I like virtually everything mentioned except the sushi. Like the salt (though I've been actively trying to decrease that, so am developing too salty issues) the soy, the ginger, sesame OMG the green onions!

The only sushi I've eaten and not been revolted by (whether texture or flavor) is at the korean/japanese place near campus. Their box lunches make me very happy. Miso soup, 3-4 pieces nonfishy sushi (which I guess is something else, but rice+ seaweed+stuff, ) the main entree (I usually crave the bulgoki,) a minisalad drenched in a gingery tangy carrot puree, rice and an orange. Plus, they always have random nummy ...I don't know. Korean/japanese tapas? at the table.

When I took my parents there, my dad got this crazy thing involving a spicy seafood broth, a bowl of rice with steamed veggies and these huge CHUNKS of all sorts of seafood to be dumped in the broth. There were lobster claws and tentacles and...basically, my worst nightmare. But he said it was really good.

I'd never had indian, thai, vietnamese or korean food until college. Had chinese and japanese but...look, there was one restaurant each in my hometown. And in retrospect, only the japanese one was good, but way too pricey for my family.

I am, however, well educated in the nuances of border NM mexican.

Liese, Lori too loves salt. She thinks it's something biological to Asians

It must be. I think my carb fixation is Asian, too, something to do with an expectation of a certain amount of rice with every meal. Or every snack. Or as a snack in between snacks. Mmm, carbs.

I'm all bummed out because there is a new Japanese restaurant in one the town near our AZ location, but I haven't been able to try it because for the last few trips we've had people with us. I really hope it's a) good and b) able to survive. There was a great Hawaiian food stand in that same town some years ago, but it didn't survive. But I was so happy for the duration, getting my plate lunch with macaroni salad and two scoops rice.

Our volunteers this past week wanted to try the Thai place there, but it wasn't in our budget. It's surprisingly good for being out in the middle of nowhere.

3-4 pieces nonfishy sushi (which I guess is something else, but rice+ seaweed+stuff, )

No, sushi doesn't have to be a) fish or b) raw. It's about the rice.

And I dislike crunchy vegetables.

The one thing I can't bear, texture-wise, is water chestnuts. Gah. I have mushroom issues too, but the chestnuts are the worst.

No, sushi doesn't have to be a) fish or b) raw. It's about the rice.

This is true. Of course, you get bonus points if it is a) and b) and c), still wriggling.

I love water chestnuts!

I like my veggies crunchy. My texture issues are smooth or slimy. Sometimes I can't do oatmeal. Most grits send me gagging. One brand of yogurt usually gets a pass. Only coarse applesauce. Forget banana or bread puddings. Or really, any pudding. I had some soba noodles once that just...uuuhhg. Fat noodles are just wrong.

Oh god, then there was the flan I was served as part of the let's-shock-sara meal in Port Bou, Spain on the Med coast. I really had to apologize profusely to the waiter (and host and busboy and for all I know, chef) that I just couldn't eat it, it was probably very good, but no...Luckily, he spoke perfect english. But I didn't figure that out until I was paying the bill. So the gestures and broken spanish probably made me look like a fool.

I loooove crunchy.

Also, of course, dip. Actually, I think I'm about to have some raw broccoli with dip.

I don't understand how people who like soy sauce and ginger can not like sushi! Training sushi: Cucumber roll. Unless you don't enjoy the crisp vegetables, I guess.

Of course, you get bonus points if it is a) and b) and c), still wriggling.

Gollum totally wins this.

I am slightly evil. Tomorrow is my turn to bring in treats for the staff meeting. About half the staff is on Weight Watchers and they drive me to tears talking incessantly about how many points everything they put in their mouth is worth. So I am making the CI chocolate cupcakes. In recognition of their point counting, I made them in mini muffin tins.

I'm so surprised at all the dislike of crunchy vegetables. I actually dislike most non-crunchy vegetables. Except tomatoes, which are actually a fruit anyway, so I guess that doesn't count.

Of vegetables, I actually dislike most tubers and root vegetables, with the exception of carrots. I dislike most mushrooms (though the standard garden variety are okay by me, at least some of the time), and I am utterly revolted by eggplant.