Special Sub-Topic: I'm a Trekkie, Not a Gourmet! Click Here To Play: I'm a Trekkie, Not a Gourmet!

To whet your appetite for our "Star Trek" inspired meal, let's start with a nice plate of live, wriggling worms that will squirm deliciously as they slide down your throat. Disgusting, eh? That's Klingon fare for you. But, if you're feeling brave and want to try to dining in true Klingon style, which of these combos will you NOT need to psych yourself up for?

Tube grubs and Slug-o-Cola. Klingons certainly do eat heartily, and prefer their meals to be alive or, at least, freshly killed; replicated meat will just never do. Surprisingly, some non-Klingons have acquired a taste for Klingon food, such as Jadzia Dax ("DS9") and Will Riker ("TNG"); Deep Space 9's promenade even boasts a Klingon restaurant. Gakh and racht are made with serpent worms, and must be served fresh if they're to be worth eating. Bloodwine is, well, exactly what it sounds like, and raktajino is Klingon coffee. Heart of targ and mot'loch (a beverage) would be partaken of ceremonially, on the Day of Honor. Tube grubs and Slug-o-Cola are Ferengi delicacies.

Embrace your inner logician, and prepare to deny your taste buds if you're going to choose a Vulcan dish. On "TOS": "Amok Time," pon farr-inflicted Spock flung a bowl of this bland Vulcan repast at Nurse Chapel, who had made it for him. Neelix tried enhancing it with special spices on the "Voyager" episode, "Faces." What is it?

Plomeek soup. The "Star Trek Cookbook" has provided hardcore Trekkers with both Captain Kirk's and Neelix's recipes for plomeek soup, a dish suitably tasteless for even the most logical of Vulcans. According to the cookbook, the soup calls for onions, butter, carrots, celery, pepper, and chicken stock (although in "reality," Vulcans are usually vegetarian). Kirk apparently liked to add some heavy cream to his plomeek soup.

The next time you're in the neighborhood of Bajor, possibly aboard Deep Space 9, why not sample the local cuisine and try some Bajoran fare? A favorite of most Bajorans, this dish is very spicy and resembles a burrito. If you'd like to order a serving from the replicator, what should you ask for?

Hasperat. Ro Laren ("TNG") was especially fond of hasperat, and was taught by her father how to make it. Good, strong hasperat, made with brine, should be "eye watering" and "tongue searing" (quoted from the "TNG" episode, "Preemptive Strike"). It can also be prepared as a souffle. For filming on "Star Trek," hasperat was made with a rolled tortilla filled with colorful peppers and cream cheese. Another Bajoran treat is the uber-sweet jumja stick, available from vendors on DS9's promenade. To conclude our Bajoran meal, how about a glass of springwine, made from kava fruit.

After starting their day with fish juice, some members of the reptilian, usually villainous Cardassian species like to accompany sem'hal stew and other meals with a certain condiment. Jake Sisko and Nog traded a large quantity of this condiment for some self-sealing stembolts on "DS9": "Progress." What is it called?

Yamok sauce. On the "Deep Space 9" episode, "Progress," barkeep Quark got stuck with 5,000 wrappages of yamok sauce and not a single Cardassian to serve it to. Enterprising young Jake and Nog acquired it, and, after having some difficulty pawning it off, ultimately got five bars of gold-pressed latinum out of the deal. If you hear that the Cardassians are coming back to the station, you might want to advise Quark to stock up on kanar as well; it's a popular Cardassian alcoholic drink.

Replicators: a marvel of futuristic technology, they're the dream of every microwave and TV dinner addict. They always nail Captain Picard's order of "tea, Earl Grey, hot," but like the best of inventions, replicators can be temperamental. Voyager's Captain Janeway often has a problem replicating what classic Earth comfort food, demonstrated on the episode "Shattered"?

