KC--Cooking Tips-1

Hoary. Gnarly. Trolls and Gnomes. These are the words that came to mind as I took stock of the burdock root sitting on my counter. It looked a lot like the hairy tree root a dog might drag out of a muddy creek bed.

Am I supposed to eat this thing? Yes, burdock root is for eating, even if its appearance doesn’t exactly fire the imagination. Thankfully, there’s the Internet for inspiration, which should still be paired wtih an old-fashioned copy of Joy of Cooking (the 1997 version is my favorite.) The newspaper is also another great source of ideas, as evidenced by the recipe for a carrot and burdock stir fry that accompanied the cleansing story mentioned in the feature article. Between these three resources, it’s easy enough to find ideas to spark your imagination.

What’s harder is finding an idea you’ll like. How can you tell? In this case, the idea of stir-frying burdock root with carrots seemed like a good bet, since the sweet taste of carrots is always a favorite and can be depended on to make just about any dish palatable. What’s more, stir frying seems to bring out the best in practically any vegetable. Finally, it’s always a good idea to try a new ingredient in small doses--both in the size of the pieces and the total amount in a recipe. The newspaper’s recipe met this criteria, too.

With an idea in hand, it’s on to the details:

·	The newspaper recipe says to “scrub roots.” Really? With a skin so rough, hairy and leathery, shouldn’t it be peeled away?

·	Then I’m supposed to “cut into 2” matchsticks.” With something this tough looking, wouldn’t grating or even slicing thinly be better?

·	Once cut, I’m instructed to “soak in cold water for 1 hour, changing water once or twice.” What’s up with that? I want to eat now, not in an hour!

It’s the devilishness of details like this that can put an abrupt halt to new food adventures. That’s where “investment,” “preparedness,” and “resources” come in. Because our toxic food environment makes cleansing a virtual imperative, think about investing 10 extra minutes to refer to your resources and get comfortably prepared to make this dish. Remember, that 10 minute investment will pay off a hundred times in the years to come as you enjoy the tasty cleansing benefits of burdock.