Alternately known as sunchokes, these vegetables look nothing
like the artichokes we're used to; they are actually tubers,
which puts them in the same family as potatoes. They have double
the fiber of spuds, though, and a whopping 400 times more
thiamine (vitamin B1), which is important for muscle function,
the functioning of the central nervous system, the metabolism of
carbohydrates, and digestion. (These numbers and other
nutritional information come from the USDA's National
Agricultural Library.) Also, The American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition reported last year that eating foods high in thiamine
can help decrease the occurrence of PMS. You can cook Jerusalem
artichokes the same way you'd make potatoes: roasted, sautéed,
baked or boiled. Tricia Williams, a nutritionist with
certificates in holistic nutrition and food therapy, and founder
of the food and nutritional counseling service Food Matters NYC,
roasts them at 400 degrees with safflower oil and thyme, and
eats them as a side dish. Or try dipping th