annecros

Thanks lostmyshape. The little one went back to school yesterday , but I emailed her a copy of your post. Maybe she will get off her bottom and register herself. I felt like it would help to offer the insight of a real life barista. There are two sides of the counter, after all. Most of these kids work really hard. I am impressed by the loyalty that Starbucks inspires from these kids. It is telling, I think. Like everywhere else, there are those employees that don't have that great an attitude... Just like you don't go into Starbucks and order a cup of coffee with cream and sugar, a coffee nerd doesn't belong in Starbucks, either. A big enough nerd would be equipped enough at home to take care of whatever cravings they are subject to. But, stepping up from Folger's, Starbucks is a pretty good place to start. I doubt that unless you live in a very crowded metro area, you will find a mom and pop coffee shop that staffs with the well trained, friendly, and enthusiastic employees you find at most Starbucks. I may be wrong though. I do not consider myself deep in coffee knowledge, at all. It seems to me, that at least in my area, there weren't any mom and pop shops until after Barney's and Starbucks started doing thier thing. I couldn't have purchased a premium cup of coffee if I wanted to. I think the hardest part is the first order. I remember my first visit to a Starbucks. The barista asked me what I wanted, and I gaped at the menu board and told them that I didn't have a bloody clue! I've learned a lot about coffee just having her around. I've learned to appreciate things that I would not have learned about had I not given them a try. It's all good.

I too buy the whole chicken nearly all the time and cut it up myself. I save the scraps in the freezer and use for chicken soup when I have three or so bundles. After straining the stock, I get the liver and gizzard, the dog gets the rest, along with the skin. I HAVE made a dinner out of fried livers and gizzards. Yum.

If you're very close to them, as balmagowry says, pick one to talk to. Suggest, that while you're delighted to see their kids (even if you aren't), say you'd really like to have an "adults" only evening now and then. When you extend invitations to them, you could then say, hey can we make this an adult's night? ← The corrollary to this, is, do not be offended if they choose to decline an invitation because they don't feel comfortable bringing their children. A married couple with children have an awful lot of dynamics going on at any one time. It is nice to leave the kids behind and be just people for a while. Believe me, I know. But if there are issues going on in the home that you are not aware of, between two children, one child that is having a problem, work and other issues getting in the way of family time for a parent, it is just not the right time to leave the kids and be a couple. Maintaining a relationship with another adult is one thing. Sometimes it can be difficult even though both parties are rational, reasonable, loving people who love one another. Throw in a couple of young people who are going through the struggle of growing up, and any parent feels as if they are spinning plates from time to time. I guess what I am saying is, don't be offended if a couple with children politely decline an invitation because they cannot bring the children on any given date. More often than not, there are things going on in the family dynamic that makes spending time with the kids more sensible. I hurt a very good friend's feelings over this one time. I had a middle school aged child who was struggling with some issues that were, quite frankly, nobody's business but ours. Fortunately, she felt comfortable enough to talk to me about it, and understood once I clarified things for her. You never know what is going on in another person's life. Please do not take offense if a parent chooses not to leave a child behind on any given date.

FYI My daughter informed me that the "short" size is the children's portion, meant for small hot chocolates and such. When a small child comes in with a patron, she makes sure to inform the adult that they have this size available.

