rlibkind

Don't go crazy trying to find the veal. Make it all pork. Maybe you can find a veal breast; depending on the neighborhood, they are either cheap or mid-priced. (Around my neighborhood they're in demand, so they aren't exactly an inexpensive cut, but still offers decent value.)

Once again you state an untruth as "fact" ["the Board refuses to explain its actions"]. The board has explained its actions, here and elsewhere, it's just that the explanation hasn't been to your satisfaction. That's a legitimate matter of debate and discussion, but your characterization of the board as not offering an explanation at all is, at best, hyperbole. Saying the board inadequately explained its action is a lot different than saying the board refused to explain its action. To some that may be mere nuance, but to me nuance is critical, especially when characterizing the motivations of others.

Almost, but no cigar, Sandy. What I was reporting was what some merchants told me. My own feeling is that, yes, while RTM management could have handled this better, Rick could have, too. And it's also my view that current RTM management has done more to further the goals and mission of the market than has Rick, either as an independent merchant or as leader of the merchants' association. But that's where Holly and I (and others) disagree.

The cheaper the better. Certainly not lean cuts. Remember that sausage-making began with using scraps of meat (and fat and connective tissue) that otherwise couldn't be utilized efficiently. If you're not butchering your own animals and making use of scraps, I would imagine that among the more commonly available cuts, shoulder (butt on pork) and neck meat would be best. Just be sure to have an adequate amount of fat in the mix. That varies with taste, but I would think 25-30 percent by weight in the raw mix would work; some pork-based sausages designed for cooking are up to 35 percent fat before hitting the heat. Since fresh pork shoulder is only about 15-17 percent fat and veal considerably leaner, make sure to add enough extra fat to reach the desired percentage. To my taste, using too little fat is worse than using a little too much because it creates a dry, tougher product.

Welcome, udalum. As another, regular, weekly shopper at the RTM, your experience and thoughts are valued. That said, of course I have to comment! I can't think of any tenant that welcomes a rent increase. And for the sandwich stand operators, the rent increases in the new leases are hardly insubstantial. But, let's face it, they can stand to pay more than a fresh food vendor. RTM's rental goals are still to keep them below the levels similar businesses would pay for similar high-traffic locations I've no doubt what you report happened happened. But given that the withdrawal of the Pennsylvania Dutch from the festival and its subsequent cancellation were well-publicized, I'm nonetheless puzzled. I'm sure she was disappointed, but I don't equate that with a ruined shopping experience. Of course this is true. But I've found that more often than not, it's not one side or the other that is responsible for any deterioration in a relationship, but both, though the degrees of responsibility can vary. What complicates the RTM situation is that while the RTM Corporation, governed by its board, is a not-for-profit organizations, the merchants are, not surprisingly, for-profit organizations. I've seen non-profits (and "profits") with the relationship problems you describe, and just as often as I've seen managements that make life miserable for employees, I've seen employees with an unwarranted sense of entitlement and/or unwillingness to adjust to change. If I was the RTM manager I'd agree to let any store that opens on Sunday to be closed on Monday, if they so desired. That meets the consumer's need for Sunday hours, but still provides a day of rest. Once again, udalum, welcome to eGullet, and I hope the fact that I'm responding to some of the points you make does not deter you from posting your thoughts again and repeatedly. Observations and thoughts like yours spark interesting discussions and cause us constantly to rexamine our own beliefs and conclusions.

I've no doubt some merchants have told you that. But, just like Holly pointed out about the marketing surveys: so one has to take what you were told by a couple of merchants with large grains of sea salt. As I noted earlier, Tom Nicolosi is one of Rick's most ardent supporters, and while I never asked him the question you posed, the dollars he's investing in new ovens and expanding capacity answers that question better than words. I wish I could use more names of merchants I spoke with -- merchants big and small, well-established and new -- who signed the petition in support of Rick but told me they did so because of a sense of allegiance to a fellow merchant, not because they thought Rick held a morally superior position. The sense I get from these merchants is that while Rick may not have deserved what he got, he could have taken steps to avoid it and still be true to his principles.

What's the worst case? They eat one of Tommy's pork sandwiches instead? Horrors! ← Once again, no smilie used, leading to confusion about a portion of my post. I must remember smilies are my friend. The above statement was in jest with the added benefit of highlighting a petty management gesture that has most likely had absolutely no impact on RTM customers or on Rick's Steaks. ← After I posted I thought I needed to add a smilie, too! I'll make up for it:

What's the worst case? They eat one of Tommy's pork sandwiches instead? Horrors!

