-=> Janis Kracht wrote to MICHAEL LOO <=-

 >> The mighty $$ raises it's ugly head yet again..

 > Economic influences are unavoidable, and I guess it's
 > largely our fault (speaking for consumers) that we
 > prioritize cheapness over all else. If crap products
 > made companies shrink or go bankrupt, there would be
 > fewer crap products.

 JK> I don't know if it's "consumers" in general or corporite types pushing
 JK> those buttons.  I know not everyone cares to spend $$ on countertop
 JK> appliances like I do but I never mind spending $$ if I think something
 JK> is worthwhile or has some quality to the construction of the tool or
 JK> whatever. There must be more people out there like me besides me. Lol

Raising hand. I learned a long, long time ago that quality pays off in the 
end. I bought a set of Red Wing Wellington boots in 1990 when I was working 
the loading dock at the local ABF terminal. They are still with me and look as 
decent as the day I left that job. Not new, but certainly still serviceable 
and still waterproof. Soles and heels still in good shape. My best friend 
laughed at me for spending $120 (at the time) for work boots. I asked him a 
few years later how many pairs of his $45 work boots he had gone through in 
that period. One pair per construction season. Then I said "Do the math". 
Cheap is NOT inexpensive.  Bv)=

I have people comment that parts for my car (currently a BMW, formerly a 
Mercedes) are expensive. My rejoinder is "no more expensive than common wear 
parts for any car" (brake pads, rotors, spark plugs, wipers, etc) and they 
need the high dollar stuff much less often than, say, a Chevrolet or Dodge.

Same with kitchen stuff - I avoid dime store pots and pans. And El Cheapo 
knives. It is much easier to work with reliable, quality tools. And it seems 
to make the food much more enjoyable if I don't have to wrestle the equipment 
two falls of three to get the job done.   Bv)=

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Individual Beef Wellingtons
 Categories: Beef, Pastry, Dairy, Vegetables, Herbs
      Yield: 3 Servings
 
      3 cl Garlic; crushed
    1/2 lg Onion; thin sliced
    1/4 ts Fresh ground black pepper
  2 1/2 c  Heavy cream
      1    Sheet puff pastry; thawed
      1 tb Worcestershire sauce
      3    (4 oz ea) beef tenderloin
           - filets
           Salt
      3    Fresh thyme leaves
 
  Combine the garlic, onion and pepper in a saucepan over
  medium-low heat. Whisk in cream 1/2 cup at a time while
  stirring constantly. Cook and stir until cream has
  thickened slightly and vegetables are warm. Cover, and set
  aside. Keep warm.
  
  Preheat a grill for high heat. It can be an indoor grill,
  or your oven's broiler. Make a 1 inch slit in the center
  of each beef filet. Grill each fillet for 1 to 2 minutes
  per side just to sear.
  
  Preheat the oven to 350oF/175oC.
  
  Roll out the puff pastry sheet to 1/3" thickness, and cut
  into three 8 inch squares. You may have some scraps left
  over. Place a filet onto the center of each square, and
  spoon some of the cream mixture over the top. Pull pastry
  up around the sides, and pinch together at the top. Place
  onto a baking sheet.
  
  Bake for about 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the
  pastry is nicely browned. The beef should be medium well
  by then, you may check with a meat thermometer to see that
  it is 145oF/63oC to 150oF/65oC for medium rare or medium
  doneness. Halfway through baking, drizzle Worcestershire
  sauce over the pastries.
  
  To serve, place each pastry on a serving plate. Cut a 1
  inch slit through the top of each one, and insert a thyme
  leaf.
  
  Submitted By: Chris Farquhar
  
  From: http://www.allrecipes.com
  
  Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives
 
MMMMM

... I brush my teeth with a leg of fried chicken, and gravy is my toothpaste
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