Pot roast. Replicators use transporter technology to produce matter almost as good as the real thing; they can be programmed with a wide variety of recipes. Deep Space 9 has a restaurant called the Replimat, where diners order their food straight from replicators. The technology seems foolproof, so one might wonder why Captain Janeway has such difficulty making a pot roast! She attributed it to the fact that she once insulted the replicator, calling it a "glorified toaster" (episode, "Shattered"). On "Ashes to Ashes," Ensign Lyndsay Ballard joked that Janeway's burnt pot roast could be used as defensive weaponry!

Would you like a piece of cellular peptide cake, with mint frosting? Yes, I realize that the cake looks like Counselor Deanna Troi and that she's screaming her head off as Data goes to lop off her shoulder, but Worf certainly is enjoying his piece! Just what exactly is happening in this scene from "TNG": "Phantasms"?

Data is dreaming. On "Phantasms," Data experienced his first nightmare, and it's a strange one indeed! Besides the Troi-cellular peptide cake incident, Data saw Dr. Crusher drinking out of a straw in Riker's head; she claimed it was delicious. The dream images began to translate into reality for Data, he even stabbing Deanna in the shoulder. As it turned out, the crew was infested with a parasite that fed on their cellular peptides - yum! The episode concluded with Deanna and Data sharing a cake made in the android's image. Turnabout's fair play!

There's no question that the best gumbo in the Alpha Quadrant comes from Sisko's Creole Kitchen, owned by head chef Joseph Sisko. Also the hometown of DS9's Ben Sisko, where on 24th century Earth will you find this restaurant?

New Orleans, Louisiana. Having shunned food replicators, Joseph Sisko made everything from scratch and taught his children to do likewise. Although he chose a different path than his father intended, Ben Sisko, commanding officer of Deep Space 9, still relishes the time he spends cooking up delicious Creole meals, like jambalaya. So, if you're ever aboard DS9 and invited to the captain's quarters for a homecooked meal, I suggest you take him up on his offer.

During Voyager's stint in the Delta Quadrant, replicator rations are in short supply and the crew relies on head chef Neelix to keep them nourished. There's one ingredient, native to the Delta Quadrant, with which Neelix can make just about anything, especially soup and tea. What is this notorious vegetable?

Leola root. Although most of Voyager's crew has less than favorable feelings toward the inimitable leola root, a yellowish vegetable that sports an appetizing coat of mildew, its nutritional value helps keep them going during their long journey through the Delta Quadrant. Neelix often whips up leola root soup, leola root stew, leola root tea, leola root rice pilaf, and on one occasion even leola root ointment to soothe a sunburn!

How to eat a chocolate sundae: begin by "spooning the fudge around the rim, leaving only ice cream in the middle," sculpt the ice cream gently with your spoon, then take a bite and "make every one an event." Finish by closing your eyes and just savoring the experience. What chocolate lover so explained this ritual to Will Riker on the "TNG" episode, "The Game"?

Deanna Troi. The Enterprise-D's counselor can often be found in Ten Forward, eating a chocolate dessert of some kind. A ritualized experience for Deanna, it helps lift her spirits when she's feeling low. On "Deja Q," Data, having observed Counselor Troi's indulgences and the "profound psychological impact" thereof, explained the restorative powers of chocolate to Q, who was depressed, hungry, and struggling with his new status as a "mere mortal." Much to Data's surprise, Q ordered 10 chocolate sundaes (unfortunately, an incident with Guinan caused him to lose his appetite before he could dig in).

And how could I make this quiz without mentioning one of the Alpha Quadrant's most infamous alcoholic drinks? It's blue, illegal, and extremely potent. Admiral Kirk and Dr. McCoy shared a bottle of it on "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." What is this beverage, made by a species resembling Vulcans?

Romulan ale. Romulan ale, its native name possibly kali-fel, has been called an "instant drunk"; not even Klingons are immune to its effects! It can't be made with a replicator, so before the Romulan-Federation alliance during the Dominion War resulted in its being legalized, one had to procure the ale surreptitiously. If you'd like to try making your own Earth-style Romulan ale, you'll find several different recipes on the World Wide Web. One of these calls for equal amounts of vodka, triple sec, blue curacao, and lemonade.