Overheard at Work

[Moonwaves]

When I worked at McD's here in Ontario their fries were cooked in beef shortening not vegetable shortening. Tons of vegetarians had no idea, when a vegetarian would ask "what besides the fries are vegetarian?" I would give them the surprise of their life "whaaaa no one ever told me!!!". I remember at the time the US had already switched to vegetable shortening for some years.

I believe they got into lots of trouble in India for exactly that thing, what with most (or a lot of) people there not eating beef products of any kind for religious reasons. Can't remember now where I read about that but it was in something like Fast Food Nation or Supersize Me, I think. I read a whole lot of books like that around the same time nine or ten years ago.

[MgoSam]

When I worked at McD's here in Ontario their fries were cooked in beef shortening not vegetable shortening. Tons of vegetarians had no idea, when a vegetarian would ask "what besides the fries are vegetarian?" I would give them the surprise of their life "whaaaa no one ever told me!!!". I remember at the time the US had already switched to vegetable shortening for some years.

I believe they got into lots of trouble in India for exactly that thing, what with most (or a lot of) people there not eating beef products of any kind for religious reasons. Can't remember now where I read about that but it was in something like Fast Food Nation or Supersize Me, I think. I read a whole lot of books like that around the same time nine or ten years ago.

Correct. They conducted a study to show that in India they were not using beef. I know that many of my relatives were very unhappy when they found out about their beloved fries.

[MandalayVA]

I am not at all frugal about eating out (I know, it's on me), but I will eat a protein bar on the way rather than ice cold nachos or an old hot dog at a sports game. Even in box seats at major NYC  games, I still haven't seen too much approaching actual food at games.

My personal weakness is for the poutine at the local minor league baseball stadium. I get it every time.

  I have never heard of poutine before, I looked it up and now wish I had a plate of it in front of me.

I've only had it once. It was so damn good. So good.

Don't forget poutine's slutty American cousin, disco fries!  Instead of cheese curds, it's mozzarella.  Very popular at Jersey diners for after-clubbing drunk meals.

[Adventine]

I am not at all frugal about eating out (I know, it's on me), but I will eat a protein bar on the way rather than ice cold nachos or an old hot dog at a sports game. Even in box seats at major NYC  games, I still haven't seen too much approaching actual food at games.

My personal weakness is for the poutine at the local minor league baseball stadium. I get it every time.

  I have never heard of poutine before, I looked it up and now wish I had a plate of it in front of me.

I've only had it once. It was so damn good. So good.

Don't forget poutine's slutty American cousin, disco fries!  Instead of cheese curds, it's mozzarella.  Very popular at Jersey diners for after-clubbing drunk meals.

I just HAD to Google both types of fries after a virtuous healthy homecooked pasta salad dinner. Damn it!

[geekette]

As a not so ignorant southerner (who had Wisconsin relatives), cheese curds are fresh cheese!  When cheese is made from milk, the solids form curds, and the watery stuff is whey.  Curds and whey!

The curds are pressed together and aged, but fresh (squeaky!) cheese curds are delicious. 

[infogoon]

The brilliance of using cheese curds instead of other cheese is that the curds don't melt in hot gravy, they just get soft and delicious.

[MgoSam]

I was talking to my warehosue manager, who was asking about my house. I mentioned that I'm trying to pay it off in 15 years and he mentioned that when he first buoght a house he didn't know that you could pay more than the PITI. He's a good man, but I really didn't know what to say. He's fairly smart and looks stuff up all the time (we get some goofy producs in, so he'll Youtube them to see what they do) but I think his home owning days were pre-Internet.

[jinga nation]

I was talking to my warehosue manager, who was asking about my house. I mentioned that I'm trying to pay it off in 15 years and he mentioned that when he first buoght a house he didn't know that you could pay more than the PITI. He's a good man, but I really didn't know what to say. He's fairly smart and looks stuff up all the time (we get some goofy producs in, so he'll Youtube them to see what they do) but I think his home owning days were pre-Internet.

He's not the first and won't be the last.
I have bought 9 properties since 2009. One is my house. Never once am I told that I can pay over the monthly PITI. Never.
I have co-workers who are planning on refinancing. But they're looking at going from 3.5% to 3.25 or 3.0%. I asked them if it was worth it paying refinancing costs versus paying a little extra every month. Showed them some online calculators. Those light bulbs went on and popped! These are IT/Engineering people.
People place the PITI in their budget, so any extras are usually spent. How many (outside this and similar forums) save that little extra and put it towards mortgage, paying off their debt, or placing it in a 401k or IRA?

