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Here's one good thing about the Galileo III article: it shows once again what valuable addition Tim Carman is to the Post Food Section staff. Joe Yonan is running a good ship over there, and Carman is really knocking them out of the park regularly.

-Any must haves that I shouldn't miss?

The vadouvan halibut is one of my all-time favorite dishes, anywhere. I only had it once, a long while ago, but saw it on the menu a couple of weeks ago. We had only stopped for a quick cocktail, so I couldn't order it, and I'm still regretting it.

MIght I recommend the pricier, attenuated, paler, tapered pine nuts that WFM (Rockville) imports from Spain? Pine nuts are notorious for going rancid, so I am puzzled as to why any store would sell them in bulk in large bins at room temperature instead of in refrigerated section. Perhaps prolonged colder temperatures affect taste. However, I have luck w these and prefer them; WFM also used to carry fabulous pine nuts, similar/identical type from Turkey. Some nuts you should taste before buying.

I don't know. I've eaten a lot of pine nuts in my time--including those bags at room temp in Whole Foods--and have never had any effect like this. And these absolutely didn't taste rancid, out of the bag, chilled in the freezer, room-temp, toasted, untoasted. Totally normal. But there was something wrong with them that they only made my mouth taste funny a day later.

And it took TEN DAYS! Ten days for it to go away! I'm good now, but man that sucked.

Despite what their website says, the guy who answered the phone Friday night said that Pete's doesn't deliver on Friday or Saturday nights. Which is, um, really, really odd.

(And ended up being disappointing because the two Radius pies we got delivered instead were Just. Not. Good. Aside from being cold, leaden with cheese, a floppy and un-tasty crust, and way too light on the sauce, the toppings were surprising: I literally could not tell what they had put on our veggie pie. Visually, nothing there, but it wasn't just a cheese pie because every few bites you'd get a random veg flavor, like green peppers, and I uncovered a small onion petal under the cheese of a cold slice the next day. Sadly, I think Radius delivery has just run out of chances with me.)

Lame question attributable to a really, really long week and inability to think:

Having an impromptu party tonight. Pizza will be ordered. I would like to make a salad to accompany, would like that salad to be creative, but my mind is blank. Vegetarians attending, so no bacon. Also, probably, no fruit--I think I'm going to do a minted fruit salad for dessert.

Can any of you creative folks help a girl out?

There's this post in the Trader Joe's thread.

WEEKS??? Is there anything at all that can help?

So...

My husband contends that he has pine-nut-mouth syndrome. I recently (2 weeks ago) purchased said pine nuts from TJ's in Baily's crossroad store. Here's the thing: I LOVE MY PESTO and do not have a weird mouth right now. anyone else?

Or is this just husband's excuse to drink Perraud?

PS: Package says they are from Russia OR Korea...two every different places, both not China.

OK. It's not that I didn't believe you fine people, but I just didn't believe you fine people. I love pine nuts and while I'm not a huge pesto fan, I have, on occasion, eaten them by the handful to no ill effect. So I have fundamentally doubted this "pine nut mouth" nonsense as a crackpot meme.

But damn!

I never have them around the house, so when I bought a bag at TJ's last week on a whim, I decided to add them to my lovely lentil salad. And now--ew! Everything tastes terrible! Wine is worse than vinegared. Pete's Apizza withered in its wake. My tongue tastes only slightly better than a car tire that's been sitting in the sun. This is vile.

Does Pernaud help? Hell, I'd even drink Fernet at this point if it'd rid me of this misery--and that's saying something. Criminy.

PS: Mine says it's a product of "Korea, Russia, and Vietnam." It should say "biohazard."

A nice how-to on making it yourself is here. The author insists, though, that you must use Thai sticky or glutinous rice, which is probably easier to find than the toasted rice powder, but something few of us have actually on hand. Good luck.

I saw that, actually, but I have niether a coffee grinder nor appropriate mortar and pestle (mine is small and ceramic). And the grocery store didn't have Thai sticky rice, so I'm back to square one...

Toasted rice powder?

I'd like to make laab gai for an ailing friend with a craving, and She Simmers (a great site recommended by Fish Innards) insists that laab isn't laab without toasted rice powder.

Also, are there any pomelos around town? My Giant doesn't have any, but I wasn't sure if that's because they're out of season or because my Giant sucks. (I know they're out of season and I know my Giant sucks, but I'm willing to pay for a pomelo that's travelled a few thousand miles if there's one to be had--carbon footprint be damned.)

Restrictions: I have no car and live in Columbia Heights and will probably not have time to schlep too far for just one or two ingredients.

On my comfortable couch, in my air-conditioned apartment, with a fridge full of food, I'm drinking to my friends who are moving heaven and earth to help 11 million people who have nothing to eat or drink.

Broad Ripple has some good restaurants. I like Broadripple Brewery.

Yes, Broad Ripple Brewery is pretty good. Broad Ripple is a good neighborhood all together (or at least was when I used to go there several years ago). St. Elmo's remains a fine, fine steakhouse. We used to go there before the IU December 26 game at Canseco Fieldhouse or whatever it is they're calling it now and would come close to falling asleep from a stomach full of tastiness by the end of the first half. Good steaks, good service, good wine, old style. Shrimp cocktail has great shrimp and their particular condiment: cocktail sauce that is essentially a big pile of fresh horseradish mixed with just a touch of ketchup. Recommended.

If they still have goat on the menu, there is no reason that you should not be there eating it right now. No reason. Crispy bits, not greasy, but pleasantly lubricated, served with sparky salad and tzaziki and nommy flatbread. On top of which, gorgeous wine, exceptional--and I don't use that word lightly--service. No reason, people!

