McDonald's?!?!?!

Yes, I said it. McDonald's. Now that's a pretty bad word for some foodies, but I have to admit that there is a place in my diet for McDonald's--every once in a while! BUT, that's only when that's what I really want and I will really enjoy it, not when I have to eat it due to time, and certainly not because it's "cheap". (Because it's not!!!) Oh, and I don't look at the calorie counts when I'm eating at McDonald's. Let's ge real people...if I'm eating fast food I better not be worried about calories. So the last time I ate at McDonald's was a couple weeks ago, and I made the mistake of ordering the new Angus Third Pounder. Even after I wiped off the pound of mayo they had put on there, it was still pretty bad. It makes me mad when I waste a meal at a fast food restaurant by eating something I don't enjoy. Which also applies to a meal I had at a local Chinese restaurant, Beijing, while my sister-in-law was visiting last month. We ordered in because I didn't feel like cooking after a long day at work (yes, it happens even to me), and it was horribly disappointing. It's not even worth going into all the stuff that was bad about the meal, but here's the website just so you know where NOT to order from...http://www.blogger.com/www.beijingdanbury.com. I should have known...plus I'm terribly spoiled after going to some amazing, authentic Chinese restaurants with our friends Steve and Candace. There's little that beats well-prepared, authentic Chinese food. Which makes me think about my favorite Chinese cookbook that I ran across at a book store in Columbus, OH, titled "Helen Chen's Chinese Home Cooking". She's the daughter of Joyce Chen, and she shares family secrets with step by step instructions and some delicious but easy recipes. It's my go-to book anytime I cook Chinese. Check it out on Amazon.com.

So back to fast food, there's a whole lot of controversy surrounding it these days, and for good reason. K and I saw the documentary "Food, Inc." with my sister and brother-in-law, and I highly recommend it for everyone who eats food. (Yeah, that's you.) "You'll never look at dinner the same way." Sadly, the techniques required to meet the demands of huge restaurant chains like McDonald's and food producers like Tyson are wreaking havoc on our nation's farmers as well as the sources of our food...i.e., chicken and cows. I am a strong believer that all consumers, but cooks and chefs especially, should really understand where our food comes from and how it gets to our plate. Sometimes it ain't pretty, which this documentary points out. Watch the movie and let me know what you think!
Okay, gotta go make dinner. Until tomorrow, have a great three meals!