Braised Brussel Sprouts

I've been reading My Berlin Kitchen (as you now if you read Monday's blog).  I was transfixed by Luisa's description of braised endive & was eager to try it.  Alas, no endive at our house but I did have an awkward little pint of brussel sprouts. 

I've always had a weird relationship with these little cabbage patch heads, that's what I used to think they were when I was a little girl.  I liked them then because they were novel in my ten year old eyes.  I was eating toys after all & that was werid cool.  I didn't particularly like the taste but I was able to day dream past that.

Then I rediscovered brussel sprouts when Chris & I hosted his family at our apartment for the first time as a couple.  My father-in-law, John, loves them, so I figured I'd make them for his birthday that we were celebrating. Roasted brussel sprouts are a rookie mistake when cooking for a big family who is also very hungry.  After what seemed like forever they were finally cooked enough to serve. They were tasty but the center was still pretty al dente & the outside was very well done. Not an epic fail but not a complete win either.

I recently read a recipe somewhere (maybe Whole Living) that instructs to remove the core of the brussel sprout before cooking them - GENIUS!!!  It goes under my growing mental why-didn't-I-think-of-that list. Then I got to thinking Luisa instructs to remove the core of endives when she braises them. And then the wheels in my brain started to turn.

Next thing I knew I had conjured up the best tasting brussel sprouts I've ever had. Maybe I was just hungry (so anything would taste good) but I'm definitely going to make these again.

Click though to view the complete recipe.
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Braised Duck & Mushroom Fettucini

I'm really a chicken and fish girl when it comes down to the 'meat' of my diet (and by diet I mean the foods I eat - I'm not on a diet). I sometimes will roll the dice and try red meat (I live on the edge, I know) but for the most part the house always wins - its a lose lose for how my body feels after eating it.

So on Sunday I thought I'd live scandalously by cooking up some duck.

Usually I like to make a meal that takes tens of minutes, not hours, to make. Feeling inspired by a fab restaurant in San Francisco, Pesce, I give you braised duck and mushroom fettucini.

For this dish I used a hybrid of this eggless pasta recipe, this duck and this sauce. I jazzed my sauce up with some shallots and mushrooms (shitakes and baby portobello) which I added to the duck fat before I added the duck.

If you're not into duck or don't have a Sunday afternoon to cook this specific dish you can easily substitute the duck with roasted chicken and use boxed pasta or fresh in the deli section.