Cauliflower Power

This was the weekend of cauliflower. The restaurant has one off-menu special pie every night, usually something both original and "seasonal" -- I use quotes because some ingredients are technically seasonal, but in truth are available all year round. Sure, cauliflower is in season right now, but we get in imported from South America every day of the year.

Anyway, Chef A has been thinking in terms of soup-pizza: what soups could work well when baked on a crust. He decided on pureed cauliflower, a substance that has an oddly mashed-potato vibe to it. He was riffing out loud, asking for ideas. I've never been a fan of cauliflower -- my most recent experiences with it are when B orders a cauliflower pasta dish that smells like feet. I suggested mellow roasted garlic would be a nice complement.

So I go out to the markets to pick up cauliflower and chives. I steam the florets to soft with a few cloves of garlic, then put it all in the food processor, throwing in heavy cream, butter and salt as I go. Chef A makes a pie with four quadrants, each with the puree and different toppings -- fennel and provolone; cherry tomatoes and chives; mushroom and Gorgonzola; artichoke. Though I liked the tomato one as being the most visually attractive, all the pies were overwhelmed by their toppings, none having a strong cauliflower taste. So Chef A went back to the drawing board. I ran out and got another head of cauliflower, and we sliced the florets thin so we could roast them in the oven.

The next day, I asked Chef A how the special went and he said a customer had complimented the kitchen for producing their favorite pizza ever. I spent the day, outside the usual routine, making a new batch of cauliflower puree. This time I added 5x more steamed garlic, upped the roasted garlic and went lighter on the cream and heavier on the butter. The garlic was still mellow, but their was a creamier aspect happening without the heaviness of actual cream. At the end of m shift, I had A make me a special: first fresh moza is put lightly on the crust, as a layer of heat protection to keep the puree from burning. Then the puree is spread on, then it is topped with small amount of shredded provolone, roasted cauliflower and caramelized onion. It tasted nothing like feet, and the two cheeses and the mellow sweetness of the onions brought out the nicer earthy aspects of the vegetable.


ADDENDA:
On Sunday after work, I met E on bikes, we went grocery shopping, then went home and whipped out six pies, three pumpkin (from actual pumpkin, not cans) and three apple-cheese pie, involving cubes 0f sharp cheddar in the filling and grated cheddar in the crust. For the crusts, we used a vodka dough recipe, which came out perfectly flaky and light as advertised. It was crazy fun, and I noticed a lot of little things that I picked up in c-school as we went along.

I had a bunch of dough left over that went in the freezer, I wonder what pies I should make in the next few weeks....

SATURDAY BREAKFAST: 9:30am, banana, 2 frozen waffles, small ramekin of chocolate ice cream, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5

LUNCH: 4pm, roasted potatoes, cheesecake, orange soda, cauliflower pizza, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5

DINNER: 7:15pm, fresh shrimp spring roll, sushi rolls, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5

EVENING SNACK: 11pm, mac n' cheese casserole, 1 bowl. hunger 4/5

SUNDAY
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, apple, bagel with homemade hummus, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5

BRUNCH: Noon, 4 pieces focaccia french toast, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

LUNCH: 4pm, cauliflower pizza, root beer, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5

DINNER: 9pm, small block of mac n' cheese casserole, half a small Wolfgang Puck frozen pizza, half slices of freshly baked pumpkin and apple-cheese pie, 2 bowl, hunger 4/5
Wolfgang Puck's frozen pizza was surprisingly clownish, thick crust even for a frozen pizza, overcheesed and not fresh tasting. I doubt he ever had anything to do with this commerical blandness, other than give his name to it.