Thought for the day

I saw this on a sign outside a restaurant in town:

"I want to grow my own food, but I can't find any bacon seeds."

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

That would be Bill Spohn.

A Wisconsin Thought For The Day: Ban Shredded Packaged Cheese. Make America Grate Again

[Jenise]

LOL, both of you. And I really appreciate the sentiment about grating cheese--it's not the same, folks! Doesn't taste as good! Grate your own, always!

While we're at it, should we dump on 'Baby Carrots'?

The last pre-grated 'parmesan' that I bought (supermarket brand, not Kraft green can) smelled like baby barf. Since then I buy parmigiano reggiano and grate it myself. The mini food processor is great (grate?) for this.

I haven't seen cheese in a spray can in a while. Then again, I haven't gone looking for it. Long ago, in a food bulletin board I ran on Digital Equipment Corporation's internal corporate network, someone remarked, "I don't know why they call it 'pasteurized processed cheese food'. I put some in my fridge and the cheese won't touch it."

Regarding 'baby carrots', I assume they're just pieces cut from big carrots and trimmed en gousse.

I've noticed that Chinese and other Asian markets often carry these really huge carrots. But I've never seen a recipe that calls for them. Who uses them, and how?

-Paul W.

The last pre-grated 'parmesan' that I bought (supermarket brand, not Kraft green can) smelled like baby barf. Since then I buy parmigiano reggiano and grate it myself. The mini food processor is great (grate?) for this.

Regarding 'baby carrots', I assume they're just pieces cut from big carrots and trimmed en gousse.

I've noticed that Chinese and other Asian markets often carry these really huge carrots. But I've never seen a recipe that calls for them. Who uses them, and how?

-Paul W.

I grate my Parmesan with a microblade. The pre-grated cheese has a coating of starch or cellulose (tasty if you're a termite) to keep it from clumping, and it doesn't melt as well.

The baby carrots are really baby-cut carrots, cut from larger carrots bred to be coreless and sweeter than regular carrots.

[Jenise]

Larry, I had no idea they were a special breed of carrot. I just firmly believe that the kind of person who would buy those flavorless precut/machine-tumbled carrots is the same person who buys pre-grated cheese--and believes both are "just fine".

I'm on your side.

Baby carrots .... HAIR ON FIRE !!!! Just finished 28 pints of garlic dilled pickled carrots. Vinegar and salt brine, lots of dill, garlic and a Thai bird chili. They are so popular with family and friends that they are the standard Christmas gift. I buy from a Hmong farmer and the size does change over the season with about 25 % loss after top, tail and peel. The Ball bible of canning and preserving mentions that baby carrots can be substituted for ease of packing and processing.... HOW COULD THEY ????

Paul, in our family the Kraft green tube of grated parmesan is referred to as Green Death .....