[Your Freezer]

Question: How do you reheat without everything getting mushy? Masala dosa seems especially mind boggling...

[paan]

What goes into those neat little paan packages and makes them so coveted by some and despised by others?

-GrapeShape

PS-- And can one find paan in the US?

[Basic Questions]

Up until this thread, I, too, had thought this was a forum for the well-seasoned Indian epicure. It's wonderful to see I'm not alone as a newbie!

[South Asian picnics]

...and what do people from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc. serve when they have picnics? I know there is crossover between American picnic-fare and daily-fare, but there are certainly items I see almost exclusively on the red-checkered blanket.

So what's the South Asian equivalent to cold fried chicken, potato salad, and lemonade?

[South Asian picnics]

I should have been more clear. The only South Asian recipes in my repertoire are served hot, and (for those of us who still haven't mastered eating rise with our hands) aren't finger food, with the exception of some desserts. So what I ought to have asked was: what types of foods would one prepare for a South Asian themed picnic? What travels well, won't seep through paper plates, etc?

Thanks!

[South Asian picnics]

Due to this beautiful east-coast weather, I'm planning a picnic in the park with a few college friends. Would South Asian cuisine fit the bill or would I be better off waiting for a rainy day and invite everyone inside?

[Favorite Kitchen Gizmo]

The vacuum sealers on Cooking.com range from $70-$275. Rolls of refill plastic run about $20.