-=> Quoting Janis Kracht to Dave Drum <=-

 >> largely our fault (speaking for consumers) that we
 >> prioritize cheapness over all else.

Sadly, that's true for the vast majority.

 >> I don't know if it's "consumers" in general or corporite types
 >> pushing those buttons.

Corporations produce and sell what people want (although the
marketers do try to influence what we want and to some degree
succeed). 

 >> There must be more people out there like me besides me.

We are too few in number. The middle class is disappearing and so
are middle of the road stores with medium quality items at mid range
prices. A small handful of upscale stores like Saks and Nordstrom
sell high end stuff to the rich while Walmart sells crap to the poor
while the chains like Sears, J. C. Penney in the States and Eatons
and the Bay in Canada continue to shrink and disappear. Dave Drum
speaks of 99 cent factory farmed chicken in bulk while Michael
speaks of organic, free range, heirloom, farmer's market birds at $5
a pound. Whatever happened to pretty good $3 poultry?

 > I bought a set of Red Wing Wellington boots in 1990
 > "Do the math". Cheap is NOT inexpensive.

Similarly back when I worked on farms, in construction and on
pipeline I paid top dollar for Kodiak (Canadian brand) boots and
they lasted through a decade of heavy wear.

Here's a neat trick that I have been doing with all kinds of citrus
for years ...

MMMMM-----Meal-Master - formatted by MMCONV  2.10

     Title: Fresh Lemon Syrup Recipe
Categories: Info, Fruit, Syrups, Beverages, Alcohol
  Servings: 4

     15 oz (2 1/2 cups)
           used lemon rinds from
      6 md lemons or 
     12    Meyer lemons 
      7 oz (1 cup; 200g) sugar

Whether you're juicing standard supermarket lemons or their seasonal
Meyer cousins, save the rinds for this vibrant yellow syrup. It's
pure sunshine in a bottle, made from nothing but sugar dissolved by
the acidic pulp, no cooking required! Since there's no added juice,
it tastes more sweet than sour, but is balanced by the subtle
bitterness of lemon oil. Use it to make Crispy Candied Pistachios
and Lemon Chantilly, or try it as a mixer in your favorite
cocktails.

Why It Works

Lemon rinds are acidic enough to dissolve up to half their weight in
sugar, imparting a strong flavor and vivid color without any added
juice, flavoring, or dye.

Nonreactive equipment keeps the syrup's flavor clean and fresh.
Pressing the rinds with a ricer, or through a cheesecloth, helps
express the lemon's essential oil.

Special equipment:

Potato ricer or cheesecloth

Notes: This recipe takes advantage of the pithy rinds left over from
juicing lemons for other projects, so it's all right if some or all
of the lemons have been zested. When starting from whole lemons,
simply zest (if you like) and juice beforehand.

Cut each lemon into a few chunks and toss with sugar in a large
glass, ceramic, or stainless steel mixing bowl. Cover tightly and
let stand at room temperature, stirring once every 45 minutes or so,
until sugar has completely dissolved, about 3 hours (or up to 12 if
timing is an issue).

Using a cheesecloth-lined or fine-mesh stainless steel strainer set
over a nonreactive bowl, strain syrup. Working in batches, transfer
rinds to a stainless steel potato ricer and squeeze to release any
extra syrup, allowing it to pass through strainer into bowl; discard
rinds. Refrigerate syrup for up to 3 months in a glass bottle or
pint jar.

Stella Parks 

  From: Serious Eats                    
 
MMMMM-------------------------------------------------

Cheers

Jim


... The smallest bookstore contains more knowledge than all of TV ever.

___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20