Carrot Top

These stories are making me feel as if they would be good episodes for "The Twilight Zone". Very nice (almost) first post, jvictor930! Same to Jenikaye. . .great story. . .

Guess it depends on what sort of chemicals they were using when they were making the tie-dye. . .

Yes, it is rewarding to offer the opportunity for greater and possibly expanded pleasures to one's friends or lovers or family. Yet if they finally, do not take the bait and rise to it. . . (?) I do not think I have ever seen a gravestone that said: Elizabeth Julia Spinkower (or whatever) In a life well lived, she finally overcame the worst of burdens. . .a liking for Olive Garden. RIP

Ah, my dear, the glass is always completely full. Some of it is filled with air, and some of it is filled with liquid, but it is always full. It just depends on which part you wish to see. ← Mmm, hmmm. Absolutely. And I am happy as long as the air part is not all "hot air"!

What sort of spooks me about this discussion is that while one most certainly can make some good superficial judgements about people based on their tastes in many areas (including that of a restaurant choice for dinner) there is so much more to every human being than what they show in their displays of taste within one area or another. I am sure that each one of us, if we look closely enough, is not picture perfect in all ways 24 hours a day each day of every year that we live. Tastes change. . .hopefully they grow in ways. . .we are not static as beings, unless we are frozen in time. One can judge a person on so many things. Restaurant choice. How they dress. Their pattern of speech. Their education or lack of it. How good their hair looks today. On and on and on. Not to get too serious about it, but seriously. . .some of these old sayings like, "Let those who are without sin throw the first stone". . .and "Judge not lest ye be judged" and "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones". . .all those wonderfully frightening old saws have some pretty great truths in them. What do you want to be judged on? When and by whom? Would you make the cut? Have you ever been judged on something that you considered superficial. . . much to your own sadness and possibly to the detriment of others or of the situation? The glass truly is half full, if you want it to be.

Yeah. . .still a couple of those places in Staten Island, huh? But the vests are not always for protection from the diners. . . Nice "little" list there, rich. Do feel free to add more ideas as they come along!

This is the only place I hit this weekend in the intended trip to the "Shenandoah Valley" because with my usual disregard for geography, my real destination was actually about 100 miles beyond that! (Gettysburg, Harpers Ferry etc.) I stopped in on the way back around lunchtime. About a mile past the exit, in an old-fashioned small town. The Southern Kitchen has a nice big sign of the 1950's type out front. . .almost kitsch-y but not overdone. Same thing inside. Not a fancy menu. . .just reg'lar stuff. I was slightly hurried so I just ordered a BLT. The really interesting thing was the atmosphere. . .the decor was picture-perfect 1965 but again, not faked or overdone. . .it was just "there". And the atmosphere was the same. Families sat with amazingly well-behaved children and couples sat together that had been married for so long that they completely resembled each other. What struck me was the total lack of angst. There was no hurry in the air, yet no feeling of slowness either. There was no anything "in-your-face". It really felt like Eisenhower was still the president! (Well, I'm not "quite" that old but almost! ) So very simple, easy, pleasant. The sandwich was fine. . .it was exactly as it should have been for the place. But the waitresses. . .yes. Here's the other wierd thing about that place. I felt as if any one of those waitresses could have been picked up and transported to a fine-dining situation in a split second and they would have done a great job at it without missing a beat. They were "there" at the right time without that "coffeepot in your face" sort of thing that happens so often. And many other small clues. ..................................................... Ate the little lunch, paid the check, and was back on the highway within (gasp!) half an hour. And it felt. . .right, though rather amazing. Thanks for the tip, Holly.

