Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Raclette, An Alpine Cheese

      The specialty cheese section at the alternate Shop-Rite came through yet again.  I keep worrying that I won't be able to find new specimens, and I keep being reassured.  This time it was raclette, from Dairy Seiler AG, aka Seiler Kaserei AG.  And it's based out of the town of Giswil, Switzerland.

    As near as anyone can determine, raclette was first consumed in the Alpine regions of Switzerland and France.  However, its popularity grew, and currently it's also consumed in the Alpine areas of Germany, Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein, Slovenia, and Monaco.  The first historic mention of it, or at least a precursor version of it, is from a Swiss convent in 1291.  The most distinctive aspect of raclette is how it's served.  By far the most common manner is to heat it up, and then scrape the melted portions away, and eat them, often combined with potatoes, cornichons (see my post on February 17, 2016), pickled onions, dried meat, and washed down with a warm drink like black tea, or with wine.  The traditional way to serve it in restaurants is to leave it by the fire, and then either an employee would periodically scrape the melted bits off and give them to the customers, or else the customers would do the scraping and gathering for themselves.  Even more recently, some eateries have special grills at each table, so customers can heat up their raclette in the most convenient way.  Kind of like another Swiss cheese dish, fondue, I guess.  Moving to linguistic concerns, raclette actually means "to scrape" in a French Swiss dialect.  The German term for it (sometimes it refers to a related cheese) bratchas, or brutkase, both mean "roasted cheese."

     The official website for Seiler was one of those limited, terse ones, at least about the company's history.  I don't know who founded Seiler, but I can reveal the business started in 1928.  Their cheeses are aged in large caves that served as military tunnels during World War II.  So the same places that stored plane parts, ammunition, and guided missiles now help a delicious food come to fruition.  Seiler is pretty sizable, too, as every day the company processes 80,000 kilos of fresh milk from neighboring farms.  Aside from several types of raclette, Seiler also makes grotto, sarnerli, and bratkase.  As I mentioned previously, bratkase is sometimes an alternate name for raclette, but it can also refer to a slightly different, precursor version of it.  Grotto is reportedly a hard cheese, and sarnerli is a soft and creamy cheese.  Oddly, the website doesn't go into detail about the variants of sarnerli they sell, so evidently it's not one of their popular kinds.  Seiler's raclette is aged for 3-5 months.  And, for those who are lactose intolerant, allegedly their raclette is somehow lactose-free.  (It should go without saying, but please confirm this for yourself if you're so afflicted--I don't want anyone getting sick.)  Finally, the current Chairman of the Board of Directors of Seiler is Hans Rudolf Aggeler.

Seiler Kaserei raclette with onions:  The color of this cheese was yellow, and it didn't have much of an odor.  It's texture was semi-hard.  I should also admit that I ate the cheese first, and then researched it.  So, I didn't realize that most consumers eat it melted, and scraped off, along with potatoes, wine, etc.  Anyway, I first had it plain and out of the fridge.  It had a fairly mild flavor--kind of buttery, and a bit salty.  I didn't really pick up on an onion taste, so maybe there weren't that many onion pieces in it.  Not great, but still good.  Then I tried it on water crackers, and this was also good, and a bit better.  The pairing of the cheese along with the cracker was a winning one.  Later, I put it on a hoagie (or sub) roll that still had some chicken bits on it.  I heated this up in a microwave, and when it was done I also added some ranch dressing.  The resulting sandwich was quite tasty--the best way I had it.  So, accidently, I eventually had raclette in the type of way you're supposed to, heated up and melted.  I can heartily recommend it--heated is best, but cold on crackers or plain it's also more than solid.  I will definitely buy this one again if I see it, and would try other kinds of raclette, or other Seiler cheeses.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A French/Belgian Cookie (Biscuit)

      When I first saw the Pim's cookie box, on the shelf at the alternate Shop-Rite, I was reminded of the old fashioned (but still active) gin-based liqueur of the same name.  But it turns out that I was mistaken.  The booze is Pimm's, double "m," and has nothing to do with this cookie.  I guess there are few combination distilleries/bakeries.  Anyway, I tried the Pim's raspberry flavor.

