I understand your pain. We are currently dealing with an issue for the 1st time after living in our apartment for 30 years. The new tenants downstairs from us(6 months) cook heavily spiced food and it is suffocating. They cook several curries and other odd things but also use HEAVY amounts of cayenne pepper. This results in a heavy, oily curry smell that is also acrid and bitter. It is quite unbearable to breath the fumes all the time. I have resorted to putting Vicks on my nose or leaving our apartment. I understand their food may taste great, but living in an upstairs apartment the fumes and odors are like how smoke rises. It comes in under our cabinets, floors and any open window and it gets into everything. Our carpets, rugs, drapes, furniture, walls, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, towels and even the window screens stink to high heaven now, thanks to their cooking for 4-5 hours a day. We have to keep our clothes in plastic bags in the closet. The landlord tried to help by putting in a stronger fan over their stove but, thanks to terrible building design, the fan vents out right under our kitchen window and does no good IF they use it. So we have to keep all the windows closed and burn incense, candles, vinegar and water and use room spray constantly, plus wash curtains, screens, counter tops and vacuum 3-4 times a week to just temporarily lessen the smell in between their cooking sessions. And it never goes away. Our property management company doesn't do anything to help so I have spoken to our city rental mediation group and they say that "disagreeable odors" are a infringement of our "right to quiet enjoyment" (just as loud noise is) and it has NOTHING to do with discrimination since the tenants are also an "ethnic" group. It would make no difference if someone was cooking cauliflower,chocolate chip cookies or bacon for hours every day. Our issue is being addressed and we will mediate with the landlord for resolution. According to them, the landlord has to be "aware of his building limits" and has the right to notify people in advance of renting that "strong cooking odors" are not permitted. It also has to do with "destruction of property" as it will take a full replacement of several layers of paint, new carpeting,new blinds, new screens etc when the tenants move out. The odors are so strong that it is even in the paint on the OUTSIDE of the building. Our apartment will also need repainting and possible new carpets, regardless if we move out or not, and he can hold the tenants downstairs accountable for the full cost. So as far as people telling you there is nothing that can be done, that is not true. You have rights as an apartment tenant. We have been given bad or heavily opinionated advice from many people regarding our situation. Since the tenants involved in OUR situation are from an "ethnic minority" everyone thinks any action would be considered discrimination, but as I mentioned above, these types of situations have nothing to do with discrimination. Lots of people think the ONLY answer to tenant problems is to move which isn't always an option. Check to see if your city has a mediation board or group and talk to them. They may be able to help you, if your landlord won't, with the late night cooking issue. Good luck

Well, I can't find the recipe I was thinking about, but I found these online and they are similar. Grapefruit Granita 2 cups Florida pink grapefruit juice 1/4 cup sugar 4 mint leaves 4 fresh Florida pink grapefruit slices In saucepan, combine grapefruit juice and sugar. Bruise mint leaves between fingers and add to saucepan. Bring mixture to just boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Remove mint leaves. Pour grapefruit mixture into ice cube trays; freeze. Just before serving, place a single layer of frozen cubes in food processor fitted with steel blade. Pulse 12 times or until no large chunks of ice remain. Spoon granita into stemmed glasses. Garnish with grapefruit slice. Repeat with remaining cubes. Serve immediately. Serves 4. Grapefruit Granita A web\-exclusive recipe from Italian Cooking and Living 1/2 cup sugar 3/4 cup water 2 1/2 cups red or pink grapefruit juice, bottled or fresh squeezed 2 tsp. lemon juice, preferably fresh squeezed Sprig of mint to garnish In a medium saucepan, add the water and the sugar and stir to combine; make sure to put the stirring spoon aside. Heat the mixture over medium high heat without stirring until mixture reaches a boil. Again, without stirring, cook mixture for about 5 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. When cool, add the grapefruit and lemon juice and stir with a clean spoon. Pour the mixture into a 9x12" or other large, flat dish so that the mixture doesn't come up too high along the sides of the pan\-you will need room for stirring. Place the pan in the freezer, making sure it is level, for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, carefully remove pan and place it on a steady surface. Use a fork to stir the mixture thoroughly, making sure to break up any ice crystals that have formed along the side or bottom of container. Return the pan to the freezer and repeat the stirring every 30 minutes, making sure you break up any large chunks that form, for 3 to 4 hours or until mixture is thoroughly frozen. Fluff with a fork and spoon into small coffee cups or ice cream dishes. Garnish with mint. Serve immediately or return to the freezer in serving dishes for up to 4 days. Serves 6 Champagne Grapefruit Sorbet 3 cups good quality Champagne 1 cup sugar 1 1/4 cups water 1 cup pink grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed 1/3 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed Pop cork from champagne bottle 1 to 2 hours before using. Gradually pour champagne, allowing for foaming, into a 2-quart container; set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and water. Stir until mixture comes to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand approximately 10 minutes or until cool. To champagne, add sugar syrup, grapefruit juice, and lemon juice (do not strain pulp from juices); stir until thoroughly blended. Ice Cream Maker - Transfer mixture to ice cream maker, process according to manufacturer's instructions. Freezer Method - Pour into container, cover, and place mixture in the freezer. When it is semi-solid, mash it up with a fork and refreeze again. When frozen, place in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Cover and refreeze until serving time. NOTE: Can be prepared 3 days in advance. Cover and keep frozen. Makes 8 to 10 servings. Linda

