QuickSave

"What is it.." Alex asked suspiciously, staring down at a bowl full of bright orange half-curled... things...

"Lunch." The doctor said cheerfully, taking the seat accross from Alex in the alien diner and digging in enthusiastically to his own meal.
"Edible lunch?" Alex checked, nowhere near gullible enough to just start munching. ...Was that a leg?
"Just pretend it's pasta." The Doctor advised with a grin, clearly enjoying the situation WAY too much. "Segmented pasta."

Alex gave him a flat glare.

"It's safe, I promise. Rose loved it..." The Doctor trailed off for a minute, eyes suddenly seeing something that wasn't there.. not anymore. He shook it off quickly, but the dark look of grief and loss that had flitted briefly over his face was chilling.
Alex picked up his spork-like object and did the bravest thing he'd done since signing up for MI6.

He took a bite.

"If I get sick later.." He warned.
The Doctor's lips twitched in amusement. "Don't talk with your mouth full." He instructed, mock-seriously.

Alex obligingly chewed and swallowed, trying not to think about what other plump, curled segmented creatures he could think of. Like worms and grubs and slater bugs.

He shuddered, imagination almost distracting him form the taste.

He paused, considering it. The Doctor watched him, chewing his own meal, with a knowing look on his face.

"Tastes like.. Macaroni Cheese.." He said at last, giving his still-revolting-looking meal an incredulous glance.

"Yep! Not bad for a small 12-legged insect from the Grichek region, hey?" He grinned as Alex threw a slightly-nauseous look at his lunch again.

"They're an evolutionary oddity" He continued cheerfully, around bites of food. "The one creature in the universe that isn't toxic to ANY species. ANYone can eat them and most species find them palatable. The Grivian homeworld is the only one in the Galaxy where the farmers are the Ruling Class."