Weekend Picks: Add some spice

After a big dinner, when we are all groaning from overindulgence, my friend Paul always thanks God "for the miracle of sleep that will enable us to wake tomorrow, hungry again." On the day after Thanksgiving, I often find myself hungry for exotic flavors that have nothing to do with turkey or pumpkin pie. Here are some suggestions:

With ties to both Indian and Middle Eastern cooking, Afghan cuisine remains deliciously distinct. At Choopan Grill (Hicksville) sample succulent kebabs, rice palaws as well as varied forms of Afghan pasta: leek-stuffed aushak, chicken-stuffed mantoo and nanah dagh, boiled homemade noodles topped with butter, garlic, mint and yogurt sauce.