Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

A voice from the UK; I used to have a toastie maker. £9 from Woolworth's (sob...good bye, Woolworths). A clamshell design; you put the assembled sandwich in, closed the lid and waited for it to burn. The sandwich would come out dry and overdone with a thick layer of cheese-based magma in the middle. BUT...the thing also crimped the edges of the sandwich, building up burning cheese magma pressure. You bite into it and your lips and tongue need triage immediately.

Cheese, fresh tomato, bread, a bit of bacon or ham, and a good skillet full of butter. That's what you need. A toastie maker? Not so much.

@RegrettableFoodie--you are a hero.

I almost forgot--one of my friends has a wedge-shaped container for storing leftover pizza. It holds--drumroll please--one slice. Um, I can store, like, 4 or 5 in a Ziploc bag. If there are leftovers.

OMG, I forgot about those Tater Mitts! They look so gross and diseased.

I know this isn't an appliance, but that commercial for the steamed potatoes bugs me. You are supposed to buy these pre-peeled, pre-cubed, pre-cooked(?) potatoes, stick 'em in the microwave, and mash 'em up with your potato masher. Are they serious? I wonder how much extra this little convenience costs. And really, how hard is it to peel some potatoes, cut, and boil?

I have a museum's worth of as seen on tv items in my kitchen. I love my Ron Popeil Rotisserie.(my favorite thing to cook in it is a small turkey or turkey breast that I've brined over night, It's nofail super moist!) magic bullet(makes great smoothies for the grandkids-mine came with rings to screw on around the rims to make a smooth drinking surface but the kids love using straws),I also have and love using the gt Express 101( it's round and sliver, divided in two sections,I love to do baked poatoes in it) it comes with tons of recipes.some are kinda scary but many are really good. and can't imagine not having my West Bend Just for Dinner Bread Maker(it makes a small loaf big enough to serve 2-4 people a nice slice) it comes with great recipes too. I did once recieve the Popeil Pasta Maker-what a nightmare! Got the Super Salad Shooter a few Christmas' ago, it took longer to use than it took me to use a knife and clean up! I have a pasta pot and use it for pasta and boiling shrimp,I once got a set of Ginsu Knives, my favorite thing to do with them was to prune branches from my trees. I lived vicariously through my daughter when she was in the second grade Santa gave her an Easy Bake Oven that looked like a microwave and tons of mixes. I'd always wanted one but was never allowed to have my own! I'm seriously thinking of getting one with a supply of mixes for my grandkids so they never know the heart ache of never having one. I got the food dehydrater years ago, I made great apple chips with it and not so good jerky. The odor of the jerky drying is unforgettable, not nice at all! I got one of those things to do eggs in the microwave, it worked a miracle! It turned eggs into hard rubber!! I know there are other made for tv items I've been blessed with but am drawing a blank! Anyone's phyche can take only so much trauma before it shuts down. self preservation and all you know . . .

Not an appliance, but last year my mom got me this plastic onion-shaped container that's intended to store a cut onion. I got rid of mine, but she dutifully uses hers. I just do not understand it.

I also received, as farewell presents from the worst job I've ever had, an assortment of gadgets from the Bodum store that included a mini-chopper supposedly for herbs and garlic, a milk frother that I did try to use for hot chocolate but that was too spazzy, a measuring cup that broke instantly, and more! The best part of the gift was the tote bag it all came in. And its commemoration of my last day at that job.

Never fear, Dearrie! There is now an Easy Bake Oven for adults: the GE Advantium Oven. True it's a bit more pricey than the original but it actually cooks/bakes with halogen light bulbs. I love mine and call it my Easy Bake! Cooks quickly and also has microwave so you can use either separately or the lights/microwave together.

@wookie - I knew I should have documented the process!

Basically, she takes leftover bits and pieces of turkey meat (dark, white - it's all good) and stir-fries it with mung bean threads, sliced fresh or rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, julienned carrots and bamboo shoots, and slivered wood ear mushroom with a bit of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fresh black pepper.

She cuts bean curd sheets/tofu skins into squares and rolls some of the stuffing egg roll style. (The little leftover pieces of skin go into the pressure cooker for an extra smooth jook.) Instead of deep-frying the rolls as dim sum restaurants do, she lightly pan fries the edges to seal and brown. These rolls are braised in some turkey stock or chicken stock mixed with a bit of cornstarch, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Delicious served over rice and far less greasy than dim sum restaurants. The rolls are a bit loose than meat ones found in restos but on par with veggie ones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu_skin

mmmm....TURKEY POT PIE......mmmmmm..... how much pot should I use?

OMG grew up on Walter's Hot Dogs. However you missed some serious eats, Modern Pizzeria, 12 Russell Avenue, New Rochelle 914-633-9479. The best brick oven pizza ever (and everything else Italian). The store was originally a bakery back in the day (1940's maybe) and when the owner died his wife and extended family took over and started to make pizza plus added a bar (very 1950's) and they all lived upstairs. It was bought about 20 years ago and the new owners have kept the integrity of "the pie", renovated and expended the menu. Check it out. Get off the Thruway pass the Thruway Diner and there is Russell Avenue. Not too much of detour.
Yes, tell us what and where you ate on the Cape!