Jaymes

Know it's a little late for your event, but for the future, anyone trying to incorporate avocado into unusual (for us) dishes would be wise to look to countries with a long tradition of avocado trees growing basically everywhere. Many of those countries use avocados as a sweet. In addition to the ice cream suggestions mentioned here, avocado pie is a popular dessert, and avocado shakes are a cool, sweet and ubiquitous drink.

I've had tuna on my mind since the recent thread, and remembered this suggestion from a while back to add curry powder and chutney. So over the weekend, dug this out to be sure I remembered it correctly. Admittedly, I'm a huge fan of curries and chutney, so my experience might not be the same as everyone, but I absolutely loved this. Ate it with crackers. It's very unusual, but really, really good.

Has anyone else tried the Banana Vinegar and piloncillo thing? If so, what did you think?

Back in the other tuna thread, Soba, you mentioned adding chopped sardines and an anchovy to your tuna salad dressing. I have to tell you that I tried it after reading about it, and thought it was a very nice twist.

Yes, I've often found it in the produce department. Many grocery stores that cater to a Mexican population sell sugar cane in the produce department and the piloncillo is often right next to it.

BBQ works especially well since really good smoked meat is exceptionally difficult to do at home, so buying it is something everybody can understand. Nobody ever thinks, "He/she really took the easy way out." I remember once, long ago, I had been married about a month, I think, and it was our turn to host my husband's squadron party (about 40 people) and I couldn't get out of it. I was feeling very inadequate about my lack of cooking skills, so I went to the local 'cue joint and picked up brisket, ribs, sausage and chicken, and arranged it all on my outdoor grill! Worked pretty well until folks began asking me how I managed to turn out "commercial smoker" quality barbecued meat with nothing but my little gas grill. At the time, I didn't really know enough about BBQ to understand how difficult (in fact, impossible) that was to do. So of course, they all wanted tips. Luckily, I held them off for the several months we had left there, until we moved away. But another thing I buy when I'm entertaining and have no time to cook is a big pan of lasagna from a local Italian restaurant that I think does a particularly good job. Then I toss up a big salad, and make some garlic bread to go with. For dessert with this particular meal, I have small bowls into which I put vanilla ice cream, and serve them with an assortment of liqueurs and some of those rolled Pepperidge Farm cookies. Everybody gets to sample this and that liqueur, many of which are exotic and unfamiliar because that's something I often bring back from my travels. It's hard to imagine anything any easier than that. And it's a lot of fun and really sparks conversation as everybody compares the liqueurs. All in all makes for a great evening.

Usually it comes in a conical shape, but I've seen it in flat patties, too. Goya Piloncillo

It's available in all of our local supermarkets. We're in Houston, so there is a large Mexican presence here. But my son lives closer to you, in San Jose, and I've bought it in the regular grocery stores there as well. I'm sure you could use brown sugar in a pinch, but I've never done a side-by-side taste test comparison. My feeling, though, is that piloncillo seems a little less processed. I think it's probably worth seeking out and can't think you'd have too much trouble.

In-N-Out is perhaps not as good as some independent burger joints can be, but when it comes to a large fast-food chain, to me, it wins pretty handily. But I am perhaps different from many folks in that I like just a plain, old-fashioned burger. I want good bread, one juicy tasty hamburger patty and fresh, fresh, fresh cold and crunchy veggies - onions, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes. I don't even get cheese on my burgers. I love cheese but, to me, on a burger, it interferes with what I see as a perfect flavor balance of the bread, one meat patty, veggies. I don't much care for fries and, although I might eat one or two of yours, I never order them, so they don't figure at all in my decision as to who among the commercial chains has the best hamburger.

I have to say that despite the fact we've eaten at many, many locations over the years, I've never run into any employee with a bad attitude. I suppose that can happen anywhere, though. And In-N-Out has been one of the nation's most successful hamburger operations for over 50 years, if memory serves. A good run by anybody's standards. Nobody in my family puts bacon on hamburgers. I know some folks do, but the fact that In-N-Out doesn't seems not to have hurt them one tiny little bit. So I'm thrilled to death that they're expanding. We'll support them because we don't give a flying flip what they don't do. What they do do works perfectly for us. So my advice to them would be don't change a thing. And get here as fast as you can. ___________________

We lived in California for several years, and one son still lives there. I'll admit that In-N-Out is my favorite large hamburger chain. I know the family has been squabbling for some time over whether or not to expand the chain out of California farther than the few non-California locations it already has. Many folks believe that one reason the In-N-Out quality has remained so high over the years is that every store is owned by the company - not franchised. Will be interesting to see what happens as it expands into other states.

Andie has said she keeps canned water (good for 30 years) on hand. I have seen it available at camping stores, and I'd think it'd be available in Japan as well. You might do a little investigating.

