Thanks for the wonderful ideas! The school is nut free and there won't be the time (nor will there be the place) to do any prep in the classroom. Also, my kids are vegetarian - eggs and dairy ok but no meat - so most of the meat based stuff is out.

Someone suggested Deviled eggs. I've never made them and am not sure if they are kid friendly.

The French Toast Casserole sounds interesting too. I googled a recipe and got
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recip.... Two questions: Would it work cold? And, by french bread does the recipe mean a regular baguette or the long soft loaves that pass for french bread in the supermarket aisle. Seems to me that a baguette would be too crispy for French Toast.

The fritata ideas are great but too close to the Spanish Tortilla I took the last time. Got to keep them guessing! I'm too heavy handed to do a good job with the granola so I'll pass on that as well. And, any recipe that requires any work in the morning is out. The wife will be away on a business trip and there is no way I can get two kids dressed, fed, lunch packed, and out the door AND do any prep on the breakfast!

Bengali food can be quite delicious. Hilsa cooked with a mustard marinade is practically the national dish of Bengal and, cooked right, is meltingly delicious. Bengalis eat a lot of fish - fried, curried, grilled, etc. Luchis, a kind of flour puri, is another bengali speciality. When I was in Calcutta last (about 20 years ago) there were few Bengali restaurants but there must be more now.

Calcutta is also famous for Indian Chinese food. Chung Wah (on Dharmatolla Street - I think) was good then. Fatty Mummy's, a hole in the wall shack in North Calcutta's tanning district was the buzz. Ask your daughter for the buzz spots in Chinese food these days.

Nizam's is an institution and a must visit. Visit the original Nizam's behind New Market rather than one of the many branches in the city. Mughalai Parantha, a parantha stuffed with ground meat and eggs, is a speciality of Calcutta. Available everywhere but the best places are just off Chowringhee, the name "Anarkali Cabin" comes to mind but it has been a long long time!

Eat at local restaurants (not in expensive hotels and high end restaurants) and your money will - mostly - stay out of the hands of the junta. Many hotels and expensive restaurants in Burma are owned by friends of the military, usually connected with drug money. On the other hand, the cheaper places are family run and actively evade taxes, so less of your food money will end up in the wrong place.

Unfortunately, the food in Burma is not exciting. The few Burmese restaurants in the US tend to offer modified Thai or Indian food and the real food in Burma is an unexciting variation of both. Sandy's, recommended by Morekasha above, is good, has an extensive menu, a lovely location, and, to my knowledge, is not in with the bad guys (though, I'm sure they have to pay for the privilege of existing). But, it is better to sample street food or hole in the wall food when in Burma. Some examples:
- The biryani restaurants on Anwaratha Street in Yangon.
- The samosas on sale at the bus stand on the ne corner of sule pagoda.
- The chapati stand in Mandalay. This is an institution amongst backpackers. You can't miss it!
- The noodle shops on the sw corner of sule pagoda (32nd street?)
- The indian food stalls on the narrow street next to Central Hotel.

Don't miss out on teashops. There are a zillion of them all over the place. Small tables with little stools set around them, they are the best way to talk to people. Walk into a reasonably crowded one and sit down. Soon enough, someone will come over to talk. Could be in English but keep your phrase book handy! Mandalay has the best tea shop culture, but you'll find them to be friendly places - except perhaps in Yangon.

Amongst restaurants, try Lashio Lay restaurant in Yangon for Shan noodles. Especially if you won't be traveling north of Mandalay to Hsipaw or Lashio.

If you're traveling to Mrauk U and end up spending a night in Sittwe, try the Rakhine Catfish Curry. Unfortunately, the eating places are mostly nameless, but ask at several, and peek at the curry, till you find something you like. Also, try the Rakhine soup, mondi. You won't get these elsewhere.

The best Indian restaurant in Myanmar is Aung Padamya in Pwin u Lwin. Don't miss it if you go there.

Also, try the veggie burger at Cafe Aroma in Yangon. It is good! The best coffee is also in Pwin u Lwin at the Golden Triangle Cafe and Bakery.

If you decide not to make the saag paneer, you can try your hand at saag meat - lamb or goat curry cooked with spinach.

