annecros

Trans fats are overwhelmingly man-made, though I think there are a few natural sources. They are produced when normally liquid fats are partially hydrogenated to make them solid at room temperature. (Fully hydrogenating a fat, however, produces no trans fat, IIRC.) Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils -- vegetable shortening, in essence -- are popular for baking because they produce baked products with good mouthfeel and flavor. Margarine also contains trans fat for this reason. Cheeses, including processed cheeses, do not contain trans fats. So you can eat that Whiz wit witout guilt. ← Natural cheeses contain quit a substantial porportion of trans fat. More trans fat than is required to put it on the label. I just don't know about the Whiz, and how this will impact the carts around Philly. What are they going to do anyway? Make the cheesesteak guy go to school for a week?

Ya know, butter has always been a wonderful thing. Until it was abosolutely going to kill you, but then it was wonderful again and the fat of choice if you wanted to stay healthy. Why does any individual need to tell me what to eat? Why? I have no problem with labels, they are there for a reason, but why does another individual need to limit my decisions, because they are convinced it is better for me, even though they do not live my life? Simple question. I am open to anyone who thinks that there is a reason to limit my decisions, or any other human being's decisions, because they are convinced that it is better for me, even though they do not live my life or in my skin.

No, I wouldn't rather they don't eat. I'd rather they eat the same thing at the same price or a penny or two more but WITHOUT THE TRANS FAT. What do you find so objectionable about that? ←

Are you serious? Do you really believe that most of our elected officials are intelligent enough to draw the line between politics and absurdity? Do you really believe this? Is this the foundation of your argument? And why would we have elections every now and then if this were true?

You state a conclusion before you presented your argument. Great way to shut down open minded discussion without hearing an alternate point of view. You obviously have your mind made up. Why further argue with those who are "ignorant" of the "facts" that are presented? Slam dunk, no discussion. You can go home and eat your cookie now. I'm not stopping you. Now, I can't think of a good reason for anyone in the whole wide world to propose, and then support, this ban. Bad form.

Interesting, so you favor the ban because it has no teeth? How, specifically, will it help the have nots? They have to eat, you know.

So, pray tell, what is your alternative food source, for the individuals who are buying this food. Would you rather they ate boiled rice, or a stir fry including fresh vegetables and trans fats? Would you rather they not eat? You and I can both afford to eat well. You want them to spend extra to eat the way YOU think that they should eat. And, as far as I can tell, you are making your decisions based upon not knowing what it is like to eat on a budget. These substances have been around forever. Butter is in and out, wine is in and out, coffee is in and out, margarine was the beesknees until it was out. Sandy, will I be able to get my cheesesteak in Philly once every three or four years with Whiz or not? I have no problem, and am in favor, of labeling. That's a separate issue from a ban.

I disagree, sugar and alcohol are huge dietary issues, but I don' t think they should be banned. Government was created to provide for the common defense, period, and in my opinion. But, I guess you would probably categorize me as an "extreme" libertarian. Although concerning a libertarian philosophy, that is not an anachist philosophy, it would be difficult to characterise any libertarian philosophies as extreme. Unless you want to single out a nut case. But that can be done for any philosophy, and I find that sort of misrepresentation of any group do be "extremely" disengenuous. ← Sugar and alcohol are huge health issues, but that's not why comparing them to trans fat is silly. A few pertinent differences: Sugar, in some form or another, has been around for the whole of human existence (I know its refined form is relatively recent). It's one of the major building blocks of life. Alcohol, I'd bet, has been around for the entirety of human existence minus the week it took to ferment something. Trans-fat, at least in the form that is relevant to this discussion (partially hydrogenated oils) has been around for less than a century. If you banned sugar and alcohol today, the city would fall apart. Thousands of businesses would grind to a halt, tens of thousands of people would become unemployed, and life as we experience it would be vastly different. Every cookie, cake, and brownie you had for the life of the ban would taste markedly different. Our whole culture would be changed as alcohol was forced underground. Crime would rise, etc. If you banned trans fat today, many food purveyors would have to buy a different brand of frying oil. A couple of things might taste different if a particular purveyor didn't care enough to shop around. The cost of running a restaurant would rise incrementally. Basically, nothing would happen. Except we might see a real decline in heart disease in 20 years or so. There are a spectrum of libertarian beliefs, just like any other philosophy. Believing that government exists only for the common defense* is quite a bit different from a civil libertarian who is more concerned with a certain set of core rights and not getting rid of all regulation. If you really are of the persuasion, that all regulations should be eviscerated, then what I said is true: debating this with you is silly, because you're entrenched in your beliefs against all regulation. *(I assume you're just leaving out policing and some criminal prohibitions etc., or you're on the very edge of libertarian and shading into anarchist) ← Ahem, transfats have been around quite a while, in a proportion that would surprise you, in the form of meat, cheese, ice cream and on and on. Just a little research into naturally occuring transfat reveals that. Now you are making an economic argument for not banning alcohol and sugar, but an argument that transfats are only used to save money as a reasoning for banning them? As the restaurants costs rise incrementally, so do the consumer's costs. Then we might see a decline in heart disease 20 years from now. Common defense is inclusive of policing and criminal prohibitions. Duh. Now, debating with you is silly, from my perspecitve. I have already aired my beliefs and concerns on the New York transfat ban thread, and have done all of this already. A quick search will get you there. Now, if you would like to openly discuss the issues and ramifications of a transfat ban both socially and politically, well, I am not sure this is the board for it. Would have to ask the moderator, and Sandy.

