Fantasmagoria

Stu, Best of luck with your efforts....the picture looks amazing! I hope you will post the results with instructions when you are successful. I have been struggling to recreate a version of these: http://www.delightsoy.com/ Which are a fairly new product in the U.S. with limited distribution and a somewhat prohibitive price tag, but which I adore for faux chicken nuggets. So far I have tried using fake powdered chicken bullion for flavoring and tried adding pureed mushrooms for taste and texture but have not managed to come up with something at all like what I am aiming for. ~F

Okay and so for the next batch try this: cook the noodles in half as much water, so that when they are finished cooking there is no broth. Then stir fry them in a tablespoon or so of oil until they just begin to get a little crispy. And see how your pms likes that. ← That's BRILLIANT!!! Crispy! That sounds better than eating them raw, even. ← Its better than raw. But you can tell us that once you have tried it.

Okay and so for the next batch try this: cook the noodles in half as much water, so that when they are finished cooking there is no broth. Then stir fry them in a tablespoon or so of oil until they just begin to get a little crispy. And see how your pms likes that.

I HAVE tried the Nilla/cheese sandwich and it throws the ratios off. I have figured out the exact correct balance between the salty/savory cheese and the sweetness of the nilla wafer and throwing that extra wafer on top ruins that balance. It does however provide a wonderful sensory experience when you pop it in your mouth and feel that goopy cheese squeezing through the two wafers! And I love your idea about seasoning or accessorizing! I can't wait to experiement with flavors and textures..... Great idea Lady T! I will let you know how that turns out.

Well for personal reasons, I always recommend American Airlines as well, and while travelling on an international ticket you are often allowed a number of stopovers either free of charge or at a very low cost so I would recommend checking your ticket to see what the story is here. The carrier you fly over the water will govern the rules on your ticket. There is also something called a Visit USA (VUSA) ticket that can only be purchased outside the U. S. and are extremely economical tickets. Often as low as $65-70 one-way. These also do not require a round-trip to get a very low rate, but often you must stop a minimum of two or three times. So you could do something like Chicago-Kansas City-Raleigh-Dallas (or Austin)-Chicago (or whatever cities you decide on), where you would pick-up your international itinerary again. This might be just the ticket for you! ( ) I know we have them on American Airlines--you can probably talk to someone in the Australian res office about them--but there are probably similar devices that can be used on other local U.S. carriers as well. Ha! Didn't know I would be travel agenting on a food blog! ~Tas

Having tried a fair amount of BBQ from all these different styles, and having lived in Texas and North Carolina, I have to put in a word here. I know this will get a rise out of people FROM all these places, but honestly, Texas, Memphis and Kansas city "red sauce" BBQ do not vary from each other nearly as much as North Carolina "white" BBQ. If you really want to give yourself a wider range in flavors and economize on mileage/time, my suggestion would be to head for North Carolina and hit Tennessee (right next door) on the way out there. These two states offer two very different styles and nothing replaces pulling up a chair at a mom and pop place in either location and experiencing it first hand. my .02

What a delightful first post! Welcome . ← Thank you Kouign, I have been lurking for awhile, but this thread is brilliant. I couldn't resist tipping you all off on my favorite pms treat!

Don't judge me until you have tried it: Nilla wafers with squirt can cheese sprayed on top.....