We "steam" our Chesapeake Bay blue crabs vs "boiling" using big pots with inserts in the bottom to prevent the crabs from touching the water. I do a "boil" every Christmas that I learned from a Portuguese lady I worked with like you described. Adding the sausage is delicious. "Time Bandit" is from the "Deadliest Catch" series on the Discovery Channel. I love that show - now even their catch is famous! Thanks for sharing.

This thread, which I didn't catch the first time around, made me think. In general, I cook to eat and feed my family. However, I do enjoy baking for special occasions. I think that if I didn't work outside the home I would cook more...and be more adventurous. But, I work and have a long commute so by the time I get home I have to make fast meals with little time for creativity or major prep work. So, we eat a lot of frozen veggies--as is out of the bag, pre-cooked meats warmed up, pasta, soup, occasionally waffles/pancakes/eggs, potatoes, etc. I.e., for the most part things that I can cook fast. One up side to this is that our meals haven't changed that much w/o a kitchen since we do have a MW, Toaster Oven, and hot plate to cook with! One very big downside to this, though, is that my children are not learning to cook like I did from my mom. Back on topic... After finding this site and reading about zones, I realized that one thing that I really wanted was a baking center. So when my kitchen was being designed I had it in the back of my head that whatever we ended up with had to have an area I could designate my "Baking Zone", preferably near the ovens--with room to roll out dough, spread out cookie sheets, and have cookie cutters spread out all at the same time! The other thing I got from this site was our window...having the window down to the counter (OK, not cooking-related, but a very important design element!) Our very first plan that our KD came up with had input from us...but a very naive/ignorant us! (Before GW...BGW!) Then....I found this site.....and the changes began. Actually, I posted that original plan and asked for help (and also asked my KD to start over w/no island) Many, many people here helped me come up with a plan over several weeks (months?). We finally came up with a plan that has changed little since then. Interestingly, when I took away the island "must have", my KD came up with a plan very similar to what we came up with here. The only 3 differences were (1) no mini peninsula, (2) a 36" pantry cabinet rather than a corner pantry, and (3) no separate Message Center cabinets. My KD wasn't completely happy w/our differences, but she, wisely I thought, told me to go home and mock up what I wanted to see how it would work (same advice I got here!) Well, the mock up was great! It proved that I did indeed want the mini peninsula (I liked it so much I left the mock up in place until demo and used it!) When I told her the results, she didn't argue, she accepted it telling me it's my kitchen, so ultimately it's up to me. So in the end, my design was/is based on what I wanted, not what the KD wanted. [If only someone else had measured my kitchen and she was given more authority, I think a lot of subsequent problems would have been avoided.] Our kitchen isn't done yet, but it's close...so I can't yet tell you how it is going to work for us...but we are so...