[faithless]

Poutine looks amazing!
In the UK chip shops (as in 'fish and chip' shops) serve gravy and chips which sounds similar. Also curry and chips, which is horrid.

[GatorNation]

So I think that I may have the best story yet.

So I'm an attorney at a mid sized law firm in the US.  Today an attorney was fired after one of the partners learned that this attorney had been borrowing money (over one thousand dollars) from his paralegal over the last six months without ever paying her back.  Mind you, this guy was making close to $200k a year.  However, he would constantly complain of not having money and resorted to ask his paralegal for cash.  After months of her trying to get paid back, she took the matter up the chain of command.

His wife was a SAHM, they drove brand new Lexus, and owned a very nice beach front condo.

[HairyUpperLip]

I've found that it's all in the description. My father-in-law had no interest in Indian food, even when I invited him over for homemade curry, but he sure liked that "chicken in spicy tomato sauce" I made.

LOL!

Next time you could try telling him it's an English dish?

yeah, liked Spotted Dick.

[MandalayVA]

There is a local place that has a few different types of poutine. 

(insert drool-inducing pictures here)

I LOVE POUTINE!

WHERE CAN I FIND THIS MAGICAL PLACE??!!?!?!?!

[couponvan]

Todays coworker comment - he makes around $60K/year and girlfriend (of 9 years) also makes around $60K....He's only about 22 years old - they've been dating since they were in Junior High.

He asked what I did over the weekend (power washing my driveway and staining my own deck).  I asked what he did over the weekend - He went shopping for a new Toyota 4Runner. OK - he said he needed it for towing things.

After more discussion it turns out his girlfriend's family has a lake cottage and they tow wave runners and boats.  Then he tells me his girlfriend is in debt to the tune of $70K in her name and another $70K in her parent's name at 7-9% interest. OUCH.  She went to a fancy name school - he has no debt of his own.  However, he has been dating her this whole time, and I'm presuming they are going to tie the knot - so THEY have a hair on fire emergency....He does not need a truck at all - they need a major repayment plan and two to three years of buckling down.

I sent him the link to MMM....He probably won't read it. (I really hope he does read it.)

[druth]

So I think that I may have the best story yet.

So I'm an attorney at a mid sized law firm in the US.  Today an attorney was fired after one of the partners learned that this attorney had been borrowing money (over one thousand dollars) from his paralegal over the last six months without ever paying her back.  Mind you, this guy was making close to $200k a year.  However, he would constantly complain of not having money and resorted to ask his paralegal for cash.  After months of her trying to get paid back, she took the matter up the chain of command.

His wife was a SAHM, they drove brand new Lexus, and owned a very nice beach front condo.

Well he definitely won't be paying her back now that he doesn't have a job.  He sounds like a jerk either way though.

[merula]

So I think that I may have the best story yet.

So I'm an attorney at a mid sized law firm in the US.  Today an attorney was fired after one of the partners learned that this attorney had been borrowing money (over one thousand dollars) from his paralegal over the last six months without ever paying her back.  Mind you, this guy was making close to $200k a year.  However, he would constantly complain of not having money and resorted to ask his paralegal for cash.  After months of her trying to get paid back, she took the matter up the chain of command.

His wife was a SAHM, they drove brand new Lexus, and owned a very nice beach front condo.

Well he definitely won't be paying her back now that he doesn't have a job.  He sounds like a jerk either way though.

I would hope that the partner(s) have a way to garnish his last paycheck to pay her back, or at the very least pay her directly as a reward for letting them see what a terrible person this attorney is.

[dragoncar]

So I think that I may have the best story yet.

So I'm an attorney at a mid sized law firm in the US.  Today an attorney was fired after one of the partners learned that this attorney had been borrowing money (over one thousand dollars) from his paralegal over the last six months without ever paying her back.  Mind you, this guy was making close to $200k a year.  However, he would constantly complain of not having money and resorted to ask his paralegal for cash.  After months of her trying to get paid back, she took the matter up the chain of command.

His wife was a SAHM, they drove brand new Lexus, and owned a very nice beach front condo.

Well he definitely won't be paying her back now that he doesn't have a job.  He sounds like a jerk either way though.

