Learn to Make the Best Broccoli of Your Life (Really!)

Love it or hate it: Broccoli is an incredibly popular and versatile vegetable. And it can be unbeatably delicious when prepared right, as the cookbook author and chef Sohla El-Waylly does in her latest installment of “Cooking 101.”

• Learn how to shop for broccoli, the difference between organic and nonorganic, and when to buy each.

• Get to know the parts of the broccoli and how to best break down a head and strip down your stalks for extra flavor.

• Blanch broccoli to perfection and turn it into a rich, nutty side dish studded with dates.

• Maximize raw — yes, raw — broccoli by dressing it with an assertive dressing that breaks it down. (And as a bonus: Find out how to yield fluffy quinoa every time.)

• Watch how to char your broccoli simply on a sheet pan to bring out its sweetness. (Did you know broccoli could be sweet?)

• Dry broccoli thoroughly and quickly, and oil it smartly so it singes in all the right ways.

• Lastly, learn to make an after-school classic: broccoli and cheese, with the perfect amount of cheese, and steamed right in the microwave.

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