franklanguage

Funny, even in the 80s, when the term "waitron" first seemed to surface, I thought it was kind of funny and sad at the same time. Are servicepeople really uniformly offended by this? I don't think I'd be offended by it any more than other restaurant jokes; for instance, at Yaffa Cafe several years ago, my waitress was wearing a T-shirt that said, "Born To Serve". I haven't met too many waitresses who aren't just marking time waiting tables while they wait for their big break. For instance, there's a waitress at Dojo's right now who is trying to get a job as a systems administrator - which is what she was doing before the dotcoms went bust. Admittedly, there are some waitresses who make a career of it, sometimes by default, but I don't know how often this is the pick of picks. (I understand some career waitresses at the Catskills who had to carry heavy trays would often end up with permanent scoliosis from having to lean to the side so long and often. Where's OSHA when you need them?)

First and most important, the coffee you use in a melior pot (the name of a french press, and not the brand name) must be coarsely ground. There is no other way; if you use coffee ground as for regular drip, you will get a fine silt, like Turkish coffee. Was this your experience? Well, we grind our own beans using a burr grinder, and I'll agree that this is highly important. Some coffee geeks even insist on roasting their own green beans, but we're not that hard-core. I don't know about the "twice as much as the machine's instructions recommend" rule of thumb, though; we just use a standard coffee measure per mug (12 fluid oz.), which I believe comes out about the same as the manufacturer's instructions. I'm inclined to agree, since we use a Krups 12-cup drip that's served us for years; however, we do clean the machine periodically using white vinegar which we run through twice; this is to remove calcification buildup.

I keep wondering about that quote; do you mean you keep your head in the freezer the whole time, or do you come up for air? I've gotten a tremendous amount of insight from this thread, and find myself nodding my head at almost every post. Oh, and about the whole wheat pastry flour; I use that in my cakes and in my piecrust, and kind of as an all-purpose flour. I buy it in bulk at Prana Foods (125 1st Ave.), although I imagine Whole Foods and other places have it as well. And I'm definitely going to have to try that chocolate carrot cake; sounds great. (Gets the "why didn't I think of it" award from me.)

It is true: most American things have gratuitous added sugar. One example I find is Ben and Jerry's ice cream (which used to be good); it's consistently too sweet. Of course, the whole formula has become so hopelessly adulterated since their sale to a corporate giant that I've given up on it. (And those "Twisted" flavors? Is that supposed to be some kind of joke?) And even if the discussion on this board is largely about chocolate and how many of us prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate, you have to notice that most of Middle America prefers milk chocolate. (Which has been referred to as "brown cheese", but that's a different thread altogether.) We did get a "bitter chocolate" at Zabar's, and the name escapes me (Michel something) without realizing that 99% meant there was no added sugar. That's too extreme even for me. Lastly, I notice that dishes combining meat and fruit aren't always a corruption; sometimes they harken back to an earlier time. I cite "Pork Tenderloin with Cherries" which appears in my "Modern Italian Cooking" by Biba Caggiano. In the intro to the recipe, she says, "Cooking with fruit is nothing new. In many dishes from the Renaissance, we find that fruit appears often in conjunction with meats or fowls." She goes on to say that for her, eating game with fruit is the only way: the fruit is a foil to the gamey flavor. Takes all kinds.

Midtown east? If you're close to 42nd street, take the 4 or 5 down to 14th street, then take the L train over to Bedford Avenue. You'll have to walk a little, and will have to ask directions to get your bearing, but it's not far. However, since I lived next door to Peter Luger's several years ago, I know the J train will take you closer than the L. Take the 6 local down to Canal street, then transfer for the J. The stop you want is the first one over: Marcy Avenue. You will see Peter Luger's when you touch down in Brooklyn (the view from the bridge alone is worth the trip). Again, ask directions when you get off the train. Enjoy.

Kettle Chips distribute to the east coast; I actually didn't know they were made in Oregon. My favorite of the Kettle Chips is habanero and something (haven't had them in a while).

Charles Chips were indeed the best. I haven't seen 'em here in the Northeast for at least 7 or 8 years... Believe it or not, those silly "French Bistro" chips from that monster Frito Lay are actually good. I doubt anything like them was ever served in a French Bistro, but they are worth trying if you haven't had them. Shame on Frito-Lay for producing these chips! It's impossible to buy a bag without eating them all in one sitting! (And say what you want about "that monster" Frito-Lay, but at least they pledge to not use genetically-engineered ingredients in their products.) I will say, however, that my three current faves are: Terra Blues Creme Fraiche and Dill, Olive Oil Chips Trio, and Terra Chips Red Bliss. (They all contain less fat than regular chips - supposedly - but that isn't the main consideration here.)

As I had been previously using for my footer in posts, "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that certain je ne sais quoi!" This from Peter Schickele.

Sure, they may have Quisp, but do they have Quake? Quisp and Quake were marketed as twin cereals by Quaker in the 60s. I even had a Quisp ragdoll. In truth, I mail-ordered a box of Quisp (for บ) a couple of years ago, and was not all that impressed. Guess it's true what they say: you can't go home again. Nowadays I put chocolate soymilk on my non-GMO, organically grown corn flakes.