate, yummy. Now, if I had a line-up of Chuao and/or a line-up of Bonnat I might be able to do a better comparison, but overall the only conclusion I can make is that Bonnat makes very good (and somewhat expensive, at $8 for a 100g bar) chocolate. Andrea http://tenacity.net

First it was B Riley Fresh Herbs, then it was Fresh Herbs, Inc..... now it is just "Riley's", after being sold to Winston & Rufus Inc, the company that owns Casa Vieja (a restaurant in the North Valley). The punch line (ow) is that they no longer sell to consumers, only restaurants/retailers, and their selection has gone down yet again. From a local restauranteur I hear this is a good thing, as they have also cut prices slightly. They might be in talks with a retail establishment in town to carry their produce, but I don't know if that will happen or if the prices won't be as good because the 3rd party will mark up, etc.... I hope it turns out. Andrea in Albuquerque

I appreciate the mention. I had bookmarked this topic for when I returned home today, and here I am. Send me an email or pm and we should be able to quickly determine if I can help make your wedding delicious. Congratulations! Andrea andrea@tenacity.net

We can talk about our take on the rise & fall of chains, but the consumer spending trends don't lie: Cheesecake Factory still raking it in... I get the "Restaurant News Resource" RSS feed, and it has interesting info, now and then. Not a bad site if you like to follow these kinds of trends, like Small Kiosks in Large Office Buildings. Andrea in Albuquerque, home to NOT ONE Cheesecake Factory, because of this place and their trademark battle: Dee's Cheesecake Factory

Haagen Dazs already has a black walnut flavor, if you've not seen it: http://www.haagendazs.com/segicd.do?productId=234 Andrea in Albuquerque

Depending on the company, test marketing moves around: I recall having one of the first Taco Bell Gorditas about 8 or 9 years ago in the Denver area, at least six months before they were unleashed on the world. Regarding portion size, I think that we all THINK they have to come down, but I'm not sure it's going to happen anytime soon. Cheesecake Factory is still going strong, last I heard. Profitability in some chains seems to be edging towards a 15 page long specialty drinks menu, as I discovered at Elephant Bar, where the food definitely took a back burner in quality. But like many of the big chains here in Albuquerque, as soon as the place opened up there were 90 minute waits to get a table. I attempted to write a pretty bad review, but it ended up milder than it could have: Elephant Bar and it's lack of Oomphness Other trends seem to be in the mid-high range dining - chains that command $20 plate prices and up. Or perhaps that's just here, and we're late to the party... I'd like it if major chains did split themselves up into more pointed concepts, from healthy to regional and beyond. Andrea in Albuquerque

Actually, the way that I would interpret the original post is strikingly different: those that grew up during the Depression and had internal weaknesses were 'killed off' early in their adult lives, very similar to even ancient times. Those that had a better genetic chance at a full life fulfilled that promise, and THEN SOME by dint of the enormous amount of "last third of life" medicinal advances. In a nutshell, it seems to be that it is the same as always - some die young because they were "meant to", some live longer. BUT, those who are currently elderly are living well beyond the 40 or so years they would have in preceding centuries, having survived genetic maladies and then getting our modern technology to boot. [i'm re-reading my own words above, and I think I could phrase them more succinctly, but I hope ya'll know where my sentiment is going, regardless....] Andrea in Albuquerque

