Aileen

I've never worked in a fast food place, but my first job was running the snack bar at our town's little amusement park, 48-52 hours per week one summer. The minimum wage at that time was $3.35, but the amusement park owner got away with paying us $2.00 because it was a seasonal job. I always came home smelling like waffle cones, hot dogs, and cotton candy. Mostly cotton candy, because the sugar would stick to my hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows. My older sister worked at Taco John's at that time, she always came home smelling like tacos and potato ole's (flat tater tots). Our parents said that the way we smelled made them hungry.

I also don't soak beans before I cook them. I add salt to the water, I think they have more flavor that way.

Potato salad (mayo-based. I can make decent German potato salad.) Doesn't matter which recipe, it's always mediocre at best. I usually end up throwing most of it away. I've known people who almost never cooked who could make killer potato salad, but not me.

Reading this thread is making me hungry - I absolutely adore zucchini! I wasn't coordinated enough this spring to get my garden going. Anyone in Northern Colorado have some zucchini they want to get rid of? I'll gladly take them!

You're absolutely right about the ripeness window of most varieties, as well as the variety being marked on the carton. I think it's totally practical to talk to the produce manager, either in person or on the phone, anytime you like. I enjoyed the relationships I had with customers who had specific interests. Most retail managers like helping out. As for posting the variety, I would guess it would depend on the store. Once again, in my position I had limited (ok, no!) authority to modify the labels pricing the produce. Because we couldn't change the labels themselves, we would often stack produce using the boxes to show the variety when an exceptionally popular variety was in stock (example, Olathe sweet corn, Palisade peaches, Rocky Ford cantaloupe - all from Colorado). It's worth asking the produce manager, though. They may have more authority than I was given.

I was a produce manager for a few years, and we were given limited authority in ordering. Peaches were ordered as peaches, we received whatever the company chose to send based upon their price and availability. I would guess that maybe higher-end stores (Whole Foods, etc) could order by variety, but I was never given that option. And yes, the stickers with the codes are placed before they arrive in the store, and are the same anywhere you go...

I don't know if there's another location in Boulder itself, but I work in Broomfield, which is slightly Southeast of Boulder and go to the location in there often. I love the Martzen (as well as any other beer of theirs, but then I'm a huge beer fan), and their mushroom swiss burger is pretty much the best burger anywhere around - their burgers are juicy and highly seasoned, just like I like them. I've eaten dinner there a few times as well and once they had and Ono special that was fantastic - difficult to get great fish in Colorado...

Yes, it's still there. I haven't been, but I pass by pretty often. I keep saying to myself that I'll try it, maybe I'll manage soon.

I've been observing others eating corn on the cob for a few years now, ever since someone noticed that I'm a rounder - always been one but didn't think about it until it was pointed out to me. From what I've seen, channelers are much more common. As for what to eat it with, I can't imagine NOT using tons and tons of butter. I don't care how fresh it is (we used to pick it and cook it immediately when I was growing up), any excuse to drown something in butter and I'm there!

They definitely should be accounting for the weight of the paper. I was a meat wrapper for a while in college, and the scale had the ability to set the tare with just the touch of a button. When I first started there I wasn't told about the tare and for a couple of days I was accidentally ripping off a couple of cents on each package. The problem was discovered quickly and I was then trained on the proper tare for each tray or paper used to contain the meat.

I've always loved these and was sad to see them go (I still miss the Beefy Tostada, maybe they'll bring it back someday). I was thrilled to see them back on the menu, and I agree they taste about the same (although I miss the three black olive slices, too). I always order one when I go.

I, too, love Taco Bell. My kids hate it, so I get it when I'm alone. I live in an area that has fantastic Mexican food, but Taco Bell is its own category! I never think of it as Mexican, that would be silly! As for the way the food is prepared, I was watching Dateline or 60 Minutes a few months back and Taco Bell has the fewest health code violations of any of the major fast food chains, due to the fact that everything is prepped at a main site and just heated at the restaurant.

I loved Burger Chef when I was little. I was very young the last time I went there, but I seem to recall that they had a "kid's meal" before McDonald's had a Happy Meal. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm a huge fan of Taco Bell. I've been eating there since I was a kid. Toliver, I used to enjoy a Bell Beefer every now and again, and I miss it. Luckily for me, though, the Enchirito was/is my favorite. I was overjoyed when they brought it back, I order one every time I go. (They used to have exactly three slices of black olive on them but that's the only difference I can detect between the old and the new.) I still miss the Beefy Tostada, though. Basically it was a "supreme" tostada. Mmm...

