Out From Under

I hate feeling like I’ve been living under a rock, yet, for some reason, the feeling remains a recurring one for me!

The latest embarassment involves zucchini cake.

I happened to hear reporter Anne Leclair mention zucchini cake to someone. When I asked whether I’d heard properly, she was quite surprised to discover that not only had I never tasted zucchini cake, I’d never heard of zucchini cake!

She then began threatening to bring some of the cake into work for me to try. As kind and generous as that gesture would be, I suggested she avoid bringing the cake in, otherwise, I would be forced to, as politely as possible, decline a taste.

The capable mother of three zanily rambunctious children, she switched seamlessly into parenting mode and declared, scoldingly, that I would try it “like a big boy”.

Rats. Who doesn't want to be a big boy?

I admit, when I first tried carrot cake, the thought of a vegetable somehow concealing itself in my dessert wasn’t terribly appealing. I really like carrot cake. Whenever zucchini’s made an appearance on my plate, it hasn’t been my choice and, let’s face it, stir-fried zucchini isn’t the most appetizing of vegetables upon which to gaze. I do eat it.

Since my conversation with Anne, I’ve been inquiring about zucchini cake. Pretty much everyone I ask, raves about it! They love the taste and claim it’s among their very favorite desserts! If that’s true, why has no one talked about it? Why has it never been brought to my attention? Why have I not encountered a zucchini cake recipe in some magazine or on some television talk show? Where has zucchini cake been hiding and, more importantly, why has it been hiding?

Anne insists she’s going to bring in a slice.

She’s kind to offer. It’s just that now, I arrive at work every day in a cold sweat, scanning my desktop with weighty apprehension, for fear a foreign slice will be glaring up at me.

Half of me is curious enough to sample this zucchini cake just beyond my rock and half of me is reluctant enough to want to crawl back under.