Tropicalsenior

Try ordering one in Costa Rica where they have absolutely no idea what a Caesar salad is but they have to put it on their menu. I have been served some of the worst abominations and finally just gave up. Probably one of the worst was made with cabbage, bacon, and a creamy tarragon dressing.

It must be served on black beans and rice.

If that makes you a bad person I must be horrid because I am terribly jealous. The hot dogs that we get down here are no texture and no taste. They are terrible. I once saw a package of 8 Hebrew National hot dogs and they were $16. Right now, I would give my first born for a package of good hot dogs. That may sound terrible but you don't know my first born. It would be a great trade.

You've got that right! If I made that for anybody that I know, they would throw it at me.

BBC News: The robot chefs that can cook your Christmas dinner An interesting concept for the future. Unfortunately I don't think they're available in Costa Rica yet.

Okay, okay, I finally got it! My Italian is just too rusty.

She has The Knack for turning anything into amazing looking food. BTY, @liamsaunt, welcome back. I've missed seeing your fantastic repertoire of dishes everyday.

Mine just went on to bigger and better atrocities. One of the great joys of divorcing him years later was getting rid of her.

My mother-in-law did that while I was in the hospital with a new baby. I threw a royal hissy fit, made her put it all back and stuck her on the next bus out of town. After that, there was a lot less interference from that quarter.

And they detail every minut step in the recipe! From chopping onions to heating the frying oil, they don't give you credit for knowing anything. More and more, if they don't have a jump to the recipe button, I jump to another site.

No, I don't reduce it. I just corrected the seasonings and sometimes I thicken it for gravy or for stew. I only put in enough water to cover the meat and periodically add more so that it is below the surface.

I make it quite often and it is always delicious. The secret is in the long slow browning in the butter, then the long slow simmer. The beef is tender and moist and the broth is unbelievable.

I love that toothy grin. It looks like it's having a ball.

Carlos had planned to take me out to dinner last night for my birthday but the rain was coming down in buckets so I put together a quick dinner of tonkatsu, Japanese honey butter sweet potatoes, and Asian coleslaw. Not very photogenic but it sure was good We've got beautiful sunshine today so we are going to go out for pizza.

I apologize. It was probably sour grapes and guilt by association on my part. I had just finished cremating a pan of croutons and it was my last loaf of homemade bread.

What green stuff? Everything else looks wonderful but the broccoli rabe looks like you cremated it.

Many thanks for sending me down one of the most interesting rabbit holes that I have been in this year. A fascinating website! I would love to try moose muffle stew. However... might be a little hard to come by in Costa Rica.

As promised, my Sunday Char Siu Bao. I actually made nine of them but one of them was an abject failure and had to be consumed immediately to avoid embarrassment.

I've never had a failure with this recipe. One reason that I like this recipe is that I have made them as small as golf balls and as large as softballs and the filling always comes out even with the amount of dough. Although the original recipe is for the bread machine I make mine in a stand mixer. The most important thing to remember is to not make a very soft dough. It has to be able to stand up to the pressure of the hot filling. This is my recipe for the Char Siu. Are they hard to make? Maybe the first couple times but you soon learn to wrap them. Just don't fill them too full.

We just had a simple salad plate last night with melon and toast. Char Siu right out of the oven. Destined to be appetizer and fried rice for tonight's dinner. And ultimately, Char Siu Bao for lunch on Sunday.

Never fear I've got it here.

Good news after all. Gravy Mayo Exists—But Not in the U.S. (Yet!)

Only if it's turkey gravy. Doesn't say. Says that it is restaurant inspired. What restaurant? Joe's greasy spoon!

None of that can ever compare to a blown up pressure cooker. My kitchen is 15 x 25 and it managed to Splash every wall and everything in between.

Thank you, what a fantastic memory you have. Yes, we were neighbors for 22 years and until three years ago when she signed the house over to her daughters, she was my landlady. She raised her own family in the house that I am living in. She was definitely one of the most influential women in our area. She was the first woman mayor in Costa Rica. About 5 years ago, the president himself came to her house to present her with a presidential medal. Just my luck, I was out to lunch that day. I never have to give anyone my address. I just say I live in Doña Flora's house.