Creamy Cauliflower and Onion Gratin & Cumin-Roasted Cauliflower and Dates with Tahini and Pine Nuts by Alison Roman

I admit that cauliflower isn’t my favorite vegetable. It probably ranks #10 in my top ten. It has very little flavor and too much fiber for its own good. Cauliflower can only wow me if it’s been given a glow up by other definitive flavors. There are many ways to doctor up these bland little trees, and the two recipes mentioned here are perhaps the tastiest cauliflower recipes I’ve cooked to date. 

(Side note: I firmly believe cauliflower should not be “riced” — rice grains are rice. Don’t mess with a beautiful thing.)

The cauliflower gratin adds red pepper flakes and a whole lot of dairy to help spice things up. At first, I was intimidated by the way the cauliflower is cut — in half inch thick disks. The picture in the book shows a perfect spindly flower fitting into a 9inch cake pan, and I wondered if I could attempt the same thing. Turns out, it’s not that hard! You just need a long, sharp knife and steady hand. The cauliflower is layered with cheese and poured over with a mix of cream and melted butter. Once baked and bubbly, that’s really all there is to it. 

One miss for me is Alison‘s lack of salting directions. It’s not like her to skip telling you to add salt and pepper at pretty much every step in a recipe. Here, she didn’t add salt to the layers of cauliflower, (just to the cream and cheese) and I felt the dish was overall under salted. So feel free to add a small sprinkling of salt over each layer of cauliflower. 

I skipped the breadcrumbs in this go around, but would recommend adding them for textural contrast and added saltiness. Also, my cream mixture never solidified in any real way. I’m not sure if I didn’t keep in the oven for long enough, or if the cream should truly stay in liquid form, but beware if you plan to bake and then transport this dish to a Friendsgiving — cream WILL spill out the sides if you’re not careful. 

Above all, the cumin-roasted cauliflower recipe truly wins the contest (yep, it’s a contest now). I made it as our vegetable side dish for Thanksgiving, and much to my surprise, Jordan said it was his favorite part of the entire meal. We had Alison’s stuffing, a turkey, two kinds of potatoes, and still, he liked the cauliflower the most. Believe me when I say, that’s a powerful statement coming from him. 

What made the cumin roasted cauliflower so great was the variety of flavors and textures used. Cauliflower gets broken down into tiny florets and roasted with cumin seeds until crispy and charred in some places. Part way through, dates are added to the roasting sheet, bringing a sweetness that nicely contrasts with the acid from the white wine vinegar and creaminess of the tahini. Cilantro makes this dish sing. I admit to skipping mint and pine nuts due to cost, but in no way did I feel like this dish lacked anything. Mint and pine nuts would have only elevated it further. 

178 and 179 recipes cooked, 46 to go.

Cripsy Kimchi and Cheddar Omelette by Alison Roman

Lately, I’ve come home from long days at work and felt like I have very little energy left to cook, much less write about my cooking. It has nothing to do with a lack of desire – I’m genuinely interested in cooking. I long to do it! And yet, my body, my mind, my heart feel so tired. It’s true that cooking often gives me energy and life; but not in this season. I just want to sit on my couch and feel mesmerized by the cars that fly by on the Dan Ryan Expressway. 

Last night, I came home from the train station, got dressed in my workout clothes, and walked to an exercise class. I know I just said I don’t have energy, but sometimes my mind can forget that and override feelings of exhaustion for just the amount of minutes it takes to get from my apartment to the gym. Once I’m at the gym, I might as well take the class. You get it. 

After I returned home, I had even less energy to cook dinner. So what did I make? Breakfast food. An omelette with cheddar and kimchi. All it took was beating several eggs, topping them with shredded goat’s milk cheddar and chopped quick kimchi, and then frying it in an even layer in a large pan. Since I made the kimchi the night before, the whole process took a total of ten minutes. And wow, it was delicious. 

Alison nails the ratio of egg to cheese to kimchi, so none of the ingredients dominates the dish. Each one plays an equally important role in flavor and texture. As I mentioned before, the quick kimchi is rather mild. Which in this recipe, works well so as not to overpower. I love a good runny egg, and Alison suggests frying the bottom while keeping it runny on top. You can cook it longer if you want to, but the eggs could quickly turn hard and rubbery. This omelette paired really well with ketchup. The heat from the kimchi makes hot sauce unnecessary. 

142 recipes cooked, 83 to go.

Crispy Haloumi with Honey and Pistachio by Alison Roman

Crispy what? Crispy haloumi! Haloumi isn’t a common ingredient, and I’m met with some blank stares when I say the word. So for those of you who need it, allow me to introduce you to my friend and co-conspirator, haloumi. (He says hi.) 

Haloumi is a semi-hard, unripened cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk. It has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled. Haloumi is especially common in Greek cuisine. It is typically sliced into ½-inch “steaks,” which can be seared on medium-high heat on a skillet or grill pan. The cheese will not melt! Instead, it’s surface gets a nice brown color, like a fried cheese steak. About 4 minutes on each side, though the second side might brown a little faster. 

It comes in a tight plastic package that has a small amount of brine encasing the block of cheese. I found my haloumi at Trader Joes. The block was 8.8 oz, and rather small, so it required some “Where’s Waldo” skills to find in the midst of the very crowded cheese section. 

Haloumi is quite salty. Which is why its pairing with drizzled honey and toasted nuts is a brilliant combination. The entire plate was gone in mere minutes. I served it on its own (no crackers required), and right off the pan. Let the cheese cool too much, and it loses some of its magic. 

In fact, I waited until my guests arrived to start frying it so they could watch me prepare them, which built the sense of enthusiasm and anticipation. I toasted and chopped my pistachios ahead of time so they were ready to go. This was such a simple, easy appetizer, that I will be making this many more times in the future. 

82 recipes cooked, 143 to go.