The Kohlrabi Kid

I've been shopping at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings for well over a decade. As you can imagine, this has exposed me to a greater variety of produce than if I didn't dare to shop outside of Trader Joe's. Over the years, I've spotted dozens of unusual veggies, and wondered, "What the heck is that and how would somebody go about eating that?" And then, I would just walk on by, never deviating from my shopping list, and head straight for the potatoes and broccoli. But in the spirit of openness, I decided to finally try a strange vegetable that I had wondered about for a few years now. Have you seen this one?

Kohlrabi, as my husband put it, "Looks like an alien's heart." I consulted my recipe app to determine what one could do with kohlrabi. Apparently, one can cook it, or one can eat it raw. I decided to first experience kohlrabi in the raw... no, not by eating it while unclothed, but by trying it out in a Kohlrabi and Mâche Salad. Turns out, it's a very mild tasting vegetable, and easy to eat. So, now I know. I like kohlrabi just fine!

After my Big Beer Drinking Night, I decided I should stay on the Beer Train and keep at it. After all, I still don't like the stuff, and this whole experiment is to test if it really is possible to train yourself to like something, through repetition. I decided to try beer from a whole different continent, and explored Asahi beer. I have to say, it went down much easier than any of those other light colored beers did! So I wonder.... is it that I have more in common with the Japanese than just short stature and discreet toilet habits? Do I really prefer Japanese style beer more than the Belgian beers I tried early on, or have I really began to acquire a greater tolerance for beer? I suppose the only way to know is to revisit some of those beers I tried at the beginning of this project and see if I like them better now. Which I will do, after just a little bit more taste testing!

Finally, and this has nothing to do with anything, but I really want to express myself. I realized last night, as I ate my beautiful dinner of Penne alla Vodka, that if I could only have 1 pasta dish for the rest of my life, it would be that one. There is no better sauce for pasta.... and I've tried them all! So, heed my advice: Keep vodka out of your martinis and use it instead for pasta sauce! :-)