============================== Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1991 14:39:09 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Muriel Kranowski Subject: Urban Legend cookies My son at college sent me via e-mail the following note which is making its way around his campus through a student bulletin board. It sure looks like an UL to me - I can't believe a dept store of this kind that lives on its reputation would go out of its way to alienate a customer as described in the story. Anyone else seen any variants? Here it is as I received it. (I plan on trying out the recipe shortly and sending them to my son; am hoping the recipe is not an UL too.) Neiman-Marcus $250 Cookie Recipe A woman had lunch at Neiman-Marcus in Dallas last November, and for dessert she had a cookie. she thought it was the most wonderful cookie she had ever tasted and asked if the recipe was available. She was told that it was, but there was a charge of two-fifty. She said that was fine. She got the recipe and told them to charge it to her account. In December, when she received her bill, there was a charge for $250.00. She called Neiman's and told them it was a mistake--the charge should be $2.50. She was told there was NO mistake--that the charge for the recipe was correct. They told her it was not a returnable item and she would have to pay the amount charged to her account or become delinquent. The bottom line is she paid. She vowed to get back at Neiman's and wants to give the recipe out to everyone she possibly can. She asks that everyone who gets a copy send it to everyone they know. So here it is: Neiman's $250.00 Cookies 2 cups butter 1 tsp. salt 2 cups gran. sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 2 cups brown sugar 2 tsp. baking soda 4 eggs 24 oz. chocolate chips 2 tsp. vanilla 1 8-oz. Hershey bar, grated 4 cups flour 3 cups chopped nuts 5 cups blended oatmeal (measure and process in blender to a fine powder) Cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add chips, candy and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 6 minutes at 375 F. Makes 112 cookies. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1991 14:54:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: MRUPS@BROOK.BITNET Subject: Re: Urban Legend cookies A FOLKLORE message dated 5 November 1991 (the one that gave me the address for this list in the first place) is identical in price, but the recipe is Mrs Fields' -- I rather think, therefore, that it IS an UL. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1991 15:01:23 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Muriel Kranowski Subject: New listmember apology for cookie recipe Sorry about that - I joined this list on November 8 and was not aware you'd already covered the $250 cookie recipe tale. (Should have known it was too good to be new.) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1991 15:25:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Rita Leonard Subject: Re: New listmember apology for cookie recipe ------------------------------TEXT-OF-YOUR-MAIL-------------------------------- > From: Muriel Kranowski > > Sorry about that - I joined this list on November 8 and was not aware > you'd already covered the $250 cookie recipe tale. > (Should have known it was too good to be new.) > I for one, don't mind in the least because you are the first person (as far as I can recall) who actually volunteered to try the recipe. I've been dying to try it but just couldn't work up the energy or the courage to bake a 'legendary cookie'. Will you let us know how they turn out? Rita LEONARD@BCVMCMS ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1991 15:47:52 LCL Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: pamela marin-kingsley Subject: Re: Re: New listmember apology for cookie recipe Someone in my office tried and baked the "legendaryc cookies." We all got to taste them. They were, in a word, wonderful! Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1991 00:12:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: LYDIA FISH Subject: FOAF eliminated!! (x-post) Forwarded from VIET-NET ******************************************************************* The following is a true story - I got this from someone who knows the person it happened to. Enjoy - I hope they taste good!! ****** The following is a COPY ***************************** SUBJECT: EXPENSIVE LESSON - $250.00 COOKIE RECIPE My daughter and I had finished a salad at the Neiman-Marcus Cafe in Dallas and decided to have a small dessert. Because our family members are such 'Cookie monsters', we decided to try the Neiman-Marcus Cookie. It was so good that I asked if they would give me the recipe. She said with a frown, "I'm afraid not". "Well", I said, "Would you let me buy the recipe?" With a cute smile, she agreed. I asked how much, and she responded "Two Fifty". I said with approval, "Just add it to my tab". Thirty days later I received my statment from Neiman-Marcus and it was $285.00. I looked again and remembered I had only spent $9.95 for two salads and about $20 for a scarf. As I glanced at the bottom of the statment it said "Cookie Recipe-$250". Boy was I upset! I called Neiman's accounting office and told them the waitress said it was "two fifty" and did not realize she meant $250 for a cookie recipe. I asked them to take back the recipe and reduce my bill, but they said they were sorry, but all the recipes were this expensive so not just anyone could duplicate the bakery recipies...the bill would stand. I thought of how I could get