Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Odd Flavors of Goldfish Crackers

      Okay, this blog post isn't as strange and/or revolting as most of them.  But it's still a little off-the-beaten-path.  Probably most of the people reading this have had a Goldfish cracker at least once in their life.  But how many of you have had ones that are flavored with the butterbeer mentioned in the Harry Potter universe, or are strawberry shortcake Grahams?  (Hopefully not as many.)  Also, since they're a registered trademark and all, I'll be capitalizing "Goldfish" for the rest of this article. 

     The Goldfish cracker story is a fairly long one, and will take us to two continents, even.  (And happily it was available on the official company website.)  Back in 1897 a woman named Margaret Fogarty was born in New York City.  The oldest of five children, she was academically inclined, serving as valedictorian for her high school class.  After graduating, she worked for nine years, including an eventful stint at an investment company.  Sparks flew between Margaret and a broker named Henry Rudkin, and the two got married and raised three children.  Eventually they moved to a farm in Fairfield, Connecticut.  The property was known as Pepperidge Farm, because of an old and distinctive pepperidge tree which grew on it.  Alas, one of the Rudkin children, Mark, was afflicted with bad allergies and asthma.  Doctors thought that heavily processed foods might be making his conditions worse.  So, Margaret decided to start baking bread at home for Mark that was made from more natural, less processed ingredients.  The initial attempt went poorly, being hard as a rock.  However, Margaret kept at it, and her bread improved.  Enough so that she decided to go into business selling it.  The man who owned the local grocery, Mercurio's Market, was skeptical when she pitched him her idea, especially because she wanted to charge 25 cents per loaf, at a time when most loaves went for only 10 cents.  But then he tried some, and agreed.  Sales started to skyrocket, helped by a positive article about the Pepperidge Farm bread in the national magazine Reader's Digest.  Then a snag hit.  During World War II rationing was instituted, and Margaret refused to sell bread made with inferior substitutes.  Her production went way down.  Fortunately, once the War was over she resumed her higher production, and her company prospered once again.  In the 1950's Margaret traveled to Belgium, and was impressed with some cookies that she had there.  She made a deal with the Belgian manufacturer, and started selling these cookies back in the U.S.A. in 1955.  This scenario unfolded once again in the early 1960's--Margaret was dazzled by some crackers that were in the shape of goldfish while traveling in Switzerland.  Another deal later, starting in 1962 these Goldfish crackers were being sold in America.  (If you're curious, the Swiss baker who invented the crackers was named Oscar J. Kambly, and he created them in either 1954 or 1958 (sources differ on the "birth" date).)  (Additionally, I don't know the details about the exact baker or company that came up with the cookies that Margaret bought--it wasn't reported in the histories I read.)  In either 1961 or 1963 (again, sources differ on the exact date) Margaret sold Pepperidge Farms to the Campbell soup company.  A sojourn into another industry was also fruitful for Margaret, as her 1963 cookbook (the Margaret Rudkin Pepperidge Farm Cookbook) was reportedly the first cookbook to make the New York Times best seller list.  (I looked up this title on Amazon, and I found it easily.  It has very high ratings, and several copies are available for under $10.)  Finally, Margaret was known for being an early feminist, even if this term was probably not used much in her lifetime.  Aside from creating and running her own company, she also apparently hired a lot of women (both married and unmarried) as employees at her business, and helped them out by offering flexible hours.  Back to Goldfish crackers, reportedly they're sold in almost every country in the world, albeit sometimes through subsidiary companies, and/or under different names.  The listed exceptions were North Korea, Iran, Syria, and Armenia.

Goldfish crackers, strawberry shortcake Grahams:  They were the usual Goldfish size and color, being yellow, and of course, shaped like little goldfish.  They had the usual Goldfish texture, too, dry and crunchy.  There was a noticeable sweet strawberry flavor.  Pretty good.  Not great, but solid.  It was a little strange for me to eat a Goldfish crackers that wasn't salty and cheese-flavored.  A dessert Goldfish, I guess you could say.