This will be quite lengthy, I warn you all; this is the 'college student daughter' mentioned in the previous post under this name. The reason a short latte/americano/cappucino tastes better is the fact that it does have a better coffee-milk ratio. The tall size is not really all that great a value, for all it's cheaper. The best value on the menu is nearly ALWAYS the 'grande' size; In a latte it's the more balanced milk-syrup-espresso ratio, in hot teas it has the best ratio of tea-water. As to the 'I've seen starbucks employees make drinks that aren't on the menu' comment-yes, there are plenty of drinks that are in the 'lexicon' that don't show up on the menu at a given time, either because they aren't being "seasonally offered" or because they have, technically, been taken off the menu. We can make drinks as long as we have the components to make them. They took the 'Mocha Valencia' off the menu a while ago; we still have valencia syrup (for shaken tea-lemonade), and of course we still have mocha. We also offer Peppermint Mocha all year round, though we only advertise it on the menu in winter. The reason these things aren't on the menu isn't a scam... it's just that if we showed EVERY LITTLE THING that we can offer on the menu, it would be even larger than it already is, and then people would complain that there's too much to take in. (trust me, I already hear that complaint ad infinitum with the current menu size) As a Starbucks employee, I actually do not indulge very much in coffee-I took the job because I needed cash, and the benefits package is, as mentioned, really excellent. Health insurance, paid vacation, short-term disability, stock options, the CUP fund, which takes care of employee/partners who find themselves in dire money straits suddenly, even Tuition Reimbursement. That's not the point, however. Part of the training I receive as a starbucks Barista includes pretty constant coffee tastings. I will admit that there are many coffees that Starbucks offers that I positively can't stand. Most of the Asian-Pacific coffees I have tasted have been absolutely disgusting to me; I can see the 'burnt' designation that some people have used to describe them. However, these coffees are also labeled 'extra bold' or 'bold'-Not for nothing. And no barista worth their salt would not have a given adjective to describe them. "Earthy", "Smoky", "Herbal." In other words, it tastes like burnt wood and grass. Anyone notice these are similar terms used in wine tasting? Not everyone likes an 'earthy red', nor does everyone like a 'white with hints of cedar'. To its credit, Starbucks DOES try and make blends that cater to as many tastes as possible. I personally enjoy the 'Guatemala Antigua', 'Casi Cielo', and 'Yukon' blends-these taste more like the kind of coffee I enjoy. To the person who talked about the double espresso-That's actually one of the more difficult drinks to make for a customer, if only because, if the shots are timed incorrectly, of if the espresso sits too long in the line-up of drinks, yes, it does taste very bad(Just like a connoisseur would not exactly prefer Skol vodka over, say, grey goose). However, a freshly-made (within about a minute and a half for a doppio or trippio espresso withOUT any milk/syrup) shot of espresso that is made 'to standard' is very tasty. If you like espresso. If you don't like espresso, expecting to like a double-shot is about like expecting a novice to appreciate the finer qualities of wheatgrass. It just ain't gonna happen. I'm sorry, maybe you should try a Caramel Macchiato instead. There's no shame in liking vanilla syrup and caramel to cover up the flavor of espresso. Some people just don't like the taste. There IS a reason it's the most popular Starbucks espresso beverage (and possibly, second only to the Caramel Frappucino the most popular starbucks beverage of all). It's yummy. It tastes like caramel and happiness. Do you want me to not offer espresso to people who ask for it? That's like holding the waiter responsible for the patron ordering Tuna Tartare. On top of THAT, we have a policy at Starbucks that if any drink does not meet with the approval of the customer, we will remake it, or make them something else. I've had dedicated 'mild' coffee drinkers hate the particular brew of the week for Mild bring it back in return for a bold, or an americano, or a latte-for no additional charge. I've also added things to drinks to make them more what the customer wants after handing them off, and taken several espresso beverages back (or offered to simply make them something else, and let them keep the original beverage) when they were not what the customer expected. I have wasted quite a bit of coffee. But it wasn't a waste, because the customer told me what he wanted, even if it was after ordering and receiving it. Maybe he made a friend with the extra drink! I don't care. As long as he can't complain about my service, or my product. The point I'm trying to make is that starbucks isn't exactly a place where you go in and just ask for "whatever" drink. The thing to do is to ASK the Barista how he/she feels about a given coffee/tea/espresso drink/pastry. We're actually pretty honest, when it comes down to it, even if we try to be tactful about it. I've never told someone, "Oh, I LOVE Kenya." or "That low-fat Brownie is to DIE for." I also try very hard to help people buying whole bean coffee who aren't quite sure what they're looking for. Starbucks trains its employees heavily for a reason. We're there to answer people's questions. Would you balk at asking a Home Depot employee which kind of lumber to use for... I don't know... something you need lumber for? Or what kind of drill bit is best for some weird installation? Honestly, with my utter lack of mechanical skill, I would be asking for step-by-step instruction on how to hammer a nail into a wall without screwing up the wall. And then I'd ask if there was a class. Please don't kill my mom for this. She mentioned the thread in passing, and being the (well maybe not 'devout') starbucks employee that I am, I felt the need to speak up. I'm strongly considering getting my own 'participant' account on this forum, since I apparently can't keep my fingers still on the subject. My mom has been cooking very good food since she's been reading this forum (and actually, her cooking before that was pretty awesome too), and she told me not to get my feelings hurt if this gets deleted. I told her I'd just repost once I got my own name. Then you'll have to read it all again. And the second time, you'll remember it, because you'll go "Hey, didn't they delete this before?" Off my mother's coattails now. Best regards, Savannah (Starbucks Barista Extraordinaire) edited to add: There are several outright lies in the article cited; for one, a short cappucino gets HALF the espresso of a grande or a venti. That's why the Grande is the better value-it's about four oz more volume than a tall, and has twice the espresso. There IS a way to make the appropriate amount of foam for a 20 oz cappucino. There's a technique that all baristas are required to learn, called 'microfoaming'- you can make microfoam for any amount of milk, GIVEN that you start off with the right materials (COLD milk, a clean pitcher, a clean milk wand) and you do it properly. I've made DRY cappucinos in the venti size, and only needed to resteam the milk once. (for those that don't know, a dry cappucino has almost no milk and is entirely foam)

