Hello, friends- how are the dwindling days of 2010 treating you? Myself they’re treating fine, though not exactly as planned. Perhaps you heard of the snow that blanketed Britain pre-Christmas, sending airports and train stations into disarray and scuppering the holiday plans of many? Well, I was among that many. My parents, due to fly into London for a family Christmas, Landmark-style, were forced to abandon their travel plans and remain in Canada instead.

When I first discovered this, after a gruelling 6-hour train journey from London to North Wales, no less, I don’t mind saying that I was inconsolable. My family Christmas, the first in two years, gone up in smoke. But after some tearful phone calls and the prospect of an impromptu trip home in January, I cheered. After all, it’s hard to remain too morose in the picturesque Welsh village where Andrew’s parents live, especially when it’s lying under a blanket of snow.

There was talk of heading to be with extended family on the coast, but the weather did away with that plan, as well. Instead the five of us (Andrew’s sister being in residence, too) tucked up next to the wood-burning stove to spend a quiet Christmas in Wales. This presented its own challenges in due course; I caught a terrible cold halfway through the holiday, and deciding how best to roast a turkey between three rather er, opinionated cooks was a lesson in diplomacy. (Andrew’s and my method won out, and it was delicious. Or so I hear.)

Today’s recipe will be familiar (even mundane) to the Brits among you, perhaps slightly foreign to everyone else. “Cauliflower Cheese” is a classic British side, and traditional as part of the Christmas Day spread. When I first experienced this last year I thought it strange, but quickly warmed to the idea. After all, how could one fail to warm to a dish consisting of creamy cheese sauce and tender, in-season veg?

My version is a little more involved than simply drowning boiled cauliflower in cheese sauce and baking it (and thank goodness). Some lightly caramelized onions, a mixture of cheddar, fontina and parmesan cheeses and a sprinkling of fresh nutmeg send this over the edge. Careful now, or this might overshadow everything else on your table and become the main event. Fine by me.

• Luxury Cauliflower Cheese
• adapted from Jamie Oliver
• serves 4 as a side
• 1 large head cauliflower
  1 Tbs. butter
  1/2 a large onion
  2 small bay leaves
  2 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a knife
  1 1/2 cups milk
  1 heaping tablespoon flour
  3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
  3/4 cup grated fontina cheese
  1/4 cup grated parmesan
  black pepper, to taste
  pinch freshly ground nutmeg
• 1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and preheat the oven to 180°C/360°F. Trim the cauliflower into florets; I like larger ones, which look prettier, are more interesting to eat and retain their texture better than bite-sized ones. When the water boils, add the florets and blanche only until the water returns to the boil. Drain and florets and arrange in a baking dish.
  
  2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over moderate heat, and add the onions. Once they’ve softened, add the garlic, bay leaves and a pinch of sea salt. Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes, until onions are golden brown, soft and very fragrant. Remove the garlic and bay leaves and discard.
  
  3. Add 1 cup of milk to the onion mixture and stir well. In a small bowl or mug, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup of milk with the flour until there are no lumps. When the mixture in the saucepan begins to bubble, add the milk and flour mixture in a steady stream, stirring all the time. Continue stirring while the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Add the cheeses and stir until everything is melted, then season with the nutmeg and a good amount of black pepper.
  
  4. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 3o minutes, until bubbling all over and golden brown in places.

It’s no surprise that I take a lot of inspiration from the food bloggers around me. Given that there are so many of us, and their recipes are right at my fingertips (rather than all the way on the other side of the room, where my cookbooks live), it’s completely understandable that I turn to fellow bloggers when looking for new content. But in order to avoid the dreaded “recipe thief” label, I try to be a little clever when doing so. If I’m going to post a blogger’s recipe on Kitchenist, it’s usually one that I’ve adapted heavily, and either from an obscure or niche blog, or simply from an older, long-forgotten post. I’m hardly likely to go over to the world’s best-known blog and grab a recipe right from the front page, am I?

Except that’s what I’m doing today. As soon as I saw the Cauliflower and Parmesan Cake posted by Smitten Kitchen just two days ago, I knew I’d have to make it, and fast. Not only did I have a head of romanescu cauliflower sitting the crisper begging to be used, but come on; it’s a cauliflower cake, and you know I like that idea. So yes, I stole this post from Deb in broad daylight and you know what? I’m not sorry.