I, personally, can't stand to watch her. Her personality drives me crazy. I also don't understand how so many guys think she's cute, but of course I'm a hetero female. My sister likes her ok and bought her two "Thirty Minute Meals" cookbooks, and we've made a few recipes. Truthfully, in general I was pleasantly surprised, and they're handy for a single mom on a busy weeknight. (I was impressed with the quick version of Italian wedding soup, although I would put it in its own category and not compare it against truly homemade.) I doubt I would ever try a good number of the recipes, but I would say the same for most of my cookbooks.

I've always loved "Tomato Beers", which were just beer and tomato juice, no fish sauce. I think the fish sauce would be a great addition - I'm going to try it!

Tuna casserole (yes, the kind made with cream of mushroom soup). Raw asparagus - we used to pick it wild once a year and munch on it as we picked. Zucchini bread and stuffed zucchini - my mom liked to let them grow to be about 3 feet long.

I always snoop, but I don't judge. I tend to feel sorry for people in the checkout who have nothing but prepared foods and junk. My cart is usually a mix, with fresh and some junk mixed in. I usually have some sweetened cereals and maybe a box of pop tarts in there for my kids (although I don't see how they can stand the pop tarts!) I often confuse checkers with my produce selections, too. Most have trouble telling the difference between cilantro and flat-leaf parsley, and can't identify some of the root vegetables.

I make them with a mix of sesame paste AND a little peanut butter. I can buy the sesame paste at the only oriental foods store in my town of Longmont, CO (population about 60,000), so I would think any oriental foods store should carry it. I also use minced pork, and I sprinkle a little ground Sichuan peppercorn on top (my sister brought a lifetime supply back from China a couple of months ago - it's in my freezer in hopes of preserving the "zing"). It's one of my favorite dishes, but I don't make it very often because my kids won't touch it.

I have the KitchenAid 670 (the one rated so well by Consumer Reports), and haven't had a problem with the workbowl. Of course, I've only had it for about 2 1/2 years - you didn't say how long you've had yours. I process chunks of parmesan pretty regularly, and often slice carrots and other hard vegetables (I have a nice mandoline, but always seem to cut myself with the thing!) I love this processor, especially the mini-bowl, which I use to make white bean spread and other dips just for myself.

I know how some here feel about Cook's Illustrated, but their Puttanesca is the best I've ever had. I've served it to many friends, it's always a huge hit. I really think the reason it's so good is their tip to not chop the olives too finely, and not cook them to death. They retain their character. Yum!

I agree it made the situation worse, probably much worse, since I was an animal lover. I was about 10 years old at the time, too! My mom thought it was funny. I also think she was oblivious, but more that she thought it was funny. She was raised in a wealthy home (daughter of a doctor), and had always dreamed of being a farmer/rancher. She got a kick out of raising both animals and vegetables, she was very matter-of-fact about it all. She did the same with our first cow slaughtered for beef (his name was Sam, so it was "Sam" for dinner), but that was when I was in high school (and beef), so I usually managed to eat my dinner.

We generally ate very well when I was growing up. However, there was a period of time when I had trouble eating many of the dishes served at dinner, including spaghetti, meatloaf, roasts, etc. The problem was that these used an ingredient that was difficult to hide the flavor of - goat. We always raised a few farm animals on my parents' few acres of land, and my mom at one point decided to have a young goat slaughtered (actually, she decided to do it herself, which didn't go very well and I'm glad to this day that I didn't witness it). We had goat spaghetti, goat meatloaf, goat sausage, etc., for about a year. When I would ask what was for dinner and my mom said, "Casey" (the name of the goat, obviously), I would immediately feel sick. I'm an adventurous eater, but I haven't tried goat again since that time. I don't know if I ever will.

I also agree with many of the negative comments but still love the magazine overall. I realized early on that their tastings usually involve no more than 20-25 people, and sometimes just don't work for me. I recently noticed that they tend to put thyme into many recipes, they must have many lovers of thyme working on/tasting the recipes. However, a couple of my favorite recipes have come from CI, including their Carbonara (wonderful heart attack on a plate) and biscuits (light, fluffy, and buttery).

I always have frozen baby peas and frozen broccoli around. My younger daughter loves peas and my older loves broccoli. I love any vegetable, so it works. I like to cook from scratch as often as possible, but it's difficult to do every day as a single mom working full-time with two young kids. Plus, I often have the problem of my kids not liking what I've lovingly prepared. They're not as picky as many kids their age and will always at least try what I've made, but they're still 5 and 9, and their favorite things are pretty simple. Sadly, I made the mistake of making Hamburger Helper for them about a year ago as a nostalgia thing (I ate occasionally as a child), and they loved it. I give in and make it once every other month or so. It pains me, though!

Definitely. Love it.