cauliflower puree with mushroom, shallot + thyme ragout and 'cauliflower crust' pizza dough

The humble cauliflower gets no love. It’s often overlooked and rarely makes a star appearance in recipes. That’s unfortunate because cauliflower is undeniably fantastic for so many reasons. It’s easy to cook with, it’s versatile as it readily absorbs the flavor of herbs and spices and it’s in the ‘cruciferous’ family of vegetables, which means it’s ridiculously good for us. It might just be the perfect food.

Cauliflower forms the base for a myriad of delicious recipes. Recently, I followed a few online guidelines for a "pizza crust" made entirely of riced cauliflower and yesterday I decided to roast it with garlic and shallots and then puree it. I almost decided against posting any photos of the puree, as cauliflower mush does not look very appetizing. In fact, it's the epitome of paper mache. The taste however, is out of this world. Really. It’s such a welcome change from the predictable potato dish and roasting it brings out an underlying nutty yet sweet flavor that is truly fantastic. I topped it with a trio of pan roasted musrooms and the accompanying jus, and it was 'meaty' and bursting with flavor. I should add that the 'pizza crust', albeit unique, does not resemble traditional dough. For true pizza enthusiasts, this will seem a tad sloppy. I found I had to bake it a lot longer than the recipe called for in order to acheive that golden, crispy appearance, but it's definitely worth a try, as it offers a different perspective on a very traditional dish.

Lately, I have been drawn to gourmet vegan cuisine. Although I eat meat, I love finding ways to make vegan dishes exciting and satisfying. Have you heard of Candle 79? It’s a gourmet vegan restaurant in New York City and I just ordered their cookbook. I was delighted to see a little blurb about them in the most recent GOOP newsletter, as this epicurean movement towards full-bodied, savory, vegan cuisine fascinates me. Many people don’t think it’s possible to showcase flavorful, hearty food without meat, but I love that establishments like this challenge the traditional mindset of what good food really encompasses. The cookbook should be here any day and I’ll be sure to try a few recipes and share them with you.

Cauliflower 'crust' pizza

birthday weekend

My son, who just turned five, only learned how to properly pronounce my daughter’s name last week. It’s a unique name, so the combination of vowels, consonants and related accents can be tricky. I should be happy that he can finally say his big sister’s name correctly, but instead, I feel a little melancholic about the whole thing. Embarrassingly, I begged him for a few short minutes to go back to saying it the old way, but he shook his head and told me he wasn’t a baby anymore. And he isn’t. Not anymore. And I realized at that moment, that in the depths of newborn haziness and sleepless desperation, when you smell of sour milk and you haven’t washed your hair in days-that babies do in fact grow up. They eventually have opinions on things like haircuts and the color of their rain boots. Sometimes they prefer to color with abnormally fat crayons (even when they are nowhere to be found.) There are times they refuse to get into a grocery cart unless it’s in the shape of a car and other times, the only thing they will eat is peanut butter on a spoon. They get sick. And then they get better. And in between you’ll check and recheck their temperature a million times. You’ll scour over baby books and online forums wondering what to do about teething. You’ll even call your dentist friend on the other side of the country and ask her what she thinks about that very thing. You’ll watch them on their first day of school and fight back the urge to chase after them so they can stay home with you. Just for one more day. And it seems astonishing, unfathomable even, that this teeny, tiny little baby- isn't a baby anymore.

So yes, my little Nikolas is five now. Not a baby. A big boy in fact. Someone who loves dinosaurs and whales and is fascinated by the solar system. A kind, spirited soul who has started a small collection of science encyclopedias and has a million questions about the earth and the stars. Someone who lets you kiss him hard on the cheek and who loves vanilla buttercream cupcakes. A little sports aficionado who fancies hockey and soccer and watching football with his dad. A darling little boy whose very presence makes your face light up with sheer joy.

I don't know where this recipe for buttercream icing originated as I have had it scribbled down in my recipe book for many years. It's Nikolas's favorite so his birthday was laden with loads of cupcakes with buttery vanilla icing. It's so quick and easy and utterly scrumptious. I used this recipe for vanilla cupcakes from the famous Magnolia Bakery in NYC. When my husband and I were there a few years ago, I fell in love with them and found the recipe online. It is my 'go to' cupcake recipe.

leek, shallot + spinach soup with garlic oil + parsley

This soup is vegan. And gluten-free. And I know that makes it sound tasteless, boring and rather dreadful, but please believe me when I say that this is one of the most delicious soups I have ever made. It’s satisfying, robust and remarkably healthy. And if that weren’t enough, it’s also a cinch to throw together. Forty-five minutes. Honest. 

