Pickles

Cockroaches in the daylight? That means MAJOR infestation, my friends. Only the weakest members of the colonies venture out for food or water when there's light around. A roach IN my food? Better be a ladies' room nearby for me to ralph in. I couldn't tolerate it. No way. And go BACK? To the same restaurant? I don't care if my Mom owned it...no way! Some roach facts taken from my Sanitation Handbook (4th edition): Females live 60 days-2 years and can have MILLIONS of offspring. Roaches carry diseases such as salmonella, fungi, parasite eggs and viruses. The have a vile, strong, greasy odor. Many people are allergic to them. Not very appetizing is it?

At my local Shop Rite, the floor managers (or whatever you want to call them) pull people off the regular lines and into the "Express Lanes" when the store is busy and the Express check outs are empty. I still think this is a bad practice. I always end up having to wait in an express line...(and 9 times out of 10 I am in a terrible rush for whatever reason) while the people they put into it check out. When they tell me I can go into the express lane with a full or fullish cart, I decline the invitation. Also...I get thoroughly PISSED OFF when I am in an express lane with a JERK who just thinks it's his right to be there with 29 items, while I stand there with a one package of chicken. They could at least let you go ahead of them. People are selfish dirtbags on the grocery line. That's the way of the world.

Those hard, plastic molded cases (I call them "onezies") are a pain in the ass, too. I once bought a cute litte paring knife that was packaged in one. I cut it open with the scissors, and then slid my fingers in to finish the job. Well I finished the job, all right. I slit my finger open on the knife. I have also cut myself on that hard plastic, as well. I hate hate hate those packages. I wonder how people with arthritis manage them??

That, and they're both basically whack jobs. Marilu Henner has her own diet that eliminates most, if not all but occasional meats, and all dairy. She'd be no fun at all for me. Suzanne does her own version of Atkins and calls it "Somersizing." I do like to watch Suzanne cook on QVC because she really likes food...and she's pretty competent. However, seeing her hawking a line of cheap jewelry in the next segment kinda detracts from her being a chef.

That's the one for me that always gives me agita! The metal spout thingie usually ends up in the box. And...uh...that's a bit of a physical hazard! I have taken to doing my "Glenn Close" number on the corner of the box and making my own spout.

What food packages do you detest trying to open? Do you avoid certain food packages or just ignore the directions and do what I do: hack into it with your knife?? I have an odd way of opening bricks of cheddar or jack cheese. I rinse off the package (so that any nasties aren't "cut into" the cheese) and then I just cut the brick in half right through the packaging and squeeze the cheese halves out.

Oh my....forgot all about that one! I used to watch that all the time. She was always flirting with all the male guests. She's written several cookbooks, too.

Moonstruck Rose to Grandfather: "Old man! If you give those dogs another piece of my food....I'm gonna kick you 'til you're dead!" Loretta fixing a steak for Ronnie: Ronnie: "I want it well done!" Loretta: "You'll eat this one bloody... to feed your blood!"

And...the line that always gets me: "It was a run-by fruiting.... "

I see people buying Marie Callender frozen entrees by the truckload when they go on sale at Shop Rite. I am always tempted to try one! I figure if there's more than 2 items on the belt of the same genre, it MAY be really good??

Never heard that before. What constitutes a "slab"?

Dishelved young man on line ahead of me with toothpaste and toothbrush, large Pepsi and 2 bran muffins=Unplanned Spent Night At New Girlfriend's House. And someone I casually know from town was ahead of me recently with the following items: 2 New York Strip Steaks, a 12-Pack of Bud, and a LARGE jar of Vaseline. Sounds like an interesting weekend was had by all.

Well thank heavens for that! "Thou Shalt Not Reem Around In Customer Salads With Thy Thumb." My point was that accidents happen. Newbie servers can let an oily plate slip and their thumb touches the food. BFD. If it bothers the customer, they have every right to ask for a new, clean plate of food. Otherwise, they should shutenzee up.

What does a server's thumb getting into the food have to do with his/her overall competence? It's highly possible for an oily plate to slip and a thumb to graze a salad. We hope that thumb was clean, seeing the thumb was attached to a human who works in a restaurant. We can hope.

I love hearing about the "Wedding kee-ackkk" in the remake of "Father of The Bride" with Steve Martin and Martin Short as Wedding Planner Franck Eggelhoffer.

Woah..well...maybe they'll change the title for you if you say pretty please with sugar on top. My only regret is that I paid $27 for the magazine proper. Most of the featured articles one can read right there on their....nice little website.

Bumpin this up. Maybe it can be merged with the newer thread. There's some good stuff in this one!

I don't like the crunch of the beaks. I always put mayo, Heinz catsup and dill pickle relish on my burger. Hold that mustard! I just doesn't go with ground beef for me.

If they were my employees you better believe they'd use gloves in prepping salads. No exceptions. Let's hope that bartender is washing his or her mitts before he/she squeezes that lemon or garnishes your bloody Mary with celery. After all, they are handling dirty money at the bar, too. A thumb touching your food has probably happened a hundred times to you in the past, without your knowledge. And here's one for you...my Mom and I watched as a Cape Cod waitress breezed past us, her hair neatly pulled back in a pony tail. Ever step she took caused the long hair to swing across the basket of french fries on the tray she carried on her shoulder.

Loving those Goodfellas quotes!!

Five Easy Pieces BOBBY to the waitress) You have bread, don't you, and a toaster of some kind? WAITRESS I don't make the rules. BOBBY Okay, I'll make it as easy for you as I can. Give me an omelette, plain, and a chicken salad sandwich on wheat toast -- no butter, no mayonnaise, no lettuce -- and a cup of coffee. She begins writing down his order, repeating it sarcastically: WAITRESS One Number Two, and a chicken sal san -- hold the butter, the mayo, the lettuce -- and a cup of coffee... Anything else? BOBBY Now all you have to do is hold the chicken, bring me the toast, charge me for the sandwich, and you haven't broken any rules. WAITRESS (challenging him) You want me to hold the chicken. BOBBY Yeah. I want you to hold it between your knees. Classic!!

Harry: "...but I'd be proud to partake of your pecan pie!" Sally and Harry: "Pecan pieeeeeee." "Pecannnn pieeeeee." My Older Thread on Food Scenes From TV and Movies

Sally Allbright: "I'd like the chef's salad with the dressing on the side...and the apple pie a la mode. But I'd like the pie heated and I don't want the ice cream on top, I'd like it on the side and I want strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it. If not, then no ice cream, just whipped cream...but only if it's real. If it's out of the can, then nothing..." Waitress: "Not even the pie?" Sally: No, just pie, but not heated.

Sugar that's been manipulated with chlorine. I stay away from these types of products altogether until more research is done on them. To each his own, but to me, one sugar substitute is just as "terrible" as another. Aspartame being blamed for everything from rashes to cancer. I agree about low-carbing to control sugar cravings. I was on Atkns briefly, and had no yens for ice cream, which is my weakness. I ate frozen peaches and frozen berries.

Woo...check out the prices on the Liberace Cooks book! Click