Suzi's Blog

Crispy Cauliflower with Lemon and Mint

by Brian on September 1st, 2010 in Recipes No Comments

I know that the title of this post will have caused some people to pause for just a moment. How can a blog devoted to chocolate and alcohol present something about cauliflower?

It turns out that my food pyramid is defective:

• Level 1: Sugars: white, light brown, dark brown and confectioners
• Level 2: Butter, eggs and milk
• Level 3: Flour and baking powder
• Level 4: Bacon and chicken wings

It appears that I left out vegetables. And it further turns out that there are some rarely eaten vegetables that can be delicious. Even cauliflower. How many times have you eaten cauliflower? Unless you eat a lot of cheap stir fry, I bet you can count the number of times on your fingers.

But this dish is a reason you’ll need to start counting on your toes, too. This is an excellent side companion, one that will create conversation at the dinner table.

This recipe can be quickly made and gives you the freedom to experiment. Try more lemon or chile or mint, bump up the onion, maybe add some Asian hot sauce. This can be your cauliflower gateway. The recipe is from Chef Bruce Binn of Termidor in San Francisco. It’s further proof that San Francisco is an American culinary mother lode.

In the directions below, the cauliflower is baked, cooled, then warmed in a skillet. We were testing, we were hungry, we skipped the cooking and warming part. We went directly from oven to seasoning and found the disk yummy.

Not to worry, my readers. I will be returning to chocolate and alcohol in the next blogs.

Crispy Cauliflower with Lemon and Mint

Yield: Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head of cauliflower, rinsed, trimmed and cut into small florets (about 1 pound)
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt
• 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 mint leaves, torn

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower floret with 2 tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Transfer the cauliflower to a rimmed baking sheet and roast, rotating the baking sheet and stirring the cauliflower halfway through, until the edges are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the cauliflower and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until crispy and warmed through, about 4 minutes.

In a large blow, toss the cauliflower with the lemon juice, pepper flakes and mint. Season with salt and serve immediate.

Source: Chef Bruce Binn, Termidor, San Francisco and published in Tasting Table

Grilled Rack of Lamb with Mango Mint Mojo

by Brian on August 2nd, 2010 in Cookbook Reviews No Comments

Rack of lamb? The very phrase generates images of a posh restaurant, an exceptional chef, a wonderfully satisfying meal, and something you could never do yourself. It’s true that this dish is sumptuous. But you don’t need an upscale restaurant to enjoy it. And, yes, you can easily do rack of lamb yourself. In fact, you can go one-up and use this specific recipe with a chile rub that will have your tongue tingling.

This delightful dish is actually easy. Suzen offers this main course at Cooking by the Book where twenty or thirty or forty people come to cook together. That group is divided into teams with each team assigned one recipe at their workstation. At the end of the evening, the lamb team always gets a standing ovation. Make this dish, and you, too, will be applauded.

This recipe is from the brilliant chef and author Douglas Rodriguez. By all means, look at his cookbooks for recipes that are tested, distinctive, and incredibly satisfying.

Grilled Rack of Lamb with Mango-Mint Mojo

Yield: Plan on 2-3 ribs per person

Ingredients for Dry Adobo Rub (2 cups) and One Rack of Lamb:

• 5 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 5 tablespoons mustard seeds
• 5 tablespoons toasted cumin seeds
• 6 dried ancho chiles, seeded and chopped or powder
• 6 dried guajillo chiles, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 6 tablespoons salt
• 1 rack of lamb (7 to 8 ribs)

Ingredients for Mango-Mint Mojo (2 Cups):

• 2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and chopped
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Preparation:

For Adobo Rub: Heat a large skillet over high heat. Place ingredients in the skillet and toast until they become fragrant and charred and the seeds begin to crackle, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the skillet from the hat and let cool. Working in batches, if necessary, transfer the toasted ingredients to a spice mill or coffee grinder and grind until smooth. Store in an airtight container until needed.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

For the Lamb: Using a sharp knife, remove the fat from the rack of lamb so the bones are clean but still attached to the loin. Thoroughly coat the lamb with the adobo rub. Transfer the lamb to a platter and let sit in the refrigerator up to an hour.

In a cast iron skillet or grill pan, sear racks on the meaty side for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a sheet or roasting pan, place in oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the interior of the meat reaches 125°F for rare or 135°F for medium-rare. Alternatively, the racks may be cut into chop and seared or grilled.

Source: Nuevo Latino by Douglas Rodriguez