Date: Tue, 5 Nov 1996 09:43:28 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Experience Europe the cheap way...

Welcome to my new "junk" mail list.  

This is a new concept in enjoying Europe vicariously through Aaron's
exploits.  Most of the people on this list get personal email
semi-regularly (basically every time they write me a letter they get one
back) and this will not change, however, in addition to these
personallized letters, I am now going to broadcast tidbits of fascinating
information that is of interest to no one in particular (and probably no
one at all) every now and then. 

These broadcast should not be felt to require responses.  They are mearly
interesting things for your enjoyment.  If you find them to be
unintersting and just clogging up your inbox, drop me a note and I'll take
you off the list (although I will take it as a personal insult, since you
are on the list because I thought you cared...sob...sob). 

Okay, so today we have a couple of food related tidbits:

Last night I had a microwave entree of tripe in tomato sauce.  Now, one
may wonder why I would have bought such a dish and there is two reasonable
answers.  The first is price.  Beef stew costs 4.50 SFr (by the way, a
Swiss Franc is about $1.10 Canadian) and tripe in tomato sauce only costs
2.70 SFr.  Reason two, since the packaging is in French, I was not
precisely sure what it was and I had convinced myself that maybe "tripes"
in french did not mean tripe.  (I later checked this in the dictionary and
infact I was given the choice between tripe or "guts" at which point I was
hoping it was tripe).  Also, the picture on the front looked more like
noodly things (more scary considering the guts option).  Anyway, upon
cooking it last night, I discovered it was indead tripe, but cut into
little strips about the exact dimensions of earthworms.  Because of it's
slightly "fuzzy" texture, it was like eating fuzzy earthworms it tomato
sauce.  In reality though, it was quite tasty and I even licked out the
little tray thing.

On a related note, I have a cafeteria story.  Now, first, to those of you
who have not eaten at university cafeterias in Europe, they are not like
in North America.  Generally, you do not pick individual items out, but
rather pick one of a selection of complete meals (usually 5 here, although
in the german "Mensa"s I never saw more than 3).  The other bonus is that
they have two rates, the regular rate and the student rate which is
somewhat cheaper (although here, the cheapest meal at the student rate is
still 7.70 SFr and this is for lunch!)

Anyway, you also have to realize that this is french Switzerland and thus
the chefs are prone to making things sound grandiose regardless of what
they are.  So, when you take the fact that culinary terms are vast to
start with, then add the fact that the French are known for an even larger
vocabulary when it comes to cuisine, and then add the fact that the chefs
are making things up (like the other day they had "mushroom somethings" as
stated by the native french speaking collegue I was with, who clarified
that it was not that he did not know the english word, but rather he did
not know understand french word).  Anyway, so what you do, since you have
no idea what the menu actually is, is you kinda poke around and look at
what people are actually being served, pick one you like and stand in that
line.  So the other day, I did this.  After taking a few bites, Ross, the
American from Vienna who was visiting, says "do you know what that is?"  I
reply, "It's the lamb I think." to which he answers, "No, we got that
lamb, that's tongue."  After a little inspection, it's shape and distinct
outer texture made this quite obvious.  It too was quite tasty though.  It
tasted kinda like stewing beef, but was soft like a good roast. 

Well, I hope you feel like you've experienced a bit of Europe.  (Sorry
this was so long, in the future they will be shorter - I think :)

Bon apetite,

Aaron