Text 32449, 106 rader
Skriven 2015-10-28 07:06:32 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: luggage 395
===================
One of the sensible things my mother did was get me
gifts from LL Bean, and those things last. She got me a 
set of soft luggage from there when I was around 20 and
tan carryon and toilet kit when I was 30. I disdained
these in favor of a rolling backpack that I got from
REI I think - the one with the orange wheels. So
the rolling backpack got use until I was in my 40s,
and then for a while I resurrected the old LL Bean
stuff - the ugly tan carryon got pretty constant use
from 45 to 60, with the personal item from the stuff
I got in 1972 taking duty when needed.

Anyhow the wheels (inferior to begin with) of the
tan thing gave out a year or two ago after 15 or
more years of hard use, and I went back to the
rolling backpack as a stopgap until I could figure
out what to do. The telescope handle turned out to
be the weak link and bit the big one on the deadly
tilted moving walkway in De Gaulle, leaving me with
this heavy backpack, so I resolved to get a new 
primary carryon as soon as practicable.

Kuala Lumpur is said to be a great place to get
cheap luggage. Well, cheap is the operative word.
and what I saw was cheap but not particularly
inexpensive. I held off, though I could have got
Tumi (fashionable, overpriced, theft bait) for
about 40% less than in the US.

In San Francisco, I saw stuff just like what they
had in KL for not much different prices. I passed
again.

Back to REI, which has redeemed itself in my eyes
by refusing to open on Thanksgiving - and, further,
staying closed on Black Friday. There I found a
compliant light carryon that had been $200 and then
half-priced for clearance and then halved again. I
asked the sales person what was wrong with it, but
she claimed ignorance. What the heck, for $50 I
can't go too far wrong. 

It's made of eye-catching silver Cordura ripstop
so ought to be pretty durable. The wheels are said
to be sturdy as well, but compared to the longed-for
orange ones quite noisy. A single aluminum telescoping
handle that can't handle having another bag hanging
from it, which might be the weakest feature.

The other weakness it that it is designed with a low
brow so it fites nicely into the angled overhead bins
on the older planes - so there's a good 20% less 
capacity than the rolling backpack did for something
nominally the same size.

What's the point of all this? Not much except to make
my quota of five and to remind people that bargains
are not restricted to weird poor countries and that
one can get decent quality merchandise cheaply (i.e.
inexpensively) right at home (REI is two bus rides
and 40 minutes from the house).

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.01

      Title: Lagos/kounelli Stifado
 Categories: Meats, Greek
      Yield: 6 servings

           Karen Mintzias                      3    Whole cloves
      1    Rabbit or hare                      2    Garlic cloves
           -- cut into serving pieces,         1 tb Raisins (optional)
           -- and marinated 1 or 2 days        1    Bay leaf
           -See: Lagos/Kounelli Fournou        1 ts Granulated sugar
    1/4 c  Butter                            1/2 c  Dry white wine
      2 lb Small white onions                  2 tb Wine vinegar
           -equal weight of rabbit/hare             Fresh rosemary
      1 c  Canned tomato sauce

  Remove the rabbit or hare from the marinade and wipe dry.  In a large
  casserole, heat the butter or oil and sear the rabbit or hare over high
  heat until reddened in color, without browning the fat.  Meanwhile, peel
  the onions and cut a cross in the root end with a sharp pointed knife to
  keep them from falling apart during cooking.  Arrange around the rabbit
or
  hare, then stir in the remaining ingredients, add enough water to cover,
  place an inverted plate over the meat and bring to a boil.  Transfer to a
  very slow oven (225 F) and bake for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, until the rabbit or
  hare and onions are tender.  Remove from the oven and carefully pour off
  the sauce into a small saucepan.  Boil down to 1-1/2 cups.  Remove plate
  from casserole, pour the sauce over, and garnish with additional
rosemary.
  Serve warm.

  NOTE: The flavor improves the second day.

  Source: The Food of Greece - by Vilma Liacouras Chantiles Avenel Books,
New
  York ISBN: 0-517-27888-X

  Typed for you by Karen Mintzias

-----

I am told that stifado in Calabrese dialect means "bored to death.
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