Well, first off, that's exactly NOT what I said. Nowhere did I say (nor do I feel) that I *prefer* rudeness. So I don't know where you got that from, and it's not an accurate representation of my point of view. I guess that makes me easier to disagree with, though. Obviously I'd love to live in a world where all food everywhere is perfect and all service is super duper nice and attentive and flexible and all that. If you can find such a world, please let me know. Instead, what I see are some establishments that get the service right, but not the food; some that get the food right and not the service; some do neither; and in some blessed occasions, both are great. To the extent that this forum serves as a place to mobilize opinions and represents a bully pulpit, it seems to me that we all want to encourage establishments to the "both great" position. But I'm not seeing anyone trying to advocate for a boycott or lawsuit against Sbarro, despite that what they try and pass off as pizza is criminal. But here Ms Greenwood goes off the deep end (admittedly not for the first time) and the sense seems to be "to the barricades! get out the pitchforks!" Is that really the right set of priorities? Accommodative service with crappy food is somehow more ok than thoughtful food and crappy service? Aren't we better off having a few loonies out there who care about what they serve than a world where only the super-nice survive? Is their contribution to cuisine so small that it's neutralized when they go off the deep end every now and again? Seems like you'd say "yes". ← I think that the rub is that you somehow are expressiing that the two are mutually exclusive. It's true that you ended up with an "either/or," mutually exclusive, hypothetical. If I have to choose between a good attitude and bad food, or a bad attitude and good food, well I will just stay at home and cook. Yes, I have experienced both under one roof. The places that have good food and good service? Those are places I go back to and spend my money. The others, if the experience is bad enough, I don't. Good food does not overcome abusive treatment, and outstanding service cannot overcome bad food. I haven't seen any torches or pitchforks, yet, and I reread the thread to make sure. If someone chooses to not go to a restaurant because the attitude is bad, they have a right to do so and say so. If someone chooses not to go to a restraunt because the food is bad, they have a right to do so and say so. Free country, and all that.

