Pan

I don't remember the name of the place at the moment, but there's a restaurant specializing in unusual game (elk, yak, etc.) that has "floppy-eared chicken" on the menu. Kiwi used to be called Chinese gooseberry. I understand that Nova lox doesn't use salmon from Nova Scotia.

I wonder how a Spanish-style tortilla would work. Tortillas use chopped potatoes, but I think mashed might be OK. Anyone ever try it?

No, but there are certain restaurants that would not serve such a concoction, and I'm glad about that. Different eateries cater to different clienteles. It's not necessary for a serious Italian restaurant to serve pasta with ketchup. It seems to me that what's important is for each restaurateur to know his/her audience and serve that audience ably.

For whatever it's worth, I can't recall anyone in the Malay village I used to live in saying that any ferns growing there were poisonous. Actually, this is the first I've heard that any ferns are poisonous, but I'm no expert.

I wonder how they got sugar into a vegan cake. There's a vegan bakery a couple of blocks from me. Their sweet potato pie is OK because sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, but their pumpkin pie is horrible. I'm wondering if carrots are sweet enough to be good in cake without added sugar from somewhere. Maybe they are.

Jason, what are your favorite places for dumplings in Flushing?

In case some people don't know, char siu is Chinese barbecue. I like the soy sauce chicken at Chou Zhou in Flushing (Main St. just across from the Flushing branch of the Queens Borough Public Library). In Manhattan's Chinatown, I like Great NY Noodletown aka NY Noodle Town Inc (28 1/2 Bowery, corner of Bayard St.). The Lafayette St. branch of Wing Wong is a door down from Excellent Dumpling, isn't it? If so, I had a nice lunch of duck gizzards and green vegetables with oyster sauce on rice there a couple of years ago -- for $6.50 plus tip, I believe.

Straw man! We don't get to hold you to it! As for me, if I am caught by a lion, I will do whatever I can to break free and otherwise will doubtless scream my head off!

Are people cultivating pucuk paku now? In Merchang, it grew wild in the furthest inland kampung, Durian Pahit, and no-one cultivated it. Are wild plants for sale in your area?

Verbena.

Could you be talking about something that may well be more a matter of wealth than ideology? Rural Terengganu Malays -- Muslims all -- in the 1970s ate rice, fish, lots of fruits and vegetables, and eggs. They rarely ate chicken, let alone goat or other ruminants, because poultry and meat were very expensive and usually involved slaughtering their own or buying one and slaughtering it. Nowadays, they are much wealthier and eat a lot of chicken and beef.

If you missed Bleudauvergne's just-completed blog (her second), go to this link now! Also, look through her first blog (linked in the first post of the second blog) and her thread on the Montignac diet and exercise method, which you should look at for the great photos even if you aren't thinking of going on a diet (and you'll consider it after you see what great food Lucy had on that diet!). Lucy is such a great writer, and if you want to learn what makes a good photograph, look at most any of her photos.

My guess is that it was sweet because sugar was added to the coconut water. Is that true? Coconut water for drinking often has sugar added, unless you buy it fresh from the coconut itself.

"Uncle" Yap Yak Foo, a man I've met and some of you KL-area folks may know, recommended a place called Beef Village Noodle House in KL in a post on the soc.culture.malaysia newsgroup a few hours ago: Any of you know this place?

Lucy, I hope you had a wonderful Easter! I'm loving your pictures of Lyon. Have you ever had a show of your photos? You really are a fine artist, and I do not say things like that lightly, as I am the son of a painter and consider that most art being produced today -- including most of what sells well and gets critical acclaim nowadays -- is pretty bad. I have to think that other residents of your city would enjoy seeing some big prints of your favorite cityscapes. Here in what can more or less be called downtown Manhattan, there are various cafes that feature the works of local artists, showing a series of photos or paintings by one artist and then another or having special shows from time to time (complete with openings catered by the restaurant). Are there cafes in Lyon that feature the works (paintings, photos) of local artists?

When I think of West Africa, I definitely think of stews but also of starchy roots and unripe plantains and peanuts (groundnuts).

It's interesting that you say that the vast majority of Koreans are vegetarians except for eating fish and seafood (fishetarians?). Why, then, is there so much beef on menus in Korean restaurants in Queens and Manhattan? Their clientele is very largely Koreans.

Glad to have your take on Chinese dumplings, Josh. Have you ever tried any in Flushing or Brooklyn? I haven't seen the Hong Kong Egg Cake Lady's booth open for years. When have you seen her? Also, I don't believe Great NY Noodletown (their current name) is open 24 hours. I thought they were open until 3 A.M., but some sources are saying 9 A.M.-4 A.M., and that might be accurate. If anyone really wants to know for sure, here's their phone number: 212-349-0923

I've eaten heads of animals, but not in Italy. When I was living in a Malay village, there was a big kenduri (feast) in connection with a ritual attempt to exorcise evil spirits that were presumed to be causing a lot of work accidents at the local sawmill (the ritual didn't work in the end). A goat was slaughtered for the ceremony, and I was given the head. It was delicious! In Italy, I don't think I've been more adventurous than eating Tripa alla Romana and such-like, but I don't think more unusual stuff has come into my path so far while in Italy.

They put all kinds of crap in toothpaste. Beats me why they do it.

Wow, raw pig's blood. I consider myself a fairly adventurous eater, but I don't know if I'd want to have raw blood.

You wouldn't want to try it once in order to have a different experience? I would definitely try it once, if I had the chance. Unfortunately, there's the matter of expense...

I usually drink a few cups of tea with meals in Chinese restaurants, so I'm not understanding the concept of a caffeine withdrawal headache in relation to such a meal, except inasmuch as some non-Asians prefer to drink ice water rather than tea, for some reason.

danfishe, I daresay most of us have never had elk, let alone yak. If you could, please describe those meats a little more.

It may be more complicated than that. Lucy, don't you speak fluent Mandarin as well? Really cute drawings!