Adventures In Food and Wine

Join me in my kitchen while I embark on a journey of cooking and enjoying food and wine.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

ARF Tuesdays #2-Brussels Sprouts!

When I was growing up, both my parents did the cooking until I was 13 and my Mom had a debilitating stroke, then my Dad took over. Now my Dad was a great cook. Grew up on a farm and actually did some farming before becoming a factory worker. I would have to say that I learned most about cooking from him. However, neither him or my mother were adventurous when it came to cooking. I never tasted many wonderful foods until I became an adult and began to develop my own interest in all things culinary. We never had cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, or brussels sprouts. Never any fresh spinach, only canned. No other salad green except iceberg lettuce. One year I begged my Dad to plant spinach in the garden. It was wonderful.

When DH and I first got together, he told me how much he liked brussels sprouts. So being the loving woman that I was, I became determined to make them for him. I did not have a clue how to cook them. I thought I would just boil the hell out of them. Well, needless to say they tasted like hell also. I never attempted to touch them again for 10 years. Yes, I was a bad wife, depriving my husband of brussels sprouts.

About two months ago I was watching Giada make sprouts...they looked sooo tasty. So I bought a pound and tried again. Heavenly. Tonight we had them with our entree and they were still tasty, it wasn't just a fluke last time! I have discovered another wonderful vegetable! If you think you don't like sprouts, try this dish, it will make a brussels sprouts lover out of ya!

As promised, another entree from RR. Rosemary Lemon-Peppered Pork Tenderloin with Lemon Parmigiano Dressed Greens (whew, that is a mouthful). This took me more than 30 minutes to prepare because I need to have everything cut up and in ready to go before I start cooking. I do not have a cutting board right next to a cooktop to make prep easier. Never the less, this was very good. The pork was cooked perfectly, tender and flavorful. The salad was DELICIOUS. Served with Giada's Brussels Sprouts, this was a very flavorful and satisfying meal.

I served an old vine Zin with this that was a perfect match. Not too dry with hints of blackberry. This is a perfect wine for bold meat dishes. 7 Deadly Zins sells for about $15.00 a bottle.


So for ARF Tuesdays my submission is Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta from Giada. Be sure to stop by Sweetnicks for the roundup. On tap for tomorrow is another new recipe from RR so stay tuned.

Recipes


1 Comments:

  • At 1/10/2006 10:31:00 PM, Blogger Joe said…

    We have really started to like brussel sprouts! I made a pork tenderloin tonight too! I like the sound of your version

     

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