For a large part of my life I worked on archaeological excavations in 104 degree heat. Those kinds of conditions make you dream about a cold beer, like a mirage! I've spent an hour talking to a dig buddy describing in great deal the merits of a chilled crisp beer. And in that heat no one wants a heavy beer with any kind of body or a high alcohol content. I also know for a fact that you can rehydrate quite successfully with cheap beer!! If you go to any archaeological site in America you will find all the ice in the camp has been procured to keep the beer cold. Screw keeping the perishable food cold, the damn beer needs to be colder than polar bear's dingaling. Coors and Bud Light has beer the chose of beer of archaeologists for decades...although if grant funding dries up people invariably downgrade to Natty Light.

I also take a pass on the hoisin/sriracha thing. But I've found I like a lot of lime in my pho, my poor mother watches in horror when I squeeze almost a whole lime into the bowl. We southern chinese make a similar soup with brisket, short rib and tendon in it, it's heartier and not as delicate as pho but it is also very very good.

Yeah you're goona need a helluva marketing skills rep to hock that stuff.

I took an Anthropology of Wine class once and my prof also argued that Languedoc was going to be the next big thing for many of the same reasons you pointed out although my prof was inclined to rambling, whereas your argument is very clearly outlined.

Great photos, best food I've ever had in my life was in Singapore! Since I'm not a big fan of super sweet stuff so pandan flavored treats are a godsend. I'm with you in regards to the tofu, I've had similar stuff in Hong Kong and I've never found anything to compare in the US. Unfortunately my mom shoveled grass jelly into me anytime I was sick as a child so I find it difficult to eat when I'm not sick. People think of chicken soup when they're sick, I think of grass jelly!!

Here in Houston, St. Arnold's root beer is the best!

I drink water the night before and take a tylenol. But the real secret is the next day. There's a slow cooked beef noodle stew from the southern part of China that I'm from. It's beef from the plate area near the belly and also beef tendons. The soup is very fatty and gelatinous, plus the addition of spices like 5 spice powder and star anise make it very tummy friendly. I usually drink a mango smoothie with it. Guaranteed to fix all ills.

Rao's is great! I can't always afford it because it goes for around $5 here in Houston. But when I'm really craving good marinara and I'm too lazy to do it myself I buy some Rao's.

There's a little bakery called Mrs.Ginny's. They make great cookies and the cupcakes are great too.

I think both the above shared recipes are really good alternatives. I don't think you'll be able to get that flaky crescent roll sort of dough instantly. That kind of texture is usually the result of laminated dough, which takes time (and lotsa butter) and requires refrigerating the dough. The other alternative is a yeast risen dough (which takes time for the yeast to activate, which will be tender but not flaky. Of all the above the fastest to make is probably the cream biscuits (love the James Beard recipe, use it all the time!). Apologies for all the parentheses.

I once worked in a coffee shop that used root beet extract to make a ice blended drink, it was kind of like a frappuccino meets a root beer float, minus the coffee. The entire staff was drinking it!

My grandma makes the best butterscotch pudding, it's everything that pudding could every be!! Unfortunately she won't share the recipe, if I know her she put the recipe in a safe deposit box and I won't be able to get at it until she's dead. She's perverse like that.
Anyway, I've tried a million different butterscotch recipes this one is pretty good. It's not sugar or fat free but it's damn tasty.

Butterscotch Pudding (Dave Lebovitz)
4-6 servings

Adapted from Ripe For Dessert (HarperCollins)

4 tablespoons (60g) butter, salted or unsalted
1 cup (180g) packed dark brown or cassonade sugar
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2½ (625ml) cups whole milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons whiskey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the dark brown sugar and salt, then stir until the sugar is well-moistened. Remove from heat.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with about 1/4 cup (60ml) of the milk until smooth (there should be no visible pills of cornstarch), then whisk in the eggs.

3. Gradually pour the remaining milk into the melted brown sugar, whisking constantly, then whisk in the cornstarch mixture as well.

4. Return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently. Once it begins to bubble, reduce the heat to a low simmer and continue to cook for one minute, whisking non-stop, until the pudding thickens to the consistency of hot fudge sauce.

5. Remove from heat and stir in the whiskey and vanilla. If slightly-curdled looking, blend as indicated above.

6. Pour into 4-6 serving glasses or custard cups and chill thoroughly, at least four hours, before serving.

I used to use Wushtof and was very happy with them but last year a friend gave me a set of Shun and the hand feel was a lot better for me (I have small hands)