Jaymes

I buy my avocados at Sam's. They're excellent. I can't remember the last time I got a bad one. They come in a bag of five for $3.88, which works out to be less than .78 each. For that price, we eat just as many avocadoes as we darn well please. Which is a lot.

Great story! Thanks.

I like the Pillsbury frozen biscuits. Especially when you live alone, they're great to pop into the oven, one at a time. I think it's a great product.

Obviously these are decisions and judgments we all have to make for ourselves, but in my view, I place a huge distinction between something like frozen veggies, or fruits, or fish fillets, etc., with no additives, and a tray of prepared lasagne, or chicken casserole, or a box of hamburger helper. I see absolutely nothing wrong with using technology, as in the case of frozen vegetables, to ensure a healthy, well-rounded diet on my family's table. To me that is nothing like buying a box of frozen burritos, heating them in the microwave, serving them up with tater tots and a can of refried beans, adding a few large bottles of Pepsi, and calling that a meal. (PS -- In the interest of full disclosure, I should add that, although rarely, from time to time, I did do exactly that.)

Golly, that wasn't my intended point at all. If that's what you thought I meant, clearly I didn't explain it well. Someone, in this case an acquaintance that you've only known for a few months, asks you to bring a dessert. You bring brownies, which you have worked hard on. That's obviously terrific. I was commenting on your earlier post and the sentiments you expressed when you said this: Attempting to "show someone you care" isn't the same thing, to me anyway, as taking something to a potluck at the home of someone you just met. I completely agree with your pride in your brownies, your decision to take them, and being annoyed that she chose to dump Cool Whip on them. What I was trying to point out to you is only in reference to the above-quoted post. About how you get so upset that it can even "drive a wedge" between you and a friend when you offer them a time-consuming, home-prepared dish, and they don't properly appreciate it.

I'm pretty old and, as a result, have been in this "friendship" business for some time. Sorry to say this to you (but one luxury us old gals allow ourselves is honesty); however, truly "showing someone you care" involves figuring out what they would like and doing that. Not doing what you like, and wanting them to appreciate it. And certainly not doing what you like and think they ought to like. As if you're trying to improve them. Some of your friends may really appreciate home cooking. Go one step further here and learn exactly which dishes they'd like and make those. Maybe they don't like ethnic food, but love casseroles. So make them one, if you're really trying to please them. Other friends may long for lunch in a nice restaurant. So for them, do that, instead of trying to get them to understand it took you hours to prepare something. Other friends may just not be food oriented at all. So find out what they do like. And give them a book, or a CD, or take them to a movie, or concert, or mow their lawn, or wash their car. And all of my friends are "worth the effort," or they wouldn't be my friends. True kindness and compassion and generosity and thoughtfulness isn't giving somebody something that you like, and then getting your feelings hurt when they don't appreciate it as much as you think they should. Save your best home-cooking efforts for people that you know understand and appreciate them. I mean, the lady with the Cool Whip has the exact same problem you do. She was trying to be helpful, thoughtful, kind, generous. And you didn't appreciate it. The problem was that she didn't take the time to figure out what you would like. She just barged ahead with what she liked. That's the lesson there.

Been to Merida several times, but it's been a while. Don't have any specific food recommendations, but would strongly advise you to drive to Celestun for the day. There is a wonderful restaurant there, right on the beach. Hire a boatman to take you to see the flamingos.

I got a copy for a wedding gift a long time ago. It's a classic. Yep. The Charleston Junior League. I've got several dozen of those Junior League cookbooks. They're really terrific, and Charleston Receipts is one of the best.

I belong to another food website and we're doing a Mexican cooking project wherein we undertake a different dish each week. This week happens to be cochinita pibil. Several of the posters did indeed make their own achiote paste, and seemed to have great success with it, so it well might be something you'd enjoy trying.

