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Very interesting, Irwin. I do have a response, though: I imagine that before the arrival of chilis from the Americas, black pepper was used in spice mixtures (masala/rempah, etc.) in India, Nusantara et al. There are still some pretty spicy Indonesian dishes that use only black pepper and no chilis.

Well-stated, Adam, but what I meant to get at was that I wonder how people figured out that some bitter foods weren't harmful.

I'm no expert on food history, and I don't know about this. I wonder what the derivation of the Malay word "gulai" is, though.

Adam, what about all the bitter things people eat? Bitter melon, bitter gourds, etc.

You can't? Why not? Don't they sell pizza by the slice in Chicago?

Walt, I find it odd for a "hint of plastic" to be a recommendation of anything one ingests. I don't like eating plastic... That said, it's obvious from this blog that you're a real wine connoisseur. Please discuss how you cultivated your taste for wine or describe your history of wine-drinking if you like.

At the risk of going off on a tangent, chickens don't have vaginas. They have cloacae. So one could indeed say that for chickens, the vagina and anus are the same hole.

Beans, do you recommend tipping the same amount on takeout as on eating at the restaurant? That feels really counterintuitive to me. I'm saving no money, but getting less service. This is the first time anyone has suggested to me that one should tip on takeout, something I normally don't do. I understand your point about someone being taxed on the sale, though. Also, what happens to the tip I give to the delivery man? Does he give any of it to the staff who packed the food, utensils, and napkins?

"Moron" is right. They seem to be talking about non-hydrogenated oil.

Chicken wings as a part you're "not supposed to eat"? Try chicken feet! I love 'em!

Italian-American grocery stores I ween. But in France and Italy, I've found that the grocer actually picks out good produce for you, generally speaking. I think it's partly simple good faith, and partly that they want repeat business and can get it even from tourists who go once a day for 2 weeks or something.

[Editorial remark] [/editorial remark] Read the rest here.

I eat the pineapple core, too, but no-one ever told me not to. I prefer the less fibrous part of the fruit, though.

Lots of people throw away broccoli stems, but they're very good if prepared and cooked properly. My father has enjoyed cooking them ever since he learned an Indian way to deal with them: cut them in half or smaller, so that they will cook at the same rate as the flowers.

Like Germany? France, Italy. Really? I'm not sure what answer you're expecting to the question "Really?" I'll put it to you this way: In France and Italy, in my experience, you are expected to look at the produce but not touch it, and tell the grocer what quantity of this and that fruit you want, so that s/he can select some and bag it for you. Really.

Irwin, I'm wondering if you might be overemphasizing blends of powdered spices ("curry powder") in your discussion. I also seriously doubt that the Portuguese were first to bring curry to Malaysian and Indonesia, to give a couple of Asian examples (there were a whole bunch of regions that came under more or less sustained Indian influence in more or less ancient times). Malay curry is traditionally called "gulai" (at least on the East Coast of the Peninsula, though I believe also on the West Coast - I've also seen and heard "kari" used in Malaysia, however) and my so-far-uncorroborated impression is that its prevalence in Malaysia is due to very longstanding Indian influence combined with influences of other cuisines and local ingredients and traditions.

Good God, that's awful!!

There's a bean that grows wild in Malaysia called Buah Berus. It's poisonous unless boiled in 7 changes of water, and since that takes a long time, the only time I ate it (in the form of cakes made with it) was in the monsoon season. One wonders how people figured out that that poisonous bean could be made safe for human consumption.

Kara, there have been very few times that I've seen roaches in restaurants. However, I've often seen flies buzzing around in eateries in all weather, and though I stand to be corrected if I'm under a misimpression, I believe that flies are much dirtier and more dangerous for human health than roaches - and also a hell of a lot harder to keep out, especially if the restaurant is open to the outside in warm weather. Also, I have to wonder whether you've ever seen a roach on your wall and whether, having once seen a roach on your wall, you've sworn off eating at home.

Like Germany? France, Italy.

Alithea, please provide a link (barring any copyright violation problems). I'd like to read it, too.

Look here for more information on linking to posts, and please post a question in that thread if you'd like further help. Admin: The current active thread for discussion of wd-50 may be found here.

It was more crowded than I've ever seen it, yet I didn't have to wait long. Next time, wait on line and tell the counterman to give you a nice tasty pastrami sandwich, then give him at least a $1 tip ($2 or more if it's particularly outstanding pastrami or you rejected the first batch he gave you a sample of). If crowds put you off, see if you can come on a weekday next time.

I think that anyone who can't shop without eating should either eat before shopping, bring food to the store, or pick up an entire bag of something, eat part of it, and purchase the product, if for no other reason than to eat more of it on future visits to the store. Unless the store is officially providing free samples, I don't buy any rationalizations for "sampling" a product. Feeling fruit to see if it's soft or hard, though, is fine with me (though totally unacceptable in some countries).

Thanks for the great report, Sam! And stop dissing your photos.