Of course, if I hadn’t just admitted that, you’d never know. Not only does my spin on this baked omelette-like cake look completely different from its inspiration, but I’m sure it tastes different, too. The original recipe (adapted in turn from Yotam Ottolenghi), is made in a deep-dish Springform pan, and feeds a load of people. I a) do not have a Springform pan, and b) only have one other person to cook for, so I cut this recipe way back. The result is that it’s not quite as pretty as it could be, and definitely leans a leans more toward omelette than cake.

But looks aren’t everything, and I venture to boast that my version is more than a match for any other in the taste department. A mix of romanescu cauliflower and purple sprouting broccoli adds some veg variation, while sautéed leeks and a good amount of cheddar and parmesan finish the flavour perfectly. Because of its egginess, this would make an impressive brunch dish, but it equally suitable for lunch or dinner, too. Just, er- don’t serve it for dessert.

• Cauliflower and Broccoli Cake
• adapted from Smitten Kitchen
• serves 4-5
• butter, for greasing
  2 Tbs. cornmeal or polenta
  2 cups small cauliflower florets (Romanescu or regular)
  1 cup purple sprouting broccoli florets (1″ lengths”
  1 Tbs. butter
  1 Tbs. olive oil
  1 large leek, sliced
  5 large eggs
  3/4 cup flour
  1 tsp. baking powder
  1/4 tsp. paprika
  1/8 tsp. turmeric
  1/2 tsp. sea salt
  black pepper, to taste
  3/4 cup grated cheddar
  1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1. Preheat the oven to 275°C/350°F and grease the inside of an 8″ loose-bottomed cake tin with butter. Through in the cornmeal and shake until the bottom and sides of the tin are covered. Set aside.
  
  2. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt it well. Add the cauliflower florets and boil for 2 minutes; add the broccoli and continue cooking for another 90 seconds. Drain and rinse the vegetables well in cold water.
  
  3. Head the butter and olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Sauté the leeks for 8-10 minutes until very soft but not yet browned. Set aside to cool.
  
  4. Whisk the eggs together in a large bowl until well beaten. Add the flour, baking powder, spices, salt and lots of black pepper, and whisk well. Add the cheeses and cooled leeks, and whisk again. Stir in the cauliflower and broccoli florets until well coated; feel free to break up any too-large florets with a wooden spoon.
  
  5. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes until puffy and golden on top. Cake will feel firm to the touch when done. Let cool at least 10 minutes before gently un-moulding and  slicing.

See those leftovers? That was last night’s dinner, and today’s lunch. Some meals are just like that; as soon as you put down your fork after the first go-round, you’re already looking forward to the leftovers. I admit to making certain things for dinner just because I love the leftovers so much- bizarre, no?

I didn’t know this recipe was going to be one of those, but after one dinner and one lunch, I’m already hooked. I came across this Spicy Chickpea Stew while browsing The Kitchn‘s archives one bored afternoon. A guest post from Michael of the blog Herbivoracious, it caught my eye primarily because it uses two ingredients that I love eating, but am constantly struggling to get excited about cooking: cauliflower and chickpeas.

This “stew” (more like a curry, really) is made by simmering roast cauliflower florets in a mixture of onion, spices and chickpeas. The flavour is slightly different from my usual curries, in that it includes a healthy dose of cinnamon (yum!) and fennel seeds (not usually a favourite of mine, but they work here).

Last night, I served this over brown rice with a dollop of Greek yogurt on the side. As delicious as it was, Andrew still felt that there was something missing. I think I hit on the right formula for my lunch today, though: served over pasta and sprinkled with cold feta cheese. But don’t think I’ll be letting him in on this discovery- more leftovers for me, this way.

• Spicy Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew
• adapted from this recipe by Herbivoracious
• serves 4 with rice, pasta or couscous
• 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
  4 Tbs. olive oil
  2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  sea salt
  1 large onion, finely chopped
  2 cloves garlic, minced
  2 Tbs. tomato paste
  1 tsp. ground turmeric
  1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  1 tsp. fennel seeds
  1 tsp. cayenne pepper
  2 cups cooked (or canned and rinsed) chickpeas
  juice of one lemon
  black pepper
  1/4 cup chopped coriander, to serve
  1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, to serve
• 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Toss the cauliflower florets with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large baking pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin and a pinch or two of sea salt and roast for 20-30 minutes, until very tender and starting to brown all over. (Stir once or twice to ensure even roasting.)
  
