A few weeks ago I posted a recipe for bacon and fig Brussels sprouts slaw. Shredding Brussels sprouts was revolutionary for me. Just a few weeks after having the Brussels and bacon slaw at my in-laws’ Thanksgiving feast, I had a similar dish but cold at one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants, Petit Oven. Raw Brussels sprouts spiked with lemon juice and kalamata olives. I knew I needed to replicate this dish.
Often times, after dining at a restaurant, I feel compelled to replicate a dish I couldn’t get enough of. Usually this ends up being a 12 hour braised cut of meat, with 15 components including a vegetable mousse, dehydrated vegetables and liquid nitrogen something. Perhaps that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you get my point. The dishes I fall in love with are often so complicated that once my wine buzz wears off, I realize how ludicrous my attempt would be. So I scrap it.
Well, the title says two, but really we probably could have fed 4-5 people with the amount of food I made. Did I mention I’m bad at cooking small quantities? The advantage, however, to cooking big is there’s always leftovers. Reducing the amount of nights I cook in a week and replacing that smelly deli sandwich with something actually edible.
My husband and I kept things quiet over New Years. Dinner on New Year’s Eve at Talde (don’t worry, you’ll hear ALL about that soon), then a nice dinner in on New Year’s Day. We got a rib roast as part of our quarter cow from Lewis Waite Farm. Normally, something to savor at a large dinner party, our roast was just shy of 3lbs, so better intended for a more intimate party. The roast has been sitting in our freezer for some time now. Partially because I’ve been to lazy to deal with it but also a bit intimidated to prepare my first roast. Yes, you heard right, I’m a roast virgin.
Honestly, if I went back in time and told my 10 year old self I loved Brussels Sprouts, she’d probably cry. No, I wasn’t really one to cry. Kicked or bitten would be more like it. Luckily she’s back there, and my present self is safe so I can go back to shoveling mounds of Brussels Sprouts into my mouth.
Brooklyn Locavore 