Nick

Thanks for posting that, Nicola. Coke strikes again. Worst drug out there.

During this long thread, somewhere along the line it was revealed that results on the autopsy (drug testing) of David Dempsey were to be released in early July. I just did a search and couldn't find anything. Since this got to be such a hot topic at the time, does anyone else have any news?

When was 10% the norm? Just curious as it was 15% back in the late 70's and early 80's A few of us go back as far as Nickn. The truth is that the earliest I recall, the discussions among the new tippers -- those picking up the tabs as adults or college students -- were about whether you include the tax, or the drinks, in the 15% tip. Nickn must be older than I am. Okay. I've got to admit to being 62 and started tipping back in the early sixties. 10% was standard for a long time. !5% for less time, and now, apparently, 20% for even less time.

Pepperidge Farm was better than most back in the seventies. Once good, small local bakeries started coming in, it lost its flavor. Find good little bakery and slice it thin.

Back when 10% was the norm, I'd tip 15% for decent service. Then when 15% became the norm, I'd do 20%. It might have had something to do with the fact that I'd had some friends over the years making a living waiting on tables and none of them were living in big houses or driving shiny new cars. But, I'll be damned if I'll go to 25% now that the norm is 20%. Gotta stop some place. I get around the plastic problem by always tipping with cash. Keeps the bookkeeping simpler for the one that's getting it.

Talk to Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld.

Being out in the sticks and never having had wasabi (but liking horseradish) I did a google and came up with Pacific Farms. I think I'll order some. Edit: Oops. Maybe I won't. Went back to the site and noted the ingredients in their paste - "(Ingredients: wasabi, sucrose, modified food starch, less than 1/2 of 1% xanthan gum, phosphoric acid, potassium sorbate, certified color blue #5 and yellow #5.)" They do offer live plants for the garden though.

Fat Guy's review makes me want to eat there. Too bad it's so far away.

My friends with the slaughterhouse/meat shop also raise some cattle - mostly Angus. They mix their own grain - oats, barley, and corn. No additives. Good meat.

I wish my husband would get a job!

Maybe your friend should just stick with meat and forget about the frozen lobster tails. Get him to try 10-16 frozen Gulf shrimp.

It's not the grass. It's the bugs, worms, etc. that the chickens find in the grass.

Tony, maybe you've been to Argentina. Have you tasted beef down there? Is it better, or on par with US? I keep wondering if its import is being restricted because US producers don't want the competition.

It all depends.

It's been my habit to expect payment from my customers within ten days of billing - usually by fax. Unless I know a customer is running into some problems, I'm pretty unwavering in this policy. It works.

Kate, maybe this gig's not for you. New Bev's a hard town. It's late in the season, but maybe you ought to be looking out on the Cape. Maybe someone's quit and you could fill their spot.

They take anywhere from one to three days in processing. It seems to depend on the outfit in the middle doing the transaction.

Just what I need for such a trip. Praise the lord and pass out the tranquilizers.

Yes, my grandmother was present. She also cleaned the ceiling. If the water bath had gone dry, it's unlikely the "explosion" would have happened as there would have been just heat to the bottom. But, who am I to try to figure all this out? Let's get back to white trash delicacies. A truly delightful subject.

That bears some thinking.

Good enough. Varmint, I bet you didn't plan on havin' a transcontinental spat as part of the pig pickin' .

Never mind. What's up with you? I didn't say I was gonna get it on with every woman along the way. There's a difference between fuckin' and fuckin' off. Jason, Sorry I know this is a food site.

Holly, I hear you and I'd love to do it that way. Take a week gettin' down and digging all the stuff off the highway in between. It would be great. But, I've had my own business for thirty years or so and been through the ups and downs. It's beginning to look like we may be facing a significant down. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do about this - probably ride it out the same as I have the rest. So, it ends up that I have to deal with the craziness of the interstates between here and there - or, take a more leisurely route (which I'd really like to do), and while I'm fuckin' off along the way, wonder just what I'm doing having such a good time, spending money that I'm not sure how I'll replace if things keep headed in the direction I think they may be headed. I'm really giving all this stuff serious consideration - and I know that this is not a hallmark of this site - eat and be merry - but it really boils down to make a quick run to NC and join what seems like millions of others making quick runs - or take a slow (and enjoyable) journey - or just stay home and make sure I'm ready for winter. I know everyone's going to think I'm crazy. I probably am.

Varmint (and Katherine), after lots of thought, I'm not going to be able to make it. I'd really like to get there and meet everyone and have some good eats - and maybe help tend the pig - and meet Jaymes too. But... in May I traveled to Blacksburg in southwestern Virginia to attend my daughter's graduation. Western Virginia is beautiful and I'm glad I got to see it. It was getting from here to there that got to me - and it would be the same getting to your place. There follows part of an email I sent to my daughter after I got back to Maine - ".... I think it was culture shock what with leaving Maine and all. It's okay to go to NH and Vermont, but once I get down into the craziness further south on the interstates, I lose it. So many people, driving so many cars. It's like the human species is way out of control." That's gone into my thinking about why I can't come. It predominates my thinking about why I can't come. If it weren't for all the stuff in between, I'd be there. Maybe other people that have their roots in the country will know what I mean.

Sorry, Katherine, but many years ago (many, many years ago) my grandmother put a can of brown bread into a water bath to heat it. She'd always done this, but this time she forgot to punch a hole in the top. End of the can blew off, resulting in brown bread all over the ceiling. This is a true story, not a myth. The can was probably defective. I'm not sure about that as she'd previously taken care to make a small hole to vent the can while heating. While we're on this, I think the higher processing temperatures you mentioned were before the can was sealed to pull a vacuum. I'm just speculating, but whether the can would explode or not on subsequent heating might depend on whether the can became hotter than processing heat, the contents, and the "head-space" over the contents.