Barbecue Gone Bad

The American dream is to own your own company and profit greatly from it. Franchise from Mc Donald's to subway have offered and even guaranteed it.Yet some franchises promise everything and deliver nothing. This is the story of one - Dickey's in Texas.

regular contributor Brett Anderson wrote about this in yesterday's New York Times wednesday's Food section. dickey's is a staple in southern states where it serves up everything from down home barbecue to chicken wings to fried okra. The original owner ,opened up the first dickey's in 1941 in Dallas. He was Travis Dickey a world war One veteran, helped out by his wife Miss Ollie.Their menu was a simple one, selling brisket, pit hams and bottled milk.The family business grew into a small local chain. after his death in 1967 his sons Roland and TD took over. It wasn't until grandson Roland dickey Junior took over in 2006 that the company expanded. He took advantage of the burgeoning love of all things barbecue and expanded from just twenty locations to 550. It made Dickey's the world's largest barbecue chain and one fo the fastest growing restaurant franchises.Its growth was fueled by teaming up with potential owners who had little to no experience but were attracted to the ridiculously low start up costs that promised big returns.

This is where the trouble beings.franchisees have told The Times that Dickey's sales reps sold failing locations to new owners multiple times without any warning. The tactic r educes the numbers of closings reported in public bankruptcy filings and enables fees to continue flowing to the parent company. The franchise's attract military people, cashing in on the founder's own military service. Roland dickey's Juniors mother ,Maurine,a former Dallas commissioner  also leads the company charity that center saround law enforcement, firefighters and other emergency workers. These bring in new owners ,probably impressed by this. One such owner was former military contractor Tracy Norris who saw Dickey's franchises advertised in the military newspaper Stars and Stripes.. he and his wife were interested and it looked like a good deal. Once bought the Norri's had to buy from Dickey approved vendors who were higher in price than their competitors. The Norris'felt like an open checkbook.Their location in Sanger Texas, right outside Roy Roberts Lake closed after eighteen months. They lost everything, including their home. This was the way for most dickey's owners. They invested everything, heart and soul only to have it lost months later.

Is Dickey's a cautionary tale to anyone thinking about a buying a franchise? Yes. Consider the more famous national or international ones. The odds of succeeding with one seems pretty good.

Keeping A British Classic Safe

 Pie and mash is as integral to British dining and life as fish and chips is. Now there's a campaign to make this tasty dish one of the most protected dishes in the UK ,

New contributor, Londoner Demi Perera ,a writer for Lonely Planet wrote about this in today's New York Times Food Wednesday section.Pie and mash is a beloved dish from London's gritty East end. It was a Cockney favorite for years having being created in the mid Nineteenth century for dockworkers who craved a warm meal at lunch time.it also had to be cheap to fit in with their low wages as well. Pie men first appeared here selling ones stuffed with eels from Dutch ships.Minced meat fillings replaced the fish and a side of mashed potatoes was added. The first pie shop was opened by Henry Blanchard in 1844 in the London borough of Southwark, situated on the Thames south bank. This is where all the dockworkers and porters plied their trade. The dish has remained the same 180 years later. There is still handmade minced beef pie with a scrape if mashed potato. As in 1844 there is parsley sauce on top of this, called liquor.It was originally made with water leftover from boiling eels, thickened with flour and then seasoned with salt and pepper. Now there is even a vegan version for vegetarians.

Again this is as dear to the Brits ,especially the Cockneys who have left the city and now all live in nearby Essex (this has become the pie and mash capital of England).Unfortunately thanks to a diverse and vibrant multiculture the dish is on the brink of extinction. Pie shop owners across the country want to give the dish " traditional specialty guaranteed: status.However fifteen producers must decide on a single recipe to support what's known as the TSG application. some, like Cheryl Arment, owner of Arment's Pie and mash were afraid they'd have to divulge family secrets. Her family recipe and store have been around since 1914.She couldn't;t let light in on the magic.Luckily shop owners agreed on a standardized recipe for mincemeat which seemed to satisfy the requirements. It was either that or if the dish's name had been in production for thirty years. This suits the East End piemen just fine.Many feel that the status is long in coming. Another piemen Andy green 's campaign for to even gained traction in Parliament when Conservative Richard Holden secured formal discussion of the issue in Parliament to draw political support.

