Anna N

Oh. Then I am doubly glad that I resisted the temptation. Still I will be following with interest your adventures.

I looked at this appliance more than once but it seems to take up one awful lot of kitchen real estate.

The bags are getting smaller and the prices are getting higher! I was astounded at what Lays calls the family pack. They ought to at least modify it by the word “nuclear”.

It boggles the mind.

No. She has shown no willingness to take it downstairs where she mostly lives. I was hoping we could share it but it doesn’t seem to be working out that way.

I am making the best of a situation where I am quite limited. Would it appeal to me as much if I could still lift a Dutch oven, still fry some spices without inducing a coughing fit, deep fry without having to worry about my balance, stand at the stove for more than a few minutes? I definitely would not recommend it for everyone. If you have loads of space for another appliance it might complement what you already have. It does nothing that cannot be done just as well another way. I would not class it as an appliance likely to appeal to one who loves to cook. It works for those who need to find a way to feed themselves that doesn’t always involve reservations or takeout — the young and the very old!

Another attempt at a duck breast. The meat was excellent. Skin was another epic failure. It’s time I tried the low and slow route. I cooked it for 20 minutes at 300°F turning it once at the halfway mark. Then I flipped it skin side down and gave it five minutes at 400°F. I do not particularly wish to put it too close to the element. I have some health issues that smoke would exacerbate. No worries. I still have quite a number of duck breasts to experiment with.

I think perhaps I jumped to conclusions. Your description of queueing up brought to mind our post offices. There you must produce some ID to claim a parcel. Other deliveries can be right to the door. Amazon will alert me to a delivery. Packages from other places often just show up without notification but I am usually on the lookout for them. Theft of parcels left at the door is an issue although I have never been affected by it. It is enough of a problem that these thieves have been given the name “porch Pirates”

And terribly dangerous for those of us with certain physical challenges! And all that oil to deal with. I will be the last to argue that they are as good as deep-fried but they are certainly easier and less messy and most of all much safer. It’s a compromise that some of us have to make.

I so love these stories of every day life in China. To collect a parcel here in Ontario would require the production of at least one piece of identification and incoming packets are in a room behind the counter. Parcel does not appear until you have met the identification requirement.

I joined in November 2002 but I had been lurking for sometime. As I recall my first screen name was Nolongerlurking. When I joined the staff I was required to reveal my legal name. Looking back at my first posts makes me feel like a PhD looking back at kindergarten notebooks! it has been quite a journey. Happy birthday Gully!

Looks like @lindagmight have one. Click.

Seasoned with salt and smoked paprika, given a very light coating of oil, cooked skin side down at 400°F x 20 minutes. Flipped and given 2 more minutes. Temp was well above 168°F. I would probably adjust timing next time.

So good. So easy. Excuse the anticipatory feet.

Such a fabulous idea to serve it in so many combinations. You seem to have quite the knack for thinking outside of the box. I really admire that.

It is a condiment that seems to have connections to almost every cuisine except Chinese!

This is very helpful, however, at least in the restaurants over here (Canada), one is provided either chopsticks or western cutlery. I cannot recall ever being offered chopsticks and a spoon except in Korean restaurants. So, on a properly set table at home or at a restaurant, does a placesetting include chopsticks and a spoon? Or is the spoon automatic since soup seems to be a component of most meals?

Can you address the myths, superstitions and etiquette surrounding chopsticks, please.

Thanks. Very interesting. I did try to find the answer myself but I was not really satisfied with what was showing up. edited to add : Must be quite a challenge to get greasy/oily dishes clean for those who only have cold water!

Why do you need an infrared sterilizer?

I did a little digging and it would seem that like most places prices in the tourist area are considerably higher than elsewhere. Looking at the average yearly income it’s a darn good job. 🤣

Sorry I have a very poor eyesight and I must’ve missed that all together.

Thank you. My eyesight really sucks and I did not see that.

I am not at all sure of the reliability of this source but it is an interesting read. Here. “The COVID-19 outbreak has proven what everyone long suspected – that Chinese people are not fans of food in cans. According to Daxue Consulting's data, in 2016, per capita consumption of canned products stood at six kilograms in China – just a fraction of the roughly 57 kilograms an EU resident went through over the same year and the whopping 92 kilograms an average American tucked into.”

Certainly most of us prefer fresh food but in February in Ontario about the only things that grow are icicles. Our fresh food must travel many miles. So I suspect the answer is much more complex.