Come to think of it, I did hear of someone that drained, but then added a little extra cream. I guess whatever floats your boat, eh? Or in this case, coats your chip. I think the secret to making it in the microwave is to chunk the Velveeta pretty small. When you make it stovetop, you can just drop some pretty big pieces in there, and the liquid from the tomatoes gets hot, and you can stir, stir, stir, and it all gets incorporated. When I nuke it, I cut the Velveeta into much smaller chunks, say 1" cubes, so it melts faster.

After living in Asia for some time (Hong Kong & the Philippines), I discovered that many of the British ex-pats there used gin in their cooking. For one thing, try a splash in your favorite recipe for Beef & Green Peppers.

Well, this bit is news to me. As someone who has been eating "queso" (short for "chile con queso," which is what us Texans call the Velveeta/Ro-Tel concoction) for literally decades, I've never drained the tomatoes, nor has anyone else that I've ever watched make it. Which is a LOT of people. The pre-microwave way was to chunk up the Velveeta into a saucepan, and then dump the Ro-Tel into it, juice and all. You need the juice to get the queso to the right dipping or pouring consistancy. You just have to stir, and keep stirring. Now, many of us Texicans do it in the microwave, but everyone I've ever seen make it treasures that Ro-Tel juice. So now I'm worried. Do most of y'all drain?

I lived for a time in Asia -- Hong Kong & the Philippines. Chili was actually quite popular there. And they served it in a bowl. Over rice.

Yep. I've got one from an Anglo women's group in Puerta Vallarta, and two from Panama City, Panama. And I also have long enjoyed the series (maybe twelve in all?) of "Military Officers' Wives Favorite Recipes." Although it's true that these collections of recipes from the 70's do feature a lot of 'cream of ______ soup,' they are wonderful books. Especially the vegetable one, and the foreign food one.

There are several varieties of Ro-Tel. Some are much hotter than others.

How was Janos? Anyone have other Tucson suggestions? I have some, depending on how long you're going to be there. One thing I'd recommend is that if you go to Poca Cosa, which you should, order the Poca Cosa 'plate' which is sorta like a chef's choice. You get what the chef thinks is best that day. It's fun, and interesting, and the food is always good.

The venerable Tack Room finally closed. End of an era. Truly.

Hum....never heard of this before. Did you stir? How much cheese to one can of Ro-Tel?

Um, actually, I think that everyone's been calling her the "Asian chef," not "chick."

Oh. Well, then nevermind.

Me, too. But until that perfect system becomes the norm, I don't think it's fair to cause the waitstaff to bear the financial burden and hardship of your opinion. Your actions certainly aren't hurting the owner. Seems to me that your lofty principles would be better served by avoiding the restaurants in the US entirely. What you've chosen to do is to avail yourself of the service, but then penalize the most vulnerable person, rather than the one in charge, who could make those changes if he/she desired.

You're absolutely right of course. It IS illogical. That's just how I feel trying to make a Eurostar reservation in Italy. But when I'm in Italy, I try very hard to learn their rules and then play by them. It's not always easy, you know. The thing that gets me in this thread is how many non-Americans here are saying that they think it's okay to stiff our waiters in the US because our system isn't how they do it 'back home.'

The American custom of tipping may have its flaws, which it certainly does. It might be a much better system to simply pay servers a good wage and charge accordingly, which I'd agree with. But the fact of the matter is that this is how we do it in this country. And, if I'm not mistaken, the IRS charges income taxes based on an estimate of revenue. One thing that we Americans are routinely criticized for is going to other countries and being all pissy and arrogant and horsey about how we do things here, and refusing to behave according to local custom when we're abroad. I'd hate to be trying to put myself through college in the US while waiting on the non-Americans on this thread that clearly have fallen victim to the same, "We know what's best and it's the way we do it in our country and we're just not going to do it your way in your country no matter what you say" disease.

Okay, you win. The 'tracking down the waitperson' thing does really work. I've tried hiding additional money on the table, and other assorted ruses. But when I actually talk to the waiter, I also can make my excuses ("He doesn't mean anything by it, he's just old," etc.) which seems to really help our service. The other thing I do occasionally is 'accidently' leave my glasses on the table so I have to run back and get them.