I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm ok
with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking shows,
sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've looked so
good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've
been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother. So what is
your favorite way to cook them?

On 2008-12-23, ravenlynne > wrote:

> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've
> been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother.

heh heh....

The secret to brussel sprouts is their age. If you buy old ones, they suck!
Nothing can save them. If you buy young ones, they need no tricks. Jes
steam 'em till tender and eat with a little bit of real butter. Good
brussel sprouts rock.

nb

"ravenlynne" ha scritto nel messaggio > I've finally caved and bought a
package of these at the commissary for
> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm ok
> with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking shows,
> sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've looked so
> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've been
> boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother. So what is your
> favorite way to cook them?

Just barely. I like loads of ways but not more cooked than just barely. My
kid loves them and was bragging about a Washington Post recipe recently in
which they were cokked in cream.

notbob wrote:
> On 2008-12-23, ravenlynne > wrote:
>
>> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've
>> been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother.
>
> heh heh....
>
> The secret to brussel sprouts is their age. If you buy old ones, they suck!
> Nothing can save them. If you buy young ones, they need no tricks. Jes
> steam 'em till tender and eat with a little bit of real butter. Good
> brussel sprouts rock.
>
> nb

I think I'm going to use Mark Bittman's recipe, Sauteed Brussels Sprouts
with Bacon...looks yummy and I'll have the bacon out anyway for the
baked potatoes.

notbob > wrote:

>The secret to brussel sprouts is their age. If you buy old ones, they suck!
>Nothing can save them. If you buy young ones, they need no tricks. Jes
>steam 'em till tender and eat with a little bit of real butter. Good
>brussel sprouts rock.

I agree they need to be fresh.

I prepare them as follows: I trim off some outer leaves, cut them in
half and trim off the stem end. (The really small ones, I might
not cut in half; really large ones I cut into thirds.) Sautee in
olive oil until mostly tender, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Optionally add a small volume of finely chopped pancetta, in which
case you can leave out or reduce the amount of sal. Just
before they are done, add a small splash of white vinegar and serve
immediately.

Steve

Giusi wrote:
> "ravenlynne" ha scritto nel messaggio > I've finally caved and bought a
> package of these at the commissary for
>> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm ok
>> with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking shows,
>> sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've looked so
>> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've been
>> boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother. So what is your
>> favorite way to cook them?
>
> Just barely. I like loads of ways but not more cooked than just barely. My
> kid loves them and was bragging about a Washington Post recipe recently in
> which they were cokked in cream.
>
>

I just bought "How to Cook Everything" and just saw a recipe for creamed
brussels sprouts..I'm not feeling that courageous yet..lol.

Steve Pope wrote:
> notbob > wrote:
>
>> The secret to brussel sprouts is their age. If you buy old ones, they suck!
>> Nothing can save them. If you buy young ones, they need no tricks. Jes
>> steam 'em till tender and eat with a little bit of real butter. Good
>> brussel sprouts rock.
>
> I agree they need to be fresh.
>
> I prepare them as follows: I trim off some outer leaves, cut them in
> half and trim off the stem end. (The really small ones, I might
> not cut in half; really large ones I cut into thirds.) Sautee in
> olive oil until mostly tender, seasoning with salt and pepper.
> Optionally add a small volume of finely chopped pancetta, in which
> case you can leave out or reduce the amount of sal. Just
> before they are done, add a small splash of white vinegar and serve
> immediately.
>
> Steve

that sounds good!

"ravenlynne" > wrote in message
...
> I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm ok
> with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking shows,
> sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've looked so
> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've been
> boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother. So what is your
> favorite way to cook them?



My mother used to buy frozen (Green Giant brand) brussels sprouts. There
was always a bitter sprout or two in the bunch and they were usually tough
as nails no matter what she did. Ugh. There are better frozen brussels
sprouts available these days and they aren't packed in some fake butter
sauce.

