Radio7

I recently tried the 'sour apple' sugarless Extra gum. It's quite refreshing - and I usually am repulsed by apple-flavored candy. As for KitKats, I love the white chocolate ones. Yum! they just kind of melt in your mouth. I've never actually bought a proper-size bar though, I had a multi-flavor bag of minis to hand out back at Halloween. I tried Halvah for the first time last night at Canter's in L.A. Such the unique taste! Too sweet for my liking (I got marble), but perhaps some could be had while having coffee or tea. I also tried one of those m&m minis chocolate bars (in peanut butter) and it was lovely. Seriously good. I'm not even a fan of chocolate-with-shell candies, but the minis are just tiny enough to burst a little peanut butter into your mouth as you eat the bar. I reccommend it. I'm Canadian, and I miss my Coffee Crisp.

Ah yes, I do remember the 'food posters'. Lots of peppers, oranges, sundaes too I think. I also recall smorgaboard type ones - challah bread or summat. So funny Welcome to a great community here docbright

nr - how about serve the soup in tiny long-stemmed glasses? that's as close as you can get, I think.

One of the simplest things around is my go-to quick meal/snack: raw tofu. I like it plain or in soy sauce. Plop a cube in a bowl, microwave it for about a minute, remove, and liberally douse it in SS.{I often add broccoli florets before nuking, if I have them around} Yum for me. (hopefully this doesn't horrify my fellow EG'ers. Lol) get well soon! Radio

Hi Kris, I have always been fascinated with Japanese culture, your blog is a pleasure to read. The cherry blossoms are exsquiste! I am curious, what would you say is your favorite food currently? What about your children and husband? I've been learning some Korean through friends, and they suggest that Japanese is the easiest to learn of the far east languages. What is your opinion? Cheers! Radio7

If Steve Cuozzo would like to get those pesky 'amuses' off his hands, he's free to send them to me - I've never had one. I agree with Pan's comments that amuses are opportunities to experience the invention of the chef, I may not otherwise be privy to. If you don't like something, or are allergic, a polite "no thankyou" would seem to be the obvious answer. Sadly, this is pure conjecture - Steve, I await your castoffs!

I'm pretty sure I'm the only egulleter who doesn't like bacon. Upon moving to the U.S., I was surprised at how unavoidable it seems. Bacon in everything! One day I'll see a baconshake, or bacon toothpaste perhaps. ...I just know it.

I-yie-yie, the granville island shots are making me homesick...Lots of memories. Also, I must mention that your 'doggies in raincoats' photo is so damn cute. How old are the little guys? What month do the blackberries come out? When I was little, my parents and I would pick them 'in the wild' in West Van. I'm hazy on the timing. There's a fantastic downtown sushi place my friend took me to once when I came back to visit....I'm racking my brain on the name, as I'd highly reccommend it if you are not otherwise acquainted with it. It was below street level and had the rotating tabletop (whatever on earth that is called) with various dishes to choose from at the bar. What was remarkable was I had the yummiest raw oysters there. I'm pretty sure it was around the Robson area. I'll see if she remembers the name. I'm very much enjoying this, the pictures are great.

I'm excited to be hearing from someone in my old home of Vancouver. It's been too long since I visited, and it's such a rapidly changing place I can't imagine what its like these days. My strongest culinary memories: It was traditional, on my birthday, for me to have dinner with my dad at The Cannery; beautiful view of the water, with the odd seal-sighting. The "Capers" health food store. Are they still in business?

At Monsoon Cafe on 3rd St. Promenade, Santa Monica CA, I had the yummiest Eggplant in Sweet Red Miso at dinner.

I well and truly loathe black licorice. Nasty, nasty stuff. On a lesser note (and please EG taskforce, don't hunt me down) I dislike bacon, and avoid pork whenever possible. Radicchio, coriander and cilantro used to be a 'never' along with licorice; however I have taught myself to tolerate radicchio -- I figure the dark purpley-red colour means its vitamin-rich. I will never eat split pea soup, esp. with ham. Olives. never. spicy hot chili peppers. I don't like food that causes pain.

I very much agree about the undercooked vegetables thing. Similarly, I've bought 'roasted vegetable' sandwiches, that more often than not, contained oiled-up peppers - Raw - yet mysteriously displaying the black smudges of a non-existent roast. Bleh.

( Are you sure we're talking about cucumbers here?

Tess - I have the same problem. Though it's mainly due to logistical problems with travel. The worst is when you sit down, and then the waiter comes up to you and says; "Ahi Tuna?" (or whatever your usual is). If I didnt love the ahi tuna so much, I'd order something different! It's just that the rest of the menu is lacking... Argh.....I miss restaurant anonymity. The worst part is, there are zillions of places in my city to try, I just can't yet explore them. Damnit I need a car.

Arbuclo - this is a great read, I am especially enjoying all the lush colours of the markets. I have one question, you mentionned that people eat only with their left hand - I feel a bit silly asking, but why is that? I suspect its a religious thing? As an aside - Pan - 'water apples' (I don't recall the english name either) are the most delicious things. When I lived in Costa Rica, a korean friend of mine brought a bag of them to class one day. That was the first and only time I've tasted them, but thanks for reminding me of a delicious memory.

Samosa? Or a grande Spanikopita? Love your little Orangina poster btw.

In "Heathers", Winona Ryder and the 'lead Heather' went to 7-11 to get cherry slurpees a few times. Though in the movie the names are different to avoid product placement issues, I presume. mmmm....cherry! Of course there's twin peaks with Agent Cooper's cups of coffee.This counts cuz there was a movie version. In "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" Martha is rarely without her gin&tonic, nor George without his whiskey. Jean Reno's hitman character in "The Professional" drank milk. (don't they all?) As a side note, I feel that vanilla milkshakes are the perfect food. I wouldn't blink an eye to shell out $5 for a "good f*(*#g milkshake". But it'd have to be seriously good... This is a tough Q, especially now that my mind's on the dang milkshake. lol

Oh lordy! Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta...I am a dweeb. I blame my ignorance on laziness more than anything - I felt a twinge of uncertainty as I typed my post, but didn't bother checking if I was right. I'm Canadian, and honestly have about as vague an idea of U.S.A. geography as most americans do of canada. lol. Mea culpa! Moving right along here, I'm guessing the orangey-brown things in your last pic are wheatberries? Mebbe?

Fantastic blog therese! I'm not a regular reader of these, but I'm quite engrossed here. I'm going to take a wild stab at your mystery plant-product thingies above.... are they: bits of turkish delight jelly? or maybe: tapioca pearls? orrrrr: ginger bits? ......: I give up. From what you've shown, I definately have to get to Louisiana someday. Looks lovely. cheers! er. Atlanta even. That's in Cambodia, right?

Gastro888 - Good to see another sashimi fan Have your people call my people. lol irodguy - Do tell what the components of the BTS roll are - you can't leave us hangin' man!

This is a very difficult question. My favorite food of all is japanese, but sushi is the least tempting japanese dish to me. I prefer sashimi - less rice more raw meat!! My favorite sashimi is salmon, though I love oyster when I can find it. My favorite sushi, ideally, would be something with enoki mushrooms....though I dont know what that would be. Okay, I'll vote for spicy tuna. Or salmon roe. Or both.

Tea with oranges. As in, tea with a couple clementines. Tea with a couple of clementines, in my slippers, reading the paper on a quiet gray saturday morning.

The vanilla milkshake is a perfect substance. It is divine.

Woohoo, another Uma Thurman fan!! I look forward to following your thread through the week, I was living in england a few years ago. I miss the seafood.

*sigh*