Yay Capitalism! (Dairy division.)

FloFab oughtta know better. Yesterday's Food Stuff featured the Giro Gratta:

The Giro Gratta all-in-one grater with cheese is a clever thing to have on hand when you are serving risotto or pasta and are not setting a fancy table. The plastic box comes with 8.9 ounces of imported Grana Padano, an excellent cheese that is a close cousin to Parmigiano-Reggiano. Turn the bottom of the box and grated cheese comes out. The grater, which is not reusable, is compact enough to tuck into the refrigerator so that the cheese does not dry out: the business end has a cover, too. Amish Markets have the grater on sale for $4.99, reduced from $7.99.*

As FloFab goes on to point out, Kraft introduced a similar item, loaded with domestic parm. What she fails to point out, in either case, is that this is a crappy idea. As the Accidental Hedonist pointed out months ago, the transaction is thus -- you surrender cheese quality, and in return, you get more crap to throw away. It is alarming that this has crossed the ocean from Kraftland to Italy, though it is probably telling that the real Parm-Reg folks are not selling their cheese like this. Also interesting is that grana padano packaged thus may be cheaper than when sold naked.**

In other dairy accessories you don't need, Milk Bands. Cods are oviparous, so breastfeeding is not on the horizon for me, but it is my understanding that the main items moms need for breastfeeding are located just on either side of the placket, just below the clavicles. It astonishes me that women have been able to feed their infants for millennia, without the aid of a jiveass Livestrong wannabe bit of landfill fodder. Perhaps I am totally wrong, and this is the best invention since Scotch-gard-I'd be interested to hear thoughts from actual moms on the utility of this product.

*One salient difference between the world of print and blogs is that blogs are much more likely to point out if something sucks. At times, the blogosphere can feel like swimming in an ocean of hateraide, but the flip side is that the blogger does not face the dilemma FloFab must face sometimes of trying to cobble a Food Stuff column together by choosing the six least objectionable items to cross her desk.
**A putative  bonus that diminishes the value of a product is known as the Pitino Effect. Following his disastrous turn with the Celtics, boxes of Pitino Pasta were widely available at Ocean State Job Lot, for much less than the same box of generic pasta would cost.

Comments

[magpie]

"Also interesting is that grana padano packaged thus may be cheaper than when sold naked." - I thought your ** was going to be a note saying that grana padano packaged thus will probably be completely inferior as a result of its low price.

All those spice and salt and pepper grinders now on the market prefilled with spices are in just the same mode - that is, more junk for a landfill. Buy a good peppermill - it will last forever.

About the milk bands, my jaw is resting on the floor. And yes, I'm a mother who nursed my kid for 3 years. I can't imagine anything more stupid and useless (and ugly to boot).

[fesser]

Indeed. I am actually about to order a pepper mill for an ex-student who's getting married.
Also, I hadn't really thought about how the milk band, in addition to being ugly and useless, also functions kind of like those bells they make lepers wear. What better than a shackle on your wrist to say to the world "I'm not a person, I'm the trough for a milk pig." Would look nice with those Mom jeans they advertised on SNL.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KTl6aJDlDiY

[Skeen]

What's so flummoxing about breastfeeding for capitalists is that it is consumption (literally, primordially, absolutely) without consumerism.

One has to try really, really hard (and look really silly in the attempt) in order to make money out of it.

I wish the milk bands were it. It's depressing how many breastfeeding aids and accessories are being marketed out there when let's face it, all that the process requires is a hungry baby and a lactating human breast (just one will do) and a little bit of know-how (and even that last item isn't always necessary).

[Ethical Slut]

This product demands sexualization.

[Lactivist]

This is a great idea! Nursing can tire you out and leave you a little fried, so its hard to keep track of when you last fed. I've tried putting a sharpie in my bra and just noting "time last used" on each breast, but the milk would smear the indellible ink and it would get all over baby's face.

[buy microsoft windows xp]

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