The porcupines of the vegetable world
A preteen boy develops a fondness for globe artichokes, but how does Dad cook them?
from the June 6, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
This self-awareness of how my palate matured has made me a keen observer of kids' eating habits. Anton has a broad array of tastes, for which I am grateful. It makes it so easy to feed him and to travel with him, as he is willing to try anything. (Well, almost. During a trip to Belize, he drew the line at conch chowder.)
But his friends are picky, picky, picky. Last week one of his buddies was over and stayed for supper. I made chicken, mashed potatoes, and – yes – broccoli.
The boy examined the vegetable with a suspicious eye. "What's this?" he asked with something more than curiosity but short of disgust. "It looks like little trees."
It was hard to believe that he had never seen broccoli before. "Try it," I said, echoing my mother.
Well, Jesse did try it, and, after a few chews, said it "wasn't bad." (Can there be higher praise of one's cooking from a 12-year-old?)
Back to artichokes. I made it my mission today to go out and find one.
When I entered the grocery store, I suddenly felt slightly uneasy about my intent. I mean, just how does one buy an artichoke? You squeeze tomatoes, seek out yellow bananas, and smell cantaloupes to test for maturity. But what can one possibly do to an artichoke?
It didn't take me long to find them. I mean, how could I miss the vegetable version of a porcupine? Looking the artichokes over, I wondered how it ever occurred to someone that they might be edible. I picked one up and struck a casual pose, trying to look like an experienced inspector of artichokes. I squeezed it, took a whiff, and then lifted a couple of leaves to take a gander within. All right, then, I'll take this one.
Home again. I'm standing at the kitchen counter, the artichoke lying in state before me. It's green, prickly, and has a stalk. So far, so good.
Only one question remains: what on earth do I do with it?
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