Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'

the first time i ever had arugula was about 4 years ago. i had it on a grilled panini with mozza, pesto aioli, grilled chicken breast, carmelized onions, and roasted red peppers. delicious.

lexophile at 9:26AM on 09/22/07

The first time I feel that I really had argula, truly tasted and appreciated its buttery pepperiness, was a year ago while studying abroad at Oxford University. I had it in a crusty whole grain baguette with fig jam and goat cheese from one of many of Oxford's sandwich shops. Simply amazing.

platecleaner at 10:14AM on 09/22/07

I have been eating arugula for so long that I can't remember the first time. It was probably back in my college days.

izzy's mama at 10:42AM on 09/22/07

I had never had arugula, and especially never expected it on pizza, of all things, until I moved in with a new roommate in Berlin who put together the "typical" Berlin pizza of thin crust, tomato sauce, mozzerellla, parmesan flakes, and arugula added after baking. It was delicious, but hard to eat! It all came off the top with my first bite.

philoserine at 10:57AM on 09/22/07

In a delicious salad, with pear slivers and toasted almonds.

Christina at 11:02AM on 09/22/07

In '89, when I was in college, my mom grew it (rocket lettuce) along with radicchio. She was psyched to be growing it, and I liked it right away.

kathy in oakland at 11:02AM on 09/22/07

At a chain restaurant (I know) in what was called a diva salad-arugula, cranberries, almonds, and orange slices, in a rather delicious fig-rosemary dressing.

michichan at 11:08AM on 09/22/07

I thought I had seen it all. Then arugula. How could I have missed this?

subeast at 11:11AM on 09/22/07

10ish years ago, in culinary school was my first taste of arugula, though I think my chef/instructor called it Rocket. In my garde manger class we had a salad greens, vinegar and oil tasting. My notes said something like, "Bitter, sharp, like burnt rubber. Yuck!" What can I say? I grew up eating boxed macaroni and cheese and hotdogs and my naive palate wasn't ready for arugula. These days I grow my own arugula and between me and the bugs, there can never be enough. I eat it in salads, sandwiches, and soups. I eat it in pasta with garlic, olive oil and a little good parmesan. I love the spunky little green.

That diva salad with the fig and rosemary dressing sounds delicious. I want!!!

nellopea at 11:33AM on 09/22/07

15 years ago when I first started in the restaurant business, I first sampled arugula, and didn't like it (though it was much better than an underripe persimmon). As the lowly dishwasher/prep cook, I was coerced into tasting all sorts of things, but now I can appreciate how much it broadened my palate and helped me to love all sorts of vegetables. These days I prefer arugula in a simple salad with a touch of sweetness to counteract the bitterness. And, as executive chef, I make my own cooks and dishwashers try everything.

noygb at 11:45AM on 09/22/07

The first time I had arugula was 8 years ago when I was 13. I had it as the base for an arugula and steak salad. I never knew greens could taste so good and it has since become one of my favorite foods ever. When I cook for myself, I almost always make some kind of arugula salad. In the past month since I have been working at my university's sustainable farm, I have been taking home bunches of arugula with me so I have had it pretty much every night and I don't think I will ever grow sick of it.

chasgoose at 12:05PM on 09/22/07

I first tried arugula about 8 years ago, I think my aunt served it in a salad. Now, I can't get enough of it. I recently made a great polenta recipe with arugula and parmesan cheese, delicious!

keli1203 at 12:06PM on 09/22/07

Wilted arugula as a side at an Italian restaurant whose name I can't remember on a trip to Houston with my dad 10 years ago. I thought it was spinach that tasted and looked really weird. The waiter told me it was arugula.

intheyearofthepig at 12:07PM on 09/22/07

About a dozen years ago I was ordering in lunch from a new takeout place, and I ordered an arugula and parmesian salad. I hadn't tasted arugula before, so it was the cheese that tempted me. Lo and behold- it became my new favorite salad green!

Mich23 at 12:12PM on 09/22/07

when i was visiting schools for college 5 years ago, some schools have platters of sandwiches. at one of those, i picked up a sandwich that had arugula on it, though i didn't know it. i was pleasantly surprised.

anado at 12:17PM on 09/22/07

It was bout a4 years ago with a group of college friends. I ordered a salad that contained arugula in addition to some sweet goodies and goat cheese - I found it to be a bit too bitter for my palate, but I slowly came around to it.

jpark107 at 1:08PM on 09/22/07

I don't have a specific instance to recall but I think it must have been six or seven years ago when my dad and I started going to the farmers' market together; he is an arugula fiend so I'm sure we would have gotten some for salads, whereas we couldn't/didn't at the regular grocery store.