  2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan and add the onion. Cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat until soft and golden. Add the garlic and tomato paste and continue cooking for another minute or two, then add the remaining cumin, the turmeric, cinnamon, fennel seeds and cayenne. Cook for about 30 seconds until the spices are very fragrant.
  
  3. Add the chickpeas, lemon juice and about one cup of water. Cover and simmer over low heat until the cauliflower are done; when they are, add to the pan and bring everything to a low boil. Using a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon, try to crush some of the chickpeas and cauliflower to thicken the sauce- you may need to add more water to achieve a “stew-like” consistency.
  
  4. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then serve over rice, couscous or pasta. Sprinkle the coriander and feta over the top.

Stuffing pasta with cabbage seems like a half-baked idea, I know. For many of us, doing anything with cabbage seems a bit far-out. I used to hate cabbage- well, actually, I used to think I hated cabbage, which is something completely different. We didn’t eat it all that often when I was growing up, so I never really got the chance to decide for myself whether I hated it- but every kid hates cabbage, right?

Andrew proves my theory; he did and still does loathe the stuff. He calls it “poor person” food, an idea planted by the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, one of his favourites as a kid. At the start of the film, Charlie’s family is so poor that all they can afford to eat is cabbage. (Hmm, I wonder if that film is also the reason Andrew loves chocolate so much?) 

It wasn’t until I moved to the UK that I realised how great cabbage can be. Not only is it healthy, delicious, and yes, cheap, but this veg is a total chameleon. I love it braised and sweet or sautéed and spicy. In my family, though, there is one cabbage dish that stands head and shoulders above the rest: boiled, with butter, salt and pepper. Sounds horrible, I know, but with the right ingredients, it’s divine.

Still, no matter how it’s made, Andrew never really warmed to the stuff. Until this, that is. This cabbage-stuffed cannelloni is one dish he’ll happily eat, and I defy any cabbage dissenter to feel otherwise. Originally the recipe (much adapted from a Jamie Oliver one) called for a combination of cauliflower and broccoli, which I strayed from one day when I didn’t have any broccoli in the house. It’s even better this way, so I’ve never gone back. 

Though tasty, this isn’t a quick weeknight meal. The two sauces are practically effortless to make, but the filling does require its fair share of simmering, mixing and mashing. And that doesn’t even take into account stuffing the cannelloni; slow and tricky work, though also calming in a mindless sort of way. The good news is that the whole thing can be made in advance, and kept, covered tightly, in the fridge for up to 24 hours.  

• Cabbage and Cauliflower Cannelloni
• serves 4
• Filling
  1  small head cauliflower, cut into florets
  3 Tbs. olive oil 
  1 small onion, finely chopped
  2 cloves garlic, minced
  3/4 tsp. chili flakes
  1/2 small pointy cabbage (or green cabbage), finely chopped
  sea salt and black pepper
  1/4 cup grated parmesan
  1/3 cup ricotta    

  Tomato Sauce
  1 cup pasatta or simple tomato sauce
  1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
  sea salt and black pepper

  White Sauce
  2/3 cup crème fraîche (low-fat is fine)
  1/3 cup ricotta
  1/4 cup grated parmesan
  sea salt and black pepper

  12 cannelloni noodles (roughly 125g)
  small bunch of basil leaves, torn
  150g ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced
  olive oil, for drizzling

• 1. For the filling, bring a medium pot of water to the boil. When it boils, add the cauliflower florets and cook until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Drain and set aside, but reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. 
  
  2. In a large, heavy-bottomed and lidded pan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the onion, garlic and chili flakes and cook for about 5 minutes, until just softened. Add the cabbage, cauliflower florets, reserved cooking water, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring every so often. You may have to add a bit more water from time to time, but remove the lid for the last 5 minutes, so that it all cooks off. 
  
  3. Remove the pan from the heat and, with a potato masher, crush the cauliflower into the rest of the ingredients; everything should be very soft at this stage. Mix in the parmesan and ricotta and set aside to cool.
  
  4. Now, make your sauces. In one bowl or jug, mix together the passata, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. In another, whisk the ricotta with the crème fraîche, and salt and pepper to taste. 
  
