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I've been drinking quite a bit of bottled water lately. We buy a brand called Ozarka at a really good price, and recycle the empty bottles. The convenience of the bottle, more than the taste of the water, is what's in it for me. Most of the year, our tap water at home is pretty decent. But in the spring, and sometimes at other times, the reservoir from which our water is taken 'turns' or something, and it turns green and smelly. And the water at work, for reasons I don't understand, is just nasty. (Same source as our water at the house.) Plus, I don't like to use the ice at work when certain co-workers have colds. There are times when I just fill up empty bottles with tap water from home, and that's fine if I'm going to be drinking it that day. Even though the bottles are freshly washed, I'm told there are issues with bacteria if holding it for longer than about a day. With a sealed "fresh" bottle, I can haul it around for a year and not worry. If I can't find Ozarka, which presumably is a product similar to Dasani and Aquafina, then the other two are fine. Occasionally I'll spring for Fiji. The other use I have for bottled water, is on my nightstand. Depending upon how much the air conditioner runs, some nights I wake up parched, and I'll break open a bottle of water at that time. We've also had a lot of allergy-inducing crap in the air this summer, and it's nice to have a bottle of water and a bottle of Tylenol beside the bed, so that I don't have to get up and actually function in the middle of the night. The sinus headaches this year have been killers. And I don't always remember to fill up a glass with water and put it by my bed, before retiring for the night. So for me, it's mainly convenience; but having something handy that I know will taste good, means I'll drink more water than I would otherwise.

Not a thing. But get with me after you hit oh, about 40-45, and we'll see if your perspective has changed. When I went on Fen-Phen, I did a 1200 calorie per day diet, with a maximum of 20 fat grams. When the effectiveness of the drug started to wane, the hunger returned --with a vengeance. It takes a long, long time, and a lot of work, to reform one's eating habits in a meaningful way. If you try to do it too fast, and go on a radical diet (such as the 1200 calorie one I was on), the average mortal just can't sustain that big a change, over a short amount of time. But that's the only thing that produces identifiable (on the scale) results. If you change your eating habits more slowly, weight loss is much slower, and it's hard to see the benefit of what you're doing, and therefore hard to keep up your enthusiasm for the task. Serious dieters understand that the diet isn't over when all the weight is lost; the struggle to maintain the loss is just beginning. Losing weight seems like it should be so easy. And so simple. And it's anything but. I've been fighting this battle for most of my life; I've found very little that works and a lot that doesn't. Currently, I'm trying to cook almost all my own food, to cut down on salt and cholesterol; and I'm also trying to get to the gym nearly every day. Although I'm determined to persevere, the house is falling into disarray, the friends are feeling jilted (including the one who just had a quadruple bypass and would love it if I'd visit), and my life, frankly, is a mess. I'm hoping it will all sort itself out. I only have a full-time job. If I had children, too, SRS probably would have already put them into foster care. If this vaccine comes out, I'll be watching to see how it goes. And after three or four years, if it still appears safe, I'll likely roll up my sleeve at the doctor's office. And breathe a big sigh of relief. The vaccine won't go to the gym for me; it will do no cooking; but it looks like it could relieve some frustration and some stress and make the whole thing easier. If it works, is affordable, and the side effects are minimal, it will be worth it.

Having done Fen-Phen, I'm a little older and wiser than before. But not thinner. First, if it's a one-shot deal --or close to it-- that might be okay. But I learned from Fen-Phen that the drug may be great, but when you stop taking it, for whatever reason, you're back where you started. I'm not interested in falling into that trap again. Of course you tell yourself that once you get it off, you'll do whatever you have to do, to never gain it back, but the hunger and the cravings eventually get the better of you, and your best intentions go to hell. And then there are the health effects. I got out of Fen-Phen with my heart intact but not my memory, and so when The Next Big Thing comes out, I'll let everybody else be guinea pigs for a few years, and see what happens.

