We’re all getting a little loopy from our weather-related confinement as the cold winter marches on. I’m still out with the dog, regardless of the temperature, and my mind keeps pondering the unknowables as the dog tries desperately to find a patch of grass. Here’s one of the unknowables I speak of: Who decided to sell only broccoli crowns in the supermarkets and why?

I’m one of those oddballs who prefer the stems. They’re crunchy and sweet. The crowns feel like a hairbrush in my mouth.