Brussels sprouts, thanksgiving, vegetables, vegetarian
In Food, Recipes on November 20, 2009 at 9:30 am
Okay, so apologies for the less-than-beguiling iPhone snap of last year’s Brussels sprouts (the photographer had perhaps been over-served in the Champagne dept). But trust me, they are just INCREDIBLE and will make a lover out of any Brussels sprouts skeptic. This recipe comes from my friend Carolynn, and we’ve served it for the past eight years at Thanksgiving dinner.
Brussels Sprouts With Fennel, Shallots and Walnuts
Serves 8
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups shallots, thinly sliced
2 small fennel bulbs, julienned
2 tablespoons sugar
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons walnut oil
2 tablespoons fennel greens, chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup walnut halves, toasted
Melt butter in large saute pan. Add onions, fennel and sugar and saute until golden. Add Brussels sprouts and chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until Brussels sprouts are tender, about 10 minutes (depending on size of sprouts). Add walnut oil and fennel greens. Simmer, uncovered, for 7-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, toss with walnuts.
national breast cancer awareness
In Fashion on November 19, 2009 at 10:59 pm
My friend Kathleen was so outraged by the new recommended guidelines for breast cancer screening for those under 50, that she did something about it. She says, “In response I did what any sane person would do, right? I created a nerdy t-shirt.” What’s awesome is that the shirts are selling like hotcakes, and have even gotten press in the LA Times. All proceeds from the t-shirts benefit the American Cancer Society. Kathleen, you ROCK.
gravy, Larchmont Larder, thanksgiving
In Food on November 18, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Is it really possible that Thanksgiving is a week away??? I recently posted about our menu lineup and OH MY GOD cannot wait to try the updated version of Russ Parson’s “Judy Bird” that ran in today’s LA Times. Today I also made the executive decision to put in my order for gravy at Larchmont Larder, which is featuring a fantastic Thanksgiving menu avail for online ordering and delivery. It seems like the gravy always stresses me out since it is the last thing to deal with when I’m trying to get everything on the table. And this year I thought, why make myself crazy?
It’s funny because I’ve had conversations with two friends today—two friends who are really good cooks—who are on the fence about going to the trouble of cooking the entire meal. In years past, I might have viewed this (as well as ordering gravy) as blasphemous. But this year, there just seems to be general chaos. Is it just me? So why not fill in with a few fanatastic sides from the Larder and support a local business? I love how great owner Katie Trevino is, and the food is just plain GOOD.
