Wednesday, July 02, 2003

A TOWN WITHOUT PITA

I developed a strong appreciation for the work product of Philadelphia area bakers when I lived there.  It really shows in the cheesesteak - a good roll, like an Amoroso, will make or break a sandwich, regardless of cheese choice, meat quality, carmalization factor on the onions.... predominance of sweet vs hot peppers… I’m literally salivating just thinking about it.  But it all comes down, as most things do, to the buns. 

And now I find this article about corporate espionage at its yeastiest.  But I am a bit disappointed to read of allegations of terrorism and money laundering - I certainly didn’t read any evidence of facts supporting such claims in the article, but maybe I’m not getting the whole picture.  Maybe there’s some sort of militant sect insidiously diluting the secrecy of american corporate giants, starting with the bakers who feed the birthplace of our hated constitution, and then moving on to… I don’t know… the burrito makers of the Great Satan’s private Babylon, San Francisco, or to the morally corrupting influence of the churro-extruders of Old El Paso… Ray’s Original Pizza… the options are infinite and the repercussions would be beyond imagination. 

What we’re saying is that, if somebody starts baking really good hoagie rolls right down the street from you, replicating a true classic of regional cuisine - the terrorists have already won.