It has happened to all of us, I imagine. You are hungry. . .looking for somewhere good to eat. . .the options might be numerous in variety or extremely limited. You know nothing about any of these places except what shows in the front window. Finally, out of starvation and bewilderment, you make a choice and walk into a place, hoping that the meal will be good and the place welcoming. Sometimes, though, this doesn't happen. There is a moment of epiphany when you just know you've walked into the wrong place to eat. This weekend it happened to me. It was a tourist-y town in northern Virginia. The place was Italian, with nicely shining windows and polished brass details gleaming. No menu posted. White tablecloths showing on the tables. We entered and were greeted. The leatherette bound menus were taken along with us to the table with a smile. All was well and fine until that moment. My epiphany? You know you're in the wrong place to eat when one side of the menu is six pages of plastic laminate with big colorful shiny pictures of chicken nuggets and spagetti with meatballs and the other side of the menu is a print-out tied on with gold stretchie things, offering four or five specials like "Toasted Ravioli with Fresh Vegetables in a Creamy Curry Sauce" . . .(and all the specials are priced at $24.95 per entree). Anyone else have any stories of this sort to share. . .so we all can tatoo them on our memories and run in fear when they see them happening in our own lives?

How do they measure stomach capacity, robyn? I am curious. . . I am also curious about what drew these people towards this. . .activity. . .or "sport" in the first place. Just something arbitrary? A love of food? The idea of a contest where money might be won? Bravado? It is interesting, as I simply can not imagine wanting to do this, myself. . . On the website there is a sentence stating that competitive eating is one of the oldest of "sports". I am wondering what references there have been to it in antiquity, that would allow the "federation" (which seems to me more of a public relations organization than anything else) to say this. There is certainly more to this thing than I ever would have imagined. . .it always seemed to me to be something mostly done at County Fairs that was more along the lines of winning a stuffed animal for one's girlfriend than the big professional thing it appears to be!

Looks like I'll have to do a back-search of the Times as well as reading from the links you all have posted. Sigh. I try to avoid reading newspapers often, especially on-line, because nothing else gets done, including reading the endless piles of books here (that I really prefer to read!) And of course eGullet cuts into time for everything. . .maybe even including cooking a decent meal! Thanks, all. Karen

Yes, you could be right about the fact that "food" is not as complicated as the subjects you speak of except for the part of it that is more. . .sigh. I don't have the right word. . .personal? Ethereal? Un-sort-out-able in ways that people think of it? It is the "softer" part of food that makes it a squiggly sort of thing to think about when going beyond the preparation, policies of all sorts, or specific cultural meanings. Several discussions lately seem to have revived my own interest in this concept (which always lays latent. . .food to me is not just a past profession, or not even just a burning interest for the most part. . .moreso to me there is something conceptual about it and the ways people think and feel about it that consistently fascinates me). . .the "Food as Religion" thread and the Julie Powell thread both re-opened questions in my mind as to. . .well, to really try to figure out what it is that I am trying to say! I don't exactly mean the softer subjects such as the joys of gathering around the table either. . .although these are certainly "starter" subjects, as are the "harder" subjects you mentioned before. I'm just curious to see what is covered in this format of op-ed and how it has been done. I like ideas and like to see how people put them together. . .and if I ever figure out what it is that I myself want to say about "food as concept" it would be great to see what "worked", what didn't, and what ideas have been used in the past to back up the concepts that the op-ed writers have offered up so far. Heh heh. Clear enough? I have to run off to drive to the Shenandoah Valley so can't focus in on making this any clearer, but am so looking forward to anything that anyone can suggest as reading material in this form! And bloviatrix, thank you for that link. . .will definitely read it a bit later! Karen

I am curious about the subject of food as it is; could be; or has been used as a subject of Op-Eds by writers. Do you know of any op-ed piece that has had food (and its many manifestations) as its subject? (Beside the Julie Powell piece which is discussed in another thread. . .) If so, what was the specific argument being made on the part of the writer, and was it, finally, successfully made for the most part? Although there are many books that I can think of that have points-of-view on food being espoused, I just can not gather any ideas of any numbers of op-ed pieces that have been done. . .can you direct me as to who does this (if they do) and where? I am wondering if, in the final analysis, food might be a difficult subject to strip down enough to easily do a successful op-ed, which by its nature, must be in a rather short form. What do you think?