  5. Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F. Lightly oil the bottom of an 8″ x 10″ baking dish and pour in the tomato sauce. Distribute evenly and set aside. 
  
  6. The filling mixture should now be cool enough to handle. Fill the cannelloni with a small teaspoon; with a creamier mixture it can be piped in, but this is chunkier and requires a bit more time. Fill the tubes until almost bursting, and lay flat on top of the tomato sauce.
  
  7. When all the cannelloni are filled, pour the white sauce over the top and spread it evenly to cover. Sprinkle over the torn basil and lay over the sliced mozzarella. Drizzle on some olive oil and bake for 30-40 minutes. The top should be golden brown and the mixture will bubble at the edges. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.   

This recipe is a summertime favourite of mine. I first made it last year for a quick weekend lunch and a way of using up leftovers. I like that the lack of any real “sauce” leaves the lovely colour and shape of the romanescu intact and visible. Of course, this would work with any shape of pasta, but I like it with orecchiette. The thick, chewy shape seems to hold its own against the cauliflower.

Imagine how upset I was, then, when I found that my grocery store of choice, Sainsbury’s, had discontinued their “Taste the Difference” brand orecchiette. I spent about five minutes scanning the shelves for it on Monday, to no avail. I considered making this with a different shape but couldn’t quite muster up the enthusiasm for penne or fusilli. There was only one thing for it- to make my own. 

I’d never made pasta before, but figured it couldn’t be that difficult. That’s the attitude with which I approach most kitchen tasks, in fact- for better and for worse. Maybe I’m deluded and need my head examined, but I can’t think of any cooking task as hard, per se. Fiddly, yes. Time-consuming, sure. But difficult? It’s just following instructions, for heaven’s sake! 

Except that often I don’t follow instructions, as was the case here. When looking for a basic pasta recipe I came across the two basic types: egg and eggless. The egg doughs, most containing at least three eggs and some as many as five yolks, seemed too eggy to me. The eggless, not eggy enough. And then there was the flour- some called for all-purpose, some finely milled “00″ grade, and some semolina, the coarser durum wheat product, which is meant to grab onto the sauce. 

In the end I decided to wing it. I used two of the tiny eggs I got from the farmer’s market on Sunday, and a mixture of “00″ flour and semolina. Adding just enough warm water to make a workable dough, I kneaded until my arm got tired (I always assume that’s the optimum kneading time) and left it at that. 

The shaping was another story. My first attempts resulted in pathetic, misshapen lumps, and I’d used up at least a third of the dough before I’d really mastered the technique. Orecchiette means “little ears” in Italian, but mine were anything but. Huge, monstrous ears more like. Seriously- I was not prepared for how much these little guys would expand on boiling. My advice? Make them as small as you possibly can if you wish to avoid your pasta resembling dumplings. 

I don’t have any previous pasta-making experience to compare to, but I was happy with how these turned out. Though larger than I’d planned, the orecchiette had that great chewy texture, and were flavourful without being too rich. If you’ve never made pasta before I’d definitely recommend giving it a go. You don’t even need a pasta machine for this, and following a recipe to the letter is clearly not a prerequisite for success. 

• Homemade Orecchiette
• serves 4
• 1 1/2 cups “00″ grade flour
  1/2 cup semolina
  1 tsp fine (not sea) salt
  2 small eggs (or one extra-large) 
  1/2 cup warm water (possibly more)
• 1. Mix together the flour, semolina and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and crack in the egg(s). 
  
  2. Using a fork, begin to whisk the eggs. As you go, gradually make your strokes wider and wider. At first you will be whisking only eggs, then a bit of flour to make a slurry, and then more flour, and so on until the dough becomes lumpy and you cannot whisk anymore.
  
  3. At this point, start adding the warm water. Start with 1/4 cup and mix with a spoon or dough whisk. Add more water, until you can form a smooth dough that is neither sticky nor crumbly.
  
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and very elastic. When you poke your finger into it, the dough should bounce back. Place the ball of dough aside to rest for 30 minutes, covered with a damp tea towel. 
  
  5. When you’re ready to form the orecchiette, lightly flour a work surface and break off a handful of pasta dough. Roll into a long tube about 1/2″ in diameter. Using a sharp knife, cut the tube into 1/4″ sections.
  
  6. To form, flour your thumb and simply press down on the cut side of each piece, rolling it slightly along the surface as you do so. This takes practice so don’t worry if you find it tricky- homemade pasta should look homemade!
  
