Wow, that's great.  I was sorry to see the televisions next to the dining tables in the Italian and Japanese households, and wondered what other households did the same but with the TV not in the view of the photo.  I wonder if the book answers such questions as "does the family dine with the tv on?"

Okay, I have my excuse to throw frugality to the wind and buy the book; I must have an answer to my question!

I love how people seem to be rather happy in the photos.  The (Tingoans?) melted me.

This week I'm on the road in South Texas, petroleum lease research, and as usual, I'm cooking out of my hotel room.  I'll have lots of salads, soups made with veggies and vegetarian chicken broth powder, plenty of oatmeal with flax seeds, and lots of cherries, apples and canteloupe.  When I get back to Austin, I'll have Shepherd Pie made with Quorn Ground "meat", which I highly recommend to vegetarians, anything made by "Quorn."  Factor in coffee and tea and puh-lenty of red wine and you have my week.

Thanks ever so much for this diary.

Karen in Austin

'tis strange I should be old and neither wise nor valiant. From "The Maid's Tragedy" by Beaumont & Fletcher