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Thanks, Rona, I really needed a laugh today. (Last week, I intentionally made some extra food in order to share with an elderly bachelor friend who doesn't cook much. But unfortunately by the time I got around to make the delivery, all of the containers were empty. This is an ongoing problem in our house . . . . )

It looks lovely and congratulations! Also happy birthday (in advance). I can't wait to see what you serve at your first dinner party in your new home.

Those look great, Randi, and what a clever thought to use a meat pounder for making the impression on the top!

Salt and vinegar potato chips. Especially the "Cape Cod" brand. I cannot stop eating them. For this reason, I won't buy them. If someone wants to sabotage my (infrequent) dieting efforts, they need only buy a bag and leave them on the counter.

It's usually pretty hard to screw up macaroni and cheese, but the most awful recipe that I have prepared in recent times was the "Potluck Macaroni and Cheese" from Cook's Country. It was vile! Inedible! I can't believe that it passed the recipe-testers at Cook's Illustrated. I should have been suspicious since the recipe includes American cheese and evaporated milk (supposedly to "stabilize" the cheese sauce) in vast quantities. But relying on my faith in CI, I made it anyway (a huge, potluck-sized batch) and served it to some very unfortunate guests. I wish that I could blame the outcome on some modifications on my part, but no, I made it exactly as directed. Blech!!!

I don't think it has anything to do with the thickness of your skin. Many people just have no appreciation for good food. To the contrary, in fact. Many people prefer bad food. I guess the reason could be that they are more familiar with bad food, and have developed a preference for it. I knew a person who truthfully stated that his favorite restaurant was Taco Bell. He wasn't kidding. This was a professional man in his mid-40's who had the means to dine anywhere that he desired and was otherwise normal! The asparagus looks absolutely perfect, by the way. And no one could blame you if you throw in the towel. You've certainly given it more than 100%! But I sure will miss this thread . . . .

Yes, please investigate and report back! I have to travel to KC twice this summer, and I'm ready to start making a list of food that must be eaten. I've never been to KC before, and I'm definitely looking forward to visiting.

Not a chance! I'm reading every word with great interest. Great blog so far, and I'm excited for more. You mentioned that your husband doesn't read Chinese. How much of an impediment does this create for him in day-to-day living? How hard would it be for someone who neither reads nor understands Chinese to get about for a few weeks? I love the photos of your home-cooked noodle/squid dish. When you cook at home, do you use a wok? Thanks for blogging this week. Your life is both fascinating and enviable!

Boursin makes the best baked stuffed potatoes. Bake a potato, hollow it out, mix the inside of the potato with some boursin, put it back in the potato and then bake again at 350F for about 30 minutes. Or you can just add boursin to your favorite mashed potato recipe. Somewhere I also saw a recipe for baked stuffed artichokes that used boursin.

That's kind of you Pam R! I grew up in a very small town in rural New England, so this gingersnap addition was news to me. OT point of reference: When I first brought a bagel to school, in about 7th grade, no one including the teachers had ever seen one before! (We had relatives from NYC who used to bring them to us every once in a great while, which was a huge treat). I had to let everyone have a very small taste, which of course meant that it was the first and last time that I ever brought a bagel to school. Back to topic: The meat filling in the recipe uses 1.5 lbs (80% lean) ground beef but I subbed ground turkey, in addition: 1/4 c long grain rice, par-boiled 1 raw onion, grated S & P The sauce includes 1 med. can diced tomatoes, 1 large can tomato puree, 2 c. water, 6 tbs. (divided) brown sugar, 3+ tbs. lemon juice, 1 onion studded with 8 whole cloves, 12 gingersnaps (crushed) and 1/2 c. raisins, optional. The rolls are made the typical way and then the sauce is poured over and simmered for 1/2 hour with the clove-studded-onion. That onion is then discarded, and the crushed gingersnaps are added. The dish is simmered for another hour and then the rolls are removed. The remaining sauce is reduced as needed to achieve the proper consistency. (Not in the recipe, but after tasting the sauce at this point, I decided that it needed more acidity so I added some malt vinegar).

Interesting question, as I was just watching the kitchen show on QVC last night when I couldn't sleep, and a "Fuller Brush Man" from the Fuller Brush Company was extorting the wonders of "Fulsol", which is supposedly some kind of miraculous degreasing product that works with water to lift grease and rinses clean. It can be used (he said) on everything from glass, cooktops, grills, etc. to laundry. Well, actually the product description states: "Grease has met its match. Fulsol Degreaser Spray from Fuller Brush is a free-rinsing blend of solvents and emulsifiers formulated to tackle grease on washable, hard, nonporous surfaces. The lemon-scented foam leaves no residue. You can even use the spray on grease-stained laundry! Biodegradable and phosphate-free." Now, it sounds too good to be true, but my mother always spoke highly of the "Fuller Brush Man" that used to sell cleaning products door-to-door (I guess, back in the 40's - 50's?) And of course there is a 30 day money back guarantee. So, I might just order some. P.S. The product sold on QVC is a spray, but I see that it is also available in a liquid concentrate, (see here for example), use 1 oz. per gallon of water for washing kitchen surfaces.

