He later expanded it and included it in his book of the same title.

That essay changed my epicurial life. In it, he describes how he systematically conquered his personal food aversions by repeatedly sampling the foods he didn’t like until his mind decided that they were edible. Since reading this, I have broadly expanded my own eating enjoyment by learning how to like all sorts of things I once could not stomache. My wife and several of my relatives have all tried this with similar happy results.

Imagine: I once could not make myself eat sour cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, yoghurt or raw fish. Now I am only hung up on one (cottage cheese), I truly enjoy two of them (sour cream and cream cheese), and I have developed an insatiable appetite for raw tuna in all its forms.

I must quibble a bit (feeling like a cranky schoolmarm), but I understood that it is composed of about a dozen vegetable and herbal components, including the strange-tasting-with-wine artichoke. I think there is a component in the artichoke that is antisocial with the tannins and other flavors of wine. And, as an experiment this evening, I am preparing a solo dinner of three steamed artichokes, some butter, some vinaigrette, some bread and a Cynar & soda with lemon, just to see how (if?) the Cynar complements the Mother Ship. If it’s a train wreck, I’ll warn you off of it.

Cheers!