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There's a sign outside the shop that says it will be opening on the 27th.

Rachel, I'd also like to congratulate you on your "World of Inauthentic Cuisine" essay. I came across it on a website months ago and refer to it often!

I'd bet it makes it "cleaner". Microbes have trouble in salty environments, which is why salting is a method of preservation... osmotic pressure does it, I think...

YOU ARE SO RIGHT! Actually there is a certain young woman employee I have in mind who has never been anything but dyspeptic. I've seen her be rude to others too, so it's not just me. I think the rudeness of the customers might well be because everyone just wants to find a place to sit. But the difference between the overall attitude at Hi Rise and a similar place on the other side of town, Flour in the South End, is pretty startling.

try adrianascaravan.com. lots of hot stuff, but other spices and oils too.

Redbones comes up a lot in discussions, I think, because the atmosphere is really lively and fun and it's much more accessible than Blue Ribbon or Uncle Pete's, both of which are hard to get to without a car. Redbones is where to go to have a good time, but if you want ribs stick with UP/BR. Well, if you really want ribs, you're better off in another town. You could also read other threads for discussions on E.C. Grill...

In Germany I remember being able to buy plain plain yogurt, which was very similar to plain supermarket yogurt here, and something called plain jogurt "cremig gerührt", which means it was mechanically stirred for a long time for a creamy texture. This latter type had a creaminess you'd associate with a brand like Yoplait, and a vastly different texture, but it was still just plain yogurt. Could that be the difference?

I didn't mention Bartley's because it is really not off the tourist track at all -- Harvard Yard is across the street and there's often a wait. But their burgers and shakes are great and worth trying if you're in the area. Pho Pasteur is perfectly fine and reasonably priced, but again it's in touristy Harvard Square and I would never call it a hidden gem. East Coast Grill, on the other hand, is more out of the way and a great place. So are Gargoyle's on the Square (in Davis Sq. in Somerville) and Hi Rise. Last time I went to brunch at Hi Rise, J.K. Galbraith was sitting across from me! Totally Cambridge. To add another recommendation, I have gone to Central Kitchen many times, in Central Square, and found it pretty dependable. Also, if you're interested, there is fantastic ice cream next to Bartley's (at Toscanini's) AND East Coast Grill (Christina's).

I used to live in the North End and when Italian got irritating we'd always head for Kingfish Hall. It was a very good and dependable place, much better than it had to be for its touristy location. But it's not a temple of haute cuisine. I have mixed feelings about most of the places mentioned -- No. 9 Park, Radius, the Federalist, L'Espalier, Rialto, and Upstairs on the Square. I think Clio is pretty fantastic though. If you were in Kenmore Square for any reason, you might keep Great Bay (run by the same people who run Radius) in mind as well.

What week are you planning to visit? I ask because that first week in June is pretty hectic, what with MIT and Harvard graduation. I've heard good things about Craigie St. Bistrot. Aspasia is pretty nice. I'd recommend Salts on Main St., too, except I think the chef/owner just sold the place.

Rice and beans is called rice and peas because in Jamaica beans = only green, long beans. Coconut milk is a standard addition. Besides currying goat, you could make a goat stew or, if it's a youngish goat, roast it. But curried goat is by far the most common preparation.

White currants. not to eat, really. They're just so gorgeous. Mangos, for eating.

My mother insists I've eaten this, but I don't recall it. It's basically mashed sweet potato with eggs and spices, baked. It has a lot of the same spices as dark cake (allspice, etc.). It's a special type of sweet potato, not the standard American supermarket type.

Ackee is deadly until it is perfectly ripe. But it's easy to tell when it's edible: it opens up to display these three large black seeds. If the fruit isn't fully open, avoid. Or just buy it canned.

It has a texture, when you fry it up, that's similar to scrambled eggs. And the salty/savory cod is sort of the "bacon" to go with it. I get the concept, but it's pretty, um, assertive. After a while I couldn't even stand my mother cooking it, the smell was so bad (that was more the salt cod than the ackee, though).