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Carbondale City Council Discusses Increased and New Taxes
As the state of Illinois approaches one full fiscal year without a budget, the economic impact of the debacle is becoming more severe by the day. Currently, the city of Carbondale is responsible for $15 million in unfunded police and fire pensions due to the lack of a state budget, and that is a number the city council believes will only increase in the coming months. For that reason, and commitment to the revitalization of downtown, the Carbondale City Council discussed raising taxes at their bimonthly meeting on May 24.
Mayor Henry reiterated that the downtown revitalization is "very near and dear to my heart," and wants a city that looks successful, safe, and resourceful to prospective students and their families. "We don't look that way today," Henry added.
The city council will seek a solution in the revenue generated from either implementing or increasing three taxes: motor fuel, food and beverage, and package liquor, and though Tuesday evening's discussion was non-binding, official action is soon to follow.
Currently, the city of Carbondale collects three cents on each gallon of motor fuel sold within the city limits. One cent of that tax is set to expire on June 30, and on Tuesday night, the city council recommended renewing that tax and adding four more cents to a gallon of fuel. If the proposal passes, there will be seven total cents in taxes on a gallon of fuel in Carbondale. Councilman Adam Loos was in favor of an eight-cent raise, for a total of eleven cents on the gallon, stating he would rather pass a single, large increase now that could be lowered later rather than passing a more moderate increase now and a second increase in the future if revenue is still needed. In addressing concerns that the increased motor fuel tax would lead to motorists driving to Marion to fill their tanks, Mayor Henry cited a figure of twenty cents that would be added to the average purchase of a tank of gas with the tax increase, and invited those motorists to "go ahead [and go to Marion and] see if they come out ahead." Calls to the city clerk's office in Marion, Carterville, and Murphysboro revealed that each town has a two-cent motor fuel tax.
The first of the new taxes suggested last Tuesday night was a food and beverage excise in the amount of four percent. Restaurants in Carbondale have reported an increase in revenue over the past several months, and Mayor Henry believes the city could realize an additional $1.5 million each year with such a tax. A similar tax in the city of Normal, Illinois, was mentioned in the discussion, particularly the contribution that city's two percent food and beverage tax made to its Uptown Renewal Program.
Most contentious among the proposed taxes was the one on package liquor. Councilman Tom Grant voiced his opposition based on a previous city official referring to Carbondale's college students as a "captive audience" when describing the ease with which revenue from such a tax could be generated. Grant was not pleased with the comment and stands against any measure that could be perceived as disproportionately targeting the student population. Councilman Navreet Kang also stated his reluctance to impose a package liquor tax.
Overall, all councilmembers agreed to the taxes, with most discussion involving the amount of each tax. Councilman Lee Fronabarger winced at a couple of the proposed rates, but remained generally supportive of the taxes. Councilman Grant, a thirty-eight year resident of Carbondale, based his support on the Carbondale Downtown Master Plan, saying "I would like to see something come of it this time."
The next Carbondale City Council Meeting is scheduled for June 14.
Carbondale Memorial Day Service
A member of Teeter-Carson-Watson Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2605 salutes the flag as it is raised over Woodlawn Cemetery.
U.S. Representative Mike Bost speaks of his and his son's military experience during his address.
Jill Rendleman, Regent-Elect of the Daniel H. Brush Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, places a wreath at the grave of chapter namesake and Carbondale co-founder, Daniel Harmon Brush who served as a colonel in Company K of the 18th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War.
Mary Chew, representing American Legion Auxiliary Unit 514, places a wreath at the grave of Carbondale co-founder Asgill Connor who served as a captain in Company K of the 18th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War.
Milton McDaniel, representing the African American Museum of Southern Illinois, walks to place a wreath at the grave of Lewis Chambers who served as a private in Company E of the 29th United States Colored Infantry during the Civil War.
The Red Bank ReUnion Band plays the Civil War-era song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again" beyond the grave of Asgill Connor.
Teeter-Carter-Watson Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2605 member Ada Taylor, who served in Korea from 2002 to 2003 pauses to read and reflect upon the grave of Lewis Chambers who served as a private in Company E of the 29th United States Colored Infantry during the Civil War.
Illinois State Fair Lineup Finalized
Each year the Illinois State Fair aims to bring in various musical genres in the hopes of attracting music-loving fairgoers of all generations. This year, organizers of the Illinois State Fair are bringing active and classic rock to the Grandstand stage.
The headlining act on Thursday, August 18th will be the Grammy nominated Danish metal band, Volbeat. The band recently announced its sixth album, Seal the Deal and Let's Boogie, will be released in June 2016.
Over the years, the group has been praised for its live performances with rave reviews. In the past, the group has opened for groups such as Megadeth, Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer.
Opening for Volbeat will be Killswitch Engage and Black Wizard. Killswitch Engage was formed from disbanded members of Overcast and Aftershock. The Grammy nominated music group is best known for songs, "The End of Heartache," "My Curse," and "The Fire Burns." The group released its most recent album in March 2016.
In response to recent positive feedback regarding the availability of the Country Concert Blowout package, fair organizers have put together two *additional* discount ticket packages just ahead of the Saturday ticket on-sale. There will only be 500 tickets available for each package, and this special offer ends July 31st.
Country Concert Blowout: $114
Dierks Bentley &nbs p;
Rock-On Extravaganza: $120Pat Benatar/Melissa Etheridge
ZZ Top/Gregg Allman
Summer Concert Blockbuster: $269Pat Benatar/Melissa Etheridge
New Odyssey
These discount ticket packages are only available for purchase by phone or in person at the Emmerson Building on the state fairgrounds.
Illinois State Fair Ticket Hours :
May 23 - 31: Illinois State Fair office (Emmerson Building)
In Person: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 3:00pm
Beginning June 1: Grandstand Box Office
Ticket prices for each of the shows at the 2016 Illinois State Fair are listed below:
Friday, August 12: Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo and Melissa EtheridgeTier 3 - $20 / Tier 2 - $25 / Tier 1 - $30 / Track - $30 / VIP - $42
Saturday, August 13: Meghan Trainor / Hailee Steinfeld / Common KingsTier 3 - $28 / Tier 2 - $33 / Tier 1 - $38 / Track $38 / VIP - $50
Sunday, August 14: Jake Owen / Old Dominion Tier 3 - $15 / Tier 2 - $20 / Tier 1 - $25 / Track $25 / VIP - $37
Monday, August 15: New OdysseyGeneral Admission - $5
Tuesday, August 16: Dierks Bentley / Tucker BeathardTier 3 - $42 / Tier 2 - $47 / Tier 1 - $52 / Track $52 / VIP - $64
Wednesday, August 17: KISS / The Dead DaisiesTier 3 - $49 / Tier 2 - $54 / Tier 1 - $59 / Track - $59 / VIP - $74
Thursday, August 18: Volbeat / Killswitch Engage / Black WizardTier 3 - $10 / Tier 2 - $14 / Tier 1 - $18 / Track - $18 / VIP - $25
Friday, August 19: Cole Swindell / Kane Brown / LANco / Jon Langston Tier 3 - $18 / Tier 2 - $23 / Tier 1 - $28 / Track $28 / VIP - $40
Saturday, August 20: Little Big Town / David NailTier 3 - $27 / Tier 2 - $32 / Tier 1 - $37 / Track $37 / VIP - $49
Sunday, August 21: ZZ Top / Gregg AllmanTier 3 - $34 / Tier 2 - $39 / Tier 1 - $44 / Track $44 / VIP - $54
All tickets go on sale Saturday, May 21stat 10am via Ticketmaster.
Stay connected so you don't miss out on any of the big announcements for the 2016 Illinois State Fair:
Facebook:www.facebook.com/ILStateFair
Twitter:www.twitter.com/ILStateFair
Instagram: @myILstatefair
Website:www.illinois.gov/statefair
Amelia Eisenhauer Kellie Pickler and Skillet to Perform at Du Quoin State Fair
State Fair Manager Kevin Gordon is proud to announce Nashville Black River Entertainment Recording artist and television star Kellie Pickler will perform at the 2016 Du Quoin State Fair on Tuesday, August 30th.
Through the release of four albums, hundreds of concert appearances, and her unforgettable win on 'Dancing with the Stars', Kellie Pickler has earned the admiration and affection of countless fans, serving as both inspiration and role model. Pickler is best known for songs such as, "Red High Heels," "Best Days of Your Life" and "Don't You Know You're Beautiful." Pickler is also the star of the CMT reality show, "I Love Kellie Pickler," which is currently in its second season. She is also a proud supporter of the United States military. To date she has completed eight (8) USO Tours.
