Presenting! The Fabulous Kalettes!

No, it’s not a girl group from the ’60s. This is what happens when kale and Brussels sprouts hook up: a non-genetically modified vegetable that’s full of fiber, vitamin C, K and B6.

And, oh, are they delicious, with a slightly sweet and surprising nutty flavor.

Kalettes are also gorgeous. They have crunchy, deep purple stems with soft bright green leaves. I discovered them in a farmers’ market this summer, but since then I’ve seen them at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. Melissa’s Produce also carries them, but they call them Kale Sprouts (cute!).

Kalettes are great raw in a salad (chop them up a little first), but I also like them grilled, steamed, sautéed or roasted. If you do cook them, watch them carefully so you don’t burn their tiny, delicate leaves.

Besides trimming the ends, and rinsing them in cool water (of course), Kalettes don’t take much prep. This Warm Kalette Salad is fast and simple to make and, with the fresh feta cheese and pomegranate, makes a gorgeous side dish!

They may not be a girl group… but Kalettes ROCK! (Sorry…)

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Cilantro. I’m predicting that in the next few days you’ll probably eat a dish prepared with this flavorful citrusy herb.

Why? Well, Cinco de Mayo is just a few days away, and cilantro has become the go-to herb for most of the Mexican food we eat this country. I won’t bother telling you that REAL Mexican food isn’t buried under a pile of this chopped green stuff because that might spoil your Drinko de Mayo fun.

That sounded a little ugly, didn’t it? Sorry. Let’s move on…

Cilantro, which comes from the coriander seed, was first grown in Greece… so it garnished gyros long before it topped those food truck tacos. Because it’s considered both an herb and a spice (since the leaves and seeds are used), cilantro/coriander is popular around the world. Think about that. You’ll find it in Indian food, Chinese food, Thai food and Central and South American food. Wow.

But cilantro is definitely an acquired taste. My daughter, Sistie, says it tastes grassy and green. I’ve heard others say it tastes like soap. I know a food scientist who thinks some people are born with a gene that makes them not like it. Maybe that’s why cilantro is not particularly popular in Europe and in the Mediterranean (but the coriander seed is used).

Cilantro is also known for its medicinal powers. I was once given a cilantro tea (when I was in the jungles of Nicaragua) to soothe a stomach ailment. It has been called the “anti-diabetic” herb (because it supposedly helps the secretion of insulin). Long ago in China, it’s was thought of as an aphrodisiac, (like in that West and South Asian collection of stories, “The Thousand and One Nights,” remember?).

Cilantro is mostly used as a garnish because it loses its flavor if it’s cooked for a long time. If you try to puree cilantro, its vibrant color and flavor quickly fade… unless it’s blended with oil (like in Chimichurri).

The best way to store cilantro is to cut off the lower stems, wash it really well, roll it in a damp paper towel and refrigerate it in a plastic bag. You can also snip off the bottom stems, make a bouquet, immerse it in a glass filled with a little water and cover it with a plastic bag.

Before you’re ready to chop cilantro, make sure it’s thoroughly dry or it will clump together. Gather the leaf ends together in a bunch and, using a sharp knife, thinly slice across the cilantro in one direction. Don’t randomly chop or you’ll bruise the tender leaves and they’ll turn black!

Oh, one other thing. Don’t buy dried cilantro. It’s worthless. That stuff really does taste like grass!

In the food world, cranberry beans are Cinderella-at-the-Ball-until-Midnight.

(Indulge me, you know how much I love drawing analogies between food and storybook, movie or television characters).

You have to appreciate the fleeting magenta-speckled loveliness of cranberry beans because, sadly, after you cook them, the streaky reddish-pink color disappears. Vanishes. But, just like Cinderella, it’s what’s on the inside that really counts.

Cranberry beans (aka Supremo, borlotti or shelly beans) are packed with fiber: a half-cup serving will give you almost 40% of your daily need! They’re also loaded with protein, have few calories and NO fat.

Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?

If you find these beans in the farmers market, they should have a soft leathery pod. Inside, the pod should be moist and the bean tender.

They’ve got a very subtle chestnut flavor and won’t overpower a dish. In fact, they’ll add a nice creamy succulence whether served hot or cold. I cook them up for 30 minutes or so, cool them down and then serve them with a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of lemon on top of heirloom tomatoes. Yes.

The one downside to these beans is that you have to shell them (hence the name shelly beans), and that can be time-consuming. But, sit your kids down… tell them about Cinderella, and that midnight is approaching. Challenge them to shell as many as possible in 15 minutes… before the spell is broken.

And watch the fun begin…

Here’s the perfect nibble while you’re waiting for the drinks to be poured: Sautéed Japanese shishito peppers.

What makes these grassy, nutty tasting peppers so special is how incredibly simple they are to prepare. Throw them in a skillet with hot (not smoking) olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and some sea salt. Once they’ve blistered and popped, they’re ready.

You also can get all fancy-do and grill them or sauté them in sesame oil with a splash of tamari… but why mess with such an easy-to-make Spanish tapa? Bring the skillet to the table so everyone has the fun of picking them up by the stem and devouring them in one bite.

Find these peppers in Asian markets almost year round or in farmers’ markets right now.

Don’t shy away just because I said “peppers.” Only about 1 in 25 will knock your socks off… which adds to the excitement of eating them! Roulette, anyone?