Take that, Wally Mart!

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,3111310.story

I'm sort of surprised that Bristol Farms is included in the
accusations of dilution of olive oil. BF has always been my go-to
market for high quality stuff.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

--

"If the soup had been as warm as the wine,
if the wine had been as old as the turkey,
and if the turkey had had a breast like the maid,
it would have been a swell dinner." Duncan Hines


To reply, remove "spambot" and replace it with "cox"

On Aug 5, 7:36*am, Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote:
> Take that, Wally Mart!
>
> http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...-20100805,0,31...
>
> I'm sort of surprised that Bristol Farms is included in the
> accusations of dilution of olive oil. BF has always been my go-to
> market for high quality stuff.
>

Did you notice the other case the guy is pursuing?

"His firm, Callahan & Blaine of Santa Ana, also filed a class-action
complaint last month against 99 Cents Only Stores alleging unfair and
deceptive business practices and misleading advertising because the
discount chain raised some prices to 99.99 cents."

Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote in message
...
> Take that, Wally Mart!
>
> http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,3111310.story
>
> I'm sort of surprised that Bristol Farms is included in the
> accusations of dilution of olive oil. BF has always been my go-to
> market for high quality stuff.

I'm not surprised that several suppliers of EVOO have been adulterating the
their products to known discount chains (Kmart, Walmart) and passing it off
as a quality product. I wasn't surprised to also see Bristol Farms included
in the claim given my experiences with their products. I'm sure those
companies know the demographics and knew they wouldn't know the difference
between quality EVOO and the adulterated product.

Until some strict legislation is passed and the costs of getting caught
outweight the profits to be made, this will become more common.

ObTopic: I currently have EVOOs from Spain, Greece, Italy and California.
Each lends a different taste to the dishes I make. The Spanish EVOO is so
fragrant that we only use it for dipping.

The Ranger

On Thu, 05 Aug 2010 07:36:56 -0700, Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:

> Take that, Wally Mart!
>
> http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,3111310.story
>
> I'm sort of surprised that Bristol Farms is included in the
> accusations of dilution of olive oil. BF has always been my go-to
> market for high quality stuff.
>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

o.k., this is absolutely the last straw. it's back to 10W-40 for me.

your pal,
blake

spamtrap1888 > wrote:

>Did you notice the other case the guy is pursuing?
>
>"His firm, Callahan & Blaine of Santa Ana, also filed a class-action
>complaint last month against 99 Cents Only Stores alleging unfair and
>deceptive business practices and misleading advertising because the
>discount chain raised some prices to 99.99 cents."

I think it's way stupid of 99 Cents Only to charge 99.99 cents
instead of 99 cents. It breeds badwill. It is not however actionable.


Steve

spamtrap1888 wrote:
>
> Did you notice the other case the guy is pursuing?
>
> "His firm, Callahan & Blaine of Santa Ana, also filed a class-action
> complaint last month against 99 Cents Only Stores alleging unfair and
> deceptive business practices and misleading advertising because the
> discount chain raised some prices to 99.99 cents."

Not to mention his lawsuit a few years ago
against the producers of The Never-Ending Story.

In article >,
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> spamtrap1888 > wrote:
>
> >Did you notice the other case the guy is pursuing?
> >
> >"His firm, Callahan & Blaine of Santa Ana, also filed a class-action
> >complaint last month against 99 Cents Only Stores alleging unfair and
> >deceptive business practices and misleading advertising because the
> >discount chain raised some prices to 99.99 cents."
>
> I think it's way stupid of 99 Cents Only to charge 99.99 cents
> instead of 99 cents. It breeds badwill. It is not however actionable.

So what do you think of Motel 6 and Super 8?

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

On Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:42:48 -0700, Dan Abel > wrote:

> So what do you think of Motel 6 and Super 8?

Most people have forgotten why they have their names. Originally
Motel 6 really did charge $6, Super 8 is just a Johnny Come Lately.