Pickler is known for sharing the stage with local talent, and this year's Du Quoin State Fair will share in that tradition. Opening for Kellie Pickler on Tuesday, August 30th will be Amelia Eisenhauer. The southern Illinois native first met Kellie Pickler on the final season of American Idol where the two performed a duet to the song, "Suds in the Bucket."
Meanwhile, Sunday, August 28 will be Contemporary Christian Night at the Grandstand. Performing the first Sunday at the Du Quoin State Fair will be the Christian rock band, Skillet. This summer the band will embark on a jam-packed world-wide tour for its fans that are affectionately called "Panheads." The band has nine albums and two Grammy nominations to their credit. They are best known for songs such as, "Awake and Alive," "Not Gonna Die," "Comatose," and "Monster."
Ticket prices for each of the shows are listed below:
Sunday, August 28: Skillet
Tier 2 - $19 / Tier 1 - $24
Tuesday, August 30: Kellie Pickler / Amelia Eisenhauer
Friday, September 2: Jamey JohnsonTier 2 - $15 / Tier 1 - $20
Monday, September 5: Sugar Ray / Everclear / Lit / Sponge
More details regarding ticket sales, special events, and additional grandstand acts will be released in the coming weeks and months. Dates for the 2016 Du Quoin State Fair are
August 26 – September 5.
Class Action lawsuit filed against housing authority and former directors on behalf of residents
Several residents, and former residents, of the Alexander County Housing Authority filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court Tuesday. The suit alleges, "rampant race discrimination and family status discrimination as well as substantial rent overcharges."
In addition to the housing authority, the defendants include former Executive Directors James Wilson (1989-2013), Martha Franklin (2013-2015), Thomas Upchurch (March – October 2015) and Joanne Pink (October 2015 – January 2016).
The plaintiffs include: Paul Lambert, Mary Holder, Barbara Holder, Pamela Purdiman, William Frey, Kimberly Simelton and Shameka Nelson.
The suit, filed in East St. Louis, charges that "ACHA has had a long history of discriminating against African-American residents based on their race," specifically, "ACHA has returned to its discriminatory past by engaging in a pattern and practice of segregating residents on the basis of race. Approximately 97% of the residents living in McBride and Elmwood are African-American, while white households predominate in the developments of Meadows, Johnson, Sunset Terrace, King, and Connell Smith. This is true even though African-Americans make up just 36% of the residents within Alexander County, ACHA's service area."
"ACHA, through its Executive Directors, have engaged in a pattern and practice of allowing the McBride and Elmwood developments to deteriorate, while preserving and maintaining the Connell Smith development in satisfactory condition. Defendants have engaged
in a pattern and practice of allowing the housing conditions at McBride and Elmwood to deteriorate because of the residents' race, African-American."
The suit alleges that no units should be reserved for seniors and people with disabilities, "ACHA, through its Executive Directors, have implemented a rule prohibiting families with children from living in Connell Smith, Shoemaker, and several of the scattered site developments."
Many residents have been overcharged for their units, according to the suit, because the housing authority did not calculate income in accordance with HUD regulations.
Attorneys from two Chicago law firms are representing the plaintiffs, the suit is signed by Christopher J. Wilmes of Hughes, Socol, Piers, Resnick & Dym, LTD. Also listed are: Katherine E. Walz and Kevin Herrera of Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.
The suit is requesting, among other relief, that the defendants be deemed to have violated several Civil Rights Acts at both the state and federal level and other legal obligations. That the housing authority take affirmative steps to remedy the familial discrimination of banning families from the listed units. That the housing authority not take action of any tenant with income based rents for non-payment until those rents are re-calculated. Repay all rent overcharges, pay punitive damages and interest and plaintiff's costs.
None of the plaintiffs or defendants could be reached for comment as of press time.
No foul play suspected after investigation into woman found dead in Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge
The body of Jeannie Schuur, 22, of Murphysboro, was found on Nov. 26, 2015 in the Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge. Several unrelated motorists indicated they saw who appeared to be Ms. Schuur in the early morning hours of Nov. 21, stumbling and falling around the intersection of County Line Road and San Francisco Road in the western part of the county.
Ms. Schuur had been with friends the prior evening and into the morning hours of Nov. 21. She subsequently left her friends at approximately 5 a.m., where she proceeded to depart on foot and alone.
The weather conditions that morning were cold, and it was raining and windy. Temperatures reached below freezing that day as well as the following day.
Once the body was found by hunters in the refuge, multiple police officers and detectives immediately arrived at the scene and the Illinois State Crime Scene Tech was called. The Major Case Squad (which is comprised of members from every law enforcement office in the county, including the Illinois State Police) was also activated, and a forensic pathologist was brought in to perform the autopsy.
The forensic pathologist reported that Ms. Schuur died of hypothermia. The toxicology studies at the time of death showed that Ms. Schuur was legally intoxicated and was under the influence of drugs.
The interviews conducted by the Williamson County Sheriff's Office correspond with the autopsy and the toxicology. There was no trauma to the body that could be attributed to the cause of death, nor were there any broken bones.
The extensive investigation has concluded. Foul play is not suspected in the death of Jeannie Schuur. This determination is corroborated by all witness statements and the autopsy findings.
"The family of Ms. Schuur has our deepest sympathies for their loss, and our hearts go out to them during this difficult time," Williamson County State's Attorney Brandon Zanotti said in a statement released last week. "No further comment is being provided at this time."
The announcement about the investigation was submitted jointly by Zanotti's office, the Williamson County Sheriff's Office and the Williamson County Coroner's Office.
Morthland College Health Services fi le suit against Franklin Hospital
The dispute between Morthland College Health Services and the Franklin Hospital has come to a head. After months of discussions, heated board meetings and one contract termination, on Tuesday, April 26th, MCHS officially filed court documentation filing suit against the Franklin Hospital District. Benton attorney, Bryan Drew, outlined the plaintiff's complaints in great detail, with the court document running 10 pages.
The final page puts a price tag on the damages to MCHS in excess of $50,000.
Dr. Tim Morthland is owner of Morthland College Health Services, LLC and signed on with FHD back in October of 2013 to provide hospitalist services.
Dr. Morthland was also elected FHD's Chief of Medical staff. MCHS also provides hospitalist services at Harrisburg Medical Center, Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion and Marshall Browning Hospital in Du Quoin. MCHS runs an outpatient health clinic in West Frankfort currently in conjunction with the Franklin Hospital District, but will continue services following the complete sever of ties between the two on July 31st. An additional outpatient clinic is in the works for Zeigler as well.
The hospital board, CEO Hervey Davis and Chief Operating Officer Derek Johnson were served with the lawsuit shortly before the board's monthly
meeting.
The discovery lists three claims of "Tortious Interference with Contract." In layman's terms it more or less means a defendant is liable to pay damages in tort for actions intended to interfere with the plaintiff's contractual relations with a third party.
Most of the four count suit is directed at Davis, but specifically within Count III, which is "Civil Conspiracy."
This particular part of the suit alleges MCHS "became aware of some fi nancial dealings by Hervey (Davis) individually with FHD (Franklin Hospital District) outside his employment as CEO even though FHD was a governmental entity subject to laws forbidding "self Dealing" in the State of Illinois by persons in managerial positions with governmental agencies." It continues to allege that once MCHS questioned these dealings, Davis began to undermine the relationship between MCHS and the board who controls FHD. In doing so, the suit alleges Davis made misleading and false statements to the board "with the intent of inducing FHD to break the contract with MCHS prior to its regular termination date // for his (Davis's) own personal gain so MCHS's Tim
Morthland would stop inquiring about the personal financial dealings of Hervey outside his employment with FHD as CEO." The suit claims that damages
MCHS accrued from that contract termination, which occurred in February, and loss of personnel/ additional training lead to lost revenue and income.
On Sunday, May 1st, FHD issued a statement to the Gazette in response to the lawsuit. It reads: "On April 26th, 2016, Franklin Hospital District received legal notice of a lawsuit filed against it in Franklin County, Illinois. This matter remains under investigation.
At the direction of legal counsel, Franklin Hospital District has no further comment at this time."
MCHS is asking for a trial by jury to decide the matter at hand.
Meanwhile, FHD seems to be putting the suit in the background and focusing on other, brighter dealings within the hospital.
In a sit-down interview with Johnson, the focus was not the lawsuit but rather FHD's scores in a third party "Patient Satisfaction Survey." Compared to other hospitals across Illinois, FHD had a stead increase since last year scoring a 67-percent in the inpatient recommendation portion and an 83-percent in the Emergency Room portion. The hospital's public relations department has also sent out releases regarding their telehealth expansion and senior care program.
