I came up with a fantastic idea yesterday! I decided to try, at least once, every edible root vegetable there is! I know, I know...it's kind of random, but here's who the whole thing started:
I was just browsing around on the Internet yesterday and got to looking and recipes. Out of the corner of my eye I saw one for sweet-potato pie, and involuntarily gagged a little. I don't like sweet potatoes....or at least I didn't the last time I tried one in 1997. Anyway eventually it let to me wondering what the difference is between a yam and a sweet potato, which led me to Wikipedia, and then a list of all known root vegetables.
Reading down the list I realized that even though I don't think I like most root veggies, I can't honestly say I know that I don't. I've not tried most of them as an adult (or in some cases ever). I scrunch my nose at the word parsnip, but I don't even know what one tastes like or looks like, much less how you prepare it or whether or not it's good for you! That inspired me to inquire into every root vegetable there is (or I can get my hands on) to learn more about them and determine definitively whether I do or don't like them. Besides it seems like a fun and healthy way to expand my knowledge of food.
The most complete list I have found has some 41 different roots, some of which will be harder than others to get. Just today I went to the store to get the first one on my list, but ended up having to skip the first three because the stores did not carry them. I was hoping to start with the exotic sounding Ahipa, or Arracacha, but have had to instead settle for beetroot. I won't get to it today, but by the end of next week I hope to have a solidly informed opinion of beets. Hopefully this experiment will broaden your horizons and maybe inspire all of you to try something new too. I hope to finish this project by the end of this fall, and I may need some help with recipes, and ideas about where to acquire certain items. So let me know if you have any thoughts.
Woo Hoo...isn't this fun? Stay tuned for more than you ever wanted to know about roots!!!
This is very old school scientific of you sister. Self experimentation is not something that a lot of people do these days and I must commend you on the effort. If you need any assistance in obtaining any of these roots let me know...I live in NYC and I feel that I have access to almost every culture and their food so I could probably, with some effort, secure some rare specimen for you. Good luck on your journey and keep us posted!
ReplyDeleteI know...I daydream about the Whole Foods by your work....Next time I come to see you we are making 20 little teeny quail eggs (sunny side up) for breakfast, with normal size toast:)
ReplyDeleteI would also like to offer my assistance ... in eating the roots that you cook. In case you need a second opinion :)
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