Brussels Sprouts

Editor's note: Here's a recipe from the new cookbook Vedge: 100 Plates Large and Small That Redefine Vegetable Cooking , with Rich Landau's commentary.Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold in July 2013. BRUSSELS SPROUTS were one of my personal challenges when we opened Vedge; I was never very fond of them. But as we prepared to open a vegetable restaurant, I vowed to prepare any vegetable, even ones I didn't like very much, in ways everyone could enjoy.

You can find sulfurous, ping-pong-ball-size brussels sprouts just about anytime. But it wasn't until a week or two ago that we started seeing our favorites from fall's new Lancaster County crop back in the markets - tight, heaping-teaspoon-size fellas that are reliably superior in flavor and texture. Slice them in half (lengthwise), brown them in butter, douse with sherry vinegar and a bit of olive oil and behold the brussels sprout at its finest - caramelized, sweet and nutty. - Rick Nichols A clever bird The tail of this sweet little songbird is a bottle opener, while its underbelly is ridged to handle twist-off tops.

So many small children pass through tiny Bacchus Market in Fitler Square that owner Tracey Wolfson has become something of an expert on feeding Brussels sprouts to kids. Her principal strategy is not to lie, per se, but simply to communicate another version of the truth: "Just tell them sprouts are 'baby cabbages.' " I know more than a few grown-ups who could benefit from rethinking their view of Brussels sprouts, too. But who can blame anyone who was traumatized early on by a bowl of those infamously odoriferous golf balls overcooked to a dull green and ripe with sulfur?

Belgium's largest city is famous for three things: as the capital of the Common Market, as the headquarters of NATO and as possibly the dullest city in Europe, if not the world. That reputation is grossly unfair, though it is easy to see how it arose. Brussels, inescapably, is a city of gray offices and faceless office workers, the briefcase capital of Europe. Apart from the thousands of Eurocrats attached to the European Economic Community, and the batteries of officials required by NATO and the various diplomatic corps, there are the staffs of the more than 1,000 multinational companies with their European bases in the city.

Pork roast is a fall favorite. But it takes time, which relegates it to weekend cooking. The next best option on a weeknight is a smaller lean pork tenderloin that takes a fraction of the time to cook. Brussels sprouts, a fine fall choice, can be finished in the same skillet used to sear the meat. Serve with fried polenta and a salad of shredded carrot and dried cranberries. Pork Tenderloin With Brussels Sprouts (Makes 4 servings) 1. In heavy medium skillet, cook bacon on medium-high until crispy, about 5 minutes.

The owners of American Sardine Bar are trying to keep the bar focused on beer, but the small menu of sandwiches that chef Scott Schroeder has created already dominates the idle chat. There's a fried P.B.&J. ($5) that has a Frosted Flake crust, and the Krab Kake ($8) on a soft, buttered roll, in which crab stick (hence the "K") is formed into a crisped, burger-shaped patty. Don't skimp on the sides - the roasted Brussels sprouts are kicked up with oyster sauce and pickled Thai bird chiles.

The challenge: making meatless meals during Lent. One helpful resource: "Lean Italian Meatless Meals" by Anne Casale (Fawcett Columbine, $18.50). This sequel to Casale's "Lean Italian Cooking" contains 130 recipes that tend toward low-fat, high-fiber, low-sodium and low-cholesterol. The ingredients are familiar and easily found in the supermarket; the preparations are not at all difficult. If someone in your house won't eat fish and you can't bear the sight of another pizza, try Casale's Veggie Burgers, which are easily made if you have a food processor.

The other Vetri could be found at his usual post one afternoon last week, hand-trimming the brussels sprouts, his thick-templed Marty Scorsese glasses and the gold chain at the throat hinting at a previous life - another era. Sal Vetri is 73 now, and he would have you believe that he savors the obscurity of this prep-kitchen counter at Vetri, the northern Italian gem that has won such acclaim for his son, Marc, the chef. But it is really just a smaller stage here at 13th and Spruce, albeit a more anonymous one, for a man who until he sold them 10 years ago had sizable interests in town - in real estate ("I was an Italian decorator.

IT'S ALWAYS the same old story: Boy meets girl... or else girl meets boy... or girl... or boy meets boy...  Anyway, the part that's the same is that two people come together from divergent worlds and try to turn those two worlds into one. Whether they hit it off depends on a lot of factors, and one of the biggest - and hardest to ignore - is food. All of us have foods we like or dislike, of course, but when one would-be lover is a vegetarian or vegan, and the other isn't, the issue is much more pronounced.

Replace tomatoes with butternut squash for an autumnal panzanella salad, a vegetarian main sure to please omnivores.   Autumn Panzanella Salad With Lemon-Brown Butter Vinaigrette Makes 4 servings 4 cups day-old Italian bread, in 1-inch cubes 7 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt and ground black pepper 1 pound butternut squash (precut to save time, cut into 3/4-inch pieces)...

