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I made a ridiculous mushroom bourgingnon a few months ago. Who knew you didn't need beef!

I went to a private performing arts boarding school, and I have to say that the food wasn't great. I can't compare it to public schools, but the food wasn't very well-cooked, presented, or prepared, and the options were severely limited. The baked goods were good because they weren't made in-house, and on Sundays we got an ice cream sundae buffet. I mean, it could have been worse.

At my college, the cafeteria is TINY. Granted, I go to school in the heart of NYC so most people just eat deli salads and Starbucks. I get salads there if I'm feeling cheap, coffee if I'm feeling desperate, and granola bars if I'm actually looking for something real to put into my body. Plus it's poorly organized and pretty darn nasty to boot.

Puttanesca on 56th (?) and 9th is really good. And Gabriel's is on 60th st.

I second Jean-Georges.

The one I get flak for-- eating my pizza backwards. I eat the crust first, then down to about the middle, and come back up from the bottom. The bottom fourth of a pizza slice is, in my opinion, the best part.

I also always save the absolute perfect bite for last, with all the right parts and flavor balances.

From SmittenKitchen.com:

The biggest different between all-purpose and bread flour is the amount of gluten: bread flour has more of it. But it may seem annoying to have to keep a giant bag of bread flour around if you’re only an occasional bread-baker. Enter a product known as a “gluten additive” or gluten flour, something you can usually add one tablespoon of to each cup of all-purpose flour to turn it into bread flour. Think of all the cabinet space you’ll save!

I'm curious about a good vegetarian pho. I feel like I've been hearing about pho for months but have yet to try it!

Hell's Kitchen has some great eats! 9th Ave is really little Thailand, and a lot of places offer great lunch specials. My personal favorite is Thai Basil on 9th btwn 55th and 56th-- it's $7 for a salad, spring roll, and a full-sized entree, I think. Wondee Siam II on 9th btwn 53 and 54 is another favorite.

My favorite 9th Ave "new" American restaurant is Eatery on 9th and 53rd (and its sister Whym on 9th and 58th) has fantastic fresh, delicious, interesting meals. Their brunch is also absolutely worth a try-- the stuffed French Toast is out of this world.

Amy's Bread on 9th btwn 46th and 47th is a good place for a panini or a breakfast pastry.

Kashkaval on 9th btwn 55th and 56th is a really fun wine bar/fondue place. Staffed by friendly people and DELICIOUS nibbles, it can sometimes get a little pricey with two people, but the atmosphere and the food is worth it. A great place to hang and linger.

Gazala Place on 9th btwn 48th and 49th is another really friendly, quite cheap Middle Eastern place. It's staffed by a family, and all the food is homemade and prepared right then. The baba ghanoush is the best I've ever had and the bureka are the best in the city.

Sapphire Indian on Bway right above Columbus Circle has the most amazing $14 lunch buffet I've ever experienced. There are lots of lunch buffets in Hell's Kitchen, but this one is the BEST.

Hope this helps! Enjoy your trip!

Yeah, I have all those things (eggs, flour, butter, sugar). I have lots of lemon juice and lots of fresh ginger... cinnamon, milk, oats... some nice sea salt... various random items. Thanks for all the suggestions! And I'm totally the impoverished student you all guessed I was-- but boy, do I love to impress my friends with my cooking! Haha.

How about a quinoa rice pudding?

I got a couple of slices of cranberry walnut coffee cake from Ocean Grill. It was good, but what was better was that I was on my way to Russia, where the main food groups are sour cream and cabbage, so the leftover cake was an incredibly welcome treat.

I could certainly get one!

Christmas eve is our big night (LOBSTA!), but every Christmas morning my mom has pre-made a cheesy strata that she pops in the oven while we're opening stockings. Simple, yet divine. And of course, the main Christmas morning tradition is lots of coffee!!