Twenty years ago, when I first returned to my native California from New York City, I tapped out a letter to the Food editor ...

More from News A triangle pointing right which indicates this type of media ... most nutritious in our lettuce family. Low in calories — high in vitamins A and K! Endive is a bitter cousin ...

Escarole and frisée are members of the endive family, a type of chicory that’s bold, bitter, and worth getting to know.

Apart from traditional lettuces, such as 'Cos', 'Iceberg' and 'Butterhead', there are many others to try, including loose-leaf types and oak leaf lettuce, radicchio, rocket and endive.