Ever since spinach [0] became Public Enemy No. 1, I feel kind of like Popeye [1]: I want as much spinach as I can get.

Something about the public health crisis [2] and subsequent FDA warning [3], has made me crave those leafy, dangerous greens even though they may harbor a particularly virulent strain of E. coli [3].

Maybe its because it's just so bizarre that we've gone from hearing about spinach as a superfood loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, to a food that might kill me. Maybe because spinach has disappeared overnight.

After all, the recall has made it virtually impossible to find a bag of spinach anywhere in the country. Spinach -- once the wonder-food for healthy eaters everywhere -- is now contraband [4].

Because I'm immature, spinach suddenly got a lot more interesting.

Don't get me wrong. When I first heard about the outbreak, I dutifully tossed out the bag of spinach, as directed by the FDA [4]. When I met up with some friends for dinner on Friday night, I opted for the soup, rather than the salad. (So did everyone else at the restaurant, from what I could see.)

But during lunch at an Indian restaurant yesterday, when I saw a dish of the emerald-colored palak paneer [5], I happily dug into it, thinking, "Popeye would be so proud." (Okay, okay, so I know that cooking kills E. coli)

And I'm not the only one flirting with danger. Some friends -- also very immature -- broke out a bag at a party, and dared everyone in the room to take a bite. I resisted the urge to nibble on a potentially tainted leaf, despite knowing that I'd have better odds of winning the lottery than getting sick.

But I'm pretty sure that Popeye would never think twice.