SobaAddict70

Less hope than when? The era of the Great Society? The late 70s in the era of high crime, riots and blackouts? The roaring 80s and the era of greed? The equally greedy 90s and the era of the "me" generation? Which era is it Steven? The underclass will always pull through. They have no choice, because no one else is gonna pull through and save them. It's a swim or sink world out there. Soba

Um, excuse me, but I am a product of one of those "low-income"persons. When we came to the United States, my mother had barely enough income to support ourselves that she was on welfare for a brief period of time before we climbed out of that hole. And I would also like to add that I worked for Burger King when I was a teenager in high school. At present, neither of us belongs to that category of being in a low-income bracket. Any way, my mother did what she had to do to get us going through that period in life. Whatever she did, none of it had to do with fast food, and she even managed to provide good food along the way. She was a single parent with an only child, newly immigrated to the United States, living in an apartment in Jersey City, working long hours at an investment banking firm in New York, commuting day to day in what was then a high crime environment (NYC in the late 1970s wasn't exactly a walk in the park), and doing what she had to do to raise a kid and survive. Weekends, she cooked for the week. One-pot meals, which could be reheated when necessary, etc. She did it with an eye towards providing enough to eat, having food on the table when she got home because quite frequently she was tired after having been up since 5:30 am every single day. Try putting yourselves in my mother's shoes -- up at 5:30 am, be at work by 8:30 am till 4:30, be home by 6, in bed by 10, and do that 5 days a week, for the next 10+ years of your life with hardly any support from your immediate family while raising a kid. I just wanted to say that *some* low-income people have the gumption to pull up their bootstraps and get through what needs to be done in life. Soba PS. Yes, this is a complicated topic, but not what the focus of this thread is about, which I believe had to do with Bayless' endorsement of a supposedly inferior product from a supposedly "inferior" fast-food establishment.

It's elitist to be an eGulleteer and not a Chowhounder. Get over it, people. Soba

Welcome, fellow BK worker. Some posters' contentions are in fact, that the sandwich isn't good -- given that matters of taste vary from person to person. If Bayless had thrown his not inconsiderable efforts towards promoting say, a low-cost or otherwise affordable sandwich made with fresh, non-processed ingredients and sold at a sandwich shop such as Subway or Au Bon Pain or some equivalent thereof, this wouldn't be a 20+ page thread and people wouldn't have gotten hot and bothered (well, mostly). But he did and it has, so... Soba

In. And while you're at it, you guys can teach me all about the differences from one hamburger to the next. Maybe at the end of this run I can get that "differentiation of palate", but right now I don't. In all honesty, a hamburger is a hamburger. I haven't learned to differentiate hamburger A from hamburger B, although I know to differentiate a big fat juicy hamburger (if you define "a hamburger" as "non-BK/McD hamburgers") from the crap served at BK and McD's. Make sense? Can't trash all fast food burgers since not all fast food sandwiches are created equal. (Sassy's and In-And-Out are two wonderful examples of replacements to BK and McD's.) Soba

ok, I'm in -- subject to work and my weekend availability. Soba

Welcome to eGullet, rachiesarah. Not wrong at all, but perhaps she was wondering why there was a rush to use all of them considering that this is an ingredient where a little goes a long way (unless you happen to be a chilehead like =Mark, in which case the more = the merrier. Or something like that. I think.) Soba

Well no, but there is something called Burger King cuisine, as in all the nifty things you can do (BOH of course with all of the ingredients at hand.) Mock Chicken Stir-fry, anyone? (Chopped unfrozen deep fried chicken tenders, sweet and sour sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and nuked in the microwave.) Spanish omelette? (egg mix for scrambled eggs, tomatoes and onions) Apple pie ala mode -- thawed nuked apple pie topped with vanilla shake. Strange, but true. All of this stuff we did without the management knowing about, after hours and close to closing time. heheh. Soba

Never mind not nuking the mayo... There is a rule which requires preppers to stir the mayo and tartar sauce occasionally, like once every so often (I've forgotten why so maybe someone can clarify). Can't be anything more disgusting than using mayo or tartar sauce that has a skin developed on top (much like the "skin" that forms as milk simmers.) Soba

