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Undoubtedly, Shiewie (if she has the time) could help you, but perhaps you could clarify how fancy a place you're looking for, and whether it has to be dinner. Would dim sum at Xin at the Concorde fit the bill, for example? What about some of the great Chinese seafood restaurants in PJ that have white tablecloths?

Agreed, and when both they and the store on Mosco have the same items, Udon's on Bayard between Mott and Mulberry (which is the store you're talking about) is cheaper, in my experience.

The brilliant steamed toffee pudding I had at Craft today for a Restaurant Week lunch.

I want that soup!

Wow, cherry blossom dumplings! I have to find these products now. Do the cherry blossoms have a kind of perfumy cherry-like taste?

Thanks. The Sakura Cha is beautiful!

What's the name of your book, Vikas? Did I understand correctly that Ayurveda: The Science of Food and Life is the title? Who's the publisher? Also, maybe you'd like to have a look at this thread and post some comments on it: Food and the Humoral System

I didn't know what khichdi was, so I did a web search. This looks great! (And I mean the recipe, not the rotating pinup pictures in the "Celebrity News" ad that's showing up on the left of the linked page. )

They used to make a dessert like that in Bayamo on Broadway in the East Village, except that they flambeed the plantains in the rum and accompanied them with dulce de leche ice cream. It was a delicious dessert!

I had no idea people ate cherry blossoms, so I started a thread about them in the Japan Forum. Good luck finding them, JJ.

In a thread in the New York Forum, JJ asked where he could find cherry blossoms. My first thought was the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, which has a very nice, authentic Japanese garden. But seriously, I had no idea anyone ate cherry blossoms. How are they used in Japanese cuisine?

Thanks. I'll try to remember to check it out. I take it they serve whole pies only, as normal for a Neapolitan-style place. Do they also have salads and so forth, or is it pretty much strictly a pizzeria?

Thanks for the post, mascarpone. I didn't know what quesillo was, so I did a web search. From this web site (in Spanish), I found out that it is a Venezuelan version of flan, and the only way it's different is that whereas flan is made with egg yolks only, the whole egg is used in quesillo.

Agreed, but I'm not sure how allergies fit into the equation. Allergies occur because the immune system is reacting to non-pathogenic proteins. In a way, couldn't it be argued that the immune system of people with allergies is too strong?

Igles and Pia, thank you so much for a fascinating Q&A! Chef Corelli, why are you dead set against marinades?

I recently had the chance to have cheesecake from what I must assume was the aforementioned bakery on 238 St. I haven't been there, but someone brought the cheesecake over from the Bronx to a gig I had in New Jersey. It's great cheesecake, made with ungummy cheese, and I might like it better than Two Little Red Hens. Thanks for mentioning it, Zeitoun.

I hope you're feeling better today.

Relevant to Milagai's recipe: Methi = fenugreek Dhaniya = coriander (I had to look that one up.)

Thanks for the great photos! Are mithai any sweet or only some kinds of sweets? I'm looking for a definition.

Seems age-related to me. Perhaps more to the point, I think most of us are glad we reached 30.

Therese's solution is the one I would have proposed. I love ripe plantains.

Yes it is. Do you have any recommendations there? I've never gone there, but others have been underwhelmed by the food on offer.

When I used to teach at Bronx Community College (1996-1998), I used to go to El Valle on Burnside just west of Arthur Av. for lunch frequently. They used to have great pollo a la brasa, which I got a quarter of (cuarto de muslo = leg quarter) with white rice and red beans for $2, later raised to $2.50. Obviously, it's way too long ago to recommend the place (and my one time trying El Valle on 135 or so and Broadway was disappointing, but that was also a few years ago and I don't know if the two places are related), but if anyone does check the place out, I'd be really curious how the chicken is now. I recall that they used a wonderfully garlicky sauce. I loved that place and considered that the best pollo a la brasa in the city, at least as far as I knew (better than El Malecon)! What happened to that pizzeria in Throgs Neck, I believe, that Sietsema reviewed? I can't find it at that link JJ posted.

In places where there is a demand for things like pork knuckles, though, supermarkets sell them. It's interesting to walk through a Dominican neighborhood like Washington Heights and see what's on sale in ordinary supermarkets, as compared to what's on sale in other kinds of neighborhoods. Sorry if I'm diverting this topic. I'll quit now . . .

Indeed. That sounds like a good description of a lot of soul food, Caribbean food, and Chinese food, for example. But I don't know how often the urban poor -- not to mention the suburban and rural poor -- around a country like the US can find all the different kinds of innards available in Chinatown butcher shops for good prices. I think it's great that this kind of class is under consideration, and I look forward to seeing what people will come up with.