James Beard Was Much More Interesting

I've been reading Gourmet magazine since the late sixties and the latest issue has some interesting facts:

1. More than 40% of adults in the U.S. have worked in the restaurant industry at some point during their lives. (now I know why we're so messed up)

2.McDonalds California Cobb Salad with Crispy Chicken - without dressing - contains more fat (18g) than one of the restaurants regular cheeseburgers (12g). (now I know why I never eat there and California should give you a clue)

3. 14,000 The number of convenience stores in Texas. That's one tenth of the U.S. total. (I know Bush will be blamed but it's really Cowtown Pattie's fault)

4. Winter fishing makes up nearly one fourth of the annual catch in Wisconsin. (Maybe it's because winter makes up one fourth of the year or just maybe that's what Livey is really up to)

5. Peanuts were so important to the Peruvians that they buried pots of them with their dead to accompany them on their journey to the hereafter. The tomb of one ruler, discovered in 1987, was found to contain necklaces of made of large gold and silver peanuts. (Goober peas, goober peas, eatin goober peas)

6. In 1919 the average American had to work 157 minutes to buy a 3 pound chicken; today it takes 14 minutes. (not counting the time in the checkout line).

7. The average bottle of sparkling wine or champagne contains approximately 44 million bubbles. (I counted them and that's 2 million off)

8. In a joint study by the University of Illinois and Pennsylvania, adults who were offered six colored flavors of jelly beans mixed together in the same bowl ate 69% more than when each color was placed in a single bowl. (It was a "joint" study, right!)