Ah, now. Don't be so hard on yourself. . . Actually, now I remember that too, and I think he was Japanese from Japan. And I also remember that the top winner of one of these contests sometime recently was a tiny little sprig of a girl. . .about 19 years old and in the area of 115 lbs. So. . .I guess size doesn't always matter!

I'm also wondering if this is a peculiarly American idea, the idea of competitive eating as a sport, or whether it has happened at other times and places. . .

Mmm. Sometime in the past year I read a book (fiction) (can't remember the name of it at the moment) . . .where the protagonist was a young teenage girl who ran away from home along with her brother (for some romantic-type reason having to do with a breakup one of them had with their girlfriend or boyfriend, not for any terrible home situation). The plan was that he would support them in their travels by doing competitive eating, either in formal competitions or just in places where he could gather a crowd that would bet for a win on how much he could eat. The kicker was that she was anorexic. And her brother did not really know this fact. What a tale. . .the tension between her reality and his. . .and the fact of what he did to make enough money to support them. . .(and since they were living out of a car, the support was basically just for gasoline and . . .food!) And the scenes of the excitement of the crowds when he was "competing". Whew.

Hmmm. Nobody else could take it, either, huh? It was interesting that there were two commercial sponsors: Alka-Seltzer (heh, heh) and The Federation of Competitive Eating. The Federation posted its website, with an underlying low imposing intonation made by the announcer that competititve eating was "the fastest growing sport in the world". (In so many ways, I thought to myself!) Here is the link to the website: http://www.ifoce.com/ Anybody know anyone that competes in Competitive Eating as a sport? What are your thoughts on this phenomena?

Sounds like a perfect meal. My first thought for a dressing was a spicy tomato vinaigrette. . .but then that might be too tomato-ey. Second thought was that something like a Green Goddess, but lighter in texture and sparked up with fresh cilantro and fresh mint might be interesting. . . Of course the children would love Ranch, I bet.

Here's one I just thought of putting together: Tender escarole (not the tough old heavy stuff) leaves chopped fairly fine tossed with a bit of good olive oil, sherry vinegar, a touch of salt and a generous amount of fresh ground pepper. . .top with a claw from a fresh Maine lobster right smack dab in the center. . .(an extra one from the batch steamed for dinner last night bien sur ) that will then be topped with a swath of fresh lemon mayonnaisse. For the counterpoint, steam some mussels in white wine and a splash of Pernod with a battuto of aromatics that would include onion, carrot, fennel, and flat-leaf parsley. . .steam then gently remove when finished, while allowing some juices and aromatics to remain nestled inside the shells. Mussels in shells to be arranged around lobster claw in slightly casual manner. What do you think? Any ideas for improvement? I might try this when I get back from my weekend trip. . .

Mmm. And steak salads are really so pleasant for a casual meal in the summertime! The steak that I had this time was truly so excellent to start off with that I wanted to keep the extra flavors on the simple side. . .but when I can't find a piece of meat with a distinguished flavor, I use a stronger dressing to top it. The two dressings that I tend to use over and over are a very mustard-y vinaigrette with minced shallots, capers, and fresh thyme. . . and an oriental-style dressing similar to a mayonnaisse but thinner, made with a soy sauce-star anise-garlic reduction, flavored with sesame oil. . .scattered with fine-cut scallions to finish. I wonder what other people out there might be using as dressings for their steak salads?

Ah. I think this is the point of it right here, Melissa. The problem is not lack of Trader Joe's in Atlanta. . .it is that you went the wrong place for vacation. Your daughter should not live in such a nice place as California with all these things around to tempt you. She should live in some place that you could visit where Atlanta would look great in comparison! Please. Do yourself a favor. ( ) Next time you go somewhere, go somewhere WORSE than Atlanta. It will make you feel better. . .