harlem_panadera at 1:27PM on 09/22/07

If memory serves me right, I think the first time I had arugula was during a Sunday family dinner in the summer of my 10th year. My pop grilled some quails he shot himself, marinated in French herbs. Grilled some new red potatoes with olive oil and garlic, sprinkled with sea salt. And, we had a salad of summer greens, including arugula, with grapefruit segments, and an orange juice vinaigrette. It was tasty.

spanklin at 1:27PM on 09/22/07

I had just moved to California about four years ago and was exploring the Cook's Illustrated recipe database when I came across a salad of roasted pears, walnuts, shaved parmesan cheese and arugula. It mentioned that the taste of arugula was similar to watercress so I gave it a go and it has been one of my favorite salads ever since.

rudbeckia at 1:39PM on 09/22/07

ArguWHAT?

Up here in Nothern Minnesota, lettuce means Iceberg. Anything else is just a weed.

srhcb at 2:20PM on 09/22/07

We were in Italy about twenty years ago, vivsting family. Our hosts prepared a great picnic lunch which included a wonderful salad of arugula, parmesan and homed-cured olives, simply dressed with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a few drizzles of olive oil.

gregsmom at 2:22PM on 09/22/07

alas, i've never had arugula

hedgehog at 3:45PM on 09/22/07

I believe it was about 10 years ago at a local pizza place. They had an amazing grilled pizza that had Italian sausage and arugula on it.

Brandy at 4:30PM on 09/22/07

The first time was a few years ago, in a restaurant, in a mixed green salad. I didn't like it. It took me a couple of years to get used to its pungent pepperiness; but now I love it. I like it in a simple salad by itself, with a vinaigrette.

KatherineWilliamson at 4:37PM on 09/22/07

I have never eaten arugula!

andalucia at 5:03PM on 09/22/07

About 10 years ago when I moved to California, in a salad with walnuts, gorgonzola and pears. Still my favorite way to have arugula.

madball911 at 5:44PM on 09/22/07

Cruise ship over a decade ago on a salad I sure wish I could replicate myself!

bobcatsteph3 at 6:07PM on 09/22/07

I don't really remember the first time! My mom raised us on Italian bistro style fare, so we had a lot of "gourmet" stuff like arugula. The BEST arugula I have had was in Florence, as a bed for my Florentine steak.

chrisfurniss at 6:19PM on 09/22/07

I honestly don't know the first time I ate it, but I do know the first time I bought it for a recipe. A few months ago, a houseguest brought me a gift of squid. I found a recipe for grilled squid with arugula appetizers. It wasn't really worth all the work, but I did enjoy arugula in my salads for the next few days!

jcwest47 at 6:53PM on 09/22/07

I grew up in the SF Bay Area. I think I probably first had arugula before I had teeth. I don't remember it ever being a "new" food in the house. My brother and I called it "weed" lettuce. No appreciation for the culinary adventures our parents exposed us to growing up. Now I appreciate it, but then? We just wanted plain old take-out pizza, no arugula, goat cheese, prosciutto, figs, etc. on it.

earlgreyt at 8:38PM on 09/22/07

The first time I had arugula was on Martha's Vineyard while visiting my grandparents. We were at one of those typical yankee pick your poison: slab o' fish or slab o' meat linen tablecloth places and I, five at the time, asked my mom to share the arugula salad with me. It arrived looking dessicated and riddled with evidence that there were some really overstuffed bugs loafing somewhere picking arugula out of their mandibles. My mom took one look and turned up her nose saying "this is not arugula. When we get back to California I will show you real arugula." And she did.

tortor at 8:55PM on 09/22/07

i will never forget my first experience with arugula. Despite the fact that I love its unique peppery taste, it gave me very bad ulcer for 2 weeks! Totally wasted my vacation in Singapore, not able to enjoy the food there.

Mandy at 9:20PM on 09/22/07

I had to try arugula after hearing Steve Martin's character yearn for it in the 1990 film My Blue Heaven :-)

Vincent Antonelli: Arugula. I haven't had arugula in six weeks.
Supermarket Manager: What's that?
Vincent Antonelli: It's a ve-ge-ta-ble.

book_worm71 at 10:13PM on 09/22/07

The first time I had Arugula, I remember being surprised that "lettuce" could taste so great......this was MANY years ago and it now has some pretty serious competitors.

Bevo4 at 10:26PM on 09/22/07

I can't even remember the 1st time i had arugola. Growing up in Italy it was a normal salad, so i probably ate it when i started eating salad:)

jasonmolinari at 11:02PM on 09/22/07

I don't think I had arugula until I went to culinary school. At least not arugula that I remember. I can't imagine a time without it.

michellelikestoeat at 11:24PM on 09/22/07

The first time I ate arugula was when my roommate's close friend stayed with us and made dinner. She made a salad with arugula, prosciutto, and mozzarella with a balsamic viniagrette on the side.

