My friend Andy Jacobson died on Saturday. He was only 52, and he left behind an incredible wife and two amazing teenagers. I saw it coming but I wasn't prepared. I wanted more time with him, a chance to fix him the Brussels sprouts salad that was the subject of his last tweet to me. In response to my posting this video on the subject, he wrote: "Looks so good! Will you make them???? Pleeeeeze." I never got around to it. Like my father, he had stomach cancer, so he might not have been able to eat it anyway. But still. I'm making it now, Andy, and I'm hoping that whoever else tries the recipe below will think of you, too. An aesthete, a mensch, a quibbler, a devoted father and husband, a loyal friend, a merry prankster. One of G's pals from way back, and like family to us, he got himself licensed so he could perform our wedding ceremony, and he milked that crowd for laughs. The gods are surely smiling today.

The Fudehouse video pretty much says it all as far as a shaved Brussels sprout salad goes, but I'm also including my own version, which includes minced shallots. Feel free to substitute pecorino for the Parmesan. Make sure to shave the sprouts very finely—a super-sharp knife works well if you don't have a mandoline—and then add a pungent dressing. I like a combination of walnut and olive oils, the tartness of lemon, the bite of mustard and the tang of pecorino. But I've also used capers, pine nuts, olives, champagne vinegar and even mustard oil (not all at once). As with everything, once you learn the basic technique, you're free to experiment.

I'll miss Andy terribly and my heart feels as heavy as a knish. But I've learned that grieving takes place while life continues on, and sooner or later it's time for dinner.