Carrot Top

Yes, Chufi - that's the one! Incredible thread. It's like that Goggle tool but with coaching and commentary added.

That would sure make for a project to just take one single one of those links each day to read, wouldn't it! I like the Food Timeline. Easy to use and full of surprises and some unexpected humor here and there. . . Yes. Definitely. That is how I spent my Halloween eve.

There once was a thread somewhere on eG where people wrote in "what they had in their fridge" that night to use (when they were flummoxed as to what to do with the odds and ends), and others would respond with ideas and inspirations for meals that night, and on into using leftovers the next day for lunches. This sounds like it would be a useful sort of tool to revive. . .for those times when there *is* food just sitting there, good food, that otherwise might be thrown out. . . but I can not for the life of me find that thread to link to here.

Today I ran across one of the most interesting food history sites I've seen online: Food History News Lots of fascinating tidbits. . . With a mention also of "The Old Foodie": This site is a virtual banquet of riches. What online food history sites do you peruse?

Apparently even the anthropologists are interested in further defining this. From Food History News (fascinating site!)

"I do not like Green Eggs and Ham" (Sam I am, I am Sam). Dr. Seuss' tale of marketing green eggs and ham seems applicable to me about these desserts. No matter how you shape 'em, I ain't gonna take 'em. Green Eggs and Ham

Eh. They work well enough in a mundane sort of way. Mundane. I am fascinated by the word, and the concept disgusts me. It's easy. Just easy. And not terribly good. But it is what people are used to, often. Considering the attraction to the concept being discussed above about smaller portions and variety, it seems a better idea that if *anyone* were going to offer these mundane things, the least they could do is cut them into smaller pieces and place a sweet little fresh strawberry fan somewhere on the plate, pronouncing "fresh! good! light!". Trouble is with the small portion/ greater variety idea. . . .one needs more product in-house - more control over product - which equals not only a higher level of management and/or staff than is required to slop a piece of frozen cake onto a plate. . .which translates to labor and inventory costs. . .which translates to higher prices. Otherwise, if this variety of finer desserts were to be then (hopefully) made fresh "from scratch" in-house, unless there is enough of a consistent customer base to know pretty much what *will* sell, then to be able to project production enough to just about sell out. . .it is possible that by neccesity the product will need be brought in frozen or at the very least quickly ready-made from boxes and cans and tubs in-house. A larger restaurant with a corporate base and high customer turnover such as Seasons 52 can provide this. I do wonder if the desserts are made in-house though. Does it matter? Perhaps not. But I am cranky about this, and would just rather see a touch of individual personality shown in desserts rather than concept.

Aside from underfinancing, this is the number one reason that I can see happening for small places closing (a bad meal or two makes customers not go back, and creates "talk" that affects future business). It creates such inconsistency in food and service that it is heart-rending to watch, yet the solution seems next-to-impossible to find.

Ah, well. One must stop running round rhyming and timing and cackling with laughter sometime(s), I imagine. One last one from me, to give it the the old college try. Whatever that is. .............................................. There once lived a lady called rachel d Who cooked and then wrote quite joyfully When asked how she did it She'd smile like a true GRIT For she held the secret of Fairy Tea. ................................................ Happy Halloween, everyone!

Y'all join in now. . .to the tune of "Okie from Muskogee". . . We don't mess with "polenta" in West Virginny Sundays we cook creasy greens n' beans Our apples pies are fried up really pretty And honey, we admire Paula Deen. Grits for breakfast rather than pertaters That fish you see ain't gonna hit no grill Country ham don't get all that much greater Than when its served with pickles, fried (that's dill).

Agreed, with proofs presented if demanded.

People came up with some good ideas in this thread. . . It's more of a mind-set thing, it seems to me. It's very easy to spend a certain amount if you are accustomed to doing so. . .whether that amount is larger or smaller just depends on history and circumstance but it is the shift to either spending more or less that can be difficult.

