Rachel rocks the crosnes

I had dinner with some former colleagues at Lucques last night. I love this restaurant, but have had some near-misses there recently - the service can be reeeeeeeally slow, and the food can occasionally be a bit, er, spartan. But last night was great. I had the stuffed saddle of rabbit with farro, mustard greens, and alex's crosnes. What are crosnes, you ask. Look right. That's what they look like.

FIVE FACTS ABOUT CROSNES
1. They are a member of the mint family, but its the root bit that you eat.
2. They are named after a town in France where they once were v popular.
3. They are also called Chinese or Japanese artichokes and grow wild in those countries.
4. They can be baked, boiled, roasted or fried. The French saute them in butter. But they saute everything in butter so this fact isnt that interesting.
5. Afficionados say the California crosnes taste better than the French because they are grown in soil here and in sand in France.
6. They make you gassy.
7. I made #6 up.

We also had a very nice Pinot Noir, the rare kind of Pinot that makes you want to have more and more and more until you think the rabbit is talking back to you. Sadly, I had one glass.

Starspot: Little Miss Sunshine and what looked like her family sat next to us. She was cute, except she was carrying that damn stuffed monkey that she said is going to be her date to the Oscars. I cant shake the feeling that she's going to end up on the Drew Barrymore rather than the Kirsten Dunst end of the crazy kid actor spectrum.

IN MEMORY
My Great Uncle Dave died today after a good life well-lived. He was my Grandma Angie's brother and they were like 2 peas in a pod. He was a farmer and looked like something out of central casting - "bring me a classic looking Italian farmer!" He was amazingly good natured, sweet, and generous except when it came to one thing: Norwegians. He's the only person I've ever met to be racist about Scandinavians. I remember visiting him on Saturdays at the St Paul Farmer's Market - once I brought my friend Liz who he thought was the cutest thing ever and hugged her a little too energetically. We had a pretty good laugh over that one, but not sure Liz did! I will miss him. He was a ray of sunshine.