When No One's In the Kitchen with Mama

Yesterday when left to her own desserts in the kitchen, Mama actually made dessert, among other things. But first the roasted Brussel sprouts, for which I had been hankering. She roasted them like we have several other vegetables and they came out wonderful crispy on the outside and almost creamy-tender on the inside. If you think you don't like Brussel sprouts, think of them as little cabbages and try them this way.

But as much as I liked them, the Brussel sprouts didn't compare to Mama's Pumpkin in Coconut Milk, a Thai dessert she remembers from childhood. She wasn't pleased with the texture of the sugar pumpkin, which became stringy like spaghetti squash, and, when I asked my friends at the vegetarian restaurant, they suggested using Hubbard squash instead. I think you could also easily substitute sweet potatoes. But Mama was also a little hard on herself because the flavor was great. Besides, what isn't good boiled in coconut milk??

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Roasted Brussel Sprouts

2 pounds Brussels sprouts
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400* F.

Remove the ends and brown or damaged leaves of the Brussel sprouts. Rinse well in cold water. Dry the sprouts well. Cut in half lengthwise. In a bowl, gently mix the sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on foil-lined baking sheet for 30- 40 minutes, until crispy and on the outside and tender inside.

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Pumpkin in Coconut Milk

4 oz pumpkin (try a Hubbard)
1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Peel the skin off the pumpkin and cut into bite sized pieces.
2. Mix the sugar with the water and boil until the sugar dissolves. Add the pumpkin and cook for 10 minutes.
3. In a separate saucepan, simmer the coconut milk with salt for 1 minute and set aside to cool.
4. To serve place the pumpkin & a little syrup in a bowl and top off the coconut milk

Appon's Thai Food Blog