--

Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

sf wrote:
>
> On Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:42:48 -0700, Dan Abel > wrote:
>
> > So what do you think of Motel 6 and Super 8?
>
> Most people have forgotten why they have their names. Originally
> Motel 6 really did charge $6, Super 8 is just a Johnny Come Lately.

I think that was about 40 years ago. My dad used
to be an investor in Motel 6, and he told me the
reason for the name was that in some parts of the
country motels were not allowed to advertise their
rates.

The Ranger wrote:

>
> ObTopic: I currently have EVOOs from Spain, Greece, Italy and California.
> Each lends a different taste to the dishes I make. The Spanish EVOO is so
> fragrant that we only use it for dipping.
>


Does "fragrant" = strong flavored? I found a lot of locally pressed
olive oils in Spain and Portugal to be so strong flavored they were
unpleasant.

gloria p

In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

> On Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:42:48 -0700, Dan Abel wrote:
>
> > In article >,
> > (Steve Pope) wrote:
> >
> >> spamtrap1888 > wrote:
> >>
> >>>Did you notice the other case the guy is pursuing?
> >>>
> >>>"His firm, Callahan & Blaine of Santa Ana, also filed a class-action
> >>>complaint last month against 99 Cents Only Stores alleging unfair and
> >>>deceptive business practices and misleading advertising because the
> >>>discount chain raised some prices to 99.99 cents."
> >>
> >> I think it's way stupid of 99 Cents Only to charge 99.99 cents
> >> instead of 99 cents. It breeds badwill. It is not however actionable.
> >
> > So what do you think of Motel 6 and Super 8?
>
> I didn't know where they got their names until now. Maybe if
> their name name was Motel $6 or Super $8.88, then they could be
> sued.

I don't think they could be sued (but I'm no lawyer). I just think it's
stupid to put your price in your name. Inflation wasn't just invented,
you know.

> I do think a couple of the $.99 cent stores do claim "Everything
> .99 cents". So what the hell are they selling for $99.99?

From what was written above, it's US$.9999, or 99.99 cents. Since there
is no way that I know of to pay that amount, I imagine that means you
pay a dollar even.

> And
> does that explicitly rule out prices ending in $.99?

Good question. I think people would go along with that.

> I would say a store name of, "Everything 99 cents" with no other
> claims does not bar products that only end in $nnn.99.

Perhaps it depends on the signage. We've all certainly seen much worse
in the car world. There are all sorts of come-ons that really aren't
true.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

gloria.p > wrote in message
...
> The Ranger wrote:

>> ObTopic: I currently have EVOOs from Spain, Greece,
>> Italy and California. Each lends a different taste to the
>> dishes I make. The Spanish EVOO is so fragrant that
>> we only use it for dipping.
>>
> Does "fragrant" = strong flavored? I found a lot of locally pressed olive
> oils in Spain and Portugal to be so strong flavored they were unpleasant.

Not regarding this particular EVOO; fragrant means that you can smell a
spice-like scent. To me, it lends a nice essence to dipping but the two
times I added it to a cooking dish it overpowered it.

Strong-flavored oils, in my VERY limited experience, have been dominated by
the Greek entries. Some have been downright bitter and very unpleasant. I've
not tried any from Portugal (yet) but I'm young and love a challenge. We
have a local Portuguese community so finding one might be easier than
finding a good port!

The Ranger

Dan Abel wrote:
>
> From what was written above, it's US$.9999, or 99.99 cents. Since there
> is no way that I know of to pay that amount, I imagine that means you
> pay a dollar even.

No, you buy a hundred items and you get a penny off.
That's your reward for buying a larger quantity, like
a fifty cents apiece vs. three for a dollar deal.

