Food Engineering

I broke a Williams rule: NEVER go to the grocery store hungry. All I needed was some ground sirloin (yes, that's red meat for all you veggie freaks) and sliced American cheese. Not Chinese cheese, not Italian cheese, not E. St. Louis cheese... just good 'ol U.S. of A. yellow cheese.

As I was corraled through the store to the fruit section, my eyes caught something called "grapples." The label said, "Looks like an apple, tastes like grapes... grApples." Okay, I'm a sucker... they smelled like grape soda so I bought some. (That smell brings back memories of being a kid, dipping pretzel sticks into my grape Vess soda can.)

I don't think there is any science involved in grapples. I think they dipped apples in grape soda because my hands are now fake-grape scented. The whole kitchen smells like fake-grape. And the taste? Pretty much like an apple dipped in grape soda.

Disappointment factor? VERY HIGH. In fact, click here for some other shopper's comments.

Now the red bartlett pears I bought are a different story...