foodmuseumblog

When in Palatka, Try the Rings

Florida's oldest diner is not a pretty sight. No one climbing up its steps would be surprised to learn it's been around since 1932. It looks it. Its garish awnings, dating from the 1960's, most likely, add nothing to its aura. The diner even sits in Florida's joke town, Palatka, cousin to Peoria. That said, be sure to stop here when in the area.

If you're a homemade onion ring fan, that is. Family and friends likely are weary of hearing me ask at eatery after eatery--”Are your onion rings made here, by any chance? From actual fresh cut onions? With a flaky batter?” The typical eagerly apologetic “No, but they're really good!” does not cut it with me.

There is no frozen onion ring on the planet worth eating, people.

The Palatka diner rings are so fresh, thick, golden and flaky, so perfectly dunked and then drained in hot veggie oil, there is no icky, soggy residue when they are served up hot, sweet and perfect.

Yes, I added some salt. That's allowed. 

Our party of 4, which had stopped just to stick our heads in the diner and move on, ordered two servings and ate them both right then and there, standing up at the counter. “ Just like at HoJo's in the olden days,” I said. Affirmative shakes of heads.

Superlative rings.

It's Angel's Diner, Palatka, Reid Street. Inland just a tad from St. Augustine.

To Every Beer Its Own Glass--In Civilized Belgium, That Is.

A friend of mine living outside of Brussels is highly familiar with Belgium's over 300 beers. He insists on the proper glass for each brew. And doubtless would no more drink from a bottle at a ballgame than he would rush through a delicious dinner.

Here's just a glimpse of his beer glass collection, courtesy his Spousal Unit, regular commenter Rose.

 

Beer in A Proper Glass

This morning I was casually perusing the NYTimes on line and came across an article about the Obamas' forays into DC, their exploration of the city. What struck me most was the photo of the Prez at a recent Washington Wizards/Chicago Bulls game, drinking beer from a GLASS, like, one actually made of glass, courtside.

Your average beer-drinking sportsfan at a venue is drinking from a bottle, normally, or from a wretched plastic glass. The Presidential beer pictured could be in an ad, it looks so cold and tasty.
There's a faint smile on the face of the drinker, too. So--is a GLASS only available for VIP's down front? Is it a dictum of this Prez--beer only in a proper vessel ?  Is the kid sitting next to Obama picking his nose?

Anyone?

Random Road Thoughts--Wash 'n Dris.

Traveling in Florida these past two weeks, eating in the car and on benches with views,  reminded me of Wash n' Dri towelettes.

Yes, children, there was a time before aloe-infused, baby soft wipes, wipes with lavender scent, wipes with  emollients for every skin type. Once there were only lemon-scented finger bowls for the posh, for the unposh, one's water glass and a napkin. A random garden hose? Perhaps our 1950's mothers brought wet rags in the car on picnics, because those deviled eggs were messy--who can remember?

Yet I do recall the sudden appearance of tiny, folded up wet paper, in individual packets. Wash 'n Dris probably first caught my attention on Cape Cod, at fish places our family frequented. The packets were for the lobster-eating grown-ups, in truth, but kids were drawn to them because of their cleverness, their sharp scent--alcohol and water--and their portability. Parents like mine pocketed several at a time, and passed them to me to keep close at hand. My mother likely loathed the cutesy "'n" and the misspelled "Dri," of course, but the product itself was a winner.

The towelettes of ancient history,  as well as those that still appear occasionally today, cannot compare to the wipes of the anti-bacterial, allergy-aware 21st century.  The WND's were scratchy, too wet, and too small. Still, they were/are ideal for international travelers who like carrying something small for a quick cleanup of Bayonne dark chocolate mouth syndrome,  and backpackers who learn to "shower" nicely with one towelette, folded over and over, and then reinserted in its packet, to be carried back out of the wilderness and into a proper receptacle.

Empathy With Bernie

Confession: Of late I have developed a clearly unhealthy interest in the gustatory experiences of Bernie-- Yes, I Madoff With Your Dough, Especially If You Are Jewish and Trusted Me--Madoff, currently confined to a tiny holding cell in New York City. I read that the first night in the slammer he was served refried chicken and CANNED string beans on a styrofoam plate.

Quel horreur !

Aside from the fact that Bernie is bad, and that he betrayed the trust of so many, he has not been a canned string bean man since summer camp in the Catskills 60 years ago. When was the last such bean you tasted? ( Not the dilly beans you pickled and canned yourself!)

Now were there some decent olive oil,  fresh black pepper, and a tad of seasoned vinegar available, perhaps in a cruet perched over the urinal,  Bernie could bring those beans some life.

The man apparently has no reading material, no paper and pen..........and nothing to eat. OK, better than the dirt, salt and veggie shortening that many of the poorest  Haitians are turning into mud patties and eating.  No question.

A world in which mega-luxury types have yachts dotted about the world's briny, while their fellow humans eat dirt--ain't it amazing?

