Chayote Cutie

Chayote, the squash relative native to Latin America, is already cute as it is, with its little old man toothless wrinkle mouth, but add some googly eyes and you have an instant heart-breaker. I got these googly eyes (apparently the official product is called Wiggly Eyes, but "googly eyes" is clearly the superior term) from my friend David, who had leftovers from the Krampus New Year's greeting cards he sent out to commemorate the start of 2009. Who is (the) Krampus, you ask? Well you can read the Spiegel International version or check out info from a Walker Art Center exhibition on the Krampus, but here is David's explanation:

On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus is contractually bound to deliver gifts to children whose behavior has conformed to the moral code. Santa's half-brother Krampus knows no such obligation. He terrorizes those who have disobeyed, but he surpasses duty, wielding the cat o' nine tails wherever his whimsy carries him. This year, it carries him into the new year. May the coming months be blessed with googly-eyed glee!

I chopped up my little chayote [chah-yoh-tee/teh; rhymes with "coyote"], threw it in a stir-fry with some other diced vegetables, onion and garlic, and devoured it with Alpine European Krampusian glee. Chayotes are pale greeny-white on the inside and don't have a very strong taste, so I like to add some extra salty seasoning. I think I may enjoy how they look more than how they taste, similar to my feelings on spaghetti squash. More info and recipes here.