Just came back from the Post Office, where I bought a new book of stamps. The theme is "Crops of the Americas" and they feature some lovely renderings of peppers, corn, squash, etc. For the foodie who has everything! Edited to add link: click

I never thought ANYTHING would make me think about going to another state fair, but I think you've done it!

I'd have better luck training a Labrador, but thanks for the suggestion nonetheless. ← Oh, thanks. Now I have Diet Rite dripping out of my nose and all over my keyboard. Edit: I'd offer Fred's services, but he'd eat all the corn before he got there. And the vet says that if we're going to let him eat anymore corncobs (as if we actually allowed him to have the last ones), we need to boil them to mush FIRST. The last ones he got were pretty rough on his gut...

Judy: That's what men are for. You stay with the pot of boiling water and have the SO do the running and picking. As for the quitter/survivor question, I definitely weigh in on the survivor side. In the late 80's the Wichita Eagle reprinted sections of the diary of a settler named Leon Fouquet. Although I don't remember his motivations for settling here, other than perhaps being given some land as a homesteader, I do remember that the conditions under which he lived were incredibly harsh. Perhaps the early settlers were unsure of the stories of what they'd find when they reached the west coast, and decided to settle for a sure bet here. In any event, they have my respect and admiration. Myself... I never would have had the courage to do it.

I'll get you an address and PM it to you. Don't forget about DeFazio's on north Amidon. They, too, have pickled eggplant, although I don't know whether their salad dressing and olives are the same as Angelo's. They do have a yummy mushroom soup, and their canneloni carbonara is delicious. The pizza's pretty good, too. Someone once told me that DeFazio's was once an Angelo's, but was purchased by someone who worked there; hence, the similarity in quality and cuisine. I agree with you about the chains. They're taking over Wichita. There was an article in the Eagle last week, encouraging people to write in an nominate a chain restaurant as an anchor for the new Water Walk. It made me sad that it was a foregone conclusion that only a chain would be considered, when we have some excellent restauranteurs in town.

Ethnic spots also include Mamasan's (now under new ownership; giving the new guys a try sounds like a good project for this weekend), El Torrero in Andover, and there's a new Cafe Tu Tu location somewhere around Central and St. Francis. I think your question about feeding the stranger is intriguing. I'd definitely take them to Carriage Crossing in Yoder, but we'd have to visit several other places before we'd have a complete picture; they would have to include Middle Eastern, Southeast Asian, and Mexican. We also have an African restaurant that might bear checking out.

WalMart carries them here. I don't know how the prices compare to other places. The bags are extremely stury and even re-useable, so I would think they'd be fine for sous vide.

In a devastating piece of news, the Wichita Eagle reported this morning that Angelo's restaurant has gone out of business, as of closing last night: Link to story Owner Jack Fasciano attributes the closing, in part, to the influx of chain restaurants in the area: But there is hope; Fasciano, in the story, indicated he believes there's a niche in smaller-scale "mom and pop" restaurants, and he may eventually open a smaller one. But he did indicate he thought others, currently being run on a larger scale, are in danger. Red Mesa Grill recently closed, and attributed its demise, in part, to the arrival of several chains. (Personally, I would attribute it to mediocre food.) TGI Friday's is the most recent arrival, having apparently opened within the past couple of weeks.

I don't know if there is an identifiable cuisine for Kansas. Most of the meals at my sister's third-generation-farmer in-law's house, are basics like fried chicken, roast beef, potatoes, etc. For celebrations, pits were dug, and meat was wrapped in foil and roasted for hours. Sides for all of these meals were mashed potatoes, potato salad, three-bean salad, cinnamon apple rings, jello salads, and various fresh and canned vegetables. However, in that same area of the state, the Hispanic and Vietnamese influences are growing, and the cuisine, if there is one, is evolving. In Wichita, where I live, the mid-Eastern influences long ago entered the local culture, and definitely changed it for the better. IMHO, some of the best food in the state can be had at the various little places run by immigrants who cook much as they did in their native country. But as Big Country said, a hot beef sandwich and piece of pie is an area specialty, and can be a great meal. One of the better places to have such a meal is at the Carriage Crossing Restaurant in Yoder, where you will often find horse-and-buggy rigs in the parking lot next to Cadillacs and Escorts. The pie, especially, is excellent. I've never found gravy in a restaurant that tasted anywhere as good as my mom's, so it's difficult for me to recommend the hot beef anywhere but at her house, and I don't think she makes much of it anymore. And don't listen to everything Big Country says. One of the finest meals in these parts can be had at the restaurant where he's chef... although it's not actually in Kansas. Welcome to eGullet, dinger! Whereabouts do you live?