even or try to get my money back. I just said okay, you folks got my $250 and now I'm going to have $250 worth of fun. I told her that I was going to see to it that every cookie lover will have the $250 recipe from Neiman-Marcus for nothing. She replied "I wish you wouldn't do this." I said, "I'm sorry, but this is the only way I feel I can get even and I will". So here it is, please pass it on to someone else or run a few copies...I paid for it, now you can have it for free!!! 2 cups butter 1 tsp. salt 2 cups sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 2 cups brown sugar 2 tsp. soda 4 eggs 24 oz. chocholate chips 2 tsp. vanilla 1-8 oz. Hershey bar, grated 4 cups flour 3 cups chopped nuts 5 cups blended oatmeal* Cream, butter, and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375. Makes 112 cookies (recipe may be halved). * Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Have Fun! This is not a joke - This is a true story!!!!! (belive it or not?????) Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1991 17:22:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: MRUPS@BROOK.BITNET Subject: tired of cookies? not exACTly... Oh dear oh DEAR, a complaint about the cookie recipes just as I was about to say "sorry" to the poor soul who apologized for posting the Neimann- Marcus version, unaware that a Mrs Fields version had just turned up... (My adding the date was NOT a "read your mail, dumdum, :-) we've HAD this before!" but "for those of you interested in the variants but who've deleted the original, here's the date to facilitate your search.") What's interesting is that the money amount is, in the three examples, the same or similar, and the recipes ditto. So -- is it VERY impossible for there to be a core of truth here? With people tacking on different company names because they are more familiar with them than the one in the version they first heard? (Interesting reaction; MY tactic would have been to keep the name, add an explanatory "the famous bakery, YOU know", and have the tellee assume I know so much more than I do.) Whence that recipe? I don't have the copies handy, but my impression was they were more or less identical, one with crushed Hershey bars (why Hershey? Why not Nestle's?), the other with chocolate chips. BTW, how DID the recipe turn out? I hope your son was suitably grateful. My favourite is still the Dog that Barked in the Night Time Chocolate Chip Droppings, but I'm willing to diversify... TGIF ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1991 15:04:00 PST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Paul Jordan-Smith Subject: Re: tired of cookies? not exACTly... Maybe the list of Incredible Edibles would be more digestible if we could focus on something other than mere accretion. One thing that interests me is the question about Hershey's instead of Nestle's. Brunvand notes that specificity such as that is often used as an index of veracity. By being very particular on certain details (Mrs. Field's, Neiman-Marcus, Waldorf Astoria, Hershey's) a general aura of truth begins to emanate from the story, obscuring the glaring generalities that reveal it to be foaflore: a story in the Miami Herald (no date given): the source (friend-of-a-friend) is just obscure enough to be unverifiable. Pardon the long preamble, probably familiar ad nauseam to everyone. What I'm curious about is the nature of the various "details." We can ask, Why Hershey's: is there something about Hershey (it's greater popularity?) that makes it more useful as a veracity index than Nestle? For that matter, why $250? (A pretty consistent number, BTW.) Or is all of this completely arbitrary? Why do some details get preserved? Why are some interchangeable? What, finally, is the mechanism of variety? What preserves specific features across the DMZ of arbitrariness? Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1991 14:54:50 CST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Chris Carlisle Subject: Re: FOAF eliminated!! (x-post) In-Reply-To: Message of Fri, 6 Dec 1991 00:12:00 EST from Oh, dear, oh dear, oh dear! By my count, this is the sixth posting I have seen of this damnable recipe (or some variant thereof) on a list in the last six weeks. Three of the postings were on FOLKLORE. What on earth can we do to stop this spreading UL cancer before it irritates or bores us all to death? Any suggestions? ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1991 17:22:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: MRUPS@BROOK.BITNET Subject: tired of cookies? not exACTly... Oh dear oh DEAR, a complaint about the cookie recipes just as I was about to say "sorry" to the poor soul who apologized for posting the Neimann- Marcus version, unaware that a Mrs Fields version had just turned up... (My adding the date was NOT a "read your mail, dumdum, :-) we've HAD this before!" but "for those of you interested in the variants but who've deleted the original, here's the date to facilitate your search.") What's interesting is that the money amount is, in the three examples, the same or similar, and the recipes ditto. So -- is it VERY impossible for there to be a core of truth here? With people tacking on different company names because they are more familiar with them than the one in the version they first heard? (Interesting reaction; MY tactic would have been to keep the name, add an explanatory "the famous bakery, YOU know", and have the tellee assume I know so much more than I do.) Whence that recipe? I don't have the copies handy, but my impression was they were