Goldfish crackers, Harry Potter butterbeer flavor Grahams:  These were also the usual Goldfish size and shape.  The color was a brownish yellow.  Same dry and crunchy texture.  The taste was quite sweet.  From the name I expected these to be buttery, but they really weren't.  Later I saw that "butterscotch flavored" was on the label in smaller letters.  Which makes more sense--that sugary sweet flavor was more what I detected.  And that's good--I'm not a fan of strong buttery flavors in general, such as on popcorn.  Anyway, overall these were pretty tasty.  I liked them a bit better than the strawberry kind, which surprised me a little.  So I would also recommend both of these to people who want a change of pace, a different type of taste in their Goldfish crackers.  They're not dazzling, but they're decent, and just different enough to be interesting.

     Any American over the age of about 35 probably instantly thought about the television commercials when they heard the name "Pepperidge Farm."  They were fairly ubiquitous when I was growing up, with the old man (character name "Titus Moody") talking about the cookies, the good old days, and ending with "Pepperidge Farm remembers."  I must admit I found the ads to be a bit annoying.  But hard to forget.  The fact that I still recall them decades later is surely a testament to the marketing executives who created the commercials.  So good for them, even if I found the ads fairly irritating.

    

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--An Italian Fruit Juice

      This one was just a happy coincidence.  I was walking through the Shop-Rite a few weeks ago, and just happened to see a display pile of some drinks.  The spelling on the bottle read "arancia," and "frutta," which I assumed was a foreign language.  And a closer look at the label revealed it was--Italian.  So I snapped up a bottle.  This was some orange juice from the Santal brand.

     Santal is the fruit-based drink brand of the Paramalat S.p.A. company.  It has several different categories of drinks.  Their Desserts of Nature line includes flavors like Natura Apple Cake, Natura Blood Orange Cake, and Natura Orange Cake.  The Classics are basic fruit juices, such as those made from pears, peaches, pineapples, and blonde oranges (which I'd never heard of, but a little checking indicated that they are a subtype of oranges, grown in Italy, which have a yellow skin and a sweet and juicy pulp).  The Plus drinks have a bit of milk added to the fruit juice, and are usually combination flavors, such as strawberry banana, peach mango, and pineapple coconut.  The Zero drinks lack any added sugars, or sweeteners.  The Tea selections are, well, teas, like lemon and peach teas.  And the Fruitz! ones are mixes for alcohol, with flavors like blood orange mix, and "fishing mix."  (Alas, this last one doesn't contain any fish chunks--it's just a combo of apple, orange, and peach juices.  Maybe it's designed to be mixed with booze and enjoyed while going fishing?)

     The history of Santal and Parmalat on their official company websites were pretty terse and vague.  About all I learned from them was the derivation of the Santal title.  It's from the French term "Sante Alimentaire," which refers to a "healthy state is obtained through a healthy and correct diet."  And, reportedly Santal was the first company to ever offer fruit drinks composed of 100% juice.  (I tried to confirm this online, but wasn't able to.  The actual first here isn't conclusively known.  Some put out Minute Maid orange juice in the 1940's, and there are other possibilities.  Perhaps Santal was the first 100% juice drink sold in Europe?)  Other Parmalat brands include Zymil and Chef, which sell "functional products" such as probiotic yogurts.

     Then I checked other online sources for the background of Parmalat and Santal.  And then the limited nature of the company's history on their official websites became abundantly clear.  It started out okay--in 1961 a 22-year-old college dropout named Calisto Tanzi started a small pasteurization plant.  Over the next couple of decades Parmalat flourished, and began making foods and beverages, mostly dairy and fruit products.  At its height, around the turn of the 21st century, Parmalat also owned a television channel, a travel group, and several pro football teams (or soccer, to we Americans, and I guess Australians).  But, things got disastrous soon after.  In 2003 the company's finances plummeted, incurring massive debt.  Some websites claimed that this was the biggest company bankruptcy in European history.  The law took avid interest, and Calisto Tanzi and some of his executives were charged and tried.  There were many charges, including fraud, fraudulent bankruptcy, and criminal association.  Tanzi was found guilty and was sentenced to over 20 years, in total.  Although most of these convictions were overturned or lessened on appeal.  He ended up doing 2 years in jail, and then more time on house arrest.  His fellow executives were either acquitted, or settled out of court.  Parmalat was then acquired by French giant Lactalis in 2011, so it's been a subsidiary since.  So, all in all, this product's manufacturing company had a much more dark and interesting history than most of the ones that I report on.