I would hope that the partner(s) have a way to garnish his last paycheck to pay her back, or at the very least pay her directly as a reward for letting them see what a terrible person this attorney is.

No way they would deduct anything from his paycheck, but I wouldn't be surprised if they paid her out of pocket

[arebelspy]

There is a local place that has a few different types of poutine. 

Those look amazing! Thanks for sharing!  :D

[human]

That poutine up there looks good, but they gotta throw more cheese curds up on it! unless they are buried somewhere.

Love the lawyer borrowing money from paralegals story!

[forummm]

I found poutine overrated. I like fries. But pour gravy on them and they get soggy. And you can't taste the salty and fries flavors and experience the crunch.

If you go to In-N-Out you can order things "animal style" from their secret menu. Getting fries animal style is sort of like a poutine variant--they put cheese, grilled onions, and special sauce (thousand island) on it. It's like a meal in itself. I still preferred just regular fries and to get a burger (animal style is good on burgers).

Legal disclaimer: Enlarged to show texture

[gimp]

No way they would deduct anything from his paycheck, but I wouldn't be surprised if they paid her out of pocket

If I was them, I'd pay her a fat bonus on top of the $1000 with the unspoken understanding that she wouldn't tell too many people about it.

[Dezrah]

So I think that I may have the best story yet.

So I'm an attorney at a mid sized law firm in the US.  Today an attorney was fired after one of the partners learned that this attorney had been borrowing money (over one thousand dollars) from his paralegal over the last six months without ever paying her back.  Mind you, this guy was making close to $200k a year.  However, he would constantly complain of not having money and resorted to ask his paralegal for cash.  After months of her trying to get paid back, she took the matter up the chain of command.

His wife was a SAHM, they drove brand new Lexus, and owned a very nice beach front condo.

DH heard stories from his boss (owner and only other lawyer in the small firm) about all kinds of characters he met at a large law firm. 

One guy would always chum with the new employees the whole time dropping heavy hints about the amazing (and expensive) restaurant around the corner.  Eventually he would talk them into going there for lunch with him and, oh dang, he forgot his wallet.  After the coworker covered his meal he would simply avoid this person from then out.  He basically owed thousands of dollars in $50 increments to everyone in the office.  Eventually people started sharing stories and realized he'd pulled this con on all of them.

One of the partners went to the founder and said, "Look, you have to pay everyone back." 

"Why?  I didn't take their money."

"Because you hired him and he's basically your best friend around the office.  This looks really bad for you."

I don't know if he did pay everyone back or not but the founder did call the guy in to fire him.  Instead of being fired though, this guy works out a deal where he would keep his job if he took on the responsibility of cleaning the kitchen (the most dread alternating department chore) every week.

Apparently the office in general loved this arrangement and simply made sure word spread so that no one else would get duped by this guy again.

[Inaya]

I'm close enough to Wisconsin to appreciate poutine and cheese curds (especially fried ones!). But I have to shout out to the New Mexican equivalent: green chile cheese fries. Fries topped with roasted Hatch green chiles and melted Colby-jack, then topped with a couple shreds of lettuce and tomato to convince yourself you're eating something healthy.

Somehow managed to find a hole-in-the wall nearby that imports green chiles from Hatch for their fries. (Image below from the local college diner in Socorro, NM.)

[SoccerLounge]

I'll just leave this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGCZwpIW_dU

[LeRainDrop]

I'll just leave this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGCZwpIW_dU

Please provide subtitles.  (J/k)  I have no idea what I was listening to, but that was a trip!

[SoccerLounge]

I'll just leave this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGCZwpIW_dU

Please provide subtitles.  (J/k)  I have no idea what I was listening to, but that was a trip!

Well, if someone's going to write a song about poutine, it should be French/French-Canadian rappers! :)

[Squirrel away]

Poutine looks amazing!
In the UK chip shops (as in 'fish and chip' shops) serve gravy and chips which sounds similar. Also curry and chips, which is horrid.

I quite like curry sauce and chips.:) I used to get melted cheese and chips at uni. Very healthy, haha.

[damend]

French Canadian here, you have not tasted a real poutine until you come to Quebec. I tried some in the US and in BC and Aberta, and I totally understand why people are disappointed. The cheese is the key, you can't make a poutine with regular cheese you need Cheese curd.