I'm partial to fresh brussels sprouts. But then again I love cabbage; they
are in the same family except they grow on stalks and look like aliens
growing on small trees. LOL

As with fresh cabbage, peel off the outer wilting leaves and cut off the
excess stem at the bottom. Then cut an X in the bottom of the stem. Steam
them on a rack over boiling water (seasoned with salt) about 20 minutes or
until they are fork tender. Yum!

Jill

ravenlynne wrote:
> I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm ok
> with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking shows,
> sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've looked so
> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've
> been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother. So what is
> your favorite way to cook them?

The DH insisted on picking up a bag of frozen brussels sprouts the other
day. I nuked them for a minute and cut them in half. I had already put
some chunked sweet potatoes and red onions (with an olive oil drizzle
and some S&P) in the oven to roast. When they were about half done, I
added the brussels sprouts and let them go till the taters were done.
Was pretty good.

-Tracy

ravenlynne > wrote in
:

> I just bought "How to Cook Everything"

careful of that book...the timing is off on a lot of the recipes.

--

The beet goes on -Alan

jmcquown wrote:
> "ravenlynne" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
>> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm
>> ok with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking
>> shows, sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've
>> looked so good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them
>> after they've been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my
>> grandmother. So what is your favorite way to cook them?
>
>
>
> My mother used to buy frozen (Green Giant brand) brussels sprouts.
> There was always a bitter sprout or two in the bunch and they were
> usually tough as nails no matter what she did. Ugh. There are better
> frozen brussels sprouts available these days and they aren't packed in
> some fake butter sauce.
>
> I'm partial to fresh brussels sprouts. But then again I love cabbage;
> they are in the same family except they grow on stalks and look like
> aliens growing on small trees. LOL
>
> As with fresh cabbage, peel off the outer wilting leaves and cut off the
> excess stem at the bottom. Then cut an X in the bottom of the stem.
> Steam them on a rack over boiling water (seasoned with salt) about 20
> minutes or until they are fork tender. Yum!
>
> Jill

I should have specified that the ones I bought are fresh...too many bad
memories of frozen ones...lol.

hahabogus wrote:
> ravenlynne > wrote in
> :
>
>> I just bought "How to Cook Everything"
>
> careful of that book...the timing is off on a lot of the recipes.
>

Thanks for the warning!

ravenlynne > wrote:

>Steve Pope wrote:

>> I prepare them as follows: I trim off some outer leaves, cut them in
>> half and trim off the stem end. (The really small ones, I might
>> not cut in half; really large ones I cut into thirds.) Sautee in
>> olive oil until mostly tender, seasoning with salt and pepper.
>> Optionally add a small volume of finely chopped pancetta, in which
>> case you can leave out or reduce the amount of salt. Just
>> before they are done, add a small splash of white vinegar and serve
>> immediately.

>that sounds good!

It was especially good with boar pancetta that we obtained
recently in London.

Steve

ravenlynne wrote:
> I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm ok
> with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking shows,
> sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've looked so
> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've
> been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother. So what is
> your favorite way to cook them?


I can understand your reluctance. I am a reformed Brussels Sprout hater.
My mother used to cook the daylights out of BS and they develop a
nasty taste when overcooked. I later learned that when cooked only
until there is still some crunch to them they are quite tasty.

After reading here about people roasting them I gave that a try. They
were okay, but I think I prefer them boiled.

To prepare them, remove the outer leaves and cut off the end of the
stalk. Put them in a pan with cold, salted water, bring them to a boil,
then turn them down and cover and cook them for about 5 minutes until
they are crisp-tender when you stick a fork in them.

ravenlynne wrote:
> I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm ok
> with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking shows,
> sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've looked so
> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've
> been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother. So what is
> your favorite way to cook them?

I like them either steamed or roasted. To roast pour a little olive oil
on them and some S & P and toss, then spread them out on a pan and roast
at 450F for ~30 minutes. A splash of balsamic vinegar goes well with
either when serving.

