gingerpeach

Thank you! I tried to keep the temperature consistent but for some reason the oiliness factor didn't occur to me. Will give it another shot soon.

I found a crepe pan very similar to the one in the photo at a thrift store recently. From online research I can tell that I'm supposed to dip the hot pan in the batter before returning to the stove. However, this only works for the first crepe; successive ones will slide right off back into the bowl before I can turn the pan right side up, leaving a half-cooked glop of mixed into the batter. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance!

Any recommendations for a specific brand/model of French press? Our beloved Ikea one was recalled. We replaced it with a Bodum Brazil, but the plastic part that holds the filter assembly broke on our second use. A quick scan of other Bodum presses on Amazon showed similar problems with other models. Thanks!

I take back the previous Cornucopia recommendation. Had a wonderful Americano there a couple of weeks ago, today had a latte that was just meh.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions. Quartermaine's isn't too far, will travel for good coffee! I've also discovered that Cornucopia, a tiny store on Norfolk Ave. that stocks Italian gourmet foods, also serves decent espresso. Keep the suggestions coming if you think of any more!

Yikes, maybe this doesn't bode well... I did sample some coffee from Quartermaine Coffee today at the Taste of Bethesda. Any opinions on this place?

Just moved to town from the Pacific NW and am in search of an independent coffeeshop with strong coffee and free wifi. Bonus points for being close to NIH and/or family-friendly. Suggestions, please?

Does anyone know what happened to Banh Mi 88, on the corner of 12th & Jackson? I loved their BBQ pork sandwich!

The new HT Oak Tree market is open at 100th & Aurora. Nice selection of Asian goods & produce. Especially check out their sale aisle - they are clearing out old Larry's merchandise. Think boxes of gourmet teas, olives, spreads, etc. for super cheap!

You might also want to watch out for foods that could cause heartburn.... pregnant women past a certain stage have enough trouble sleeping as it is. Else have a stack of Tums next to the after-dinner mints.

no I haven't! where abouts on King is it or what is it near...I'll put it on my list!! ← It's right next to Kau Kau BBQ (which I believe is at 6th & King).

little ms foodie, have you tried Phnom Penh on King St.? They have big bowls of seafood noodle soup that are perfect on cold, rainy days. Wish I could get there more often!

Babi kecap, a traditional Indonesian dish.

Yes, please - I'd love to see the article. At this moment I'm admiring your blog while drinking my poor excuse for South Indian filter coffee. Question about the onions you used last night - were they red onions? In Delhi the onions looked more like the shallots I see in the Asian store. Also, would you mind elaborating on your wok-like pan? Thanks for a very entertaining and informative blog. I will echo everyone else's comments on how adorable your son is!

We stayed with a lovely family in New Delhi. Tea was very simple -- chai with ginger in the winter, with cardamom as the weather grew warmer. Served with biscuits or savory goodies depending on the time of day, and always with the most gracious hospitality.

Monica, I am very much looking forward to this blog! Just returned from living in India for three months and I am dearly missing the food. Thanks for the beautiful pics! Love the tea and biscuits -- sometimes it is the simple pleasures we remember the most.

Ooh, Pan's comment about masala chai reminds me... chai and samosas were meant for each other. The fierier the samosa, the sweeter the chai, the better. Just don't run out of tea before you finish the samosa!

Pan, have you tried South Indian filter coffee? It's got that smooth, creamy, almost chocolaty taste that the candies have. rjwong, browniebaker, and hzrt8w, I've never had preserved plums. Are they more sweet or savory?

Memories of childhood: Botan rice candy Haw Flakes Sesame candy (small individually wrapped bars) Kopiko coffee candy (I was never allowed coffee until I was late in my teens, but growing up on this stuff, I knew I would like it!)

I have dark chocolate to thank for liking Earl Grey tea. Seems that I never really "got" what Earl Grey was about until I had an artisan chocolate with a creamy Earl Grey filling. Perhaps it was something about the contrast of the rich chocolate and the floral quality of the bergamot? The creaminess that brought everything together? Now I love Earl Grey tea.

Thanks, Episure and da_coolestofall for the mithai suggestions. Episure, I did have the chance to try pani puri at a wedding. While I liked the combination of flavors, I think the texture will be an acquired thing for me. Haven't quite gotten used to the watery + crunchy combination yet.

Still am, thanks . I had samples of both the milk-soaked kind and the plain kind; both were pan-shaped. My preference would have been to take home the milky one, but given the overindulgence at Haldiram's we "settled" for the plain. Any must-try sweets while I'm here in Delhi? I've already had all kinds of halwa, barfi, jalebis, gulab jamun and assorted relatives of cham cham, but there's always room for more!

I am loving the beautiful pics! One place I visited recently in Delhi is Haldiram's, where there was an overwhelmingly large selection of mithai: I unfortunately didn't leave a lot of room for mithai after chowing down on chaat and other savory goodies, but we did take home some sweets. Don't know if this counts as mithai, but I really loved a sweet called gewar (spelling?!). Honeycomb-like in texture, it was crispy and creamy without being cloyingly sweet. That description will be reserved for something else I tried called chum chum. Boy did that shock my sweet tooth! Next time, I'll use some advice I received too late - to squeeze out some of the sugar syrup from those soaked desserts!

For breakfast most mornings when I was a kid, my mom used to feed the kids an easy Dutch breakfast: buttered bread with hagelslag. I had no idea how unusual this was until one day in elementary school, when we took turns sharing what we had eaten for breakfast. Bread with butter and chocolate sprinkles was apparently not considered decent breakfast food! (Though I fail to see what makes donuts with chocolate frosting and sprinkles ok )

I PM'd you a cybersnack for now, but if you'll be visiting the Pacific NW in the near future, I'd be happy to follow up with the real thing! Thanks for the market tips.