A veggie alternative that we use at home is a modification of channa masalla suggested by cheryl_h. I'm not sure if you'll find a recipe for that, so here is a rough one:

1. Soak the chick peas for 24 hours (or use canned chick peas - I never do!). Boil them till cooked or use a pressure cooker.
2. Heat some oil in a pan. I use sunflower oil. Fry some finely chopped onions (1 will do).
3. Add some chopped ginger and garlic before the onions are cooked. If you have hot chilli peppers, add them as well.
4. Once the onions are cooked, add spices. A touch of turmeric, a whiff of amchur (mango powder), a spot of coriander powder. If all you have is curry powder, add that instead but keep a few lemons handy to squeeze in the end. The key is to make it hot an spicy with amchur or lemon to offset the heat. You can also use yoghurt (but add that much later). Add salt to taste.
5. Add the boiled chickpeas and fry well on high heat. Save the water that you used to boil or pressure cook the chick peas (don't add it as yet).
6. When the chickpeas are well mixed with the spice mixture, add greens. The classic recipe calls for spinach, but we add whatever is freshly available. Arugula, kale, spinach, or all three at the same time. Keep frying till the greens wilt.
7. Add the chickpea water (add to the extent you like a watery gravey), stir, bring to boil, and cook on medium to low heat for 20 to 30 minutes. If adding yoghurt, add it a couple of minutes before you take the stuff off the stove. If adding lemon, add it after you take it off the stove.
8. Eat with rice for your Indian feast. Or, with a fresh baguette if for just another meal!

When using canned chickpeas, this is a really easy recipe. And, always delicious!

I know. Also, the excellent Taqueria el fondo on Amsterdam and 109. The W90s seems to have a split personality these days. Plenty of Taco joints for the Mexicans and now many ersatz Mexican places (Nacho, Heights, Mama, and now Chipotle) for the bankers moving into the new condos. It is a bit surprising though that there are three Mexican places on the six blocks of Broadway that are technically Columbia area (110 to 116). Some variety would be nice! While Casbah Rouge was a tacky place, the food was good and different.

(This got moved to Chains. I had meant it as a sort of rant about the Morningside Heights area! Oh well!)

Pisticci is probably your best choice in the neighborhood and is even worth a special trip. Excellent! Sezz Medi is good too but better if you want pizza. Le Monde is your basic fake French place. The burger is decent, the meats are usually good, but don't expect any surprises. Symposium (113 between Broadway and Amsterdam) is good, sturdy, Greek fare if you want to go for that. The lamb stew is my favorite. Bistro 1018 (Amsterdam and 110th) is also very good but Pisticci would be better. V&T Pizzeria (Amsterdam, 110 and 111) has good pizza and old style Italian fare (I mean old style New York Italian).

Of the places closest to TC, Sez Medi is your best bet followed by Mussawa (Ethopian). Avoid the tapas place and Ajanta (Indian on a turmeric high). Max Soha has gone downhill of late, so avoid that as well. Radio Perfecto is ho hum but tolerable. I would not risk the sandwiches at Apple Tree (I lived in that building for ten years and know all the owners well, so trust me on that one!).

If you're looking for good coffee while at the conference, try the espresso at Pannino Sportivo (Amsterdam and 120, across from TC). They make good panninis as well.

It was good. Kangaroo was excellent, the meat was served on a falafel that was equally delicious. The mushroom ceviche was the best appetizer at our table. I had the lamb, glazed with manuka a kind of honey, delicious. The Thai pumpkin curry and the cod (edamame risotto) was the best on the table. The desserts were outstanding - chocolate plate, ginger ice cream on a pear and lemongrass crumble, and sticky toffee with armagnac ice cream. The sticky toffee was the best in class!

Service was attentive, a bit too attentive but I won't complain. The waiter tried to push us toward a $150 bottle of wine, but we gently directed him toward something for $42. A New Zealand Crossroads "Bordeaux". Full bodied and good enough for us.

I lived in Paris for a while when my older daughter was 7 to 13 months. Most casual places are tiny and the stroller won't make it to your table, so be ready to fold and stash. Eating on patios or plazas is the best option, weather permitting, because baby can sleep while you eat. People are generally friendly but don't expect special treatment in busy cafes or brasseries, especially where the waitstaff is all male (an all too common occurrence!). A booster seat may not be great for a baby, she'll probably want to sleep. A car seat could work in some places but there won't be a lot of space in others. So a baby bjorn kind of thing may be better.