The ground almonds give it a ‘creamy’ texture and the garlic oil adds a hint of heat. If you don’t have time to infuse the oil with garlic, just drizzle it over top as is. 

I just love how all the flavors compliment each other and I love that I’m nourishing my body with really wonderful things. After a holiday season filled with my mom’s fried bread twists, chocolate truffles and copious amounts of wine and cheese, I felt I needed a cleanse of sorts. Not a traditional cleanse per se. No supplement consumption, extreme restrictions, or water glasses filled with cayenne and maple syrup. Just a solid period dedicated to wholesome, healthy food.

Next time I make this soup, I’ll add a bulb of fennel as I think it would be a wonderful addition. And I think you could very easily swap the spinach with kale – or use a combination of both. My only regret is that I didn’t make more. My husband and I ate it for lunch and dinner and there was barely any left for our children. Feeling a tad guilty about that. In our defense, they were at a birthday party most of the afternoon, came home with full bellies and didn’t want any part of our soup. But I know they’ll have the opportunity to try it next time and I’ll be sure to ask for their help. I always find they are more willing to try new things if they’ve had a hand in creating it. Even if it’s something they’re not terribly thrilled about-they will grin and bare it if they’ve assisted in the process. It’s a sneaky brilliant idea really.  

 

two thousand twelve

 One Christmas, many years ago, I had the chicken pox. I remember my mom smearing my little face and body with pink calamine lotion so I wouldn't itch and she made sure I bathed in warm oatmeal every few hours. The lotion left a pasty residue that made me look even more sickly and pale. My poor mom ended up with the chicken pox that Christmas as did my younger sister and brother. I remember my father piling us into the living room on Christmas morning, snapping pictures of everyone in front of the tree. Our eyes were droopy and we were itchy and tired. We whined about having to do such a thing but he assured us that we would look back at those pictures with funny stories to share. He was right. We rang in the New Year with paper hats and lackluster smiles, but we were together and that’s all that mattered. And for as long as I can remember that’s how we celebrated the new year-together as a family. I think that’s why I’ve never had the desire to do anything but spend New Years Eve with my loved ones. 

This year was no exception. We spent NYE in the company of our amazing extended family, preparing a gourmet Asian feast-a collective effort that left us feeling full and satisfied. Of course the best part, was that we had loving arms to embrace and sweet little faces to kiss at midnight.

On January 1^st, we woke up to homemade waffles with chocolate sauce, fresh fruit salad and whipped cream. I’m sharing a lovely recipe for homemade chocolate pudding because it reminds me of the sauce we had on New Years Day with our waffles. It's decadent and delightful.

My grandmother always said, that the way you ring in the New Year and celebrate New Years Day, is a strong indication of how the rest of the year will play out. If her theory is true, 2012 is sure to be filled with sweet surprises.

unit b bathroom refresh

Recently, unit b, the space where I have my painting studio, underwent a pretty big transformation. We were gearing up for our launch party and were pretty pumped to get the place looking awesome. We redid the floors, painted, added new baseboards, chalkboard painted and spruced up each of our offices. One of the major issues with the space was the dingy/scary bathroom. I took the task on of making it less 'scary' and wanted to refresh it on a tight budget. Here's what the bathroom looked like before I started:

I cleaned, sanded, primed, and painted the existing countertop with a melamine paint and finished off with a semi-gloss varnish. I found instructions here on how to do it.

I found two gallons of paint, green and off-white, at home depot in their reject paint section for $9/gallon, instead of the regular $40. I replaced the sink with one I found at ReStore for $15 and found a brushed nickel facet on sale at home depot for $30. A friend of mine helped out with the plumbing – thanks S! After everything was painted, installed and caulked, I found a few inexpensive pieces of art to add colour and accessorized with a few things I picked up at Superstore. I'm a big beliver that you don't have to spend a lot of money to make something look good.