100 new foods

Watercress

watercress_FeedMeDearly

First, can I get something off my chest? I have five fingers, just like most people. I do not have a pig trotter in place of a left limb as this picture suggests. And now that I think of it, manicures for animals could make for an interesting business plan. Under the gun to get dinner on the table and snap a quick pic of our mystery food challenge, I didn’t realize how trotterish my hand looked until I went to edit the picture this morning. Thank you for letting me clear that up, now let’s move on.

Not everyone loves watercress. I get it. It’s got a little attitude, a little bite. And it tends to show up to parties uninvited. My husband’s order at his favorite Mexican Restaurant? “Chicken burrito, hold the watercress”. In his mind, watercress ruins everything. I respectfully disagree, but thought that I’d give the kids the chance to weigh in.

Their response was not surprising.

ME: OK guys, we have a new mystery food tonight. What is the green thing called?

LAUREN: Lettuce.

SAM: Brussels sprouts.

ME: No, it’s not Brussels sprouts, it’s not lettuce. What you think it is?

EMMA: I don’t know.

ME: Have you seen it before?

LAUREN: (laughing)

ME: Sam always likes his greens.

(Emma ignores the watercress and picks up some sausage on her plate)

ME: We’re not trying the sausage yet. We’re only trying the green thing right now.

LAUREN: Eeeew.

ME: Wait, Sam likes it right? I love it. I love it so much.

SAM: It’s kind of spicy right?
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100 new foods

Rhubarb

rhubarb

We generally like to try things raw around here, but once in a while we encounter something that’s actually poisonous to eat in its raw state. I’ve since learned that only a rhubarb’s leaves are poisonous, not the stalk. But any talk of poison, leaves or otherwise, is bound to send kids running in the other direction. My solution was to make the rhubarb into jam, which didn’t fix the underlying issue: rhubarb, sadly, wasn’t a hit.

ME: Ok guys.  What is this mystery food?

SAM: Jelly.

ME: Well it kind of looks like jelly.  You know what?  The reason why we’re eating jam as mystery food today is because in its raw form, rhubarb is is actually poisonous. Sam, You can pass that around (I pass him the rhubarb stalk).

SAM: No, I’m not touching it, it’s poisonous.

ME: No, no.  It’s fine just don’t eat it.  What color is it?

LAUREN: Um, pink.

ME: What does it remind you of, Sam?

LAUREN: I’m scared to touch it.

ME: You don’t have to be scared to touch it.

(Emma takes a huge bite out of the raw stalk.)

ALL OF US TOGETHER: Oh my God Emma, don’t eat it!

(Emma runs from the room crying.)

ME: Oh we scared her, we scared her.  [going after Emma] It’s ok.  Remember you can’t eat it sweetie? Remember that you have to eat the jelly rhubarb, not the raw rhubarb? Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.

LAUREN: That is poisonous.

ME: Yes. Ok, Sam, get your finger out of the jelly.

ME: Oh, poor sweetie.  Remember, it’s poisonous if you eat it raw.  That will make you sick if you eat it raw, it has to be cooked.  Want to come back?  Come on, we want you here with us.

LAUREN:  [whispering to Sam] Ok it’s fine, just eat it.

ME: Ok.  So who’s going to try the jelly?

SAM:  Me, me I want to.

LAUREN: I don’t like it.

ME: Huh?

LAUREN: Don’t like it.

ME: Here, you try it, SAM.  There you go.

SAM: I want jelly.

ME: This is it.

SAM: That’s jelly?
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