Holiday sides from Carolyn Jung

Your weekly enewsletter 12.23.13     Quick Links Home About Food Gal Boutique         Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts       When the holiday table is groaning under the weight of heavy cream, loads of cheese, bountiful bacon, enormous hunks of meat and other heavy fare, a veggie side dish that's simple - and simply adorned - always offers a welcome relief.   Such is the case with "Buttered Brussels Sprouts and Chestnuts" from the new cookbook, "Holiday Dinners with Bradley Ogden" (Running Press), of which I recently received a review copy.   Ogden, co-founder of San Francisco's Lark Creek Restaurant Group, offers up 150 recipes perfect for the big winter holidays. This dish is beautiful to behold all on its own, what with the plump, whole chestnuts peeking through a bowl of green. Brussels sprouts are blanched, then put into an ice water bath to ensure their hue stays vivid, too. Then, they are tossed in a hot saute pan with chestnuts that have been roasted and shelled, as well as a knob of butter, and salt and pepper.    That's it.   It's a dish that lets the purity of the cabbage-like sprouts shine through. The chestnuts add a festive touch with their distinctive look and sweet starchy, nutty flavor. The butter gives everything a subtle gloss.   Best yet, you can prepare the chestnuts and Brussels sprouts ahead of time (keep the sprouts refrigerated until needed), then combine them all in a pan in a flash just before serving.   For the recipe, click here.       Roasted Broccoli with Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette and Marcona Almonds Roasting broccoli on high heat caramelizes their natural sugars. (Photo by Carolyn Jung) Broccoli doesn't always get the love.   It's often despised by children. And of course, we know how George W. felt about it.   But roasting it will make an instant fan out of anyone. Even the former president, I bet.   It brings out the veggie's natural sweetness, gives it a hint of char and makes it crunchy-tender. And it takes all of 20 minutes to do on high-heat in the oven.   "Roasted Broccoli with Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette and Marcona Almonds" is a gussied up version that still takes little effort.   It's from "The Food52 Cookbook, Volume 2" (William Morrow), of which I received a review copy. New York Times writer Amanda Hesser and Le Cordon Bleu-grad Merrill Stubbs created the online cooking community, Food52, which seeks to ferret out the best home-cook recipes. This second volume includes 104 recipes arranged by the seasons.   With this recipe, you make a simple vinaigrette while the broccoli is roasting. With paprika, garlic and sherry vinegar, it boasts a delightfully smoky flavor full of warmth.   Sprinkle on Marcona almonds for a hit of crunch and richness. I buy mine from Costco, where a big container is quite reasonably priced.   For the recipe, click here.           For more musings on food, wine, life and laughter, go to foodgal.com.

 

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