If I thought the Rick's Steak brouhaha would bring significant long-term damage, I'd agree. But I don't: my opinion is that while the lease non-renewal may or may not have been justified, it's not the threat to the market you perceive it to be. These are the type of things on which reasonable people may disagree, and I hope they do so with facts and logic. And I would also hope that, where appropriate, we discuss topics with the passion you bring. Passion is great. What I cannot abide and allow to stand unanswered or unremarked upon is the tone and tenor in some of your posts in advancing your case, with inflammatory language that is just plain rude.

Once again, Holly, you haven't put forth a single fact to answer the question asked: What are the specific actions undertaken by current RTM management that have made the RTM shopping experience worse for the consumer? If you can't do that, or choose not to do that, fine, that's your perogative. I've never said you shouldn't express opinion, or reach conclusions based on your interpretation of facts. Opinions and conclusions are what make eGullet interesting; but I put greater weight on such opinions and conclusions when they are fact-based. Yep. As in:

Sound familiar, Philadelphians? But, no, this quote is not about the Reading Terminal Market. It's from this past Sunday's Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and "the Market" is Pike Place. You can read the full story here, at least as long as the P-I keeps the page alive. (And thanks to Paul Steinke, RTM manager, for bringing the article to my attention.)

Yum! My favorite cheap meat: lamb ribs!

You get quarter of a point for the Dutch festival, but that's ephemeral. Lack of the festival this year has not made the shopping experience worse for the consumer. (IMHO, the festival makes it more difficult to shop; but that's besides the point.) All your other responses are BS speculations and "what ifs". None of them address the question asked: What are the specific actions undertaken by current RTM management that have made the RTM shopping experience worse for the consumer? Merchant morale? The only thing that will seriously harm merchant morale for the long term is declining sales. (I know Tommy Nicolosi is one of Rick's strongest supporters, so if anyone's morale could be down, one would think it would be Tommy's. But his sandwiches are as good as ever -- many would argue better with the recent addition of rabe -- and he's planning a significant capacity expansion this fall and will be staying open later. How's that bad for the consumer?) Bad publicity? That only seems to matter to some editors and reporters looking for a story in the dog days of summer, you and a handful of folks here and a few other blogs and internet sites. Negative publicity is the only hope Rick has, which is why he hired his own PR heavyweight (Stephan Rosenfeld, ex-Septa, ex-Tenet) to coordinate his media blitz which necessitated RTM's belated response. Sunday openings? Again, you're dealing in "what ifs". It's voluntary now, and there's nothing in the works to force it. (That doesn't mean I wouldn't require it if I were running the market; but I'm obviously a mean, evil person.) Anything that stresses the merchants is bad? Hey, I'll spring for Ativan prescriptions for Rick and any other merchant who needs it to cope. Whole Foods and Trader Joe's are what should cause merchants stress. Everyone's got a right to their opinion here, Holly, and I understand you will continue to advocate your position as you see fit -- like when you decided to use a distasteful, inappropriate and rude metaphor by likening management to gangland killers because they are implementing a decision with which you disagree. If nothing else, that shows how strongly you feel about this situation. Just don't pretend that your opinions are facts.

Let's stick to the facts and what's actually happened, Holly, rather than what you speculate might happen in the future. What are the specific actions undertaken by current RTM management that have made the RTM shopping experience worse for the consumer?

We have a chicken-or-egg problem here. Perhaps we should form a Coalition For Shopping At RTM to organize weekly "Shop-Ins" to demonstrate our interest to the few merchants still hanging out at 5:30. ← BRAVO! Capital Idea!

For the 25 years I've been shopping at the RTM, there's only been one "Lancaster Co farmer" at any given time. Right now, and for at least the past 15 years, it's been Benuel Kaufman. Benuel is not located in the Pennsylvania Dutch section, he keeps the same hours: closed Sunday-Tuesday, open Wednesday-Saturday. Only a small portion of what Benuel sells comes from his own garden. And even at the height of the growing season no more than two-thirds of his shelf space (and probably less than that) is devoted to produce; the remainder is some prepared foods, some grains and lots of crafts/trinkets. The only other Pennsylvania Dutch merchant who might be considered a "farmer," though that's a stretch, would be L. Halteman, which primarily deals in deli meats and fresh meats. They do, however, sell some seasonal produce. Although located about as far away from the Amish section as you can get, near the opposite corner of the market, they keep the same Wednesday-Saturday hours. None of the other Amish/Pennsylvania Dutch vendors are farmers, i.e., they don't sell produce. They sell meats, deli, baked goods, candy, non-artisinal cheeses, milk and related dairy products, and prepared foods for on or off-premises consumption.