His rather ambiguous answers to chatters' questions about his plans, and his complaints about meeting deadlines and churning out the dining guides.

He's been complaining about deadlines and workload on that chat forever. I don't think that's changed, nor has it become less annoying. (After a few months of complaining about my job, my friends eventually said, "Quit or stay, but just stop whining." I appreciate that.)

Also curious about the prosecco on draft.

Click for a thread on kegged wine.

There are so many lovely prepared foods and gadgets out there, but some miss the mark. Example? I ran across this today at the bodega: Chocovine.

I, uh, don't want that. Ew.

Phool gobi ki bhaji (cauliflower with onions and tomatoes)

Cherries

Only needing a light dinner and inspired by Fishinnards and a beautiful bag of cauliflower from the farmers' market, I went to my Madhur Jaffrey and found this recipe. Despite not having ginger or chili on hand, this turned out just delicious. A little salty, but otherwise a very solid dish. I've got to learn more about Indian techniques; the flavors always turn out to be way, way better than the sum of the parts.

Having been away for the last month, today was my first opportunity to visit the Reagan Building market this year. While I love the fact that it's there, I was kind of surprised by the stalls. There are about 15 now, and I believe only four were selling produce, and three of those were really limited. I appreciate having interesting locally prepared foods available like smoked meats, nuts, granola, and honey, but I go to farmers' markets for the beautiful fruits and veggies. I know it's still early in the season, but it was a bit of a letdown. I hope the balance shifts back a bit so I don't have to resort to getting my lazy ass motivated to get to a weekend morning market...

Chilled minted* snowpea** soup

Camembert** on toasted Italian bread**

Strawberries** macerated in sugar and balsamic vinegar

*From the pot on my deck

**From the Columbia Heights farmers' market

Damn it's good to be back in my own kitchen!

+infinity

Stir-fried chicken and veggies (mostly veggies: snow peas, green beans, carrots, grape tomatoes) with peanuts

Coconut-mint jasmine rice

Wow! My stir fries usually end up so muddled-tasting and soggy, but this turned out just fantastic, if I do say so myself. I did it in batches (like you're supposed to but which I never do) using the same sauce/marinade for each: garlic, soy, mirin, fish sauce, lime juice, salt, pepper. For the chicken, I added a few shakes of peri-peri; for the carrots, I simmered and caramelized them in white wine. Everything is still crisp and the sauce is spot on. I like to minimize the meat: one chicken breast+a ton of veggies=four servings. And I rarely doctor up rice (which is probably why I don't like it too much), but I added powdered coconut milk to the cooking water and stirred in chopped fresh mint at the end. Yum.

Damn it's good to be back in my own kitchen!

What last night's dinner was supposed to be -

Roasted pork loan with mustard sauce

Sauteed squash and zucchini

What last night's dinner actually was -

A Chick-fil-a sandwich after leaving the ER

The pork was seared on the stovetop and then finished in the oven, and though I had the sense to remove the pan from the oven with an oven mitt, 2 minutes later I went to move the pan and grabbed it full-on with my left hand. Second degree burns all over. Worst pain of my life, quite possibly.

Ugh. I'm so sorry. I hope the pain isn't too bad today...

It was so hot and I am crazy and love this weather, so I grilled a chicken. Marinated it with garlic, white pepper, coriander root, palm sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and dark soy. Also made green papaya salad, and lots of rice.

...

drank some Flying Fish Belgian Abbey Dubbel

That looks fan-damn-tastic (as do all your meals!). Where do you get the green papaya for your salad? I am carless in Columbia Heights and haven't been able to find it in any local stores; I end up using carrots (which are fine, but not the same). Also, because you seem to be pretty awesome at this Asian cookery thing, do you have a good recipe for Thai pomelo salad? I fell in love with it last time I was in Bangkok and have got a mad craving... Thanks!

My new favorite snack: tigernuts

Sure, every fifth one tastes like gasoline (keep a spitoon nearby), but the other four taste like little knots of sweet, fibrous fresh coconut. A quarter kilo for about 50 cents on the street in Accra.

Is a MoneyGram or Western Union possible or nearby?

Not in Conakry between midnight and 4am! But everything worked out anyway. The consular offices in the US, Ghana, and Guinea insisted that I'd need it, but when I got in, the customs guy smiled and said, "No, not at all, dear. [sTAMP] Welcome to Accra and please enjoy your stay." St. Anthony always comes through... and this trip seems to be finally getting on track!

To St. Anthony. Because I really, really need to find 50 bucks before tomorrow or I'm really, really screwed, as Mastercard apparently has no quarter in west Africa, and customs in the region is a stickler about not letting folks move between countries on good faith.

There's the thing -- I keep thinking it's a "neighborhood" place, but when I get the check, I'm reminded that it's actually priced a lot like a downtown establishment.

Right, but I think the quality merits the price. I wouldn't pay for $20+ entrees at Napoleon or the Grill from Ipanema (or even, to digress, $10), but nor would I expect Cashion's to lower their prices just because they're not on the Metro or in the venerated "Golden Triangle."

Unless you are willing to plan your trip using the Metro and the Circulator bus, that is, and are willing to walk a couple of blocks. Then, it's doable.

Or walk from home.* It's not the best restaurant in the city; it's a neighborhood place with solid food and excellent service. And if not sitting right on top of a Metro station helps me get a seat easier, then bully for that too.

*Or take the 42, H1, or L2.