Brussel sprouts - tasty and not feet-like at all

I've just tapped into how great Brussel sprouts are.

I always thought Brussel sprouts tasted nasty, largely basing my opinion of these green minions by an episode from Full House where the father Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) confessed to his mother how much he hated brussel sprouts, claiming they smelled like stinky feet. As a child, Full House was the definitive show for learning "life lessions," so I took everything they said as truth. I never looked at brussel sprouts, nor had any inclination to try them. If I saw them on a menu, I actively avoided them. I think it's probably akin to when most people see the word "durian." (sidenote: I love durian, too!) It wasn't until I was on one of my weekly runs with a friend that we got on the usual topic of "what was the best thing you ate this week?" He mentioned sauteing brussel sprouts in a pan and tossing in a light vinaigrette. I asked him, "don't they taste like feet?" When he told me how delicious they could be, if cooked right, I decided to give them a try.

Image courtesy of ThorPorre

Maybe seen as physically offputting, brussel sprouts are quote the opposite in health benefits. It's in the same family as kale and broccoli, the cruciferous vegetables. Its health benefits include having the ability to prevent DNA damage that happens to our bodies, lower cholesterol levels, and possess anti-cancer properties. Loaded with tons of nutrients, it's definitely an underdog vegetable that deserves more attention.

I think one reason counting against brussel sprouts is their slight bitter taste, paralleling its sibling kale.Most recipes for these lovely greens calls for steaming, but I personally love to roast brussel sprouts with a light coating of olive oil and salt and pepper. It's really simple, but if you roast until they're lightly brown, they taste delicious. Simply toss in olive oil, sprinkle on seasoning, and roast for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F in the oven. So tasty. If into cheese, try these with a light coating of parmesan cheese.

Some more news this weekend: I attended my first WonderCon in Anaheim. Similar to Comic-Con, WonderCon is a meeting of all things comics, film, art, and was lots of fun.

MOH and I took a break from our studies to check out this annual meeting, and we picked up some great art commission pieces. One piece that I'm pretty excited about is this zombie runner, done by Joel Gomez. I asked for a piece of a zombie running toward a finishing line with parts flying to and fro, and couldn't be happier with the results.

Until next time, happy eating all!