The veggie casserole

So a certain friend has asked for veggie casserole recipes, especially those involving brussel sprouts. I don't know if that's going to happen. I'm making an Italian gratin tonight. It's a new recipe and will be paired with a bottle of Mumm Napa to celebrate a friend's new job. Not sure how this sparkling wine pairing will go, but I'm also hoping that the bubbles will impair any shortcomings of this dish. I'll keep you posted, my two readers.

As far as veggie casseroles go, I have bad experiences. I think it's because when I was in college, my sister and I 'house sat' in Paris for a few weeks (basically, stayed at someone's flat and maybe fed a cat as an excuse to pretend we lived in Paris). My sister made us buy the things she ate when she was living in Brittany (one of them being potted flan, which later made her very ill). But we also wanted to make one dish that we could reheat and live off of all week for dinner. So she made this Moosewood recipe of rice and spinach and sesame seeds and cheese and threw it all together, all the while insisting that it was a stellar recipe. Well it wasn't. And it made a slew of green, dry casserole. I think we threw most of it out, but even though I'm a happy vegetarian, I am wary of the casserole. Give me tuna casserole anytime, but veggie casserole? Well, I'm hoping the gratin is the answer to this problem.

As far as the brussel sprouts, I'd suggest bacon and butter. That's it. Butter, bacon, and maybe some nuts?

I'm off to cook. Thanks for reading, my two friends. I'll let you know how this turns out.