hjshorter

Infants of what age? I can tell you unequivically that my kids rejected curries (non-spicy) until they got to be about 2 or so, then ate them until about 4 when they became extremely suspicious of anything in a sauce. Lots of things affect kid's preferences, no matter how hard parents try. They have more sensitive palates, peer pressure comes into play once they start school, and they have a well-developed natural suspicion of unfamiliar foods. In my family - I'm a taster and have good reason to believe that at least one of my two kids is too. It means that my three-year-old will, without fail, reject anything with a bitter element to it and if his palate is like mine, is extremely sensitive to anything even the slightest bit off or funky. It makes it a little more challenging to introduce new foods.

kalypso, thank you so much for weighing in on this. Your posts have been eye-opening.

Thanks. That's what I'm doing. My children are well taken care of, but others, many many others are in a bad way. And it's all very well and good to say "the schools should teach nutrition". But with many schools having to buckle down and improve reading scores (or lose funding) is it realistic to add nutrition class to their schedules? Can they afford to add a nutritionist? What is the best way to go about it? I have no one-size-fits-all remedies, merely a suggestion that the problem of child obesity, hunger, and malnutrition are complex and require more than a demand that schools teach nutrition. Yeah, maybe you need to cut down on your own gym time or something.

You may have all the answers but your "tone of voice" could use a little something, Patrick S. It's great that you have the time and knowledge to teach your daughter jujitsu. Carrot Top isn't talking about the middle class parents who need to throw their kids in the backyard to play for a while every day once they eat their wholesome fresh fruit snack. Many of the obese kids I'm thinking of have no supervision after school. Many might live in neighborhoods where it isn't safe to play outside, where watching TV indoors in the safest place for them to be while their parents aren't home. Where it's possible to get shot or at least beat up for your possessions like a ball or a bicycle. They have parents that might work more than one job, and that don't know jujitsu to teach their offspring. What about them? They probably watch a lot of TV, and are a prime target for advertising. And there aren't many simplistic answers that will get them moving.

I was not replying directly to anything you've said, just stating where the thread seems to have drifted.

Do you really believe that? Because I don't. I believe that most corporations are out to make a buck, and continue to make a buck by creating a need, real or imagined, for their product.

So, it's OK for schools to teach proper nutrition instead of relying on parents to take the responsibility, but it not OK for the feds to regulate junk food marketing to children, thereby leaving it up to parents to counteract the millions of dollars of insidious advertising. Edit to add, do I have that right?

To me that type of education makes SO much more sense than an outright ban on advertising. Its not just food advertising that kids need to learn to analyse, its all arguments and attempts at persuasion. You might have some success with preteens or teens, but I doubt younger kids will realy give a rats you-know-what. And their tastes might already be formed by then, yes? I know kids that have been raised to read the labels on anything and everything, and analyze the fat content of all foods. They are never allowed any sodas, snack foods, or sweets at home. They act like absolute ANIMALS at birthday parties and beg for McDonalds, soda and pizza all the time. My kids get tortilla chips, cookies, ice cream, etc., and even a happy meal occasionally and we do not make it seem like a special treat, just another food. They also get plenty of fresh fruit, veggies, and drink skim milk or water. They do not beg for crap nearly as often as the other kids. Technically, we are not the better parents, but whose kids will have healthier eating habits down the road? Not sure. And our kids are definitely have no weight problems except for keeping it on.

Anything I don't want the kids to be able to reach lives up there. Almost every pair of scissors in my house resides on top of our fridge, along with Sharpie permanent markers, and my knife block. The kids lunchboxes are usually up there too, only because that's the only place with room for them. Our cat likes to perch above the door and stare down at us like a vulture.

Today's haul included 2 pounds of head-on shrimp, a big piece of pork belly, Kewpie mayonnnaise, and rice cracker mix with whole dried fish mixed in. Great Wall has a much larger fish selection than Han A Reum, Kam Sam or Maxim (my local markets) and fresher looking meat. Produce is about on par with Han A Reum, and a better selection than Kam Sam or Maxim It's good, but would be enhanced by a bakery section IMO.

Should I assume that it's not real bacon? Because why eat bacon but not eggs?

Great post Charles. We breathed a sigh of relief a year ago when our favorite mom-and pop pizza joint in Rockville, Giuseppe's (actually it's a mom-and-son, both as nice as can be) was able to relocate after being forced out of it's location for the fabulous new Rockville town center construction. They have a spiffy new space, but the same menu and personnel as before. I hope the Factory family has similar good fortune.

I asked my 6-year old. Breakfast: Cereal with milk, toast, and orange juice. Lunch: tuna sandwiches, apples, and milk Dinner: Pizza, salad with vegetables, and water. 3-year-old, when asked what his favorite breakfast was replied "pizza!". His favorite lunch would be pizza and peppers, and dinner would be burgers.

There's one on Rockville too. We had grilled lemongrass pork bahn mi for lunch yesterday. Delicious.

I forgot to mention that Balducci's is selling their shipped-from-Petaluma delights for $3 each.

Uptown doesn't do pastry, does it? I can cut them some slack for using Uptown because at least its local. Divine Delights is in Petaluma, CA. It's too bad, because Sutton used to bake in house and their stuff was pretty high quality.

Do you recall the name of the nasty blue cheese?

Sutton Place used to make a decent petit four. Now apparently they buy them from Divine Delights. Their Halloween variety look exactly like these. Identical flavors and decorations. Nice to know their commitment to improved customer service doesn't include producing their own baked goods.

I always have an apron, usually with a towel or two tucked in the back. Sometimes I use the bib and sometimes fold it over at the waist. It's necessary because in addition to spills I always wipe my hands on my clothes. Mine are all short, but I'd love a long one. Maybe I'll ask Santa for one this year.

Uh oh!

No. Sedaris skewers himself as much, if not more than his targets. His best stuff has a delicate balance of humor and poignancy that elevates it from mere satire. Edit: coherence.

Both are amusing in their own way. More fuller?

You're welcome! I highly doubt they will go Latino - they are always jumping, and this is the area the Post highlighted as the new "Chinatown" a while back.

I can only answer this one. Maxim is about 2 blocks from the Rockville metro station. Kam Sam is about one block behind it (through the parking lot and past Bob's Noodle 66, a very good Taiwanese restaurant). Browniebaker, Kam Sam has a bakery with very good coconut buns, and I am resonably sure that Maxim's carries Maria's Bakery stuff.

Rutabagas are delicious roasted and glazed with a little maple syrup. It sure was nice of David Hagedorn to step in and help correct his friends' entertaining skills.... Did that feature include recipes? I read the post online and didn't see them.