My college student daughter works for Starbucks. She's worked for them for two years, before that it was Coldstone Creamery her Senior year in High School. I can say that they take good care of the employee, vs. what you would get at the fast food places, department stores, etc. They are real flexible with their High School and College kids hours, cutting them slack final's week, etc. When my daughter come home to spend break with us, they just put her on the schedule at one here that is easier for her to get to. They offer insurance to their shift leaders, she gets a small tuition reimbursement, the pay is above average. I think she's thinking about going over to a new Johnny Rocket's that's opening up close to her school when she goes back next week, though. I can say that they have several decent whole bean coffees. My daughter will also bring a bag or two home when she comes to visit. The employees get a pound a week free, and she doesn't consume that much, so we have had an opportunity try a few. The Shade Grown Mexican was pretty nice, and I think there was a South American coffee she sprung on us one time, and hubby enjoyed it. I don't care for the house stuff, though. She likes most of her customers, and is on a first name basis with several of them. I think it is the atmosphere in some of the stores that don't do as much traffic. It's like the water cooler at work, I think, only you get to chat with people you don't have to work with all day long. What gets her is the customer who comes in with stereotypical laundry list of a coffee order. The there are those that want "low fat" frappicino's which are physically impossible to prepare because of the premixes. Or those that want a "Green Tea" frappicino because it is not fattening It's good for kids to work with the public. I think every kid should do some customer service at some point in their lives, and learn a little bit about humanity. There are all kinds of people out there! I certainly learned quite a bit about life in service jobs my first few years in the "real world."

Sounds great. In fact I prefer hamminess in my beans and bean soup. Red beans and rice for dinner tonight, I think.

Interesting. Isn't ordering a plate of fish for $19.95, based upon a menu description, intended to be used by you personally, in that you will consume it and it will no longer exist, a "work for hire"? And, are you required to consume and destroy it, just because you ordered and paid for it? Or can you take the food home and do jolly well what you please with it? Even "corrupt" the work by feeding it to the dog, or throwing it into the fridge, or just tossing it into the garbage. I think it is common knowledge and practice that the serving dishes are owned by the restaurant, but hair splittling arguments could be made over that as well, though. But once the food is unplated, is it no longer copyrighted, and can be photographed at will in it's styrofoam carton glory, back at home where you will not infringe upon another's artistic creation? Or are you arguing that every plate that is purchased based upon that menu description is the same item, regardless of the condition of the raw ingredients, or the person who happens to be working that night? And that it is manufactured? It is all too silly, and for wiser minds than mine to decide. Thank goodness. I would have probably told the chef to either allow photography in the restaurant or not, and just go home and shut up. That's why I am not in charge!

I can't help but think of the correlation between the original intent of "Freedom of the Press" which was literally, if you had a printing press in the back room in a two horse town, you could pretty much print anything truthful and distribute it among the public as long as you are not infringing upon another person's rights. I can't think of a better example of those early days of journalism than the blogs we all know and love today No legal background here. But my brother plays a lawyer in court. I think the question will be: Is a plate of food sold to another, with the intention that the purchasing party means to consume the plate of food and it is a one of a kind production for the person purchasing it, and it will go away with the consumption of said plate of food by the purchaser, worthy of copyright protection? Or does the purchaser now own the plate of food? Surely no human being would argue that every plate that leaves the kitchen is perfectly uniform. I don't think the precedent will be set with a picture of a plate of food from a restaurant. I mean, copyrighting a plate of food, is nearly as silly as copyrighting some of the recipes I have seen. Is it derivative? Did the creator actually create something new and unique? Did the creator actually create the plate of food on their own, or "borrow" from other sources? Or is it something that someone else cooked a billion times before and fed to their families, and yeah that sauce could have fallen exactly like that on the plate a billion times before? etc. etc. At the risk of being deleted, I think the precedent in the courts concerning if bloggers are "press" (which means to me the ability to publish) or not will be settled over much bigger issues than a plate of fish. Probably something sickeningly political, but an important precedent to address, nevertheless. I have worked as a copy writer. I have the utmost respect for copyright law, and it is there for a reason. I am rooting for the little guys on the blogs. But, I am prone to that. MOO

