On My Plate: Spinach
"Spinach was first cultivated in ancient Persia, and the word spinach may have derived from the old Persian word aspanakh."
On My Plate
On My Plate: The citrus crisis
"The oranges and grapefruit are not much to look at in Florida, because the prettiest ones are sent north. But the less comely oranges and grapefruit that remain in Florida are juicier than those in northern supermarkets."
On My Plate: Avocados
"Most chefs and consumers prefer the Hass avocado to the Florida variety, because the Hass is considered more full-flavored."
On My Plate: Pi Day and St. Patrick’s Day
"The transformation of the holiday into a raucous celebration of Irish culture is largely the work of 19th century Irish immigrants in the United States. My favorite St. Patrick’s Day event is the dyeing of the Chicago River to a brilliant, fluorescent, emerald green."
![[clockwise from top] Tatsoi, Tokyo Bekana and Komatsuma.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2a/48/2a48a4f0-bd99-4c79-bb7d-f5d9ca8c39a3/content/images/size/w720/2026/02/01-5.jpg)
On My Plate: Exotic Asian greens
"These Asian greens can be cooked together, but I recommend separating the leaves from the stems and cooking them separately. The stems take a lot longer to cook than the leaves."
On My Plate: Pecans
"Pecans were first cultivated in North America in the 1770s. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had pecan trees on their farms in Virginia."
Valentine’s Day Chocolate
"The consumption of chocolate originated in Latin America as a beverage around 4,000 years ago. The Spanish conquerors took chocolate back to Europe in the sixteenth century, adding sugar to make the drink less bitter."