I disagree, sugar and alcohol are huge dietary issues, but I don' t think they should be banned. Government was created to provide for the common defense, period, and in my opinion. But, I guess you would probably categorize me as an "extreme" libertarian. Although concerning a libertarian philosophy, that is not an anachist philosophy, it would be difficult to characterise any libertarian philosophies as extreme. Unless you want to single out a nut case. But that can be done for any philosophy, and I find that sort of misrepresentation of any group do be "extremely" disengenuous. My opinion only. My burning question is, is Whiz transfat free, or is it just the natural cheeses that are loaded with transfats?

OK, I had no idea what the original guy did, so I winged it. One egg, cup of milk, two shakes of worchestershire and two dashes of tobasco whipped up in a bowl with a fork. In a gallon sized baggy, a cup of self rising flour about a teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Dip the bacon into the egg wash, then drop it into the baggy with the flour mixture and shake it up, then set it on a rack to dry. Preheat peanut oil to 350 while the coating sets on the bacon. Fry until coating is crispy. You can use the same method to coat anything you are going to chicken fry. I don't know where this is going, exactly...

Wow judiu, you are in Pompano, right? I am between Hallendale Beach Blvd and Ive's Dairy Road! Sorry, will call or PM next time, but you could have been here in the time it took me to cook this! Now, in true Texas/Georgia/Florida fusion (TexFlaGa), I present to you: Chicken Fried Jowl Bacon with Sausage Gravy and Biscuits paired with a Double Tall Vodka and Freshly Sqeezed Grapefruit Juice: The Chicken Fried Bacon in and of itself is good, but it does need the gravy to take it to the next level. I was concerned that the fried bacon would end up with more of a chiccarone or pork rind like texture, but the lovely unctuousness and silkiness of the pork fat was delicately encased in the crispy coating. The gravy in itself is lovely, but when the pork fat bursts through on the first bite, it is just heaven. Here's the bite picture: Personally, if I were to serve this as an appy, I would serve with a ramekin of creamed corn with a quartered ripe tomato on the side. Also, you need the biscuit if you are just going country fried bacon and gravy. Must have a biscuit. Really good brunch, and hubby has retired for his Saturday nap now. This was fun.

So, is Whiz transfat free? Possible, but counterintuitive.

OMG! What an innovation! That particular dish is just screaming for jowl bacon, and biscuits and sausage gravy on the side instead of the cream gravy. My husband (who has freakishly low cholesterol and blood pressure and could eat fat with a spoon) will love it. I think I will give it a whirl.

← Hehe. I really can't hold that against Padma if she does, allegedly. I sort of like her, not sure why.

Midgley says no in an interview. Unrelated, but I just read a spoiler and found out who the winner is. UGGGGHHHHH I hate myself. This show has lost all credibility this season. Tom, Gail and Food and Wine ought to bow out now and save their dignity. Let Rachael Ray and Good Housekeeping come in as judges and sponsors. ← Umm, if it is the same spoiler that was emailed to me today, from folks who eat in Los Angeles, it is fairly ambiguous. "Right on the money." When both of the alternatives were offered? If past behaviour is any indication of future performance, I believe one alternative is as possible as the other. Wasn't Betty discussed as an individual who refused a reunion show? I hope nothing awful happened to her, to put her off.

I almost prefer a slimy or creamy texture. Love grits, okra, tapioca, caviar, livers and pates, anthing conjealed is fine with me, mushrooms, gravies and sauces, custards any way etc. etc. The things I have a texture issue with seem to come with a flavor component. Can't stand octopus, but love squid. Can't stand beets, but love turnips and rhutabaga. Dislike raw oysters based mostly on a texture issue, but I'm not a big fan of oysters in other preparations as well, they just don't skeeve me so bad in a textural way. Very western.