Carbondale Gathers to Address Safety
On Tuesday, April 5, 2016, Sandy Litecky approached the Carbondale City Council to ask what has been on the minds of many over the past several weeks, "What has happened to Carbondale?" Since a pair of shootings on January 20, there have been a total of ten gun-related offenses reported in the city through April 9, and both the city and Southern Illinois University are frantic to eliminate the cause of the violence and restore citizens' and students' faith in their safety.
The attempt to answer Litecky's question began Thursday night, April 21, 2016, when nearly 160 community members joined together to offer concrete and viable suggestions to combat the trending violence. Those in attendance represented many elements of the Carbondale populace, including retirees, college students, city officials, young professionals, university administrators, African-American leaders, high school students, business owners, and clergymen.
Retired John A. Logan College sociology professor Mary O'Hara has lived in Carbondale since 1970, and has researched the methods other cities of similar size and demographics have used to combat violence. O'Hara supports adoption and enforcement of a chronic nuisance ordinance penalizing property owners for repeated reports of such public nuisances as disturbing the peace, discharging of firearms, obstruction of a street or sidewalk, open alcohol, and building code violations occurring on their property. Cities with similar ordinances use fines collected from its enforcement to pay for increased police patrols and neighborhood preservation efforts.
Barb Eidlen extolled a set of guidelines known as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), which are consulted during many urban renewal projects in cities all around the world. Just as its name describes, CPTED carefully manages such potential physical environment hazards as lighting, access points to buildings, parking lot construction, and visibility in alleyways and obstructed areas so as to deter crime and instill safety in
Residents like Hugh Muldoon realize the criticality of the recent string of gun crimes, but do not believe they should define Carbondale. Muldoon began Nonviolent Carbondale in 2011, and Carbondale served as the model city for the national Nonviolent Cities Project founded shortly thereafter. Muldoon, and others, reminded the gathering Thursday night of all that Carbondale gets right regarding diversity and inclusion, and suggested using established strategies when solving the city's current problems.
Forum moderator John Washburn pointed out that crime was at a twenty-year low in Carbondale in 2015, a trend shattered beginning in late January.
A common complaint of many from Carbondale in recent years is what retired Southern Illinois University criminal justice professor Jim LeBeau called "unmitigating acceptance" of students by the university. LeBeau urged the university to review and even strengthen its admissions policies in an effort to reduce the number of students who "don't belong here," students who are not adequately prepared for college and who may bring criminal activity to Carbondale.
LeBeau's comments drew scattered applause from the audience, but they also drew a response from Ella Lacey, a retired African-American health education professor who cautioned against statements like LeBeau's. Lacey came to a still segregated Carbondale from Hayti, Missouri, in 1960, and was told many times she didn't belong. As an educator, Lacey felt it was the university's responsibility to accept even the "undesirables" and educate them to make a better life for themselves.
A review of Southern Illinois University's freshman admissions policies revealed minimum requirements of either high school graduation with at least a 2.0 GPA and an ACT composite score of at least 23, or high school graduation with at least a 3.0 GPA and an ACT composite score of at least 18.
As is true with all matters involving the future, consideration must be given to the children. Carbondale Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Randy Osborn spoke on their behalf Thursday night when he asked how many children feel any sense of belonging or value in the city. Carbondale Community High School senior Grace Rigney helped confirm Osborn's concern when she said "we don't feel like it's our community" in a city whose focus seems to be the student body of SIU. Osborn challenged all community members to say hello to a child in the days ahead and to "get into their head and get into their life" as a way to show they are valued and loved.
Well over an hour into the forum the conversation turned to what Dr. M. Stalls referred to as "the elephant in the room," guns. Violent acts involving guns have increased significantly nationwide in recent years and the epidemic has now reached Carbondale. In previous comments, Mayor Mike Henry stated that the police take guns off of people every week in the city and criticized the ease with which one can obtain a concealed carry handgun permit in neighboring Missouri, where at least two of the suspects in the Easter morning shooting had received such permits.
"When," asked Kittie McMillan, "did we get to the point where a gun is on the checklist of things to bring to a party?" McMillan's son, Tim Beaty, was killed early Easter morning when a bullet shot from a neighboring house party struck him as he was protecting two partygoers who had ran to his apartment seeking refuge once the gunfight started. McMillan shared that Beaty chose to raise his own son in Carbondale because of the welcoming, communal feeling there, and concluded her comments by saying, "THAT is the story that needs to be told" about Carbondale.
Senator Durbin meets public
Horrible living conditions are starting to improve for one local community. Paul Lambert, who has lived in Cairo's public housing for 38 years, is no stranger to how bad conditions can get. "Living conditions are deplorable. It's a mess. You go into their units, looks like a bomb went off in it. You got rats, roaches, bed bugs, mice, mold all of that is in these apartments," Lambert said. In late February, we told you the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development took over the Alexander County Housing Authority. HUD says the takeover was partially due to years of financial and operational mismanagement and poor housing condition. A HUD recovery team sent in to help and run the housing authority hosted a meeting Monday night with Illinois Senator Dick Durbin to address tenants concerns. HUD Co-Recovery Administrator Towanda Macon says changes, like replacing everyone's locks and getting rid of all pests, logistically can't happen overnight, but they're working on it. "We're continuing to assess. We've made some improvements. But as you know since, February 22, it's not been a very long time. So, we are working to figure out what our next steps are," Macon said. She says the goal is to recover the housing authority. "We are going to make sure it's done, and it's done correctly," Macon said. The out-of-town team is running the day-to-day operations of a housing authority while figuring out community concerns, like crime. "We want to build capacity, and we want to make sure the housing authority operates in the way that it should," Macon said. "I think they are. I know it's going to take time to make changes," Lambert said. Lambert still has some trust issues with HUD but is thankful they're here. "If it [wasn't] for HUD being here, this problem would still be going on," Lambert said. Macon says there isn't a set timeline for how long they'll be running the housing authority. It all depends on how quickly living conditions improve. The team did say everyone, including tenants, need to play a part in maintaining their homes. There are 494 units; 150 of them are empty and not suitable to live in. Macon says some units could take a year to clean up. The HUD recovery team is also talking with contractors to do lead-based paint and water testing in all the units.
