"broccoli" news and stories

Given how often the secret ingredient on Iron Chef America ends up being a vegetable, it's a wonder we haven't seen more vegetarian chefs plying their trade. Sure, Bobby Flay can grill a lime like nobody's business, and at this point, there are few things that come out of the ground that Chef Morimoto hasn't oh-so-delicately tempura-ed.

So we were looking forward to Amanda Cohen's challenge to the throne this week. Would the proprietor of Manhattan's tiny, inventive vegetarian restaurant Dirt Candy show the meat boys a thing or two? Would she show solidarity for her patrons by refusing to wade into the carnivorous, pescetarian waters judges like grump-o Jeffrey Steingarten are so used to treading? Would a vegetarian chef -- gasp! -- win the title of Iron Chef?

Granted, after the past two guests ruthlessly defeated, respectively, Chefs Symon and Morimoto, we thought it unlikely that another win was in the cards, for anyone. And the Shelley Duvall-esque Cohen looked like she was going to break out laughing when The Chairman barked out her introduction ("you walk to the beat of a different drummer!").

Broccoli stems may be getting an inferiority complex in the U.S. So many cooks do nothing more than cut them from the florets and toss them. Asian cooks may think us slightly demented, as some of the vegetable's best flavor is in the stem, not the crown. Blogger Rachel at Coconut & Lime has got it going on with stems in her recipe for a slaw of shredded broccoli and carrots, with a sweet-spicy-tart dressing that incorporates Japanese mirin (rice wine) and seven-spice powder. (The spice powder, shichimi togarashi, is a blend that includes hemp, poppy and sesame seeds; dried chiles and nori; Szechuan peppercorns and grated orange peel. You can buy it premixed or use this recipe to make it yourself.)

If you start digging broccoli stems, try these recipes for skillet-browned broccoli with pan-toasted garlic, or broccoli with spicy tahini.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool for a shot of having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

• Dublin's Koi Garden serves upwards of 1,000 customers at its weekend dim sum service. They must be onto something.
• You'd never think of tipping less than 20 percent for table service, right? Tip jar etiquette is not as clear. Think good karma.
• Either way, you'll have more left over for tips if you eat at one of these Bargain Bites.
• Smooth and intense, Gjetost is the Norwegian take on goat cheese -- and it's not for everyone.
• You know which wines to pair with chicken or steak...but what about broccoli?

How do you keep vegetables like green beans, asparagus and broccoli brightly colored after cooking? Shock 'em.

No, you're not looking at an enchanted forest on a planet made of Play-Doh, you're looking at broccoli. Sort of. It's Romanesco, a fractal vegetable from the broccoli family. It's sometimes called Romanesco broccoli and perhaps better known as the Broccoflower, as it's often mistaken for a broccoli-cauliflower hybrid (which, as we understand, does exist and looks a lot like Romanesco).

We have to admit though, we're not too concerned with its classification -- what we really want to know is how it tastes sautéed with butter and sea salt.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.