Oh wow, they just posted the previews on the Bravo site for next week. Sam and Mike will be assisting Marcel. And, get this, it looks like Elia and Betty are assisting Ilan. Hehe. http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef_2/videos/index.php?id=58214 ETA: AND a Farmer's Market with no budget.

Marcel: Mano a mano. Ilan: I'm going to make you cry. Marcel: It'll take more than paprika to make me cry Ilan: I've got more than paprika in my knife bag. Ilan is ascard of the nerd, and must keep his testosterone level up, I think. Marcel just looked kind of weirded out.

I though I saw Hubert Keller. Will there be a big panel? It would be interesting to get Dufresne's take on Marcel, though. I do not know enough about the methods from personal experience (eating or preparing) to pass judgement. ETA: Thanks gingersweetiepie. Sounds like a very impressive, and hard to impress, group dynamic going there. Should be enough snark going around that room to make staying up late and watching two hours worth it.

Afternoon update: Vladimir Putin and high tea Robert Burns and poppyseeds Taj al Din al Hilali and meat Bishop Tutu and Eskimo Pie Ice Creams Andy Roddick and chicharrones Andy Hardy and chitlins The temps down here have dropped 15 degrees since sunrise! Hope everyone is staying warm out there!

Another day, another batch of puzzles In play: Vladimir Putin and high tea Piet Retief and pemmican Taj al Din al Hilali and meat Bishop Tutu and Eskimo Pie Ice Creams Andy Roddick and chicharrones

No doubt. Something will surely require deconstructing, as well. Then Ilan will do something so yellow with saffron that it is orange. I think Ilan has used saffron just as often as Marcel has foamed a sauce. I loved the paprika crack Marcel tossed at Ilan. Marcel can wipe the floor with Ilan as long as he stays focused. He would have had a harder time beating Sam, I think.

It was good to see Marcel actually perform up to his own vision of himself in his mind. That food looked good, and the salmon looked especially good to me, though everybody forcused on his other dish. I think the bahaviour of the others, for once, was demonstrably a result of jeolosy or envy of Marcel. They saw his food and may have even tasted it, and were scared. He was obviously the hands down winner when you saw the judges and crowd enjoying his food. The goal was to take the local cuisine, and make it your own. He did exactly that, and still managed to serve a taste of Hawaii. He found an approprate venue in which to express his vision and skills, stayed focused on what he was doing and not on what everyone else was doing, and displayed no fear to the bullies, so good on him. What was that talking too much about the food thing they were yammering about? Marcel was obviously excited about the ingredients, excited with what he had donw with them, and was sharing his enthusiasm with the people he was feeding. Been there, done that. Pretty pathetic that Sam and Ilan encouraged Elia to launch a protest, then letting her hang out there on a limb in front of the judges. Cheating is a serious charge, and either he did or he didn't. How many times can they possibly demonstrate immature, unprofessional and unethical behaviour to a prominent, well respected Chef? And to millions of people all over the country. I would have rather seen Sam/Marcel in the finals, but I have never tasted the food. If they wanted to go for drama, they should have made it an Elia/Ilan final. There would have been whining, and crying, and backstabbing, and gnashing of teeth and both would have melted down and done something childish and/or stupid to themselves or one another. The food would have sucked, though. Sam's coconut milk dessert will make it to my table also, I suspect. This is one of the few episodes that left me wanting to cook the food.

Plant some of these. You can buy them in small pots at HD or Lowe's for about 89 cents - and they will be full size in no time. Even in north Florida - I just prune mine down to the ground every spring (to get rid of the cold damage) - and they're up and going by early summer. They are *very* attractive to bees (mine are loaded with bees every day of the year when it's not too cold for bees to fly). Butterflies too. Robyn ← Unfortunately, here in South Florida, the Mexican Heather doesn't die back and turns into an invasive weed! I planted it in my beds the first year I was here, and then it took over the lawn by the second summer. I have plenty of food for them here in the yard, as most of the butterfly attractors I plant attract honeybees as well, but if the state continues the wholesale slaughter it won't really matter, I suppose.

Noonish update. In play: Vladimir Putin and high tea Roy Clark and nan Piet Retief and pemmican Taj al Din al Hilali and meat Bishop Tutu and Eskimo Pie Ice Creams Francois Pienaar and Indian Curry