Tropicalsenior

Thank you, I very much appreciate the offer but we have a terrible custom system here. By the time I could get it out it would be old enough to have grown a beard and it would probably cost me double in customs fees then it had cost you to buy it.

As long as we're waxing nostalgic, I would also nominate The Humble Velveeta. That's the only cheese that I knew growing up. It makes the gooiest grilled cheese sandwiches, is indispensable for some Southwestern dips, and makes some of the best macaroni and cheese that I have ever had. Unfortunately, that's one of the things that I can't find in Costa Rica. I've seen recipes to make Velveeta but I just kept bring myself to sacrifice $15 of cheddar cheese to wind up with $5 worth of Velveeta.

I'd like a mountain with a package of cheese under each bush. All different so that I could just pick a new one each day. If I have to pick a favorite other than the ones that have been mentioned, I would add gorgonzola, asiago, and Baby Swiss.

I have to agree on using plastic bags. They're indispensable when it comes to separation, protection, and identification. I can't imagine not being able to use some sort of plastic. Fortunately here in Costa Rica they have not dispensed with the produce bags. Some stores are just giving you the little bags but at least, I have something. I do have other means of storage that I use though. Michael brought me these net bags that are handy for buying produce and some kinds of storage. They are a fine nylon net and I have used them for a couple years. He bought them from Amazon and I no longer have the link but they are about $10 for 15 bags of three sizes. I can also buy two sizes of plastic bags in the grocery store. Sandwich size and one about 8x10. We can also buy plastic bags by the kilo here. Everything from very very small bags to large garbage bags. All the plastic bags that I use get used several times before they go into the garbage. And all my garbage gets packaged in smaller bags before it goes in the large garbage bags because all the garbage bags that they sell here are biodegradable and tend to start degrading before they reach the curb. Biodegradable bags are a great idea if they could just get their timing right. As to your friends question about material for bags, I would definitely recommend the very fine nylon net material for transparency and maybe some kind of light waterproof raincoat material for other bags.

Hmm, now I know why I can't stand Cheerios. I can only imagine that the box that they come in has more flavor.

I haven't had king crab in years but I know my daughter buys it over the internet. She said that she pays $80 a pound. And that is in the shell. It looks like the package that you have there is shelled which would be a good deal.

These look delicious. Do you sweeten your popover batter?

Here is an interesting review by Grace Dent.

I appreciate your honesty in posting what you consider to be a failure. It looks delicious to me.

Glad to see you back. Your meals are simple but always perfectly prepared. That steak looks so juicy.

It seems to me that chuck roast would be an excellent choice for chili. The trick to using it though is to Brown it thoroughly and then cook it low and slow. Don't overcook it or it will be very dry. I'm making chili today at least my version of chili. I'm totally hampered because I can't use onion or garlic in it so I have to add more of other seasonings. Oh well, my housemate likes it so that's all that counts. The best chili that I have ever made was from a cookbook by Marjorie Klnnan Rawllings, the author of The Yearling. It's called Cross Creek Cookery and it is available from Amazon. It was in a book that I checked out years ago from the Lake Tahoe Library and the recipe is called either Louisiana or Alabama chili. I used to make it by the gallon in the restaurant that I worked in and the San Francisco Examiner said that it was the best chili in Lake Tahoe. Unfortunately I lost the recipe when someone stole my personal recipe book years later.

In restaurants the types of eggs are over easy, over medium, over hard, sunny side up and basted. And I would say that that is pretty much the order of the popularity with the majority being over easy. Your machine could also make basted eggs by simply adding a few drops of water and putting on a lid.

As a long time breakfast line cook, I can tell you that the people that order sunny side up eggs are definitely in the minority. Personally, I could never eat eggs that way. I just don't want my breakfast staring back at me.

With that shape of pan that's about all you could do. It really should have an egg pan in case somebody would want to flip their eggs.

I can appreciate your ingenuity but I would never buy something like this nor would I even want it as a gift. I avoid one trick ponies like the plague and I would never give them space in my kitchen.