Touchscreens are quite ubiquitous these days, seems (almost) everywhere you go has them. We were in a McD's last year with some friends--that
one had a touchscreen order system. They still had to have up front workers to, to help us with the order, take cash, etc.

Another reason to avoid McDonald's.

It's not just McDonald's. Many of the big QSR chains are going to self-service kiosks.

I'm sure it's not McDonald's alone. Quick serve already
takes away part of our connection with food, but automating
the ordering (and sometimes the delivery) seems to me to be
putting us in a similar role as that of the livestock. The
eating process is a major part of what we are, and the
social function continues to be important if sometimes
obscure.

Money-wise, it's a better investment than human workers

In the short term, possibly, but for corporate only, not
for the community and likely not for the franchisee.

but from the service point of view, not many people like having to

interface with a box.

As it cuts another of the ties we have with each other.

That doesn't bother me, of course, but I am in what seems to be the
minority.

Funny, I thought that taking the opposite view I was
in the minority.

Yes, I am one of those that use the self-service lines at grocery

stores and

Walmart. Like I said above, I am one of the rare few, it seems, that can
use self-service without issues.

I have mechanical/practical issues as well as the
philosophical ones.

Title: Double Cheese Hamburger Casserole

Looks sort of like a midwestern lasagna but with
not enough noodles. Oddly, looking for variations of
the Casanova cocktail recipe I found the following,
which is just as midwestern in a different way.

Casanova Burger Casserole
categories: pseudoItalian, main, Wisconsin
servings: 6

4 Tb butter
1 c sliced fresh mushrooms
1 lb lean ground beef
2 ts steak sauce
2 ts dried basil
2 Tb all-purpose flour
1 3/4 c milk
3/4 c Dijon mustard
2 c shredded Wisconsin Swiss cheese
2 c sliced black forest ham
1 ts seasoned pepper
2 c diced new red potatoes
1 c cubed white American cheese

Melt half the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Add mushrooms; saute until softened, 5 min.Add
ground beef, steak sauce, and basil. Cook until
beef is done, 10 min.

in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 Tb
butter. Stir in flour. Add milk and cook, stirring,
until sauce bubbles and thickens, 8 min. Remove
from heat. Add mustard and half the Swiss cheese;
stir until melted. Add beef-mushroom mixture and
ham. Season with seasoned pepper.

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9-x13-in baking dish
with nonstick cooking spray. Add potatoes and
American cheese; mix well.

Spread mixture in a prepared baking dish and
sprinkle with remaining ham and shredded Swiss.
Bake until cheese is bubbling, 25 to 30 min.

after justapinch.com
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
* Origin: Fido Since 1991 | QWK by Web | BBS.FIDOSYSOP.ORG (1:123/140)

Hi Michael,

I'm sure it's not McDonald's alone. Quick serve already
takes away part of our connection with food, but automating
the ordering (and sometimes the delivery) seems to me to be
putting us in a similar role as that of the livestock. The
eating process is a major part of what we are, and the
social function continues to be important if sometimes
obscure.

I don't go to fast food for social reasons; I just want my food and to get out of there. I do know what you mean, however. My mother has for years complained that my father and I need to eat at the nice dining room table they have with her. My dad usually eats in front of the TV and I disappear into my ham shack.

Funny, I thought that taking the opposite view I was
in the minority.

It used to be but from my not-so-scientific research, it seems that there is a growing consensus of a hatred of technology. I can't say I disagree with them.

I have mechanical/practical issues as well as the
philosophical ones.

Not everyone should use the self-checkouts. Use a regular checkout. I also try to shop on "off hours" when there aren't a lot of people around. I find dealing with people a greater chore these days than using the self-checkouts these days.

Here's one for the chocolate lovers (this would make me sick to my stomach):

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Divine Triple Chocolate Pie
Categories: Chocolate, Pies, Desserts
Yield: 6 Servings

1 x ----chocolate pie shell-----
1/4 t Salt
1/2 oz Semi-sweet chocolate; grated
1 x ------------pie-------------
1 x Unflavored gelatin; 1 env.
1 c Milk
3 oz Baking chocolate; cut up
1/4 t Cream of tartar
1 c Heavy cream; whipped
1 x Sweetened whipped cream
1 c Unbleached flour; sifted
1/3 c Vegetable shortening
2 t Cold water
1/4 c Sugar
1/4 t Salt
3 ea Eggs; lg, separated
1/2 t Vanilla
1/4 c Sugar
1 x ----------garnish-----------
1/2 oz Semi-sweet chocolate

CHOCOLATE PIE CRUST: Sift the salt and flour into a bowl and cut in
the shortening, using a pastry blender, until coarse crumbs form. Add
the chocolate and water, tossing with a fork, until the dough forms.
Press the dough firmly into a ball and then roll out on a lightly
floured surface into a 13-inch circle. Loosely fit the dough into a
9-inch pie plate and trim the edge so that there it reaches 1 inch
beyond the rim of the pie plate. Fold the extra under the edge of
the crust to from a ridge. Flute the edge and prick the entire
surface of the pie shell with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees F for 12
minutes or until a golden brown. Cool on a rack. CHOCOLATE PIE: Stir
the 1/4 cup of sugar, the gelatin and salt together in a 2-quart
saucepan. Stir in the milk and slightly beaten egg yolks. Add 3 (1
oz) squares of unsweetened chocolate and cook over low heat, stirring
constantly, until the chocolate melts and the gelatin dissolves.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Chill in the
refrigerator, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is the
consistency of unbeaten egg whites. Remove the chocolate mixture from
the refrigerator and set aside Immediately beat the egg whites and
cream of tartar, in another bowl, until foamy, using an electric
mixer set on high speed. Gradually add the 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 Tbls
at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until
stiff, glossy peaks form when the beaters are slowly lifted. When the
chocolate mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon, beat
until smooth, using an electric mixer at medium speed. Fold the egg
white mixture into the chocolate mixture; then fold in the whipped
cream. Chill in the refrigerator until the mixture mounds well when
spooned. Turn into the chocolate pie shell. Chill in the
refrigerator for 2 hours or until set. To serve, decorate the pie
with puffs of sweetened whipped cream. Grate and sprinkle the
chocolate over the whipped cream.

MMMMM

Then again, I am weird and enjoy eating baker's chocolate straight...

Later,
Sean


--- Maximus/2 3.01
* Origin: Get your COOKING fix here! - bbs.outpostbbs.net:2304 (1:18/200)