Santal orange (arancia) juice:  It had the usual color of orange juice, or orange.  There wasn't much of an odor.  It tasted like regular orange juice.  I couldn't tell much of a difference between this and regular ones I've had over the years, like Tropicana.  (I mean, I'm going on memory here--I didn't have several brands one after the other this time, but still.)  It was arguably weaker than some, I guess, like Simply Orange.  Anyway, long story short, it was okay, but not anything special.  And because of this, this small, 250 mL bottle was probably a bit overpriced.  But I'll try to sample any other Santal flavors I can find--maybe the Plus ones that also have milk are a little more interesting and tasty.

  

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Limburger Cheese

      Today's post is a revisit of sorts.  Long ago, way back on September 24, 2012, to be exact, I did an article about Limburger cheese.  Feel free to take a look--it includes a brief history of the food, along with its cultural footprint.  And speaking of feet, that 2012 post also includes some info about the connection between the cheese and feet, odor-wise, both literally and figuratively.  But, back then I didn't talk about the brand and company which made the cheese I tried.  Mainly because I didn't know--I was going on a memory that was over a decade old.  Therefore, I feel justified in discussing this cheese again, since this time I took notes right after I smelled and consumed it.  And this time I'll have a bit of detail about the brand and company that made the Limburger.

     The brand of Limburger cheese I had was Country Castle.  Which is made by the Chalet Cheese Cooperative, out of Monroe, Wisconsin.  The CCC, as I'll abbreviate it from now on, is a collective of five dairy farmers, who joined together in 1885.  Aside from Limburger, they also make Swiss cheese, Wisconsin Brick cheese, baby Swiss, Cheddar, and smoked versions of the previous ones.  And then I discovered something surprising.  Currently, CCC's Country Castle Limburger cheese is the only one made in the U.S.  Now, I had my first taste of the cheese back in 1996 or so.  I did some checking online, but I was unable to discover if there were other companies that still made Limburger almost 30 years ago.  So it's possible (perhaps even probable?) that my original brush with this cheese was also from Country Castle.  Even if it was, I still think it's okay.  Since this time my evaluation of the Limburger will be much more current and accurate, as it's not based on vague-ish memory.  Moving on, the Wisconsin town of Monroe is not just the only place in the country to make Limburger--it's also known as the Cheese Capital of the U.S.A.  Given my love (okay, obsession) with this food, I should probably visit the community at least once before I depart this mortal realm.

Country Castle Limburger cheese:  This cheese was an off-white color, and it had a soft, spreadable texture.  And it had a strong, kind of foul odor.  I should say, though, that the smell wasn't as potent as I recalled.  Don't get me wrong--it wasn't good, but it wasn't intolerable or anything.  The flavor was also strong.  It was quite sourish and tangy.  But still pretty good.  I had some plain, and some on crackers.  Plain was decent, and on the cracker was probably a little better--the crunchy cracker made for a good flavor pairing.  So, overall, Limburger isn't my favorite cheese, but it's still solid, maybe even very good.  It sort of reminded me of some blue cheeses.  So if you like strong cheeses, I would recommend you give it a try.  I thought its evil, stinky reputation was quite exaggerated.

     Let's elaborate on Limburger's alleged awful stench some more.  A university in the U.K., Cranfield, did a study in 2004, and concluded that Limburger is only the 5th worst smelling cheese.  If you're curious, they found the worst to be Vieux-Boulogne, followed by Pont-l' Eveque, cendre d' Olivet, and then Epoisses de Bourgogne.  A follow up study in 2007 used an "electronic nose" sensor, which reportedly confirmed this finding.  To take this to a darker place, I saw an article from the New York Times from June 12, 1885, about an attempted suicide by a woman named Teresa Ludwig.  She claimed her German husband ate Limburger frequently, and the odor greatly disturbed her, especially when he then tried to kiss her.  Meaning death was preferable.  To be fair, the article also noted that she was inebriated, so her alleged reason for the attempt may have been made up, i.e., the ramblings of a drunk.  Furthermore, it was stated that she would then face a trial.  Which is....rather disturbing.  I realize suicide is technically illegal, but I thought civilized nations would get the person mental health care rather than jail them.  I doubt prison cures many folks suffering from depression.  But it was 1885, I guess.  And maybe Mrs. Ludwig would actually be happier in jail, as long as Limburger wasn't on the prison menu.

