Chris Amirault

And for lots of aged rums and tequilas, and some bourbons and scotches.

Erin, what does "like these" mean? What the heck are they?

A soft meringue-y cake of sorts, and a thick pudding. Call it a sauce, if you like your sauces mayonnaise-style.

The internet's been buzzing for a few days (example here) about Whole Food's decision to advocate for the deregulation of Monsanto's GE alfalfa. Here's Forbes's take on the situation: What's your take?

I'm confused: aren't bread pudding and pudding cakes different?

In her loving search to find me the lemony-est dessert on the planet, my wife grabbed this recipe from epicurious (originally Bon Appetit) for lemon pudding cake. It's delicious, a very light dessert with a meringue top and a cakey-custardy base. But, since neither of us have ever had "pudding cake" before, we don't really know what the genre is. What do you think the prototype is? Good recipes? If they're like this, well, I'm in.

So many involve smell. I referred to blue cheese as "feety" here, which drew some comments.

I went to a scotch tasting last night. During the presentation, the speaker referred to flavor components in one bottling as "notes of baby-sick." I was taken aback, but the others -- veterans of many tastings in the local malt society, unlike me -- seemed to take it in stride. Any other terms you've heard used to describe food or drink that threw you for a loop?

Usually when I leave a place after a trip I'm glad to be back where I have more variety. When I left two weeks in Thailand -- mostly in Chiang Mai -- I felt precisely the opposite. I could live there, eat eight meals a day, and eternally ecstatic.

When I lived in Park Slope and worked at the corner of Broadway and Houston in the mid-1980s, a group of us at work would wait for the crummiest, nastiest day -- sleet preferable -- trudge the half-mile to Katz's, Yonah Shimmel, and Russ & Daughters, and treat ourselves to a well-deserved feast. The greatest lunch anyone on any planet could ever have. `

Elie, you can read up about a gum syrup in this post.

Oh, and my vote is for John's -- and it has nothing to do with that Picon stash.

I admit I had to google to confirm, but I was right: it's a Blood & Sand riff, and Juan was the lead character's name in the movie of that name.

Precisely.

Yeah, yikes: $6 per person, roughly, per day, at our house (of four: two kids, two adults).

Well. Two pretty remarkable, well-known, chefs, Aki Kamozawa & H. Alexander Talbot of Ideas in Food (book and blog both), both just "misused" the term "breaking down" in their most recent post, in which they "break down" a few stalks of broccoli rabe into component parts. Sorta like the way I was "breaking down" a couple of chickens.

Mitch, that Italian course stuff is pretty snooty. Isn't that stuff really the provenance of restaurant/professional kitchens? John, where'd you get that Picon?

Still sick, so: 3 oz El Dorado 15 rum 1/2 oz Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur 1/4 oz pimento dram (homemade) 2 dashes Angostura tsp ginger syrup 1/4" slice of lime 1/4" slice of ginger Into a mug; fill with boiling water.

Most non-rolling-cart dim sum places also provide guests with ordering slips.

If I'm taking your order without writing it down, you should be nervous! I tried this for a while at the bar, and I'm terrible at it. I had to keep going back to 'confirm' in a friendly, "please don't see through my ineptitude" sort of way. After one blown $24 entrée and a glare from the kitchen staff that resulted, I ate my pride and got out the little flip notebook.

John, where in Red Hook do you get your hooch? (Forgive me if you mentioned this.) ETA: just wiped away a tear for LeNell's.....

The Pickle Guys rock. Mitch, have you ever been to the Tenement Museum? It's like three blocks from your house. I've been twice, and it's amazing. The kitchens are treasure troves of information about immigrant NY.

One of the greatest breakfasts I ever had was upma, chutney, and pickles.

I'm making this tonight. Looks great.

Impressive granny cart, Mitch. When I lived in Park Slope 25 years ago, it was the most important thing we owned. Really enjoying the blog and eager to see what the weekend brings.