George wrote:
> ravenlynne wrote:
>> I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
>> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm
>> ok with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking
>> shows, sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've
>> looked so good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them
>> after they've been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my
>> grandmother. So what is your favorite way to cook them?
>
> I like them either steamed or roasted. To roast pour a little olive oil
> on them and some S & P and toss, then spread them out on a pan and roast
> at 450F for ~30 minutes. A splash of balsamic vinegar goes well with
> either when serving.

i'll try this method too...

notbob wrote:
> On 2008-12-23, ravenlynne > wrote:
>
>> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've
>> been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother.
>
> heh heh....
>
> The secret to brussel sprouts is their age. If you buy old ones, they suck!
> Nothing can save them. If you buy young ones, they need no tricks. Jes
> steam 'em till tender and eat with a little bit of real butter. Good
> brussel sprouts rock.

How do you know how old they are? They grow very slowly and on common
stalks. When harvested, the whole stalk is cut and then the individual
sprouts are cut off the main stalk. Those at the end tend to be smalelr,
and the small ones tend to be more tender, but they are not older. They
develop a stronger taste when stored too long. Lok for tightly packed
leaves as an indication of freshness.

ravenlynne wrote:
> I should have specified that the ones I bought are fresh...too many
> bad memories of frozen ones...lol.

We often eat Brussels sprouts here in the winter. Take off the outer leaves
and cut short the stem. Steam and serve with butter and salt. Perfect

jmcquown wrote:

>
> My mother used to buy frozen (Green Giant brand) brussels sprouts.
> There was always a bitter sprout or two in the bunch and they were
> usually tough as nails no matter what she did. Ugh. There are better
> frozen brussels sprouts available these days and they aren't packed in
> some fake butter sauce.

I was surprised to find that frozen Brussels Sprouts quite good,
probably more like the fresh version than most other vegetables.

On Dec 23, 3:10�pm, Dave Smith
> wrote:
> notbob wrote:
> > On 2008-12-23, ravenlynne > wrote:
>
> >> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've
> >> been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother. �
>
> > heh heh....
>
> > The secret to brussel sprouts is their age. �If you buy old ones, they suck!
> > Nothing can save them. �If you buy young ones, they need no tricks. �Jes
> > steam 'em till tender and eat with a little bit of real butter. �Good
> > brussel sprouts rock.
>
> How do you know how old they are? �They grow very slowly and on common
> stalks. When harvested, the whole stalk is cut and then the individual
> sprouts are cut off the main stalk. Those at the end tend to be smalelr,
> and the small ones tend to be more tender, but they are not older. They
> develop a stronger taste when stored too long. Lok for tightly packed
> leaves as an indication of freshness.

This is true... at the Lung Guyland farm stands at the east end (where
sprouts are grown) I used to buy entire stalks. The larger bottom
sprouts made wonderful slaw, or I'd decore and rough chop, saute in
butter and then continure frying with cooked wide egg noodles. The
small top sprouts are wonderful fried whole with bacon.

jmcquown wrote:
> "ravenlynne" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
>> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm
>> ok with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking
>> shows, sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've
>> looked so good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them
>> after they've been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my
>> grandmother. So what is your favorite way to cook them?
>
>
>
> My mother used to buy frozen (Green Giant brand) brussels sprouts.
> There was always a bitter sprout or two in the bunch and they were
> usually tough as nails no matter what she did. Ugh. There are better
> frozen brussels sprouts available these days and they aren't packed in
> some fake butter sauce.
>
> I'm partial to fresh brussels sprouts. But then again I love cabbage;
> they are in the same family except they grow on stalks and look like
> aliens growing on small trees. LOL
>
> As with fresh cabbage, peel off the outer wilting leaves and cut off the
> excess stem at the bottom. Then cut an X in the bottom of the stem.
> Steam them on a rack over boiling water (seasoned with salt) about 20
> minutes or until they are fork tender. Yum!
>
> Jill

My mother never served Brussels sprouts. Lima beans - yes. Brussels
sprouts - no.

