Brussel Sprouts, How do I Love Thee? Let me Count the Ways...

Like the rest of the Foodie Nation, I have been on a major Brussel Sprouts kick this fall/winter season. As with the Beet Salad Phenomenon of two years ago, roasted brussel sprouts have become ubiquitous on menus, blogs, and Top Chef. Its even become popular enough to make it into my foodie bingo checklist (guess at least five foods of the moment that a menu features, before looking at it: brussel sprouts, pork belly, bacon-based dessert, pre-prohibition cocktails, etc., etc... If you get all five-- Bingo! You win this quickfire round.).

Now, the posessive five year old in me is saying, MINE! I liked brussel sprouts first, you copycat!! (because i was the type of five year old who likes brussel sprouts)  What I guess that means is that, like everything else foodies "discover", I'm afraid trendiness will destroy it. I kind of liked that brussel sprouts were the ugly duckling of the root vegetable family. No one cared about them,  which made the poetic justice even sweeter when they came out so delicious!

And now what are you, oh humble brussel sprout? You've been corrupted by fame. You've been spiffed up and glamorized, bacon-fied, and finally deemed worthy to grace the menus that once mocked you. You are like a vegetal Susan Boyle, full of fiber and unkempt eyebrows. The first time she defied our expectations it was glorious, but now that she's gotten a makeover and a best-selling album... who cares?

But of course, the very rational and tolerant adult in me cheers the popularity of Messieur Brussel. There's plenty to go around! Who am I to argue with an increase in iron and folic acid intake?! The slight variations of ingredients and preparations of brussel sprouts will be enough to keep me interested for a good six months. Seen above, at the excellent Brooklyn Star, are brussel sprouts roasted with apple cider vinegar, apples, and bacon. Now, while I had a few issues with this dish (uncooked apples mixed with cook vegetables? odd. And bacon thats not crispy? For shame!), I had no problem polishing it off. As cousin Patty said, it tasted Siracha-y.  I agreed-- and this was the most interesting part about the dish-- there was something vaguely asian about it, which I would have never thought could work. Sure enough, turns out dried chilies and an abundace of vinegar made these sprouts remind me of kimchee... which was nicely countered by the not-crispy-enough bacon.

In all, though seeing roasted brussel sprouts on a trendy restaurant's menu was predictable, the preparation was actually a pleasant surprise... which makes me think that this trend is more than a flash in the plan.