     Pim's, as I learned, is a brand name, and not the name of the overall company.  That is LU.  Which is an abbreviation, of Lefevre-Utile.  Which were the surnames of the founders, Jean-Romain Lefevre and Pauline-Isabelle Utile.  Who were a married couple.  I'd like to think that Mademoiselle Utile was unusually progressive, and kept her maiden name even after marrying, but I'm not really sure.  The start date of LU is a little conflicting--some sources say 1846, and others 1850.  From what I could gather, the earlier date may be when the company was selling baked goods from an English company, Huntley& Palmers, and the later date was when LU first began making their own products.  LU hasn't been an independent, family business for quite some time.  First it was bought by/merged with Brun, and then Generale Biscuit S.A., then Grupe Danone, then Kraft, and as of this moment it's owned by the American giant Mondelez International.  So I could have labeled this post "A French/Belgian/American cookie," but I thought it would be too unwieldy, and somewhat misleading.  The "Belgian" part is because the box I picked up said "Made in Belgium."  So evidently LU has factories in that neighboring country.  The Petit Beurre ("Little Butter," in French) cookie seems to be LU's flagship brand, but others include the Petit Ecoliers (available in both dark and milk chocolate varieties), Mikado, Pepino (Mini Stars), Cracotte, Ourson, and Tuc.  The other flavor of Pim's is orange.  And I was curious, and in French "Pim" means "imp."  I find that kind of funny that the English and French names use the same letters, only in a different order.

Pim's raspberry cookie/biscuit:  These cookies were round, about 5 cm. (about 2inches) in diameter.  They were brownish yellow on one side, and chocolate brown on the other, with "Pim's" embossed on them.  They were kind of like a sandwich cookie--a cookie base, with a raspberry layer atop this, covered in turn by a chocolate layer.  It was a winning combination--the three distinct flavors went together well.  Fruit and chocolate, with a nice cookie crunch.  I often complain that European biscuits/cookies are too bland for my liking, but this was a definite exception.  Not the best cookie I've ever had, but far from the worst.  Quite good.  I would recommend this, and will probably buy it again.  I'll also try the other Pim's cookie if I can, or other LU products.

     I'm not up on French cities in general, but Nantes did strike a chord with me.  Then I remembered why--that's the place where Gilles De Rais was executed (he was hung, and then burned).  De Rais is one of the weirdest serial killers ever.  Born in about 1405, he grew up to be a military hero.  He fought alongside Joan of Arc, and was named a Marshall of France, which seems to be the 15th century version of a particularly honored and famous general.  But, then things fell apart for him.  He was one of the richest men in France, but lost his fortune through high living, including financing a ridiculously expensive stage production.  De Rais's money evaporated, and he held off creditors for a time by selling off his many huge tracts of land.  Then, bizarrely, he turned to the occult for help.  As part of this, and/or because he was a sadistic pedophile murderer, he began to torture, sexually assault, and kill tons of children who lived in the area.  The exact number of victims is unknown, but is usually estimated at between 100-200.  To be fair, some modern folks think he was innocent, and that his enemies made up stories about him, largely to confiscate his valuable properties, but most medieval historians think he really was an insane psychopath.  But it's the fame part that's most surprising to me.  I guess it's the equivalent of say, MacArthur, or Eisenhower, or Montgomery going from winning wars to retiring and brutally slaying dozens of kids.

     

  

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--American/Spanish Corn Snacks

      It's time to do another snack on the blog.  Today's focus was another find from the snack food aisle at my local Shop Rite, which is dominated by potato chips.  But, clearly there are a few other types squirreled away here and there, like this one.  Specifically, I tried two varieties of Love Corn--their habanero chili flavor and their smoked barbecue kind.