Since I have no direct descendants, I anticipate most of my stuff will be sold at a garage sale, and it's my fervent prayer that some aspiring cook will find a treasure or two there, and excitedly call a friend to gush about the great "score" they just made.

Our predominant local grocery chain, Dillons (owned by Kroger) is expanding its store at Central and Rock Road. This particular location is already the place in town to find a wider variety of ingredients than other stores carry. It's where I go to buy certain fresh vegetables and herbs, canned cannelini beans, and other things that just aren't available in my neighborhood store. Now, they're adding another 30,000 square feet, for a total of 110,000. The good news is that the food selections will increase: The not-so-good news is that other selections will also increase: The story indicates this is a concept already being used in other states such as Michigan and Ohio. I guess it remains to be seen whether the new store will carry a really nice variety of excellent food, or whether the "gourmet" offerings are just an attempt to turn the store into an upscale WalMart. They do occasionally offer things like end tables, etc., most of which is cheap crap very similar to that carried by WalMart. It should be completed next spring. Stay tuned.

I had a conversation last weekend with a guy who raises and sells free range chickens. I asked him about getting some parts for stockmaking from him, and he told me that adding chicken feet produces a stock of superior flavor. While I find this quite believable, I've not heard much about it. I'm certainly willing to give it a try. eGullet, naturally, would be the perfect place to find people who've tried it, or who even do it regularly. Do the feet add significant flavor to the stock, to the point where I need to be concerned about ratios of feet to other ingredients? What differences should I expect?

How about a classic cherry pie or a cherry crisp? If all else fails, send them to me! I have 5 pies' worth in my freezer, but there's always room for more.

*BUMP* I wanted to bump this thread up again and see if I can't get more discussion going on it. This last weekend at our local farmer's market, I encountered a guy who raises cattle on grass. At the risk of sounding like a foodie, blindly riding the grass-fed trend, I really wanted to love the T-bone steaks I bought from him. God knows I parted with plenty of cash for them. I not only didn't love them, I didn't like them very much at all. The flavor is different, but is something I could certainly get used to. The steaks were dry and not tender at all. The dryness is probably due, at least in part, to being somewhat overcooked, which can be corrected easily enough. Here's my question: are there cooking or preparation methods that could be used that would make a grass-fed steak more tender? Do marinades do any good? There was a mention, up thread, about grilling with indirect heat, which is what we do for chicken, so we're familiar with the method for doing that. These steaks were prepped by coating with a little olive oil, and salt and pepper. Comments and advice, anybody? I really would like to support this rancher by purchasing more of his product, but if I can't find a way to improve the texture of the beef, that won't be happening. I'm aware that some individual animals just taste better than others, and I'm willing to allow for that. But I think I need more than just the luck of the draw to put more grass-fed beef in my future.

We'll need to see pictures, of course. On behalf of Heartland eGulleters, let me express my appreciation for your sacrifice.

Some abilities to smell certain things are known to be hereditary. When I worked in the local coroner's office, every staff member had to smell a sample of cyanide so that we could have a record of who could, and could not, smell it. I suppose the plan was, that if cyanide poisoning was suspected, a staff member who had tested positive for their ability to identify it, could be brought into the lab. But we were told that our ability to detect the bitter almond smell of cyanide was hereditary. Knowing that, I would think it entirely possible that other types of chemicals and/or compounds would be smelled more strongly by some members of the population than others. We do know that some people are supertasters, and have more taste buds than the rest of the population. And the perfume industry hires individuals that have an ability to detect and identify certain substances. While I've not heard of your specific situation before, I have no trouble understanding what you're talking about. My question is, is it a blessing or a curse?