As expected not nearly as sweet as modern supersweet hybrids. Taste was noticeably but not overwhelmingly "cornier". The ears were much more uniform than I expected to see, though the kernels were on the large side. (I did not strip the ears open to check quality at the stand. I abhor that practice and would rather, pardon the expression, "feel it up" with the husks in place to determine if there are any gross deformities.) All in all, it was a nice change and a worthwhile reminder of what corn used to taste like and why people would boil the water before picking the corn and then rush it to the pot. But, unless I get nostalgic again, I'll stick to the modern supersweets.

It's pretty hard to find old fashioned, non-hybrid corn these days. But Earl Livengood has it. Priced at 50 cents an ear, the certified organic corn is "open pollinated". The kernels aren't as uniform and perfect as you'd see in a hybrid variety, but I bought a couple of ears to see if they have a "cornier" taste; I don't expect them to compete in the sweetness category with Mirai or other modern hybrids, but I'm prepared to be surprised. They'll be consumed tonight, so I'll try to post an update soon. Lots of local produce at both Iovine Brothers and OK Lee to supplement their regular fare. Iovine's comes from Shadybrook Farm near Yardley, OK Lee's from Lancaster County. Among the items: cantaloupe, wax and green beans, corn. Certainly not local, but a welcome seasonal return nonetheless at OK Lee: Cactus pears, two for a buck. Makes great magaritas. Suffering succotash! Lima beans at the height of their season. At least one of Earl Livengood's farmhands was popping them raw as a snack this morning. Also new this week: fresh, young, small celeriac. Earl's also got some additional varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Livengood's heirloom tomatoes Blackberries and peaches still going strong, of course, at Livengood's, Kaufman's and Fair Food, but also making an appearance in advance of autumn are some early pears at Kaufman's. Benuel says he expects to have Sanza apples next week. (Benuel spells the varietry with a 'z', but I've only seen it with the second 's', Sansa.) Benuel Kauman's fruit, including early pears Attention mrbigjas: raw peanuts back at Iovine's, $2.99/pound. Here's my shopping list for the week: EARL LIVENGOOD $4.95 Corn tomatoes Celeriac IOVINE $0.39 Bananas KAUFMAN'S $3.95 Cherry tomatoes GIUNTA'S PRIME SHOP $10.10 Chicken 12th STREET CANTINA $3.34 Mexican chorizo HERSHEL'S DELI $5.00 Lox

Hummus, no way can it be delicate. I operate under the theory that hummus is merely a vehicle for carrying the maximum amount of garlic, or a pasty base for lots of olive oil or ground chopped meat or all of the above. But goat cheese is another matter. There can be delicately-flavored goat cheese. Some pure goat cheeses are, to me, much akin to cream cheese, just without the additives and vegetable gums. This weekend, in fact, I asked Jack at Downtown Cheese for a log of the "plainest" goat cheese he had (I wanted to place it on a beet-watermelon-walnut salad) and it was, in flavor, a delicate, mild cheese with a light creamy texture. Goat cheese can be more assertive, but it doesn't have to be, and the simple, inexpensive cheese Jack sold me was a perfectly fine counterpoint to the other flavors.

I've generally found the quality of the meat at Whole Foods pretty good. But, as a general rule, not of good value when compared to other sellers. The beef at Guinta's Prime Shop is also hormone-free, grass-fed and all-natural; I doubt Charles is selling it at a loss, and he doesn't have nearly the buying power of Whole Foods.

I've made sorbet out of the juice (as well as using it for margaritas and gin-based cocktails). I would think it would make a nice uncooked chutney with some chili pepper, onion, other seasonal fruits etc., accompanying game or poultry, maybe even more strongly flavored fish like mackerel, bluefish, etc.

