Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for January 31, 2018

Brussel sprouts, the main reason I avoid traveling to Belgium.

Brussels sprouts are a good way to be flatulent. If anybody complains, just say Sorry, it’s the brussels sprouts. They can’t criticize you for eating healthy.

I approve of this message.

I LOVE Brussels sprouts. But this comic is hilarious!

I actually like brussels sprouts… and broccoli.

It’s just a cabbage that never grew up.

A friend of mine actually makes a pretty good recipe with Brussels sprouts. Of course, bacon and maple syrup are also involved.

The only sprouts I will eat are alfalfa and bean. BUT I loooooooooooove broccoli, and I don’t need a dirty rat to tell me otherwise.

Shows what you know, Rat! Brussels Sprouts and broccoli are varieties of the same plant!

French settlers brought sprouts to the US in the 18th century. Funny enough that they’re not called French sprouts …

I know a French chef who says that Brussels sprouts are only fit for cattle food.

Like most vegetables, over-cooking them ruins them. If they are olive-colored, limp and lifeless, they’re awful; if they’re bright green with a little snap left, they’re delicious (same goes for broccoli).

Zeeba good with brussel sprouts.

I enjoy Brussels Sprouts, broccoli not so much. I have to admit there was a stretch there where broccoli got very overused in our menu. Now, celery is the link that should be cut from the food chain.

George H.W. Bush wants a word with you about that.

Slice them in half and put in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and bake at 350F for 6 or 7 minutes. Unwrap foil and broil for a minute or 2, delicious.

Broccoli is as the wind that blows from Satan’s behind.

OTOH, I love Brussels Sprouts.

A local restaurant roasts sliced Brussels sprouts with just a touch of orange liqueur and honey. Probably roasted at high heat (or broiled toward the end of cooking time), because there is a bit of char on the sprouts. I hadn’t been seriously interested in B. sprouts until I had those.

I like broccoli. I like it a lot. I enjoy preparing it, too. I especially like…. choppin’ broccoli.

Some comics or stories make me hungry, but definitely not this one!

Maybe I don’t want to know, but why to Brussels sprouts smell like swim trunks?

Broccoli is delicious, Rat when cooked correctly. I’ll pass on the brussels sprouts…….

Spread them in a shallow baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sea salt, and bake at 350 for about an hour. Makes ’em melt in the mouth.

Everyone, including my parents, told me when I was growing up that they hated brussel sprouts. I never even saw them as a kid. It wasn’t till I was an adult that I got to try them and I really like them. I also like organ meat(liver, kidney), parsnips, and turnips. I should have been the one living back in the day where we were eating all of that stuff regularly. Modern, pre-packed food leaves a lot to be desired.

…I still enjoyed the joke, FYI.

A simple way to take the bitterness out of sprouts is to add a teaspoon of sugar to the cooking water. And no salt.

I actually like broccoli and I still can’t stand Brussels sprouts. I’ve had them prepared various supposedly tasty ways and the nastiness of the sprouts still cuts through whatever was supposed to mask the flavor.

Brussel sprouts need to have a faint hit of frost to bring out the natural sugars. The ones that are available in stores right now tend to be from climates too warm for frost.

Can’t say this too often, but I am in complete agreement with Rat.

I am also in agreement with Rat’s comment. I have learned to appreciate broccoli and brusell sprouts is persona non grata on my plate

I am also in agreement with Rat’s comment. I have learned to appreciate broccoli and brusell sprouts is persona non grata on my plate

Brussell sprouts are OK if they’re roasted with olive oil and salt… lots of salt.

Amen!

Amen!

We were actually talking about why people either love Brussels sprouts, or hate them. My son, who, for some reason unknown to the rest of us, has done some research on this. Turns out about half of us are born with a gene that makes Brussels Sprouts taste bitter. The others do not have that gene, and so think they taste good. (It may be the other way around, but that’s the general idea.) Personally, I must have that gene, because I can’t stand them.

I have tasted brussels sprouts once or twice steamed, and from what I recall, they taste fine. But then I’m the same person whose favorite vegetable is spinach.

The only way I could eat them as a kid was doused in lemon juice. I’ve since found that I quite like them roasted with olive oil and salt. Actually one of my favorites now.

I will tolerate broccoli in small doses. I used to eat Brussels sprouts as a kid, but have not had them in a very long time.

On a related note, I am quite fond of raw cauliflower with a dip such as tzatziki, along with an ouzo or two, as a appetizer….

I took a Brussels sprout dish to a Christmas potluck (my hostess requested it) that had the sprout haters coming back for seconds!

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/sidedishes/soy-glazed-brussels-sprouts/

Broccoli is awesome while Brussels sprouts are the devil’s vegetable.

Excuse me, I will now run to the bathroom and barf.

I like both broccoli and Brussels sprouts! Personally I think they have kind of the same taste.

Bitter Gourd- The only vegetable that makes Brussels Sprouts sound delicious.

Everybody assumes that brussel sprouts taste terrible, but they are so darn good. It makes no sense.

Broccoli is actually pretty good when my mom makes it.

Glad someone is facing the truth! More power to Rat and Stephan! Actually, not Rat. Powerful Rat would not be fun.