YES, yes, yes! I have been diligently reading this thread, piling up replies upon replies in my head until overflowing, and finally I must comment on this post because it's a biggie for me. (I promise I'm still reading all the rest of the thread... and I've done the 'required' reading, as well! ) The reason to eat real food rather than supplements is simply that we don't know what's in real food that makes our digestion 'tick'. Just from one aggregator source alone, I got 152 hits for the search, "new vitamin". The interactions of nutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, minerals, fibers, et cetera from a leaf of kale (or a glass of wine, or a venison steak for that matter) is something far more complicated than we hope to reproduce by taking iron supplements for energy or resveratrol for those red-wine benefits. It was mentioned upthread that people are going to get all the nutrients they need "unless they go on a 1200 calorie per day diet", which was implied to have the promise of extended life. Whether or not a diet of caloric restriction will ultimately enhance OR extend life won't be known for awhile, its adherents are certainly getting MORE than their RDA amounts of nutrients, both known and unknown, because of the insane variety and amounts of plant foods that they eat. Romaine lettuce has one of the best nutrient profiles per calorie of any food, and you can eat a boatload of it for a mere 100 calories or so.... and it just goes on from there. People "on" Calorie Restriction are a curious bunch. They enjoy their food, but only after an adjustment period to change their palates, and keeping track of known nutrients is time-consuming yet rewarding for most of them. All of it fascinates me, but before I venture too far down this path, find out all you've ever wanted to know about this and more here and here. I think the Egg McMuffin deserves the food equivalent of the "lifetime achievement award", so brilliant it is.... and I enjoy them at about the rate of 1 or 2 a year. Even an Egg McMuffin is not all that processed - it's bread, plus "cheese", plus ham, plus an egg (yolk visible and all!) - compared to my other convenience-food weakness: meal replacement bars. Ugh. Would I be better off eating cottage cheese and fruit rather than my beloved Balance Bars? Oh, probably. But that's another issue, not for this thread. Great comments and writing so far, everyone. I am thoroughly enjoying this romp. Andrea in Albuquerque http://tenacity.net

Fresh Herbs, Inc on Copper just East of Juan Tabo. Nearly invisible "storefront", but good produce and cheap prices. They supply many restaurants in town. Also, Talin Market on Lousiana & Central. Andrea http://andrealin.vox.com

Is this something worth doing instead of just finding the good little spots, both upscale and hole-in-the-wall? Anyone participated before that would do so again....? Thanks! Andrea in Albuquerque

One of my all-time favorite restaurant desserts is (was) from a local restaurant called Ambrozia. It was a gorgonzola cheesecake on a 'normal' graham crust, the sweet of the cheesecake complementing the salt and tanginess of the cheese. Plating was done with candied walnuts, crispy dried apple slices and some type of a caramel sauce. But the walnuts & apples were awesome flavor complements to the gorgonzola. Everything came together really well. Mmmmm.... Here's a recipe, though not from Ambrozia: Gorgonzola Cheesecake. It was replaced by a goat cheese cheesecake which was fine but not the same. There is no cheesecake on the menu currently. Andrea http://andrealin.vox.com

Trader Joe's Harvest Hodgepodge is my favorite blend, as well as Costco's "Stir Fry Vegetables". Frozen veggies are definitely my friends - many a dinner would be more complicated without them. Andrea http://tenacity.net

One item that I thought I've heard mentioned as a "typical" Laotian dish is beef jerky that is deep-fried until crisp/chewy with chilies and served with a spicy tomato dipping sauce.... Does this fit it to the regional cuisine, or are my sources just misleading me? Andrea

The National Restaurant Association just listed their top trends for 2007, which I imagine is getting lots of media attention. The Press Release from NRA I was, however, far more interested in their list of items that are "receiving less interest", kind of an anti-trendy roundup. Here's the relevant paragraph from the release: "Topping the list of items receiving less interest are Scandinavian cuisine, starfruit, organ meats/sweetbreads, Ethiopian cuisine, kiwi, edible flowers/rose petals, blackened items, low-carb dough, soda bread and fruit soups. Other items on the non-trendy list include German cuisine, taro, low-carb items, foams, okra, vichyssoise, meat salad, consommé, catfish and cold soups." Interesting mix, from recent personal faves okra and catfish to (obvious) contenders from the low-carb arena, to "Ethiopian cuisine"(!). Yikes. Andrea in Albuquerque

Some of the buffets do have signs that say "you will be charged for wasted food", but I've never seen that hapen - and it certainly has not happened to me. The only time I have seen this is at an AYCE sushi house - not a buffet. The rolls and nigiri were all you can eat, but if you picked the fish off the nigiri and left rice behind, they added the price of those pieces on top of your bill. So, $19.95 tab plus $4 for those two salmon nigiri and $7 for that mackerel.... it adds up! Regarding the strategies for buffets, the rule I've found to be the most predictive of a good dining experience is the first one on the list - get there when everything is brand-spanking-new. Even if you have to eat lunch at 11 a.m., it's worth it. My trips to a local Chinese buffet have been worlds apart due to good timing once and bad timing other occasions... Andrea

I just saw a movie that had Maggie as a chichi cake baker, but it was just OK. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0402230/ Andrea in Albuquerque