Term of the Day: Culinary Receptacle

Culinary Receptacle
Noun
Definition:
1. An individual(s) belonging to a collective group(s) of individuals that nominally undertake the role of eating the leftovers, or the undesired portions, of the other group members food.

2. An individual that is wiling to eat food items that exist in adverse conditions.

In terms of human interactions and food, this term can be used synonymously or in conjunction with: Moocher, Meal Eraser, The human doggie bag, The finisher, The janitor, etc.

Case example of a culinary receptacle
in popular entertainment.

I'm sure you've met these kinds of people before, and maybe your group of friends has a guy or gal who's willing to "Man up" to the challenge of taking care of the leftovers... in his/her enzyme-rich digestive tract. This description of individuals usually addresses the insatiable desire and pride of the person to eat various things that he/she happens across, and can range from things that have fallen on the floor, leftovers, mooching someones food, and so on. You can count on them to eat indiscriminately and practice aspects of true food equality. In context, it can be used in a negative connotation or as a joke at the Moocher's expense.

Examples:

Person 1: You gonna eat that?
Person 2: It's a week-old donut that's been on the floor.
Person 1:...So?
Person 2: Take it man. You're such a culinary receptacle.

"My mom keeps putting food onto my plate and expects me to finish up everything. It's like I'm her personal culinary receptacle. "

...for lack of a better visual example.

Dish of the Day: Phở

Phở at a Vietnamese restaurant in Chicago

(Lunch, 7/21/07)

Phở (pronounced fuh) is a Vietnamese noodle soup dish. Typically, it is composed of rice noodles in clear beef broth, and can typically have thin beef slices, tendon, tripe (intestinal lining), chicken leg, green onions and miscellaneous herbs (basil, mint, etc.). almost always served with a lemon slice and fresh bean sprouts, as well as chili peppers and spicy sauces. While Phở varies depending on the region it is served in, restaurants and stands in the United States usually serve their Phở in the Southern Vietnamese style, which utilizes many herbs and bean sprouts.

Historically, Phở is reputed to have origins from a combination of Chinese and French cuisine. China has always had a great impact on it’s neighboring countries, and the use of spices and herbs in Phở is very reminiscent of Chinese cuisine. The Vietnamese also adapted to their French rulers, where beef stew dishes are common in the cuisine, when they were in control of Vietnam. When the French were defeated and forced to leave, many North Vietnamese refugees came to South Vietnam and introduced it in the 60's. The proliferation of south vietnamese to the United States, Australia, Canada and other parts of the world in this period also brought with it the cuisine, of which Phở was then a prominent and popular dish.

Being a big fan of Udon and various soupy noodle dishes, Phở is one of my favorites, having good value and being very filling as well as being relatively good for your health, while not sacrificing it’s flavor. It can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s a relative unknown in the midwest, due to the generally small Vietnamese population, although there are typically restaurants and stands in every major urban area in the country, as well as in Canada and Australia. There are numerous Vietnamese stands and eateries in California, where immigrants from Southeast Asia usually come in.

Rachel Ray, Androids and why America needs both.

Rachel Ray is a fairly visible figure in American popular culture. She’s done the rounds on the food network, has two shows, a syndicated lifestyle-talk program, a magazine, cookbooks and an Emmy award. Oprah friggin’ loves her. She has no formal culinary training, but has been bitten by a snake whose venom has frozen her facial muscles into a perpetual smile and never stops talking about EVOO (Extravirginoliveoil teeheehee!), which is why she’s the most visible figures in the culinary TV world. She’s on Nabisco cracker boxes, has a wax statue that doesn’t smile nearly as much as she does, and will endorse everything from burger king to dunkin’ donuts. It doesn’t seem like she ever ages, and she doesn’t seem to have any other emotional programming outside of “perky”. In other words, she’s the most psychotic and well-known androids of all time, beating out the only other successful android in entertainment, Data from Star Trek.

Which one is the android? Are you absolutely sure? Really? REALLY?!

The only good explanation in regards to her personality is that she’s of Italian (Sicilian) descent AND from New York, which essentially means you can’t stop her from talking expressively about anything unless you run her over with a ford F-350, whereupon she might start endorsing Ford trucks that that lug over two tons of dead weight and has more torque than any other vehicle in it’s class.

To tell the truth, I had never thought too much about Rachel Ray, had not watched her shows or anything until she appeared in FHM men’s magazine, which I, um, stumbled upon while looking for the Home Gardening magazines at the mag rack. That being said, I started paying attention to her cooking channels on the Food network a little more.

