eating lately: doing it for baby

Over a year before I even got pregnant, I heard this story on NPR about how babies' palates and food memories are shaped even before birth based on what their mother eats, and I resolved then that I was going to work hard for my future children be less picky than I was as a kid by taking in a big variety of flavors, spices, etc. when pregnant.

Obviously this excuse for going out to lots of restaurants is working out just as well for me right now as it will work out for little baby in the future - just look at the deliciousness in these photos. My trip to Turkey provided plenty of great food variety opportunities of course (more on that tomorrow), but here's some of what we've been finding around Cincinnati the past few months:

Most delicious takeout from Bankok Bistro - the great flavors of pad thai made even better by way of crispy noodles. I'd call this one a semi-pregnancy craving, because one day I happened to think of when we had this dish once, and I hunted it back down at the earliest opportunity...

At Ambar India Restaurant in Clifton, a nice little lunch outing with Peter near the hospital after one of our early ultrasounds.

On the patio at Saigon Cafe, working in a little spiciness to the mix (I've always been a wimp about spicy foods but have been working on that for years, because it definitely allows for a greater enjoyment of more things; hopefully baby agrees!).

At Cafe Mediterranean in Blue Ash (which is in a strip mall, but still worth a visit!), happily satisfying my one official (and strange) craving of pregnancy so far: falafel. Pretty sure I doubled the size of my belly after this meal.


Pregnant or no, you probably have some favorite ethnic cuisines/dishes - what great and interesting flavors should I go for next?