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You could bake a cake in a pressure cooker. Actually, having a pressure cooker might be handy for other items on your menu, too, since you have a such a short period of time in which to prepare the meal. A nice, moist, fruit-based cake with a simple sauce and a dollop of fresh cream might be a good choice. Please tell us more about the other parts of your meal -- it would be easier to suggest specific dessert ideas.

I make my own seitan so thankfully, I don't know about the bad smell emanating from the prepackaged stuff. (I'll gladly take your word for it, though). All I know is that fresh homemade seitan can be quite delicious, and thankfully none of my guests experienced excessive flatulence (at least while they were at my house!)

There are so many parts of this thread that I love, but I've decided that the best thing is the expression on Serena's face . . . in 99% of the photos, she looks like she's having the time of her life! (I give her 1% in deference to her disappointment over the yam fries). Please make the last supper an extra long, detailed post. I really don't want this to end.

Whoa, friend. Seitan is definitely not "nasty stuff". You obviously have not had it prepared correctly! I have witnesses . . . red-meat-and-potato-eating-only witnesses, who will attest that seitan, properly prepared, can be not only delicious but addictive! I don't know where you are from, but I'm in the US, and it troubles me that so many non-meat entrees are given short shrift or worse. I still get requests, from some die hard carnivores, for the seitan "turkey" dish that I prepared one Thanksgiving. Please keep your mind open . . . you might be very pleasantly surprised.

Seitan comes to mind . . . I'm sure that there are others.

I fondly recall making many loaves of Dassant beer bread. Especially good on a cold night with a hot bowl of hearty soup or stew. Granted, they are from mixes, but they really are quite good. No kneading or stress or strain. Perfect to throw together after a long day of work. It was the first thing that came to mind when I read your post. Actually, they are still available . . . I think the company is based in Oregon. Here is the link: Dassant Bread Mixes. All you do is dump the mix in the bowl and add a bottle of beer, if I remember correctly.

Forgive me, but I missed the part, somewhere, about why the yams are "evil". They look perfectly tasty to me . . . enticing, even. So what's the problem? Also, I remain amazed at your capacity. Only once, that I recall, did you mention "hitting the wall", and that was in connection with king crab legs if my memory serves. It's really quite amazing to see how much you can consume, and I'm grateful that you have not only tasted all these wonderful foods, but also taken care to document your experiences and share them with us on Egullet. Bravo! Regarding Cold Stone Creamery, did they serve the same flavors as one might see in the US?

I don't remember what we ate, but I do remember what the woman who was seated at the table next to us ordered. We were at an upscale seafood restaurant, dimly lit, and very crowded with mostly older, country club types. Shortly after we were seated, the waiter delivered a very lovely seared tuna steak, with an unbelievably large scoop of wasabi on the side, to the table next to us. As I was admiring the tuna and wondering why anyone would serve such a large quantity of wasabi (it was about the size of a golf ball), I heard the woman exclaim, "Oh, guacamole . . . I love guacamole!" With that, she grabbed her fork and dove in - with gusto. Then all hell broke loose. Eventually paramedics were called, and the poor woman was helped out of the restaurant, in the biggest fit of coughing, sweating and crying that I have ever seen. We still refer to wasabi as guacamole in our house.

That's very appetizing. And I love the way that you photographed your food next to the picture in the cookbook! Well done!

OK, now I really want some. You indicated that the ones that you ate on Oct. 16 were raw, while these definitely look cooked. (I have nothing against raw seafood in general, but the raw crab thing just doesn't do it for me). I'll bring a copy of the picture to my Korean market and see if the proprietor can help me with a recipe/directions.

I don't want this to end! Wow and Thank You! Questions regarding the crabs that you saw at the market: Do you eat the entire crab? Is it as hot as it looks? How is it normally served? I really want some of that.

