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Er, maybe. The food at Chinese Mirch (27th & Lexington in NY, NY, IIRC) is pretty representative[...] ← Representative in terms of dishes, or quality?

My mother always used to make turkey Tetrazzini with leftover white meat turkey.

If she had baked it in such a way that she could eat it, that would be one thing (though it still wouldn't be acceptable), but since she had no intention of eating it, her action was plainly hostile. I don't think that she had good intentions, and she should never be invited again, or at least never allowed to make any food.

That makes sense, Suzy. Is ginger also a blood-thinner?

Congratulations on your baby! It's surprising that anyone is cautioning about garlic. I thought garlic was considered one of the most healthful things one could eat in almost any condition.

I was going to suggest the same thing. I had that dish a few days ago at a local Peruvian restaurant. Make sure to put plenty of cumin on the pieces of heart and grill until the strips of meat have a nice char but are still tender. I couldn't tell you how long that would be, as this is just the perspective of a diner who's had the dish.

Peter, I'm glad to hear this place has not deteriorated one iota since my trip in April of 2004.

I like Asimov and was expecting him to take over as main critic when Grimes resigned (retired, whatever). I think he would have done a good job, producing consistently interesting and thoughtful reviews, even if I wouldn't have always shared his taste. And another thing, Asimov is really passionate about food and wine, and it seems to me that that passion causes him to respect producers and chefs and restaurateurs who themselves care about craftsmanship.

Which restaurant? Please post about it in the New York forum; we want to know about it.

Many societies have traditionally had dietary restrictions or guidelines for pregnant women. Here's an article about modern dietary restrictions, in Israel.

Those dishes and that place look awesome! We have some "rice and 3 sides for $4" places in Chinatown and Flushing here in New York, and they're a good way to get a decent cheap meal, but they're nowhere near comparable with that shop. Well, some in Flushing may have a comparable number of dishes available (Mayflower near the Long Island Railroad station in Flushing, for example), but I don't think any are comparable in selection plus quality.

I've always liked Mamoun (though it's been a while since I've been there) and I don't believe I've ever said anything negative about the food I've gotten there.

Smithy, you may be thinking of me eating a chicken head, though I didn't do it during my blog. It's good and not the same as all the other parts. And coxcombs are considered a delicacy. Casa Mono in New York, a tapas bar/restaurant, makes a dish of coxcombs in a wine reduction which I understand is a common tapa in Barcelona. Edited to add: Happy Thanksgiving, Lucy (and to all readers who are celebrating)!

The brown sauce, if it was more of a dark red/brown, was Gojuchang (I think I spelled that right), aka Korean hot sauce.

Chickpea is cutting corners now, saving time and catering to non-conoisseurs instead of doing it right and making people wait as damn long as it takes. They now refuse to put hot sauce or tahini in the shawarma sandwiches (because some customers were complaining that it was messy, they said), so if you want the right taste, you have to get the food to stay and put the sauce on yourself; the spicy mixed-vegetable pickles I loved have been permanently eliminated (because the manager wants to speed up the line, they told me tonight); and it's possible I'm imagining things, but the last two times, the pita didn't have that fresh-baked taste to me. They will see me less often, and I can no longer give anything close to a strong recommendation for the place. I can understand why they'd choose greater profits over higher quality, but places that do that are not for people who care about quality above all. It's too bad that the owner hasn't been around for me to express my disappointment personally, but I doubt it would make a difference. I will be looking for better shawarma in my neighborhood.

I think that the effects of the tsunami in the Indian Ocean on fishing and agriculture was also a big story.

That's a great article, Bill, and so full of recipes your readers can use. I'm sure many home cooks and their guests will get a lot of enjoyment from the results.

Lucy, I'm not sure whether Ikea would have cranberries or not, but if they don't, they probably will have cloudberries in some form. Cloudberries are great and something like cranberries. And there's always lingonberry jam, which is also terrific and something like cranberry sauce. Actually, I like lingonberry jam better, but if it just has to be American, I suppose only cranberries will do. Given my having missed decent bread and American-style cake when I was in Malaysia for two years, I can somewhat relate to your cravings for things American, but boy oh boy, if I could have those tartes rhubarbe... [slobbering emoticon]

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts about Coco Roco, the Peruvian joint on 5th Ave. betw. 6th and 7th Sts. I find it leaps and bounds better than Mancora. ← Never been there, but it wouldn't have been on my way home in the rain tonight. I'll try to remember the recommendation for another day.

According to http://www.kingherb.com, citrus medica is called finger citron or buddhas hand citron in English. They also give a transliteration of a Chinese name, fo shou. http://www.dreddyclinic.com/ayurvedic/herb...dic_herbs_c.htm gives the English name simply as citron, which I suspect is correct. I could see where candied citron would go well in an apple pie.

Witchety grubs are what I imagine you're looking for. Good luck in your quest.

Yeah, but don't you get to celebrate Thanksgiving twice?

Interesting. I have similar reactions to both honeydew and canteloupe and other melons of that type (but generally not watermelon; and not wintermelon or bitter melon, though I've never had those uncooked), though the reaction is not severe. I enjoy the mouth-numbing characteristic of pineapple. I've never known a Malaysian to put pineapple in salt just for regular eating, and they call the proteolytic action of pineapples tajam (=sharp). Tajam is a different humoral category than hot (panas), medium or neutral (sederhana), and cold (sejuk).

On a whim, I had a very good eat in dinner tonight at Mancora. I started with a special that seemed to simply be marked merely "Antojitos" ("Appetizers") but was described on the menu as beef heart. It was a take on kebabs, with pieces of heart on skewers and a distinct cumin taste. The accompaniments were part of a very good corn cob with very large, white grains; crunchy dry-roasted yellow corn grains (I really liked those); and a bit of salad. For a main dish, I took the waitress's recommendation: Tacu Tacu con Pescado (Red Snapper Crusted w. Sweet Potato served w. Tacu Tacu [Peruvian Rice & Beans], Fried Yucca & Salsa Criolla) Fish on a Monday, you say? I admit that the thought crossed my mind that they have to get rid of an excess of red snapper, but no, this is a restaurant that specializes in seafood, and the fish was just fine. The salsa was basically diced tomatoes and red onions. The rice and beans were great, full of cumin. The yuca was a bit browned on the outside and had a good consistency and a nice sweet/starchy taste. At $9 for the appetizer and $13 for the main dish plus one caipirinha, the bill amounted to $32.05 before tip -- not something for every day, but frankly, although I was very hungry, a main dish would have been sufficient (I didn't finish the rice and beans). I will be going again for sure. I now know that there are things they make better than pollo a la brasa.

Need it be said that one farmed uni a day does not keep the tsunamis away?