Food and Drink

The next time you see a news organization jumping on a politician for being "out of touch with the lives of ordinary Americans" (like, let's see, Bush 41 being amazed at supermarket scanners or John McCain being ignorant of computers), consider that the news organization might need a little reality check itself. Here's CBS-TV telling viewers how to have meals "on the cheap":

Great news for those of us who are fans of Hartley's. You might recall that the restaurant was planning to close at its location and merge with Chappell's. The latest story we had said that talks had stalled. Now, it looks like they've collapsed. I had lunch there last week and asked how much longer I'd be able to eat there. "As long as you want," was the answer.

Now, please patronize the place! Help see a good restaurant through a troubed economy. And keep me from having to face change.

I got an e-mail "action alert" today from the American Family Association urging me to think bad thoughts about the Campbell Soup people and then, by God, do something about it, because they refuse to "remain neutral" on gay marriage.

After sending your e-mail, please call Campbell Soup Company (1-800-257-8443) and their Swanson division (1-800-442-7684) and express your disappointment that Campbell's is supporting same-sex marriage.

What I'm reading right now (besides the usual junk fiction) is "Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin," featuring the musings and recipes of a New York

Wow, something I've been for years now has a name:

Bay Area waiters have a nickname for many of their customers these days: the non'trée.

Rats!

If you like your Archway cookies, better get them fast — that is, if it's not too late.

A sign in the cookie aisle at the North Anthony Scott's Foods on Monday said, “Effective immediately, Archway and Mother's cookies has closed and stopped operations.”

 [. . .]

This is just sad:

THE art of cooking a humble jacket potato is lost on almost half of the under-30s, a survey has found.

A similar number have no idea how to prepare roast potatoes to accompany a Sunday joint or simple dishes such as shepherd's pie, fishcakes, and leek and potato soup.

The potato is a nearly perfect food because it can be fixed so many different ways to accompany so many different kinds of food. These kids today, I tell ya.

It's been quite a while since we had a "research dollars hard at work" entry, so here's a dandy:

When dining at Chinese buffets, overweight individuals serve themselves and eat differently than people of normal weight, according to researchers at Cornell University.

Brian Wanink said that obese people sit closer to the food, generally face it and even chew less. He is the lead author of the study and wrote the book "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think."

Today's bachelor-cooking quiz: If you've already put the ear of corn in the boiling water before you discover that you're out of butter, how do you save the meal?

Answer: Butter-flavored Pam cooking spray -- just a hint. It gave the corn a light, buttery taste and gave the salt something to cling to.

I mean, it would have given the corn that taste and the salt something to cling to, had I actually been stupid enough to get in that predicament.

Today's bachelor-cooking quiz: If you've already put the ear of corn in the boiling water before you discover that you're out of butter, how do you save the meal?

Answer: Butter-flavored Pam cooking spray -- just a hint. It gave the corn a light, buttery taste and gave the salt something to cling to.

I mean, it would have given the corn that taste and the salt something to cling to, had I actually been stupid enough to get myself in that predicament.