In article dth>,
"The Ranger" > wrote:

> gloria.p > wrote in message
> ...
> > The Ranger wrote:
>
> >> ObTopic: I currently have EVOOs from Spain, Greece,
> >> Italy and California. Each lends a different taste to the
> >> dishes I make. The Spanish EVOO is so fragrant that
> >> we only use it for dipping.
> >>
> > Does "fragrant" = strong flavored? I found a lot of locally pressed olive
> > oils in Spain and Portugal to be so strong flavored they were unpleasant.
>
> Not regarding this particular EVOO; fragrant means that you can smell a
> spice-like scent. To me, it lends a nice essence to dipping but the two
> times I added it to a cooking dish it overpowered it.
>
> Strong-flavored oils, in my VERY limited experience, have been dominated by
> the Greek entries. Some have been downright bitter and very unpleasant. I've
> not tried any from Portugal (yet) but I'm young and love a challenge. We
> have a local Portuguese community so finding one might be easier than
> finding a good port!
>
> The Ranger

Oils pressed from less ripe olives tend to have stronger aromas and
flavors. Also aging the oil makes some difference. I don't know about
Greece but Italy , Spain, and France all produced oils with a wide range
of flavors/aromas depending on all the usual suspects: variety,
ripeness, microclimate, cultural practices and so on. From a marketing
angle, I think the producers/packers of high priced oils like to use the
"greener" oils so their customers can talk about their favorite oils
using a lot of wacky descriptors just like a bunch of yuppie wine snobs.
How else can you charge 30 bucks for 8 ounces of cooking oil? (I guess
packaging it in perfume bottle helps.)

D.M.

Don Martinich > wrote:

>Oils pressed from less ripe olives tend to have stronger aromas and
>flavors. Also aging the oil makes some difference. I don't know about
>Greece but Italy , Spain, and France all produced oils with a wide range
>of flavors/aromas depending on all the usual suspects: variety,
>ripeness, microclimate, cultural practices and so on. From a marketing
>angle, I think the producers/packers of high priced oils like to use the
>"greener" oils so their customers can talk about their favorite oils
>using a lot of wacky descriptors just like a bunch of yuppie wine snobs.
>How else can you charge 30 bucks for 8 ounces of cooking oil? (I guess
>packaging it in perfume bottle helps.)

$30 per half liter is about what I find I have to pay if I
want an oil that is notably better than < $10/l TJ's, Kirkland, etc.

The difference may not be all that noticeable to many people,
and one could easily get by without it, but it's there.

Recently, the oils in that price range that I've used are all
Sicilian, but in the past there was at least one really good
Ligurian.


S.

I could give a rip about a penny. I just remember about two years ago a major supermarket chain advartising OO for a great price, only to find out there was a drop of OO in the soy oil they were trying to get rid of. yuk!

I'm no aficionado; but I like some Spanish and some French EVOOs. Most of the ones claiming to be Italian are Turkish olives pressed in Italy or vice versa. Pomace Olive Oil is the worst yet. Sludge!!

On Aug 5, 8:16*pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
> Don Martinich > wrote:
>
> >Oils pressed from less ripe olives tend to have stronger aromas and
> >flavors. Also aging the oil makes some difference. I don't know about
> >Greece but Italy , Spain, and France all produced oils with a wide range *
> >of flavors/aromas depending on all the usual suspects: variety,
> >ripeness, microclimate, cultural practices and so on. From a marketing
> >angle, I think the producers/packers of high priced oils like to use the
> >"greener" oils so their customers can talk about their favorite oils
> >using a lot of wacky descriptors just like a bunch of yuppie wine snobs.
> >How else can you charge 30 bucks for 8 ounces of cooking oil? (I guess
> >packaging it in perfume bottle helps.)
>
> $30 per half liter is about what I find I have to pay if I
> want an oil that is notably better than < $10/l TJ's, Kirkland, etc.
>
> The difference may not be all that noticeable to many people,
> and one could easily get by without it, but it's there.
>
> Recently, the oils in that price range that I've used are all
> Sicilian, but in the past there was at least one really good
> Ligurian.

DeCecco for $10 a liter from the Middle Eastern store suits our needs.
I don't really want to develop more sophisticated tastes.

spamtrap1888 > wrote:

>DeCecco for $10 a liter from the Middle Eastern store suits our needs.
>I don't really want to develop more sophisticated tastes.