Following myself up to note that the UglyRipe™ FAQ Web site Anne posted above has the explanation for what I saw at the Acme: Of course, New Jersey's prime produce-growing regions are just beyond Philly's South Jersey 'burbs. Vineland--the Cumberland County seat and the heart of New Jersey's tomato-growing region--is about 30 minutes away from Center City via the NJ 55 freeway. ← A real shame about the Florida Tomato Commission. I think it is silly, considering that the ugly ripes have a sticker on them that says "Ugly Ripe." They aren't supposed to be pretty, just tasty. I suppose that would explain why the Ugly Ripes are about the same as any other tomato in price this time of year, though. We pay a premium during the warmer months. Those little santa sweets are pretty good, too. But I prefer the Uglies. Don't get me started on the Citrus Canker Eradication Program that was going strong down here for a while. The state would go onto your private property and chain saw your citrus tree down at the ground if canker was found within a football field's length of your home. They would leave the tree and stump for the homeowner's to dispose of, causing great distress to some of the elderly people in the community. Oh well, I am running the AC today. It was 82 degrees and sunny today...

Though too "Over the Top" for me most of the time, this is a very interesting person. She was raised and lived as a young adult in Albany, Ga (pronounced "Awwl-benny"). I was also born and raised there, and my sister and my best friend both live in Savannah. I've heard a little gossip about the Deens, but since this is a food site, I'll try to stay on topic! She does indeed own and operate a very successful restaurant in Savannah, GA - The Lady and Sons. http://www.ladyandsons.com/ It's hard to argue with success. Although I understand that she is rarely there anymore, and that her sons have taken over and pretty much run the place. It is basically Southern style buffet, but nothing special according to my sister and a friend I have in Savannah that have eaten there. It is considered a tourist trap by the locals, but the tourists keep it packed all the time. I've heard that her brother's place, "Uncle Bubba's" is actually much better, and that she has some interest invested in that place as well. The Farmer's Market in Thomasville, GA is far superior to the Lady and Son's according to my sister, if you want to try a Southern Buffet. And I can't imagine why anyone would not want to! I can't imagine purchasing one of her cookbooks, either. As another poster noted, most of what I see her cook is "southern church lady cook book" kind of stuff. And please note, Southern Ladies would not necessarily publish their best in the church cook book. Why give your rivals at church your best recipe? The one thing I have seen her do that I am interested in trying soon is cut fresh okra stirred into the cornmeal batter and fried up like a hoe cake. Now, that strikes me as a good thing - a cross between fried okra and fried cornbread, two of my favorites. Her accent is over the top - the "ya'll" is just simply TOO exaggerated, and dropped into her banter TOO often to be natural. Her manner reminds me so much of my dear departed ex Mother in Law that I can't help but think of her every time I see Paula Deen, and I suppose I have transferred some of the love I felt for that lady unto this lady. Having said that, my ex Mother in Law got on my nerves from time to time, as well. And that gooey cake? Yep, my MIL would make it for a quick casual dessert, before the Food Network was even conceived. Just like anything else, take the best, and leave the rest.

The Ugly Ripe Tomato. http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=352424&page=1 http://www.santasweets.com/ugly-ripe-faq.p...003062711084604 Publix carries these down here, and Albertson's just picked them up, I noticed. Outstanding tomato flavor.

Homemade chicken soup, with lots of garlic and onion. Ice water. Apple juice. I am coming down with the flu, I think. Had a fever this morning.

Hate to admit to a bit of cruelty in my heart, but think for a second. What would the lobster do to you, given the opportunity? I like the big, tough rubber bands. I like them very much.

Right there with you. I have a butt on right now, and the potato salad is chillin'. Collards and blackeye peas with okra will be the next victims to sacrifice for my yearly dose of luck. The collards are leftover, the peas will be cooked fresh. Maybe hushpuppies?

