Young men's fancies are turning to thoughts of love, daffodils and cherry blossoms are blooming, and pea shoots are available at Union Square Greenmarket. It's really springtime, everyone! So celebrate the season before it turns to a swelter with this easy recipe courtesy of Lee Gross, executive chef of veggie-heavy Broadway East.

Spring Pea Shoots with Shiitakes

2 handfuls fresh, crisp pea shoots (not tendrils)

1 small handful (about 5) very fresh shiitake mushrooms

juice of half a lemon

1-2 tsp excellent quality olive oil (fruity or grassy)

good quality sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

hard grating cheese

--Remove stems from shiitakes. Slice caps as thin as possible. (A Japanese vegetable knife or mandoline will work best).

--Combine pea shoots and sliced mushrooms in wide, shallow serving bowl.

--Sprinkle with sea salt and toss gently. Let sit one minute.

--Drizzle vegetables with lemon juice and olive oil. Grind in some pepper and toss lightly again.

--Shave very thin slices of cheese over vegetables and serve immediately.

I had two transcendent experiences this weekend that led to a revelation

1. I had been craving a good soup dumpling since a weirdly fruitless visit to Shanghai in the fall. While for some reason I had a hard time tracking them down in the city of their origin, I of course had no problem finding them at Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown. My hankering was humored by small, delicate buns bursting with a rich, porky explosion of meat and broth. 

2. Then I saw the revival of Gypsy. Despite Patti LuPone's compact, pint-sized package, she exploded on stage with a robust energy that had just the right hint of ham in a deliciously diva-esque performance as Mama Rose.

The revelation: if Patti LuPone were a food, she'd definitely be a soup dumpling.

Despite their icky rep, rats were recently responsible for the fall of two vile enemies of the culinary world: a Taco Bell in the West Village and an uppity food critic in "Ratatouille." In fact, the pointy-nosed rodents are so hot right now, the Chinese have dedicated an entire year to them. OK, we may have the order of events a little off, but we're sure the timing can't be completely accidental.

The Year of the Rat kicks off this Thursday, and we won't blame you for hoping to feel the revered critters in spirit rather than in person while celebrating Chinese New Year at Chinatown's yummiest restaurants.

(Photo courtesy of PlayfulPlushToys.com)

This is Irving Mill's "tap room." It's pretty enough, I suppose, though it looks like it could be restaurant in Disneyland's Frontierland. Our critic called the space's overall mood "sophisticated hoedown," and the rustic fare had her doing a bit of a jig in appreciation. Also this week, we have a review of B'un, the Vietnamese small plates spot cofinanced by someone with a sex toy modeled after them, and more new and notable restaurants.

(Photo courtesy of Irving Mill)

Despite growing up in California's Bay Area, a stronghold of tasty, cheap Vietnamese fare, I didn't have my first banh mi until I moved to New York. But like countless others before me, I was hooked after my first bite, so I can't say I minded eating five of them in five days for work. In the process, I've acquired not only a few new pounds, but also a new appreciation for their many variations--one came with avocado while another came with veal's head cheese. How did the Chinatown classic stack up to the $9 version at Momofuku Ssam Bar? Click through to read about my five days of banh mi.