These frozen ones were very small - like an inch round maybe and not bad
at all.

I am also a cabbage fan but I hardly ever eat it except for when I do a
corned beef or couscous.

-Tracy

If you want to have a real food "experience", try the tinned ones. They
are soggy, bitter and anemic looking. I can't imagine anyone buys them
a second time

My crop of sprouts is about the only real success in the garden this
year, have frozen some and and will eat the rest, picking from the plant
as long as they last. With the hard winter we had last year, I managed
through till Feb .


Steve

ravenlynne wrote:
> I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm ok
> with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking shows,
> sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've looked so
> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've
> been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother. So what is
> your favorite way to cook them?

notbob wrote:

> On 2008-12-23, ravenlynne > wrote:
>
>> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've
>> been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother.
>
> heh heh....
>
> The secret to brussel sprouts is their age. If you buy old ones, they
> suck! Nothing can save them. If you buy young ones, they need no tricks.
> Jes steam 'em till tender and eat with a little bit of real butter. Good
> brussel sprouts rock.

Steamed a big bunch yesterday, and had the leftovers just now.
Mmmmmm...brussles sprouts!


--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
Need a new news feed? http://blinkynet.net/comp/newfeed.html

On 2008-12-23, Dave Smith > wrote:

> How do you know how old they are? They grow very slowly and on common
> stalks. When harvested, the whole stalk is cut and then the individual
> sprouts are cut off the main stalk. Those at the end tend to be smalelr,
> and the small ones tend to be more tender, but they are not older. They
> develop a stronger taste when stored too long. Lok for tightly packed
> leaves as an indication of freshness.

I look for flat tummy, non-sagging breasts, and no grey hair.

nb

"notbob" <ha scritto nel messaggio > On 2008-12-23, Dave Smith wrote:
>
>> How do you know how old they are?

> I look for flat tummy, non-sagging breasts, and no grey hair.
>
> nb

Chance would be a fine thing.

ravenlynne wrote:

> I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm ok
> with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking shows,
> sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've looked so
> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've been
> boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother. So what is your
> favorite way to cook them?

I'd cut them in half and put them in a skillet with a tablespoon or two of
bacon fat and a bit less than a quarter-cup of water. Bring water to a boil,
cover skillet for about a minute, then remove cover and let water boil away
so that the sprouts finish cooking in the bacon fat. When crisp-tender, you
can add a finishing touch by doing one of the following:

1. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar (or mosto cotto, if you can get it).

2. Sprinkle with toasted nuts. (I'm partial to hazelnuts, but others would
also be good.)

3. Squeeze half a lemon over and grind on some black pepper.


You *could* use olive oil instead of bacon fat. It just won't taste as good.


Bob

On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:29:54 +0100, ravenlynne
> wrote:

>I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
>christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm ok
>with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking shows,
>sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've looked so
>good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've
>been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother. So what is
>your favorite way to cook them?

I like them split in half, roasted with olive oil and garlic. Pretty
simple stuff and the entire family likes them that way. They won't
eat steamed brussels sprouts.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:42:42 +0100, ravenlynne
> wrote:

>I just bought "How to Cook Everything" and just saw a recipe for creamed
>brussels sprouts..I'm not feeling that courageous yet..lol.

Grandma used to make creamed onions. That's something I haven't had
since she died.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:53:31 -0500, Tracy > wrote:

>I had already put
>some chunked sweet potatoes and red onions (with an olive oil drizzle
>and some S&P) in the oven to roast. When they were about half done, I
>added the brussels sprouts and let them go till the taters were done.
>Was pretty good.

Yes, it does sound good!


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

"ravenlynne" > wrote in message
...
> I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm ok
> with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking shows,
> sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've looked so
> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've
> been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother. So what is
> your favorite way to cook them?

