Bacony Brussels Sprouts & Other Recipes We’re Cooking This Week

You couldn’t pay me enough to roast a 17-pound turkey any other day of the year. Unless you’re my editor and you’re paying me to roast a 17-pound turkey next summer, which will probably happen. Totally cool. My point is: While the bird doesn’t translate well to beyond-holiday meals, the sides do. So all those Thanksgiving recipes you couldn’t fit into your menu this year? Make them. This week or next week or next month. Holiday food can be random-Tuesday food, too. Let’s keep the celebration going.

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Brussels Sprouts With Bacon Plus Something Else

When our test kitchen started developing its best brussels sprouts with bacon, of course we had Thanksgiving on the brain. But as I tested batch after batch, I thought of them less as a side and more as a main. Crack a couple of soft-boiled eggs on top and serve buttered toast or boiled potatoes alongside. Or, my favorite, toss the whole thing with hot pasta (half a pound of any short shape does the trick) and call it a day. Bonus points for grated Parm or pec on top, but you knew that already.

Kale Gratin, I Love You

I made Renee Erickson’s kale gratin from her cookbook—one of my favorite cookbooks ever, really—A Boat, a Whale & a Walrus for Thanksgiving. (And yes, lacinato is the same as Tuscan is the same as dinosaur, but don’t ask me why.) Basically, you pile a mountain of shiny kale into a casserole dish, season with salt and nutmeg (and Aleppo pepper if you’re me), pour over cream like there’s no tomorrow, sprinkle with cheddar, and bake. The crust morphs into crispy, cheesy kale chips, while the rest melts into silky creamed greens. I can’t wait to make a scaled-down batch some weeknight soon (half the quantity in an 8x8-inch pan). Bread to go with and call it a day.

Bread That Changes Lives

Speaking of bread: Our office coordinator Juliet Sabella recently made My New Roots’ life-changing loaf of bread as a housewarming gift for a friend. “It pairs wonderfully with a cheeseboard, or even just something to munch on with friends,” she tells me. “Will definitely make again, maybe with some mix-ins like dried figs.” Go, Juliet, go! 10/10 recommend this with a smear of Greek yogurt, smoked whitefish, and red onion.

Squash, More Squash

“I've used the Ottolenghi way to roast squash twice since working on this Genius post,” our production assistant Emily Hanhan told me. “It's stupidly simple and makes a delicious roasted squash with more texture, which is even better.” Hard agree. This week, I can’t wait to make Dorie Greenspan’s pasta with cabbage, winter squash, and walnuts. Can you imagine anything cozier? Don’t answer that. Come hang out with me and my sweetie (husband) and other sweetie (cat) on Instagram. It’ll be a good time.

New Recipe of the Month!

Our November pick was braised onion sauce with pasta (you made it, yes?). For December, we're keeping things super simple, super cozy, with caramelized cream eggs—a recent addition to the Genius column that we can't stop thinking about. The best part? Beyond eggs, you can cook just about anything in cream. "I've also tried kale (stems first) and a few baby eggplants I didn’t know what else to do with. They were soft-creamy and brown-buttery-crisp, every time," Kristen Miglore wrote. Also on our wishlist: "everything from meats (like pork chops seared in smoked paprika cream, burgers, sausages) to fish (with mustard, soy sauce, or miso) to fruits (apples with star anise and cinnamon)." Whichever path you take, just don't forget to give us a holler with #f52rotm.

My book club meeting is tomorrow, so I’m powering through Manhattan Beach, and enjoying the story more and more. It’s funny how books work like that.

Next up: Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow. Thank you to my friend for loaning it to me!

Whenever my family is all together, we go to the movies—cold beers and still-warm popcorn stuffed in my purse (this is as rebellious as I get). We saw Marriage Story (wow), but now have to plan for Christmas Day. What should we see?

And oh hey, happy not-Thanksgiving. We did it. You’re the best.

Talk soon,
Emma

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