Roasted Cauliflower — Brussels Sprouts with Bacon — The Table That Proves You’re Still Here

Mid-November. Thanksgiving. Thirty people. The annual feast that has become, over five years of gathering, the defining meal of my year — not because the food is the best (the food is good, but the daily miso soup is better, in a different way, in the way that the daily is always better than the annual) but because the gathering is the proof: the life I built after the divorce is a life worth gathering for. The people come. The people eat. The people stay. The staying is the proof.

The menu was the greatest hits: miso-butter turkey (mine), kabocha nimono (Miya's), Lin's Korean short ribs, Rachel's potatoes, and new additions from the cooking class community: a student named Sarah made her first-ever miso soup for the table, another named James made onigiri. The cooking class food at the Thanksgiving table was the extending made visible: strangers who became students who became cooks who are now bringing their food to my table. The cycle. The chain. The extending. The practice, shared, returned, multiplied.

I said grace: "Thank you for this food. Thank you for the people who taught us to make it. Thank you for the people who are learning to make it. Thank you for the kitchen that holds us, and for the kitchens that will hold us after this one, and for the chipped bowls and the recipe cards and the practice that does not stop, that has not stopped, that will not stop, as long as there is a woman standing at a stove making dashi. Thank you." The grace was a prayer to the future as much as the past. The grace was the newsletter. The grace was the Dashi.

The miso-butter turkey and the kabocha nimono get the glory, but every table like ours — the kind held together by love and sheer stubbornness — needs its anchoring sides, the dishes that say we are serious about this meal without asking for any of the applause. This year, tucked between Miya’s braised squash and Lin’s short ribs, a pan of roasted cauliflower and Brussels sprouts with bacon did exactly that: it asked for nothing and gave everything, and it disappeared before the turkey was carved. I share it here because a gathering of thirty people is really just a gathering of thirty side dishes — and this one earned its seat at my table.

Roasted Cauliflower & Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 5 cups)
• 1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional, to finish)

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet (or two smaller ones — crowding is the enemy of browning) with parchment.
2. Parboil the Brussels sprouts. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add halved Brussels sprouts and blanch for 3 minutes, then drain and pat thoroughly dry. Dry vegetables roast; wet vegetables steam.
3. Toss everything together. In a large bowl, combine cauliflower florets, blanched Brussels sprouts, and bacon pieces. Drizzle with olive oil, add garlic, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Toss until every surface is coated.
4. Spread and roast. Spread vegetables in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, cut sides of Brussels sprouts facing down. Roast for 25 minutes without stirring — you want deep caramelization on the cut faces.
5. Finish the roast. After 25 minutes, toss gently and return to oven for another 8–10 minutes, until bacon is crisp and cauliflower edges are golden and slightly charred.
6. Dress and serve. Remove from oven, drizzle immediately with balsamic vinegar, and toss. Transfer to a serving platter, scatter parsley and Parmesan if using, and serve hot or at room temperature — this dish is forgiving, which matters when thirty people are sitting down at different moments.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 185 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 10g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 420mg