For a week or so in mid-February, it seemed like spring was arriving early.  With thoughts of spring, my foodie mind turned to rhubarb, that rosy, so seasonal vegetable.  I started thinking rhubarb and strawberry pie, rhubarb crisp, rhubarb ginger sauce, rhubarb coulis:  but hold on a minute!  I remembered an exchange student I once hosted from Japan, and how we both struggled to understand what rhubarb was.  My explanation and her Japanese to English dictionary were no help at all.  That got me thinking:  is rhubarb one of those really old-fashioned foods that are slowly going away?  Do only grandmas and people like me, who grew up amidst lavish growths of big (but poisonous!) green leaves and cheery, extremely sour-tasting stalks, seek out fresh rhubarb each spring?  Does anyone care about rhubarb and its teasingly tasty additions to both sweet and savory baked goods and dishes like a pork roast?  Is rhubarb going the way of the humble parsnip?  And, if you're a rhubarb afficionado, how do you like to enjoy it?  By the way, rhubarb usually makes its appearance in our stores sometime in March, and no, spring isn't arriving early, but we can still hope!