One of the top viewed stories of 2009 from the NYT was this post. Apparently it took most folks 6-18 months to figure out what’s good for them since it was originally posted in June of 2008, but I’m proud to say I’ve been partaking of 9 of the 11 for many years.

So, there. Tara Parker-Pope, I’m eating them alright. Well, not all of them.

1. Beets – Although like any normal child I hated beets as a kid,  I taught myself to love them in high-school after reading Tom Robbins’ Jitterbug Perfume just on the outside chance that lots of sex, long hot baths and beets were, in fact, the keys to life eternal. If you’ve never read Robbins, this is as good as any to start with. He’s one of my all time faves. Laughter will certainly cure you of any lingering beet loathing you may be harboring.
2. Cabbage – NYT says, “Asian-style slaw”. Survey says…”Ding, ding, ding! Yes!!!” American coleslaw is disgusting. In fact, I think all American picnic foods are gross. American potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw. Blech. Oddly, I never much cared for picnics until I married a South American. Brazilians know how to do both potato salad and beans. Oh, yeah.
3. Swiss chard – About 10 years ago, Ardeo in Cleveland Park introduced me to one of those perfect taste sensations, a diver scallop with swiss chard. It was so mouthwateringly fantastic that we sometimes went more than once a week to eat it. It’s long since gone from the menu, but I now regularly order anything on a menu with swiss chard in futile hope of recapturing that taste.
4. Cinnamon – hello, d’uh, cinnamon Pop-tarts, Cinnabon, cinnamon toast. I love her, but TPhyphenP did not do her research on this one. Americans do eat cinnamon.
5. Pomegranate juice – just add vodka and a splash of soda Antioxidants and relaxation in each little sip.
6. Dried plums – My great grandmother used to talk about prunes and bowel movements in the same sentence, so I haven’t tried this recently. However, I never thought about wrapping them in prosciutto and baking them. Anything wrapped in prosciutto is bound to be delicious, although I have a feeling that it may bring a new meaning to the term hot pocket. Thank you, Jim Gaffigan.
7. Pumpkin seeds – best when mixed with pine nuts. Blessed be Trader Joe’s for creating the holy trinity: salad + pumpkin seeds+ pine nuts = Amen.
8. Sardines – This is where I draw the line. No matter how much I try, I just can’t eat something that looks back at me. Double blech.
9. Turmeric – This one is fairly new to me, outside the occasional brush with hotdog mustard, even though I’ve long been a fan Dr. Andrew Weil. However, my new Indian food kick is sure to up my intake.
10. Frozen blueberries – What’s not to love? Each one is like a tiny purple popsicle.
11. Canned Pumpkin – I had forgotten about this one, yes, until I reread this article. If you can’t quite get yourself to jump right in to pumpkin straight from the can, try plopping a few spoonfuls into some mashed potatoes. Each tablespoon is 260% DV of Vitamin A, and it’s easily hidden by milk and butter. I keep betting on the French Paradox.

So, except for sardines (forget about it) and “dried plums” (mmm, I’ll think about it as long as the prosciutto is along for the ride), I’m not doing too badly. I knew those Cinnamon Pop-tarts weren’t so bad, even if they don’t grow on trees.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 10:55 pm and is filed under Blogging, Food, Fun, Health, books, humor. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.