     The headquarters of Love Corn (aka Love Brands) is in my home state of New Jersey, in the town of Ho-Ho-Kus.  I put "Spanish" in the title since the packages noted that they were products of Spain.  Which is kind of weird, since I know that plenty of people grow corn in New Jersey, so it's not like they needed a different climate or soil type or something.  Presumably it goes back to money somehow--it must be cheaper to grow the corn in Spain, and maybe process it there as well, and then transport it over the Atlantic to the U.S. for sale.  Alas, I don't have much to report on the Love Corn phenomenon.  The company website was terse, and mostly just showing their products, where to buy them, and including quotes and testimonials about how much customers enjoy them.  From other online sources I learned that the company was founded by Jamie, Gavin, and Missy McCloskey.  Who are almost certainly related, but how I don't know.  Siblings?  A married couple?  Parents and children?  Distant cousins thrice removed?  Moving on, Love Corn started in 2017, so it's a very new business.  Other than the two kinds I tried, the other flavors are sea salt, salt & vinegar, and cheezy.  It's also noted that their products are plant-based, and free of GMOs and gluten.  (Which, if I can go on an aside, isn't technically true of any corn product.  All modern species of corn were domesticated (i.e., modified by human activity) from a distant ancestor, teosinte, thousands of years ago.  (The exact date is unknown, but all research suggests between 6,000-10,000 years ago.)  But I know what they mean--Love Corn doesn't use corn that's been genetically modified in the past few decades.)  The company website also proudly notes their various charitable efforts, especially helping out children and communities.

Love Corn premium crunchy corn, smoked bbq flavor:  The pieces looked like yellow kernels of corn with dust on them.  They were dry and crunchy.  Had a slight barbecue flavor.  Kind of bland.  But, on the other hand, I'm not normally a fan of corn, unless it's processed, like in corn bread or corn chips, so the fact that these were okay is actually praise.

Love Corn, premium crunchy corn, habanero chili flavor:  Looks the same as the previous, except these were orange, with dusting on them.  Same texture--dry and crunchy.  Spicier, as you would expect.  And the spice built up with time, and as I ate more.  So, because these had a stronger taste, I thought they were pretty decent.  So I'd recommend this flavor, although I'd only give the smoked bbq ones a lukewarm, "meh" rating.

     Another tangent--I've always liked the name Ho-Ho-Kus.  I appreciate that the hyphens make it unusual, and it's undeniably fun to say.  It causes confusion, too, since some signs, and folks in general don't remember the hyphens, or don't want to, I suppose.  The source of the name is also comically complicated.  Everyone seems to agree that it's a Native American word or term, from the tribe that lived in that area, the Lenape (also sometimes called the Lenni Lenape, or Delaware Indians).  But, some people think Ho-Ho-Kus means red cedars, or running water, or a cleft in a rock, or under a rock, or the sound of the wind against the bark of a tree, or a kind of bark on a tree, or a fox, or the spirit of a fox.  So, a fun linguistic mystery for somebody to solve.  Finally, the small community of Ho-Ho-Kus (which has a population of about 4,000), despite its size has been the home of some famous people.  For starters, Jim Fassel, who was an offensive coordinator, position coach, and head coach, in both college football and the NFL.  Most notably, he was the head coach of the New York Giants from 1997-2003, and led them to Super Bowl 35 (which they lost).  Counting the playoffs, his overall record was 60-56-1.  This town was also the home of Dan Reeves, another NFLer.  He played running back for the Dallas Cowboys from 1965-72, accumulating 1990 rushing yards, 25 rushing touchdowns, and 1693 receiving yards and another 17 touchdowns in 100 games, and 40 starts.  His lifetime AV was 40.  Later, he was the head coach of the Denver Broncos, New York Giants, and Atlanta Falcons, from 1981-2003, finishing with an overall record, including playoffs, of 201-174-2, and berths in 4 Super Bowls (21, 22, 24, and 33, all losses).  Moving to music, Ho-Ho-Kus was the home of the metal band Twisted Sister, who started in 1972, and were together on and off until 2016.  They put out 6 albums, one of which, "Stay Hungry," sold over 3 million copies.  They're best known for their hits "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock."  Finally, former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr got married in Ho-Ho-Kus, and briefly lived there.  You know, one of only 2 sitting Vice Presidents who shot someone.  (Admittedly, Burr's shooting was infinitely more serious than Dick Cheyney's for many reasons.)