I finally got around to the cabbage rolls the other night. I used an odd (to me) recipe from CI's family cookbook called "Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce". The recipe inlcuded gingersnaps, crushed and added to the sauce about 1/2 way through the cooking time. The dish is simmered on the cooktop, which was also odd to me as I am more familiar with slow-baked cabbage rolls. Personally, I thought the flavor was a bit flat but the rest of the clan seemed to enjoy them. If I make them again, I will add some freshly grated ginger at the same time as the gingersnaps. And some garlic, too. Anyhow, here they are, in various stages (excuse the messy rolling technique and uneven sizes - I could only find a rather small head of cabbage and had to make do):

I'm definitely interested, Darcie. I've been thinking about replacing my 7-cup Cuisinart for some time, and with all the good things that I've heard/read about the KA 750, I was strongly considering it. However, like you, I'm familiar with the paddles and I think that I would have a hard time getting used to buttons. I'll be curious to see your side-by-side comparison. Also, if you shopped around, where did you find the best prices? I seem to recall that Amazon had a big sale awhile back on the KA processors.

Twenty-four posts, and you haven't even gotten there yet? What are you trying to do, torture us? C'mon, man, we're hungry! Let's eat!

The chocolate panini does sound good, but I'd like it to have a Kona coffee/espresso flavor element. That would make it regional, too!

Once again, another beautiful meal. I love the colors, the textures, the shapes of the serving pieces, and the fact that everything isn't thrown together on one plate, but arranged in an aesthetically-pleasing way. Such an array would take me forever to prepare. How much time did you spend preparing dinner? And is this a typical meal for you?

Thank you, that is quite true (many of the ingredients are unfamiliar) although thanks to egullet, I am slowly becoming more familiar and comfortable with Asian ingredients. The dinner looks great. How long did it take you to prepare this meal (not including shopping)?

Great news for those of us who are Sara Moulton fans. According to her website: (Emphasis supplied). I am so glad that Sara will be back on the air. I really used to look forward to watching her "Cooking Live" show, which was on right about the time I got home from work and was cooking dinner. When the vile Foodnetwork administrators replaced her show with Rachel Ray in that time slot (and back-to-back episodes, nonetheless), I swore off FN for good.

David Ross' recipe works great without the pastry. (I wasn't trying to be traditional, I'm just lazy and my efforts at making pastry are always dismal, so I left it out). Absolutely delicious, nonetheless. I think it's the cherry brandy.

I echo BarbaraY's comments. I'm very excited that this week's blogger is in Japan. I'm fascinated by the prepared foods available in Japan - like your picture of "chirashi-zushi (scattered sushi)" above. If possible, could you post photos of other prepared foods from your markets and/or convenience stores? I suppose one of the reasons that I am fascinated by these foods is that they are so different from what is available where I live (southeast US). Pretty much all of the prepared food that you find here, in common supermarkets or convenience stores, is nearly revolting!

Food neuroses that drive me nuts: 1. People who believe that a diet of non-fat foods will make them lose weight. I know someone who refuses to consume anything that is not specifically labeled "non-fat", including mayonnaise, bologna, cheese, sour cream, salad dressing, bread, and even refried beans, under the guise that this is an effective weight-loss regimen. It doesn't seem particularly effective and "non-fat" saltines are really annoying! 2. People who eat the same thing, day after day (and not out of necessity). I had a roommate for 2 years while I was in college, and every night for dinner she ate Uncle Ben's rice and baked chicken thighs. For two years. I'm not kidding. 3. People who put mayonnaise on sliced avocado. Sorry, but that's like putting slime on slime to me. I can't even look at the plate. 4. People who "refresh" leftover rice by putting it in a colander and running it under hot tap water. Wasteful, unnecessary and just plain wrong. Wow, I feel so much better getting this off my chest. Thanks, Fatguy, for starting this thread!

I'm ready to book a flight. They look good to me!

Stupid question, but are you sure that the roaster/crock pot thing is working? One would think that it would be at least hot after four hours. That being said, you are certainly "off the hook" since you were not the one to decide to cook the meat for 14 hours! I saw the pictures of the "daisy cake" on your blog. Yum! At least the seniors are going to have a fabulous dessert, regardless of what happens to the meat. PS I am stealing your recipe for the daisy cake - I have a bunch of leftover coconut from holiday baking . . . .

I think that you will be pleasantly surprised by the flavor imparted if you use a generous amount of hot sauce in the buttermilk and a good, long soak (24 hours is perfect). For example, I use one whole bottle of Crystal, Frank's Red Hot, or Louisiana (whatever's in the house) per quart of buttermilk. With all of that flavor going on, I find that I don't need anything more than salt and lots of freshly, coarsely ground black pepper in AP flour for the dredging. I, too, have made Alton's recipe with success. When I can bring myself to buy and use Crisco, it does make a very good fried chicken. (I live in a small town, and I'm always afraid that I'm going to see someone that I know when I'm at the checkout with 20 lbs of Crisco! )

Thanks for this info. They do, indeed, still sell the pressure magic. But, with shipping, etc. it's about $300.00. And I really, really, really shouldn't get another cooking device . . . . at least for a few months.