Everything Old is New Again

Recently Gourmet Magazine's website - Gourmet.com - underwent an overhaul. And, to me, the best part is the fact that they have begun to digitize archived copies of very old articles.

Here is a sample list of amazing snippets of tasty treats and Americana now available online - for free.

Now, I enjoy paging through old magazines.
Admiring ads, reading recipes, and checking out the advice columns.
Heck, I just purchased a September 1929 Ladies Home Journal off E-bay.

(I thought it would be interesting to hear what the magazine was touting - only one month before the Great Depression hit. And, lifestyles would come to a screeching halt.)

Yet, even though there is no tactile pleasure...
I enjoy Gourmet's archive.

It's not musty.
You don't have to store it.

And, you can search for key words.
Sometimes technology rocks.

Diving into the new online archives, I stopped to read a February 1950 article by James Beard entitled Spécialiés de la Maison - which discusses New York Chophouses.

Chophouses from the 50's.
*Grin*

What struck me most, ironically, was not his his opinion on mutton chops.
But, rather his verdict on decor.

...the glories of well-cooked, well, aged meal in a pleasantly clubby atmosphere, is all but gone. Nowadays, in this chromium-and-plastic age, the comfort, able, massive atmosphere of wood and leather and mellowness seems to have vanished.

"In this chromium-and-plastic age."
Ha!

There he was in the "atomic age" - one of the periods I admire for its modern looks and sleek style - and James was longing for wood and leather.

He missed the mellowness.

Seems each generation longs for days gone by.
And, I fall right in line.

Thank you to Gourmet Magazine
For letting our "fingers to the walking..."
Through pages of the past.

Trader Joe's - Phasing Out Food From China

Kudos to Trader Joe's.
Seriously.

When customers expressed concerns with possible safety issues with imported food from China, Trader Joe's responded.

Trader Joe's, which has about 300 stores around the country, plans to phase out any single-ingredient food items sourced from mainland China by April 1.

It will replace the goods with "products from other regions until our customers feel as confident as we do about the quality and safety of Chinese products," the [Trader Joe's] statement said.

Click here to read the full LA Times story.

You guys ARE familiar with the whole "Melamine" situation?
Yes?

If not...
This has been an ongoing situation with imported food from China.
Here is what the FDA has to say about it.

Quoting from the FDA's Release, updated last week, 2/6/08 -
FDA Pet Food Recall (Melamine)/Tainted Animal Feed

Here's the FDA's synopsis of the melamine issue:
On March 15, 2007, FDA learned that certain pet foods were sickening and killing cats and dogs. FDA found contaminants in vegetable proteins imported into the United States from China and used as ingredients in pet food.

This is serious stuff folks.
Hundreds of dogs and cats died suddenly from kidney failure.

A portion of the tainted pet food was used to produce farm animal feed and fish feed. FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture discovered that some animals that ate the tainted feed had been processed into human food. Government scientists have determined that there is very low risk to human health from consuming food from animals that ate tainted feed...

As a result of FDA and USDA's comprehensive investigation, on February 6, 2008, FDA announced that two Chinese nationals and the businesses they operate, along with a U.S. company and its president and chief executive officer, were indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a scheme to import products purported to be wheat gluten into the United States that were contaminated with melamine.

But, more frighteningly...
Adulterated feed was eaten by U.S. hogs
and resulted in an FDA quarantine in at least 6 states.

Quoting from the Joint News Release: FDA and USDA Determine Swine Fed Adulterated Product

FDA and FSIS are coordinating with State authorities in eight states where the adulterated feed is known to have been purchased.

Eight pork producers in the states of California, Kansas, North Carolina, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah are known to have purchased the feed. These combined operations involve approximately 6,000 hogs.

All of the animals are currently being held under state quarantines in CA, NC, NY and SC. In KS, OK and UT producers agreed to hold the animals until further notice.

You already heard about the "lead paint in the toys" tragedy?
Mattel alone recalled over 900,000 toys which were imported from China.
Click for read the full NY Times article.