    To end on a more positive note, there's the situation of Stephanie Klett.  She was named Limburger Queen in 2014.  And she couldn't feel better about it--she regards this honor as being superior to also being named Miss Wisconsin.  She regarded her first try of Limburger as "love at first whiff."  And she thinks its odor is not stinky, but "wildly assertive."  I should note that she is also the Wisconsin Secretary of Tourism, which may explain some things.  However, her adoration of this controversial dairy product seems sincere nonetheless.

     

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" (1991)

      I did a trivia quiz about the first "Terminator" movie back on April 8th, 2023, so it's high time I got to the sequel, which came out in 1991.  As I think I already mentioned, "Terminator 2" is one of the rare sequels that's at least as good, if not better, than the original.  So let's get to it.  Usual format, and also as usual, many SPOILERS, obviously.  Enjoy!  And I can assure you that I won't be doing any trivia quizzes on any of the other sequels, or reboots, or whatever.  Since I didn't like them at all, they're not worth exploring.  Oh, and for brevity's sake I'll refer to the Terminator that Arnold Schwarzenegger played as the Terminator, and I'll call the advanced one that Robert Patrick played as the T-1000.

Questions:

1)    What was the exact day, month, and year for Judgement Day, when Skynet caused the nuclear holocaust that destroyed human civilization as we knew it?

2)    According to Sarah, about how many people died on Judgement Day?

3)    After he arrives, the Terminator goes to a nearby tavern.  What is the name of this place?

4)    The Terminator incurs three injuries at the bar.  Describe them.

5)    As the Terminator steals the motorcycle and drives off, a popular song plays.  Name the song, and the artist that performed it.

6)    What is the radio call sign for the police officer who investigates the T-1000's arrival?

7)    And what is the location of this arrival point?  (As in the intersection.)

8)    According to the police car's computer, what is John Connor's birthdate?

9)    Also according to this computer, what 4 crimes has John committed?

10)   What are the names of John's foster parents?

11)   What is the address of the house that John and his foster parents live in?

12)   What is the name of the mental health facility where Sarah is confined?

13)   According to Dr. Silberman, what is Sarah's diagnosis?

14)   Recently Sarah attacked Silberman.  How, and where on his body?

15)   What is the name of the sadistic, and rapey hospital orderly?

16)   What is the name of John's red-haired friend?

17)   John and his friend steal money from a bank ATM.  What is the stolen card's PIN #?

18)   And how much money do they steal?

19)   Cyberdyne has two remaining pieces of the Terminator from the first movie.  Name them.

20)   What is the name of the shopping mall in Reseda that John goes to?

21)   What specifically is the T-1000 made of?

22)   The T-1000 mimics John's foster mom, and starts preparing a meal.  What is "she" making?

23)   What is the actual name of John's dog, and what fake name does the Terminator use to test to see if it's the T-1000?

24)   What is John's foster father's last beverage?

25)   The police discuss the police station massacre from the first film to Sarah.  What is the name of the station?

26)   John mentions one foreign country that he and Sarah lived in while he was a child.  Name it.

27)   What is the name of the night nurse that the doomed Lewis speaks to just before the T-1000 mimics and kills him?

28)   What is the brand name of the caustic chemical that Sarah puts in the hypodermic needle to hold Silberman as a hostage?

29)   According to the guard, what days of the week, and time of day are the hospital's visiting hours?

30)   According to the Terminator, how many years will his power cell last?

31)   What is Miles Dyson's middle name?

32)   What is Dyson's job title at Cyberdyne?

33)   What exact date did Skynet go online?  (Hint--it's not the same as Judgement Day.)

