I mean, some of them were OK. I dug salads, carrot sticks

were cool, artichokes were fun to eat if only for the novelty.
Asparagus was even good when it was still green and
crunchy and dipped into Kewpie mayonnaise. But for the
most part, vegetables were pushed over to the “choke down
with a cup of water when my mom’s not looking” corner of
the plate. I now realize that my dislike of vegetables is
entirely my mother’s fault (sorry to break it to you, Ma).
See, kids don’t dislike broccoli. They dislike mushy
broccoli. They don’t dislike Brussels sprouts. They dislike
Brussels sprouts that smell like farts and have the texture of
old cheese. Ah, if only my mom had known how to
properly roast or sear a Brussels sprout when I was a kid, I
could’ve had a good couple extra decades of fine vegetable
dining!
In this chapter, we’ll discuss five basic techniques for
cooking vegetables—blanching/steaming, searing/sautéing,
braising, glazing, and roasting/broiling—the ins and outs of
how they work, and the best times to use them. With a little
luck, I’ll turn every single one of you into a vegetable
believer.

THE FIVE    BASIC   VEGETABLE-COOKING

TECHNIQUES  AND WHAT    THEY’RE GOOD    FOR