Well, having a more flavorful oil on hand is not necessarily a question
of sophistication, but it can help a dish achieve a certain balance.

For example, last night I made buckwheat paparadelle combined with with
cippolini onions that had been sauteed in "regular" (TJ's) olive
oil. But after combining these two, right before serving, I
added no more than a teaspoon of the "good" (Sicilian) olive oil,
along with white wine vinegar and salt. To me it makes a positive
difference. I calculate I'm spending no more than $15/month
to have the "good" oil around when I want it, so it's not really a
cost item.

Steve

On Thu, 5 Aug 2010 15:57:57 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:

> On Thu, 5 Aug 2010 12:14:01 -0400, blake murphy wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 05 Aug 2010 07:36:56 -0700, Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
>>
>>> Take that, Wally Mart!
>>>
>>> http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,3111310.story
>>>
>>> I'm sort of surprised that Bristol Farms is included in the
>>> accusations of dilution of olive oil. BF has always been my go-to
>>> market for high quality stuff.
>>>
>>> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
>>
>> o.k., this is absolutely the last straw. it's back to 10W-40 for me.
>
> And don't forget top pick up some non-stick spray, WD-40.
>
> -sw

i use that on the grill.

your pal,
blake

Steve Pope > wrote in message
...
["better EVOO]
> To me it makes a positive difference. I calculate I'm
> spending no more than $15/month to have the "good"
> oil around when I want it, so it's not really a cost item.

Exactly. I'm not using a cup at a time of my better-tasting EVOO but the
differences have netted commentary I prefer to hear rather than the "What
*is* this?!"

BTW: DeCecco goes on sale at Cosentino's (Bascom Avenue, San Jose) quite
frequently.

The Ranger

Don Martinich > wrote in message
...
> In article dth>,
> "The Ranger" > wrote:
>> gloria.p > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > The Ranger wrote:

>> >> ObTopic: I currently have EVOOs from Spain, Greece,
>> >> Italy and California. Each lends a different taste to the
>> >> dishes I make. The Spanish EVOO is so fragrant that
>> >> we only use it for dipping.
>> >>
>> > Does "fragrant" = strong flavored? I found a lot of locally
>> > pressed olive oils in Spain and Portugal to be so strong
>> > flavored they were unpleasant.
>> >
>> Not regarding this particular EVOO; fragrant means that you
>> can smell a spice-like scent. To me, it lends a nice essence
>> to dipping but the two times I added it to a cooking dish it
>> overpowered it.
>>
>> Strong-flavored oils, in my VERY limited experience, have
>> been dominated by the Greek entries. Some have been
>> downright bitter and very unpleasant. I've not tried any
>> from Portugal (yet) but I'm young and love a challenge. We
>> have a local Portuguese community so finding one might
>> be easier than finding a good port!
>>
> Oils pressed from less ripe olives tend to have stronger aromas and
> flavors. Also aging the oil makes some difference. I don't know about
> Greece but Italy , Spain, and France all produced oils with a wide range
> of flavors/aromas depending on all the usual suspects: variety,
> ripeness, microclimate, cultural practices and so on. From a marketing
> angle, I think the producers/packers of high priced oils like to use the
> "greener" oils so their customers can talk about their favorite oils
> using a lot of wacky descriptors just like a bunch of yuppie wine snobs.
> How else can you charge 30 bucks for 8 ounces of cooking oil? (I guess
> packaging it in perfume bottle helps.)

Thanks, Don. I was aware of most of this information when I visited a olive
grower back in the 90s. Time and age have played on my retaining it, though.

The Ranger

The Ranger wrote:
>
> BTW: DeCecco goes on sale at Cosentino's (Bascom Avenue, San Jose) quite
> frequently.

