I've had experience with deterioration -
for example, Cracker Barrel, which I used
to sort of enjoy, has plummeted in
quality within my memory. I guess some

We've been less happy with CB than we used to be. Steve used to like
their chicken livers and gizzards. Now they come frozen, from a central commissary, fried rock hard to make sure the inside is thawed/cooked. Overall, they just aren't what they used to be, like most places.

I agree; I wish I could take exception to the "like
most places" part, which smacks of an unseemly despair,
but reflection indicates that that downhill slide is
altogether too common.

places have bootstrapped, as well, but
not in my experience - David Chang did a
segment on pizza, where he went behind
the scenes at Domino's and brought back

That's one chain we seldom frequent, making a better pizza ourselves.

I don't recall the last time I went to a chain
pizza place.

one of my orchestras who recognized a
nice bit of playing by one of our members,
giving him a solo bow and calling him out
thus - "I'd like to particularly thank
our first trumpet player, Jeff [redacted],
who is one of the best trumpeters in the
country ... [pause] ... in his price range."

Hopefully that was done in rehearsal only, and the trumpet player wasn't offended by it.

Nope. In performance. And as well in a subsequent
performance. Jeff grinned and bore it - what else
do you do when bullied (that's what it is, even in
a jocular way) by someone more powerful than you?

If you can assuage the urge with something relatively low carb, then

go > for it! Some people would chew gum; I can't because of TMJ, but
it would > satisfy a temporary craving for something sweet.
My sensitivity to the taste of artificial
sweetener makes it more difficult.

I don't have that sensitivity. Would rather have sugar but don't want my blood sugar to go off the charts again.

My father used to have a witch's brew of different
kinds of artificial sweetener, which he said was
"just like sugar"; it sort of was, the shortcomings
of one artificial sweetener being made up for by
another, and vice versa. I've forgotten the formula
but did post it here or on RIME once.

I'm pretty sure Olindo's carrys them. IIRC, my MIL got some there a

few > years ago to take down to FL.
As I mentioned to Nancy, Pastene is usually
okay as well, but perhaps not at the same
level of eminence.

Hopefully she can get that locally.

It's not as though the other brands are all bad
- Hunt's tends to be bitter, but you add salt
and sugar to fix that; Redpack and Pine Cone are
watery, so you cook the sauce longer; and so on.

I've been getting the blues from the taste and
condition of the blueberries we're getting
during the transition from imported to domestic.

Better berries will come.

That's what they all say.

Of course, my normal diet (as we've discussed)
has over the years been pretty low-carb.

Much more so than mine.

The irony, as I continually point out, is that I
like carbs now more than I ever did. My chocolate
used to be 85-99%; now it's more like 60-70. I
never used to eat bread; now I do. I didn't use to
go for dessert; now it's almost a craving.

Water's usually free anyway. (G)

You've not been to the ultra-fancy places
enough to witness this dialogue:
W - Will you be drinking sparkling or still water?
D - Just tap water will be fine.
W - The tap water's very bad.

That's why I said 'usually" free. The sushi place we tried in Warrenton,
VA had fancy bottled water--came in glass bottles. Didn't taste any
better than "regular" bottled water.

Clyde's, a local chain in the Washington area,
used to be a sort of value-priced upscale
experience; it offered cold pewter pitchers
ostentatiously labelled "FILTERED WATER." Now
all that obtains except the value-priced part.

Almond macaroons
categories: cookies, American, celebrity
yield: 12

4 oz almond paste (about 5 1/2 Tb)
1/2 c confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
1 pn coarse salt
1 lg egg white
1/4 ts vanilla extract
1/4 c sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 300F. Put almond paste, sugar,
and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted
with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed
until crumbly, about 3 min. Add egg white and
vanilla. Mix until smooth and thickened, about
3 min. Drop batter by tablespoons onto a baking
sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing 2"
apart. Place 2 almond slices on each mound of
dough. Bake until cookies are golden brown, 20
to 25 min. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Just before serving, lightly dust with sugar.

Martha Stewart
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
* Origin: Fido Since 1991 | QWK by Web | BBS.DOCSPLACE.ORG (1:123/140)

Hi Michael,

I've had experience with deterioration -
for example, Cracker Barrel, which I used
to sort of enjoy, has plummeted in
quality within my memory. I guess some

We've been less happy with CB than we used to be. Steve used to like their chicken livers and gizzards. Now they come frozen, from a

central > commissary, fried rock hard to make sure the inside is thawed/cooked. > Overall, they just aren't what they used to be, like
most places.