People are very polarized about her cooking style, which doesn’t utilize measuring instruments, requiring you to “eyeball it”. Her recipes supposedly take 30 minutes or less to prepare, and she uses an excessive amount of catchphrases, like "yum-o," "so delish," "G.B." (garbage bowl), "Oh my gravy!", "stoup", and "how good is THAT?".

She is criticized because she has no formal chefs education and doesn’t seem to take cooking seriously, as well as being so consistently enthusiastic about everything that she’s been called a bobblehead by her culinary peers, of which I readily agree.

As much as I could criticize her for being the most pumped android on TV, she definitely is what America needs today. She has contributed to increasing the visibility of cooking in the “eat-out” culture that has often seen as a contributor to American health issues(Eg: Chipotle's huge burritos, fast food, Old country Buffet) . Whether or not people like her, they still pay attention to her and her cooking demos, which is much more than you can expect from renowned TV chefs like Billy Flay.

In conclusion, I would not watch her too much for fear of going crazy and losing my sanity. I appreciate her contributions, but like all things, you can absolutely have your fill of Rachel Ray.

Don't be fooled, guys. She's still a robot.

My Chili Testimony

Today I reminisce of the “Wendy’s Chili” days. This is the entirety of the second semester of my freshman year at the University, where the dorm food in my residence hall was regarded as being prepared by “Culinary school mistakes” and a lunch lady with a Jamaican accent and a floppy white hat. Thankfully, we were offered different meal plans, and I opted to get 200 entrée dollars to spend at select venues outside of the dining hall, mercifully requiring me to eat less meals at the quad. What did I do with that extra freedom, you probably aren’t asking? Unfortunately there were not too many options for me. The Magic Wok? Breaded chicken and sinewey beef + msg-spiked “special sauce”? hell no. I’ve never seen them use woks there either. Panda express? Too far away and overly frequented by a glut of asians and engineering school kids (often a combination of both). Amer’s Deli and custom sandwich places? Good stuff, but so expensive that I would be out of money halfway through the semester. I needed a meal with value and close proximity to my classes, not overly unhealthy and welcoming during the winter months.

The only recourse for lunch was Wendy’s. I had 3 classes at a building distant from anywhere. Mealtime was always after my studio class, and the only place close was the Wendy’s in the student union across the street. The only good thing there was often in the value menu. The Chili (and jr. bacon cheese burgers and potatoes. Sometimes.) was probably my main source of sustenance during that period. Not only was it good, it was one dollar and, supplemented with a burger or potato, would keep me warm for the long winter walks back to the dorm and provided a mild food coma needed for my power nap before heading back to the same building for another studio. It was lighter than a burger and didn’t hamper my general feeling of health and gave me a good amount of energy to use through the day. Not only did I eat and feel well (enough) during school, finals, and those long hours spent at studio the night before the deadline, I had saved a sizeable amount of entrée bucks for next year. That and the people at register are very friendly and don’t wear floppy white hats. I feel slightly better knowing that even culinary school mistakes can’t screw up the food at Wendy’s because the food is industrially made and just need to be warmed up.

A small chili at wendy's costs 99 cents,
and was the best choice for me
as lunch for just about the entire winter semester.

I had not thought much of Chili previous to the experience, thinking it too salty and gas-inducing, although now I really appreciate that it much more for it's values. It's in the enviable position of being a very versatile dish, serving either as a side, a topping or a full-blown meal, is easily customizable by the addition and subtraction of many different food items, can be adapted to a very palatable vegetarian edition, comes in a range of spices and spice levels, is available to people of every demographic, provides a filling and "satisfied effect", and appeals to people of all demographics and value systems in the United states, even vegans. The only part of the american population that cannot enjoy this food are people with hypertension and those wary of relatively high-sodium items.

Nothing like chili and some carbs to
get you through the day.
(eaten 4/30/07)

Being a bit of a research oriented personality due to the glut of free time in the summer, I have been looking into expanding my knowledge.... through the internet (academically, as it were). Stemming from the previous post on Americas forgotten sausage, I decided to look up hot dogs in between my other "research" on brunette actresses in hollywood and Gestalt Psychology. Evidently, Hot Dogs, though forgotten and tossed off my many as a "kids food", have a following of Hot Doggers in the American Subculture, affectionately known as the "National Hot Dog and Sausage Council"(NHDSC). Before I make any more embarrasing innuendos involving sausage online, I shall post some notable examples of Hot Dog Etiquette as provided by the illustrious NHDSC.