CEOs roll out businesses
MARION — The culmination of the first year of the Williamson CEO was held last Thursday, April 28 at The Pavilion of the City of Marion. The 12 students who participated in the program's pilot year held the first-ever Williamson CEO Trade Show where the students presented the businesses they created throughout their year in the class. CEO stands for "Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities" and throughout the first year of the course, the students participated in various activities and events to help them create a business. Alicia Dawson of Carterville is the founder of Yellow Chair, which will provide customized furniture, embroidery, clothes and more. These items are targeted to customers who want to step out of their normal routine and try something new. The overall goal is to provide memorable items that will stand out against the competition. The company expects to grow from a booth to online. Alicia will continue Yellow Chair in the booth or online while furthering her education. Ashton DeRousse of Carterville found his passion for technology at an early age when he began tinkering with computers and iPhones in middle school. This passion has led him to create Mobile Squared, a mobile iPhone repair service that comes to you. Through the CEO program, he has found help throughout the processes of marketing, jumping through the legal hoops and creating a unique brand among a crowded market. His goal is to provide a quick and mobile repair service that can fix all of your iPhone, iPad and Samsung devices wherever you are located. Natalie Gentry of Carterville is the creator of NJ Bags, a company that makes purses specifically designed to hold diabetic supplies, eliminating the need to carry an extra bag. This bag was inspired by her personal experience with Type 1 diabetes, as she diagnosed with the disease in April of 2015. She wants to help others with her product and plans on continuing to pursue her passion for helping others by studying chemical engineering with a biomedical emphasis at Auburn University in the fall. Blake Hicks, a senior at Carterville High School, began Pupil's Perspective to help future high school students and their parents with being proactive when dealing with the various trials and tribulations with which they will inevitably be faced with during high school. The blog covers a myriad of topics including college applications and the importance of grades and it is complete with a "Things I Wish I Knew My Freshman Year" series. When dealing with the sorrows and stresses of senior year, Blake realized how he was in the dark about a variety of topics. With plenty of regrets and an equal amount learned, Blake wanted to make a difference for future students. Therefore, his blog will ideally serve as a guide for many students to come. In college, Blake will continue his studies as a Pharmacy major, while working towards minors in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship. Upon completion of his Pharmacy degree, Blake would like to employ some of the lessons he learned in CEO to eventually open his own pharmacy. Becky Peterson of Carterville knew her love for dogs could correspond with a CEO business but she was not sure how until she thought of hosting a 5K. "The Unleashed 5k Dog Jog" will be held on May 21 and will benefit Carterville's future dog park. Participants are encouraged to bring their dog to run or walk with. Not only will she be raising funds to help start the dog park, but the Unleashed 5K will raise awareness in the community about these future plans. She hopes the community rallies together to get this dog park off the ground and finished. Next year, she is attending the University of Kansas and majoring in business. She already sees how CEO has benefited her in the business community and she looks forward to applying these new skills in college her future endeavors. Other participants included Kiefer Bolen of Herrin, a co-owner of SI Details alongside Gabe Evrard of Johnston City; Madison LeQuatte of Herrin, who started a business called Pamper Yourself; Kodi Bell of Marion, the creator of KB Designs; Isabel Frassato of Marion, who wrote a cookbook, "Home Is Where The Food Is," for her CEO business; Michael James of Marion, the founder of LiveMic, an app that takes speaking conventions to a different level; and Kurt Smith of Marion, the co-founder of Southern Landscaping. CEO students visited more than 40 area businesses, where they toured spoke with owners, managers and employees. Visits are an experience that allows students to explore and learn more about companies that they have passed by or have heard about most their lives. Business visits build an understanding and connection between current leaders and future leaders. i CEO investors include AISIN Manufacturing, William Atkinson, Baysinger Architects, Black Diamond Harley-Davidson, the Carterville Chamber of Commerce, the City of Marion, Clarida & Ziegler Engineering Co., Clark Transportation Services, Connect SI, Farmers State Bank, Heartland Regional Hospital, the Herrin Chamber of Commerce, Hurst-Rosche Engineers, Inc., the Marion Chamber of Commerce, Marion Heights, the Marion Kiwanis Club, Marion Toyota, Moneta Enterprises, LLC, Natural Med Apothecary, Peoples National Bank, Plain Brown Media, Ross Construction, Inc., South Porte Bank, Southern Illinois Healthcare, Susan Willis Photography, The Pavilion of the City of Marion, Watermark Auto Group, Withers Radio, WSIL TV-3 and Brandon Zanotti. The CEO Advisory Board includes Joni Barwick (Co-Chairman) from Watermark Auto Group, Jim Flynn (Co-Chairman) from Heartland Regional Medical Center, Erik Cornett from The NaturalMed Apothecary, Matt Donkin from Franklin-Williamson ROE #21, Jami Hodge from Williamson County Education Services, Dr. Keith Oates from Marion CUSD #2, Todd Rogers from Carterville High School, Cathy Shelton from Herrin High School, Aaron Smith from Ross Construction and Brian Ziegler from Clarida & Ziegler Engineering Co. The CEO Facilitator is Brandi Bradley, who has worked to connect the CEO students with businesses, mentors and groups from across the county and beyond. Anyone who would like to become a CEO investor, mentor or provide other opportunities for the program may contact her at williamsonceo@gmail.com.


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Top 10 Democratic Party Quotes
We won't organize any black man to be a Democrat or a Republican because both of them have sold us out. Both of them have sold us out; both parties have sold us out. Both parties are racist, and the Democratic Party is more racist than the Republican Party.
What I see is that the Democratic Party takes working class communities for granted, they take people of color for granted, and they just assume that we're going to turn out no matter how bland or half-stepping these proposals are.
The Democratic party, respective to health care, is like a person who was sent into the store to purchase a gallon of milk and some butter for the evening's meal and instead walked out with a 'Gladiator' DVD, a can of Easy Cheese, and some Homer Simpson house slippers because how funny are they?
Dana Loesch
A leader in the Democratic Party is a boss, in the Republican Party he is a leader.
The Democratic Party has taken the black community for granted and said, 'This is the most loyal constituency we have. They're not going anywhere.' But the Republican Party has said, 'That's the most loyal constituency Democrats have. They're not going anywhere. We've got to win without them.'
J. C. Watts
On behalf of everyone at the DNC, we want to offer a deep and sincere apology to Senator Sanders, his supporters, and the entire Democratic party for the inexcusable remarks made over email. These comments do not reflect the values of the DNC or our steadfast commitment to neutrality during the nominating process.
Donna Brazile
I feel very strongly that the Democratic Party has, in the past, been the party of the future. I think when you look at Social Security and Medicare, when you look at the civil rights movement, the women's movement, I think the Democratic Party has always been in the forefront of change.
Richard Lamm
The way the Queens Democratic party machine has worked, they operate on a politics of exclusion.
The Democratic Party is made up of trial lawyers, labor unions, government employees, big city political machines, the coercive utopians, the radical environmentalists, feminists, and others who want to restructure society with tax dollars and government fiat.
Grooming a successor, is it an inheritance? In a democratic party, you don't want leaders appointed that way. They have to be appointed properly by the people.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Any studies on minimum USD value needed on BTC to make mining worth the cost?
My understanding of the Bitcoin ecosystem is that the task referred to as "mining" is actually the processing (confirming) of the Bitcoin transactions, and that the miner "finds" a coin when they find the accepted hash of a block of transactions.
Based on the information in other questions here, the mathematical difficulty of processing the transactions is expected to increase as more Bitcoins enter the ecosystem while at the same time the block reward is expected to halve at every 210,000 blocks.
The mathematical difficulty present in the mining process has of course a bearing on the cost of electricity and processing time of the hardware. On top of that the miners do have costs for paying for the warehouse or other location where the server farms are kept, besides indirect costs in things like depreciation of the hardware.
Currently we also have the situation that the USD value of BTC has been going down.
With this in mind I wanted to ask if there are any studies about the minimum USD value that Bitcoin should have in order to make mining profitable?
I don't think a study is necessary - logic should suffice.
The difficulty of the hashing "puzzle" (how many zeroes the hash must start with) is automatically calculated based on the current hashing power - ie. how many miners are trying to solve the puzzle.
The difficulty is calculated so that the average time to mine a block is always around 10 minutes. No matter how many miners are trying to solve it.
The value of the block reward going down - so the incentive to mine drops.
Some miners will then stop mining - because it's no longer profitable for them (who goes first depends on each miners ability to compete - ie. his cost for electricity and so on compared to competing miners - but someone will quit to do something profitable instead).
The combined hashing power of all miners will go down - since there are fewer of them.
The difficulty of the puzzle will self-adjust (it will become easier) - making it more likely for each remaining miner to solve a block and get the (smaller) reward.
And balance is restored... the miners who continued mining will still be able to turn a profit in spite of a lower reward per block.
It will always be profitable for some miners to continue mining - unless of course the value of bitcoin goes all the way to zero.
The point is that whatever the total reward for "finding" a block is (block reward and fees combined) - that is how much will be invested in mining it (minus of course a small profit for the miner - but this is likely only a tiny fraction of the actual reward).
The important point is that the lower the difficulty is, the lower the security is.
If we imagine that value goes all the way down to the point where the total reward for mining a block is for example $1, someone will still be mining - but there will be so few that it will be easy to do a 51% attack: You'd be able to construct an "alternate" history for just $1 per block, so it wouldn't cost much to get the longest chain.
There is a recent study by Morgan Stanley, described in this article titled "Bitcoin 'miners' are losing money at any price below $8,600: Morgan Stanley" by CNBC.
"We estimate the break-even point for big mining pools should be US$8,600, even if we assume a very low electricity cost (US$0.03 kW/h)," equity analyst Charlie Chan and his team said in a Thursday note.
In general, there will not be a catch-all answer for this, as every miner will have different costs for their operation. There are mining-profitability calculator websites out there that may be of interest to you.
Also consider that if coin value falls, some miners will become unprofitable and turn off their machines, but many others will still be profitable, and will continue mining. The most efficient miners would likely still be profitable even at extremely low coin prices, once the difficulty has adjusted accordingly. The network self-adjusts to always incentivize miners to mine.
In an extreme example, consider a power producing business that routinely generates excess power that they cannot use or store, and so instead it goes to waste. A business like that would effectively have a negative electricity rate, as the power would go to waste if not used.. So even with a very low coin price, at current difficulty they may turn a profit.
Has someone compared the cost of mining vs. that of brute-forcing addresses?
Will ASIC miners hold the network "hostage" and demand a fee for their services?
Will expensive mining equipement have any worth in the future?
What is the current actual cost of mining 1BTC?
In the case that I have free electricity, is mining worth it?
What are the factors that drive the cost of bitcoin mining?


text:
Nesta: Pushing Boundaries
Alternative finance is changing the way people are approaching investments, whether it is the ethical motivation behind donation based crowdfunding or SMEs re-investing into their own businesses through pension-led funding. One of the in-depth reports on the world of alternative finance was provided by Nesta[1]. 'Pushing Boundaries' was researched at the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance in 2015 and provides great insight. If you are interested in finding out more about alternative finance or equity crowdfunding, it is thoroughly recommended as a good starting point.
