Fresser

I recommend spicy, fatty foods such as spareribs, Chinese whatnot, et cetera. Battling cancer is a war, and the body needs lots of ammunition in the form of food. Since chemo patients often lose their appetite, highly fatty foods bring a lot of calories in to the party, even in small portions. Also, spicy food can counteract the effect of chemo on the patient's tastebuds.

Schlepping to Devon Avenue on Chicago's North Side is always a treat for me, as I grew up in the neighborhood only two blocks from Rabbi Ribeye. But tonight was extra special, as Girlie Girl joined me at Hema's Kitchen, a favorite of curry-loving Heartlanders. While Girlie Girl and I munched on samosas & tandoori chicken, the ever-gracious Hema kissed us both hello and told us that's she's opening another branch of Hema's Kitchen: this one will be at Lincoln and Fullerton in the Lincoln Park 'hood of Chicago. Frankly, I'm thrilled to see that Hema, after starting with a hole-in-the-wall-sized restaurant, has expanded her first site and already is opening another. With her grandmotherly demeanor, roving munchkins (read: kids) and savory, inexpensive food, Hema's Kitchen should pack them in at her new site. Details to come...

While I prefer my steak to be rather pink-to-red, the sight of blood trickling from a steak would make me vomit. This is one argument for eating kosher meat, as the process of kashering beef (salt, soak & repeat) removes every trace of blood from the meat.

Well, it's not my call...I'm just an invited guest. But I guess there was some trouble getting a private room at a few other places in town because the best man waited a bit too long. Hard to say this was a bad choice (since I've never been) but there are several other places I would have chosen before Magnum's--Chicago Chop House being one of them. And yes, from what I have read, the cheezy disco--complete with disco ball--still exists...but a separate cover charge applies =R= Magnum's is situated on the site of the former Ditka's Restaurant, which always seemed to me to be the refuge of people who grew too old to hang around Gibson's and Faces. Kind of an over-40, glitzy gold chain meet-market.

Stilton makes me turn cartwheels. Try Stilton on top of a potato pancake, then put the lil' bugger under the toaster-oven.

Lance likes to guzzle Shiner Bocks after a ride. Personally, I like to wolf down oatmeal and fruit before a ride, then nosh on fresh fruit after I return.

I'm a big fan of oatmeal. Crumble a (sugar-free) chocolate chip cookie in and top with a banana for a breakfast that stokes the fire all morning long.

How did Lucas the Fishmonger figure into the preparations?

The word your searching for is oenophile. I know--it sounds dirty, but it's a real word.

Where do they serve a good tube steak?

They live in Chicago, drive Slick PT Cruisers and are good to their mothers.

Marmite fans who also happen to be cyclists can show their spirit with a Marmite jersey: http://www.dullmen.com/marmite.htm

Fat Guy once wrote of Epoisse: When transporting illegal cheese, your biggest enemy is the smell. A Ziploc bag may as well be a screen door for all it does to conceal the athletic-supporter aroma of a really ripe Epoisse.

The Kool-Aid Man always reminds me of a schoolyard put-down: "Your mama is so fat... When she wears red, people yell, "Hey, Kool-Aid!"

Wow, that sounds like some good eatin'. Here in Chicago, we had the Burrito Buggy. They served steak-cheese-and-bean or chicken-cheese-and-bean burritos out of the back of a heater truck outside the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. As if the trading pits weren't noisy enough, we had runners & clerks stuffing themselves full of the Buggy's refried beans and then farting up a storm in the trading pits.

Forgot to ask, may I choose someone else's bare butt? I'll be right over...

Marco_Polo I hope you are ready for your ride. I know how it feels to do the first ride of the year. I hope that you have enough miles under your belt so far this year to do a 124 miler. I dont do this until May. Where do you live? Are there any eGullet'er cyclists in the Heartland? Aha! The cycling geeks have invaded eGullet! Yellow Truffle was kind enough to poke me in the ribs (electronically, anyway) and invite me to join in, so here I am. For skinny people, bicyclists do gorge on substantial amounts of food--both during a ride and after. My eating habits might be a little different, as I'm diabetic and thus cannot carbo-load the way some cyclists might. But after the typical 35-miler, I usally guzzle some orange juice or other piece of fruit for an energy (and glucose) boost. Bicycling Magazine has specific diets for century rides (100 miles in a day), and they recommend ingesting protein within two hours after the big ride. Personally, I find dried plums (doesn't that sound nicer than "prunes?") to be a great snack during the ride, as they provide fructose to prevent bonking (exercise-induced hypoglycemia) and are nice 'n chewy. So when are we starting up Team Gullet--the eGullet cycling team? To quote the irrepressible Tommy, "I'm in."

Eli's the Place for Steak is still plugging along in Chicago, although the "See-and-be-seen" crowd usually migrates to Gibson's on Rush Street. Eli's traditionally served their homemade cheesecake for dessert, and eventually they spawned a new company to sell the cheesecake nationwide. The son of Eli's founder is Marc Shulman, who left his law practice to run Eli's Cheesecake; visit their site here: http://www.elischeesecake.com. Can't wait to see you in Chicago, Holly!

A chum from Texas tells me this as well. "What do you want to drink" "Cokes." "What kind?" "7-Up." When I was at the U. of Chicago, all the first-years would re-enact the "Soda vs. Pop" debate each year. Since we were in Chicago, we natives called it "Pop," but the East Coast contingent continually bristled at our nomenclature. Ahh, whadda they know?

A hearty Mazel Tov! from all of eGullet! Don't forget those yummy (and sugar-free) lemon domes you made for our New Year's party. Those were some of the finest desserts I've had--sugar-free or otherwise.

Has anyone ever attended the Latke-Hamentaschen Symposium? This mock academic debate centers on the gastronomic, psychological, economic and theological implications of the two delicacies--and, of course, which treat is better. This debate sprouted at the University of Chicago back in the 1940's and since has spread to college campuses nationwide. Have you been there, Comfort Me?

Now HERE'S a Freudian slip.

Chametz-gorging season? Is that Jewish version of lent? Oy, gevald!

That's merely regrettable-- true sacrilege is putting ketchup on a kosher dog. Spread the word, Iguana. Once I saw my rabbi's daughter put ketchup on a hot dog. Aaauugh! But then, they're Sephardic...

No more soup for you!