Clean them up ( wilted outer leaves off, trim any dried stem ends)
halve them if large ( large is over golf ball size) otherwise leave
whole. Sautee them in some EVOO for a couple minutes, when they have
turned vivid bright green, splash in some DRY white wine. Bring that
to a boil and shake the pan a few times to roll the sprouts while the
wine evaporates. When all thats left is a little winey glaze in the
pan, toss in a small handful of pignoli , shake again, dress with some
fresh grated or shaved Parm ( the good stuff!!!!!!!) and slap a cover on
the pan, take off the heat. They will wait patiently for a few
minutes while you tend to other things. At serving time, give them a
sprinkle of White Balsamic Vinegar, if that is something that floats
your boat. My family thinks you must have vinegar with any of the
Brassica family.

It wouldn't be unkind, at Christmas, to toss in a few Red Grape
tomatos or some diced Roma tomato.

Hint Hint, Fresh or Frozen Asparagus takes this same treatment very
well. As does Broccoli.

The Very Best Brussels Sprouts you'll ever taste will be harvested from
under snow cover, post freeze. I'm LOL because a neighbor has marked
his BS stash with lath stakes and has taken his snowblower out to
those rows in the field for easier pickings. I'm thinking the deer will
beat him to the late harvest, and wondering if they will leave a
thank-you card.

Sue in Maine

"ravenlynne" > wrote in message
...
> I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm ok
> with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking shows,
> sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've looked so
> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've been
> boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother. So what is your
> favorite way to cook them?

Steamed.

Then buttered & salted


Dimitri

ravenlynne > wrote in
:

> I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm ok
> with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking shows,
> sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've looked so
> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've
> been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother. So what is
> your favorite way to cook them?

Braised. You can add bacon or pancetta if you want, but I tend to go low
salt because of my wife's preferences. Just oil, heat, wash the sprouts,
then toss them in and add a small amount of water. Toss them around so
they cook on all sides. Braise on low medium for about ten minutes or so.

Basically they are done when they are browned and you can poke them easily
with a fork.

--

Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest
of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest
good of everyone. - John Maynard Keynes

"ravenlynne" > wrote in message
...
> jmcquown wrote:
>> "ravenlynne" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
>>> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm ok
>>> with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking shows,
>>> sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've looked so
>>> good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them after they've
>>> been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my grandmother. So what is
>>> your favorite way to cook them?
>>
>>
>>
>> My mother used to buy frozen (Green Giant brand) brussels sprouts. There
>> was always a bitter sprout or two in the bunch and they were usually
>> tough as nails no matter what she did. Ugh. There are better frozen
>> brussels sprouts available these days and they aren't packed in some fake
>> butter sauce.
>>
>> I'm partial to fresh brussels sprouts. But then again I love cabbage;
>> they are in the same family except they grow on stalks and look like
>> aliens growing on small trees. LOL
>>
>> As with fresh cabbage, peel off the outer wilting leaves and cut off the
>> excess stem at the bottom. Then cut an X in the bottom of the stem.
>> Steam them on a rack over boiling water (seasoned with salt) about 20
>> minutes or until they are fork tender. Yum!
>>
>> Jill
>
> I should have specified that the ones I bought are fresh...too many bad
> memories of frozen ones...lol.



Heheh, yes, I know those memories! Eeeek! They are wonderful roasted in
the oven, too. Split and drizzled with a little olive oil, sprinkled with
salt & pepper. I couldn't tell you an exact time. Just a hot oven and
until you can poke a fork in them and they are tender You can also serve
them escalloped, baked in a simple bechamel sauce (with or without cheese)
and breadcrumbs on top. About 35-45 minutes.

Jill

"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
...
> jmcquown wrote:
>
>>
>> My mother used to buy frozen (Green Giant brand) brussels sprouts. There
>> was always a bitter sprout or two in the bunch and they were usually
>> tough as nails no matter what she did. Ugh. There are better frozen
>> brussels sprouts available these days and they aren't packed in some fake
>> butter sauce.
>
> I was surprised to find that frozen Brussels Sprouts quite good, probably
> more like the fresh version than most other vegetables.