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "Child's Play" (1988)

      "Child's Play" has had quite an extensive history.  Since it's beginning in 1988 it's spawned 6 sequels, and the inevitable remake in 2019.  Unlike many horror slasher series, aside from the remake every film was written (and sometimes directed) by its original creator, Don Mancini.  Also unlike many series, it's changed dramatically over the years.  It went from several straight horror films to jokey, self-aware comedy horror movies for the 4th and 5th entries ("Bride of Chucky" (1998) and "Seed of Chucky" (2004)), and then kind of back to horror again with the later entries (2013's "Curse of Chucky" and 2017's "Cult of Chucky").  Anyway, enough background, let's get into the very challenging trivia about the original film.  As always, I acknowledge that these questions aren't important, for the most part, so even folks who have seen the movie a dozen times or more probably won't know the answers.  And also as usual, there are obviously many SPOILERS throughout.  The format is questions first, followed by the answers afterwards.  Enjoy!

Questions:

1)    Back when Chucky was in his human, Charles Lee Ray body, what was his serial killer nickname?

2)    What is the name of the street where Charles Lee Ray dies?

3)    What ethnic restaurant is located very near to the store where Charles dies?

4)    What is the name of the toy store where Charles dies?

5)    What Barbie product is seen, right behind Charles in the store, as he rants at Mike?

6)    According to the commercial, how many sentences does a Good Guy doll utter?

7)    In the Good Guy doll commercial, what is the featured doll's name?  (Every Good Guy doll has a separate name.)

8)    What constitutes the breakfast that Andy Barclay brings to his mom, Karen?

9)    Unlike many horror movies, this one tells us the name of the city where it's set, and it's a real city.  Name it.

10)   What disappointing birthday gift does Andy open first?

11)   What Good Guy product does Karen give Andy at first, since the doll is too expensive?

12)   According to Karen's friend Maggie, how much does a Good Guy doll cost?

13)   How much does Karen spend for the Good Guy doll she purchases from the creepy peddler?

14)   What is Karen's exact job?

15)   What is the name of the place where she works?

16)   What is the full name of Karen's boss?

17)   What department does Maggie work in?

18)   Maggie has to babysit Andy because Karen is forced to work at night to cover for another sick employee.  What is this employee's name?

19)   Charles Lee Ray's accomplice Eddie Caputo escapes from police custody shortly after Charles is killed.  What precinct does he escape from?

20)   A television channel has information about Caputo on a news segment, which Chucky wants to watch.  What channel is it?

21)   Who are the anchors of this news segment?

22)   We see Karen getting off a bus to return home.  What bus route was she taking?

23)   According to the police, what floor is the Barclay apartment on?

24)   What is the name of the apartment building that the Barclays live in?  (Mike's partner mentions it briefly while calling for backup and an ambulance at the end.)

25)   What street is it on?

26)   What is the Barclay apartment number?

27)   Where is Andy's father?

28)   What train stop do Andy and Chucky use to hunt down Eddie Caputo?

29)   Who is the doctor that treats Andy?

30)   What size batteries are needed to power a Good Guy doll?

31)   What was Charles Lee Ray's last known address?

32)   What is the name of the god or spirit that Chucky prays to, which gives him the power to transfer his soul?

33)   What is the name of the religious instructor who taught Charles Lee Ray about this spirit?

34)   How old is Andy?

35)   What room number is Andy put into at the psychiatric hospital?

36)   How does Chucky kill his four victims in the movie?  (Not counting those he killed in human, Charles Lee Ray form.)

37)   What company makes the Good Guys line?

38)   In the beginning of the film we briefly see a Good Guy set that features a toy machine gun.  What is this set?

39)   As Eddie Caputo is sleeping, we see a container of alcohol next to him.  What is it?

40)   As the Barclays are confronting Chucky at the end, we see a framed poster on the wall in the hallway.  What is it featuring?

41)   Detective Mike Norris has two guns, a primary one, and a secondary one on his ankle.  What kind are each?

42)   What kind of gun does Eddie Caputo use?

43)   What kind of gun does Charles Lee Ray use?

