Choking on Artichokes

A good day at work sometimes signifies a bad night, and this past week was no exception. I went to the grocery store after a sub-par trip to the gym, and picked out some squash to make spaghetti squash, which is the latest craze in club 91, bigger than the quinoa craze sweeping the nation. I also got some artichokes for old times sake, mainly because they were on sale! Artichokes were one of my favorite vegetables while growing up, I only recently found out how pricey they are.

Unfortunately, I was once again was disappointed in Shaw's employees for their lack of knowledge of rare foods, as I was looking to make homemade seaweed salad. I was pointed to the asian supermarket a block away to find some wet seaweed, but only managed to find pre-packaged frozen seaweed salad. When I got back I lounged about for a bit until that week's soux-chef, Ashley got home and showered.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, this is a butternut squash, not spaghetti squash

I halved the squash and put it in the microwave for ten minutes, and boiled some water for the artichokes. Unfortunately I realized that I bought butternut squash when I realized that the squash wouldn't shred like spaghetti squash is supposed to. Fortunately,a cooked butternut squash was still usable, and with some extra cooking in boiled water could be made into mashed up squash. The artichokes were a bit undercooked, and mine was teetering on the edge of ripeness. 

Overall, I was very underwhelmed and disappointed in myself in the dinner, and I felt bad for starving Ashley after one of her big runs for the week. But it was fun to introduce her to artichokes, one of my favorite meals to eat as a kid. To make up for a lackluster dinner, she will be joining another dinner in the near future!