Pie and mash is as English as fish and chips and Devon cream tea. It has fed millions of Brits for decades. It should be elevated in British history and British life.

Anything is Salad

 The temps are rising and that means one thing - salad. Lot's of it. The one good thing about it is you don;t need a recipe.Anything can be thrown into a bowl and dressed for a tasty lunch and dinner.

salads can be made at any time of the day -even for breakfast.It's just a matter of taste if you want it thoroughly or slightly chilled.The same goes for what you want in it. There are a number of greens that work well with any veggie combination.Iceberg is good for basic salads but if you want more taste then try arugula, mixed Spring greens or spinach. These work well with  heartier salads that include proteins and other veggies. Next is thinking about what combos you have.A salad containing two kinds of tomatoes like Caprese and cherry is a fun mix. Broccoli is also a great and healthy ingredient as is cauliflower. For colors carrots add brightness and crunch. What else can you put into it? Leftover meats are great.If there's steak left over from the barbecue, cut it into bite size pieces and add it in. The same goes for chicken and even tuna. This makes for a surprisingly hearty but light summer dinner. what about dressings? For steak think a robus dressing like soy and ginger. while chicken ca used a honey based vinaigrette Fish such as Tina and shrimp can go with a simple red wine or white wine based vinaigrette.

Along with meat, cheese is another fun toss in.Feta is always great especially with Greek based salads.It has a sharp saltiness that elevates the other ingredients, It can be crumbled in small pieces or left in big chunks. A true Greek salad is made with it along with chopped onions, black olives  and red onions. Add some  anchovies which brings a  briny saltiness>If you like them toss in as much as you want.Mozzarella also makes for a great add or eve a base for a salad.Caprese salad is a wonderful mix of this Italian staple and tomatoes. You can make it with a balsamic vinegar base or just an oil based dressing.I would go with an oil based one because the tomatoes have a good amount of acidity to them. If you want to make ti heartier then add strips of prosciutto or salame to it.  A summer favorite is panzinella - Tuscan bread salad. This is a delicious mix of tomatoes and chunks of fried or air fried Italian bread. It;s actually very good with freshly torn Italian bread or rolls. You could add mozzarella balls or pieces for a kind of pizza. A Middle Eastern salad is another great way to go. Add couscous to chopped parsley along with cucumbers to a bowl of cut tomatoes.Lemon juice gives it  bright flavor but only use a squeeze of it. Serve with toasted pita bread triangles for a more exotic lunch or. dinner.

Anything can be a salad. Get creative with this classic summer dish.Its fun to eat but even more fun to create.

Veggies To The Rescue

 To say veggies are a handy ingredient is the understatement of the year. The are so useful to add to any dish of pasta, rice or polenta. Slice a few tomatoes or shred some  spinach and add them to anything and you have a great  tasty meal.

Greens in the fridge are a must. Spinach and mushrooms are my favorite go to for sauce. I made this yeasterday with half a container of baby spiinach and a pint container  baby bella mushrooms.its's just a quick saute in olive oil and butter along with a quick seasoning of  freshly groundpepper and salt.

I boiled Lidl's Co bino rotelliad ten added the sauce. It was one of the best sauces. Keep in mind that spinach can be used a salad the next day.add some feta, anchovies and dressing and you have a simple Greek salad for lunch.Baby Bella's can be used for veggie kebabs during this barbecue season.I also like them batter dipped and the air fried too for a fun dinner.

I can;t stress the important of having any produce in the kitchen. Tomatoes on their own make a good snack. Slices and salt them . serve them crushed and drizzled with olive oil. I had some leftover pasta but no sauce. I cut up a few caprese tomatoes microwaved them with the pasta after adding a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of oregano. 

It was kind of like a salsa cruda where the tomatoes are cut up and left to marinate in olive oil at room temperature.Tomatoes also great added to a few eggs along with garlic to create the favorite Piedmontese dish uovi e pomedori. I also have one or two kinds around for all sorts of cooking and snacking.

