What's Your Souvenir Addiction?

[claassenam]

What a great tip regarding the restaurant supply stores - I never would have considered this. Now, another question, where do you store all of these wonderful finds, as it sounds like you have your own restaurant supply store's worth! Also, seriously, are you ever concerned with the lead content of the items, especially the Mexican pottery? Do you serve your own food on these dishes and platters?

[CMDAVILACLI]

Hi.. My husband is going to kill me one day with all of the "stuff" I bring back from the restaurant supply stores throughout the world, but since I end up cooking for him using these items, he reluctantly puts up with my addiction. I do have to confess that I racked our basement storage area with industrial shelves and store a lot of stuff down there!



As for lead poisoning in the Mexican plates... these are free from lead paints and are totally safe. These dishes are not highly fired (so they chip easily) so they are very safe. Because they chip easily, I have "justified" the need to purchase lots of them! If lead is used, the dishes will say something like "do not use for food".



Cathy

[fredhashway]

I hang onto rocks and shells from various places we travel. I also like to collect cookbooks. So if I find a little local civic group cookbook with local specialities, I always pick it up!

[kyshel]

Having spent many an anxious moment watching my suitcase nearly give birth on a carousel: I quit the souvenir world.

I, too, have done the bonehead stuff, like smuggling a kilo wheel of stilton with my dirty laundry (not much difference) Of course, that was in the old days! Like when I brought back 1/2 kilos of white, pink and black peppercorns from the Aswan spice market--not to mention the 1/2 pound bags of kebab seasoning, red sumac cinnamon and vanilla beans. What was I thinking??
WAY back when, I actually took the film out of my camera and filled the cavity with semi-precious stones, so I wouldn't pay duty.
Then there was Hong Kong and pashmina shawls, queen sized silk sheet sets, and the apparel samples from my biz part of the trip, along with 4 pint bottles of the hottest, nastiest red pepper sauce you can imagine...
well, you all know--been there, brought it back!!
My favorite souvenir to buy for one friend is a snow dome--she has a collection of hundreds--the kitschier the better! Easy, simple to pack--small and,oops, also filled with water and snow...Next time, I'll use the ziploc.

With all the new regs and TSA and...shopping is confined to small watercolor paintings or similar. I guess I'm starting to grow up?

[funtimes]

Kyshel - I love spices as well but usually ship them home I sent a box with approx 12 pounds of spices from our favorite bulk spice store in Tumaccacori Arizona...wonder what the drug sniffing dogs made of that package coming from so close to Mexico. Classenam I admit to a sample shampoo and small soap collection also. Fortunately we can use these in our resort rental homes ( WI and AZ) so that we never end up with a stockpile. Our guests seem to enjoy the interesting varieties and we enjoy remembering our journeys Tacky but true from the travel files...Funtimes