Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Thick-sliced English bacon!

It's illegal for them to not give you a lunch--you need to ask for it or get another job. Seriously, they're required to give you at least 30 minutes; take the 30 minutes and leave so that you aren't tempted to "help out." They can get along without you for that long.

Favorite pork memory is having real Southern pulled pork for the first time--NOM!

Can you volunteer to make the things that might have dairy in them and use vegan substitutes? You could make a pretty nice meal out of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and vegetables. That might draw less attention to you.

I agree with dbcurrie, though: being nice about it hasn't paid off, so I would be a bit more confrontational. Not rude or shouty, but forceful. "I have my way of eating and you have yours; I don't criticize the way you eat, so why don't you enjoy your meal and let me enjoy mine." What they're doing is really, really rude, and I also think it's rude that nobody is standing up to defend you. Come to think of it, maybe you could enlist an ally? Arrange that when the relatives hassle you, you push back, and your ally says something supportive. Then it's harder to dismiss.

Yes, this recipe sounds a bit more like kifteh than kibbeh; the kibbeh I learned to make are fried and have a meat filling and bulgur on the outside.

It's my understanding that you can cut mold off hard cheese and still eat the non-moldy part, but you can't do that with softer dairy products. So the yogurt has to go. Even if you cook with it, the toxins left by the mold are still in it and can make you sick.

I feel your pain, Estrallita--I hate throwing out food, too! But you'd better pass this one up.

Schell's Produce in Toppenish, WA. I used to drive by on my way to and from work and would stop frequently. Now I live farther away but stop by whenever I can. Beautiful, super fresh, local produce at fantastic prices!

Thanks so much for this! I live (in the U.S.) with a Brit who loves his HP and we have to mail order it. Will have to try it ASAP!

You do know that so-called "English muffins" are unknown in the U.K., right? Totally American invention (a misinterpretation of the crumpet, I suspect).

Almost every day, my boss goes on and on about how good my lunch smells, then acts like I'm some sort of freak because I actually cook at home and bring leftovers for lunch. She's never worked a 40-hour week in her life, but she complains she doesn't have the time to cook.

She bitches constantly about her weight (she's one of those women that has a few extra pounds, but whines about how fat she is in the hope that you'll tell her she isn't fat) and the fact that she doesn't have any money, but eats out for lunch every day. And, no, she isn't bright enough to make the connection.

I often bring salad to work for lunch. I get my CSA box on Thursday, then make up a salad and stash it in the fridge. At night, I dish some into a container, add some low-fat cheese, beans, or lean meat, and put some dressing into a little canning jar. It's a really nice lunch and doesn't give me the afternoon sleepies.

I would say my favorite salad is probably a Greek one with lots of red onion, though. Yummy.

My advice would be to hang loose, I guess. If something looks wonderful and the price is right, go ahead and buy it, even if you don't know what you'll do with it. You can always search the web when you get home, and I think it's a good idea to shake things up in the kitchen every once in a while. Challenge yourself with some kohlrabi or whatever and it could become your favorite vegetable.

Also, if you see a great deal on fruit, buy all you can and freeze, dry, or can it for later. Make freezer jam and it will make you smile all winter. :)