Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I feel like brussel sprouts get a really awful rap, but I adore them, and defend them to anyone who complains about them in front of me.

Anchovies! They're delicious when used right (especially in a good tapenade) but most people wince at the thought even though they've never tried them.

Offal in general has a bad rap in North America. People are amazed when I even say I really like tongue let alone having enjoyed some great beef lungs, tripe and other such organ meats. Use every part of the animal! Why throw it away when it can be tasty vittles!

I wish I could feed every farmer in the Chesapeake Bay watershed steamed crabs. The runoff of their fertilizer is one of the things killing the bay, the crabs, and the oysters. I understand where they're coming from, and that in central Pennsylvania it's just weird to think about the Bay, so I don 't want anyone to think I'm flaming them. But maybe if they knew how good the crabs are, they might be more willing to figure out ways to do better by the Bay. It'll eventually die almost completely, I'm afraid. (By the way, I learned that last year's harvest was significantly larger than the year before's, which encouraged me, until I found it was a small percentage of what it was in the 1970's, when concern for the harvest really became public.)

I think fish in general is misunderstood. I really wish consumers would think harder about the direct impact of their seafood choices on the sustainability of ocean fishing stocks and the environment (in the case of farmed salmon, especially). In particular, I wish New Englanders (and others) would please stop eating Atlantic cod and substitute pollock, hake, or Alaskan cod... And, really, the sardinistas are doing God's work - sardines rule!

I'd promote sardines by starting a sardine restaurant (they exist in Japan) because people don't know how to eat them right!!

Agreed on the sardines and oatmeal. I find a lot of people don't even realize that sardines and anchovies are not the same. And I love oatmeal...I'm eating oatmeal (with chili powder in it!) right now. But I've heard so many people say it's gross or bland or has a weird texture. I sometimes wonder if they've had anything besides the sweetened stuff in the little packets. Oh, and beets. A lot of people are weird about beets even though they haven't had them since they ate canned beets at like 5 years old.

I'd say broccoli. I know kids most especially don't like seeing it on the dining table. I'm not sure I would fight for it but I would definitely try to "coax" people into seeing the light and liking broccoli.

Frankfurters, wieners, hot dogs; whatever you want to call them are misunderstood. Many people use the tired old description of a hot dog as being made of lips, snouts, and asses. For the most part this is an old wives tale. Years ago there was some truth to it. Today ingredients have to be listed on a package. Most compamies use muscle meat. If you happen to see the term "variety meats", then you might be eating some of the undesirable parts of the pig or cow. But this is rare.

There are many regional brands of hot dogs that are made from good meat. Instead of cheap trimmings, these companies use quality cuts of beef and pork. Where I live in the Northeast (N.J.) we have access to many well made hot dogs. Best Provisions, Thumann's, Sabrett, Hummels, Grote & Weigel, Mucke's, Hartmann's, Hofmann's, Zweigel's, Kayen, Pearl, Dietz & Watson are just a few examples of franks that are made with good meat, smoked in a smokehouse, and contain no fillers. There are also many smaller butcher shops that make good dogs.

Hebrew National and Boars Head are examples of brands that have close to national distribution that are top notch and do not fit the stereotype of cheap hot dogs made with mystery meat.

Tofu - I usually include it in ane dish when I have a dinner party, and tell my guests about it after they have raved. I'm converting them one at a time!

I second the anchovies...sneak them in as much as I can. Can't beat that unami factor.

i agree with annabanana's comment about the lowly brussels sprout. i'm so sick of people claiming sprouts make them ill - if they'd just TRY to make them properly, without overcooking, maybe they'd change their minds?

I feel like I fight fairly often for sushi. Seems odd considering how mainstream it is. But in my family and among many of my friends, they are completely skeeved by sushi. "Ugh, how can you eat that? It's raw..."

Yes, it's raw and it's delicious. I try to ween some people into trying cooked sushi, i.e. California Roll, Tempura Rolls. But yet, they still cannot get over me eating raw fish. I would eat it every day if it wasn't so expensive!

I would say root vegetables in general. Turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips all make great substitutes for potatoes, and make wonderful soups.

I would put up my dukes to defend cilantro.

The one herb I need someone to convince me on, is mint. I can only really tolerate it in gum, or a mojito.