I ain't going there.

http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/5080/CA/US/

Mark Thorson > wrote in message
...
> The Ranger wrote:
>>
>> BTW: DeCecco goes on sale at Cosentino's (Bascom Avenue,
>> San Jose) quite frequently.
>
> I ain't going there.
>
> http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/5080/CA/US/

The barbarians are at the gates! Seal your doors! Save us. Save us!

The Ranger

On Aug 6, 11:30*am, Mark Thorson > wrote:
> The Ranger wrote:
>
> > BTW: DeCecco goes on sale at Cosentino's (Bascom Avenue, San Jose) quite
> > frequently.
>
> I ain't going there.
>
> http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/5080/CA/US/

A grandkid gone wrong -- no black sheep in your family?

What's he been up to for the past two decades -- still arrowing stray
cats?

In article >,
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> Don Martinich > wrote:
>
> >Oils pressed from less ripe olives tend to have stronger aromas and
> >flavors. Also aging the oil makes some difference. I don't know about
> >Greece but Italy , Spain, and France all produced oils with a wide range
> >of flavors/aromas depending on all the usual suspects: variety,
> >ripeness, microclimate, cultural practices and so on. From a marketing
> >angle, I think the producers/packers of high priced oils like to use the
> >"greener" oils so their customers can talk about their favorite oils
> >using a lot of wacky descriptors just like a bunch of yuppie wine snobs.
> >How else can you charge 30 bucks for 8 ounces of cooking oil? (I guess
> >packaging it in perfume bottle helps.)
>
> $30 per half liter is about what I find I have to pay if I
> want an oil that is notably better than < $10/l TJ's, Kirkland, etc.
>
> The difference may not be all that noticeable to many people,
> and one could easily get by without it, but it's there.
>
> Recently, the oils in that price range that I've used are all
> Sicilian, but in the past there was at least one really good
> Ligurian.

There's no question that, given the variation in sensory reception in
the human species, that there is a great variety of preferences. In my
case, my taste in olive oil was formed by using oil from a local
producer here in the Valley. Frank Lauricella was a Sicilian immigrant
who began processing olives here in the 1930's. He always insisted on
using olives on the ripe end of the spectrum for his oil. The variety
was usually Mission. He used to press on his premises but eventually had
it done by a small plant in Orland. It was cold-pressed by layering
trays of milled olives separated by gunny sacks and pressing with a
hydraulic ram. It wasn't filtered but put in settling tanks with cone
shaped bottoms so they could drain off the water. I used to buy it at
the plant by the gallon can. It was $19 when I was last there about 15
years ago. Frank's other two products were salt cured ripe olives and
brine cured green olives. I loved the greens which he packaged in quart
jars with a bay leaf and a clove of garlic in each jar. Anyway, I used
his oil for many years and never acquired a taste for the stuff made
from less ripe olive with all those phenolic flavors.

So Steve, what says the label on the Sicilian oil that you've been using?

D.M.

Don Martinich > wrote:

>So Steve, what says the label on the Sicilian oil that you've been using?

Right now, it's from Castelvetrano, as it happens. "Gianfranco Becchina
Olio Verde, Antica Tenuta dei Principi Pignatelli".

I just opened that one. The last one I finished was Titone, also
Sicilian. Here's a blurb (old, the bottle does not look the same):

http://www.bestofsicily.com/mag/art194.htm


Steve

On Thu, 5 Aug 2010 07:41:19 -0700 (PDT), spamtrap1888
> wrote:

>Did you notice the other case the guy is pursuing?
>
>"His firm, Callahan & Blaine of Santa Ana, also filed a class-action
>complaint last month against 99 Cents Only Stores alleging unfair and
>deceptive business practices and misleading advertising because the
>discount chain raised some prices to 99.99 cents."

Yeah, I did. Actually, I've had some professional contact with
Callahan and Blaine. Not impressed. And the absolute worst (contract)
lawyer my firm ever hired was a Callahan and Blaine refugee. Absolute
f*cking moron.

