pjs

Already tried and gave up. PJ

Apparently about $100. No, their math is wrong there too. Twenty years ago carts went for a c-note. I'm guessing around $200 for a new cart today and about $100 ea. for the invisible fence retrofit. The steel mesh makes excellent barbeque grates BTW. PJ

What about Church's and Popeye's? It's kind of obvious their target market is low-income households and for the most part that is the neighborhoods they are located in. Not that there is anything wrong with their product, I love the chicken from both even though it's more deadly than the burger joint stuff if consumed on a regular basis. I only eat there once or twice a month. Someone living down the street from one with limited means may not have that option. PJ

Soba, My guess would be because McDonald's became the 600 lb gorilla in the fast food industry in large part due to their real estate holdings and the income it generates for further expansion. They own--or at least they used to--all the land the restaurants were built on and lease it out to the frachisees. It does wonders keeping the troublesome owners singing the company song. Areas with depressed real estate values would be seen as a bad investment to corporate. Just my take. PJ

Jim was a great guy to talk to about the early years. My original point was that BK always used some type of broiler, crap or not... The broiler is of BK proprietary design but built by a public equipment company. FC, The original redesigned broilers were indeed built in-house, at least early-on. In fact, so was much of the stainless equipment in the stores. My point was BK corporate spent large amounts starting-up in-house fabrication operations when the McDonald's method was to let the supplier design and prototype with the carrot dangling of all that future business. BTW, the original McD Fish sandwich was developed by someone working at Gorton's who spent over a year developing it. BTW, I'm really enjoying your posts. PJ

Actually, according to J. McLamore's autobiography, the original piece-of-crap Insta-burger-broiler was used for some time in the mid-fifties until they became fed-up with it and designed a new one. They then invested lots of money in designing and building the things themselves instead of out-sourcing like McD. McLamore also mentions in the book his worst business decision was selling out to Pillsbury in the mid-sixties. PJ

Thanks for the info Ed. I found a quick and easy recipe for Spicy Sweet and Sour Cabbage in Virginia Lee's "The Chinese Cookbook" that uses the hot oil infusion of the peppercorns and tried it tonight. It uses about a tablespoon of unground peppercorns in a 1/3 cup of oil. For one thing the fragrance of the peppercorns in the oil beats the dry pan method hands down. While the dish was still cooling--it's a room temp or cold one--early tastings of the final product produced the "ma la" effect. It was not immediate though, it took a few minutes to develop fully. To me it's a vague front of the mouth tingle/numbness. One thing I've noticed in my rooting around: In her book Fuchia Dunlop insists on only using the freshest peppercorns, claims they deteriorate fast, and usually specifies about 1 tsp. in her recipes. On the other hand Virginia Lee in her book writes that the peppercorns will "keep indefinitely in a tightly sealed container." Her recipes usually call for a tablespoon's worth. My new conclusion is, the older they are the more of them you need to use! PJ

I still think I bought the genuine article. Old and useless, but genuine. Toasting the suspect product in a pan produced a not unpleasant aroma, but not one you would write home about. Tasting an eighth-teaspoon on the tongue of the ground powder after said toasting and a trip through the M&P was disappointing to say the least. No tingle. No spicy flavor. It tasted like dirt instead of yard refuse. So, my current opinion--like others here--is not only is this stuff nearly impossible to obtain in the USA, but also worthless if it's not very fresh. PJ

I just scored a very short ounce, for two bucks, of what appears to be--thanks Wena for the link--the genuine article. I bought it from the grocer that told me six months ago his inventory was confiscated. When questioned he insisted the ban had been lifted. This stuff looks nasty. Lots of husks, stems, twigs and a few small buds in the mix. Sorta like what's leftover after cleaning a ¼lb. of primo Columbian. Nice reddish-brown color though. Of course I immediately put some into my mouth, hoping for that 9v battery experience. Unfortunately nothing happened. In fact it tasted like yard refuse. Is the prep I've read of--heating in a pan until smoking and adding salt--essential to the experience or have I been beat once more? PJ

