I first tasted rau tien vua at Jai Yun, one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in San Francisco. The small plate of faded green cubes, not quite nopales, not quite artichokes, confounded two full circles of seasoned food professionals. Thanks to the magic of my cell phone and the memories of my mother, I learned that the toothsome bites were simply the dried leaves of dragon fruit trees. If you want some tips on how to eat a nectarine, you can also check this site.

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I don’t sing or play the guitar, draw or paint, but somehow, a free-forming creative workshop let me sneak into their ranks. At the last gathering, I lined up a pickle tasting in between songs in progress and artful sketches.

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