OB: Went to the farmer's market in Irvine with Koko and Christine this
morning. Hadn't been to that farmer's market before and I was hugely
impressed. I usually go to the farmer's market in Laguna Niguel, which
is about 1/10 the size of the Irvine market. Damn. I can see where my
Saturday mornings are going find me!

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

--

"If the soup had been as warm as the wine,
if the wine had been as old as the turkey,
and if the turkey had had a breast like the maid,
it would have been a swell dinner." Duncan Hines


To reply, remove "spambot" and replace it with "cox"

On Sat, 7 Aug 2010 18:57:54 -0700, "Dimitri" >
wrote:

>
>"Terry Pulliam Burd" > wrote in message
.. .

>OK found it!
>
>Waiting for the results.

Didja see Koko's pitcher of the haul from the farmer's market?
Included a photo of the Schreiner's haul.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

--

"If the soup had been as warm as the wine,
if the wine had been as old as the turkey,
and if the turkey had had a breast like the maid,
it would have been a swell dinner." Duncan Hines


To reply, remove "spambot" and replace it with "cox"

"Terry Pulliam Burd" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 7 Aug 2010 18:57:54 -0700, "Dimitri" >
> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Terry Pulliam Burd" > wrote in message
. ..
>
>>OK found it!
>>
>>Waiting for the results.
>
> Didja see Koko's pitcher of the haul from the farmer's market?
> Included a photo of the Schreiner's haul.
>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

Got it - enjoy :-)

Dimitri

Slightly off base, here, but, has anyone noticed that filtration is often the culprit? The best sunflower oils come unfiltered, and they taste divine. I would think the same is true of EVOO. Even beer that has been filtered sacrifices flavor for appearance. Pss me off!! Do less, and gain.

That said, I have yet to try a cloudy, unfiltered OO.

On Sun, 8 Aug 2010 18:38:20 +0000, Gorio
> wrote:

>That said, I have yet to try a cloudy, unfiltered OO.

As to filtration, my favorite sake is unfiltered. Come to think of it,
I only like unfiltered sake.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

--

"If the soup had been as warm as the wine,
if the wine had been as old as the turkey,
and if the turkey had had a breast like the maid,
it would have been a swell dinner." Duncan Hines


To reply, remove "spambot" and replace it with "cox"

On Aug 8, 5:15*pm, Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote:
> On Sun, 8 Aug 2010 18:38:20 +0000, Gorio
>
> > wrote:
> >That said, I have yet to try a cloudy, unfiltered OO.
>
> As to filtration, my favorite sake is unfiltered. Come to think of it,
> I only like unfiltered sake.
>

To me unfiltered sake tastes pasty.

I don't know sake well enough to draw comaprisons. Got plenty happy on it, don't get me wrong. Just not my deal.

Beer, however is, IMO, not at its peak if filtered. I know of no homebrewer who does this, becasue the final product should be "full." I'm not talking about multi-stage fermantation. That's for the better. I'm talking filtering for clarity. Not good.

All I know is , the unfiltered sunflower oil I've gotten is great. Smells and tastes like the seeds, after full maturation.

"Gorio" ha scritto nel messaggio
...

> Slightly off base, here, but, has anyone noticed that filtration is> often
> the culprit? The best sunflower oils come unfiltered, and they
> taste divine. I would think the same is true of EVOO.

> That said, I have yet to try a cloudy, unfiltered OO.

One oil I buy is unfiltered and I like it, but it doesn't keep as well, so
it needs to be stored by someone who knows what they're doing, not me.
People here have big stainless kegs with detachable brass spigots. They
take this to a frantoio or olive mill whose product they like and get it
filled. If left untapped it will last the whole year no probs. Otherwise,
in a bottle the unfiltered won't hold up until the next harvest sometimes.
The real criterion is the type of olive and how it is handled. Our trees
and the trees in Puglia make a spicy oil, in other areas the oil may be mild
and nutter. Many companies blend for that reason, but I prefer to when
possible use the oil from the region I'm cooking.