44)   How do Karen, Andy, Mike, and Mike's partner Jack explain what happened at the end of the movie?

Answers:

1)    The Lake Shore Strangler.

2)    Wabash, near the intersection with Van Buren.  Which are both real streets.

3)    Jimmy Wong's which serves Cantonese Food.  This was a real establishment, but reportedly it closed around 20 years ago.

4)    Playland.

5)    The Barbie and the Rockers series, which the internet tells me came out in 1986.

6)    3.

7)    Oscar.

8)    A bowl of Good Guy cereal, with way too much milk, two pieces of burnt toast, with much too much butter or margarine, washed down with a glass of orange juice.

9)    Chicago, Illinois.  The streets and locations for questions #2 and #3 refer to Chicago as well.

10)   A pair of jeans, which Karen wrapped in an inexplicably large box.

11)   The Good Guy tool chest.

12)   $100.

13)   $30.

14)   She works the jewelry counter in the department store.

15)   Carson's department store.  Also a real store, full name Carson Pirie Scott & Company, which was a big chain in the American Midwest.  This store has been bought out several times over the decades, and currently exists only as an online retailer.

16)   Walter Criswell.

17)   The shoe department.

18)   Mrs. Howe.

19)   The Michigan Avenue precinct.

20)   WDOL, Action News at 9.

21)   Steve and Terry.

22)   76 Diversey, which is a real Chicago bus route.

23)   The 6th floor.

24)   The Brewster Apartment Building, which is a real Chicago landmark.  I thought it was a reference to Director Tom Holland's Charlie Brewster from his earlier film "Fright Night," but apparently not.

25)   North Grand Street.  In reality the Brewster is located at 2800 Pine Grove Avenue, and there's apparently not a Grand St. in Chicago, although there is a Grand Boulevard.

26)   8C.  Odd number for a 6th floor apartment, but that's it.

27)   From Chucky's lie to Andy about being sent from heaven, we find out he's dead.

28)   The 43rd Street stop, which once again is real.

29)   Dr. Ardmore.

30)   2 "D" batteries.  Chucky, of course, is self powered, though!

31)   730 Stony Island Avenue, in the South Side.  This is evidently a real street, but a fictional address.

32)   Damballa.  Who's a real spirit in the Voodoo/Vodou/Obeah religions.  I'm pretty sure this is the Hollywood, highly exaggerated,/fictionalized version of this spirit.

33)   John Bishop, who also goes by "Dr. Death."

34)   According to Chucky, he's 6.

35)  7.

36)   He smashes Maggie in the head with a toy hammer, causing her to fall out of the window and to her death down below.  He turns the gas on, but blows out the pilot light in the oven in the kitchen of the house where Eddie Caputo is hiding.  Then he tricks Eddie into firing his gun into the kitchen, causing most of the house to explode.  Using John's voodoo doll of himself, Chucky breaks John's leg and arm, and then stabs him to death in the chest.  Dr. Ardmore is slashed on the leg, and then fried to death using the hospital's shock treatment machine.  Ironically, the Lake Shore Strangler only tries this method once, on Mike's partner Jack at the end of the movie.

37)   It's confusing.  Early in the movie they mention Play Pals, but the doll box reads "Play Partner Toys."  Maybe one of these is a subdivision of the overall company.

38)   The Good Guys Courageous Soldier set.

39)   This isn't 100%, but it sure looks like a bottle of J&B whiskey, that staple of movies.

40)  The Young Playwrights Festival, which lasted from April 27th to May 16th, 1982, out of the Circle Repertory Theatre in New York City.

41)   His primary is a Smith & Wesson Model 10HB (a .38 caliber), and his backup is a Beretta Model 70, which is a .32.

42)   A Ruger Blackhawk revolver, with a 4 and 5/8 inch barrel.  It's a .357.

43)   A Smith & Wesson Model 19 Snub Nose.  Also a .357.

44)  There's no good answer for this!  Although I'm curious if Chucky's blood on the curtains and wall matches Charles Lee Ray's.  I guess that's why in the sequels we hear that Karen was put in a mental hospital, and thus Andy is put into foster care, and then later a military boarding school.