And, then there were the imported toys from China which were laced with a date rape drug. Click for the full MSNBC/AP article.

So, when a company like Trader Joe's moves fast in response to public concern, I am pleased.

On the federal level...
The U.S. and Chinese entered into a "Food Accord" signed on December 11, 2007:
...calling for a greater United States role in certifying and inspecting Chinese food exports, including an increased presence of American officials at Chinese production plants.

Read about the Food Accord in this NY Times article

Hopefully, safety concerns regarding food and toys imported from China are soon resolved. Until then, I will continue to avoid purchasing Chinese goods.

No, I have no illusion that I am making an impact.
For me, it's the principal.
To me, it's important.

We make choices each and every day.
And, for now, I'll continue to turn over each plate and cup before purchase to see where it came from.

And, when it says "China"
For now, I'll set it back down.

Smalltown America - Restoring The Past...One By One.

Do you remember driving Route 66?
Wish you did?

While some of the Mom and Pop motels are still in operation, many are not.

Wish you could have stayed in some of the amazing motels along the way?
How about this one, featured on Historic Highways?
Or, maybe this one?
The Motel Safari in Tucamari, New Mexico?
I guess it's just too late for me to stay at the Safari, eh?
Or, is it?

Actually, the Motel Safari was recently purchased by company called, yep, you guessed it, Smalltown America. And, it is set to open February 18, 2008. The company aims to restore vintage Route 66 motels.

They appear to be striking for the middle ground - between offering what the modern tourist wants with the quaintness of long ago. Richard Talley, President of Smalltown America, explains, "For instance, Motel Safari will have 32-inch flat panel LCD TVs, high-speed Internet, Sealy Posturepedic pillow-top mattresses, and the works. But the desk furniture, the chairs, the vanities, will be the same. Everything that we can keep, we do."

You can read the full article about Smalltown America at Route 66 News - a website I read often and heartily recommend.

I give kudos to Smalltown America for trying to breathe new life into shells of the past. And, I sincerely hope they allow each motel to retains its own unique character. For me, that's the draw to old Mom and Pop's. And, I hope they keep old signage - especially neon - where feasible.

But, I have to admit.
I don't need a flat panel tv.
Or, high-speed internet.
Those items would feel so...out of place to me.

OK, the internet connection would be cool ;)
I can get past that one.

Well, good luck to you Smalltown America!
Hey, if anyone stays in the Safari, let me know what you think.
Send me a picture, and I'll post it here.

Hey Sweety!

When talking about sugar...
And its attraction to...
And ability to hold onto...
Water
(moisture, really)
I always thought Alton Brown used the word hyDroscopic - with a D.

Then, today I was reading one of my favorite blogs
from Chef Shuna Fish Lydon , where she was discussing
"To Sift or Not to Sift" and used the word hyGroscopic - with a G.

Easily solved...I thought.
Let's check Webster.

Merriam-Webster Online's definition for hyGroscopic:
hy·gro·scop·ic - adjective
Etymology: hygroscope, an instrument showing changes in humidity + 1-ic;
From the use of such materials in the hygroscope
Date: 1790
1 : readily taking up and retaining moisture
2 : taken up and retained under some conditions of humidity and temperature.

Merriam-Webster Online's definition for hyDroscopic:
Nothing.
No Entry for hydroscopic.

Interesting.
But, let's not jump to conclusions.

The U.S. Patent Office seems to weigh in here.
I found a patent issued in 2002 for a Non-hyDroscopic sweetener composition and method for preparation

And, a patent application for hyDroscopic polymer gels for easier cleaning

So.....I'm wondering...
1. Which term do you use - when discussing the moisture-lovin' properties of sugar, molasses and honey? Hydroscopic or hygroscopic?

2. Does anyone have Corriher's Cookwise or McGee's On Food and Cooking handy to see which word they use - if they use either? Wonder what's used in the CIA's Professional Chef?

Just pondering...
Sometimes THIS is what occupies my thoughts.
Scary, huh?