Lox, bagel and cream cheese

[sammy]

...and the Sausage McMuffin is pretty damn tasty...

How could a Sausage McMuffin compare to lox, bagel and cream cheese?

This Christmas... I'll be mostly eating salt-cured whitefish instead of lox. (Ok well maybe I'll have some of that, too)

[jmakinen]

jmakinen wrote:
...and the Sausage McMuffin is pretty damn tasty...

How could a Sausage McMuffin compare to lox, bagel and cream cheese?

There is a world of difference between them!

Et Vive La Difference! And in this case only 2 blocks

When in NY in June, one day had the bagels with lox and chream cheese at Carnegie Deli

and the next morning - a Sausage McMuffin

guess what? Both good!

[AldenG]

...and the Sausage McMuffin is pretty damn tasty...

How could a Sausage McMuffin compare to lox, bagel and cream cheese?

This Christmas... I'll be mostly eating salt-cured whitefish instead of lox. (Ok well maybe I'll have some of that, too)

I'm not sure whether that's a very small appetizer or a rather large earring.

Or maybe Rapala's latest Christmas item?

[sammy]

Or maybe Rapala's latest Christmas item?

That could be - I'm sort of hooked anyway...

Something like this was more on my mind though (haven't tried the dill mayonnaise, could work!)

[Rosamunda]

I've wondered, too, since the shock of seeing my first McDonald's sign in France if they are making a profit there.... I have to beieve, though, that their target market must be foreign tourists.... Surely it can't be les Françaises.......

http://www.forbes.com/2010/11/08/mcdona ... urant.html

McDonald's offered another reminder Monday of its standing as the world's most saavy cheeseburger salesman.
The restaurant chain reported same-store sales were up 6.5% in October, while systemwide sales rose 7.4% or 7.8% in constant currencies. European sales increased 5.8%, led by strong results in France, the U.K. and Russia.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/20/busin ... urger.html

Indeed, for all the attacks on the company, McDonald's operating profit in France last year was second only to that of McDonald's in the United States.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/b ... 380820.ece

France is leading the field for McDonald's in Europe; its profitability is ahead of Britain and showing a clean pair of heels to the stagnating American market. The double-digit sales growth continued in the first quarter and there is evidence that the Big Mac is outpacing rivals in the French fast-food arena.

[Rob A.]

http://www.forbes.com/2010/11/08/mcdona ... urant.html

McDonald's offered another reminder Monday of its standing as the world's most saavy cheeseburger salesman.
The restaurant chain reported same-store sales were up 6.5% in October, while systemwide sales rose 7.4% or 7.8% in constant currencies. European sales increased 5.8%, led by strong results in France, the U.K. and Russia.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/20/busin ... urger.html

Indeed, for all the attacks on the company, McDonald's operating profit in France last year was second only to that of McDonald's in the United States.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/b ... 380820.ece

France is leading the field for McDonald's in Europe; its profitability is ahead of Britain and showing a clean pair of heels to the stagnating American market. The double-digit sales growth continued in the first quarter and there is evidence that the Big Mac is outpacing rivals in the French fast-food arena.

Sad...really... I guess the French myths about themselves need a re-assessment... But I suppose I could always argue that this profitability is on such a small base that even a few extra Big Macs are going to tip the balance so to speak.... Or maybe it's all those Dutch and German tourists...

Not surprised about Russia, though....I suppose the advantage for McD there is predictability... I think it's been a couple of years since I've been into a McDs...and that was just for a cup of coffee and a few of their rather crappy cookies...

[jmakinen]

and that was just for a cup of coffee and a few of their rather crappy cookies...

Careful about criticizing - those cookies might have been made according to 'Finnish preferences'

[Rob A.]

and that was just for a cup of coffee and a few of their rather crappy cookies...

Careful about criticizing - those cookies might have been made according to 'Finnish preferences'

Yeah, you might be right, Jani.... But the coffee was the usual mediocre McD fare....but, then, I'm rather surprised you would "tout" McD coffee.... I would have thought a connoisseur such as yourself would think the ne plus ultra for coffee would be this...Kopi Luwak....processed through the digestive tract of an Indonesian weasel.... Sounds delightful...

Hey, now I have an idea...a terrfic export idea for some enterprising Finn.... Coffee....arabica, maybe... processed through the digestive tract of an ...ehta suomalainen poro... Now what could we call such a product???....Hmmmm....

[jmakinen]

But the coffee was the usual mediocre McD fare....but, then, I'm rather surprised you would "tout" McD coffee.

The trick is to get it fresh! I work next door to one and keep an eye on when the pot is just made. Any coffee left on those hot plates becomes bad in 5-10 mninutes.

[jmakinen]

Was at CM Ruoholahti and checked pasta:

Even Euroshooper fresh Fettucini made only with Durum (and eggs)

As for dry, everything on shelf Durum (incl Pirkka) except Myllyparas Macaroni . Torino had Durum and soft flour for some products.

So if this says anything about 'preferences,' Durum is the hit - quite a change from '70's when Durum was absolutely verboten. I think rather it is a question of knowledge and politics.

[Upphew]

So if this says anything about 'preferences,' Durum is the hit - quite a change from '70's when Durum was absolutely verboten. I think rather it is a question of knowledge and politics.

Dunno how hit it is as everyone seems to overdo the cooking. Maybe durum is better so when the macaroni is overdone it don't end up in mush.

[FinnGuyHelsinki]

So if this says anything about 'preferences,' Durum is the hit - quite a change from '70's when Durum was absolutely verboten. I think rather it is a question of knowledge and politics.

My bet would be that durum is the cheapest alternative, hence the wide use in pasta (for which it's clearly well-suited), including the cheapest Finnish brands. There are differences in gluten content and grind, which can make a difference when making pasta by hand, but taste probably is not a factor in commercial use at all.

[jmakinen]

My bet would be that durum is the cheapest alternative, hence the wide use in pasta (for which it's clearly well-suited), including the cheapest Finnish brands.

Not really. Durum is a more expensive product almost anywhere. And also this was the cover for the Licence Office when they told me it was too expensive to permit into Finland and a waste of 'resources' since we had wheat.

Here is a good article on the history of pasta - btw it tells that durum is more difficult to knead thus not used for home pasta machines.

http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/p ... -pasta.asp

[jmakinen]

Dunno how hit it is as everyone seems to overdo the cooking. Maybe durum is better so when the macaroni is overdone it don't end up in mush.

Yes - it's difficult to get al dente - but soft wheat is a disaster from minute one. So durum at least gives half a chance.

[Rosamunda]

I always use 100% durum flour (available in any supermarket) when I make pasta. I don't usually bother to make spaghetti but home-made lasagne sheets are unbeatable.

The type of water used is important too. I use filtered tap water (from a Brita filter jug) but not mineral water.