The rains came and went last Sunday (July 29), then about three or four dozen produce lovers made their way out to Lampeter, Pennsylvania, on the outskirts of Lancaster, where the Livengood family held their annual corn roast and pot luck for customers they serve at Reading Terminal Market, South Street market, and Fairmount market. It was the sixth or seventh year they'd held the event, but the first time I had the opportunity to attend. Hosts Earl, Joyce, Dwain and Dale Livengood, along with other family members and farmhands, provided the setting (the Livengood's shady side yard), the corn, canopy and table, cold drinks and hospitality, while the guests provided the potluck which mostly took advantage of seasonal produce goodies. (The only meat I spied and tasted was some delicious Biranyi, but the shredded chicken was used more as another flavoring than a main ingredient.) Following the meal, Earl introduced the family and then presided over the afternoon's entertainment, a skit involving he and his farmhands hoeing their rows while singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat, and then the telling of a tall tale involving a steer in which Earl, a wild and crazy guy, played the steer. Afterword, Earl and Dwain led tour of the farm, and Sam led another one showing the non-commercial produce growing on the Livengood's property, starting out with the paw paw trees in the front yard. Here's a photo of the hoeing entertainment: Soon after I arrived, Earl's friend and amateur farmer/forager Sam Consylman grabbed me and another guest, Alexandra Stafford (food editor of the Bulletin) to show off his garden, a few miles away. Here are photos of Sam amidst his onions (which will be appear in local farm markets this winter), holding one of his prize beets (a cylindrical variety, which I think are among the sweetest as well as perfectly shaped for roasting), and next to one of his peach trees. The peaches, btw, are delicious. Sam picked one up off the ground, brushed away the ants and the tiny spot they had just started working on and handed it to me. Incredibly juice, but with a subtle but absolutely peachy flavor. It was a modern white variety, Raritan Rose (obviously, by name, a product of Rutgers' Cook College of Agriculture), and well worth seeking out, so long as you get them as perfectly ripe as the one Sam handed to me, sans ants.

Text version of KYW Radio report, including comments from mayor and tourism officials that dispute won't harm tourism business. Inquirer update, noting that RTM Manager Paul Steinke personally gave Rick the eviction notice about 10 a.m. This afternoon Steinke confirmed he had delivered the eviction notice, but as of 2:30 p.m. had yet to be served with any legal papers from Olivieri. He was, however, expecting to be served.

Here's the pricing of flank steak at the RTM today: $7.99 Martin's Quality Meats $8.99 Harry Ochs $6.89 L. Halteman $7.99 Giunta's Prime Shop The hanger and skirt steaks at Giunta's were selling for $8.99 Or you could buy, for $11.50/pound, already-cooked flank steak (expresso rubbed) at one of the newer vendors, Everyday Gourmet (located in Andro's former spot). That's only a modest premium, after considering the weight loss in cooking.

Well, it can be done, but why bother? Which is not to say you can't do what you want to do, but any thought that they resemble Buffalo Wings would be delusional. You either have to eliminate the wings and replace them with a less skin-and-fat intensive part (as you suggest, using breast/tenders), and/or alter the cooking method and/or sauce components. But switching from the unctious wings with their perfect balance of skin, fat, white and dark meat to bland white breast meat simply changes the character too much. Cooking method. Fry? Not if you really want something healthier. Grilled or broiled would probably be an acceptable alternate to fried. But then the sauce becomes problematic, because the sauce is about 50 percent butter, margarine or oil with Frank's or Crystal or similar hot pepper sauce. (Do not use Tabasco; you need a less-intensive sauce so you can use more and get the vinegar balance right; if you use Tabasco, use less and balance with additional white vinegar.) Some recipes call for some flour to thicken it up and help it adhere. I don't see any way around the fat-based sauce. All that said, I'd recommend forgetting about trying to make it "healthier". Almost any attempt to make it healthier makes them Rochester wings, i.e., not Buffalo wings. Work regular, full-flavored wings into your diet, just don't eat them often or more than a small flock at one time. The only variation that would make Buffalo Wings "healthier" and still retain their essence would be grilling/broiling. You've got to keep the wings and keep the sauce. If there are no wings, well, they're not Wings. And if you don't have the fat-based finger-licking sauce, you don't have Buffalo. While there are distinct differences between grilling and frying, switching to the grill won't, I believe, alter the most important characteristics of Buffalo Wings. But I think the "health" savings achieved, when the wings are properly deep fried with only a light flour coating (not a batter), are marginal.