Sheldon wrote:
> Dean G. wrote:
> > Salad-nicoise is more than just Tuna. Indeed, salad-nicoise may be the
> > shortest way to accurately describe what it is. Given that
> > salad-nicoise is a bad example, I'm sure there are plenty of good
> > examples. Check the menus of pretentious new restauraunts, many of
> > which are posted online.
>
> "à la Niçoise" means nothing and everything, means whatever the
> particular cook wants it to mean but only within certain very basic
> parameters, same as Irish Stew means whatever the particular cook wants
> that to mean but within certain very basic parameters also... all it
> means is salad as prepared in Nice, which of course means as much as
> Irish Stew represents all stew as prepared in Ireland, like there's
> some sort of law declaring of what it must consist. The OP's query is
> legitimate and your reply is total double talk gobbledygook, in fact a
> non answer... and to tell folks to "look on line" is about as
> newbie-ish as it gets... Usenet IS on line... and to admonish folks to
> use an internet search engine without indicating an example of precise
> search <terms> AND an example of the results of ones own search makes
> one unfit for participation on Usenet... you, sir, with your attitude,
> do not belong here.
>
> niçoise, à la [nee-SWAHZ]
> A French phrase that means "as prepared in Nice," typifying the cuisine
> found in and around that French Riviera city. This cooking style is
> identified with hot and cold dishes that include the integral
> ingredients of tomatoes, black olives, garlic and anchovy. Salade
> niçoise contains these basic ingredients plus French green beans,
> onions, tuna, hard-cooked eggs and herbs.
>
> © Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD
> LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

Your post, and inparticular your included definition, only confirms my
point, that salad nicoise is not some overinflated term. It accurately
describes a menu item within fairly well defined parameters. Most
people would know what to expect if they ordered it, but if the name
were an shorter, they would not.

Your example is similar. Instead of being overinflated, the term Irish
Stew is perhaps the opposite. If instead the restaraunt said "Stew of
Irish Beef, Slowly Simmered in a Guinness Beer Stock with Imported
Irish Fingerling Potatoes" then I would call it overinflated. Irish
Stew, by comparison, seems a little flat.

And speaking of attitudes, you, of all people, have little if any room
to talk.

Dean G.