Fab new Brussels sprouts creation

Hot damn! I had some gorgeous, fresh, looovely, baby Brussels sprouts from Sunday's farmers market and wanted to do something with them tonight. Roasted sprouts are always nice but it's getting to be that point in the winter season where I'm nearing fatigue with roasted veggies. I mean really, I've been roasting since Halloween. Anyway, I also didn't want to go the shaved sprout salad route because these babies were too pretty to do anything with except keep them whole. What about a fiery pan fry? A-ha.

I will definitely post this recipe but in brief, I heated a few tablespoons of Spanish olive oil until quite hot, about 315° (I know this because my gadget-loving hubby has an infrared gun for this type of purpose). Into that I tossed 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes and 1 very large clove of garlic which I'd slivered paper-thin. I let that fry for a minute or two and then threw in my Brussels sprouts for maybe 2 minutes, shaking the pan well throughout. Just before serving, I sprinkled liberally with Maldon and served them over thin blood orange slices. Heaven!

Presently, the sweet potatoes are, yes, roasting with garlic, honey, EVOO and Aleppo pepper, and I'm waiting for this rice pudding beauty to cool. And, almost best of all, it's just 7:40p! I will get to bed so early!

Mardi Gras, using every little bit

We're in the lead-up to Mardi Gras right now, at least the folks in Louisiana are. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is next Tuesday, Feb 21. I've not been to the New Orleans parades in years but do hope to take the boys sometime soon. My cousin's little girls have all the gear- the purple, gold and green hats, millions of beads, and the enviably cool ladder chair for watching the floats roll by from a vantage point above most heads in the crowds. It's a seat with wheels affixed to a ladder; this is a great invention. You can wheel your kids' perch down the street -no heavy lifting required- and then upend it, open the ladder and voila, a sturdy seat on high. I just love south Louisiana spirit. Folks associate joie de vivre and laissez le bon temps rouler ('love of life' and 'let the good times roll,' respectively) with Louisiana for a reason: the pace is often slow (it is hot, and the food can be heavy!); people are neighborly in the sense of looking out for each other being the right thing to do rather than an unwelcome obligation; boys (not just girls) learn how to dance and talk comfortably to adults; lovely manners are instilled from an early age (thank you notes, RSVPs, yes ma'am, no thank you); and eccentricity is AOK.

Certainly there are tremendous weaknesses, don't get me wrong. Public education is, by and large, the pits. Politics? Crooked as get out.  The mentality can definitely be small-minded, religion can definitely veer towards the freakily evangelical, and so on. But there is something to be said for a place that boasts New Orleans, Cajuns, Creole cuisine, Mardi Gras, beer cozies on necklaces for hands-free fun, great musical traditions and culture in spades. While I certainly didn't love everything, I'm glad to have grown up there, glad that my grandparents lived 5 minutes away, glad to have learned how to really suck the marrow out of experiences, how to party like a champ, how to have a real zest for life and living.

I won't be in LA again until May, and like I said, I don't even remember my last Mardi Gras, but in honor of all that, I toast all y'all down there and will make do with my appropriately hued fleurs.

On another note, I made some fresh ricotta earlier and now have rice pudding made with its whey in the oven. I love when you get to use every little bit of something. Consider that notion next time you're about to toss something. Carrot tops? Make a pesto. And on and on.

Cooking for one

Did anyone see the marvelous sounding Fennel al Forno recipe in today's NYTimes? I immediately went out and bought some fennel. Naturally, I forgot the mozzarella, but as I already feel like I would win the Best Attendance award if the market were to track such a thing, I am sure I'll be back soon enough and will cook it soon. The dish, an elegant gratin of sorts, is not the sort of thing I'd cook just for me anyway, and as I'm solo tonight, I'm going in another direction. It's still TBD but will definitely be veggie-heavy and lovely. Last night, when I ran out to our garage freezer to get the steaks (I swear by these Piedmontese medallions that I buy from Heritage Foods USA), I was thrilled to discover a huge bag of rhubarb that I'd bought at the farmer's market last summer, chopped and frozen. I'm going to make Melissa Clark's Strawberry-Rhubarb-Meyer lemon jam sometime soon. Doesn't that sound like a beautiful bright spot in the midst of a cold February?

Off to feed the starving heathens. At least they're excited about their salmon, broccoli and fruit.