Some of the key findings from the 2015 report:
The alternative finance market grew to roughly £3.2 billion, due to more people, projects and businesses getting involved in fundraising and funding. In fact, over a million people in the UK either lent, invested or donated.
Real estate seemed to be a key area of focus in the report, as an industry that is truly benefitting from alternative financing, and the single most popular. According to the research, debt and equity crowdfunding for real estate totalled nearly £700 million in 2015.
The fastest growing alternative finance type was donation based crowdfunding, which grew to £12 million in a year, an increase of 507%. Second in line was equity based crowdfunding, which is what the Homegrown platform would be categorised as. With an increase of 295% from 2014-15, the market grew to £332 million.
2015 was an incredible year for UK alternative finance, with press coverage and growth. It was the year in which equity based crowdfunding had its first exits, in the context of approximately 1,200 fully funded projects. Real estate crowdfunding raised £87 million alone. The boundaries were certainly pushed in terms of business models, partnerships, market growth, awareness, international expansion, policy acceptance, and regulatory support. There are certainly questions that still need answering, such as how exits and failures would be handled, or how block chain[2] technology may affect the industry, questions which you as an investor should most definitely be asking. As with many queries, only time will tell whether alternative finance can truly stand apart from traditional finance.
If you would like to find out more about alternative finance models beyond and including equity crowdfunding, please click here.
Nesta / Pushing Boundaries
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text:
Einstein Bros. Bagels Santa Fe Egg Sandwich
If your crew likes food with a little kick and they're into breakfast sandwiches, grab some of your favorite bagels and give this clone a go. The jalapeno salsa cream cheese used here is made with only four ingredients, and the rest of the recipe is even easier: cook up some turkey sausage patties in a skillet and prepare each serving of scrambled eggs in a small bowl in the microwave so they fit perfectly on the bagels. For the turkey sausage, I used Wampler brand which comes in 1-pound tubes, but you can also use small turkey breakfast links—just squeeze the sausage out of the casings and form your patties (ditch the casings). You can also use pork sausage if you like.
Jalapeno Salsa Cream Cheese
1/4 cup Ortega medium salsa
2 tablespoons minced canned jalapeno slices
_main
6 ounces turkey breakfast sausage
3 large eggs, beaten (about 2/3 cup)
2 bagels, sliced in half and lightly toasted
2 slices pepper Jack singles
2 tablespoons Ortega medium salsa
1. First make your jalapeno salsa cream cheese by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and chill until it's needed.
2. Make the turkey sausage patties by forming the sausage into two 3-ounce patties that are about 4 1/2 inches in diameter. If you have time, form the patties on wax paper and freeze them to make handling easier. They will shrink when cooking to just the right size.
3. Beat the eggs in a bowl, then measure half (about 1/3 cup) into a bowl with approximately the same diameter as the bagels. Microwave each bowl (separately) for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on high, or until the egg is completely cooked.
4. Lightly toast all of the bagel halves.
5. Spread about 2 teaspoons of the jalapeno salsa cream cheese on the toasted face of the bottom half of each bagel.
6. When the eggs are cooked, arrange them on the cream cheese on each bottom bagel half.
7. Lay a slice of pepper jack cheese on each of the egg layers.
8. Arrange a sausage patty on top of the cheese on each sandwich.
9. Spread about 2 teaspoons of salsa on the toasted face of each of the top bagel halves.
10. Top off the sandwiches with the top bagel halves, slice each sandwich in half, and serve while hot.
Rating of votes (4)
This recipe is outstanding! The jalapeno salsa cream cheese is right on the money. Great job again Todd!
I used to work at Einstein's and they use Egg Beaters with a little milk instead of real egg so you can use that instead for an easier and healthier alternative.
List Reviews
Panera Bread Spinach Artichoke Baked Egg Souffle
Panera Bread's Baked Spinach and Artichoke Egg Souffle reminds me of a breakfast Hot Pocket, if a Hot Pocket tasted really good. With eggs, cheese, spinach, and artichoke hearts baked into a buttery crust, this super-cool presentation will earn you big bonus points from your crew in the a.m. And the best part about this copycat Panera spinach souffle recipe is you won't stress out over making the dough from scratch since you use premade Pillsbury Crescent Dough that comes in a tube. Just be sure when you unroll the dough that you don't separate it into triangles. Instead, pinch the dough together along the diagonal perforations to make four squares. After the dough is rolled out, line four buttered ramekins with each square, fill each ramekin with the secret egg mixture, and bake.
Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup
This soup happens to be one of Chili's most raved-about items, and the subject of many a recipe search here on the site. Part of the secret in crafting your clone is the addition of masa harina—a corn flour that you'll find in your supermarket near the other flours, or where all the Mexican foodstuffs are stocked.
McDonald's Cinnamon Melts
Everyone knows the center of a cinnamon roll is the best part. With that in mind, McDonald's designed a cinnamon pastry where every bite is coated with the same deliciously gooey cinnamon and brown sugar filling that you discover only after working your way through the dry, doughy part of traditional cinnamon rolls. It's sort of like monkey bread, whereby chunks of dough are tossed in cinnamon sugar and then baked in a deep cake pan. The difference with this clone of the McDonald's version is that the filling is mixed with margarine and spooned onto the dough chunks in layers. And you bake this in small, single-serving portions. As it turns out, a Texas-size muffin tin, which has cups that are about twice the size of a standard muffin tin, is the perfect pan for this. You can also use disposable aluminum pot pie pans that many markets carry. Since this recipe makes a dozen servings, dig this: After the cinnamon melts have cooled, cover and freeze them. When you need a quick breakfast pastry or late-night snack, simply remove a melt from the pan, microwave for 35 seconds, or until hot (this is how McDonald's heats it, too), and you're instantly teleported to cinnamon roll paradise.
Einstein Bros. Cream Cheese Shmear
The Einstein/Noah Bagel Corporation sold around 300 million bagels in 1997--around 6 million bagels a week. And on top of those bagels, customers will smear (or Shmear) more than 8 million pounds of the flavored cream cheeses created by the company. That's 11 tons of the stuff each day! The bagels themselves are reasonably low in fat--coming in at 1 to 3 grams each. But when you add just an ounce of cream cheese Shmear, you're quadrupling the fat, at the very least.
With fat-free cream cheese and a variety of different flavorings and ingredients, we can easily recreate Einstein Bros. Shmear, while reducing the fat to zero. These Einstein's bagel schmear recipes are very easy to make, and if you would like yours fo firm up more after mixing in the ingredients, just pop the finished spread (in a microwavesafe bowl) for a minute of two, stir, cover, and chill completely. Use these spreads with bagels of your choice.
Source: "Top Secret Recipes Lite" by Todd Wilbur.
Roasted Garlic
Serving size--2 tablespoons
Total servings--about 8
Calories per serving--35 / Original--100
Fat per serving--0 g / Original--9 g
Fat per serving--o g / Original--8 g
Jalapeno Salsa
Total serving about--10
Calories per serving--30 / Original--90
Fat per serving--0 g /Original--8 g
Maple Walnut Raisin
Total servings--about
Houston's Chicago-Style Spinach Dip
These days just about every casual dining chain has its version of this appetizer: spinach and artichoke hearts mixed with cheese and spices, served up hot with chips or crackers for dipping. Making the rounds over the years, I've tried many of them, and most formulas are nearly identical. That is, except for this one. Houston's makes their spinach dip special by using a blend of sour cream, Monterey Jack cheese and Parmegiano Reggiano—the ultimate Parmesan cheese. Parmegiano Reggiano is born in Italy and is usually aged nearly twice as long as other, more common Parmesan cheeses. That ingredient makes the big difference in this dip. So hunt down some of this special Parm at your well-stocked market or gourmet store, and you'll find out why Houston's spinach dip has been one of the most requested recipe clones here at TSR.
Red Lobster Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp
Menu Description: "Jumbo butterflied shrimp hand-dipped in batter flavored with Captain Morgan Parrot Bay Rum & coconut flakes. Served with pina colada dipping sauce."
Fans of this dish say the best part is the pina colada dipping sauce. And it's true. That sauce is so good you could eat it with a spoon. But the coconut shrimp is pretty awesome too, just on its own. Red Lobster's secret formula includes Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay rum, which sweetens the batter and adds a great coconut flavor (plus you can whip up a nice cocktail with it while you're cooking). Panko breadcrumbs—which give a nice crunch to the shrimp—can be found in the aisle of your market where all the Asian foods are parked. This secret recipe makes two times the size of a serving you get at the Lobster, so there should be enough for everyone. The real thing comes with salsa on the side in addition to the pina colada sauce, but you may not even want to include it.