34)   And at what time, Eastern Standard Time, on Judgement Day did Skynet become self-aware?

35)   What amusement park did Miles Dyson take his family to?

36)   What is the name of Dyson's daughter?

37)   On the run in Mexico, Sarah, John, and the Terminator meet up with her friend Enrique.  What's his last name?

38)   And what is the name of Enrique's wife/girlfriend?

39)   We see three magazines on the coffee table at Dyson's house.  Name them.

40)   On what street is the Cyberdyne building located?

41)   What is the number of the police helicopter that the T-1000 steals?

42)   After their SWAT truck crashes, Sarah, John, and the Terminator steal a passerby's truck.  What is written on its door? 

43)   And what is the business phone number on the truck?

44)   What is the company name of the tanker truck hauling the liquid nitrogen?

45)   How many times does Sarah shoot the T-1000 with her shotgun, bringing it to the precipice of the drop to the molten steel?

46)   As the T-1000 melts in the steel, it assumes several forms.  Aside from its normal look, what two identifiable people does it form right before it's destroyed?

47)   I already mentioned one song for Question #5.  What two other popular songs are played in the movie?  (One several times.)  (And as in, not instrumental songs created for the movie.)

48)   The credits, oddly mention what real life company was in the Cyberdyne building at the time.  Name it.

49)   As mentioned in my first Terminator quiz, co-writer William Wisher Jr. played a role in that movie, and then another character in this one.  Name his Terminator 2 role.

50)   John is wearing a musical group's t-shirt throughout the movie.  Name the group.

51)   At the end, our heroes are careful to destroy all physical evidence of both Terminator.  But they miss one thing.  Name it.

52)   The Terminator famously says, "I know now why you cry.  But it's something I can never do."  Is this true?  (Conjectural)

53)   When do the events of this movie take place?

54)   Even if we ignore all the subsequent sequels, reboots, etc., was this a truly happy ending for Sarah and John?  (Conjectural)

55)   Danny Dyson is seen wearing a baseball hat for a Major League Baseball team.  Name it.

56)  Why does the T-1000 only wound Sarah in the steel mill, and order her to "call to John," when we see later that he can imitate both her body and voice?  Is this a movie loophole?

Answers:

1)    August 29th, 1997.

2)    Three billion, or 3,000,000,000.

3)    The Corral.

4)    The lead biker puts a cigar out on the left side of the Terminator's chest, another biker breaks a pool cue on the back of the Terminator's head, and a third man stabs the Terminator on the right side of his chest with a knife.  None of these injuries impede him in the slightest, obviously.

5)    "Bad to the Bone," (1982) by George Thorogood and the Destroyers.

6)    R-31 David.

7)    The intersection of the Sixth Street Bridge and Sante Fe.  Which seems to be a real location in Los Angeles.

8)    February 28th, 1985.

9)    Trespassing, shoplifting, disturbing the peace, and vandalism.

10)   Todd and Janelle Voight.

11)   It's partially obscured, but it's 19828 South Almond Avenue, and the town/section name appears to be Reseda.  (In reality this number is correct, but the real street this house is on is Valerio, and it's in Winnetka, which is near Reseda.)

12)   Pescadero State Hospital.  Which is made up for the movie.

13)   Acute schizo-affective disorder.  Which is a real medical condition, and the symptoms seem consistent with Sarah's apparent symptoms.

14)   She stabbed him in the kneecap with a pen.  He says he's fine now, though.

15)   Douglas, or "Dougie."

16)   Tim.  I don't think it's ever said, but it's in the credits.

17)   9003.

18)   $300.  Which is probably the maximum daily amount of cash one could remove from the ATM.

19)   Its right forearm and hand, and its (damaged) Central Processing Unit, or CPU.

20)   The Galleria.  From what I read online, the exteriors of the mall were really the Northridge Fashion Center, in Northridge, and the interiors were at the Santa Monica Place.

21)   He's made from a mimetic poly-alloy, or a liquid metal.

22)   Beef stew.  Which kind of makes me laugh.  If John hadn't called, would the T-1000 just have had a pleasant dinner with John's foster father?

