Spinach and you

[Cloud]

do you like it? were you forced to eat it as a child and hate it? how do you cook it?

As a kid, spinach was either well stewed, and served with vinegar and onion and egg to sprinkle on it (which I like); or creamed (which I loathe!). I've never heard or seen of the vinegar presentation elsewhere--I wonder if it was a generational thing or what.

Many more options these days for this wonder food. I don't like it raw at all, but I do like it sauteed with garlic. yum. it's good as a base for eggs like that.

I've always questioned the recommendation to fill your sink with water to clean fresh spinach. My sink is never clean enough for that. But I can use a big bowl.

[monster]

When Hebe (our first baby) first started on solid food, we added spinach to almost everything, trying to get that veggie vibe going.... Great, except she soon refused to eat anything without spinach added.

Yes, I like spinach. Needs to be young, fresh and not overcooked. Raw is fine too. I did not like it as a child, but it was rarely on the menu, so that was OK.

[Clodfobble]

I went to a private school for Kinder through 2nd grade that served it at least once a week, plain and stewed to death. This being a private school, they could and did make every child take at least 2 bites of every food served, including the spinach. There was one kid named Tom who absolutely loved it for some reason, so after we all took our 2 bites, we were allowed to give the rest to him. Never was a big fan of it raw, either. I prefer other greens.

[glatt]

I'll eat it raw in a salad, but won't eat it cooked unless it's well hidden. I've hated it ever since I was forced to eat it as kid.

[Undertoad]

I had spinach in many forms as a kid, and I like it OK as an adult.

The main complaint I have with it is the stemmy part. If I buy it raw, I'll go to the trouble of removing more stem area than usual. I also have this complaint with romaine.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

The main complaint I have with it is the stemmy part. If I buy it raw, I'll go to the trouble of removing more stem area than usual. I also have this complaint with romaine.

I see Toad's point here; the stems sometimes go bitter in older spinach.

I am not sure it is generational. Mom about always got us fresh spinach or frozen, and it was simply steamed, as spinach doesn't need but a minute or so of cooking -- if you want the spinach to be hot. Served always with butter, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Essential, that vinegar, though the butter sure helped with feeding the kids.

I was one of those oddball kids that liked canned spinach, for different reasons than I liked fresh. Sure, it tasted pretty olive drab, but it was a pretty good olive drab, particularly with butter, salt and pepper. Seeing a pattern?

Haven't eaten canned spinach in over thirty-five years. Not particularly planning to go buy any.

As an adult, I mainly consume it in salad, and quite like creamed spinach that actually tastes like something -- preferably of its cheese topping, spinach, and the creamish stuff.

And of course, the Joe's Special: spinach, onions, ground beef scrambled in profusion with eggs, and abundant black pepper but just a dash of salt.

[zippyt]

I Luvs me some spinich , unless its cooked to DEATH !!
Raw is best , But cooked with garlic and butter rules as well .
I was a weird kid , i liked Most all veggies , cept brussle sprouts

[Cloud]

ha! such a range of preferences

[smoothmoniker]

I wilt it and then blend it with olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, and asiago into a pretty good pesto to go over noodles.

[skysidhe]

In the raw. It should be against the law to cook the stuff and a crime to feed it cooked to kids.

[Cloud]

ugh. it's terrible raw. like eating leaves.

oh, wait . . .

[limey]

We like spinach in this house - there're some great ideas here fore serving it. I'd never heard of the vinegar thing but we'll give it a go!

[casimendocina]

I didn't like it as a kid. Now I do. I like to add it to butter chicken which I usually make with tofu. I cheat a bit though as I use the stuff that comes frozen in blocks so you just stir it in and wait til it's heated through.

[glatt]

My mom had this spinach pie she would make when I was a kid. You take a pre-made crust, pour a bag of frozen brussel sprouts into it, and then heat up a box of frozen spinach, mix it with a couple of eggs, and dump that over the brussel sprouts. Bake. There were probably a couple other ingredients in there too, but that's all I could recognize as a kid being forced to eat it.

I not only had to try it, I was forced to clean my plate, under threat of and actual corporal punishment. So spinach, and especial brussel sprouts, are not my favorite.

[footfootfoot]

Has the statute of limitations run out for you to sue your parents?