TPO

Boston Globe – June 7, 2006 Big red Science and business combine to produce large and luscious strawberries By Alison Arnett, Globe Staff For more information: * Pick-your-own strawberry farms Recipes: * Freeform strawberry tart * Strawberry summer pudding --------------- She relishes the multitask at hand By Joe Yonan, Globe Staff Recipes: * Farro salad with garden vegetables * Shellfish salad with oranges and fennel * Goat cheese with spicy tomato sauce --------------- They're not as easy to make as they are to eat By Jonathan Levitt, Globe Correspondent Recipes: * Crispy chocolate chip cookies * Chewy chocolate chip cookies --------------- In the market: Ricotta What it is, how to use it, and where to buy it. Recipe: * Cannolo (ricotta) tart

Toronto Star – June 7, 2006 Salts of the earth and sea Thought this spice of life was plain and purely practical? Look again and join the gourmet salt revival By Susan Sampson --------------- The top of the general list By Gordon Stimmell --------------- Dishes for salt lovers By Susan Sampson Recipes: * Edamame With Tea-Smoked Salt * Sizzling Salt & Chili Shrimp * Planked Marrow Bones With Salt & Pepper * Fleur de Sel & Pepper Cookies --------------- Do the mashed potato By Susan Sampson Recipes: * Salmon Cakes * Corn Fritters

Congratulations, Chris! It seems like just yesterday that you and I were discussing business cards on a thread here at eG. You've come a long way from that! Your show sounds great to me. I am fascinated by regional foods, and hunting out dives is a favorite activity of mine. I will enjoy following your progress on eG, and I would love to help if you hit a city that I know well. Best of luck to you!

Well, that's important, too, but when you live in Montana you make sure you have what you need in the car. Some drives take us past nothing but fields, mountains, and cows. And they don't like sharing. ← That's much more hospitable than, say, west Texas, Death Valley, stretches of southern Arizona, and many, many other areas! Still, I can't think of anywhere in the US where food is ever more than maybe 2-3 hours away by car, at most. In such places, it's much more important to ensure that my car has its emergency food items (water (well, for me too), oil, etc.). ← I used to bring sweet treats when I travelled, but I found that one of the pleasures of a long road trip is stopping for gas and being able to pick up a treat. So to some extent, I do enjoy buying things along the way. But when the trip involves long stretches of very rural areas, or the possibility of bad weather or car troubles, it's good to know you won't go hungry. There are some fast-food restaurants that I really dislike, and convenience store sandwiches aren't going to be better than the tabouli in my cooler.

Also, if I am splurging on room service I just might sample all four preserves anyway. But if they were on a buffet or restaurant table, then to me they are no different than the single-serving packets of jelly or sugar on tables and I wouldn't take them. My local natural foods store sells tiny jars of locally made preserves. I think they contain more like two or three servings, but they are very cute.

Mine is a Coleman, although it's an older model that doesn't have the "vertical" option. It plugs into the cigarette lighter so it doesn't need ice. It is great for long trips. We also have the convertor to plug it in to an electrical outlet, so we can pack it up the day before a trip, and if our trip involves hotel rooms we can bring it into the room at night and keep everything cold.

For short trips, I bring a small cooler with water and soda, and some sort of snack such as trail mix or crackers and cheese. For long trips, I also have a powered cooler and really fill it up. But if I was to list only the things that qualify as emergency food, they would be: - Items in case we can't stop for dinner somewhere (canned tuna, canned chicken, bread or crackers, peanut butter, Thai Kitchen instant rice noodles, and other such easily prepared foods) - Regular and herbal teas and a hot pot in case we are out of water and stuck somewhere where the water doesn't taste good - Protein bars and trail mix - Seasonings and such like salt, pepper, hot sauce, and mayonnaise In addition, we usually bring easy breakfast foods (instant oatmeal, fruit, coffee and French press, cream and sugar) on long trips so we don't need to stop for breakfast.

Boston Globe – May 31, 2006 Made in Vermont: Pane e Salute celebrates Italian food By Sheryl Julian, Globe Staff --------------- Made in Vermont: Handmade cheese takes center stage By Alison Arnett, Globe Staff For more information: * Say cheese --------------- Made in Vermont: Whole grains get a makeover By Joe Yonan, Globe Staff --------------- In the Market: Asparagus What it is, where to buy it, and how to cook them. Recipe: * Asparagus soup --------------- Think simple for this summer's best wines By Stephen Meuse, Globe Correspondent For more information: * Cool and crisp

Toronto Star – May 31, 2006 Treasure-hunting in tiny wineries By Gordon Stimmell --------------- Fashionable fiddleheads By Jennifer Bain --------------- Forests a forager's delight Collingwood chef goes hunting for exotic edibles to spruce up his menu By Roberta Avery --------------- Free yourself from dinner oppression Jennifer Bain reviews Real Simple Meals Made Easy: Quick and Delicious Recipes for Every Night of the Week by the staff at Real Simple magazine. --------------- Sausage quandary By Jennifer Bain