Kristin and bigwino: The ginger will pick-up the sherry flavor which is not necessarily a bad thing. Many stir-frys call for ginger and shao hsing wine--or sherry--as flavorings. I don't peel it before storing because I'm lazy. It will soften somewhat over time but not much. You can still slice, chop or julienne without a problem. fifi: Intrigued, I just tasted a teaspoon of the soaking liquid in my jar of preserved ginger. Don't go there. Better you should only cook with it. PJ

Yes, ginger will last almost forever in a jar of sherry in the fridge. The liquor and the ginger preserved in it work wonders. PJ

While it's true the recipes in Franey's first 60 Minute volume have become somewhat dated--the butterfat in some of them is scary by today's standards--this book is still a classic. Almost every recipe will deliver more than you expected due to the sound technique explained and primal ingredients requested. My 14th printing of the original Random House is the most worn-out and stained book in my collection. It's nice to see it has been reissued after about ten years of it being unavailable. But don't take mine or Seth's word. Look it up on Amazon. There are currently 12 customer reviews. One is a three-star. The other 11 are all fives. PJ

John Hersey's book "Blues," published by Knopf in '87 is a great book about the fish and hunting it. Lots of recipes are included. On Long Island we affectionately called them "Choppers." Most likely because a freshly caught one could chop off the tip of one of your fingers if you weren't careful. PJ

Here's a recipe for a quick and cheap Italian bean soup that uses pantry and fridge ingredients I always have on hand. I learnt it from Marcella Hazan a long time ago and modified it somewhat since. Just the thing when you don't get home 'til 8pm and you want something savory and fast for dinner. Heat ½ cup olive oil--Vigo Imported Extra Virgin Spanish Olive Oil, Cold Pressed, $3.95/½ltr--in a saucepan. Add a teaspoon or so of chopped garlic and lightly brown it. Add to the pan two, well-drained 15½oz. cans of Goya Cannellini Beans, two cans for a $1.00. Season lightly with S&P and simmer for about 5 minutes. Run about a cup of the beans through the food processor and return the paste to the pot along with a 14oz. can of Swanson 99% Fat Free Chicken Broth, 89¢. Stir and simmer for about another 5 minutes. After the second five-minute simmer you are basically done. Adjust for seasoning and consistancy--you can thin or thicken according to personal taste--and stir in a generous amount of chopped parsley. Serve in a bowl over a toasted thick slice of baguette. Follow with a salad and fresh fruit for dessert. This recipe makes two or three main plates. It is also very good as a side dish for four or more instead of the usual potatoes, pasta or rice. Oh yeah. Take your copy of Semi-Homemade Cooking: Quick, Marvelous Meals and Nothing Is Made from Scratch -- by Sandra Lee, Wolfgang Puck (Introduction): $19.95 and use the ripped-out pages as a starter for your BBQ charcoal chimney. PJ

Black Bean Sauce is a quick, cheap and very tasty stir-fry sauce. A holy trinity of black beans, garlic and ginger. Clams with Black Bean Sauce (garnished with grated lemon rind) is a classic. Ming's recipe--like lots of other BB recipes--leaves out a crucial step though. Those beans need to be well-rinsed under running water to get rid of the salt! Trust me. The first time I used fermented black beans I didn't wash them. PJ

However, the much beloved IRS lets you round to the nearest dollar on your 1040. I always round down when giving a cash customer change. Usually in pennies, sometimes in nickels, dimes and quarters. Rounding up--no matter how small--will put you and your business in the same despised league in the customer's mind with used car salesmen. PJ

God bless Jim McLamore. Fuck, hard, everyone one else in the current operation. PJ

Chilling is not necessary. Back when McD was using fresh cut fries they never chilled them between fryings. It's the way I've been shown by a couple of people and the way I've always done it. Perhaps it has to do with the shock of chilled potato hitting the hot shortening. The counter to that is the chilled potatoes bring down the heat quicker, lengthening the shortening's recovery process. Next batch I will try without chilling the potatoes. I think it's all about browning: Chilling will dehydrate the surface of the potato. Less moisture means less steam, which means the surface can get hotter than 212 F more quickly. The cold fry dunked in the hot oil might (I'm not certain of this) evaporate any remaining surface moisture more quickly than if it was warm. Chilling converts some of the starch to sugar, though not a lot. The fries will brown a bit better if this step is included. How much conversion takes place will depend on how long you leave them in the fridge. Nice job Holly! I think Dave's on to something here. Lately I've been freezing large batches of fries after the first frying. With a quick room-temp defrosting to dust off any ice crystals, they brown-up much quicker than the ones I've done without the refrigeration step. And they taste great--crispy outside, fluffy inside. PJ