Cheesecake Factory White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake
Menu Description: "Our creamy cheesecake with chunks of white chocolate and swirls of imported seedless raspberries throughout. Baked in a chocolate crust and finished with white chocolate shavings and whipped cream."
Heres how to recreate a home version of the cheesecake that many claim is the best they've ever had. Raspberry preserves are the secret ingredient that is swirled into the cream cheese that's poured into a crumbled chocolate cookie crust. Yum. No wonder this cheesecake is the number one pick from the chain's massive list of cheesecake choices.
Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3
Exclusive signed copy. America's best copycat recipes! Save money and amaze your friends with all-new culinary carbon copies from the Clone Recipe King!
For more than 20 years, Todd Wilbur has been obsessed with reverse-engineering famous foods. Using every day ingredients to replicate signature restaurant dishes at home, Todd shares his delectible discoveries with readers everywhere.
Now, his super-sleuthing taste buds are back to work in the third installment of his mega-bestselling Top Secret Restaurant Recipes series, with 150 sensational new recipes that unlock the delicious formulas for re-creating your favorite dishes from America's most popular restaurant chains. Todd's top secret blueprints and simple step-by-step instructions guarantee great success for even novice cooks. And when preparing these amazing taste-alike dishes at home, you'll be paying up to 75 percent less than eating out!
Find out how to make your own home versions of: Pizza Hut Pan Pizza, T.G.I. Friday's Crispy Green Bean Fries, Buca di Beppo Chicken Limone, Serendipity 3 Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, P.F. Chang's Kung Pao Chicken, Max & Erma's Tortilla Soup, Cracker Barrel Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake, Olive Garden Breadsticks, Cheesecake Factory Fresh Banana Cream Cheesecake, Carrabba's Chicken Bryan, Famous Dave's Corn Muffins, Outback Steakhouse Chocolate Thunder from Down Under, T.G.I. Friday's Jack Daniel's Glazed Ribs, and much, much more...
Simple. Foolproof. Easy to Prepare. And so delicious you'll swear it's the real thing!
Click on the "Table of Contents" link, underneath the book graphic on the left to see the full list of recipes included in this cookbook.
You may also like: Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2, and Top Secret Recipes Step-by-Step.
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
For two years after the first Olive Garden restaurant opened in 1982, operators were still tweaking the restaurant's physical appearance and the food that was served. Even the tomato sauce was changed as many as 25 times. It's that sort of dedication that creates fabulous dishes like this popular soup. It blends the flavors of potatoes, kale, and Italian sausage in a slightly spicy chicken and cream broth.
Boston Market Meatloaf
In the early 90's Boston Chicken was rockin' it. The home meal replacement chain's stock was soaring and the lines were filled with hungry customers waiting to sink their teeth into a serving of the chain's delicious rotisserie chicken. So successful was the chain with chicken, that the company quickly decided it was time to introduce other entree selections, the first of which was a delicious barbecue sauce-covered ground sirloin meatloaf. But offering the other entrees presented the company with a dilemma: what to do about the name. The bigwigs decided it was time to change the name to Boston Market, to reflect a wider menu. That meant replacing signs on hundreds of units and retooling the marketing campaigns. That name change, plus rapid expansion of the chain and growth of other similar home-style meal concepts sent the company into a tailspin. By 1988, Boston Market's goose was cooked, and the company filed for bankruptcy. Soon McDonald's stepped in to purchase the company, with the idea of closing many of the stores for good, and slapping Golden Arches on the rest. But that plan was scrapped when, after selling many of the under-performing Boston Markets, the chain began to fly once again. Within a year of the acquisition Boston Market was profitable, and those meals with the home-cooked taste are still being served at over 700 Boston Market restaurants across the country.
Benihana Japanese Onion Soup
Menu Description: "It takes half a day to make this perfect combination of onion, celery, carrot and garlic."
Before a skilled chef appears tableside to perform his culinary prestidigitation on the hot hibachi grill at Benihana, you're treated to a tasty bowl of chicken broth-based soup with fried onions, sliced mushrooms and green onions floating cheerfully on top. The restaurant menu claims this soup takes a half a day to make, but we can clone it in a fraction of that time using canned chicken broth (I use Swanson brand). This soup works great as a prelude to your favorite Asian dishes or other Benihana clones since it's so light and won't fill up anyone before the main course. I've included a simple technique here for making the breaded fried onions from scratch (for the most accurate clone), but you can skip that step by substituting French's canned French Fried Onions that are sold in most markets.
Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla
Taco Bell takes the fast food quesadilla into new territory with three different cheeses and a creamy jalapeno sauce, all of which you can now cheerfully re-create in the comfort of your warm kitchen. Gather up the crew, since this easy recipe will make four of the tasty tortilla treats.
Score: 4.88. Votes: 210
Wendy's Chili
Dave Thomas, Wendy's late founder, started serving this chili in 1969, the year the first Wendy's opened its doors. Over the years the recipe has changed a bit, but this Wendy's copycat chili recipe is a great version of the one served in the early 90s. Try topping it with some chopped onion and Cheddar cheese, just as you can request in the restaurant.
Olive Garden Tiramisu
Menu Description: "The classic Italian dessert. A layer of creamy custard set atop espresso-soaked ladyfingers."
In Italian, tiramisu means "pick me up" or "cheer me up." And when you taste the delicious combination of mascarpone cheese (sometimes referred to as Italian cream cheese), cream cheese, ladyfingers, espresso and Kahlua it will be hard not to smile. So get out your double boiler for the egg yolks (a metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water will also do) and get some ladyfingers (ladyfingers are miniature cakes about the size of two fingers side-by-side). You can either make your own espresso, use extra strong coffee as a substitute, or, next time you're at Starbucks, order up a quadruple shot of espresso to go.
Roadhouse Grill Roadhouse Cheese Wraps
Menu Description: "Our original 'eggrolls' stuffed with Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, green onions and a touch of jalapeno peppers. Served with marinara."
This variation on the popular fried cheese sticks appetizer conceals spicy jalapeno peppers and green onions in the middle, and it's all wrapped up in large spring roll wrapper before frying. The marinara sauce on the side is perfect for dipping the cheesy tidbit, but you might also try your favorite salsa. To save time—and we all like that—use your favorite bottled marinara sauce for dipping so you won't need to whip up some from scratch.
Mauna Loa Kona Coffee Glazed Macadamias
Its not necessary to use expensive Kona coffee when cloning these awesome glazed macadamia nuts from Mauna Loa. Since the coffee is combined with butter, sugar, and other ingredients, no one will know the difference. But you will have to make your coffee very strong. Use twice the grounds recommended by your coffee maker or use espresso for this recipe. you'll also need a candy thermometer since you'll need to bring the candy to precisely 290 degrees F before stirring in the nuts. Make sure to heat up the nuts in a separate pan so theyll be hot when you add them to the candy. This way the candy doesnt cool too quickly and the nuts get a nice thin coating of the goodness. The candy coating wont be as thin as on the original nuts, but its a pretty good copy considering your home kitchen probably doesnt come equipped with one of the commercial candy tumblers or enrobers you find on the production line in the Mauna Loa manufacturing plant.
Cheesecake Factory Thai Lettuce Wraps
Menu Description: "Create your own Thai lettuce rolls! Satay chicken strips, carrots, bean sprouts, coconut curry noodles and lettuce leaves with three delicious spicy Thai sauces—peanut, sweet red chili and tamarind-cashew."
Cheesecake Factory's #1 appetizer is finally fauxed, and I've got every secret component for an impressive knockoff here in one recipe: delicious duplicates of the three amazing dipping sauces, perfect sweet-and-sour cucumber slices, and an easy coconut curry marinade clone for the chicken that also doubles as a sauce for the noodles. Get ready to blow everyone away when you unveil this build-it-yourself Thai-inspired lettuce wrap kit at the table. The final dish will serve twice as many people as the restaurant version, and you'll most likely have enough leftover sauces to serve it again if you want to get more chicken.
P.F. Chang's Chang's Spicy Chicken
Menu Description: "Lightly-dusted, stir fried in a sweet Szechwan sauce."
The delicious sweet-and-spicy secret sauce is what makes this dish one of P. F. Chang's top picks. Once the sauce is finished all you have to do is saute your chicken and combine. You'll may want to cook up some white or brown rice, like at the restaurant. If you can't find straight chili sauce for this recipe, the more common chili sauce with garlic in it will work just as well.
California Pizza Kitchen Tuscan Hummus
Menu Description: "Our original recipe of Tuscan white beans pureed with sesame, garlic, lemon, and spices. Garnished with fresh Roma tomatoes, basil, and garlic. Served with warm pizza-pita bread."