more or less identical, one with crushed Hershey bars (why Hershey? Why not Nestle's?), the other with chocolate chips. BTW, how DID the recipe turn out? I hope your son was suitably grateful. My favourite is still the Dog that Barked in the Night Time Chocolate Chip Droppings, but I'm willing to diversify... TGIF ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1991 15:04:00 PST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Paul Jordan-Smith Subject: Re: tired of cookies? not exACTly... Maybe the list of Incredible Edibles would be more digestible if we could focus on something other than mere accretion. One thing that interests me is the question about Hershey's instead of Nestle's. Brunvand notes that specificity such as that is often used as an index of veracity. By being very particular on certain details (Mrs. Field's, Neiman-Marcus, Waldorf Astoria, Hershey's) a general aura of truth begins to emanate from the story, obscuring the glaring generalities that reveal it to be foaflore: a story in the Miami Herald (no date given): the source (friend-of-a-friend) is just obscure enough to be unverifiable. Pardon the long preamble, probably familiar ad nauseam to everyone. What I'm curious about is the nature of the various "details." We can ask, Why Hershey's: is there something about Hershey (it's greater popularity?) that makes it more useful as a veracity index than Nestle? For that matter, why $250? (A pretty consistent number, BTW.) Or is all of this completely arbitrary? Why do some details get preserved? Why are some interchangeable? What, finally, is the mechanism of variety? What preserves specific features across the DMZ of arbitrariness? Date: Sat, 7 Dec 1991 01:16:00 CDT Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: "I'M ONLY THE EDITOR...I DIDN'T WRITE IT" Subject: Re: tired of cookies? not exACTly... I wish I could remeber where exactly I heard the discussion of this legend, but appearantly this is just the most recent version of a story dating back to the 30's or 40's in which the recipe was for a pink cake from, I believe, Fred Harvey restaurants. (you'll either have to be old enough or ask a railroad buff to find out what a Harvey House was) the original price was 50.00 ts. mistaken as 50 cents. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1991 23:41:15 PST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Michael Helm Subject: Re: tired of cookies? not exACTly... In-Reply-To: DTOMBAUGH%UMKCVAX1.BITNET%TAMVM1.BITNET@Csa3.LBL.Gov (I'M ONLY THE EDITOR...I DIDN'T WRITE IT) "Re: tired of cookies? not exACTly..." (Dec 7, 1:16am) On Dec 7, 1:16am, I'M ONLY THE EDITOR...I DIDN'T WRITE IT wrote: > Fred Harvey restaurants. (you'll either have to be old enough or ask a railroa d > buff to find out what a Harvey House was) the original price was 50.00 ts. This wouldn't be an Urban Legend about an Urban Legend, would it? ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Dec 1991 10:58:54 MST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Dan Lester Subject: Re: tired of cookies? not exACTly... In-Reply-To: Message of Fri, 6 Dec 1991 15:04:00 PST from On Fri, 6 Dec 1991 15:04:00 PST Paul Jordan-Smith said: >thing that interests me is the question about Hershey's instead >of Nestle's. Brunvand notes that specificity such as that is Many would say that Nestle's is not politically or ecologically correct. But since I don't eat any chocolate at all, I haven't kept up with the details. >often used as an index of veracity. By being very particular on >certain details (Mrs. Field's, Neiman-Marcus, Waldorf Astoria, >Hershey's) a general aura of truth begins to emanate from the Which is exactly what helps to make it an UL. They ALWAYS have some phony detail like that (well, almost always). whether it is my sister's best friend, or my cousin's brother-in-law, or Nieman's or whoever. Also, it is usually a large, wealthy, "elite" corporation that we are "getting back at" for "ripping us off over the years", at least implicitly. >"details." We can ask, Why Hershey's: is there something about >Hershey (it's greater popularity?) that makes it more useful >as a veracity index than Nestle? For that matter, why $250? See above. It has to be something ending in "50" or "75" or whatever for the joke to work. For the trick to work. It is much less believable if it is simply state "three", when the speaker is more likely to say "three dollars" or "three bucks" than simply "three". Same for "three hundred". But the "two fifty" or "five seventy five" has the requisite ambiguity. Note the same behavior in the "three fifty shoes" posted to the list in last few messages. >(A pretty consistent number, BTW.) Or is all of this completely Yes, it is. But if it was "ten fifty" you might wonder about the price for the recipe. "Two fifty " is practically small change to most folks these days, and particularly those who would shop at Nieman's. Also if it were "nineteen fifty" it might be worth hiring a lawyer to deal with the offending firm and the story would lose some more impact or credibility. >arbitrary? Why do some details get preserved? Why are some >interchangeable? What, finally, is the mechanism of variety? At least partly memory or the lack thereof. dan ***************************************************************************** * Dan Lester Bitnet: alileste@idbsu * * Associate University Librarian Internet: alileste@idbsu.idbsu.edu * * Boise State University * * Boise, Idaho 83725 BSU and I have a deal: I don't speak * * 208-385-1234 for them and they don't speak for