Having veggies that you can just add to any dish is a must. It could be tomatoes .It could be spinach or mushrooms. It could be anything else. These make for quick ingredients fro creating a delicious thrown together meal.

YOur Summer Go To Tari Sauce

 Barbecues can be boring. we use the same sauces seasons after season. There has to be an exciting alternative to barbecue sauce. There is! Tari sauces has some yummy Peruvian sauces that can make any cookout sing.

Tari is my go to condiment for hot dogs. I gave a slather  t my veggie dog tonight

I used the mild to accent the hot dogs' mild flavor.It worked well with the sweetness of the potato bun too. Yet there are so many Tari sauces I can use for a ton of different  dishes/

These are the ones that came out in 2024.The Amarillo or yellow pepper is my favorite, especially on hot dogs or even sausages.I also like the rocoto pepper one too. This could be added to a dressing for a kicky flavor.

Three new flavors came out this year in2025

There's Tropical Kick ,a sweet mango flavored sauce that's perfect for chicken and shrimp kebabs. This would also make a good dipping sauce for tenders and nuggets too. The zesty verde is a spicy take on salsa verde which is great for chicken, salmon and salads. smoky and spicy would be good slathered on ribs or steaks.

Tari sauces can give summer barbecues that much needed kick. Try them with anything ,from hot dogs and hamburgers to kebabs and steaks. They add a much need jolt of taste to the summer season.

Party Tips And Tricks

 We're in the height of party season.There's graduation parties, showers and of course the upcoming Father's Day. Here's the question of the week - what 's the best party tip or trick you have to make a more memorable, more delicious gathering? Is it marinating meats and veggies over night? Individual ice buckets so everyone has a cool, drink to sip on? A must have charcuterie board?

Let us know what makes your get together's tasty. My tip would be to listen to guest requests.I make whatever they want and take it from thereThe result is a happy eater who isn't fussy and pushing food around their plate.

The Whole Tip No Tip Law

 The president does have a soft spot for restaurant servers. He wants to give our waitstaff across the country a break. What does this mean for the diners - us and the people who take out orders and bring us our food.

Regular contributor Julia Moskin explored this in yesterday's New York Times Food section president Trump may feel that he's doing people who work overtime as well as serving in eateries a break but maybe not. Many US  employed waitstaff make below the federal wage anyway so they're not taxed.This works out for only those making a decent wage of above 33,000 annually (this dips lower for single people). The tax exemption also reaches to baristas,bartenders food delivery people and anyone holding out a payment screen after selling food. There are roughly around two million tipped workers in the United States. These people will definitely have more money in their pockets and won;t have to pay anything unless a workers makes over $160,00 a year. This may go up over time. It's hard to say.. Will this affect the tip minimum wage? The federal minimum wage stays at a shockingly low $7.25 an hour (Many cities and states have higher ones). Employers have been allowed to pay their workers just $2.13 of that They can pay the lower wage only when the worker's tips bring it up to the minimum wage. Then these  ARE subject to income tax.

Many diners wonder how much of their tip goes directly to their server.That depends on the workplace and local laws. Some restaurants allow servers to keep all of their tips , while others make waitstaff put tips in a tip pool. This mean sharing with bussers, bartenders and other staff members.The bill will not change this or who gets tips.Another question I s does tipping in cash make a difference.. No.It only reduces a restaurant's credit card processing fees.It doesn't;t leave a paper trail either for employer or employee to track  which can increase the risk of tax fraud.some waiters dont; report cash tips which is a kind of tax evasion however the scale of the problem has never been determined. This is changing as more and more diners use credits cards to pay.what about kitchen works like chefs, cooks and cleaners?  What's known as back of the house employees cannot receive any tips unless they participate in a tip pool.There are federal regulations guarding tip pools and vary from state to state.Tips will also be a part of payroll, contributing to the worker's Medicare social Security or FicA and unemployment. Employers must pay taxes on this programs based on employees and wages and this includes tips.

These are just some fo the ways that the the no tip tax will impact the restaurant industry. WIll it help the workers. The answer should be yes.