Since we're there, let's make a foray into explaining why hot dogs are synonymous with American cuisine. The main reason is that these cute little sausage-sandwiches represent the American lifestyle in many, many facets, positively and negatively.

Don't...
Put hot dog toppings between the hot dog and the bun. Always "dress the dog," not the bun.

Condiments should be applied in the following order: wet condiments like mustard and chili are applied first, followed by chunky condiments like relish, onions and sauerkraut, followed by shredded cheese, followed by spices, like celery salt or pepper.

Do...
Eat hot dogs on buns with your hands. Utensils should not touch hot dogs on buns.

Hot dogs "keep it real" (X_x). I say this because the generic American is very direct, preferring simple and honest conversation and relationships, and don't allow things to get elaborate and complicated. Hot dogs mirror this way of life as a popular American food; a simple sandwich at it's essence with no utensils separating it from proximity from the consumer.

Don't...
Take more than five bites to finish a hot dog. For foot-long wiener, seven bites are acceptable.

American's really don't like to wait, and so it is that hot dogs are small enough to eat in the space of a few bites. No nibbling, just get to the point.

Don't...
Leave bits of bun on your plate. Eat it all.

Of any long-standing world-encompassing value, we Americans embrace the saying "finish what you start" and "don't bite off more than you can chew". American Military personnel don't leave their fallen behind, and America lost the war in Vietnam (and eventually will lose their influence in Iraq) because they bit off too much. The general public, evidently forgetting about their hot dog etiquette, is unwilling to do what it takes to accomplish America's vision for an Independent and democratic Iraq.

Do...
Condiments remaining on the fingers after eating a hot dog should be licked away, not washed.

Accountability is the popular term with American politicians, who set up countless commissions and investigations to see who's really at fault (e.g. The Darfur Genocides, the World Trade Center, the US-led investigation of war crimes and prisoner torture in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay). Americans reflect this in their eating mannerisms too, with a lot of people I know licking their fingers after eating finger foods or hand-held foods like their hot dogs, being true patriots by being accountable for their messy condiments.

Don't...
Send a thank you note following a hot dog barbecue. It would not be in keeping with the unpretentious nature of hot dogs.

We thank each other for telling the whole, unadulterated truth and getting to the point with a good time and an honest setting to converse. American society as a whole can be seen as a hot dog barbecue, where everything is out in the open and we enjoy the right to pursue our happiness. America values truth, clearing the air, getting out in the open. That's what the American justice system is purported to enforce, maybe with the exception of over/underpaid lawyers and endless paper trails.

Don't...
Bring wine to a hot dog barbecue. Beer, soda, lemonade and iced tea are preferable.

Remember when we hated the french so much when they opposed the war in Iraq? we called french fries freedom fries(unrelated in every single way imaginable. they even eat their "chips" with mayo instead of ketchup). We poured wine into the gutters, and espoused great pride in our country. Beer is the American drink of choice, brewed by the founding fathers and boldly unceremonious and free of frills. Wine is not as popular as Beer in the United states because the vast majority of people, the blue collar and middle class people, rarely have occasions in which to drink their wine, preferring informal settings (like a barbeque) where they can be themselves, not attatched to any formalities other than common sense (most of the time).

source:
http://www.hot-dog.org/hotdogetiquette.html


I don't know if you're absolutely convinced of any relationship between hot dogs and American cultural values, but hey, you really are what you eat. be a patriot dog!

"Taco, Burrito?" "No, no, Hot Dawg-o"

The classic "chicago style" hot dog (Lincoln Park, Chicago Il. 7/20/07). Replete with tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, pickle quarters, onions and warm sauerkraut on a mustard smothered vienna beef frank, it redefines the laymans impression of the hot dog.

Of all the things that Germans have done, we can thank them above all for knowing how to use their meat. Germany, Poland and other central European countries are well known for the contemporary sausage, which is basically ground animal meat and assorted spices in an edible casing. Sausages are made of edible and tasty meat that would not usually be considered for eating alone… unless you’re East Asian. For example, I was eating some tasty pork the other day, but I had a gag-reflex when my parents mentioned that it was pig rump (Porkazz).

Sausages supposedly originated from Sumerians in the B.C.’s, and the Greeks loved sausage so much that Epicharmus, a noted comedic writer, had a play named The Sausage. There are so many dirty jokes that I could make here about the Greeks and sausage, but I will refrain. From Greek and Roman societies, the tubular delight found acclaim all over modern-day Europe, with many specialties and a love for sausages with sausage festivals popping up around the continent since the time of Emperor Nero. Hehehe, so many immature jokes to refrain from saying.