me. * ***************************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Dec 1991 12:37:00 CDT Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: "I'M ONLY THE EDITOR...I DIDN'T WRITE IT" Subject: Re: tired of cookies? not exACTly... RE: Fred Harvey Good point about this being an urban legend about an urban legend, btu I rather doubt it. As pointed out about the pricings of the stories, two fifty seems r a reasonable in the 1980's and 90's where "50" would fit in nicely with 1930's 40's economics. Likewise, the choice of restaurants. ANYONE could have told you What a Fred Harvey restaurant was and where the nearest one was. It has all the requsites of a "true" UL. Besides, it was told to me by my grandmother who heard from a very close friend.................:-) Doug =========================================== Date: Sat, 7 Dec 1991 20:08:30 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Muriel Kranowski Subject: Those cookies I baked 'em and my family is enjoying them. ALso my friends and acquaintances, because by the time a very long evening was over there were around 220 of them. I guess I shape them smaller than they do. Here are some more specifics that differentiate this particular chocolate chip recipe, not that this tipped me off that it was an UL-- it was the $250 story that did that. 1) Grated chocolate -- very unusual for a cookie recipe 2) Blendered oatmeal -- beats me what this did that was so terrific compared to using ordinary oat flakes 3) Yields 112 cookies. Why 112? Yields are normally given in dozens. Of course they don't tell you how large to make them in order to achieve this yield, so it's highly unlikely that anyone, would no matter how carefully you followed the directions. (I always follow a recipe slavishly the first time. After that, anything goes. Which probably explains why I tend to have "beginner's luck" on first-time recipes.) The hardest parts were grating the chocolate bars (I had to get two of 4-oz each, hoping this would not annoy the cookie gods too much) and then handling the extremely large quantity of cookie dough that eventually resulted. If I fix 'em again I will do half at a time, or just plain half. (I personally can't vouch for them because I am gluten-intolerant, but my family have said they are quite good.) Does this list suffer from a lot of repeated subjects (as I unwittingly repeated this cookie UL)? Is that why some readers were _so_ irritated? Will try not to repeat this blunder. Good cookies to all of you. Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1991 14:12:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Bill Anderson Subject: Chocolate-chip cookie odyssey The Neiman-Marcus chocolate chip cookie story is *definitely* a UL- it's been around for many years, with different restaurants playing the villian, and was recounted by Brunvand before the current incident allegedly took place. That said, the Neiman's in Dallas seems to be intent on making people believe it. I called them, was connected with the restaurant, and spoke with the manager, who was perfectly pleasant until I asked him if he had heard the story about the chocolate chip cookies. He became very rude, told me that he was busy, that he couldn't talk to me, and that he couldn't comment on chocolate chip cookies. When I tried to pursue the matter, he hung up on me. Now, maybe he really was too busy to talk, and got angry because he felt that I was wasting his time with frivolous questions- or maybe he was just having a bad day- but I got the feeling that it was the substance of the question that upset him. If this is a typical reaction to this sort of situation, then it's no wonder so many people believe stories of this type. If anybody else wants to give this a whirl, the number is (214) 741-6911. Maybe he just didn't like my voice. -Bill ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1991 14:23:04 CST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Chris Carlisle Subject: Re: Chocolate-chip cookie odyssey In-Reply-To: Message of Mon, 9 Dec 1991 14:12:00 EST from If you really want to get an answer from Neiman Marcus about the folkloric implications of the UL cookie recipe, wouldn't a polite letter to the store be better than calling a busy manager who has probably had to deal with hysterical blue-haired customers who scream and yell at him about the injustice of this true story told to them by friends? A nicely-phrased letter explaining that the writer is interested solely from a folkloric standpoint would probably be well received. ============================== Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1991 16:52:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Bill Anderson Subject: chocolate chip cookie odyssey >A nicely-phrased letter explaining that the writer is interested solely >from a folkloric standpoint would probably be well received. You're right, of course- but I could tell you almost word for word what the response to such a letter would say. In fact, it would be pretty much the same as the letter from the Waldorf-Astoria to Brunvand in _The_Choking_Doberman_. I was trying to get a perspective from a little closer to the action, and wanted to find out what the public reaction had been to the story, among other things. I was careful to state that I had a scholarly interest in the story, and told him I'd call him some other time if it was convenient. His reaction was out of proportion, and led me to believe that he might have been told not to discuss the matter. -Bill Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1991 