Hey...I'd like to ask a favor of anyone who goes to the Vietnam consulate.

Please ask someone there where they go for good Vietnamese food in Kunming? (If, it exists.) Please post the info back on this thread. There are more than a few of us who have a serious craving for authentic Vietnamese.

Thanks!

Thanks Bill...there's nothing pessimistic about your assessment. I've been here long enough to know that the Kunming/Chinese flavor seeps into everything from ice cream, to chocolate, to Western fast food.

But, there is a bright side to this search. I think I've found most of the ingredients needed to make real Vietnamese pho. I'll give it a go and report back.

Vietnamese grilled beef is tougher because I'd need grape leave, lemongrass, and an open fire to cook them.

Ban Mi sandwiches are also tricky. While I can find decent bread, roast pork, and the pickled veggies (which I can make), the liverwurst, headcheese, and the roasted meats are tougher to do.

Thanks Mike/Bill,

The upside to this nutmeg mystery, is that I've been experimenting with all of these mystery spices that I see in the store. I've discovered some incredible spices that I've never seen before.

The thing my friends back home are most fascinated by is this dried red chili that they use on everything. It's very uncommon in the U.S.. My friends are curious about the way it makes you face numb when you eat it.

One thing I wish you could get in China is "Gladware". It's made by the same American company that sells Glad Wrap and Glad Zip Lock bags here. It is a line of cheap, reusable, Tupperware-like containers. They come in various sizes and are optimized for people who regularly pack and transport homemade food. They make little ones that are good for lunch and big ones that are good for picnics. They work well in the microwave and are durable enough to use for months, or years. The key thing is that they are cheap enough that if you lose them, its not a major expense like Tupperware, or Rubbermaid.

The problem with most of the Chinese stuff I find is that these containers don't really seal well. The leak too easily.

Geez...what can I say, sir. I'm impressed! :)

I don't quite agree with your take, but I can see you've spent some time online doing some research. That's a good thing in my book.

Rather than administer Physics 101 to you, I'll refer you to Wikipedia for explanations of "conduction" and "convection". The story is there. Enjoy. :)

Of course, all of our collective data withstanding, you and I both know that if we went to Walmart, bought a halogen lamp, sealed it in a foil-lined box and blew a bit of air into it, you could cook in the same way my oven works. The proof in the pudding is in the eating. Tonight, I made a wonderful piece of glazed pork in my oven.

One thing that is missing here are pictures. One picture is worth a thousand words...especially where food is concerned. I'm going to see what I can do about showing the food I've cooked. I made a lovely tuna melt sandwich at lunch. I'm planning to make some baked apples this weekend. My cake experiments are being held up by the lack of baking powder...which I can't identify at the stores. But, I do have yeast and I'm going to make some bread soon.

As for the size wording goes...I'm not sure what type of education and training you have. In addition to my academic education, I was also have quite a bit of trade-related training. But, in either area, the general expression of 2-dimensional area is "square" + the relevant unit of measurement. This is how both carpenters and engineers refer to it. ("16 inches square" is a bit more awkward.) Per said "square inch", I refer you to the following link:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_inch

Per my particular oven, it is a circular device and I'm estimating that the overall diameter is about 16". This means that it takes up 16 linear inches, in both the width and depth of the counter. Hence, 16 sq. inches. However, if you would like to calculate the surface area of the actual circular apparatus, I refer you to this link:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi

(For my purposes, 16 sq. inches suffices.) :)

(It's bigger than my large wok.) The actual inner diameter is smaller. Still, its plenty big enough to medium sized pizzas, large cakes, large pies, large poultry, roasts, and large casserole dishes. This isn't a patch on my pro-grade oven back home, but in Kunming it beats the pants off the microwave and toaster oven alternatives.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on the "better"/"different" issue. It would appear that it is an ethics-based disagreement. But, if you feel like a round of critical reasoning debate, I'd love nothing more than to explain the concept of "post-hoc-ergo-propter-hoc" to you. :)

We may not agree, sir...but, I like your style. :)