Bitter melon: Tastes better than a punch in the face

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is a tropical cucumber relative, originally from India and grown widely in southeast Asia.  As you might expect from the name, it is pretty bitter, although it is generally eaten young before the bitterness reaches its peak. Bitter melons In my experience, there are two categories of people in the world: […]

Maca: The slow-growing, foul-tasting, aphrodisiac, Inca radish?

Maca roots from Wikimedia Commons Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is hot right now among people who consume so-called “super foods.”  Apparently, most are consuming it as a powder added to their witch’s brews of obscure roots, berries, and twigs from distant lands.  It is a member of the mustard family, sometimes called “Peruvian Ginseng”. For me, maca […]