If your poutine don't look like this :
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/La_Banquise_Poutine.jpg
it's not a poutine (btw I have never been to this restaurant in particular its the first pic I found)

[RetiredAt63]

I'll just leave this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGCZwpIW_dU

Please provide subtitles.  (J/k)  I have no idea what I was listening to, but that was a trip!

Assuming I heard it properly
They are giving instructions - first do this, then that,  etc.
ajouter la sauce = add the gravy
squeeze squeeze - well there is some English in Quebec French, just like there is some French in Quebec English - think I'll go to the depanneur now.

Moi-meme, I like the old fashioned big thick Quebec fries, from potatoes peeled and soaked in salt water, then cut and fried in beef tallow.  Can't find them any more, all the chip stands use vegetable oil.

[Papa Mustache]

Single Mom at work, raising her last child. Oldest graduated college and moved on to good fortune.

Next one has had trouble with police and drugs. Odd fellow. Won't lift a finger to help around the house apparently and when he does he makes juvenile mistakes. Kills the lawnmower by hitting rocks and stumps. Dishwashing liquid in the dishwasher = bubbles everywhere.

She has had come and go money woes. Does pretty good for what she is paid. Everything that happens to her is expensive though. I can't figure out if she defers maintenance so long that it becomes an expensive repair or the repair folks are taking advantage of her. I think it is the latter.

She tells a story about a porch problem. It is a basic porch. Porch supports the roof. Porch is settling. Cracks in brick, etc. Contractor comes out with an elaborate plan of jacks and concrete injection, etc. to raise the porch. Price quoted is similar to price of a nice car.

Quick numbers on a napkin shows that she could demolish the existing porch and pay someone to rebuild for much, much less.

Curious to see what she'll do. There are alot of choices made by her that could have kept more money in her pocket but she thinks she is doing the right thing to avoid expensive mistakes. She isn't a train wreck, just needs to optimize more.

Example: car more expensive than it needed to be but she hoped it would prevent the need for repairs. It hasn't. A car for half the price would have been a nice one still and probably not cost any more in repairs. 

Troubled son has been very expensive for her over the past few years. Rehab, lawyer bills, etc. He is a grown man. I'd let him pick his own destiny at this point and charge him rent or help him pack.

[bebegirl]

CW: you paid your car 4 years ago?!
Me: yes, actually I combined my credit car debt and my car and went debt free in June 2012 to be precise (smile from ear to ear)
CW: nice, so it is time to upgrade your car then, how exciting!
Me: (puzzled) no, why? My civic is perfectly fine...(?!)
CW: looks puzzled

[onlykelsey]

Troubled son has been very expensive for her over the past few years. Rehab, lawyer bills, etc. He is a grown man. I'd let him pick his own destiny at this point and charge him rent or help him pack.

The caretaking/enabling urge is so strong for some people.  I think especially women of the older generation towards their sons.  They're so much more likely to live at home and be getting financial transfusions than daughters are.  I hope that I don't engage in that level of enabling towards my kid(s) (regardless of their sex).

I have an aunt who is generally a straight shooting practical woman, whose 32 year old son has lived with her rent-free (with his now 12 year old) his entire life.  He earns enough money at his "job" to pay for his own car insurance, and that's it.  He's generally a nice enough guy, and isn't abusive or anything like that, but that is unfathomable to me!

[HairyUpperLip]

I completely agree, after all my mom makes the best Indian food in the world and she lives in the suburbs!

Whoa, whoa, whoa --- hold the phone --- my Mom holds that same title...
..which she stole from my grandmother... how did your mom get it too?!?

[MgoSam]

CW: you paid your car 4 years ago?!
Me: yes, actually I combined my credit car debt and my car and went dead free in June 2012 to be precise (smile from ear to ear)
CW: nice, so it is time to upgrade your car then, how exciting!
Me: (puzzled) no, why? My civic is perfectly fine...(?!)
CW: looks puzzled

Yeah it's attitudes like this that help me understand why so many Americans are under water.

My parents think it's crazy for me to drive my car because it is "unsafe and unreliable." I have given up on trying to explain to them that a 12 year old Toyota Camry with 150k miles on it is insanely reliable. The car has no major repairs needed nor any accidents (knock on wood for both).

My current plan is to get this car to 300k and by then I hope to buy a Model 3 or another electric car.

[MgoSam]

I completely agree, after all my mom makes the best Indian food in the world and she lives in the suburbs!

