*After years of my pooh-poohing parsley-speckled plate rims and mindless squiggles of mango and raspberry purees on dessert plates, it seems that both fads have faded into oblivion. Thank you, but please hold your applause until after the column is finished.*Norman Van Aken has laid low of late, no? I sniff a comeback in the air -- or maybe it's just the overripe mangoes in my kitchen.*The anti-foie gras movement has seemingly lost momentum, and virtually every new Miami area restaurant has the
Photo by Flickr user dtredinnick13There's an episode of Pee-wee's Playhouse in which Pee-wee is talking about how much he loves fruit salad, and Miss Yvonne says that if he loves it so much, maybe he should marry it. So he does. Now, I like a guy with the courage of his convictions, but for me, well, it's about bologna sandwiches. Had my wife Joanna not moved back when she did ... well, let's just say that my wedding reception would have had to have crazy-good AC to keep my in-laws from spoil
It's a classic example of the bait and switch. During one of my recent late night television binges, I found myself drawn to a commercial that seemed to repeat during every break. It was for some kind of cheesy, bacony, Texas toasty burger at Checkers. Despite seeing the commercial at least a dozen times, I couldn't remember exactly what it was called, only that it looked delicious and I could get two of them for four dollars. Never one to pass on a deal that involves liquid cheese smothering
