Branded
I may not have a lot of great qualities, but dammit, I’m loyal. I met my best friend when I was seven years old, and we’ve been like brothers ever since. I’ve watched every single episode of more television shows than I care to mention. And I’ve had the same favorite soda for over thirty years.
Brands are important. I spent over ten years helping marketers build brands, nurture existing brands, and redefine older brands. Without brands, it would be nearly impossible for consumers to distinguish between multiple versions of similar products. Soap would simply be soap.
There are many brands of consumer goods that I regularly buy.
Heidelberg bread, Stonyfield yogurt, Tuttorosso canned tomatoes, Carnation malted milk, Frank’s Red Hot, Fox’s U-Bet, and Polar seltzer are just a few. If I’m drinking cola, it’s Coke. If I’m eating ketchup, it’s Heinz.
But when it comes to wine, I’m incredibly fickle.
I Love You All, Especially Mr. Dave
L’shana tova, baby. For those who don’t follow, yesterday was Rosh Hashanah. It’s the Jewish New Year. Hopefully those of you who checked in on Thursday looking for a new post are back today. I hate to disappoint readers of the Fussy Little Blog, especially when they kick so much ass.
Seriously.
I asked, and you delivered. It’s not even like I asked nicely. I was a whiney little snot. And still, Phairhead, Leah the Nosher and StanfordSteph came back with all the details about what makes their preferred cider donut so wonderful. Plus Jon in Albany clarified his position on what day of the week one is likely to get the best tasting donut from an orchard. Sincerely, I thank you all.
Then there is Mr. Dave who wrote a stunningly great piece, which I am honored to have up on the FLB. He is a passionate man. And while I agree with many of his sentiments, there are just a few points I’d like to address.
Tell Me More, Tell Me More
Everyone has their favorites. Despite the obvious superiority of Five Guys to In-N-Out Burger, there will always be people who prefer In-N-Out. Taste is subjective, and ultimately people will eat what they like.
That’s where I come in.
Because while taste may be subjective, one can evaluate foods based on a number of criteria. The criteria themselves are limitless, and on some level subjective as well, but the more specific the criteria the less subjective the evaluation. For hamburgers first and foremost I prioritize beefiness. That’s different from flavor, because anything slathered with bacon, cheese, mayonnaise and barbecue sauce will have a ton of flavor. A long time ago I was a big fan of the blue cheese bacon burger with mustard and onion. That was a flavor monster, but honestly the patty it was served upon was completely unremarkable.
But I digress. I bring this up today, even though it’s been on my mind for many months, because I want the people who submitted nominations for the best local cider donut to tell me more. Instead of getting a better understanding of which orchards have the best cider donuts in the region, I’m just getting a list of orchards that sell cider donuts.
Before I continue I just need to say that all your comments truly are appreciated, in whatever form they take. This just struck a raw nerve today. I’ll be okay tomorrow. Promise.
Going Donut Picking
Going out to the orchards for apple picking is one of the harbingers of fall. And no trip to the apple orchard would be complete without at least one apple cider donut rolled in sugar.
The Fussy family went to Indian Ladder Farms last weekend. As the season progresses, the farm can really become quite a mob scene. Maybe it was the fact the weather looked threatening, or that it was part of a holiday weekend, or that normal people don’t even consider picking apples when it’s summer. But the orchards were wonderfully devoid of throbbing masses of humanity.
Inside the farm store was another matter.
The line for cider donuts was intense. There was a dedicated line, just for people waiting on cider donuts. And I stood patiently on a line that didn’t move for far too long. And I would have stayed longer. I would even have paid more than $5.95 per dozen, the paltry sum these treats command.
Because here is what I got…
Summer’s End
I’m glad Mrs. Fussy isn’t here to read this. She gets all worked up about the integrity of the seasons. I say that today is summer’s official last hurrah. Of course, I would be wrong. The autumnal equinox this year isn’t until September 22, 11:09 PM if you want to be really precise.
But dammit, the kids are either in school or just about to begin. Leaves may not be changing color, but if you look closely a little bit of yellow and red is creeping into a few leaves here and there. The Fussy family even went apple picking this last weekend and enjoyed our first cider donuts of the season.
It is time to start thinking about welcoming in the fall, again. And putting away those last remaining vestiges of summer.
Est Arrivé
For the six people out there who ventured to guess which coffee contraption I am going to review as part of my deal with CSN stores, your long wait is over. My shiny new toy has arrived.
And one of you was pretty close to guessing what it is.
It was the Cuisinart burr grinder. Not the Capresso. And I’m embarrassed to say that even though it actually arrived a few days ago, I still have yet to operate the machine even once.
Actually there is a lot I’m embarrassed by today.
Quick Meals from Slow Food
Most people when confronted with a pair of green peppers would probably do something sensible with them. I’m not entirely sure what that would be, because I’m not the most sensible man.
Green bell peppers make me think of one thing, Cuban black beans. Okay, make that two things. I also think Cajun food, since the base aromatics of that cuisine are a blend of green pepper, onion and celery. And Cajun food makes me hungry for red beans and rice.
Like the Tuscans, the Bermans are bean eaters. Little Miss Fussy goes nuts for the legumes, and Albany Jane can attest to the fervor in which she consumed Indian spiced black eyed peas at a local lunch buffet.
Anyhow, last night, because of the mere presence of two green peppers in my CSA share, I made a giant pot of black beans. The whole project took about four hours. It was not a sensible evening project. Beans may be delicious, but they take a long time to make.
So how can busy people like Amy and Kristi incorporate healthful, vegetable based meals like this into their lives? I have an idea, and it doesn’t require a can opener.
September Eats My Lunch
It would be one thing if I were just struggling with the stunning number of tomatoes in my life. I don’t quite know how it happened, but last week was the first time I completely failed to keep up with the CSA produce.
Luckily we have eaten through most of the more perishable items, and the rest are being incorporated into this week’s meals.
I still love that panzanella, although honestly it is no longer feeling much like a special treat. And Mrs. Fussy kind of promised to make her preferred version of raw tomato sauce, which she claims is better than the one I detailed yesterday. But I stubbornly refuse to take these delightful summer treats and freeze them so they can be pulled out in winter. Plus I have too much respect for these sumptuous tomatoes to cook them down into a sauce. I’d rather eat them out of hand, two at a time, and have the memory of this tomato gluttony carry me through in the dreary winter months.
But it’s not just the tomatoes.
Cooking for Amy and Kristi
Never forget, I am here for you. Seriously. Have a wine question, let me know. Trying to decide what to make with ingredients on hand, I’ll come up with something. When I was a kid my grandmother scolded me once by saying, “You always have an answer for everything.”
And to this day, I still can’t see what’s wrong with that.
It just so happened that last week two prominent local twitteresses @amymengel and @kristigustafson had similar but different problems. They both need help cooking. Amy flat out admitted, “I really wish I had any inkling of how to cook. Anything.” Kristi was a little less transparent. Her cry for help came in an otherwise innocent tweet, “I wish I could bottle up the smell of the kitchen when the dishwasher is running. Cascade, you’re so easy on the sniffer.”
And you know what, if they need help, it’s likely other people need help too. So let’s get down to basics. Let’s talk about cooking techniques. Let’s do some simple recipes. Let’s make things that are good for one or two people, but can be made for twenty. Let’s eat healthy, with plenty of vegetables and whole grains. Let’s get cooking.
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