100 new foods

Black radish

Black radish

After the success of last week’s watermelon radish, we decided to give another radish variety a try. Enter black radish. But we learned an important lesson this week: not all radishes are created equal. Some, like the watermelon radish, are pleasantly spicy. Others pack  serious heat. Fortunately Sam didn’t suffer permanent damage, but from his reaction you’d have thought he’d scorched his tongue. I think I’ve tested about all the radishes my kids can handle. No need to try any more, we’ve been there, done that, time to move onto non-radish food.

ME: OK, you guys are going to be really excited about this next one…

SAM: Green beans?

ME: What do you think this is?

LAUREN: A radish?

ME: Yeah, how did you know it’s a radish?

LAUREN: Looks like it.

ME: Oh my gosh, I don’t think it looks anything like a radish. How did you know?

LAUREN: Well it had that same shape and the same thing on the top, so I just guessed it was a radish.

SAM: It’s a bum bum.

ME: Stop.

ME: What color is it going to look like on the inside?

SAM: Bum bumish.

ME: OK, thank you.

LAUREN: Uh, pinkish? Red? Green? Pink or green I guess.

SAM: Booty color.

ME: Oh, my gosh!

LAUREN: White?

ME: Yep. Hard to believe, right? Smell it.

LAUREN: That smells a little bit like cucumbers.

SAM: It smells like a bum bum.

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100 new foods

Watermelon radish

Watermelon radish

Like our bean sprouts experience, watermelon radish was a total surprise hit this week. I had a feeling the kids wouldn’t like it because they didn’t like the red variety that we tried a few months ago. But because watermelon radish is so darn cute, I gave it a try. It’s a little sweeter and mellower than other radish varieties; if you’re not keen on radishes, you might just like this one. If you can find it…they’re not so easy to track down unfortunately, but higher end specialty markets (I got this one at Dean & Deluca) and the farmers’ markets are good places to look.

ME: We’re doing a quick mystery food guys, OK?

EMMA: It looks like canteloupe.

ME: It does a little bit doesn’t it.

SAM: No it doesn’t.

ME: What do you think it’s going to look like on the inside?

LAUREN: Pinkish.

ME: You saw it right?

LAUREN: No!

ME: Oh, I guess there’s a little red on the outside.

ME: Did you expect it to look like that? Do you know what this is called?

EMMA: A cranberry.

ME: It’s not a cranberry. Smell it, you might be able to tell from the smell.

EMMA: I want to hold it.

ME: What does it smell like?

SAM: A banana sauce.

ME: What do you think it is?

LAUREN: I don’t know. Kiwi or something?

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100 new foods

Mushrooms

Mushrooms

Apologies in advance for the long-winded discussion but mushrooms were a 2-for-1 special this week. As in two preparations tested: raw vs. cooked. Raw didn’t go over so well, but we all learned that when foods are prepared differently, you might end up liking them. Mushrooms went from most hated to most loved in the flash of a pan. Amazing what heat, olive oil, and a little salt can do.

EMMA: What are those?

LAUREN: Mushrooms?

EMMA: Smells good right? What do they look like?

LAUREN: I got a little plant. They look like flowers that lost all of their petals.

ME: Such a good description!

EMMA: This one is broken.

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100 new foods

Alfalfa sprouts

Alfalfa Sprouts

Since last week’s bean sprouts were such a big hit, I thought we’d try another sprout-related veggie. Enter radish and clover alfalfa sprouts. Aside from the disagreement about whether we were dealing with Brussels sprouts or alfalfa sprouts, I’d say that we had a productive conversation. And we even got a long-term taker, Emma loved them.

ME: What are these?

LAUREN: Brussels sprouts.

ME: Actually they’re not.

LAUREN: Actually they are.

ME: Actually they’re not.

LAUREN: Uh, they are.

EMMA: Can I get a cool one?

ME: These are alfalfa sprouts.

LAUREN: Yeah, they’re Brussels sprouts.

ME: Um actually they’re not.

LAUREN: Oh yeah they are.

ME: They’re the little sprouts that make radishes and clovers. What do they look like and feel like and all of that?

EMMA: Mmmmm I love them.

ME: You love that?

SAM: Brussels sprouts.

LAUREN: That’s actually spicy.

ME: They taste like Brussels sprouts? What do they look like in your hand?

SAM: Brussels sprouts.

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100 new foods

Dried apricots

dried apricots 076

We got a little off topic this week. What started out as an exploration of dried apricots turned to “holy crap, raisins are really grapes?” I don’t know if this fact makes raisins more appealing or less appealing to them. On the one hand, grapes are one of the kids’ favorite fruits, but on the other, raisins are a dried and shriveled version of their former selves. So we haven’t really gotten into raisins as a family.

But in any case, apricots have potential. Which is fantastic because you can keep them in your cupboards for months on end. They also travel well, no smushing, no bruising. And they’re fabulous in Moroccan food, which one day I’ll get my kids into…Dare to dream, dare to dream…

ME: What is this called?

LAUREN: I forgot what it’s called.

ME: OK, anyone else? Emma’s already eating it!

ME: These are called dried….dried what? Dried apricots right?

ME: What do they feel like in your hand?

LAUREN: Dry and rough.

ME: What about the inside, what does it look like?

SAM: Orange!

ME: And smell it, what does it smell like?

EMMA: I’m going to smell it too.

LAUREN: It smells like salad.

ME: You can’t say that, you say that about everything these days. Give me a good description.

SAM: I don’t like mine.

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