better brussels sprouts

It’s been a long time since I wrote about food.

The last recipe I posted was election day, about 4 year ago.  A lot’s happened since then.

The election didn’t turn out the way I wanted.  That felt like an all-time low.  A blow to the foundational optimism that has carried my generation, the older millennials, like a wave into adulthood.

I had another baby a couple of months later and became a mom of two.  It changed my identity and challenged my patience. 

I went back to work and took on new responsibility for a new area of law and a new geographic area of business.  I stepped up to a professional platform that would make me useful, challenged, in growth. Before making the decision I spent time uncovering my professional values, which would be guideposts for every decision and every action on my to-do list since:  autonomy, credibility, relationships, lifelong learning.  If it serves those 4 values, then I’m in.  If not, I’m out.  Those key values are now the linchpin for my professional life.

I started setting goals for my personal life so that I didn’t get swallowed up in the life of 2 kids under 2.  I practiced yoga, I paid off my student loans, I celebrated my 10^th wedding anniversary with a trip to Iceland.

Then we bought a farm.  Not a working farm, as you know, but the 200-year-old house and 16 acres that would be an emblem of choosing a new lifestyle over typical lawyerly success in the suburbs.  New ideas that felt like oxygen to the bloodstream.

We renovated it, we bushhogged, I kept working.  Our kids got bigger.  I canceled our Amazon subscription for diapers.  Thanks to encouragement from my friends, I still blogged to remember the experience of our renovation and transformation in Bahama.  But all this time I wasn't cooking much.

Recently I pulled out the cookbooks again, just to flip through.  I reserved a few new ones at the library that sparked my imagination.  From time to time I have made a mess in the kitchen or tried a baking recipe with the kids.  It felt good.

The thing is, I have always wanted to be a writer.  I still want to be a writer.  To be a writer you have to write every day.  I knew this when I was a kid, actually, I wrote short stories and poems and journaled constantly.  I went to creative writing camp and read books on how to write a publishing proposal.  Even in high school when I believed in divine moments of inspiration rather than discipline I would pull my car over to jot down a poem on a piece of paper.  But to be a writer you have to write every day.  I have to show up to do the work.

I also want to be a cook.  To be a cook you have to, well, cook regularly. 

What else?  I want to be a gardener, a farmer, a loving and encouraging wife, a positive and nurturing mother.  I want to be an entrepreneur.  I want to be a healthy, growing human.  I want to be an inspiring friend and leader.

All of these things require daily practice.  Instead of waiting for divine inspiration, I think I’ll put in the work.  My experiences over the last 4 years—the great discipline of discovering my values and who I want to be and taking steps both tiny and huge to reach them and letting go of the rest—have taught me how to do this.  Making time for what matters and not apologizing for it.  I’m not waiting anymore, not waiting for lightning to strike and I’ll pull the car over. 

We got snow at the little blue house for the first time since we’ve owned it.  Each season has brought new joys and new challenges.  This winter I’ve had a lot of sick days and a lot of time squeezing in work into cracks of time.  But also time at home to cook, read, and journal.

I got a babysitter today and sat at a coffee shop to write this for you.  For a reader.  Because I’m a writer and I will write for you.

What else?  I will cook.  And I’ll share it with you. 

Here’s another funny thing I’ve noticed.  Something happens in your thirties and you start to like brussels sprouts.  (As a kid of course nothing could be more disgusting.)  Or maybe in your twenties if you’re a hipster.  Regardless as an adult all of a sudden they are a cult favorite.  In service of this truth I spent time researching commonalities in brussels sprout recipes.  I combined all of the best elements (hello bacon!) and produced my own ultimate method for preparing them.  Roasting with garlic, lemon zest, and a maple bacon vinaigrette.   Do you feel me?  They’re so delicious even a kid might eat them (maybe).  

In these last few weeks of winter, I hope you enjoy one more brussels sprouts recipe.  Embrace adulthood.  Be yourself.  Eat bacon and brussels sprouts.  The recipe follows.

Better Brussels Sprouts

2 lbs brussels sprouts

Vegetable oil of choice for roasting

Zest of one lemon

3 whole garlic cloves

5 strips bacon

1T sherry vinegar (balsamic or red wine vinegar will work too)

2 teaspoons maple syrup (or more to taste)

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

First, roast the veggies.  Trim the tough base of the brussels sprouts and cut them in half.  Peel the garlic cloves. Toss the brussels and garlic cloves with your preferred vegetable oil for roasting, such as avocado oil, olive oil, or coconut oil.  Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet and top with lemon zest and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Roast for 20-30 minutes, until brussels are caramelized brown on the bottom and soft.  Very brown is OK!  They will taste better this way.

Next, cook the bacon. While the brussels are roasting, preheat a skillet on medium heat.  Pull 5 strips of bacon out of a pack in one hunk.  Use kitchen scissors to cut the strips of bacon into small chunks straight into the hot pan, then break them apart with a wooden spoon while they cook.  They will crisp up into small crumbles much quicker and easier than having to cook the strips whole.  We will save the grease!

When the bacon pieces are nice and crispy, turn off the heat.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon so they don’t burn in the hot grease.  Place on a plate and set aside for now.  You will have anywhere from 1/3 to ½ cup of bacon grease in the pan.  No judgment if you want to use it all, but ideally you’ll have about ¼ cup to balance your vinaigrette. Very carefully, use a wad of paper towels to soak up some of this grease and toss in the trashcan.  You want to leave about 1/4 cup of the grease in the pan. 

Now let’s make a vinaigrette.  When the brussels have finished roasting, remove from the oven and use a spatula to transfer straight to the pan of bacon grease.  Add vinegar, salt and pepper, and a drizzle of maple syrup.  Toss together.  Top with the bacon crumbles and serve warm.