The traditional dish of Tuscan white beans is usually made from dried cannellini beans or great Northern beans that are soaked overnight in water and then cooked until tender with olive oil, garlic and sage. But there's no need to wait through such a time-consuming process if we can simply use already tender canned beans found in any market. Look for white beans or the slightly larger great Northern beans and strain off the liquid, but don't throw that liquid away! you'll need a little of it to add to the food processor along with the other ingredients, including sesame tahini which can be found in most markets where the international foods are stocked or in specialty stores such as Whole Foods.
Fat per serving–4.3g
The talented chefs at Benihana cook food on hibachi grills with flair and charisma, treating the preparation like a tiny stage show. They juggle salt and pepper shakers, trim food with lightening speed, and flip the shrimp and mushrooms perfectly onto serving plates or into their tall chef's hat.
One of the side dishes that everyone seems to love is the fried rice. At Benihana this dish is prepared by chefs with precooked rice on open hibachi grills, and is ordered a la cart to complement any Benihana entree, including Hibachi Steak and Chicken. I like when the rice is thrown onto the hot hibachi grill and seems to come alive as it sizzles and dances around like a bunch of little jumping beans. Okay, so I'm easily amused.
This Benihana Japanese fried rice recipe will go well with just about any Japanese entree and can be partially prepared ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator until the rest of the meal is close to done.
Romano's Macaroni Grill Chicken Portobello
Menu Description: "Grilled chicken breast with Portobello mushrooms, smoked mozzarella and demi glace, with a spinach orzo pasta."
Fire up the grill for this take on one of Romano's most popular entrees. After you grill a couple portobello caps, slice them thinly at an extreme angle to make wide slices that fit perfectly on top of grilled chicken breasts that have been rubbed with stone ground mustard (the kind with the whole mustard seeds in it). Romano's delicious demi glace is made from reduced veal stock, but a nice substitute can be made from a combination of canned beef broth and chicken broth. With plenty of garlic, rosemary and thyme in there, the aroma of sauce simmering on the stove will make everyone in the house drool.
Update 1/25/17: If your demi glace is too thin add an additional tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken.
Soup Nazi's Indian Mulligatawny Soup
Elaine: "Do you need anything?"
Kramer: "Oh, a hot bowl of Mulligatawny would hit the spot."
Elaine: "Mulligatawny?"
Kramer: "Yeah, it's an Indian soup. Simmered to perfection by one of the great soup artisans in the modern era."
Elaine: "Oh. Who, the Soup Nazi?"
Kramer: "He's not a Nazi. He just happens to be a little eccentric. You know, most geniuses are."
Kramer was right. Al Yeganeh—otherwise known as The Soup Nazi from the Seinfeld episode that aired in 1995—is a master at the soup kettle. His popular soup creations have inspired many inferior copycats in the Big Apple, including The Soup Nutsy, which was only ten blocks away from Al's original location on 55th Street. Yeganeh's mastery shows when he combines unusual ingredients to create unique and delicious flavors in his much-raved-about soups. In this one, you might be surprised to discover pistachios and cashews among the many vegetables. It's a combination that works.
I took a trip to New York and tasted about a dozen of the Soup Nazi's original creations. This one, the Indian Mulligatawny, was high on my list of favorites. After each daily trip to Soup Nazi headquarters (Soup Kitchen International), I immediately headed back to the hotel and poured samples of the soups into labeled, sealed containers, which were then chilled for the trip back home. Back in the lab, portions of the soup were rinsed through a sieve so that ingredients could be identified. I recreated four of Al's best-selling soups after that trip, including this one, which will need to simmer for 3 to 4 hours, or until the soup reduces. The soup will darken as the flavors intensify, the potatoes will begin to fall apart to thicken the soup, and the nuts will soften. If you follow these directions, you should end up with a clone that would fool even Cosmo Kramer himself.
Update 2/6/18: The recipe can be improved by doubling the curry (to 2 teaspoons) and reducing the water by half (to 8 cups). Cook the soup for half the recommended time or until it's your desired thickness.
Bennigan's The Monte Cristo
Menu Description: "A delicious combination of ham and turkey, plus Swiss and American cheeses on wheat bread. Lightly battered and fried until golden. Dusted with powdered sugar and served with red raspberry preserves for dipping."
It sounds crazy, but it tastes great: a triple-decker ham, turkey, and cheese sandwich is dipped in a tempura-style batter; fried to a golden brown; then served with a dusting of powdered sugar and a side of raspberry preserves. For over ten years tons of cloning requests for this one have stacked up at TSR Central, so it was time for a road trip. There are no Bennigan's in Las Vegas, and since the Bennigan's chain made this sandwich famous, I headed out to the nearest Bennigan's in San Diego. Back home, with an ice chest full of original Monte Cristo sandwiches well-preserved and ready to work with, I was able to come up with this simple clone for a delicious sandwich that is crispy on the outside, and hot, but not greasy, on the inside (the batter prevents the shortening from penetrating). This recipe makes one sandwich, which may be enough for two. If you want to make more, you'll most likely have to make more batter so that any additional sandwiches get a real good dunking. Recently, Bennigan's restaurants across the country have been closing, but with this secret formula you can still experience the taste of the chain's signature sandwich.
Claim Jumper Garlic Cheese Bread
Claim Jumper restaurants may only be found in the West, but the chain can claim national recognition for its delicious garlic cheese bread and toast. That's because you can find boxed loaves of the stuff ready for baking in the frozen food section of your well-stocked local supermarket. The recipe is such a simple one though, that it doesn't take much longer to make the cheesy goodness from scratch, and you save a few shekels to boot. Plus, it's nice to use fresh bread—your choice of either Texas toast or your favorite French loaf. The restaurant serves the Texas toast version, and the supermarket version is a French loaf. All you have to do for a clone is mix together a few basic ingredients, spread it generously on the bread of your choice, and pop it in the oven.
Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
In early 1985, restaurateur Rich Komen felt there was a specialty niche in convenience-food service just waiting to be filled. His idea was to create an efficient outlet that could serve freshly made cinnamon rolls in shopping malls throughout the country. It took nine months for Komen and his staff to develop a cinnamon roll recipe he knew customers would consider the "freshest, gooiest, and most mouthwatering cinnamon roll ever tasted." The concept was tested for the first time in Seattle's Sea-Tac mall later that year, with workers mixing, proofing, rolling, and baking the rolls in full view of customers. Now, more than 626 outlets later, Cinnabon has become the fastest-growing cinnamon roll bakery in the world.
Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Cake
Traditional white birthday cakes are pretty boring by themselves. Scoop a little ice cream onto the plate and I'll perk up a bit. But, hey baby, bring a Baskin-Robbins ice cream cake to the party and I'll be the first one in line with my plastic fork. This 5000-unit ice cream chain stacks several varieties of pre-made ice cream cakes in its freezer, but I've discovered the most popular version, over and over again, is the one made from white cake with pralines and cream ice cream on top. So that's got to be the version we clone here. But don't think you're locked into this Baskin Robbins ice cream cake recipe—you can use any flavor of cake and ice cream you fancy for your homemade masterpiece. Just be sure the ice cream you choose comes in a box. It should be a rectangular shape so that the ice cream layer stacks just right on the cake. You'll want a real sharp serrated knife to cut the ice cream in half while it's still in the box. And check this out: that white stuff that coats the cake is actually softened vanilla ice cream that's spread in a thin layer on the cake, and then re-frozen. After it sets up, you can decorate the cake any way you like with pre-made frosting in whatever color suits the festive occasion. So now you can learn how to make Baskin Robbins ice cream cake at home that looks and tastes exactly like those in the stores that cost around 30 bucks each!
Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies
These soft, creme-filled sandwich cookies were the first snacks produced by McKee Foods back in 1960. It was his 4-year-old granddaughter Debbie after whom founder O.D. McKee named his line of snack cakes. O.D. was inspired by a picture of the little girl in play clothes and a straw hat, and that's the image we still find today on every package. The secret to cloning these mouth-watering snacks is re-creating the soft, chewy consistency of the oatmeal cookies. To duplicate the texture, the cookies are slightly underbaked. Then you whip up some of the easy-to-make creme filling with marshmallow creme and spread it between two of the oatmeal cookies to complete the sandwich.
