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I never cease to be amazed by how many lean, trim people there are now as a result of all these new diets!

That's the difference between a celebrity and a star. SB

If you want to see something really stange, buy a (gray) bag of black & white M&M's! I don't know what the marketing strategy is with these. SB (doesn't like the blue ones either)

I think that when dining behavior results in a clash of customs, or even a simple faux pas, it should be resoved in favor of the "guest", beit in a commercial or private setting. A thoughtful guest will try to learn and follow another culture's practices, but mistakes are certain to result. It would be easier for the host to accept failings as the innocent errors they really are. especially in dining, the comfort of the guest should always be paramount.

How about when people use the sticks to do a walrus imitation? Or put them in their nose? Or, harkening back to a prior post, hang a spoon off the tip of their nose? SB (is there a special Thread for boorish restaurant behavior?)

How do you feel about people who play the spoons?

One of the interesting things about butter is how its flavor changes depending on whether it's cold, soft or melted! SB (what if you poured melted butter on ice cream?)

I always feel guilty not using the liquid olives come packed in. Any ideas?

Thanks for the straight line, but I ain't gonna touch it. SB (uses black and green interchangably here in the Midwest)

I bought the bowl-lift KA just because it was the heavier duty model, but I have to admit that quite often when adding ingredients or scraping down the sides I can see where the tilting version would be more convenient.

Send your favorite Scot, (or yourself), a Burns Day e-card! http://www.timelydecisions.net/holiday/burns.html Complete with music, and free! SB (the Scots favorite price)

Here's a tomato soup and chocolate cake recipe: http://www.50plusfriends.com/cookbook/cakes/choctomck.html

I've seen tomato used in spice cake recipes, maybe in the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversay Cookbook? I also seem to remember a tomato/dark chocolate combination from somewhere. My cousin Mac used to put ketchup on pickles, which isn't so strange, but also on cottage cheese.

MFK Fisher's "How to Cook a Wolf" contains both practical information and a philosophical perspective on the subject.

"American" haggis, must meet USDA standards. Most of the ones produced here or imported, (usually canned), also use beef instead of mutton. http://www.scottishtartans.org/haggis.html It's more like a canned meat or sandwich spread than a traditional haggis, which is maybe just as well? Alton Brown has a good episode on the subject. SB (1/4 Scots)

I really do wonder if the Chairman wears shoes in the Stadium? SB (unless he had a stunt double for the opening shots?)

Do sponges come with "warning" or "care & feeding of" labels? Are they class action law suit waiting to happen? SB (knew a guy who knew a guy who heard a story about a guy using a dirty sponge who was killed when he was struck by lightning)

As a fan of the original IC, I wasn't going to watch, but I'm glad I did. Standing on it's own, without direct comparison to the Japanese "Iron Chef", and ignoring preconcieved notions about the participating chefs, I think the show worked pretty well. I even found myself grabbing a pen and paper to make some notes: Does the Chairman wear his shoes in the Stadium? I liked Buffalo as the ingredient. It is "Iron Chef America" after all. Alton's commentary was a nice blend of informative and entertaining. I was impressed by his noting and explanation of the lard coating on the grilled bison steaks. I always liked the giggling female judges on "Iron Chef", but I'll admit it probably wouldn't work in the American version. (okay, maybe Rachel Ray?) That oughta draw a few flames! For the judging panel, how about other Food Network personalities? Sara Moulton, Tony Bourdain and Martha Stewart for instance? (I hope Tony will appear as a contestant?) Lastly, this was, after all, Iron Chef America. One of the contestants should have ground up some meat and made a nice half pound Buffalo Burger! SB (will watch again next week)

From Martha Stewart's "Dishwashing 101": Cheryl Mendelson, author of “Home Comforts,” .... prefers using washcloths because they’re easy to launder, but if you use a sponge, it will need to be sanitized periodically to prevent germs from collecting inside. Even sponges that claim to be antimicrobial still allow certain bacteria to grow; soak your sponges in a mixture of bleach and hot water to sterilize them. (Some people send their sponges through a cycle in the dishwasher, but this doesn’t sterilize them effectively.) Although antibacterial detergents are now widely available, they can be harsh on the skin. Any dish detergent used with suitably hot water is adequate. SB (loath to argue with a prison toughened Martha!)

For some reason, this eG Tread reminds me of the one about whether you should get up and leave a restaurant that doesn't serve your favorite bottles water. What World do you people live in? SB (just uses a sponge for a while then throws it away, and is healthy as an ox)

There's nothing wrong with open discussion, but the term "food politics" should, by itself, set off warning signals. It implies the issue has opposing sides, one of which we must "choose", like an election. The major "problem" with our food supply is that people devour too much of it while exerting too little physical effort obtaining it. Chef's are welcome to their opinions too, but, like other celebrities, they seem to feel a compulsion to be taken seriously on subjects they have only an amatuer understanding of. Myabe sometimes silence really is golden?

Being a complete outsider in both the food and media worlds, I don't feel the need to reserve judgement, (aka, give it the benefit of the doubt). It'll suck. SB

Wouldn't the question be, "Am I spongeworthy?" SB (talk about a loaded question!)

Everybody on this Thread check back in a couple days, okay? I'm setting up a web site to sell a new product I've invented called: SOAP WASH! Why take a chance with your family's health and wash your cloths and sponges with dirty soap? SB (I'll make a killing!)

The perqs, which I thought were rather cheesey, were a turn off. Why would I be thrilled to have my name appear on their web site. ← That was one of the things that bothered me too, although I imagine you could opt out of it? That whole aspect smacked a bit of Penzeys management having been captured by marketing mavens. Still, the company has done a pretty good job of positioning so far, (store sales are expected to exceed mailorder this year, which I'm sure ties into the strategy), so I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the the doubt. Or, just wait until after the second issue comes out to subscribe, and avoid the Day One hype altogether?