It’s Ann here today. Andy is in OurLittleCorner fretting about kibble.
Who would think that cilantro growing in a garden could help you discover a crime? Those of you who have watched and loved The Lincoln Lawyer (on Netflix) undoubtedly know the answer to that question. Yes, there’s a unique twist to the cilantro planting. And if you hate cilantro, like many do, you’ll be able to relate. And if you hate cilantro, it’s probably not because you’re a fussy foodie. It’s probably because you have the OR6A2 gene in your DNA. And that makes cilantro taste like soap to you.
Perhaps Micky Haller (played by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), the hot defense attorney who is “The Lincoln Lawyer” had that gene? Well, that’s yours to find out, if you haven’t watched this great series yet. I’m not going to be a spoiler for the ending to Season 2.
Even if you didn’t get the OR6A2 gene (and I certainly did not; I put cilantro in everything), you might have another gene affecting your embrace of certain plants and food. That’s TAS2R38. The 25% of us who have certain variants on that gene make us”super-tasters,” the term scientists use to describe those who are especially aware of “PTC-like”chemicals found in food, and, as a result, tend not to eat those foods. And that can be unfortunate, since lots of these foods are very good for you (it’s the Brassica family, which includes cabbage, kale, broccoli, and cauliflower).
According to a study published in ScienceDirect.com, “It has been shown that PROP tasters are more sensitive to the bitterness of Brassica vegetables, as well as to other bitter-tasting food, such as dark chocolate and beverages, as well as grapefruit juice and coffee…” (and fyi – PROP is the genetically inherited trait which defines the ability to taste the bitter compound – 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP). Apparently, a distaste for arugula (which is in the Brassica family) is also a part of this sensitivity gene (I love arugula too, so I must not have the PROP trait either).
While most explanations for these genetic traits leave me yawning and confused, CNN posted an article which is written in layman’s (laywoman’s?) language and helps explain this all for us social science and English majors.
Clearly, a reasonable recipe for this blog would avoid cilantro and anything brassica-related, so that even “super-tasters” could enjoy it. But since the conclusion of Season 2 of The Lincoln Lawyer has a some evil written into it, I thought I’d be a little perverse and give you a recipe with BOTH cilantro and a brassica. Check out your DNA before you fix it!
top of a fried egg –
or on roasted potatoes – or drizzled over salmon – or on grilled steak or….)
Kale and Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce
- 1 c packed kale (stems removed)
- 1 c packed cilantro
- 1/2 c olive oil
- 1/4 c water
- 3-4 T fresh lime juice, to taste
- 1/4 c unsalted cashews – either raw or roasted works (or substitute sunflower seeds or almonds)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp Diamond kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Blend all the sauce ingredients together in a small blender or food processor until mostly smooth. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerated, the sauce should keep 4-5 days, but it might lose a little of its nice bright green color.