It depends on the brand, I think. I have nothing against frozen brussels
sprouts. I like most frozen vegetables when they aren't available fresh, in
season. But I think Green Giant brand picks theirs either too early or too
late. They were always bitter in the middle, and hard as rocks no matter
how you cook them. And that "butter sauce"... ugh. That wasn't butter!

I buy Pictsweet frozen brussels sprouts and they're quite good. But they
don't pretend to have a sauce and they don't pretend to be "baby" anything.
What's up with all the "baby" vegetables these days?

Jill

On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:18:48 -0500, "jmcquown" >
wrote:



>Heheh, yes, I know those memories! Eeeek! They are wonderful roasted in
>the oven, too. Split and drizzled with a little olive oil, sprinkled with
>salt & pepper. I couldn't tell you an exact time. Just a hot oven and
>until you can poke a fork in them and they are tender

Ohmygosh, they are wonderful roasted!! So far, that is the only way I
have liked them. But there are many methods I haven't tried
yet...but roasted is wonderful!

Christine

jmcquown wrote:

> middle, and hard as rocks no matter how you cook them. And that
> "butter sauce"... ugh. That wasn't butter!

I never buy vegetables in butter sauce. A) it doesn't say butter,
it says butter sauce, who knows what that is, and B) I'll butter
my own vegetables if I'm so inclined, thankyouverymuch.

> I buy Pictsweet frozen brussels sprouts and they're quite good. But
> they don't pretend to have a sauce and they don't pretend to be
> "baby" anything. What's up with all the "baby" vegetables these days?

I like baby brussels sprouts, and baby peas. The brussels sprouts
are the right size for my taste, and I like those itty bitty peas once
in a while.

nancy

ravenlynne wrote:
> I've finally caved and bought a package of these at the commissary for
> christmas eve dinner tommorrow night. It's just us, no guess, so I'm
> ok with experimenting...I've seen them done recently on many cooking
> shows, sauteed with olive oil, pancetta and a little salt and they've
> looked so good that I gave in despite years of having to eat them
> after they've been boiled to a pale yellow bitter mush by my
> grandmother. So what is your favorite way to cook them?

Trim the bottoms minimally. Plunge into boiling salted water for perhaps a
minute, then drain and transfer to icewater. When cold, drain well and
quarter lengthwise. This may be done in advance.

In a single layer in one or more heavy skillets, brown in butter. Salt as
necessary and a little fresh pepper.

They're heavenly. Always the first vegetable to vanish at Thanksgiving, no
matter how much I cook.

Steve Pope wrote:
> I prepare them as follows: I trim off some outer leaves, cut them in
> half and trim off the stem end. (The really small ones, I might
> not cut in half; really large ones I cut into thirds.) Sautee in
> olive oil until mostly tender, seasoning with salt and pepper.
> Optionally add a small volume of finely chopped pancetta, in which
> case you can leave out or reduce the amount of sal. Just
> before they are done, add a small splash of white vinegar and serve
> immediately.
>
> Steve

Steve, I cook mine the same way, only I saute mine in bacon fat and I
add some sliced, green onion tops at the end, if I have them on hand.


Becca

l, not -l wrote:
> I regularly eat them; PictSweet Deluxe Baby Brussel Sprouts is my favorite
> brand. I usually microwave them in a casserole dish with a tablespoon or
> two of water, drain and toss with butter (sometimes with grated parmesan) or
> compound butters (most often garlic or hot sauce butter) or sprinkling on a
> bit of pepper sauce (peppers in vinegar).
>

Here lately, I have grown fond of PictSweet's vegetables. I prefer ones
that my sister or I grow, but PictSweet comes close to being fresh.


Becca

On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:22:46 -0500, "jmcquown" >
wrote:

>What's up with all the "baby" vegetables these days?

They can charge more for "baby" vegetables.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West