Food of the (geek) gods

Here's a pop quiz: Do you know what this is?


No? How about a wider angle:



Still not sure? Here's the full picture:



This, my friends, is what the Brits call "Romanesque" or "Romaness," which is also referred to as "Romanesco Broccoli." It's not a created hybrid of anything, as it's apparently been around since at least the 16th century. It's a pretty stunning examply of fractals in nature. It's described as tasting "like cauliflower, without the aftertaste." I've only had a tiny taste of it, raw, but it was rather tasty. We're having some, steamed, with dinner tonight. If ever a food was made for geeks, this is it. If you have any mathematicians in your family, serve this at Thanksgiving and get a whole new level of dinner-table conversation!