That was really worth a visit! Gorgeous tomatoes set out beautifully! You are a bad boy to refrigerate them though! It spoils the flavor don't ya know..... Linda

1) Most people ask if the speed oven is enough or do they need a MW. IMO if you use a MW a lot then you want a separate MW. A speed oven uses conventional heating element plus microwaves to give you the speed of MW but give the food the texture of a conventional oven. Nobody needs a speed oven. Is it worth the price depends on how much time you have to cook. Do you get home at 6 pm and need to get things done ASAP or do you usually have enough time to leisurely make dinner? Or do you simply want the ability to cook quickly like make cookies in a few minutes. 2) I would spend the extra money on Gagg steam oven because I love that it is plumbed too. It depends on how you cook whether it will be the most used appliance. The steam oven can be used in place of a MW and can reheat without drying out leftovers. The Gagg oven can also be used without steam as a convection oven. 3) That question can unleash a flame war. In general most people prefer gas to induction and have to be "educated" about induction. Gagg full surface induction is very good and as time goes by a greater percentage of people will know about induction. I think most people would prefer a gas line at the cooktop area but won't make a meaningful difference to resale value. 4) You have all electric appliances how are they not going to have electronic controls? If you had gas cooktops and gas ovens you could get mechanical controls but with electric there is not point. Only you could know what will affect your sense of occasion and enjoyment of cooking.

Back at ya'! BTW LindaC--I went by your friend's house in Sarasota this afternoon. The sky is beautiful but the temp only reached 59 degrees so pack a jacket.

How about Chicken Piccata? There is a little parmesan cheese in the recipe, but its not a dominating ingredient. I serve it with noodles or rice. Chicken Piccata Recipe (from www.simplyrecipes.com) Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Yield: Serves 4. Ingredients 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 pound total) 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup flour Salt and pepper 4 Tbsp olive oil 4 Tbsp butter 1/2 cup chicken stock or dry white wine 3 Tbsp lemon juice 1/4 cup brined capers 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley Method 1 Cut the chicken breast halves horizontally, butterflying them open. If the breast pieces you are working with are large, you may want to cut them each into two pieces. If the pieces are still thick after butterflying, put them between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat hammer to 1/4-inch thickness. 2 Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan. Rinse the chicken pieces in water. Dredge them thoroughly in the flour mixture, until well coated. 3 Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add half of the chicken pieces, do not crowd the pan. Brown well on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve to a plate. Cook the other breasts in the same manner, remove from pan. Cover with aluminum foil and keep warm in the oven while you prepare the sauce. 4 Add the chicken stock (or white wine), lemon juice, and capers to the pan. Use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Reduce the sauce by half. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Plate the chicken and serve with the sauce poured over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley. How about chocolate cupcakes for dessert? Super Easy, Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe (from www.simplyrecipes.com) Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Yield: Makes 12 cupcakes. The coffee (and the salt) help intensify the flavor of the chocolate. If you don't have or don't want to use coffee, just skip it and use water instead. If you do use coffee, just use what would be considered regular strength coffee (or slightly weak coffee) in America, not something super concentrated like espresso. If caffeine is an issue, use decaf. If you want to make a cake instead of cupcakes, double the recipe and use two 8-inch round cake pans and cook for 35-40 minutes. Ingredients Cupcakes: 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup brewed coffee (or 1 cup of warm water mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons of espresso powder or instant coffee granules) 1 Tbsp white vinegar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 6 Tbsp (1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp) olive oil Frosting: 4 Tbsp butter 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar 3 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Method Cupcakes: 1 Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners. 2 In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt until there are no visible clumps (cocoa tends to clump up). 3 In a separate bowl, mix together the coffee (or water plus coffee granules), vinegar, vanilla extract, and olive oil. 4 Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until they just come together. The mixture should be thin and rather lumpy. 5 Ladle the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about two-thirds of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a bamboo skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. 6 Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on a rack. Once cool, you can eat plain, sprinkle with powdered sugar, or drizzle or coat with frosting. Frosting: While the cupcakes are cooking, make the frosting. Melt butter in a small saucepan and remove from heat. Stir in the cocoa until smooth. Sprinkle in about a third of the powdered sugar, stir, then sprinkle in about a half of the milk. Keep alternating with the powdered sugar and either milk or vanilla, stirring after each addition, until the frosting is the consistency you want, and smooth. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar. If too stiff, add a little more milk or vanilla extract.