Don't, do not, forget, or toss aside a trip to St. Augustine. Real history trumps the Disney crap every time. O'Steen's is a no-brainer. The Cab Co. has however started taking flak on that other web site's Florida board. I read the NYTimes piece. I now need to revisit. Soon. PJ PS I see Nick is still jonesin' for smoked mullet. Nick, I'll happily trade you pound for pound, mullet for Maine lobsters.

Welcome Allison! I see you’ve been inundated with responses. Unfortunately due to the middle-income tourist economy model it depends on, this area of Florida is a chain restaurant-festered hell. Two up-scale independent restaurants with good intentions went under just this past week. I understand all-too-well your mother’s retreat to home cooking with the fine seafood available here, but there are a few alternatives: Norwood’s Seafood, New Smyrna Beach. Anyplace that is still around after 40 or so years in this area deserves respect and a visit. Known for their wine list. Around here I don’t know if that is a plus or a minus. Mario’s, Ormond Beach. Nothing more than good Italian-American. Been around forever also and crowded on the weekends. We’ve used them for catering more than once. Billy’s Tap Room, Ormond Beach. Another old favorite of the locals. American bistro/brasserie food. Port Orange/Ormond Steakhouse. A new operation to the area with two locations. The Port Orange location is said to be more rustic than the Ormond one. I’ve only been to the northern location. Good steaks. On to the ethnic choices: Pasha Middle Eastern Deli, Daytona Beach. Oh my, fresh baked pita and naan seven days a week. Schawarmas (gyros), falafel, hummus, imported yogurt, etc. Been around 20+ years. A lunchtime favorite. Leanh’s Chinese Restaurant, Daytona Beach. Don’t let the name or the Chinese menu confuse you. Demand the one page Vietnamese menu. Once you do, they will treat you like family. Let me know if you need more info! PJ

You're right. My 75 year-old mother doesn't know how to truss a chicken with rubber bands. All my venom was meant to be directed at Popeil and not at you. The Foreman Grill mention was a cheap shot that I apologize for--although I still think it is a useless piece of shit. PJ

jwagnerdsm, Basically the Showtime is a barbeque charcoal-starter housed in a cheap, poorly insulated tin, glass and plastic box. It puts out more heat into the room than a kerosene heater at twice the expense. No doubt the lawyers insisted that it be sold with a pair of welders mitts. Thankfully I haven't seen it again on the counter of my mother's house since she bought one. She loaded the chicken so that it's legs were slapping the heating elements on every revolution. I threw away the useless rubber bands that were included at no cost and trussed the bird with twine. I don't doubt that you can get good results with it. I just find the thing cheap and fucking dangerous. PJ PS Do you have a George Foreman grill?

Oh com'on. Yellow and red ain't so bad. Just think of the revulsions the new green and purple ketchups could conjure up. bloviatrix, thanks loads for the reference to jam on eggs. It resurrected a memory that was better left repressed. PJ PS "Ketchup on Request" was a sign on the wall at your neighborhood White Castle. Only a Philistine would make such a request.

Wow. I didn't check Chef Paul. Lots of spices and herbs, of course -- otherwise it's not worth his time, right? (I adore Prudhomme.) Save me some time and tell me which book? I've probably got it. And thanks. I wonder why no vegetables, though this site, which claims to tell the "true" story, doesn't mention veg either: squirrel, butter, onions, stale bread and seasoning. "Seasoned America". PJ

Prudhomme has a recipe for Brunswick Stew that looks promising. From the intro: "This stew probably originated in Brunswick County, Virginia, in the 1820s, when it would have been made with squirrel, but no vegetables." His version uses chicken combined with potatoes, onion, green pepper, tomato, limas, and corn. And lots of spices and herbs. Dave, I'll forward the recipe to you if you want it. PJ