Green Eggs And Ham Are Clouded In Savory Mystery

"Green Eggs and Ham," a picture book by Theodor Geisel (better known by his nom de plume Dr. Seuss), was first published in 1960 but has remained in print ever since as a testimony to its enduring status as a children's classic. The moral of the tale (since children's stories always like to sneak one of these into the silliness, like chopped-up veggies hidden in a hamburger) is that you should keep an open mind and not dismiss something out of hand until you've actually tried it. This is a lesson that could actually apply to all manner of life experiences in addition to trying new foods.

One thing we've never been able to figure out, though, is just what makes the eggs and ham in the book look so green since Sam I Am never does disclose his recipe. Are they green because he, too, has snuck in some healthy vegetables? Or are they, perhaps, green as an indicator that one or both food items have gone bad? As the unnamed narrator doesn't start writhing in agony shortly after taking his first bite, we doubt that this was the case. If the book's true intent was to serve as a warning against eating spoiled food, it would hardly have ended on such a positive note: "I do so like green eggs and ham! Thank you! Thank you, Sam I Am." Either way, without a specific recipe, restaurants can act like real-life Sam I Ams (Sams We Are?), offering different takes on the dish.

Some cooks with a whimsical bent may recreate green eggs and ham with food coloring, but others prefer to put a more nutritious spin on the dish. IHOP opted for the latter approach when it featured green eggs and ham on a 2012 Dr. Seuss-themed menu coinciding with the release of "The Lorax." Its take on the dish featured scrambled eggs made with creamed spinach. Subway, too, used spinach to dye the yolks in its green eggs and ham sandwich.

Several other eateries have also featured a spin on this Seussian dish, with Chicago's Peach & Green adding spinach, kale, and sliced avocado, while LA's Mar'sel opted for avocados and salsa verde-spiked hollandaise. Boston's Saus re-imagined the dish as a hash with Brussels sprouts and parsley and even gave Sam-I-Am a nod by dishing up this creation in a box (The hash was strictly BYO fox, though.)

None of these restaurants seem to have colored the ham, although, in the Seuss book, it's clearly quite green. We're actually not sure how best to do this without food coloring. Perhaps a crust of green herbs or else a chimichurri topping might work? It's an interesting challenge for any home cook if you care to take it on. Not only would green ham make a great entree for Dr. Seuss' birthday (March 2), but it could pull double duty two weeks later for St, Patrick's Day, as well.