KISS and Brussels Sprouts

January 1, 2015 /


Back when Ted was a kid, he was a fan of rock divas, KISS. How appropriate then, that this long lost Folgers commercial appears online, at around the same time that Ted decides to make me Brussels sprouts for my birthday dinner. Watch the video, it’s too funny. I guess it was filmed in 2000, but never aired. I like how into the song he is.

Ted and Maya are not fans of Brussels sprouts, and Ted hates dried fruit in general, but for some reason even he really liked this recipe. Maya ate 1/2 of one Brussels sprout, and declared it not bad, but not something that she would actually order on purpose. If you’re at all a fan of Brussels sprouts, give this a try. It’s delicious. For my birthday, it was served with a wonderful roast duck, mashed potatoes, and delicious tarts that Ted purchased at our local store.

RECIPE: BRUSSELS SPROUTS À LA STANLEY

Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS

Brussels sprouts
Prosciutto, cut into half-inch pieces
Dried cherries
Hot pepper flakes
Aged balsamic vinegar
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Salt to taste
Zest of one lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

First of all, don’t measure out the ingredients. I don’t stress about that kind of thing. Cut a nice amount of Brussels sprouts in half and set aside, whether or not you even like Brussels sprouts. These are off-the-hook delicious. Steam until a little soft.
Next, fry the prosciutto in olive oil until soft. Remove for later.

Put the steamed Brussels sprouts into the pan and brown, turning frequently.

Add dried cherries (I use Mariani) into the pan and cook with the Brussels sprouts. Add the cooked prosciutto and hot pepper flakes.

Stir in high-quality, aged balsamic vinegar. Add enough to coat all ingredients. Don’t be shy.

Add cheese and salt to taste.

Serve in a large bowl and top with lemon zest.

7 Comments

  • Ted

    January 1, 2015 at 3:54 pm

    I can’t believe they didn’t air that ad. It’s so campy and brilliant. And who would have thunk Paul Stanley would become a bit of a cook — and create a dish from things I generally hate into something that’s really quite good!

    • J

      January 2, 2015 at 9:59 am

      All I can say is that it’s a good thing you came up with that recipe. I would have dismissed it out of hand as something you would hate, or else I would have tried to get Cherry to come over and eat it with me.

  • Nance

    January 2, 2015 at 8:18 am

    What a find, that Paul Stanley ad! Personally, I don’t like Folgers coffee, but I was always a KISS fan. And didn’t Paul Stanley do a stint as the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera?

    The Brussels sprout recipe looks intriguing, and I adore them. I’ve never been a fan of dried cherries, but what the heck, I’ll give it a go.

    • J

      January 2, 2015 at 9:57 am

      Nance, I kind of think this commercial was made (and trying to capitalize upon) soon after his stint with Phantom. Then maybe some big wig said, “The elderly who love our coffee don’t want to see some demon with a star on his face, or think about him when they think about their coffee”, so it was pulled. That’s my guess.

      Ted couldn’t find dried cherries, so he used dried cranberries instead. If you like cranberries better than cherries, give that a try. I was just so shocked to see Ted eating Brussels sprouts AND dried fruit, and enjoying it.

  • Rain Trueax

    January 2, 2015 at 4:29 pm

    I had to see how you brought these two seemingly divergent thoughts together :). I love brussels sprouts. I will have to give this recipe a try. Lately some veggies and I don’t get along so well but this seems worth taking the risk 🙂

    • J

      January 2, 2015 at 5:27 pm

      Rain, I hope these are gentle on you! I think BS can be a bit gassy. But you steam them first, then roast them…perhaps that will help?