I don't know where you got your info, but that just isnt true. They make much more than a penny per gallon... ← Gasoline pricing is very complicated. The station owner adds 2-10 cents per gallon, depending on several factors, one of which is the anticipated replacement cost. Of this 2-10 cent markup, around .2-1.5 cents/gallon would be the station owners profit. SB (wanna buy a gas station?) ← As pointed out before, people often put their gas on credits cards which can cost the storeower a few percent of the sale (depending on their volume). It's no wonder they want customers to pick up a fountain soda or a cup of coffee, as their profit margin on these items must be much higher. But gas stations that don't sell food still exist. There are two where I used to live (and still visit regularly) in the rural Midwest that don't sell anything besides gas. They make most of their money doing repair work, the gas is more of a convenience so that people don't have to drive 20 miles or more to fill their tanks.

I have a feeling that restaurants that allow dogs will have no problem asking owners of badly behaved dogs to leave, whereas with children it seems as though restuarants are afraid of parents of badly behaved children. I would, however, prefer that the dogs not have a chair at the table and plate full of people food. Also, it might be nice to seat all the dog owners in one section of the outdoor tables so that people who don't want to dine with dogs -- even well behaved ones -- don't have to sit next to them. I often hoped for "children" and "no children" sections in restaurants, but it doesn't look like that will ever happen.

When it comes to small places like that, the lack of an online menu doesn't bother me. However, the lack of a website does. Putting up one page with a few photos, a map, and a phone number doesn't cost much and rarely needs to be updated. To me, websites are what the yellow pages used to be. However, if I am traveling and I see a little hole-in-the-wall place that looks interesting I often stop. But if I am making plans ahead and there is no website, it's unlikely I will know it exists.

Really? Where did you get that number? Doesn't it depend on how the beef is raised and processed? ← There are lots of sources that quote a variety of numbers, so it all depends on who you are willing to believe. Most colleges and magazines give numbers anywhere from 15 to 35, while I have seen 80 on websites of animal activists. No matter what figure one chooses to believe, I think you're right -- it would depend on how the beef is raised. A big chunk of those numbers are the fuels used to raise, harvest, and transport grains to the cattle -- grains grown where they have to import fertilizer because they are nowhere near the cows. Cattle that graze on fields and then sold locally are going to use far less fossil fuels than cattle fed transported grain products whose meat is then shipped all over the planet, or imported from another country. While it would be interesting to see how economical it would be to "grow stem-cell beef," I think I still would prefer the locally raised meat I currently buy.

Unless I am at a deli or sandwich shop, I won't order a sandwich made with deli meat. But since I typically don't roast a whole turkey for just the two of us at home, I will order a sandwich in a restaurant made from real roasted turkey. I won't order an egg salad sandwich as I much prefer my own. And unless I am at a nice restaurant, I won't order rice pilaf when it is offered as a choice for a side dish. I guess that's from too much love for mashed potatoes combined with too many bland, disappointing rice pilafs. I usually don't order cooked lobster in a restaurant unless the restaurant is at a lobster pound. I will, however, let my local fish market steam them for me so I can bring them home to eat.

After reading these responses, I had to click on the link to read the thoughts of this crazy man. But I thought his opinion piece was interesting, and when he says things like this: I can't see him aligned with PETA. Maybe I'm missing something. That said, I don't like the idea of growing meat. I don't like the idea of continuing to slaughter animals like we do now either. I'd rather see slaughtering be a safer (for humans) and more humane (for animals) than it is now. I also would like to see us return to the day where we respected the animals we ate by using every last bit of it. If you are going to eat its meat, then use its skin and bones for clothing and other such items. But overall, dogs don't have a problem eating a steak and then hanging out with me, and I don't have a problem eating a steak and then patting a dog. And if I was going to have a problem with eating meat, it would have to do more with the energy used to produce it (it takes 28 calories of fossil fuel to produce 1 calorie of beef) than any ethical or moral dilemma caused by playing with Fido or watching a thoroughbred win a race.

Waitstaff at the late, unlamented Philadelphia outpost of Hamburger Mary's used to present the check in a huge plastic high-heel pump. It was a nice touch, and the High Fifties decor went right along with the campy theme. Pity that the service was haphazard and the food only so-so; the owners--nice guys though they were--weren't up to the challenge of operating a restaurant, especially one that was aimed at a gay/straight clientele but away from the main gay neighborhood yet surrounded by lots of businessfolk they could have made regular patrons out of anyway. ← Fun! There's a restaurant I like that presents the check on the typical plastic tray, but the trays are decoupaged with famous quotes and photos. They are a lot of fun. When it comes to the check, I have only one request: Please do not ask me if I need change. Especially if I have put down a $50 for a $20 check. Just tell me you will be back with my change, and I will tell you I don't need any. Yes! Even if it is going to be an hour, I probably will stick around because by the time we decide on another restaurant and drive to it, we'd probably have a table at yours. So there is no need to lie to me. Along that line, in the restaurant business I think you stand out above the rest if you follow the "customer is always right" rule. I made reservations at a restaurant for Mother's Day and when we arrived they could not find my reservation. They took my word for it that I made the reservation, and seated me at the next available table. They had people waiting about an hour and half for tables at that point, so they didn't need my business on that particular day. But they knew honoring that reservation would make or break future business, and they were right. I was a very happy customer.

