When my parents came to visit we took them to NYC for a weekend. Rubirosa, Moustache, Caracas Arepa Bar, Hangawi, Grom, and Perry Street. I had other places I wanted to go to with them as well, but alas, we ran out of room in our stomachs :) 3 out of 4 of us were vegetarian, and all of those places have plenty of options.
My sister is making a trip this summer and so far Tanoreen, Scarpetta and Motorino are on my list.

NYC has amazing markets! I miss them. When I lived there, I would get only the basic stuff like milk and eggs from the local supermarket. There are so many wonderful ethnic and specialty stores for everything else.

I love sauteed greens. I use a little olive oil, garlic and salt, then top it all with a fried egg. A poached egg and a drizzle of spiced butter if I'm feeling indulgent!

Absolutely. Cows eat grass in the summer and hay in the winter, and the change in their diet affects the milk, so the same cheese can be different depending on the season it's made.

Gateau Basque? You make a tart dough and fill it jam or pastry cream, and it bakes up into something more cake-like. I have only made David Lebovitz's version with sour cherry preserves, and it is very easy, portable and tastes even better the next day.
I think Suzanne Goin's book Sunday Suppers at Lucques has a recipe for the one with pastry cream inside.

I'll be in Singapore for a week in May. Do you have any recommendations for where to go for good vegetarian Singaporean/ Malay food? Not particular about vegetarian restaurants, just places which will make their dishes without fish sauce, shrimp paste etc. Thanks!

I really like David Lebovitz's recipe from Ready for Dessert. I think it's somewhere on this site too.

Also, if you do not cut pastry cleanly, the layers will not separate properly when baked, so use a sharp knife and make as few cuts as possible - ie don't go over the same cut multiple times.

Definitely hit up one of the Ottolenghi locations! It's a local mini-chain of gourmet delis which serve amazingly good food, mostly with a Mediterranean feel, but with inspiration from many other cuisines as well. There's also a restaurant called Nopi run by the same folks.

mwainer: I make stuffed parathas like this one and freeze them with layers of wax paper between each one. I cook them directly from frozen. They are best cooked over medium heat, about 2-3 minutes a side in a preheated skillet, or until golden brown spots appear. If cooking from frozen, give it a little more time - wait until it releases itself cleanly from the pan before flipping.

I agree with the suggestion to use less yeast. I spent some time last summer trying my hand at artisanal bread baking. Most recipes call for much less yeast and much more water than standard home baking recipes, and the fermentation time tends to be a bit longer as a result.

I am curious about those betel leaves. Are they cut that way, or do they naturally have scalloped edges? The ones you find in India have plain edges, but are from the pepper family, too.