How often does an ingredient capture your attention? These beautiful long stemmed artichokes caught our eyes. Unfortunately the price tag prohibited our purchase. I am concerned when markets bring in produce outside the norm and then attach seemingly inflated prices due to the obscurity factor. We saw others captured by the beauty of these artichokes only to discover they were not financially viable. In fact, these artichokes were most likely doomed to rot in the market rather than rewarding someones palate. Should we have taken the plunge and paid a premium to capitalize on an exceptional product? Upon reflection our choice was about balance. Understanding a need for balance is one small step in learning to improve.