To all the brussels sprouts haters -- I have to say that these are amazing if cooked properly. IMO, if they are steamed, don't bother. What you want is some caramelization -- either through a single-layer saute so that every sprout touches the bottom of the pan, or a high-heat roast with olive oil, garlic cloves and a little liquid of some sort added toward the end. Plenty of coarse salt. Yum. They should also be smallish and cut at least in half, maybe even quarters. See Mark Bittman and Heidi Swanson for excellent recipes.
Dislikes...
I am not a fan of peppers since I feel that any dish that includes peppers becomes, essentially, a pepper dish. They take over the flavor in a most domineering way. I cannot abide peas or lima beans. And, as a vegetarian, I have seen way too many eggplants abused in the hands of restaurant chefs who can't think of any other meatless thing to put into a sandwich. You have to know what you're doing to cook an eggplant. (Properly cooked eggplant is my Perfect Pants Length: it's really important, but almost no one knows how to do it correctly.)
Loves...
Broccoli, spinach, arugula, roasted cauliflower, collard greens, kale, summer tomatoes, artichokes, avocado, broccolini. And the aforementioned, much-maligned brussels sprouts.
One more dislike: cucumbers. On this one, I defer to Samuel Johnson, who famously said, "A cucumber should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing."