I agree; I wish I could take exception to the "like
most places" part, which smacks of an unseemly despair,
but reflection indicates that that downhill slide is
altogether too common.

Start out with a "bang" and go downhill from there. A Culvers and a MOD
Pizza just opened up in WF. We were at one of the latter in Seattle--ok
but not great pizza. The former seems to be an ice cream place with
burgers & fries as a side line. We've not yet been in it to check it
out.

places have bootstrapped, as well, but
not in my experience - David Chang did a
segment on pizza, where he went behind
the scenes at Domino's and brought back

That's one chain we seldom frequent, making a better pizza

ourselves.

I don't recall the last time I went to a chain
pizza place.

The last one we were in was the MOD (Made on Demand) one. As they were
building the one in WF, we were speculating on what the MOD stood for. I suggested Mushrooms, Onions and Durian. (G)

one of my orchestras who recognized a
nice bit of playing by one of our members,
giving him a solo bow and calling him out
thus - "I'd like to particularly thank
our first trumpet player, Jeff [redacted],
who is one of the best trumpeters in the
country ... [pause] ... in his price range."

Hopefully that was done in rehearsal only, and the trumpet player

wasn't > offended by it.

Nope. In performance. And as well in a subsequent
performance. Jeff grinned and bore it - what else
do you do when bullied (that's what it is, even in
a jocular way) by someone more powerful than you?

I'd either talk to her myself or have somebody more poweerful than her
give her a good talking to--but in private.

If you can assuage the urge with something relatively low

carb, then > ML> go > for it! Some people would chew gum; I can't
because of TMJ, but > ML> it would > satisfy a temporary craving for something sweet.

My sensitivity to the taste of artificial
sweetener makes it more difficult.

I don't have that sensitivity. Would rather have sugar but don't

want my > blood sugar to go off the charts again.

My father used to have a witch's brew of different
kinds of artificial sweetener, which he said was
"just like sugar"; it sort of was, the shortcomings
of one artificial sweetener being made up for by
another, and vice versa. I've forgotten the formula
but did post it here or on RIME once.

I don't recall seeing it so it was probably on RIME. Sounds ghastly tho!
(G)

I'm pretty sure Olindo's carrys them. IIRC, my MIL got some

there a > ML> few > years ago to take down to FL.

As I mentioned to Nancy, Pastene is usually
okay as well, but perhaps not at the same
level of eminence.

Hopefully she can get that locally.

It's not as though the other brands are all bad
- Hunt's tends to be bitter, but you add salt
and sugar to fix that; Redpack and Pine Cone are
watery, so you cook the sauce longer; and so on.

Trade offs to almost anything.

I've been getting the blues from the taste and
condition of the blueberries we're getting
during the transition from imported to domestic.

Better berries will come.

That's what they all say.

Just ber-ry with it a bit longer.

Of course, my normal diet (as we've discussed)
has over the years been pretty low-carb.

Much more so than mine.

The irony, as I continually point out, is that I
like carbs now more than I ever did. My chocolate
used to be 85-99%; now it's more like 60-70. I
never used to eat bread; now I do. I didn't use to
go for dessert; now it's almost a craving.

I've always had a sweet tooth, but then again, I was raised with a
rationed amount of sweets. Even when I first got to the point where I
could decide for myself, I did limit my sweets for a good while, for
mostly financial reasons. Don't have that any more but limit my sweets
now for better health.

Water's usually free anyway. (G)

You've not been to the ultra-fancy places
enough to witness this dialogue:
W - Will you be drinking sparkling or still water?
D - Just tap water will be fine.
W - The tap water's very bad.

That's why I said 'usually" free. The sushi place we tried in

Warrenton, > VA had fancy bottled water--came in glass bottles. Didn't taste any

better than "regular" bottled water.

Clyde's, a local chain in the Washington area,
used to be a sort of value-priced upscale
experience; it offered cold pewter pitchers
ostentatiously labelled "FILTERED WATER." Now
all that obtains except the value-priced part.

And in Germany, if you ask for water, they gave us bottled water unless
we specifically ask for "leitungswasser" (tap water) because the tap
water was pretty nasty.

---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28


--- PPoint 3.01
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