Whoa, whoa, whoa --- hold the phone --- my Mom holds that same title...
..which she stole from my grandmother... how did your mom get it too?!?

By making the best butter chicken in the world.

[bebegirl]

My current plan is to get this car to 300k 

My civic is 8 years old and has only 38K miles on it because I use a bus to get to work and bus pass is paid by employer.

By the way that CW with whom I work since 2007 upgrades her Audi on a regular basis.

Amazing what people do to their finances!

[mtn]

I'm close enough to Wisconsin to appreciate poutine and cheese curds (especially fried ones!). But I have to shout out to the New Mexican equivalent: green chile cheese fries. Fries topped with roasted Hatch green chiles and melted Colby-jack, then topped with a couple shreds of lettuce and tomato to convince yourself you're eating something healthy.

Somehow managed to find a hole-in-the wall nearby that imports green chiles from Hatch for their fries. (Image below from the local college diner in Socorro, NM.)

Ok, I'll bite. Where is said local hole in the wall?

[Inaya]

They don't have a website, so here's their Yelp page: www.yelp.com/biz/five-faces-ice-cream-shop-chicago . Hubs and I sometimes go there for lunch on Saturdays since we're in the area for the farmers market anyway.
ETA: Spoiler alert, they're not an ice cream shop.

[mm1970]

I completely agree, after all my mom makes the best Indian food in the world and she lives in the suburbs!

Whoa, whoa, whoa --- hold the phone --- my Mom holds that same title...
..which she stole from my grandmother... how did your mom get it too?!?

By making the best butter chicken in the world.

sigh.  Butter chicken.  I need to learn how to make it.  I had it at an Indian wedding over a decade ago.  It was so good.

[HairyUpperLip]

I completely agree, after all my mom makes the best Indian food in the world and she lives in the suburbs!

Whoa, whoa, whoa --- hold the phone --- my Mom holds that same title...
..which she stole from my grandmother... how did your mom get it too?!?

By making the best butter chicken in the world.

Well then, apparently our moms need to have a butter chicken cook off and see who will really hold the belt.  :)

[jinga nation]

CW: you paid your car 4 years ago?!
Me: yes, actually I combined my credit car debt and my car and went dead free in June 2012 to be precise (smile from ear to ear)
CW: nice, so it is time to upgrade your car then, how exciting!
Me: (puzzled) no, why? My civic is perfectly fine...(?!)
CW: looks puzzled

My mum keeps on saying that our 2006 Honda Accord and Civic need to be upgraded. She says "You're an Engineer and your wife is an Accountant, so you need a Lexus or BMW or something high-end."
I always resist and ask why since the Hondas are trouble-free and I maintain them well.
Lately, she says we should have an SUV because we have two little ones and since my brother bought a used Honda Pilot for his wife, who also has 2 little ones.
So now I say I'll drive one if she and my dad will buy us one. And I want a new one since I'm the first born. No hand-me downs or used vehicles (so that they can't force me to have my dad's 2014 Mazda CX-5).
Meanwhile, the autoshop mechanics at my work place are always asking to buy our cars. Those wrenches be savvy!

[MgoSam]

I completely agree, after all my mom makes the best Indian food in the world and she lives in the suburbs!

Whoa, whoa, whoa --- hold the phone --- my Mom holds that same title...
..which she stole from my grandmother... how did your mom get it too?!?

By making the best butter chicken in the world.

Well then, apparently our moms need to have a butter chicken cook off and see who will really hold the belt.  :)

I would be ok with this.

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

Can I be a judge at this butter chicken cookoff?

[bebegirl]

My mum keeps on saying that our 2006 Honda Accord and Civic need to be upgraded. She says "You're an Engineer and your wife is an Accountant, so you need a Lexus or BMW or something high-end."

Your mom like any other person looks at what other people will say or think about you. This is the desire to look rich in front of others. I know personally very rich people who drive old Mercedes or old Volvo and do not care about car brand because they are excited for their life and success, for their families and friends and they do not need to show that to others. (Others see it anyway, lol)

You cannot reach the feeling of being successful by owning an expensive car.

Oh well..

[RyanAtTanagra]

My mum keeps on saying that our 2006 Honda Accord and Civic need to be upgraded. She says "You're an Engineer and your wife is an Accountant, so you need a Lexus or BMW or something high-end."

