When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in the South, eat okra.

As a Chinese-born, New England-bred chica, I first tried okra at the ripe old age of 21. I was aprehensive, having heard okra derided as a bitter, gooey freak-of-a-vegetable (mosty by non-Southerners). Then I tried the Creole okra gumbo and fried okra at Magnolia's in Cambridge, MA. What were these okra-haters thinking? These things are addictive!

(I came to the conclusion that the people who despise okra are the same who despise bitter melon. A microscopic bit of bitterness never killed anyone; just makes the flavor spectrum more interesting.) 

Granted, okra isn't just used in Southern Creole-inspired food. Indian, Middle Eastern, Caribbbean, and North African cuisines also incorporate okra in plenty of thick stews. As much as I like fried okra, gumbo and bhindi masala are hearty dishes that make the best use of okra's snappy texture and slightly bitter taste.

Last week I bought a bunch of beautiful okra pods from a Tampa farmer's market. The soup I ended up cooking for lunch made is slightly Indian-influenced, with some crumbled blue tortilla chips through in for garnish.

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Top 5 Posts of 2008

Which posts got the most readers in 2008, that were Stumbled Upon, commented on, and (hopefully) bookmarked for repeated future visits? 

1.  Dragonfruit - In January, my post on this spindly magenta tropical fruit attracted my single all-time highest readership in one day. "How could you not be curious about a fruit that looks like a blowfish mated with a Venus fly trap?" How indeed.

2. Black Cherry Iced Tea -  Mmm. Just looking at the photo again makes me itch for summer.

3. Eating Fried Balloons - My odd little video (with big fried balloons and freaky chicken statues) was actually shot and posted in 2007. It became somewhat viral in 2008. Thanks, Stumblers!

4. 100 Chinese Foods to Try Before You Die - Needs no explaination.

5. Guide to Wrapping and Pan-Frying Dumplings - This pictoral dumpling how-to became your 2nd favorite recipe this year. 

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Top 5 Food Moments Outside My Kitchen

Now that Christmas is over, it is imperative to start thinking of the future. Namely, New Year's Eve. More specifically, drinks for New Year's Eve.

Absinthe has been in the news quite a bit in the past year, because it is now "legal" again in the US. This past spring, while researching a story on absinthe in Beijing, I got to try more than just different kinds of louched absinthe. A couple bars made very tasty cocktails in which the fruity liqueurs and juices complimented the anise flavors in absinthe. (Q Bar in Sanlitun has an Absinthe Martini w/ peach liqueur, and Club Obiwan serves a killer "Henry" cocktail w/ absinthe, Cointreau, pineapple juice, and lime juice.)