In article <feW0j.1703$281.1489@trndny06>, "James Silverton" <not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not> wrote:
> ant wrote on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 23:04:53 +1100:
> a> Phred wrote:
> ??>> In article >, "ant"
> ??>>> than Chokos. I saw some chokos for sale recently for a
> ??>>> dollar each. Chokos are for throwing at cats. why on
> ??>>> earth would you pay a dollar for one?
> ??>>
> ??>> You have a lot of stray cat problems and no ammo, perhaps?
> ??>> ;-)
>
> a> They flog them in Yankland, too. Chokos, not cats. They call
> a> they Chayotes there. I never saw anyone buying them.
>
>I guess it might a little while for Oz to catch up but people
>certainly buy them here. Come to think of it, even if you don't
>like them, the fact that they've got a familiar name might
>indicate that a lot of Ozzies disagree with you! They are one
>of the easiest vegetables to prepare since they aren't bad raw
>or steamed as salad ingredients and are great roasted, can be a
>component of gazpacho and are suitable for sauces from very
>simple like just butter or more strongly flavored white sauces.
>Incidentally, they call them mirlitons in Louisiana.

I have to agree they're not too bad if picked very young and just
lightly steamed. And, as you imply, they are so neutral in flavour
they can be used in or as almost anything -- legend has it here that
most canned pears are actually chokos in pear juice. (And it
certainly can't be denied that they are nicely weighted and the
*perfect* shape for fitting in the hand to chuck at stray cats! :-)

Cheers, Phred.

--
LID