I don't think there is anything I refuse to eat (except maybe hot chocolate and hot apple cider), but when it is really hot I don't have much of an appetitie. I'm happy with fruit or maybe a sandwich at mealtime. When it's just warm, any food off the grill is good. Like many others here, I don't cook a lot of wintery meals (stew, roasts, etc.) when it's hot and I probably wouldn't order them in a restaurant unless they happened to sound good to me at the time. When it's a scorcher, I like to eat popcorn. In an air-conditioned movie theater, of course!

Toronto Star – May 24, 2006 Sure signs of spring It's asparagus and fiddlehead time, but growers are furious that American imports have flooded the market By Jennifer Bain Recipes: * Ginger Asparagus Salad * Asparagus Bacon Quiche * Fiddlehead Omelette * Fiddlehead Chowder --------------- Sipping by the dock of the bay By Gordon Stimmell --------------- Get ready for real Mexican By Jennifer Bain --------------- It's all in the umami By Jon Filson --------------- A meeting of veg-minded souls By Nettie Cronish Vegetarians awaken to idea of promoting the taste of their food instead of the politics

Boston Globe – May 24, 2006 At barbecue school, the heat is on It's almost Memorial Day, which means it's time to dust off the Weber and check outall the must-have tools, techniques, and marinades. Let the grilling begin. By Jonathan Levitt, Globe Correspondent --------------- This beer can be used as a flotation device By Ann Cortissoz, Globe Staff Recipe: * Beer floats --------------- Her bakery is hot property By Emily Schwab, Globe Correspondent Recipe: * Morning glory muffins --------------- For egg cookbook writer, the chickens came first By Deborah Kops, Globe Correspondent --------------- In the market: Mackerel What it is, how to use it, and how to buy it. Recipe: * Marinated grilled mackerel --------------- A flattened bird makes for more even cooking Recipes: * Grilled chicken with lemon and garlic * Barbecued chicken thighs --------------- O'Neill puts family over food By Alison Arnett, Globe Staff Recipes: * Barbecued spare ribs with apricot-ancho glaze * Grilled T-bone steaks with thyme-garlic paste * Vegetable kebobs with bagna cauda dressing

This article says the bowls have 690 calories and 31 grams of fat. The article also has a photo, for those that want an upclose look.

By this logic, if there is a dollar sign then poor Tom still must be confused as to whether it is American or Canadian dollars. Perhaps restaurants should add "US" to the dollar amount so there is no chance for confusion. Graphically speaking, I think some menus done without dollar signs are attractive. What really bugs me is the tradition of ending everything in ".95." It's like I'm going to be fooled into thinking that the $24.95 item is really $24.00 not almost $25.00. How clever.

I agree with the above, and would add that restrooms are important to me. A dirty restroom is a big turnoff, but an even bigger turnoff is no soap. I have to be able to believe that all workers are washing their hands after using the restroom. And while I understand there might be soap in the work area and the might wash their hands there, I still want soap in the restroom. (Plus, I need to be able to wash my own hands.)

I am terrible when it comes to deciding what to order at a restaurant. An online menu gives me a head start in figuring out what I want to eat, so I use them often.

I don't consider all large corporations to be evil, but I do try to gear my purchases toward the corporations that treat their employees decently. Cheap cereal or juice means nothing to me if the lower price is ofset by increased taxes to give Medicaid and rent subsidies to the parent company's underpaid employees, or for supporting unemployed Americans whose jobs are sent overseas. I also try to avoid companies know for lowering prices by using slave labor or wasting valuable resources such as oil. Assuming a product I like is taken over by a large corporation that isn't known for these things, whether or not I continue to buy it would depend on the reason why I bought it in the first place. If it was because I liked the taste of it and the new company changes the recipe or process for making the food, I am going to stop purchasing it. If it was because the product was made nearby and the new company will have it made far away, I might stop buying the product if a similar product is produced nearby by a different company. For example, if my local organic milk company was taken over by a company that would cut costs by shipping the milk from 2,000 miles away instead of 100 miles away, I would look for another company closer to home. However, if the only remaining nearby milk company was known for busting unions so it could pay its skilled labor minimum wage and the distant corporation was unionized or known for paying its employees a living wage, I would stick with the product even after it was taken over by the big corporation.

??? The credit card company is legally required to put the charge through if the merchant can produce a signed credit card slip. They don't have any authority to get involved in the "after the fact" argument in this case. Best to take the advice already posted...make sure you get the price up front next time, don't sign your credit card if you don't agree with the bill, talk to the owner & finally...consider it a lesson learned. ← I don't know about this particular situation -- disputing the amount of the bill or the quality of service -- but credit card companies have been very helpful to me in the past when I have had problems with a company not standing behind a poorly made or damaged product. The credit card's website often says what they will or will not do in the event of a dispute.