14:23:04 CST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Chris Carlisle Subject: Re: Chocolate-chip cookie odyssey In-Reply-To: Message of Mon, 9 Dec 1991 14:12:00 EST from If you really want to get an answer from Neiman Marcus about the folkloric implications of the UL cookie recipe, wouldn't a polite letter to the store be better than calling a busy manager who has probably had to deal with hysterical blue-haired customers who scream and yell at him about the injustice of this true story told to them by friends? A nicely-phrased letter explaining that the writer is interested solely from a folkloric standpoint would probably be well received. =========================================== Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1991 16:17:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: "Kim.Dyer" <21329KAD@MSU.BITNET> Subject: Re: tired of cookies? not exACTly... In-Reply-To: The letter of Sat, 7 Dec 1991 10:58:54 MST > >thing that interests me is the question about Hershey's instead > >of Nestle's. Brunvand notes that specificity such as that is > Many would say that Nestle's is not politically or ecologically > correct. But since I don't eat any chocolate at all, I haven't kept > up with the details. I would just say it's because Hershey's is better chocolate. *I* sure like it better. (And the Hershey's puddings beat the dickens out of the Jell-O brand.) By the way ... Mrs. Field's Corp. is now marketing their OWN chocolate chips. On the back is not one but TWO recipes! (I'm afraid I ate the chips sans cookies in a chocolate withdrawl fit ... they are pretty good.) Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1991 10:14:00 EDT Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: BRIGGSK@CITADEL.BITNET Subject: those cookies---chocolate wars Believe it or not, minutes after I explained the whole cookie UL to my husband, he got a mail message from a friend of a friend with the whole story. (Nieman-Ma rcus version). About the Hershey's vs. Nestle's question: Every recipe I can remember that called for milk chocolate mentioned Hershey's. Lots of times, the recipe stated Hershey's rather than "milk chocolate." I think that the mention of Hershey's is another one of those details to make the whole thing more believable. Kasey Briggs Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1991 14:40:44 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Susan Garfinkel Subject: those cookies---chocolate wars In-Reply-To: note of Wed, 11 Dec 1991 10:14:00 EDT from Can someone with access to usenet tell how widely this cookie recipe thing is circulating on e-mail? I first got a copy four months ago from my sister who pulled it off a network and sent it to me because of my folklore interest... How much is this tying up the electronic airwaves? Is there an AFS paper in it for someone? Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1991 16:56:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Madeline Subject: Re: those cookies---chocolate wars I am new to the list and don't know of what cookies you speak, but it remindes me of a story....... At Thanksgiving in Milford, PA one dessert dish was a variation on the Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet Cake ...... When a plate of lucious Chocolate Cookies were placed on the table the cook announced that these were made from a $500 recipe.....you know the rest of the story. The location was changed to Nieman Marcus dining room....and the cake, of course, was changed to cookies. Of course I rained on the parade of the young woman serving the cookies with my academic stance explaining urban legends and such. .....here is the twist...... The young woman's mother piped in: "This happened to a real person, I have the evidence. It was my boss's mother who got stuck with the bill...." Now, she has not yet provided me with the "evidence"..... .....and I have not hounded her for it, we only met at dinner. Has anyone heard this variation? Is it old hat by now? or is it a new legend? Maybe it is actual? Just curious, Madeline Slovenz-Low Department of Performance Studies N.Y.U. bitnet - slvnzlwm@nyuacf internet - slvnzlwm@acfcluster.nyu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1991 18:30:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Bill Anderson Subject: Cookies I have now seen the cookie story on four- count 'em, four- lists. Two of the four have nothing to do with folklore, and the other isn't specifically a folklore list, so I'd guess that somebody out there thinks this story is true and is doing his or her best to circulate the recipe in the interest of Truth, Justice and the American Way. -Bill ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1991 18:36:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: LYDIA FISH Subject: Re: those cookies---chocolate wars >Can someone with access to usenet tell how widely this cookie recipe thing is >circulating on e-mail? I first got a copy four months ago from my sister who >pulled it off a network and sent it to me because of my folklore interest... >How much is this tying up the electronic airwaves? Is there an AFS paper in it >for someone? There is probably a great paper in this for someone. (Perhaps you could pass out cookies at the session.) I have seen the story twice on VIET-NET in the past few weeks and have forwarded it to the list each time. According to Nancy Piatkowski (piatkonm@snybufva) there has been a lot of stuff about it on USENET. Unfortunately, you can only read that stuff once before it vanishes. I