Bacon and Brussels Sprouts

Yes, bacon and brussels sprouts. This is a simple and delightful combination that can be used as a satisfying appetizer or as a fulfilling side dish to an entree. The joy of this dish is that you can (mostly) enjoy the bacon by telling yourself that there's a brussels sprout somewhere underneath it, and therefore it must have some health benefits. The idea is very basic--buy good bacon. I'm sure that it is possible for you to use turkey bacon or tofacon or seitacon or whatever, BUT that is just not fair to the dish. I highly recommend you go out and buy some thick sliced bacon and some hearty brussels sprouts. Because let's face it--if you're going to have bacon and brussels sprouts you go big or go home.

First, do the requisite rinse of the brussels sprouts. We used MONSTER sprouts but it might actually be better to use slightly smaller ones. It was a bit difficult when I decided to put a whole brussels sprout in my mouth and then realized that it was too big for me to actually get my teeth on it. It basically sat in my mouth while I tried desperately to unhinge my jaw. Then, once you bite into it you can't talk to anyone for about 5 minutes because you're chewing. Anyway, I digress. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Separate the strips of bacon and wrap them around the sprouts. Put them on a regular cookie sheet or any kind of shallow metal pan. Skip sticking a toothpick through them, you don't need anything to hold them together. As they bake in the oven the bacon will get crisp and hug the brussels sprouts. You can decide how long you want the B&B to cook according to how you like your bacon. Crispy, slightly sizzling, you get the picture. I personally like a good, firm sprout and crispy bacon and somehow it turned out just right. Pull them out, CUT THEM IN HALF, and pop them in your mouth. They will fill you with joy.

*Small suggestion--I wouldn't recommend pairing the B&B with a meat-heavy dish. The bacon is quite enough. Maybe a little chicken, some rice...you decide.

Lasagna, which was hands down AMAZING!

Okay, this post is really not supposed to be about my relationship with Emmett, but it just so happens that we cook a lot of meals together. He's a killer cook and has mastered a ton of different types of cuisine. I definitely benefit! So, that's where this lasagna was cooked. Thanks to my grandma for providing a great clear glass baking pan. You could see the layers in the lasagna and it made it all the more exciting.

I've never been a huge fan of lasagna. I'm not really sure what it was about it that I didn't like. I love tomatoes, love noodles, love any and all kinds of meat, and love cheese. It really makes absolutely no sense that I don't go crazy over lasagna. Well, that ended when I took a bite of this lasagna. Instead of a tomato-based sauce in between the layers, we went with fresh chopped tomatoes, italian sausage, spinach, basil and a cream sauce that included (appropriately) cream, garlic, a few onions, chopped hot chile peppers, and a handful of parsley. Note: the basil we used was fresh, none of that dried herb basil stuff. We did three layers, each one topped with the cream-sauce mixture. We also grated a little mozzarella on each of the layers. We topped it off with a hefty amount of mozzarella and some scoops of ricotta cheese.

The lasagna was in the oven for about 30 minutes. We took it out once the cheese on top was crusty and mostly golden brown. It was thoroughly delicious. It was creamy and complex inside but the top was definitely the best part. The cheese on the top layer was crusty (so much so that you needed a knife to cut through it) and literally mind-blowing. One of the most enjoyable meals of the year!

Catch-up! Spaghetti Squash

I've been neglecting this blog, mostly in a passive agressive attempt to punish Conde Nast (the publishing giant) for CANCELING GOURMET MAGAZINE! Yes, it's horrible. They canceled Gourmet and not Bon Appetit, which is just silly. I can't believe that as soon as I get interested in really cooking, my inspiration is CANCELED. Damn the economy.

Two weeks ago I went over to Emmett's (my boyfriend) for dinner. He planned a whole thai cuisine-type meal and I ended up learning something new and awesome. Spaghetti squash is AWESOME! I've never been that into squash, although I absolutely love acorn squash baked with maple syrup etc, but that's besides the point. I'd never had spaghetti squash before. Here's what we did. First, we baked the squash (whole) in the oven for 45 minutes. Then, once it was soft we cut it open and picked up each half (with gloves, that stuff is bloody hot). Emmett taught me to take a fork, stick it into the squash nearest to the skin, and pull it towards you. You are essentially loosening the 'meaty' part of the squash. As you scrape the fork from the outside in, the squash comes apart in angel hair spaghetti style. It's terrific. It was maybe the coolest thing I've learned in awhile (except for maybe how to do a urine analysis...). It made a heap of spaghetti looking squash. The consistency is great too. It's not so squishy that it just mushes in your mouth. Instead, it's pretty substantial--very noodle-like appropriately.

The thai part wasn't nearly as interesting as the whole squash learning experience so I won't go into it. (ps: it was a terrific meal all-around). I strongly suggest everyone try a spaghetti squash sometime. It's such a cool alternative to noodles and it really does go well with sauces.