112120 Sat Jan 25 09:13:51 -0800 2003 4 7 Chicago Area 0 608491 Last night, we made a stop at Pierre's, one of our favorite bakeries. If nothing else about Mexican bakeries, I love the self-service aspect. Grap your tray, grab your tongs and pick away. Yet, we discern, we quibble (helped none in the least by the mystery of some items), and we search out a handful of good pastries to take home. Dessert, and then maybe something with coffee the next day, we know they will be hard soon. And, oh are we in the minority. Pretty much every other customer at Pierre's or any other Mexican bakery loads their tray up with all the crusty, crumbly, flaky, sugary things that are Mexican pastries. Almost no one walks out with a few like VI. We are at a loss. When are all these pastries consumed? Are they eaten as a heavy continental breakfast? Midnight snack? To replace a meal--that is my pet theory as I remember reading that Mexicans eat only one large meal a day. Please help me figure out Mexican pastry eating habits! (First hand observations can found at any Pierre's. See link for locations.) VI Special guest comments from the Mistress of Spices: "We are not moderate people [the VI clan] and the stuff is so cheap, and I am cheap, that if it looks marginally good, we might sample, but we do not come close to what are on other's trays." Link: http://www.chicagofun.com/pierres/ Sat Jan 25 09:13:51 -0800 2003 0 Vital Information 1 608494 Mr. Mayor, When you have finished exploring the mysteries of Mexican pastries, may I respectfully suggest tackling how the heck 100-lb older Asians are able to eat 25% of their body weight in one sitting and never gain weight. Enjoy, Gary 39-Ward Chowhound Precinct Captain. Sat Jan 25 10:09:50 -0800 2003 608491 0 G Wiv 1 608521 One idea: Most mexicans are not solo eaters and very few are linked to just one person. As a side note: From all the research I have conducted, there is no such word as loneliness in Spanish. So those heaping trays of pan dulce are likely going to abuelas, nietos, hijos, tios, primos, vecinos, comadres, companeros etc, etc, etc. How many people do you share your pan dulce with? Mon Jan 27 01:51:02 -0800 2003 608491 0 Cynthia 1 608588 as a side note, apparently diabetes is the biggest killer of middle-aged mexican americans Link: http://www.niddk.nih.gov/welcome/releases/1_25_00_minorities.htm Tue Jan 28 15:02:19 -0800 2003 608491 0 leek 1 608832 Perhaps the abundance at which Mexican pastries are purchased is related to how cheap they are, and the self-service aspect? I know I always end up buying more than I should eat, and am more likely to do so if I can grab what I want myself, instead of having to ask someone. The cheap factor: when you can get eight pastries for two bucks, it encourages you to try a little of everything. I often stop by Mexican bakeries on my way to dinner with friends, pick up a wide variety because you never know what people will like. Also, it's nice to have some on hand at home for people who stop by, and some leftover for breakfast the next day. So, in a roundabout way, as someone who buys too many Mexican pastries, I'd say most of it is for other people, for the sake of variety (even though half the pastries taste the same). However, I have been known to tackle a whole tray's worth myself, heh. Thu Feb 06 11:30:02 -0800 2003 608491 0 j3s