The simple pleasures of grownup taste buds: Linguine with Brussels Sprouts, Feta and Bacon

Quickly browned, then braised with onions and garlic, Brussels sprouts are tossed with feta, bacon and sage and served over pasta. Recipe below.

AT MY OFFICE, THE CREATIVE DEPARTMENT recently did a workshop on presentation skills. Each of us had five minutes to speak on the topic of “What I have learned.” One colleague spoke enthusiastically (to be fair, that’s her default mode of speaking) on learning to love Brussels sprouts. Continue reading “The simple pleasures of grownup taste buds: Linguine with Brussels Sprouts, Feta and Bacon” →

Making the most of too much: Braised Chicken Thighs with Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes

Oven-braised Chicken Thighs with Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes is a hearty, one-pan meal—perfect for a winter night. Dried minced orange peel adds a bright citrusy note. Recipe below.

I recently remembered a children’s book that was already ancient when I was a child. The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss, was first published in 1938. It tells the story of a boy who removes his hat as the king passes (as the law says he should), but a new one magically appears in its place. This happens again and again, until the boy is eventually threatened with death if he fails to bare his head.

What got me thinking of young Cubbins’s troubles was a giant bag of Brussels sprouts in our fridge. We try very hard not to waste food, especially fresh produce. But it seemed the more sprouts we took from the bag for various meals, the more there were. To their credit, while they didn’t seem to be diminishing in quantity, they also weren’t going bad. That’s a great thing about most winter vegetables. They reliably last when you need them most. Continue reading “Making the most of too much: Braised Chicken Thighs with Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes” →

What’s not to like? Mustard-Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Brussels sprouts are sautéed with garlic, then tossed with walnuts, bacon and a mustard-maple glaze and topped with Pecorino Romano. Recipe below.

To all of you who think you hate Brussels sprouts, you’re wrong. Well, most of you are anyway. And more than ever, chefs these days are out to prove it. In fact, Brussels sprouts have starred as delicious small plates in two recent meals we’ve had.

Quick cooking is part of what makes them so good. Pan frying until they’re just caramelized or even deep frying, instead of boiling them into the mushy, sulfur-smelling mess you learned to hate. So is pairing them with ingredients that make the most of Brussels sprouts’ pleasantly bitter natural flavor. Continue reading “What’s not to like? Mustard-Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon” →

Winter’s seasonal pleasures: Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Golden Raisins and Linguine

Many flavors come together to create a complex, satisfying and surprisingly mild seasonal pasta dish. Recipe below.

Brussels sprouts get a totally undeserved bad rap. I think much of it comes from our national suspicion of vegetables in general. And much of that stems from bad or at least unimaginative cooking. Too many cooks treat vegetables as an afterthought, something to be boiled beyond mushy and then seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Of course many of us learn to fear vegetables from our parents. They hated them as kids and expect us to hate them too. So we do.

Whatever the reason for this collective aversion, hiding vegetables has become an industry all its own. Campbell’s V8 Juice first turned them into juice, so you could drink them. Now they’ve launched V8 Fusion, which hides vegetables in clear fruit juices.

Jessica Seinfeld wrote an entire cookbook, Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food, based on the premise of sneaking vegetables and other good things into kids’ meals. Continue reading “Winter’s seasonal pleasures: Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Golden Raisins and Linguine” →