Nor should you be!! Like you, I was getting very frustrated with some of the diner's comments (e.g., re: Arroz con Pollo -- "What's thaaat?" as they are picking at the dish on the buffet line). So I decided not to wear myself out anymore. If they want plain and simple, I'll give it to them. Sad, but I figure that it's not my role to change these folks' eating habits. You are in probably a worse situation, since the clients are older and likely more set in the ways than the younger group that I feed (I think that most of mine are just picky and will grow out of it at some point). I hear you loud and clear - it's a frustration to put in all that extra effort when it does not appear to be appreciated. At least they liked the asparagus. Er, my opinion is that you should do something very simple in order to have time to enjoy a pseudo-Thanksgiving meal with Robin, at least. (Would the "Breakfast for Dinner" theme work with them, or would they freak? That is not only inexpensive but quick and easy; it was also extremely popular. Perhaps you could do an "overnight french toast" and breakfast strata - both easily prepared ahead of time and then just cooked off right before service). It's just not right that you should have to forego proper enjoyment of the most important of food holidays - Thanksgiving! Yes, that's it. It's has both recipes and other useful information regarding large quantity cooking. At the end is a whole section on budgeting, how to reduce meal cost, etc. I found it to be very helpful, and I hope that you do, too. Best of all, I think that you will find most of the recipes will suit your clients' palates. Nothing gourmet in there at all . . . .

We've never tried the Costco version, but whole suckling pigs are very popular here around holiday time. I don't understand the price, though. $179.99 for a 25 lb. pig? That seems rather pricey. We get them for well under $2/lb. from our local butcher. Last Christmas, I think that I paid .99/lb., on sale. We generally just brine them thoroughly and then cook in a fairly low oven for a long period of time and serve with fresh mojo, black beans and rice.

My first thought after seeing your photo was, "Well, the seniors must have loved that!" Thus, your comment took me by surprise. It must be challenging to cope with this group - it seems as though they find something to complain about, no matter what you do. One would think that they would discern the amount of effort that you devote to preparing the meals, and be more grateful or at least gracious. I think you're doing a great job under these difficult circumstances and my hat's off to you. The salad looked especially good! I'm also impressed with how you are able to provide these meals so economically. In my non-profit meal venture (25-35 conservative palates, mostly teens, every Sunday), I have been given a budget of $2 pp. I've taken a cue from you: I wait to see what's on sale and then plan the meal around the sale items. A few times, I did go over budget, but since I'm a volunteer, they can't complain too much. I'm very interested in your menus and I plan to try the broccoli-chicken casserole for my group, very soon. Like you, I have found that any "ethnic" tendencies in the menu do not go over well with the group. When I served Arroz con Pollo, which was delicious, I was left with a huge quantity of leftovers! Ditto chili. OTH, they ate every morsel of the 13 lb. fresh ham, lots of chicken, etc. Here is a list of the last few menus - all under $2/pp (although not included is the cost of incidentals that I use from my own kitchen, such as salt and pepper, a bit of oil, a pinch of spice, a couple of eggs, etc.): Vegetable Fried Rice (surprisingly, this went over quite well) Chicken Kabobs (w/peanut sauce) Pumpkin Cake with cc frosting snack - 7 layer bars Caesar salad Fresh Ham - baked Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Cornbread muffins cookies - purchased Arroz con pollo Garden salad Dinner rolls - purchased Brownies Vegetarian chili "American tacos" (flour tortillas w/ground turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, salsa, sour cream, etc.) Grapes Oatmeal cookies Spaghetti and meatballs Garden salad Garlic bread Klondike bars Mesquite-seasoned chicken breast quarters BBQ style baked beans broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, steamed Cornbread muffins Cookies - donated Roasted pork loin Green Beans Baked Apples Wheat rolls Rice pilaf Ice cream bars And last week's meal was very popular - the theme was "Breakfast for Dinner" and the kids, especially, loved it: Waffles Broccoli-cheese Strata Sausage w/maple glaze and bacon strips Watermelon chunks Mini donuts, assorted P.S. Randi, did your "Food for 50" book ever arrive?

Hiroyuki, I have never seen these before. Are the shrimp in this photo cooked, or is that the natural color of the shrimp? Also, is this how they are presented for consumption? Do you eat the whole thing, or just the meat? We have shrimp here that have a natural pink color, but they are not such a deep red. Our pink shrimp are local (they are called "Key West pink shrimp"). People here normally eat only the meat (not the shells, as they are relatively thick). They normally cost approximately $15 to $20 per pound, depending on the size and the time of year. They are much sweeter in flavor than the other type of shrimp here, which are gray or brown, and usually a little less expensive.

