Sausage

Sausage is a food preservation technique, because sausages are cured, dried or smoked, which extends the shelf-life of the meat.

I like bratwurst, bockwurst, British bangers, and Irish bangers. Bratwurst and bockwurst are German sausages."Brat" means "finely chopped meat," and "wurst" means "sausage." Bockwurst were invented in 1889 by a restaurant owner and are very popular. "Bock" means "buck" in German, but the sausage aren't made from venison. Instead, they are often eaten with bock beer (but not by me).

British sausage are called "bangers," because during World War II they used to contain so much water that they exploded when you cooked them. They don't, anymore. Bangers are part of the famous dish, "Bangers and Mash," which means sausage and mashed potatoes. This is one of my favorite dinners.

You can buy these sausages in the grocery store, usually pre-cooked, but they're not cheap (About $1.50 per sausage, or $6.00 for a pack of four). My mom found Irish bangers at Trader Joe's for St. Patrick's Day. They cost about $5.00 for six sausages, but they weren't pre-cooked. (She says to put them in a pan with a bit of water. Cover. Let cook for about 15 minutes. Remove the cover, then cook, occasionally turning them over, until brown on the outside.)

Regardless of the sausage, I like to eat them with ketchup. Other people may prefer them with brown sauce (a.k.a. steak sauce) or English mustard.

Baked Potatoes

Baked potatoes are a good side dish. They're tasty and filling. I like to put chives and sour cream on my baked potatoes.

Potatoes originally came from the Americas. Like tomatoes, potatoes are related to deadly nightshade, but don't let that stop you from eating them. They are low in fat, and have lots of potassium, vitamin C, and some folate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato#Nutrition).

You can bake them in an oven or on the grill, or you can microwave them. Microwaving is faster, about six to eight minutes, but they're not as nice as baked in the oven or on the grill. My favorite is grilled baked potatoes. Clean the potatoes, poke a few holes through the skin, wrap in aluminum foil, and grill until a knife inserts easily into the middle of the potatoes.

For more information, you can go to the Idaho Potato Commission's website. They even have a kids' page!

Artichokes

Technically a flower, artichokes are served as vegetables. They are related to thistles.

I like to eat artichokes steamed. I take the petals and dip them in mayonnaise, but some people use lemon butter.

Artichokes are good for dieters, because they are low in fat and high in fiber. That is, until you dip them in butter or mayonnaise. They are also high in antioxidants.

Preapring artichokes is easier than you think. Cut the stem close to the top. Cut about 1/4 inch off the top of the artichoke. Using kitchen scissors, trim the spiky part of the leaves. Then place in a steamer for about 45 minutes, or until a sharp knife easily pierces the bottom.

To eat an artichoke, you take off the petals, dip them in your dip, then bite the fleshy bottom bit and scrape with your teeth. The closer to the heart you get, the more flesh on the petals. Don't eat the choke! That's the hairy bit in the middle. Use a fork or spoon to scrape it out, then eat the yummy heart.

Besides being a eaten as a vegetable, artichokes can be used in tea, liquor, and medicinal purposes.

The California Artichoke Advisory Board has a Kids Corner with a crossword puzzle.