That should not happen on Arthur Avenue, Rachel. They are ruining their good name! You are lucky to have tomatoes growing, though. Soon your own Caprese will be ready and delicious. . . Last week I had some great arugula from the Farmers Market and a good skirt steak. Tossed the arugula with a balsamic vinaigrette, rubbed some herbs and garlic onto the steak, and cut up some zucchini, yellow squash, and onions in slices about 1/3" thick and seasoned them with salt and freshly ground pepper. Heated the griddle on the stove, brushed with more olive oil and grilled the veggies and steak. All done, sliced the steak on the diagonal. Arugula on plates, steak fanned out on top with juices left on the plate after slicing poured over it, veggies cuddling up next to it. Served with a pleasant rosemary-olive oil bread gently heated in the oven. Easy, quick. . .and yummy!

The world contest of Competitive Eating is showing on ESPN (eating is now a sport, everyone! ) at this very moment. Naturally, it is being held in Las Vegas. I can't watch it, myself. . .but thought I would post for anyone who might be interested. Enjoy! And do write in, if you watched, and tell us your thoughts. . .

That is fantastic, hathor! No, I haven't dreamt scents but have dreamt of talking of scents and have smelled them in my dream, but not in the visceral way you describe. The sense of smell is supposedly the strongest of our senses in terms of memory retention. People will remember exactly what a house smelled like, or what their grandmother's kitchen smelled like, many years later. . .and not be able to remember any other particulars regarding the scene. . .clothing (visual), conversation (aural), the taste of the food that day or the weather. I love smells. If I imagine Heaven, it would be filled with good smells, for me. . .one just coming right after the next. How lucky you are to be like that! (Unless, of course, the sardine was rotten. . . )

Hey, forget about guilt over shopping at Whole Foods! I am feeling guilty over even letting the charm of that little horse at the head of the cart of veggies for sale twenty years ago influence me into buying, through the fact of his big doleful eyes and so-scratchable ears and indefineable smell, that smell that says "Horse. Countryside. The Good Life." There really isn't anywhere that is free of some sort of atmospheric influence on our ways of shopping, is there? ................................................................. It came to mind last night as I drove home from the grocery store (no it wasn't a grocery store but I did buy things to eat there. . . it was Target) absentmindedly eating the entire bag of Ghiaradelli chocolates which had somehow fallen out of the top of one of the bags and somehow pried itself open just to jump into my waiting hand that had wandered off the steering wheel towards it. . . Where does Julie's piece "fit in" with others of its ilk? Have there been other "food" writers who have unburdened themselves on the Op-Ed page of a major newspaper? What have been their subjects? What was the response from their readers? How well did they do, in general (if there is such a thing as "in general") as opposed to other types of writers (let's choose political columnists for a good example) in terms of using argument or rhetoric to prove their final point? Just curious.

Ah! It must be you guys from North Carolina that help Blacksburg in attaining its ranking as the single place in the state of Virginia that sells the most alcohol annually. . .(an unverified fact that is bandied about town but that the amount of bars on Main Street seem to attest to! ) Vintage Cellar is actually quite a find in a place like Blacksburg. . .the owner is quite knowledgeable about both beer and wine, has an incredibly good stock of both, and to boot there are often "wine tastings" held at the counter on Saturdays where everyone gets quite chummy till they are forced by the growing line of people waiting for a taste to go off and buy a bottle or two. . Really. What beats a casual wine tasting when the wines are good, I ask you. . . Which brings to mind to also suggest Gourmet Pantry for a bit of shopping for whatever pot, pan or kitchen utensil has come into your mind to desire. 712 North Main Street near Mill Mountain Coffee. . .wonderful things of all sorts here. She also carries a few good books and some pantry items and wines. Great place to browse, great place to buy that little gizmo for something or other or the tart pan that you are sure you'll need sometime! And speaking of tarts. . .Our Daily Bread on South Main Street across from Vintage Cellar (which is a tiny place in the Kroger shopping center) has wonderful baked goods if you need something high-carb. Which you can gobble down then wander into Oasis next door, which is an "international market" with a surprisingly enormous variety of "ethnic" foods on its shelves. You can even get chicken feet there if you're in the mood to make a good chicken soup. . .