By I closed on a beautiful home in Temple Terrace this week. The buyers — a young couple, first-timers — looked at the keys the way I looked at my real estate license in 2012: like they were holding the future in their hands.
Sophia came home with a perfect score on her lab report and announced it with the casual confidence of a girl who expects excellence from herself and receives it. She has Nikos's pride — the kind that pretends not to care while caring so fiercely it has its own gravitational field.
Some weeks are ordinary. This was an ordinary week. I sold houses. I cooked dinner. I called Mama. I drove to Tarpon Springs on Sunday. The extraordinary thing about ordinary weeks is that they are the ones you miss most when they are gone.
I made imam bayildi — eggplant stuffed with tomatoes and onions, braised in olive oil until everything collapsed into silk. We ate at the kitchen table, just the three of us, and for a moment the house was not quiet or loud — it was exactly right. Full. Fed. The sound of forks on plates is the sound I love most in this world.
The olive oil in my kitchen is from a Greek import shop in Tampa that sources from Kalamata. It is expensive. It is worth it. I use it on everything — salads, fish, bread, vegetables, the edge of a pot of soup — because olive oil is not a condiment in this family, it is a philosophy. Use it generously. Use it without apology. Use it the way you use love: poured freely, never measured, always more than you think you need.
That night at the kitchen table — just the three of us, forks on plates, the house exactly right — the imam bayildi was the centerpiece, but nothing ever sits alone on a Greek table. These roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta and balsamic were right beside it, and they are the best argument I know for my olive oil philosophy: pour it generously, use it without apology, and let the heat do the rest. If Sophia’s perfect score deserved a celebration and the closed deal deserved a toast, then this is the kind of side dish you make when ordinary is more than enough.
Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 3 oz pancetta, diced
- 3 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
- Prepare the Brussels sprouts. Trim the ends from the Brussels sprouts, remove any damaged outer leaves, and halve them lengthwise. Spread them cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
- Add pancetta and season. Scatter the diced pancetta evenly over the Brussels sprouts. Drizzle generously with olive oil — do not be shy — then add the minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Toss everything together directly on the pan until well coated.
- Roast. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and roast for 20–25 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until the Brussels sprouts are deeply caramelized and crispy at the edges and the pancetta is golden and rendered.
- Make the balsamic glaze. While the sprouts roast, whisk together the balsamic vinegar and honey in a small bowl. In the last 5 minutes of roasting, drizzle the balsamic mixture over the pan and return to the oven to allow it to reduce and coat.
- Finish and serve. Remove from the oven, scatter with fresh chopped parsley, and transfer to a serving platter. Serve immediately while the edges are still crisp.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 16g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 390mg