PattyCho at 12:30AM on 09/23/07

I've been using arugula since 1988 when a good deal of people didn't know it existed. My first recipe consisted of on asian salad with avocado that I got from a cookboot called CHOPSTICK . Back then, grocery checkers didn't know what it was and often rang it up as either parsley or basil. It has become readily available in supermarkets but is much better if purchased fresh from a Iocal farmers market. It has become a staple in my kitchen. I use it in many different salads including a caesar salad, beet salad, pasta with herb and arugula and on bagels and toast with avocado. It's my favorite and there are endless possibilities!

Catharine56 at 1:04AM on 09/23/07

I've never eaten arugula... because we call it rocket in Australia. So if David Kamp's book were to be made popular down here it'd have to be renamed. Well, not have to... but it might be advantageous. Except that then the title wouldn't sound as fun. United States of Rocket? Doesn't really work does it. Maybe that's why it's so hard to find a copy of his fascinating-sounding book down here. I love rocket. Fantastic on pizza. Great in sandwiches with provolone and tomato. Alas, the very first experience was a poorly judged salad. Maybe it would have tasted better if the chef hadn't been thinking 'rocket' (fuel) when he was mixing the terrible vinaigrette...

duncan_syrupandtang at 2:33AM on 09/23/07

The first time I had arugula was the first time it became apparent that I was some sort of "foodie." I was on a summer vacation with my parents when I was ten, visiting a resort town in central Oregon. We had gone to dinner at the fancy hotel restaurant. Being the precocious little kid (and adventurous eater) I was, for my starter salad I requested Roquefort dressing on my mixed green salad, getting quite the eye-brow raise from my parents and the waiter. Even with my adult taste and vocabulary, I'd never had a salad with arugula before and I can still remember being surprised by the distinct peppery taste.

arttarte at 3:46AM on 09/23/07

It must have been 4 years ago. My husband and I were members of a farm coop that delivered weekly boxes of fruits and vegetables to our home. Some fresh arugula was in one of the boxes which excited my husband because he was a huge fan, but I had never tried it before. We usually made salads with spinach. I just remember how peppery it was compared to spinach.

ehirschklau at 5:53AM on 09/23/07

I've been eating arugula for longer than I can remember, but I DO remember the first time my husband (then boyfriend) ate it for the first time. I was making him dinner for the first time--penne amatriciana with an arugula salad. He stole a leaf, chewed on it for a while, and said, "What is that? It's awesome. It's so peppery." That's when I knew I'd marry him (kidding). But now we eat arugula salads as often as possible.

artichokeheart at 9:06AM on 09/23/07

I had it in a spinach and arugula pesto about 12 years ago. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

zang74 at 10:19AM on 09/23/07

I traveled to Italy as part of a school trip, naively believing that my Spanish language skills would help me read restaurant menus. I could figure out items like "penne" and "fruitti de mare," but green vegetables never accompanied my meal - and I'm that annoying girl who only picks at her main dish while happily devouring its parsley garnish. In desperation, I consulted a better-prepared classmate's guidebook, which discussed the "contorno," or the italian side dish.

At the next opportunity, I ordered "rucula," because I liked the translation given by the guide book: rocket salad. It lived up to its name - it blew my socks off! Tender, tangy young arugula leaves, complimented by shaved parmigiano-reggiano, dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I ate it with pizza in Pompei, eggplant in Rome, salmon in Florence.

Shortly after my return home, I made Easter dinner for my family. "Rocket salad" took its place alongside deviled eggs and ambrosia. Before, arugula tasted like Italy. But I've adopted it - now, it also tastes like home.

KarynMC at 3:38PM on 09/23/07

Wow, the first time I had arugula? Must've been at least ten years ago, when I was living in New Orleans, and occasionally the beneficiary of my parents' largesse. Back then (around 1995 or so), Emeril wasn't the big Food Network, Star Chef-with-his-own-knives-for-sale, Multi-City Corporate Big Deal he is now, and his flagship restaurant, Emeril's, was the go-to place for a decadent meal long before the tourists discovered it. Service was magnificent (hooray for Julio, Maurizio, and the rest of the original gang!) and Emeril was often in the house, and never failed to come to our table for a visit. ("Hi Doc," he'd say respectfully to my dad, a prominent local cardiologist. "What can I cook for you tonight?" He was always a low-key charmer, and I remember being surprised by his "BAM!" persona on TV.) Oh, how we loved our evenings at Emeril's, where we often had our tastebuds treated to lavish preparations...
But I digress... I believe it was at Emeril's where my young tastebuds were first introduced to arugula, now my hands-down favorite salad green. "If memory serves," it was an arugula salad with bosc pears, goat cheese cakes and creole tomatoes, and it knocked my socks off. I've always liked things spicy, and to find a salad green that was in itself spicy and peppery -- bliss!
I confess I still love Emeril, and I wish him well in all his endeavors! Though I prefer his more reserved, laid-back persona, I respect that he needs to make a living and his "BAM!" persona serves him well in that arena.