do have access, so if anyone really wants me to, I can pick up all the refs off alt.folk.urban or whatever it is and forward them to the list or to a person as I read them. (AFTER exam week!!!!) Of course, that won't cover all the refs on other lists--I gather it has been all over the networks. Isn't life in the nineties fascinating? Lydia ***************************************************************** Lydia Fish, Director Vietnam Veterans Oral History and Folklore Project Department of Anthropology Buffalo State College 1300 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo NY 14222 Office: (716) 878 6110 FAX: (716) 878 4009 BITNET: FISHLM@SNYBUFVA ***************************************************************** =========================================== Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1991 18:23:00 CST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: MCR0193@TAMSUMMA.BITNET Subject: No strange messages here.. Hi, I haven't received any strange messages that are not deletable from Richter or anyone else, sorry. In fact, all I ever get from this list is mail about cookies. I like cookies as much as the next guy, but isn't there anything more interesting to talk about? :-) Matt ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1991 18:50:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: LYDIA FISH Subject: NM cookies strike again! Forwarded from DOROTHYL (detective story discussion list) ***************************************************************** The following is a Neiman-Marcus cookie story complete with a $250 recipe courtesy of the 'owner'. Hope you enjoy it. ===================FORWARDED MESSAGE=========================================== Date: Mon, 2 Dec 91 09:56:25 PST From: "Brynna Donn" Forwarded from Apple--enjoy. =============================================================================== SUBJECT: EXPENSIVE LESSON - $250 COOKIE RECIPE My daughter and I had finished a salad at the Neiman-Marcus Cafe in Dallas and decided to have a small desert. Because our family members are such "Cookie Monsters", we decided to try the Neiman-Marcus Cookie. It was so good that I asked if they would give me the recipe. She said with a frown, "I'm afraid not". "Well", I said, "Would you let me buy the recipe?" With a cute smile, she agreed. I asked how much, and she responded "Two Fifty". I said with approval, "Just add it to my tab." Thirty days later I recieved my statement from Neiman-Marcus and it was $285.00. I looked again and remembered I had only spent $9.95 for two salads and about $20 for a scarf. As I glanced at the bottom of the statement said "Cookie Recipe-$250". Boy was I upset! I called Neiman's accounting office and told them the waitress said it was "two fifty" and did not realize she meant $250 for a cookie recipe. I asked them to take back the recipe and reduce my bill, but they said they were sorry, but all recipes were this expensive so not just anyone could duplicate the bakery recipe...the bill would stand. I thought of how I could try to get even or try to get my money back. I just said okay, you folks got my $250 and now I'm going to have $250 worth of fun. I told her that I was going to see to it that every cookie lover will have the $250 recipe from Neiman-Marcus for nothing. She replied, "I wish you wouldn't do this." I said, "I'm sorry, but this is the only way I feel I can get even and I will." So here it is, please pass it on to someone else or run a few copies...I paid for it, so now you can have it for free!!! 2 cups butter 1 tsp. salt 2 cups sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 2 cups brown sugar 2 tsp. soda 4 eggs 24 oz. chocolate chips 2 tsp. vanilla 1-8 oz. Hershey bar, grated 4 cups flour 3 cups chopped nuts 5 cups blended oatmeal* Cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375. Makes 112 cookies (recipe may be halved). *Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Have fun! This is not a joke - this is a true story!!!!! (believe it or not?????) -------- Forward on to others. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1991 21:54:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: "Nancy M. Piatkowski" Subject: Re: those cookies---chocolate wars the cookie recipe works except you can get closer to 175 cookies about 2"-2.5". We made them without the nuts but still good- the oatmeal when blended becomes almost a flour so you have the oatmeal taste without the lumps- We used hersey bars rather than nestle (more pc). There has been a discussion of the whole cookie thing on alt.folklore urban. Did anyone else read the post about the story appearing in an Israeli paper? Nancy ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1991 23:30:05 CST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: "Toby . Hughes" Subject: Re: those cookies---chocolate wars In-Reply-To: <9112120519.AA01558@lonestar.utsa.edu>; from "Nancy M. Piatkowski" at Dec 11, 91 9:54 pm I was just totally amazed when watching late night TV. I cant remember the channel or network, but someone just came on with the fact that the Dead Sea Scrolls have been completely deciphered, and the gist of them was a recipe for papyrus reed cookies that an Egyptian handmaiden offered to buy from a representative of the Pharoah's royal baker. The handmaiden reportedly asked 'How much?', and the rep replied 'two-fifty.' Thinking that the rep meant 'two drachma and fifty jabooties', the handmaiden said 'put it on my MasterStone.' Imagine her surprise later when the bill arrived, which included a charge for two-hundred fifty drachma for papyrus reed cookies. Since she had already paid for the recipe, the handmaiden had a public scribe transpose the recipe to a rolled parchment, which she intended to post on the Nose of the Sphinx for all to read. Little did she know that the scribe was a paid informant of the Pharoah, and her plans all went awry when the Royal Guards arrived at her home, arrested her for malfeasance and high treason, and sentenced her to a lifetime of checking the river Nile for Hebrew babies floating on the water in baskets of reeds. And we never did learn the recipe! ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1991 08:46:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: LYDIA FISH Subject: From FOAF to FAX (x-post) Forwarded from DOROTHYL ************************************************************** I distinctly get the impression that the cookie story is the same one I have recently heard via legitimate face to face contact. I did, however, forget to say......the recipe that the young lady used to bake the $500 Nieman Marcus cookies was transmitted via FAX. Madeline Slovenz-Low slvnzlwm@nyuacf slvnzlwm@acfcluster.nyu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1991 08:37:28 CST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Chris Carlisle Subject: Cookies, again! The Nieman-Marcus version of the blasted cookie recipe has just shown up on DOROTHY-L, the list for mystery lovers. AAAARGGHHH! ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1991 09:13:01 CST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Chris Carlisle Subject: Re: Cookies In-Reply-To: Message of Wed, 11 Dec 1991 18:30:00 EST from On Wed, 11 Dec 1991 18:30:00 EST Bill Anderson said: >I have now seen the cookie story on four- count 'em, four- lists. Two of the >four have nothing to do with folklore, and the other isn't specifically a >folklore list, so I'd guess that somebody out there thinks this story is true >and is doing his or her best to circulate the recipe in the interest of Truth, >Justice and the American Way. >-Bill Bill, since this thing is proliferating across the listserv like a cancer, the real question is, how do we stop it before it kills again? Chris Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1991 14:15:00 PST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Paul Jordan-Smith Subject: Re: NM cookies strike again! Is anyone else (besides me) giving strong consideration to signing off the folklore list in protest against the inundation with this imbecilic cookie story? If so, we could form a new list with an additional rule: the list will be terminated by the owner if a significant number of members are sick to death of hearing about whatever hobby-horse a handful of its members wish to ride at the expense of others. I have received today 15 items of email. 10 of them were cookie-related. ENOUGH ALREADY! ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1991 23:05:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Bill Anderson Subject: Cookie Tirade Whoa, Paul- calm down, hoss. This cookie thing is a legitimate phenomenon. So far, it's been on six lists that I know of directly, and several more that I've heard about. What we're seeing here is the extension of urban folklore to the world of electronic communication. I've found it quite fascinating. Some of you seem to know Brunvand- has anybody told him about this? We've got some serious old-world-meets-new, fresh turf, groundbreaking shit going on here. It's not an opportunity to be taken lightly. Folklorists unite! We're about to take the bitnet world by storm. -Bill ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1991 20:13:00 PST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: "Kirshenblatt-Gimblett 213-458-9811" Subject: archive Are all the submissions to this list archived anywhere. I am specially interested in the entire series on the cookie recipes, every last shred. Including the list manager's protests! Truly, there is a wonderful AFS paper in this material and certainly enough to teach a good class on urban legend or contemporary foodways, for that matter. Help, PLZ. BKG ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1991 22:04:47 MST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Dan Lester Subject: Re: Cookies In-Reply-To: Message of Wed, 11 Dec 1991 18:30:00 EST from On Wed, 11 Dec 1991 18:30:00 EST Bill Anderson said: >I have now seen the cookie story on four- count 'em, four- lists. Two of the >four have nothing to do with folklore, and the other isn't specifically a >folklore list, so I'd guess that somebody out there thinks this story is true >and is doing his or her best to circulate the recipe in the interest of Truth, >Justice and the American Way. And, if you are on, say, 20 lists, and have seen it on four, think of how many of the 2900 you DON'T get that it must be on. I have seen it on five, and am on about 30. Two of them are FOLKLORE and LORE. dan ***************************************************************************** * Dan Lester Bitnet: alileste@idbsu * * Associate University Librarian Internet: alileste@idbsu.idbsu.edu * * Boise State University * * Boise, Idaho 83725 BSU and I have a deal: I don't speak * * 208-385-1234 for them and they don't speak for me. * ***************************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1991 00:33:00 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: LYDIA FISH Subject: Re: archive Are all the submissions to this list archived anywhere. I am specially interested in the entire series on