I disagree. After a meal like that, any reaction that doesn't necessitate an appearance by the county coroner, is a reasonable one. I was going to snivel about my father-in-law's potato salad, but at this point I feel pretty lucky. I mean, the rest of the meal was edible! And if you can't be catty and mean about other people's food on eGullet, then where can you?

That may actually be a strong point for cake decorators and pastry chefs. Usually, when one views a movie or TV show based on one's own profession, it's nearly unwatchable because of various shortcuts the movie maker must take to advance the story. Talk to a police officer about NYPD Blue, or a coroner about CSI, or a lawyer about one of the law shows. The factual compromises made for the sake of the plot can ruin the whole thing for an insider.

I take classes at the local Williams-Sonoma (and a couple of other places) from time to time, and almost every class presents some sort of issue, in which the chef's understanding differs from my own. Since I'm fairly widely read, I always have the urge to say something. Since I'm also not a highly accomplished cook, I always resist that urge. The product: several interesting topics that I've researched later and learned much more about, including a couple that I've brought to eGullet, and learned much, much more about. There's a lot to be said for keeping one's mind open, and mouth shut.

As a certified cat lover (I have 4, and have had as many as 7), part of me is really horrified to learn of this. However, as has been pointed out above, the way we kill animals that our society has decided are acceptable to eat, probably isn't much more humane. Last summer, I made friends with a duck who lived in a fenced-in natural area near our house. Twice a day, "Lonesome Duck" would stand at the fence near my house, and wag his tail enthusiastically as I approached with a small bowl of cracked corn. He was a Muscovy, and easily the ugliest living thing I have ever seen. He had a huge amount of knobby wattling across his beak and surrounding his eyes, and at first I assumed it was some sort of cancerous growth. A little research indicated that's characteristic of the breed. Although I tried not to get attached to him, I did, knowing my heart was going to get broken. And at the end of July, Lonesome Duck came no more. We didn't have binoculars, but I'm pretty sure the white mound I saw about 75 feet inside the fence, was whatever was left of Lonesome Duck. We've seen various predators in the area from time to time, and since he was apparently unable to fly, he seems to have met an end very typical of the way nature works. And even though Lonesome's end was entirely natural, I haven't been able to eat duck since. I can't help but wonder if my own horror (not pointing any fingers at anyone else, here) over reading about dogs and cats being eaten, isn't a bit hypocritical. Just because we've chosen them to domesticate, does that make them any more worthy of not dying in pain, than pigs, cattle, and fowl? Or do I really want to start this conversation....?

I do need to get better at using vegetable leftovers, especially. I read something the other day about unused mushroom trimmings, and how one should toss them and some water in a saucepan, and the water can be added to vegetable stock as flavor. Sounds good to me! We do, however, retrieve the carrots used to flavor chicken stock, and give them to the dog. He smells chicken, he thinks he's getting chicken, he's actually getting vegetables, and we're all happy. By the way... our vet told us a few weeks ago that dogs shouldn't be given chicken fat, including gravy. I think he said it embolizes in the pancreas. But he thinks the chicken flavored carrots are just fine --very little fat in them.

Thinking out loud. . .and salivating: Bacon's awfully good with stuff like broccoli and brussels sprouts. So make a salad (as in chicken salad, tuna salad, egg salad--that kind of salad) of chopped up bacon, chopped seeded tomatoes, chopped broccoli (roasted, maybe?). Add some red onion, maybe. Could add diced cheese of some sort. Bind together with mayo, and borrowing ludja's idea of basil mayo might not be a bad idea. One broccoli salad recipe I make contains sunflower seeds, and my husband's suggested pine nuts as a substution in that salad, so maybe either of those could be added in this concoction. No reason you couldn't have lettuce on this sandwich if you wanted to. This should be a fine weekend for experimenting!