However, there are several more serious issues at hand. And quite apparently, this is going to be a money/revenue war. (Doesn't it always?) But legislators are concerned with other issues: landfill clogging waste of millions of these little bottles and the serving of large volumes of liquor, a possible contributor to drunk driving related deaths. This will be interesting to see how this all works out. And, I learnt a bit more bar trivia -- "Blind Tiger Bars." Interesting article. TYPOS! ← I ran a bar in Charleston for about a year. Yep, the mini bottles are about tax revenue. We had to serve pitchers of Long Island Iced Tea when someone ordered one. We even had a weekly special on the pitchers, along with 10 cent wings. I guess you can tell how long it has been since I worked in the business...

I did exactly the same thing for my mother, only I stashed them in the moss that covered the potting soil on the plant I gave her. I let the nurses know that I would water the bromeliad, as it required "special" handling. She was so desperate for salt, was not a cardiac patient, and her blood pressure had always been very low. I never understood why they put her on low sodium. But the funny thing is, this same hospital served the patients Campbells condensed when they wanted a bowl of soup.

OK, now I am confused. I thought the EZ Cheese came in the can with the handy dispenser, decorator nozzle, and was squirted at the suitable carrier food. And Cheese Whiz came in the jar, and was quite often warmed up and mixed with salsa to make a "nifty" salsa con queso, or warmed and poured over vegetables for a "quick and easy, elegant, side dish, that will impress your friends." It's been a while, but I cannot recall being able to distinguish between the cheesiness of the two products. And they all taste like Velveeta, and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in the blue box. I think Kraft must have a patent on whatever it is that is the root of all this cheesiness. Or is that Chester the Cheetah? It's not easy being cheesy...

There is an actual product from Kraft in a jar that is actually Cheez-Whiz. http://www.kraftfoods.com/cheezwhiz/cw_index.html Tastes just like the squirty stuff in a can to me. I would think they are versions of the same product, with a different delivery method. I love the FAQs on these sites. Here is a quick quote: "Can I heat CHEEZ WHIZ Pasteurized Processed Cheese Sauce in the microwave? Transfer contents of jar to a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2 to 2-1/2 minutes or until heated through, making sure to stir every minute. DO NOT microwave the CHEEZ WHIZ in its original jar, since this may cause the jar to break. Still have a question....contact us"

Taco Bell is notorious for the upcharge. There was one close to where I worked, and I would snag a taco salad from time to time. There was simply not enough sour cream on the thing to make me happy, and they always charged me for the extra squirt or two from the sour cream gun they kept. I think Taco Bell is obssessive about its portion control. The manager must get bonused based upon it. I have never heard of them charging less for an item prepared sans something. Of course, I have never heard of anyone else doing this. I hate their salsa, too.

I worked at an Arby's in High School, and once upon a time, you could purchase the Horsey Sauce in a bottle. I never cared for it, but boy I loved the Jamocha Shake!

Been there, done that, more than once, lived to tell --- here is why. One of my husband's best friends is our state epidemiologist, who gave the following directions to my husband about a similar soup situation, except that my husband's pot had quite a bit of meat in it. Be sure not to put your fingers into the soup and be sure that you have not put your fingers into the soup since it cooled. Then, even a stew with meat in it should be safe after twenty minutes of boiling. If you have touched the food since it cooled, toss it. We got this advice 15 years ago and have lived to tell. I hope this helps. ← Hmm. I thought it was the general consensus that the lactobaccilis on the cook's skin was the positive bacteria that kept sourdough "good". Sourdough confuses me anyway. Seems a very elaborate dance. Saur kraut confuses me a bit too, but the natural acid and salt levels make a bit more sense than the flour/water/yeast/bacteria thing. One thing I do know, I love it! Mom was really bad about leaving food out. The food suffered, and I am sure more than one "stomach virus" can be attributed to it. I just don't do it, and will toss it if it is left out accidentally.

Yes. But then your face would fall off, when it thaws.

I can see it now. The Idaho Buds, sitting in their little "jackets", saying to themselves, "WOW, I MUST be a baked potato! See all my stuff!"