Still--the Bernie thing fascinates. What is Ruth Madoff eating? Has she an appetite? Why hasn't she vamoosed  long-since to Namibia, a nation with which the USA has no extradition treaty? It's a democracy, was once a German colony---am I seeing a skewed/perverse poetic justice in that?-- and its people are not reduced to mud pie eating.

The Grouper Thing

A huge billboard near Bradenton, FL, on the Gulf Coast of Florida, reads www.groupersandwich.com.
Tap that in and you will be looking at ads for 3 not so memorable restaurants. Everybody wants grouper sandwiches here but few get them---Florida grouper, that is. Pricey per pound retail, true FL grouper is caught on hooks and is acclaimed broiled or blackened on a toasted roll, with cole slaw on the side.  Other grouper can be bought from South American waters.

But it's the faux fish that still anger Florida fish mongers, restaurants owners, and diners. Asian catfish, tilapia, and other lesser known swimmers attempt to masquerade as the firm, thick and tasty white fish. Apparently half of the food misrepresentation suits filed with the state government concern grouper.

The other day, lunching outside and watching the swoop of pelicans, I ate a delicious g. sandwich.
I think.

Food Bank Coming to MY Neighborhood

This weekend I noticed that one of my neighbors was selling burritos and lemonade at the end of her driveway.  She clearly was fund-raising for something, taking advantage of the crowds piling into both the baseball and soccer fields nearby. When I stopped to speak with her I learned that she was trying to raise $100, enough to secure a delivery from the local Roadrunner Food Bank.

Here? $100?  "People are hurting," she said, "Right in this area. I see kids going home from school with their backpacks loaded with food from school-- extra little milks, crackers...That never happened before."  The food bank will distribute from a truck in an appropriate public parking lot for $100 a month.

I bought a burrito for $2 and handed it to a hungry young guy visiting me. We all started to talk about people losing their jobs, their homes, the food issue, and of course I put in my pitch for everyone to start growing some veggies in containers. 

Ironically, this neighbor was the same woman who had stopped caring for the well-established pear, peach and apple trees in her garden soon after she moved in. I had noticed that the apple tree was thick with fruit, but no one was picking it. Mentioning that I knew the fruit was delicious from years past,   I offered to harvest the apples, just keeping a bag for myself.  She said "Well, we buy our fruit from the supermarket, so...."  

Change is coming.

Gas Bags--Bag 'Em

 Wind has come early to Albuquerque, and left in its aftermath plastic bags. All over the mesa bags are caught in tumbleweeds, or  snagged on sage.  In the past few days I have retrieved as many of them as I can-- offerings from the Giant Mini-Mart, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried, Walmart, Walgreen's, The Dollar Store and Smith's come up again and again. Over 3 dozen bags thus far.

The technology for biodegradable/compostable bags made from corn starch or potato starch, renewable commodities, has existed for years. As have reusable bags of all types--string, straw, leather, nylon, dried dung, you name it.

Plastic bags are so 20th century, so made from petroleum, so lethal to wildlife.  How hard is it to start carrying reusable bags?  San Fran was the first American city, as far as I know,  that banned plastic bags in use by chain stores and supermarkets. LA will enforce a ban starting 2010. Vermont is intending to impose a tax of 17 cents on each plastic bag used by the customer, also beginning 2010.  The Colorado legislature recently backed away from a ban, the silly boobs. But the planet still hosts buggy whip manufacturers who cannot let go, apparently.

The entire country of Ireland banned the bags long since.  Other countries are in various stages of anti-plastic bagism. Shoppers in Belgian supermarkets who do not bring their own carrying devices must withstand withering glances fr0m their fellows, and pay for the flimsy bags the store may still have tucked under the checker's stool.  Even China is getting steamed on the issue.

Here at home I gently encourage the clerks at Walgreen's not to automatically toss a toothbrush into a plastic bag. Wait. See if the customer really needs one. Etc.

Recently I was one of the first 50 customers to snare a reusable bag at Ace Hardware. I think stores should either give these away willy-nilly--free advertising--or sell them at cost.

The no-frills grocery store I pop into in Florida solves the problem by having no bags at all. You either bring in a bag, grab a used t.paper carton from the store, or juggle your goods to the car.

Before the petro bags are all gone, however, if you're handy with a crochet hook, visit this.
( Tks to www.plasticbagbag.com for pic of a plasticbagbag.)

Mega-Dieting Study Reveals the Obvious

Apparently a full-fledged, deep, lengthy, costly (?,) study of weight loss efforts indicates that it doesn't really matter that much whether you suck eggs, eat antelope livers, or wolf down masses of pickled beets, you will lose weight ONLY if you eat less than you do now.  Low fat, low carb, high fat, high carb, so what.

The reference to the study eludes me, perhaps because I yawned through its findings.

Eat less, enjoy what you eat, move more.

ps   Still, I favor the Mediterranean style of eating, along with loads of walkies.