Food thoughts

[oyceter]

My mouth is still recovering from the Korean food for dinner tonight. I think on the level of tolerating spiciness, I am somewhere in between -- not totally scared of it, but in no way able to eat Korean, Szechuan or Indian without having to run for bread or milk or rice or something.

I spent a great deal of time wondering why half the owners in the Korean restaurant spoke Japanese -- was it a Japanese-run place like all those Chinese-run Japanese restaurants? But then I heard someone speaking a language I didn't understand that sounded like Korean, so then I got more confused. Maybe they are Koreans from Japan.

We passed by an Afghan place but didn't end up eating there because it looked expensive. But I drooled over the menu. Maybe some other time...

Then the boy and I had a stupid argument over whether Greek food is European or not. The boy argues that it is because Greece is in Europe. I argue that it is not because from my very limited experience, it tastes more like Middle Eastern food (the lamb, the spices, the legumes). I was in full blown stupid argument mode and comparing it to language families.

I think I'll eat strawberries and Cool Whip now. Cool Whip is awesome. This is completely the boy's fault -- now that he has introduced me to Cool Whip, he has turned my healthy dessert/snack of fruit into calorie-ridden excess. But mmmmmm.

Comments

[oyceter]

I love those noodles! I don't know if it's a Muslim Chinese thing or a Chinese thing, because a good number of places in Taiwan has them as well -- dao xiao mien and dao chieh mien (pardon the poor pinyin). I like the chewiness.

The place in Cupertino is famous for their bread, but I don't know if it's Uigur Nan or not. They're sort of like very doughy scallion pancakes. One version is about an inch or half an inch thick, covered with sesame seeds, with scallions baked in. Yum.

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

Yum indeed!Sounds very similar. Maybe those dao xiao mien and dao chieh mien. Is the name of the place Fatima--for my next visit to CA? (found it on Chowhound).

[oyceter]

Yes!! That's it! Ooo, if you come over, call me up! I will definitely take you there and feed you.

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

My son is promising me a month in SF in an apartment he's having renovated, probably in the fall! If not, sometime this year. Both my sons live out there. Thanks so much--I'd love to meet! And eat! and talk about Chinese poetry.

My younger son BTW is studying Mandarin in Oakland at Laney--he wants to study Chinese traditional medicine, unless he's changed his mind lately.

[oyceter]

Oh awesome!!

Wow, that's really cool. I am rather baffled at Chinese traditional medicine; it'd be interesting to know more!