Denny's Pancake Puppies
The original version of these bite-size breakfast treats made with extra thick pancake batter and coated with cinnamon sugar are a big success at Denny's. So, chefs there have come up with another version with blueberries and white chocolate chips inside. Initially I thought I could use an instant blueberry pancake mix to clone the new flavor, such as the mix made by Krusteaz. But those "blueberries" in there aren't even real blueberries - they're fake blueberry flavored bits. Not good. I found that the best solution for the best clone is to add chopped up dried blueberries to an extra-thick batter, along with a little chopped up white chocolate chips. The batter is easy to portion out using a 1 3/4-inch cookie scoop that's been dipped in oil, but you could also use a tablespoon measure as long as you don't scoop up too much. Keep your batter balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter or they may not cook all the way through. Here are clones for the original Pancake Puppies as well as the new blueberry and white chocolate chip version.
Claim Jumper Cheese Potatocakes
Menu Description: "(Our most popular appetizer.) Parmesan, Cheddar & Monterey Jack cheeses, cilantro, onion, fresh dill & mashed potato lightly breaded and fried crispy topped with fresh cut chives. Served with herbed ranch salsa."
This top-seller is a versatile side dish alternative to mashed potatoes, but also stands well on it's own as an appetizer. With cilantro, green onion, and three different cheeses in there, the flavor is the bomb. When you add a crispy breading and some herbed ranch salsa drizzled over the top, it's clear why this is the most popular appetizer on the huge Claim Jumper menu. Try dropping a pinch or two of cayenne pepper into the herbed ranch salsa for an extra spicy boost.
T.G.I. Friday's Crispy Green Bean Fries
Menu Description: "Crunchy and crisp battered green beans with a cool creamy Cucumber-Wasabi Ranch dip."
T.G.I. Friday's new finger food offering might just make you forget about French fries. At least for a little while. Flavorful green beans are coated with tasty breadcrumbs, then fried to a golden brown, and served with a side of creamy wasabi dipping sauce. This item has quickly become the top seller on the chain's new appetizer menu as Friday's becomes the first major casual restaurant to introduce a dish that has been popular for several years at upscale chains.
Creating a home version isn't just a matter of breading and frying fresh green beans. My first attempts using a breading technique employed for perfect onion rings produced beautiful looking fried beans, but they were undercooked and had an overwhelming green bean flavor that was absent from the Friday's version. So, I had to figure out a good way to get the green bean-ness out of there. After a few tests that included steaming, baking, and boiling, I finally settled on blanching the beans in a flavorful broth. The secret technique, which you'll find here, tenderizes the beans while injecting pleasant flavor that closely resembles the Friday's favorite.
Outback Steakhouse Victoria's Crowned Filet
Tonight, don't settle for steaks that are served straight off the grill. Instead, blow everyone away when you serve up grilled beef tenderloin filets that have been "crowned" with buttery horseradish breadcrumbs. This presentation looks and tastes great, but the best part: it's really freakin' easy. The crust is prepared ahead of time by combining the ingredients and forming the mixture into crust "pucks" that are chilled until firm. Then, when the steaks come off the grill, you top each one with a crust, and broil until bubbling. Now, sit back and watch as your feeders flip when they take the first bite. That's right, tonight you rule.
Jack in the Box Taco
Older than both McDonald's and Burger King, Jack-in-the Box is the world's fifth-largest hamburger chain, with 1,089 outlets by the end of 1991 in thirteen states throughout the West and Southwest. The restaurant, headquartered in San Diego, boasts one of the largest menus in the fast food world.
Now taste for yourself the homemade version of Jack's most popular item. The Jack-in-the Box Taco has been served since the inception of the chain, with very few changes over the years.
Planet Hollywood Pot Stickers
Menu Description: "Six pot stickers filled with fresh ground turkey meat seasoned with ginger, water chestnuts, red pepper and green onions.They are fried and served in a basket with spicy hoisin."
Pot stickers are a popular Asian dumpling that can be fried, steamed, or simmered in a broth. Planet Hollywood has customized its version to make them crunchier than the traditional dish, and it's a tasty twist that I'm sure you'll love. The spicy hoisin sauce is made by adding a little cayenne pepper to store-bought hoisin sauce.
Olive Garden Chicken Scampi
Menu Description: "Chicken breast tenderloins sauteed with bell peppers, roasted garlic and onions in a garlic cream sauce over angel hair."
This dish is a big favorite of Olive Garden regulars. Chicken tenderloins are lightly breaded and sauteed along with colorful bell peppers and chopped red onion. Angel hair pasta is tossed into the pan along with a healthy dose of fresh scampi sauce. If you're cooking for two, you can prepare this dish for the table in one large skillet, saving the remaining ingredients for another meal. If you're making all four servings at once, you need two skillets. If you can't find fresh chicken tenderloins (the tender part of the chicken breast), you can usually find bags of them in the freezer section.
Long John Silver's Batter-Dipped Fish
Jerrico, Inc., the parent company for Long John Silver's Seafood Shoppes, got its start in 1929 as a six-stool hamburger stand called the White Tavern Shoppe. Jerrico was started by a man named Jerome Lederer, who watched Long John Silver's thirteen units dwindle in the shadow of World War II to just three units. Then, with determination, he began rebuilding. In 1946 Jerome launched a new restaurant called Jerry's and it was a booming success, with growth across the country. Then he took a chance on what would be his most successful venture in 1969, with the opening of the first Long John Silver's Fish 'n' Chips. The name was inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. In 1991 there were 1,450 Long John Silver Seafood Shoppes in thirty-seven states, Canada, and Singapore, with annual sales of more than $781 million. That means the company holds about 65 percent of the $1.2 billion quick-service seafood business.
Exclusive signed copy. After 10 years of research in the Top Secret Lab, America's Clone Ranger emerges with his highly anticipated follow-up to the best-selling Top Secret Restaurant Recipes cookbook.
Author Todd Wilbur reveals 150 new secret formulas for duplicating the taste of your favorite dishes from America's biggest restaurant chains including Applebee's, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse and many others.
Todd's simple recipes and detailed blueprints will have you creating culinary copycats that will fool even the most critical connoisseurs at a fraction of the cost of eating out. But beware, everyone will be so amazed, you may have to start taking reservations!
Discover the secrets to making your own versions of Original Pancake House Apple Pancake, Olive Garden Sicilian Scampi, The Cheesecake Factory White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake, Chili's Grilled Baby Back Ribs, Romano's Macaroni Grill Penne Rustica, Applebee's White Chocolate & Walnut Blondie, Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Tony Roma's Baked Potato Soup, Houston's Chicago-Style Spinach Dip, Benihana Ginger Salad Dressing, IHOP Country Griddle Cakes, Carrabba's Chicken Marsala, T.G.I. Friday's Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad, Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls, Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake, Bennigan's The Monte Cristo, P.F. Chang's Orange Peel Chicken, Outback Steakhouse Kookaburra Wings and many more.
Click on the "Table of Contents" link (underneath the book graphic on the left) to see the full list of recipes included in this cookbook.
Other books you may like: Top Secret Restaurant Recipes and Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3.


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Vita
Horst Blanck ha studiato archeologia classica, storia antica, filologia classica e pre- e protostoria presso l'Università di Colonia, dove conseguì il dottorato con una tesi sul riutilizzo di vecchie statue come monumenti onorari nel mondo greco e romano. Ha poi completato la formazione come bibliotecario scientifico ed è stato, fino al  pensionamento, nel 2001, responsabile della biblioteca dell'Istituto Archeologico Germanico di Roma. Horst Blanck ha vissuto a Cerveteri nei pressi di Roma.

Le sue principali aree di ricerca sono stati l'etruscologia e la storia dell'archeologia classica.

Opere
 Wiederverwendung alter Statuen als Ehrendenkmäler bei Griechen und Römern, Köln: Hochschulschrift 1963 (Dissertazione) (Nuova ed. Roma: L'Erma di Bretschneider 1969 [Studia archaeologica, 2]).
 Einführung in das Privatleben der Griechen und Römer, Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft 1976, 2ª ed. 1996 (Die Altertumswissenschaft. Einführungen in Gegenstand, Methoden und Ergebnisse ihrer Teildisziplinen und Hilfswissenschaften).
 Die Bibliothek des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts in Rom, Mainz: Von Zabern, 1979 (Das Deutsche Archäologische Institut, Bd. 7)
 (con Giuseppe Proietti) La Tomba dei Rilievi di Cerveteri, Roma: De Luca Editori, 1986.
 (con Cornelia Weber-Lehmann) Malerei der Etrusker in Zeichnungen des 19. Jahrhunderts, Mainz: Von Zabern 1987.
 Das Buch in der Antike, München: C.H. Beck 1992 (tr. it. Il libro nel mondo antico, cur. R. Otranto, pref. L. Canfora, Bari: Dedalo 2008).
 (con Stephan Steingräber) Volterra, Mainz: Von Zabern 2002.

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Collegamenti esterni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia