River Cruising Water Cooler

[Roger88]

Its always better to get it original. Yes, you can go to some local diaspora or German town for it, but it will never be any better from the original country. The only difference is New York Pizza. Its way better than in Italy 

[pacmom]

Just returned from a long grocery shopping, mainly because of the weather prediction for the next two days.  Last stop was my local (Dayton OH are) Aldi.  They had Racine almond kringle, there are now two waiting to go in my freezer after I have some for breakfast tomorrow. They also had half of a roasted duck.

Fresh Thyme if any of you are lucky enough to have one close by had frozen duck breasts as well as the half of  a duck. It was a bountiful shopping, mostly for groceries, along with the elusive toilet paper. Found some, ready for what Mother Nature sends our way.  This is a thread that I hope keeps on even after we are able to travel again.  Now for Thanksgiving revisited for dinner tonight.

[Coral]

14 minutes ago, pacmom said:

Fresh Thyme if any of you are lucky enough to have one close by had frozen duck breasts as well as the half of  a duck. It was a bountiful shopping, mostly for groceries, along with the elusive toilet paper. Found some, ready for what Mother Nature sends our way.  This is a thread that I hope keeps on even after we are able to travel again.  Now for Thanksgiving revisited for dinner tonight.

Our Fresh Thyme just closed. They closed all of the ones in our state. I think the company maybe in trouble. For those, unfamiliar - it is similar to Sprouts. I have been in both and I probably couldn't tell them apart. 

 

Looks like you scored well shopping!

[Coral]

1 hour ago, pacmom said:

  Last stop was my local (Dayton OH are) Aldi.  They had Racine almond kringle, there are now two waiting to go in my freezer after I have some for breakfast tomorrow. They also had half of a roasted duck.

 

Just looked at next week's Aldi add (starts Wednesday). It says they have almond kringles and raspberry kringle's for $4.99. I think they have them for several weeks but they are in next week's ads. These are the same as sold at Trader Joes but the packaging is different (these are shrink wrapped).

 

 

Edited November 30, 2020 by Coral

[Roz]

Are we obsessed with food??? 😉

[jpalbny]

6 minutes ago, Roz said:

Are we obsessed with food??? 😉

 

This we certainly is! Can't cruise...may as well eat like we're on one.

 

Yesterday's dinner was orecchiette with ground veal and capers. 

 

 

I buy capers at Eataly. Dry packed in salt,, not vinegar. And by the pound, or bigger quantities if I can find them.

[Roz]

@jpalbny, that looks delicious.  

 

One of my fondest memories is shopping for pasta with my Italian nona.  We would go to the local Italian store where there were glass cases of imported pasta.  She would let me choose the shape for Sunday's dinner after Mass.  Orecchiette is a good pasta for a heavy sauce.  

Edited November 30, 2020 by Roz

[notamermaid]

Postcard from Fu*****

 

Unusual place names are so much fun, but this small village in Austria has had enough. They are finally able to do something about it and the village will change its name to Fugging on 1 January 2021. The current name has no meaning in German and evolved quite naturally over centuries: https://m.dw.com/en/austrian-village-of-fucking-decides-to-change-its-name/a-55740967

 

One of my favourites is still Pett Bottom, a hamlet in Kent, England.

 

notamermaid

 

[Daisi]

I saw that the other day, I really can't say I blame them.

 

We used to go down to Pennsylvania every fall for car shows.  We often camped in around the Amish country, very pretty place and nice to tour around.  They have interesting town names there as well... Intercourse, Blue Ball, Bird in Hand to name a few.

 

Just to be fair, Canada has some interesting ones as well, and I've been to a lot of them. https://www.cbc.ca/television/stillstanding/the-most-hilarious-town-names-in-canada-1.5440187

[dogs4fun]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

Postcard from Fu*****

 

Unusual place names are so much fun, but this small village in Austria has had enough. They are finally able to do something about it and the village will change its name to Fugging on 1 January 2021. The current name has no meaning in German and evolved quite naturally over centuries: https://m.dw.com/en/austrian-village-of-fucking-decides-to-change-its-name/a-55740967

 

One of my favourites is still Pett Bottom, a hamlet in Kent, England.

 

notamermaid

 

Humorous. I read that the village is especially popular with British tourists - I imagine Wank mountain is also quite popular. 😉 A shame that tourists steal the signs - it appears that is the primary reason for the name change. 

There is also a region in Bavaria named Petting.

 

@Daisi,  There are some hilarious Canadian names  ... I think I like Stoner, B.C.

 

There are goofy names in the US as well:

https://www.farandwide.com/s/wacky-town-names-47d4c1c59a624a70

A listing worldwide:

https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/weird-and-unusual-places-the-worlds-most-ridiculous-place-names

 

Edited December 1, 2020 by dogs4fun

[Daisi]

We have a Bastard Township near here... and there is a Hell Township in Michigan.  I remember a few years ago they were having fun with Hell freezing over!

 

[deec]

there is also a Paradise, Michigan....

 

[Coral]

On 11/29/2020 at 6:51 PM, Roz said:

@jpalbny, that looks delicious.  

 

One of my fondest memories is shopping for pasta with my Italian nona.  We would go to the local Italian store where there were glass cases of imported pasta.  She would let me choose the shape for Sunday's dinner after Mass.  Orecchiette is a good pasta for a heavy sauce.  

I remember the first time I went to Italy - I stayed with a family in Rome. I was excited to go to the grocery store to get some "real Italian pasta" for my Italian Mom. We went to the store and I saw Barilla brand pasta.

 

I do like orecchiette pasta. I like anything but straight thin pasta (angel hair, spaghetti, etc...).

 

We grew up on pasta.

[Daisi]

Coral, that reminds me of our arrival in Amsterdam.  Did a quick check in at the hotel, took the tram down to the Royal Palace to walk off our jet lag.  First thing we see in the square is an add for Hudson's Bay, which is an old Canadian store. Not quite what we were expecting. 🙂

[Host Jazzbeau]

My great Italian restaurant epiphany was that you can order any dish on the menu with any pasta, not just the one mentioned.  My favorite restaurant near where I worked made the best carbonara, but it was listed with spaghetti – too dangerous for work [spattering my shirt...]  But they were happy to make it with linguini – much safer!

[Coral]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

My great Italian restaurant epiphany was that you can order any dish on the menu with any pasta, not just the one mentioned.  My favorite restaurant near where I worked made the best carbonara, but it was listed with spaghetti – too dangerous for work [spattering my shirt...]  But they were happy to make it with linguini – much safer!

I love Carbonara! I also switch my pasta when I can for similar reasons. Sadly - I don't have any great Italian restaurants near me.

[dogs4fun]

8 minutes ago, Coral said:

I love Carbonara! I also switch my pasta when I can for similar reasons. Sadly - I don't have any great Italian restaurants near me.

I also love carbonara. My favorite Italian restaurant has now permanently closed as a result of the pandemic - their carbonara was excellent. 

[jpalbny]

I made rigatoni with guanciale and parmesan for today's bagged lunch at work. With lots of freshly-ground pepper. Imagine pasta cacio e pepe with chunks of crispy fatty bacon... That is a recipe I will definitely make again.

 

Carbonara is yummy but I can't bear to make it at home. Jist thinking about the ingredients is enough to clog an artery or two. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, jpalbny said:

I made rigatoni with guanciale and parmesan for today's bagged lunch at work. With lots of freshly-ground pepper. Imagine pasta cacio e pepe with chunks of crispy fatty bacon... That is a recipe I will definitely make again.

 

Carbonara is yummy but I can't bear to make it at home. Jist thinking about the ingredients is enough to clog an artery or two. 

 

Your recipe sounds delicious!  Would make a good appetizer before a main course of Carbonara.  [You gotta die someway.  Despite all the medical progress, the mortality rate remains 100%...]

[jpalbny]

35 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

Your recipe sounds delicious!  Would make a good appetizer before a main course of Carbonara.  [You gotta die someway.  Despite all the medical progress, the mortality rate remains 100%...]

 

True on all counts. My dish isn't nearly as substantial. A half-dozen eggs will do that.

 

But if the best we can do is prolong the inevitable, we may as well enjoy the ride!

[capriccio]

9 hours ago, Coral said:

I remember the first time I went to Italy - I stayed with a family in Rome. I was excited to go to the grocery store to get some "real Italian pasta" for my Italian Mom. We went to the store and I saw Barilla brand pasta.

 

I do like orecchiette pasta. I like anything but straight thin pasta (angel hair, spaghetti, etc...).

 

We grew up on pasta.

Coral - we lived in Rome in 1975-1976 (and again from 1982 - 1986) and I remember being excited when I finally first saw Barilla available in the United States.   Our current go to pasta, which we discovered on Amazon and Costco (much cheaper) when searching for pasta that can be delivered, is Garofalo made with 100% organic durum wheat semolina flour. Both places sell the 6 packages variety pack (2 each of penne ziti rigati, casarecce and gemelli) plus Amazon also carries linguine, spaghetti, pappardelli, and bucatini, etc. in packs.  Buon Appetito!

[Canal archive]

Many years ago the BBC did an April fool filming the ‘spaghetti harvest’ in Italy. Also many years ago teaching map reading to my ‘Guides’ as in Girl Guides we either gave them map references to places with quirky names or they had to work out some for other patrols to find. It did prove that the teenage mind works in peculiar but interesting ways. CA

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Many years ago the BBC did an April fool filming the ‘spaghetti harvest’ in Italy.

I remember that one. It was one of the better April Fool's jokes.

[jpalbny]

LOLing at the "spaghetti harvest" this morning, thanks. It could reference a real occurrence, when we go to Eataly and come home with many pounds of different pastas! Our pasta shelf starts overflowing...

[notamermaid]

So, a teenage brain study. Quite a feat. 😁 

The 'spaghetti harvest' is hilarious.

 

Canal archive, when I was in England last year I came across a tiny place called "The World's End". A cul-de-sac at the end of a hamlet. I was trying to find it again yesterday and the internet tells me there are several in England and there is even one in Edinburgh! For a nation that once had an empire spanning a quarter of the globe, it is surprising that they think it is somewhere at home and then cannot agree on the exact location. But at least most think there should be a pub there and give the pub exactly that name...

 

How I long for just seeing a pub let alone going into one. And I am desperate for some fish 'n chips. Oh, back on the topic food.

 

Pasta - fortunately my supermarkets are well stocked, but the pasta stockpiling is back, so no linguine for two weeks running.

 

notamermaid