RadicchiOwned

These days, there are two things that make me exceptionally happy. 1) Taking advantage of an opportunity to eat or drink something I hate. 2) Realizing that I have dealt with myself effectively enough that I can safely say I no longer have true hatred for a food I once loathed. Today, I get to claim another victory, over a food that has plagued me for my entire life. But now, joining the ranks of sauerkraut and root beer is my latest accomplishment, radicchio!

As I mentioned last week, I had a sneaking suspicion that I was almost over radicchio, when I ate a meal that included it and it didn't bother me at all. But just to make sure, tonight I made something that really showcased radicchio. It was a very strange salad, but I have to say, I enjoyed it! It was Brussels Sprouts with Walnut Vinaigrette. Now, I have always liked Brussels Sprouts, (especially roasted ones!) but I have certainly never eaten them prepared like this before! You removed the individual leaves of the sprouts, blanche them, then serve them as if they were salad greens, tossed with some walnuts, a vinaigrette dressing and some sliced radicchio. It sounded so weird, but it was pretty good! And the radicchio didn't bother me at all!

Here is a much more fabulous way to Blanche Brussels Sprouts!

 Now, I'm not gonna sit here and say I love radicchio like I love butter lettuce or mache. Nor would I want to eat a salad that was only radicchio. But I can safely say I can eat it with no problem in any of the common ways I may encounter it in the future. Namely, in moderation and tossed with other ingredients that have some sort of sweetness to them. No longer will I need to leave a tragic magenta and white pile on the side of my plate!

 

Also, I have a public service announcement for you! Ataulfo mangoes are now in season! I had my first one yesterday. I like all mangoes, but I wouldn't just slice up a regular mango and eat it as a snack. But I promise you, the is almost nothing better than ataulfo mango, peeled and cut into chunks, and served with a squeeze of lime. If you have never had one, the time is now!

Love.

Finally, I randomly just looked at my Klout score. I never use it and I signed up on a whim several months ago. But it had apparently been tracking my Tweets all along, and has declared me to be influential on the topics of Restaurants.... Dieting..... and Beer. Never thought I'd see THAT day!!! :-)