I believe you. This method is the same, btw, for their chicken and fish sandwiches. Chicken or fish patties are fried in the same fryer as the fries, then held in the steamer. Their corresponding buns are usually freshly toasted (friedclams, correct me if I'm wrong?) and not held. If the sandwiches have been held in the steamer for a while and the customer does not specify freshly made, they are then nuked in the microwave while the top half is prepped (mayonnaise, lettuce and other toppings for chicken sandwiches; tartar sauce, lettuce and other toppings for the fish sandwiches. As I have not been in a BK for a lengthy amount of time, "other" means whatever toppings that sandwich requires. If the sandwich has cheese in it, the cheese gets laid on top of the chicken or fish, and gets nuked as the top half is prepped.) It may have been that that server was careless when you received your sandwiches Heather. I would've brought the oversight to the attention of the manager. Soba

So when is Part 8 coming out? Soba

Actually, this is incorrect. As friedclams has described, the burgers are cooked on a conveyor type device that flame-broils each patty and then are held in a steamer-type holding area. As each burger is made to order, the burger is then nuked in the microwave (if the burger has cheese and/or bacon, these components are added to the burger before the burger is placed in the microwave). Meanwhile the rest of the sandwich is assembled: the top half is spread with mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato are placed. When the heel components are finished cooking in the microwave and taken out, onions, pickles and ketchup are added at the last minute before the sandwich is packed up and placed in the chute. Now, I haven't worked in a BK in ages...something like 15 years, and operative procedures may have changed during that time. From what friedclams has posted, it sounds as if things haven't really changed much over the years. None of the top half components of ANY sandwich are ever microwaved -- this is the half that has the mayo, the lettuce and tomato. Oh, one other thing that you may not be aware of, but there is an actual recommended amount of ingredient that gets placed on each sandwich. Soba PS. One of the strangest orders we ever got that I remember was an all-veggie whopper. No beef, just a bun, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and ketchup. And she wanted it off the broiler. Her fries were to be HEAVILY salted. I don't mean a couple of shakes of salt. I mean HEAVY salt. edit: She wanted the bun freshly toasted.

Too late. Soba

They have not kept their prices low: do you think $5.49 is a low price for a puny 4 ounce burger, an order of fries, and two cents worth of soda? Are those New York prices? The same meal here costs about $1.50 less. Definitely New York prices, although please note that there are variations based on a franchise's location within a boro. For instance, a Value Meal #1 (Big Mac, soda, fries) at a McD's across the street from the office is about $5.37 +/- a few cents, before tax, while the same meal at the McD's near my apartment is about 20 cents less (I think). Soba

NYTimes Dining In/Dining Out Section Wednesday, 15 October 2003 The Definition Of A Hero -- An Italian Hero, That Is (Ed Levine) In London With Fergus Henderson (Amanda Hesser) Martha Stewart Is No Match For Her Creativity (Alex Wichtel) Chubo (William Grimes) Bao Noodles (Eric Asimov) Bits and Pieces (Florence Fabricant) At My Table (Nigella Lawson) The Minimalist (Mark Bittman) Eating Irradiated Food?!? (Marian Burros) Duclair Ducks (Amanda Hesser) Pairings (Amanda Hesser) Recipe: Black Bass with Watercress and Tangerine Salad Irradiated Cows Bite Back: Letters to the Editor Recipes in today's section: 1. Cod with Toasted Almond 2. Aztec Hot Chocolate Pudding 3. Denver Chocolate Sheet Cake 4. Pasta with Spinach and Blue Cheese 5. Roasted Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad Cheers, Soba

This is an incredibly pessimistic statement. We may be on one extreme end of the pendulum but eventually things have to cycle back the other way. You're also discounting the interests and efforts of people in their teens, 20s and 30s who've decided to refocus much of their views towards cooking and away from what passes for cuisine these days. This trend has been documented -- you could google for it if you wish. Witness the influx of new eGulleteers who are of these age groups who've decided to go to cooking school or those who've decided to learn the art of cooking better, if not for themselves but for others. To say that the cultural battle to keep cooking alive has been lost is defeatist and one I (and many others I am sure) refuse to accept. If this is the case, you might as well cease making statements that Bayless has betrayed his mission, accept defeat and move on. Soba