the cookie recipes, every last shred. Including the list manager's protests! Truly, there is a wonderful AFS paper in this material and certainly enough to teach a good class on urban legend or contemporary foodways, for that matter. Help, PLZ. BKG ***************************************************** Dear Barbara Hi!!!! You would also need the archive of DOROTHYL, on which the discussion has been raging for several days. I don't think VIET-NET is archived, but I have forwarded everything I have seen there. There has been quite a lot of stuff on alt.folklore.urban, if you can find someone who has access to USENET. Unfortunately, that stuff can only be read once by each reader, so you'll have to find someone who hasn't looked at it and print as you go. Then you will need to find what other lists it has been on--someone mentioned six earlier this evening. How are things in the Big City? Lydia ***************************************************************** Lydia Fish, Director Vietnam Veterans Oral History and Folklore Project Department of Anthropology Buffalo State College 1300 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo NY 14222 Office: (716) 878 6110 FAX: (716) 878 4009 BITNET: FISHLM@SNYBUFVA ***************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1991 12:15:00 IST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Lucia Ruedenberg Subject: Re: Cookies In-Reply-To: Your message of Thu 12 Dec 1991 22:04:47 MST To those of you who have seen the cookie story circulating on other lists: you care to tell us which the other 3 or more lists are? It might be of interest to know along which routes this story travels. As long as we are looking at the text, we might as well look at the context as well. Lucia. There are two more posts from Lucia and one from Madeline that says IRC is as old as cookies Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1991 09:13:30 CST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Chris Carlisle Subject: Icky things on email The cookie cancer showed up twice on VAMPYRES, which is a totally inappropriate list, except for the fact that this thing evidently needs to have a stake shoved through its heart and salt sown on the grave plus a full-scale exorcism before it goes away for a while. I am happy to report that I have only once encountered the equally horrid phenomenon of the email chain letter. The perpatrator (also on VAMPYRES) was jumped on so thoroughly for unethical and unpleasant behavior that I suspect she flamed the person who sent her the damned thing too. Has anyone encountered other vile and insidious infractions of lists along these lines? (Aside from x-posting fiction without the author's permission, which I understand happens constantly!!) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1991 09:21:00 CST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: P30GDS1@NIU.BITNET Subject: Re: NM cookies strike again! hey paul--how about this compromise? could we convince the interested parties to start: cookie-l :-) of course... i've handed in my grade sheets this morning, and as soon as i get my energy back, i'm ready to start that discussion of semiotic approaches to folklore... gary shank p30gds1@niu Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1991 12:31:34 EST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Seth Ness Subject: Re: NM cookies strike again! In-Reply-To: <199112131523.AA07666@alsys1.aecom.yu.edu>; from "P30GDS1@NIU.BITNET" at Dec 13, 91 9:21 am i saw the tale on STREK-L. seth -- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1991 09:36:00 PST Reply-To: Folklore Discussion List Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Paul Jordan-Smith Subject: Stale cookies Gary -- I think it would be most appropriate for those addicted to cookies to start their own list. If they insist on inundating the e-waves with more variants simply for the sake of accumulation (no one seems interested in serious discussion or analysis, and there even seems to be some notion that the mere accumulation of electronic bottlecaps is in se ipsum worthwhile), perhaps they could try to consistently use a subject header that would let those of us who have become profoundly uninterested know that we can delete the mail without wasting time reading it. Bill -- I do not think that signing off a list that is being dominated by a small group of users with a single interest is an inappropriate response. I signed off OPERA-L for a similar reason: nothing but bitchy remarks about tenors and sopranos at some performance that a handful of chatty aficionados recently saw. I have not missed the "exchange" a single day since. Single interests ought to be taken to separate lists, so that one's queue isn't filled to exasperation with electronic junk mail. ============================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1991 14:15:00 PST Sender: Folklore Discussion List From: Paul Jordan-Smith Subject: Re: NM cookies strike again! To: "Emily J. Horning" , "BARBARA KIRSCHENBLATT-GIMBLETT" , SHIRLEY ARORA , susan scheiberg Is anyone else (besides me) giving strong consideration to signing off the folklore list in protest against the inundation with this imbecilic cookie story? If so, we could form a new list with an additional rule: the list will be terminated by the owner if a significant number of members are sick to death of hearing about whatever hobby-horse a handful of its members wish to ride at the expense of others. I have received today 15 items of email. 10 of them were cookie-related. ENOUGH ALREADY!