This is a good book to reference All Things Southern: UNC Press - Encyclopedia of Southern Culture

You forget I used to be executive chef to top investment bankers. They require all sorts of feeding sometimes, so I am used to it. I did wonder if he would be able to sit down, but became quite entangled in the how-to's of it all. I might have to sit on his lap. That's okay.

I'd also advise that they read/study the top trade journals for at least a year preceding their final decision as to whether or not they want to "really do it". Something like this one in the UK might be useful. Trade mags always tend to put a different "face" onto a business than one would see otherwise.

Michaelangelo's "David". Seems like an interesting sort of guy.

Two things: *Made in-house by either a pastry chef if the labor budget allows or by a cook who has a good hand with desserts rather than shipped in and defrosted/sliced/served, which seems to be so prevalent. . .* *Some "different" things offered. Chocolate lava cake, creme brulee, apple tart or key lime pie, cheesecakes that all resemble each other are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the variety of sweet things that *could* be offered at the end of the meal, but so often dessert is left as afterthought to the main menu, it seems, and then the choices offered are the mundane. Perhaps they are more easily sold, but they are mundane nonetheless. *Need to add here and *not* put together from the contents of a box, an opened can upended and a scoop from a plastic bucket please.

I love this line. I hope that this is not going too far off-topic. . .if it is, perhaps a moderator could set up a different thread, but this question arises directly from all the thoughts posted above and from the original question about opening advice. . . What do you think is the reason most restaurants fail, that do fail? I am sure that the NRA (the restaurant association not the gun people ) has statistics on this, but it's always worthwhile to hear ideas directly, too.

Gosh, Rachel - It's funny that you should post right now. . . on the way home from the grocery store just a while ago I was putting together a limerick on Fairy Tea.

On the positive side, Jack, there are some fairly standard tools (measurement tests) used by restaurant consultants that can give some very good information as to whether either a specific business plan or a specific location would prove better rather than worse. It's no assurance of success, but it is a good stepping stone to start off on - a bit more data can be assessed beyond the nice soft fuzzy stuff. These tools are available in some textbooks that focus on restaurant management and/or opening a restaurant.

There once was a man from Cancun Who used his tongue just as a spoon His soup he slurped up Like One Hungry Pup Till it wrinkled and looked like a prune. ................................................................. There once was a man in Taiwan Who wanted to make saucisson Fine meats, up he ground Then squeezed tied and bound Then served it with soy sauce splashed on! .................................................................. There was an old vigneron from Reims Who put butter on all of his stems "Zut alors!" said the tourists "Bah humbug" said the purists He responded: "It works with les femmes!"

"Deadline" is November 1st, Simon. Wednesday. Five full more days where work can be avoided. I intend to try very hard to avoid all work. Hope you join me in this important task.

Hmmm. So the link on formalizing the "how to's" of limericks says that anipestic, amphimacers, and feet have something to do with it. Sounds like a disease. And here all this time I thought limerick writing had to do with spending liberal amounts of time in pubs drinking lots of beer and singing when the spirit struck one.

A question, Maggie - as this is the first time I've ever tried writing a limerick. (And am loving it - I find myself chuckling over stupid rhyme schemes as I drive along in the car, and people look in the windows at me and break into grins themselves to see the obviously crazy yet happy woman. . . ): The "scan and rhyme scheme" above has a certain number of syllables in each line. Is this supposed to be a set number or is it flexible? Also is a Legal Limerick (ha!) supposed to be only one verse? Please forgive the stupid questions. I will try to ask more intelligent questions at some other time.

I am curious, if anyone would care to share their thoughts, in the ways in which people get their inspiration to start on writing a limerick. Take, for example, Simon . It appears that Simon can start from any old word or idea whatsoever, then go flying about with it, and very quickly too. I seem to get stuck on the name of a "place" then have to fit everything else into that. Do others have other ways they get started?