My go-to response when people tell me I need to do/buy something is 'what will happen if I don't?', which is hard to counter since nothing will happen.  This worked for years when people told me I needed to buy a smartphone (until I finally had to get one for work, or I'd still be saying that).

[MgoSam]

I completely agree, after all my mom makes the best Indian food in the world and she lives in the suburbs!

Whoa, whoa, whoa --- hold the phone --- my Mom holds that same title...
..which she stole from my grandmother... how did your mom get it too?!?

By making the best butter chicken in the world.

Well then, apparently our moms need to have a butter chicken cook off and see who will really hold the belt.  :)

Btw, my mom asked me to come over after work to help with a few things. She has butter chicken ready for me to eat for dinner!!!

[Chris22]

s. I know personally very rich people who drive old Mercedes or old Volvo and do not care about car brand because they are excited for their life and success, for their families and friends and they do not need to show that to others. (Others see it anyway, lol)

How do you think rich people get old Mercedes and Volvos?  By buying new ones a long time ago.  My experience with old money/wealthy people, and I grew up in a place with lots of them, is that they would buy moderately expensive cars (think $50-75k in current money) and keep them like 10 years.  Lots of Mercedes and Volvos (esp. wagons in both brands), as well as high-end American cars and large American SUVs.  And Toyota Land Cruisers, stealthy rich people LOVE Land Cruisers. 

[dragoncar]

I completely agree, after all my mom makes the best Indian food in the world and she lives in the suburbs!

Whoa, whoa, whoa --- hold the phone --- my Mom holds that same title...
..which she stole from my grandmother... how did your mom get it too?!?

By making the best butter chicken in the world.

sigh.  Butter chicken.  I need to learn how to make it.  I had it at an Indian wedding over a decade ago.  It was so good.

I use the nyt butter chicken recipe and I like it.  It's easy, you just need to get the spices.

[MgoSam]

I completely agree, after all my mom makes the best Indian food in the world and she lives in the suburbs!

Whoa, whoa, whoa --- hold the phone --- my Mom holds that same title...
..which she stole from my grandmother... how did your mom get it too?!?

By making the best butter chicken in the world.

sigh.  Butter chicken.  I need to learn how to make it.  I had it at an Indian wedding over a decade ago.  It was so good.

I use the nyt butter chicken recipe and I like it.  It's easy, you just need to get the spices.

Yeah it's not a terrible difficult dish to make. I haven't seen the NYT recipe, but just in case, here are some things my mom does

1. Marinate chicken in yogurt
2. take chicken out and broil
3. Then add broiled chicken to the sauce
4. Add heavy whipping cream (believe this is her last step)

[mm1970]

CW: you paid your car 4 years ago?!
Me: yes, actually I combined my credit car debt and my car and went dead free in June 2012 to be precise (smile from ear to ear)
CW: nice, so it is time to upgrade your car then, how exciting!
Me: (puzzled) no, why? My civic is perfectly fine...(?!)
CW: looks puzzled

My mum keeps on saying that our 2006 Honda Accord and Civic need to be upgraded. She says "You're an Engineer and your wife is an Accountant, so you need a Lexus or BMW or something high-end."
I always resist and ask why since the Hondas are trouble-free and I maintain them well.
Lately, she says we should have an SUV because we have two little ones and since my brother bought a used Honda Pilot for his wife, who also has 2 little ones.
So now I say I'll drive one if she and my dad will buy us one. And I want a new one since I'm the first born. No hand-me downs or used vehicles (so that they can't force me to have my dad's 2014 Mazda CX-5).
Meanwhile, the autoshop mechanics at my work place are always asking to buy our cars. Those wrenches be savvy!

My best friend had a ... 1993 Civic? Maybe 1994?  I can't remember.  Anyway: old.  She finally got rid of it when it was about 15-20 years old.  But for the last 5 years, the mechanics kept offering to buy it from her.

[mm1970]

I completely agree, after all my mom makes the best Indian food in the world and she lives in the suburbs!

Whoa, whoa, whoa --- hold the phone --- my Mom holds that same title...
..which she stole from my grandmother... how did your mom get it too?!?

By making the best butter chicken in the world.

sigh.  Butter chicken.  I need to learn how to make it.  I had it at an Indian wedding over a decade ago.  It was so good.

I use the nyt butter chicken recipe and I like it.  It's easy, you just need to get the spices.

Thanks for the tip!  I have all those spices...just need to give it a shot!