mamamonkey at 3:50PM on 09/23/07

The first time I had arugula was at Chez Panisse in Berkeley 10 or 12 years ago. I don't remember exactly what I ordered, but I do recall that I had to ask the server what "rocket" was. My job no longer takes me to the Bay Area, and I do miss eating at Chez Panisse.

mlamick at 5:41PM on 09/23/07

the first time I had a arugula...I think it was mixed in with some other salad greens and I was shocked at how peppery and spicy something in my salad was. Then I figured out it was the arugula. Now I have it all the time in salads -- the baby leaves being my favorite. Something I use it to make pesto also.

pezbabypez at 6:53PM on 09/23/07

I first had arugula at a table outside a restaurant in Trastevere (Rome), on a lazy, warm summer evening. The arugula leaves formed a bed for the incredibly tasty beef tagliata that formed the secondo of my dinner.

ngaloppo at 7:13PM on 09/23/07

The first time I had arugula was in The Year Of (Our?) Lord 1977. A funny man who was both a boatbuilder and an Italian Guy who liked to laugh a lot and drink a lot of wine and eat many good things took me to this truly fabulous farm market somewhere near Darien, Connecticut. He chose some arugula for salad.

I later married him. Arugula was the least of it, but in some ways the best of it.

Karen Resta at 7:31PM on 09/23/07

I was a novice cook, just one year out of college and, on a hunt for simple but tasty recipes, I stumbled across a recipe for farfalle with arugula pesto and cherry tomatoes. I was immediately taken with arugula's peppery, spicy flavor and haven't looked back since.

Holly at 8:07PM on 09/23/07

I can't remember the first time I had arugula, but it was probably about 10 (or more) years ago when I was living with my parents... my mom always served a mixed green salad, every night after dinner, without fail. At some point they must have gotten sick of the same nightly melange, and switched to arugula. They haven't gone back since. I eat arugula-- and baby or wild arugula, when I can afford it-- as often as possible.

purpleceline at 8:34PM on 09/23/07

The first time I had arugula was in Sydney, Australia in 1996 and it was called "rocket"!

chang at 8:40PM on 09/23/07

11 years ago, on a first date at an italian restaurant...the arugula was the only memorable part.

skim at 9:49PM on 09/23/07

What a great question - I won't forget the first time I had it either! It grew like a weed in my dad's garden that he put in when I was in early high school. I had it with heirloom tomatoes and basil (from the garden too) and aged balsamic. I don't think I realized at the time how lucky I was.

Littlebluesiren at 9:59PM on 09/23/07

About 20 years ago, when I ordered veal milanese at a nice italian restaurant on valetine's day.

linda at 11:32PM on 09/23/07

Although I probably had arugula years before this memory...but it was with pasta dish...fresh clams, arugula, tomatoes, and herbs...get during the summer

snugabugove at 11:45PM on 09/23/07

The first time I had arugula was on my first visit to London, England, where I was enchanted that it was called 'rocket'. It was in one of those great sandwiches you can get at Tesco or Pret a Manger or the like. Probably with a shrimp mayonaise, I don't remember.

lotuscat at 1:34AM on 09/24/07

Like all Italians, I have eaten arugula (and all types of bitter greens) all my life.

Don Luis at 6:51AM on 09/24/07

I was ten or so, and I ordered a pasta dish when I was out to dinner with my family in Boston. At the time I couldn't stand arugula, but now I love it - in pasta or anywhere else.

Madelaine at 10:51AM on 09/24/07

It was in a fancy sandwich at the Shangri-La Hotel in Manila. I was amazed at this strange, oddly garlicky, deliciously bitter, incredibly appetizing green stuff. I'm sure it also tasted 100000% better as we'd just finished our interview at the U.S. embassy in Manila, and my younger brother, sister and I were given our approval papers to come to the U.S. with my mom.

lorelei76 at 11:32AM on 09/24/07

Thanks to everyone for commenting, and congrats to our winners: linda,
Karen Resta, ngaloppo, artichokeheart, PattyCho, michellelikestoeat, Mandy, chrisfurniss, anado, intheyearofthepig.

Alaina Browne at 12:34PM on 09/24/07