I don't mind it at all. In fact, rather enjoy it, especially since it's usually part of the overall theme of that particular place. What comes immediately to mind are the Japanese steakhouses where you all sit around the hibachi grill. Every time we go to one, we have a great time chatting up the other diners at our table. Without fail, we get at least one or two good tips as to other restaurants to try in the area.

I have a friend that always serves caramelized onions when she's entertaining casually - hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. She makes those onions by slicing up a few and putting them into a skillet with Coke or 7-Up, and cooking them down. I ate those onions for years without her telling me how she made them. I'll admit I was stunned when she finally told me what she used.

We actually had a thread before with lots of good information about this very thing: Cooking with Coca Cola

I read somewhere, in one of the many references to Rancho Gordo's products but I can't remember which one, about a new product that they are offering: Banana Vinegar. So I went to his website to check it out. I read that one of Napa's most high falutin' chefs was mixing this vinegar with piloncillo - 2 parts vinegar to 1 part of the brown sugar - and then putting it over ice cream. This sounded so strange to me that, of course, I had to try it. So I ordered some Rancho Gordo banana vinegar and picked up a good brand of piloncillo at my local Mex market and gave it a try. This has to be one of the most interesting, intriguing things I've tasted in many a year. I'm not sure I'd be able to accurately determine the flavors if I hadn't mixed them up myself. It tastes like some sort of a particularly rich, dark caramel, with banana overtones. That banana vinegar is absolutely wonderful. I actually bought three jars of it, intending to give two as gifts. That ain't happening. Unless I buy two more, that is. Rancho Gordo Banana Vinegar

I, too, am glad I started the thread, and am really pleased to hear from some of our Japanese eGulleteers. And, frankly, learning about that canned water good for 30 years is one of the most valuable tips I've gotten on eG.

That is a great idea. If I'm ever living in earthquake country again, I'm going to do the same. We often have to save up large quantities of water down here in coastal Texas, but it's for hurricanes. One good thing about a hurricane - you know it's coming.

I spent some time in Spain and decided they've got the latest late-night going-out culture I've ever seen. Even old folks are out arm-in-arm laughing and strolling along the sidewalks at 1am or so. Although they do seem to head in before the young ones go for churros y chocolate along about dawn.

I had what must be a truly singular earthquake experience, in that I knew one was headed for me. Years ago, we lived in the Philippines, in a town about 50 miles north of Manila. I was sitting on my bed one evening, watching the TV news that was broadcast live from Manila. All of a sudden, during this live broadcast, a major earthquake hit Manila. You could see the newsroom shaking, things crashing about, pieces of the ceiling falling, and the news anchors diving under tables and desks. I knew the broadcast was live and I knew that meant that this earthquake was headed for me. So just a few minutes later when I heard the rumbling of a train rapidly approaching, I knew it was no train. The earthquake killed about 800 people in the Philippines, so it was a pretty good jolt, even by the time it got to me. What a really weird, surreal experience to know that an earthquake was about to hit.

My situation was generally that I was responsible for myself, and my family, which included three children. I will say that we were also told to keep on hand enough water for one week. A week's worth of water for a family of five seemed pretty unwieldy, so we didn't do that. More like a few gallons of bottled water from the store. But most of the things advised were easy to keep on hand. So why not?

Well, what we really did when strong earthquakes hit, and I've been in quite a few, was to dive under the nearest desk or table. Still, we were told to have our survival kit handy wherever it was that we planned to survive. I guess the idea was that we would crawl into the hall or bathroom or walk-in closet, or other small reinforced room, which we hoped would make it through the quake intact, and then hole up there with our survival kit until help arrived. I don't know. It seemed to me that we were better off having some supplies handy in a sturdy location than not. Although I will admit that our tendency was to just eat the candy bars.

Yes, but if you're trapped in your walk-in closet with the house collapsed around you, you'll need something to sustain you until somebody comes and digs you out. So we were always told to have your emergency survival kit in whichever room you planned to run to.

I've lived in "earthquake country," - the Philippines, Hong Kong, California, Panama, Alaska. We were always told to have an "earthquake survival kit" handy someplace where we planned to ride out the earthquake - like an interior hall, bathroom, etc. The recent earthquake in Japan made me wonder: How many of you out there are in Earthquake Country? Do you have a survival kit? In addition to the obvious, like water and a week's worth of essential medication, and non-food items such as a thing to turn off the gas, bandages, a non-electric can opener, toilet paper and paper towels, and a selection of plastic bags to use for various forms of waste, what food items are in yours? We kept peanut butter, candy bars for quick energy, assorted canned goods, and some MREs. How about you?

And that is undoubtedly going to be the best approach. But just for future reference, I've lived places where there were only very small remote library branches. They were affiliated with larger libraries off in some sort of big city or university. You could look through the catalogs (no internet in those days) and find something you wanted, and the library would order it for you. I suspect now you can do that kind of thing online. The nicest thing about watching a cooking show is when the host/hostess makes something you never thought of, and it looks fabulous, and so you make it, and are introduced to something brand new in your repertoire.