Pomi crushed tomatoes pasta basmati rice anchovies Edensoy EVOO and Mrs. Dash My roommate otoh is addicted to Ovaltine and pretzels. He'll never come around... Soba

NYTimes Weekend Report Friday, 10 October 2003 -- Sunday, 12 October 2003 The Rain In Spain... (Julia Reed) Recipes in today's section: 1. Pork Loin Marinated in Paprika and Herbs 2. Pisto 'Cesca (William Grimes) Columbus Day Cuisine Have a good week folks, Soba

Welcome to debate, eGullet-style. Oh, and welcome to eGullet as well. Soba

Cucumber salad with mint/dill is probably better, since there'll be overlap with the soup (carrot soup and carrot salad). This is, assuming he uses the soup of course. FWIW, the amount of curry in the soup should be a miniscule amount -- you're basically going for a hint of curry, not enough to state itself, but rather a shadow of a flavor. Not sure what JAZ means by "aggressive flavoring" considering that there's garlic and feta in the warm salad. The soup sets up the palate for what's to come, introducing flavors that might be "aggressive" but on a gradual basis and softened with the addition of dairy. (When I make the soup, it's usually with light cream, but since you have a rich entree, I decided to use half-and-half instead.) Hope everything works out...pls let us know how it went! Soba

I'm still here. It's pretty enjoyable seeing how other people live. Oh, btw....retagging IS allowed (not that victims are in short supply, but then again no one's said that it isn't allowed...so...) Soba

You mean I actually have to exert myself physically? McD's is way closer (to the office and to my apartment building). Soba

I confess I haven't yet been to a BK because walking to one is a project and a half...not to mention I've been trapped in the office this entire week. I promise though, really really promise to taste one soon and test the palate factor of this sandwich. Is it possible to have this sandwich "my way"? Less salsa and more roasted poblanos? Soba

Rick Bayless, Martha Stewart and Sandra Lee -- a marriage made in heaven (or hell, depending on your pov). Soba

you're having a warm salad as a main course and you want to serve another salad? hm. I think a lot depends on where you live, what's in your pantry and what's generally available at the market. You might try a curried carrot soup to start: saute onion in unsalted butter, add sliced leeks and either baby carrots or diced regular carrot. add a couple of slices of apple for a hint of sweetness if you want. add chicken stock (College Inn is fine if you're in a pinch, although keep in mind that this will affect the salt level when you adjust for seasoning). adjust seasoning -- salt, pepper, curry powder or garam masala. simmer until vegetables are cooked through, stirring occasionally. remove from heat, and while working in batches, puree in a blender or food processor. return to pot, stir in half and half, simmer for about ten to fifteen minutes. alternately you can leave out the half and half but I find that leaving it out leaves the resulting soup a bit lacking. adjust seasoning and serve immediately. I would garnish this with either chopped herbs, or a sprig of rosemary, or a couple of apple slices or maybe a poached mussel or two. alternately you can make the soup in advance, and serve as a chilled soup. because you're doing a warm salad as an entree, you might consider serving a vegetable as an accompaniament, to contrast visually with the preceding course and the main entree. simple is probably best, to offset the soup and the salad, which you've described as "somewhat rich". Balsamic vinegar is a pretty strong tasting substance, which would probably compete with the feta and the garlic. Try instead, flash stir-fried green beans (basically green beans in VERY HOT oil), with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Takes about a minute. Or roasted tomatoes -- easy, just slice tomatoes thickly, drizzle with EVOO, season with salt and pepper, and roast at 325 F for 30-45 min. or until tomatoes caramelize. dessert might be sorbet. (Haagen-Dasz, your guests will never know the difference.) You might consider jazzing it up with crushed amaretti cookies, and serving it with coffee or espresso. Soba