I could definitely see myself eating much of what Peter and his lucky family are eating (probably not the 4th stomach, or the cockroach things, however). But when I read his posts on this thread (and I've read every one of them, word for word!), the most that I can usually muster is: "Wow". Which seems rather inadequate in the shadow of his adventures and wordsmithery. I do have a few questions nagging me, however: 1. Along the lines of insomniac's question, would it be difficult to find a guide to assist tourists who speak only English? Would it be advisable to ask hotel staff for a reference? 2. What is the proper recipe for Korean pancakes? Your pictures are killing me. I bought a mix (like this), however, I can't read the directions and my pancakes seem too thick, and very gummy. Any help (ratios of mix to water to veggies, etc.) would be very helpful. Sheena, Doddie or anyone? 3. Next summer, we may have a chance to attend a music festival (GMMFS) located at the YongPyong Resort. Do you (or any other EGers) have an opinon about visiting this region, or this resort in particular? I realize that it is touristy, but according to the website, it is about 200km from Seoul . . . .

That's very funny! And it sounds just like what a smart Yankee would do. BTW, I've never heard of Grade C. But I sure would like to try some!

Wow, what a coincidence. I have this same box at home. I didn't know that it was called "Peppero". I just assumed that it was called "Pocky"! No wonder the lady at the Korean Market looks at me funny.

Wow, as a chronic maple syrup addict, I'm wondering: was there a huge flavor difference between grades (assuming you did some sampling)? ← I'm not Nina C., but I did grow up in NH and we made our own syrup. Yes, there is a big difference in grades. "Grade A Fancy" or "Grade A Light Amber" is usually what you will find available for sale at most retail outlets and it is usually the highest priced. There are a few other grades of "A" but for my money, the best taste is in the "Grade B". Unfortunately, it is hard to find a retail supplier of Grade B (although if you can find it, it is usually less expensive than the same amount of "Grade A"). Grade B has a much more assertive maple taste and it is much darker in color. If you like maple syrup, by all means see if you can locate some Grade B. It makes the best sugar on snow! I'm looking forward to hearing more about the cheese trail!

You are welcome! Yes, I definitely would have preferred more eel in my roll. (I should have taken a picture of the inside, there was a small amount of eel and quite a bit of rice). Also, I am not a big fan of avocado, but it did make an attractive presentation. I will take more photos of the sushi that is found in our local shops for your friend, the chef. I'm confident that he will not be impressed with the offerings but he may be surprised by the amount of sushi that is eaten here. I live in a small town, but there are at least 8 sushi restaurants. (Most of these restaurants also offer Thai food). PS I have just learned a lot about teriyaki from everyone. Thank you.

I think that burger would convert anyone! It looks very enticing. Please tell me more about using okara in bread. I never know what to do with mine. I stick it in the fridge with good intentions and then end up throwing it out. Adding it to bread dough would be great, since I usually make 2-3 loaves per week in a Zo bread machine. Is there a simple way to add the okara to the pre-existing breadmachine recipes, e.g., substitute some of the flour with okara? What would be the approximate proportion, if you know?

Briefly, yes. Long-term, no. Love is only blind for a certain period of time. Then the fog on your glasses clears up and you realize that you are seated across the table from someone who would actually prefer to be eating at Taco Bell. Sorry, but that's a deal-breaker.

Hiroyuki, I know that you like to compare things (so do I). For this reason, I took a picture of my lunch and my partner's lunch yesterday. Your pictures made me very hungry! We dined at a small, but typical sushi restaurant in my area (east coast of Florida). I ordered a "Green Dragon Roll", which has eel, avocado and eel sauce. The cost is $9.95 US, which I think is about 1,135 Yen, and no side dishes are included. Closeup of the dragon's face (the eyes are octopus tentacles): My partner ordered a "Teriyaki Salmon Lunch" which included the items pictured, plus miso soup or salad, for $12.95 US, which I think is approximately 1,475 Yen. Usually the salmon is grilled, but for some reason, it was fried in this meal. [Edited to add: note in the lower right corner are four pieces of "California Roll," which is a very common item in sushi shops around here. It contains imitation crab meat, avocado and cucumber, and is always served inside out (so the nori is inside the rice). This is very popular in the US, for reasons that are entirely lost on me.]

Hiroyuki, that is one sensational-looking lunch. If my online currency converter is correct, the price (1050 yen) is less than $10 US. That's simply amazing. In my area, if one were lucky enough to find a sushi restaurant serving such meals, the price would likely be at least four or five times that amount. I noticed the leaf on your lunch, but I did not realize that it was wasabi until you pointed that out. I am inspired to find sushi for lunch today, although sadly I know that what I will find will be vastly inferior to your meal.

Pizza cook-off this weekend: White pizza with Alaskan salmon and king oyster mushrooms, Spinach with roasted garlic, feta and king oyster mushrooms, and meatball with marinara and baby mozzarella. (As you can see, we belong to the thin-crust-lots-of-toppings club. )