23)   Max, and then Wolfie.  The extended edition shows that the T-1000 kills the dog and discovers this ruse right after the call, from reading its collar.

24)   Some low-fat milk.  The T-1000 stabs him through the carton.

25)   The West Highland Police Station.

26)   Nicaragua.  He also says, "places like that," so presumably other Central American nations, and Mexico, too, since Sarah's friend there recognize him.

27)   Gwen, who mentions she wants a beer instead of coffee.

28)   Liquid Rooter.  Which appears to be a drain cleaner.

29)   10:00 to 4:00 (clearly 10 am. to 4 pm.), Monday through Friday.

30)   120.

31)   Bennett.

32)   He's the Director of Special Projects.

33)   On August 4th, 1997.

34)   2:14 am.

35)   Raging Waters.

36)   Weirdly, although we see her briefly, her name is never said, and is not listed in the credits.  We do know her brother's name is Danny, though.

37)   Salceda.

38)   Jolanda.

39)   House Beautiful, Estate, and Traditional Home.  All of which appear to be real, and even still active.

40)   Kramer.  The address number is confused--initially the radio says 2144, while later it's said to be 2111.

41)   N830RC.

42)   BOL-L-GOL Gardening.

43)   555-8141.

44)   Cryoco.

45)   7 times.

46)   The people he imitated in the movie--Lewis the hospital guard, and Janelle.

47)   "You Could Be Mine" (1991) by Guns N' Roses, and "Guitars, Cadillacs" (1986) by Dwight Yoakam.

48)   Renco Investment Company.  Evidently it's some other business now.

49)   He plays the tourist/photographer who takes photos of the Terminator after the T-1000 throws him through the shop window at the mall.  Although I read that Cameron mentioned, maybe kiddingly, that this character might be the same cop from the first one, just shopping.

50)   The rap/hip hop band Public Enemy.

51)   The Terminator loses his left forearm and hand in the gears of a machine while fighting the T-1000 earlier in the steel mill.  And we don't see him retrieve it.  I mean, it's not as vital as the CPU, but still.

52)   I think he meant he didn't fully understand the emotions that would cause a person to cry.  But technically, his model is covered with real human flesh.  In the earlier movie Kyle mentions that they sweat, and have bad breath, etc., to better mimic a living person.  If he can bleed, surely he had tear ducts installed, too.  So I think Terminators could potentially cry, even if it's to trick people.

53)   If the police computer is correct, and we have no reason to think it isn't, the movie takes place sometime between March 1st, 1995, and February 27th, 1996, since John's birthday is February 28th, 1985, and he's 10.  But we can't really pinpoint the season, even, since Los Angeles, and Mexico are summer-hot all the time.

54)  It's kind of bittersweet, I think.  Yes, Skynet won't be developed, and there will be no Judgement Day, so billions of people and human society will be fine now.  But, Sarah is still wanted in the U.S., for a variety of crimes, including involvement in murders and terrorist activities.  As far as the police and government know, she's still insane, and incredibly dangerous.  They'll have to live life on the lam forever--going back to the U.S. would be incredibly risky.  True, Sarah and John had already done this for years, and she probably had fake passports, etc., and plenty of hideouts and connections in Central America and Mexico, but still.  If she's ever caught, and in a country that extradites to the U.S., she'll be sent back to a maximum security mental hospital, or prison.

55)   He's wearing a Minnesota Twins hat.  Kind of odd for a kid in Southern California.  Maybe the Dysons were from Minnesota originally?   

56)  It's better presented in the extended version, but no, it makes sense.  After he reforms from being frozen in the liquid nitrogen and shattered, there's something clearly wrong and damaged with him.  We see him accidently mimicking things he touches, like a railing, and the metal floor he's walking on.  He also "glitches," as his image is disturbed like a television image.  Therefore, he presumably thought that now he might not be able to perfectly imitate Sarah's form and voice to fool John, so he decided to torture her into calling out.  (He's then interrupted by the Terminator.)  And we see this is true-- later he imitates Sarah pretty well, but "her" lower legs and feet are accidently imitating the metal floor.  Which doesn't make much sense without the deleted scenes, granted.