The holidays have come and gone, as have the rich, stodgy foods of the season. When you’re surrounded by Christmas lights, decorations, and jolly music, all you crave are fatty meat stews, warming creamy soups, and decadent chocolate cakes. But now that the festivities are over, what are left are winter’s frigid temperatures, cold, clear skies, and biting winds. This is when I find myself craving foods that reflect the season: crisp, clear, and bitter. A taste for bitterness is the last acquired in the development of the human palate, as in nature, bitterness is usually associated with poisonous foods. Babies instinctively love anything sweet and fat, a way of stocking up essential calories to survive. As we grow up, we realize that not all bitter foods kill us. We find they can be interesting, palatable, and even exciting. So, we move from milk chocolate bars to an appreciation for …