I have an obsession. I love buying cookbooks. And not just the easy-to-make weeknight recipe books but super hard and complicated cookbooks produced by amazing chefs that have some of the best restaurants in the nation (some of them ~ the world). When I buy these cookbooks I read through them with post-it notes flagging countless recipes I want to cook. But I rarely cook them. I’m not even a very good cook. I also have run out of space for them on my bookshelf. So before the cookbooks take over my house I think I should use them… cook with them.
So here’s my project: to cook every recipe in my fancy-smancy cookbooks. And to document them here, as I hope my blog obsession will force me to actually cook these recipes so that I can blog about them.
December 29, 2010
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Conquering my fear of the brussel sprout
I dislike brussel sprouts. I also dislike people that dislike food without even trying them. I’ve never eaten brussel sprouts. I am a hypocrite. So I figured if anyone could help me get over my fear of the dreaded brussel sprout, it was David Chang and his Brussel Sprout with Bacon recipe.
For starters, remove and discard loose outer leaves from 1 lb of brussel sprouts and cut the sprouts in half.
Fry up 1/4 lb of chopped, smoky bacon in a skillet over medium heat.
Cook the sprouts in a skillet over the stove until they begin to sizzle. Then put the skillet in the oven to roast until the sprouts are deeply browned (approximately 8 minutes).
Pull the pan from the oven when the sprouts are bright green. And use oven mitts! This may seem obvious to you, but there are the idiots out there like myself who will forget and will totally burn their hand. OWWWWW!!!!
Over heat, stir in 2 T of butter, the bacon, salt, and pepper to the sprouts.
And you know what? It was one of the tastiest vegetables I’ve ever eaten. Go figure.
