"adult fast food"

[Free Rider]

Your family (the ones that say they like mushy pasta) must be older. People like what they're used to. My ex-husband would only eat Velveeta "cheese" because it was the only cheese his mother ever gave him. I guess he has a similar problem to my friend who likes hot dog buns and Wonder bread.

For many years now, we've had manufactured food. Manufacturing food, I'm sure Luc could elaborate, is very different from cooking food both in technique and result. In looking for info on manufactured bread, I found out (source: Harold McGee) that manufactured bread is not leavened with yeast! Does it even count as bread then?

OG is manufactured food. What you're cooking for your family is, well, cooked food.

[ALynch]

I went to Olive Garden last night. Shared a great bottle of wine with my wife, had a decent salad and some great fettucini alfredo, all served by an attentive server and it only cost me $52 with tip. Yes I can cook and do cook better food than was served there, but what made this a great place was that it did not bother anybody that my 8 month old was slobbering on everything and making strange nosies, because everyone around us had kids from newborns to toddlers. It is the family restaurant in my town and that is why people go there and why I like it.

[KYHeirloomer]

>Does it even count as bread then? <

Do you count quick breads as bread? They're not leavened with yeast either.

No, the problem with manufactured bread is that it's simply not good. And if they baked a real bread in the first place they wouldn't have to enrich it.

[Free Rider]

Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer

Do you count quick breads as bread? They're not leavened with yeast either.

Ooh, you had me for a minute. Good point, but my answer is: No! They are tea cakes or tea loaves.

[roflcopter]

yeah, i was going to say...breads leavened with baking powder still count. and flat breads.

but i'm wondering how they get manufactured bread to rise if they don't leaven it with yeast.

[boar_d_laze]

FWIW,

If by "manufactured" bread we're talking about breads like Wonder -- they are made with yeast, although that's not where most of the pre-bake rise comes from. That's the result of oxidizers and the way the dough is aerated with the huge commercial mixers. Still, it gets some yeast rise during the bake.

The enriched flour that's used in bread came about as the result of large bakeries cooperating with the government to reduce the incidence of nutritional/poverty diseases in the U.S., like beri beri and pellagra which were all too common back in the day. The program was and is successful.

BDL

[bundens]

number one reason..you might assume is because people are pretentious...but I'm gonna give you a different take...

I would not consider myself a chef..and I have many MANY MANY more years of experience and learning to go. However, I'm not exactly fresh on the scene and that being so I have found myself cooking at home...more often than not this past year. It's not that I don't like applebees..or the olive garden (matter of fact when the food is prepared the way it's supposed to be..the olive garden is one of my favorite places)...
but number one being what other people have said..there are inconsistencies in product due to the fact there are so many locations and so many different cooks preparing the same dish...you get to notice these inconsistencies rather than when a restaurant is...just that..one restaurant and you have the same cook..or batch of cooks..cooking the same thing..there's no room to notice a difference and there won't be a difference.

Aside from that, the reason I have been cooking for myself more and more..is simply because I'm getting better and learning more and realizing everything that is wrong with my food when going to a chain or a place that is sub par. It bothers me because a vast majority of these places have food that is already pre-cooked and food that quite frankly can be bought at your local grocery store. Same thing, only put on a plate and called applebees. If I can cook it myself, know what's going in there and getting only my cooties in the food..for less than half the price and no tip..why in the world would i go to applebees or..red lobster..or any other chain place?

I don't think people are trying to sound like snobs, it's just what happens.

I'd also like to add one thing about the NY italian vs Ohio italian. My family is from queens NY and are 100% italian. Needless to say they are big food snobs..especially italian food snobs and my grandma makes some killer meatballs..outta this world.

But I've been to 38 out of the 50 states now, and I've had the wonderful experience of eating at many different italian places and even though you may not think to order italian in ohio or ..colorado sometimes it turns out to be a great surprise..just like ordering japanese or mexican in pa can be a great surprise too. I just don't think people should limit their palette based on geography.

[shel]

Originally Posted by roflcopter

[...] and service is probably spotty at best for most of these types of places...but you gotta admit, the food is always good. if you order lasagna, it's going to taste like good lasagna. that's always been my experience, anyway...

Why do I have to admit that? I don't think the food @ Olive Garden is particularly good. It's been ages since I've been to an Applebees, so I'll reserve comment. Been three years since I've been to an Olive Garden.

shel

[phatch]

Originally Posted by roflcopter

yeah, i was going to say...breads leavened with baking powder still count. and flat breads.

but i'm wondering how they get manufactured bread to rise if they don't leaven it with yeast.

The industrial kneading machines beat in enough air in under a minute to leaven the loaf. Yeast is added strictly as a flavoring.

[ED BUCHANAN]

Originally Posted by RPMcMurphy

i agree with Boar....it's kind of a "what the masses" like mentality that makes "us foodies" shy away.

For instance, my cafeteria at work (desk job at a fortune 100 company) is great. We have a (all made to order) grill station, sandwich station, salad bar, pizza station, dessert and soup station and then we have 1 station dedicated to a "gourmet"ish meal of the day, that changes daily. Yesterday was Gorgonzola encrusted pork loin with some sort of sweet potato and a choice of a few sides.....for 4.99.

the line is 20-30 deep for the grill station or the pizza station every day.....whereare the line for the "gourmet" station is EMPTY...and its not BAD food...its "well prepared" and good.

I have to agree with both of you. Unfortunatly some younger people today were brought up On Mcburgers or Pizza. Gourmet food they wont even try it to see if they like it. The only thing the chains can offer, is quantity, price and some aura of consistancy, although I notice that going down hill. With the price of food going the way it is, peoples minds are how much can I get and at how low a cost.

[RPMcMurphy]

Just wanted to add to this thread....once again, I tried....I really did....fiance wanted to hit Macaroni Grill after the mall the other day....

my wine came in a soda glass? what gives.....i notice everyones was like this...but....is this the standard?

Ever try drinking bad wine out of a THICK GLASS (super thick)

I have to hand it to them, my steak dish (flat iron something or other over pasta) came out medium, (although I did order it medium rare)

I can get over a place where you can color on the tablecloths.....but for 63$ between the two of us....a wine glass please...pretty please..

[phatch]

I've heard nothing good about Macaroni Grill. But it's no surprise. With management to approve a name like Macaroni Grill, they don't seem to be focused on doing food right.

Phil

[KYHeirloomer]

I've never even heard of Macaroni Grill before this (yeah, yeah, I need to get out more). But....

Am I reading this right? You spent 32 bucks, more or less, on a steak that wasn't cooked to order and a (literally) glass of bad wine in a chain restaurant?

Hmmmmmm? Am I the only one who finds that appaling?

[RPMcMurphy]

just did a search and apparently, they only serve the house wine in tumblers?

strange.

[RPMcMurphy]

apparently its one of the many "traditions"

whoever started these traditions, must have been a dishwasher...

no knife with bread (that now that I think about it, was a pain, as bread crust was oily/greasy)

wine in tumblers