Text 12617, 131 rader
Skriven 2007-03-04 15:18:58 av hap newsom
     Kommentar till en text av JIM WELLER
Ärende: RE: Travelling
======================
HOwdy Jim!
-> 
->  HN> bagels out here in the west are a joke!
-> 
->  -> Thinking of my Edmonton days... Yep.
-> 
->  HN> To me it tastes like white bread made to look like a bagel...just not 
->  HN> right at all! 
-> 
-> 'Xactly!
-> 
How anyone that has ever tasted a real bagel can call that a bagel is beyone 
me !

->  ->  HN> New York bagels are the only ones that taste "right" to me.
-> 
->  -> Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa, with their large Jewish populations, 
have
->  -> proper bagels too.
-> 
->  HN> Never had any of those...
-> 
-> They are essentially the same, which makes sense given the ethnicity of
-> the old time bakers and deli owners in all those cities.
-> 
I suspected as much.

->  HN> I did not grow up eating pizza
-> 
-> Neither did I. I grew up in farm country where everyone was Scottish or
-> Irish until the newcomers arrived after WWII and they were all Polish and
-> Dutch (like Bill's father). The food was good, hardy and basic but not
-> "exotic". I first had pizza and so-called Chinese food when we moved to
-> Ottawa when I was in grade 9 and immediately loved both. I still do.
-> 
I do as well for the most part, although I have had bad versions of both 
cuisines in the past. The very best Chinese food I ever had (and I think I 
have had some pretty good and authentic Chinese food in the past) was in 
the town of Greybull Wyoming (Population WAY SMALL), at a little chinese 
place where the only person who spoke english was the wife of the cook, 
who also was the hostess, waitress, and cashier. Amanda and I were 
stranded in Greybull on our way back from Minnesota to Washington and were 
forced to spend the night there while waiting for car repairs to be done. I 
can't remember what we had that night but I remember that I was REALLY 
impressed with all the dishes.

->  HN> And whaddya mean bland cheese?
-> 
-> Cheap bland domestic Mozza and too much to boot.
-> 
->  HN> Most pizza's I've come across no matter
->  HN> where use mozz, and mozz is one of the more bland cheeses around. 
I
->  HN> like a mozz provalone mix with parmesan or asagio on top...
-> 
-> Same here.
->           
And to get it I usually have to make that blend myself.

->  HN> And what puts zip in a tomato sauce for you?
-> 
-> Oregano and chile flakes mostly.
-> 
I don't think I've ever had a tomato sauce without oregano in it...pepper 
flakes we usually don't have as Anne is the ultimate pepper wuss, I usually 
have them on the side to add to my slices as I eat them.

->  ->  HN> but don't  get me started on BBQ!
-> 
->  -> Hopeless here.
-> 
->  HN> Not quite hopeless but not as genericly available out here
-> 
-> BBQ is practically an unknown art here in Canada. Edmonton had just one
-> place which lasted for 25 years. The owner was originally from Oklahoma
-> and did mostly Texas style. When he retired the kids ran the business
-> into the ground in just one year. The first thing they did wrong was
-> move the business from his old converted service station in an
-> industrial park and lease upscale premises downtown. Then they raised
-> prices to pay the rent, the quality decreased and the creosote
-> increased. It's defunct now.
-> 
Not an uncommon practice in any business not just restaurants. BBQ requires 
(in my opinion) a bit more commitment and study to learn how to properly 
smoke the meats without ruining them, and to develop sauces that are good 
enough to accompany quality smoked meats. 

->  HN> Porter's
-> 
-> I recall the favourable reports.
-> 
True, but the first time we had Porters was not so favorable, it was on a 
Michael/Benita visit and we got there just before closing and everything we 
got was overdone and less than wonderful...but the next time we ate there it 
was wonderful! When the echo group came through we had a nice time there 
and impressed the workers with a large number of people who could not only 
tolerate "The Man" sauce but demanded quantities of it that astonished the 
staff! They have since closed down that location but reopened 2 years later 
in a newer spot and the food has only gotten better. I think Michael can 
verify that as he has eaten at all three locations (and maybe at  the ball park

as well, where they have a couple of concessions).


->  ->  HN> Dave and his selection of  quality deli meats...
->  ->  HN> the stuff we get out
->  ->  HN> here in the west is pitiful!
-> 
-> I can get good quality imported cold cuts if I am willing to pay a big
-> enough premium. Same with cheeses. I was cheese shopping yesterday 
and
-> the prices truly offended me. Cheap young cheddar or mozza is $10-12/kg
-> and I feel I should be able to get good cheese for twice that but the
-> offerings ranged from $36-$60/kg! I finally found a some mid-level
-> choices at $24-29/kg and picked up small wedges of Jalapeno Jack, Swiss,
-> aged Caraway Gouda and a rather characterless domestic blue.
-> 
-> I really miss the pizza, delis and cheeses available in multi-cultural
-> Ottawa.
-> 
Cheeses we can get, we have several suppliers who get good quality cheeses 
and make them available...for a price of course (in the $15-$20 (Canadian)/kg 
range. Annie is particularly fond of a stilton with ginger and lemon bits in
it.
When Ian and Jacquie visited out here a few  years ago they were so 
impressed with the cheese section of one store they took photos to take 
back with them to prove what they had seen! (grin)
chat with you soon
hap 
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5a
 * Origin: FidoTel & QWK on the Web! www.fidotel.com (1:275/311)