Sausages have been called “dogs”, believed to have come from accusations that dog meat was being included in sausages in the 19^th century.

And now, Hot Dogs. A quick history is taken from wikipedia, which explains it’s social history relating to America well enough.

“The city of Vienna traces the lineage of the hot dog to the wienerwurst or Viennese sausage, the city of Frankfurt to the frankfurter wurst, which it claims was invented in the 1480s; the hot dog has also been attributed to Johann Georghehner, a 17th century butcher from the Bavarian city of Coburg who is said to have invented the "dachshund" or "little-dog" sausage and brought it to Frankfurt.^[1]

Around 1870 on Coney Island, a German immigrant named Charles Feltman began selling sausages in rolls.^[2][3][4]

The association between hot dogs and baseball may have began as early as 1893 with Chris von der Ahe, a German immigrant who owned not only the St. Louis Browns, but also an amusement park, beer garden and brewery near Sportsman's Park, where he sold his beer.^[7]”

Hot dogs differ from other sausages because they are relatively small sausages and are composed mainly of beef and pork without spices. The modern day hot dog is generally had with a bun and a variety of condiments, vastly differing by region. Common condiments are mustard, relish, chili, ketchup, onions, etc.

Hot Dogs have received unfair criticisms over the years for many reasons. The common perception is that Hot dogs are a mystery meat, with origins unknown. It’s made from perfectly normal beef and pork parts. It’s no porterhouse, but it still has the same nutritional value. People will balk at eating hot dogs when they realize that some hot dog skins are made from animal intestines (except for Cantonese-Chinese people, well known for their amazing dim-sum intestine dishes, like cow tripe), although it’s very small amounts and not bad at all.

Many Americans have not had good experiences eating hot dogs, eating them at gas stations or 7-11s on the road or in a hurry, eating Gordon Food Service hot dogs in elementary school, boiling them instead of grilling them, eating them with crappy, processed buns, being incapable of determining the right combination of toppings. If you’ve eaten a kosher hot dog, you’ve had a bad experience. Meat quality is questionable at times, to top it off.

The only way to experience a good hot dog is to eat it at a local stand or restaurant that is known for it’s hot dogs. It has to be authentic and not just a hunger filler. When talking about Hot Dogs you have to acknowledge that there is no comprehensive “right” way to eat Hot Dogs. Below are a few general(ly) correct/incorrect observations I have made.

In the midwest, if they serve Vienna Beef hot dogs, you’re in the right place.

If they have you put your own condiments on the hot dog, you’re in the wrong place, with a few exceptions. Many people can’t cognitively decide what to wear in the morning, and the same usually applies with hot dog condiments.

Truthfully, the truth is in the condiments: a good combination of flavors and textures are necessary to augment and elevate the eating experience. Areas with a hot dog history have their own preferences and combinations of condiments, as evidenced on this page of Regional Hot Dog Variants (God bless you, Wikipedia). Read the part about the French version and try not to think about sexual innuendo. I dare you.

Interesting Tidbits:

-American Hot Dogs are made small enough so that kids can eat it, though ironically enough, the hot dog is big enough to perfectly lodge in a 6 year-olds throat and choke him/her effectively.

-Mickey Mouse’s first spoken words were "Hot Dogs!"

-A Filipino Basketball Assosciation team used to be named the “Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs” before changing their name to the “Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants” (They are owned by purefoods, naturally)

- The longest hot dog created was 60m (196.85 ft), and rested within a 60.3m bun. A Japanese meat supplier made it for the all-japan association’s 50^th anniversary in 2006.

- On July 22, 2007, Japanese competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi seriously injured his jaw eating hot dogs during training. He stated that he could only open his jaw about the width of a fingertip.

Kobayashi is crazy retarded, but well fed.

I pulled this from www.colorlovers.com, worth a read!

Color Guide to Staying Healthy and Eating Right

According to nutritionists, naturally color-vibrant foods serve an important role in keeping you healthy and even reducing cancer risks. Antioxidants and phytochemicals, which are found in fruits in vegetables, have been noted to significantly reduce cancer risks. Beta carotine and lycopene can help protect cells from damage.

The American Cancer Society still warns that there is no single substance or food that will ward off illness, but the latest preventative answer seems to be in five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

All the science talk can be intimidating… so we’ve created a visual guide to help show you which fruits and vegetables are part of a colorful, healthy diet.