Editor's note: Here's a recipe from the new cookbook Vedge: 100 Plates Large and Small That Redefine Vegetable Cooking , with Rich Landau's commentary.Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold in July 2013. BRUSSELS SPROUTS were one of my personal challenges when we opened Vedge; I was never very fond of them. But as we prepared to open a vegetable restaurant, I vowed to prepare any vegetable, even ones I didn't like very much, in ways everyone could enjoy.

Just out of college and giving the entertainment business a go, Aaron Matzkin, owner of Center City's Rotisseur, found himself starring in a familiar L.A. story. He needed affordable food, and fast - but wasn't willing to sacrifice taste or his health. The answer? "I ate a lot of rotisserie chicken," Matzkin said. "It's everywhere in L.A. It's part of the fast-food culture. " On jaunts back home to Philly, searches for his beloved diet staple were fruitless. "All Philly had was supermarket chicken.

IT'S ALWAYS the same old story: Boy meets girl... or else girl meets boy... or girl... or boy meets boy...  Anyway, the part that's the same is that two people come together from divergent worlds and try to turn those two worlds into one. Whether they hit it off depends on a lot of factors, and one of the biggest - and hardest to ignore - is food. All of us have foods we like or dislike, of course, but when one would-be lover is a vegetarian or vegan, and the other isn't, the issue is much more pronounced.

Growing up in a meat-and-potatoes Midwestern family, my familiarity with greens was limited mainly to lettuce, spinach, and brussels sprouts, and those tiny cabbages became fodder for long-running dinner feuds with my father. Many a night, he'd order me to sit and finish the bitter, mushy, boiled knobs that I despised. Usually, my mother would rescue me by stealthily swiping most of the sprouts off my plate and making me eat only the remaining few. That was before I (or my mother)

The owners of American Sardine Bar are trying to keep the bar focused on beer, but the small menu of sandwiches that chef Scott Schroeder has created already dominates the idle chat. There's a fried P.B.&J. ($5) that has a Frosted Flake crust, and the Krab Kake ($8) on a soft, buttered roll, in which crab stick (hence the "K") is formed into a crisped, burger-shaped patty. Don't skimp on the sides - the roasted Brussels sprouts are kicked up with oyster sauce and pickled Thai bird chiles.

YOU MAY HAVE READ Tuesday that Philadelphia's first lady, Lisa Nutter, and first daughter Olivia Nutter were to receive flowers from Councilwoman Marian Tasco at Mayor Nutter 's inauguration Monday at the Academy of Music but that someone had forgotten to order them. On Tuesday, Council staffers called Ten Pennies Florist (1921 S. Broad) to ask that arrangements be sent to the Nutter ladies at the family's Wynnefield home. We're told the arrangements consisted of calla lilies, roses and hydrangeas.

Replace tomatoes with butternut squash for an autumnal panzanella salad, a vegetarian main sure to please omnivores.   Autumn Panzanella Salad With Lemon-Brown Butter Vinaigrette Makes 4 servings 4 cups day-old Italian bread, in 1-inch cubes 7 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt and ground black pepper 1 pound butternut squash (precut to save time, cut into 3/4-inch pieces)...

October comfort That snap of fall sent Christian Gatti, chef/co-owner of the BYOB Avril in Bala Cynwyd, to his roasting pans. One of the hearty results is braised brisket with gnocchi stroganoff, a twist on a classic comfort dish. He braises the brisket for three hours with carrots, celery, and spices, caramelized pearl onions, Brussels sprouts, and several kinds of mushrooms. To make the sauce, he adds Dijon mustard, sour cream, rosemary, the braising demiglace, and a splash of cream.

The other Vetri could be found at his usual post one afternoon last week, hand-trimming the brussels sprouts, his thick-templed Marty Scorsese glasses and the gold chain at the throat hinting at a previous life - another era. Sal Vetri is 73 now, and he would have you believe that he savors the obscurity of this prep-kitchen counter at Vetri, the northern Italian gem that has won such acclaim for his son, Marc, the chef. But it is really just a smaller stage here at 13th and Spruce, albeit a more anonymous one, for a man who until he sold them 10 years ago had sizable interests in town - in real estate ("I was an Italian decorator.

They're gone for the weekend, so I've brushed aside a tear and rushed to the store for a hunk of blue cheese and a bag of onions. In general, those left behind are expected to sorrow over loved ones leaving on a short holiday. But time alone at home is a gift to cooking martyrs. Day in and day out, we considerately do not serve food that our family members dislike or are unable to eat. In my home, this would also include mushrooms, lima beans, brussels sprouts, tofu, beets, very spicy green curry, and breakfast for dinner - all of which I love.