A secondhand bookstore is a very bad place to go to for someone who is trying eke out a minimalist existence and not accumulate stuff. But sometimes, the deals are so good, one cannot resist.
As my one diversion from studying, I walked over to the used bookstore to try to get rid of my Devil Wears Prada and Bee Season. They didn't take Bee Season, but gave me $2 for Prada.
I had a 25% off general voucher and a 50% off food-related books voucher, so I bought the following items:
A Cheese Primer for $3.50. This is one of these want-but-don't-really-need type books, but for $3.50, who can resist? (Certainly not I.) It is food porn for those of us who like cheese. It tells you every little detail about the various kinds of cheeses. It divides the cheeses by country, and then has a handy index, so you can cross-reference. I like the fact that the author is very opinionated, dispenses sound advice, and has impeccable taste in fine foods—e.g. under Parmesan cheese: "Never buy this cheese pre-grated. It is simply folly to grate it in advance. Grate this miraculous cheese yourself, as you need it, always allowing the cheese to reach room temperature before grating. . .. American 'Parmesan' tastes like sawdust" and on the proper ways to eat it: "Parmesan is a superb eating cheese. It is marvelous as a first course with figs, melon, or any fruit. It marries beautifully with carpaccio or prosciutto drizzled with EVOO. It is wonderful slivered over an arugula salad . . ..", all of which are exactly the kind of things I'd say about Parmesan, albeit less eloquently. My kind of book in every way, except that my favorite cheese isn't listed as one of the "world's greatest cheeses". Humph.
Shostakovich, quartets #3, 7, 11, by the Fine Arts Quartet for a whopping $2.25. I suspect that this was a mispricing on the bookstore's part, because this CD was mistakenly filed under "C". His name is spelled "Chostakovich" on the CD, which may have threw them off, because the other $2.99 CDs were mostly rubbish and the other Shostakovich quartet CDs (properly filed under "S") were more like $7-$9. Even "dinner party classical" cost $4.99. (Hmm. Does the bookstore think that "dinner party classical" is worth $2 more than 3 of Shostakovich's quartets? Well, their misjudgement is my gain.) I have not heard the FAQ's rendition of Shostakovich, but for $2.25 there's almost no risk involved.
After applying my $2 store credit (for selling Prada), my total for cheese and Shostakovich came to $3.75.
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9 comments:
"Chostakovich" is the French spelling. Perhaps it's on a French label? Those wacky frogs!
Also, "a superb eating cheese"?
As opposed to those non-eating cheeses? (Velveta?)
Hi anzu!
SA
I didn't know that. Thanks for the insight. Now that you mention it, I think it was a French label. . ..
Re:eating (vs. inedible?) cheeses--I think he meant eating vis a vis other grating, garnish or filler cheeses, (which, incidentally, is usually the way Parmesan is consumed) as opposed to comparing it with "cheese" (Velveeta).
Btw, our school's claim to fame is that it invented Velveeta.
1) I spelled "Velveeta" wrong.
2) Our school's claim to fame is that we have an assload of oil money and I still can't seem to get any chalk for my classroom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velveeta
??
Oh, it might be an urban legend, actually. It was either Velveeta or Cheese Whiz. (I had the link, but now I'm too lazy to go search for it, and I want to go home!)
Speaking of chalk, did you know that if you cut the chalk in half, the annoying squeaking stops (or becomes high enough that it's barely audible), b/c of the change in the frequency and wavelength? I just recently learned that!
Are you in grad school for music, too?
Yes, anzu, I am trying to finish my interminable terminal (Phd) degree in music theory. (Secret information: University of Texas!)
I like to tell my students I'm in the 23'rd grade.
(I have 50 sophomore theory students!)
God dammit I am sick of school.
Which musical esoteric art do you study? Choral singing? I have assumed this, but am not sure...
Crap. I've been drinking and cannot type,
regards,
SA
Unfortunately, since most people consider goat cheese amicable, I will not share my goat cheese story. Please reply if you need to hear my goat cheese story (you may not want to hear it).
I want to hear your goat cheese story.
I don't study any music (though I may go back to school for despotic regime study. Now you're making me have second thoughts.) Actually, I don't have a formal music background, but I do sing in a choir and have played the violin in the long long past.
Wow. You guys are full-time students and work and somehow manage to find time to look for bad reviews and write about them?
E., I'm afraid to ask about the goat cheese story. If it is gross, I probably don't want to hear it.
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