  7. Line up the formed orecchiette on a floured baking sheet and put in the fridge, loosely covered, until you’re ready to cook them. Orecchiette will cook in salted boiling water in about 2-4 minutes, depending on the size and thickness. 

• Orecchiette with Romanescu Cauliflower
• serves 2
• 1 very small head romanescu cauliflower (or half a regular one), cut into bite-sized florets
  200g orecchiette, homemade or store-bought
  2 Tbs. olive oil
  2 shallots, finely sliced
  2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  1/2 tsp.  chili flakes 
  1/4 cup grated parmesan, plus more to serve
  sea salt and pepper, to taste
• 1. Set a large pot of water over high heat. When it boils, salt generously and add the cauliflower florets. Cook until tender, about four minutes, and remove with a slotted spoon. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process, and set aside.
  
  2. If you’re using store-bought pasta, add it to the boiling water now. If you’ve made homemade (which cooks much faster), wait until after step 3 to add the pasta.
  
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick pan over medium heat. When hot, add the shallots, garlic and chili flakes in one go. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, until shallots are soft and beginning to brown. 
  
  4. Add  the cauliflower florets to the pan and cook for another minute or so. Add about 1/4 cup pasta cooking water and turn the heat down to low.
  
  5. When the pasta is done, drain and add the the pan. Add the parmesan, salt and pepper to taste, and a bit more water if it seems too dry. Serve immediately, with extra parmesan on top.  

Usually when people begin to mess around with perfectly good recipes, it’s with the admirable aim of improving them: making them quicker to prepare, healthier, or just plain tastier. Not me, though. I confess to sometimes messing for far stupider reasons- laziness, boredom, the fun of messing.

This dish, originally from Simple Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin, is one that probably didn’t need any changes in the first place. Creamy, cheesy, fresh-tasting and slightly spicy, it always hits the spot. My Mum used to make it when I was growing up, and when I went away to university, it was one of the recipes I carefully copied into my green plastic notebook of familiar foods, in preparation for feeding myself. I think I made it once in four years. 

Lately, though, I’ve been eating this dish a lot more. I finally figured out what it was that made this dish, delicious as it was, appear so infrequently on my table. It’s the cream. Not that I’m anti-cream, mind you- I’m not one of those- it’s just that I rarely have any in the fridge, let alone a whole cup of it. I tried using milk, but it lead to disappointment (as using milk in place of cream generally does). Inspiration eventually struck, though, in the form of a béchamel. I always have milk, butter and flour around, and the creamy texture is just what I was after.

Look, I know. By making a béchamel, you not only add to the recipe list, but also to the time required, what with all that pesky whisking action. But I can’t help it; I just really, really like making white sauces. I always have, ever since I started making my own mac and cheese at the age of 12, with a little help from a 1980′s Canadian Living Microwave cookbook. It doesn’t matter how many times I do it, I’m always entranced by the magical thickening power of butter and flour. 

Feel free to use cream if you wish (just replace the butter, flour and milk with one cup of cream, and mix all sauce ingredients together, no heat required), but I like it this way. 

• Cauliflower and Pasta Gratin
• Adapted from Jeanne Lemlin
• serves 4
• 1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
  250g penne or similar pasta shape
  1 Tbs butter
  2 garlic cloves, minced
  1/2 tsp red chili flakes, or to taste
  1 Tbs flour
  1 cup milk
  1 1/4 cup passatta (or purée canned tomatoes) 
  1/4 chopped basil
  1/4 grated fresh parmesan
  salt and pepper
• 1 slice fresh bread, brown or white
  1 Tbs fresh grated parmesan
  1 tsp olive oil
  salt and pepper
• 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Prepare a gratin dish by coating the inside with a touch of olive oil. 

  2. When the water boils, drop in the cauliflower and cook until tender, approx 4-5 minutes. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the pasta to the water and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside with cauliflower. 

  3. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter until it begins to foam. Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook for about one minute. Then add the tablespoon of flour, and whisk into a paste for another 30 seconds. 

  4. Add the milk and whisk continually until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Turn off the heat and add the passatta,  basil, parmesan, salt and pepper to taste, and mix to combine. Add the pasta and cauliflower, stir to coat, then pour into the prepared gratin dish.

  5. To make the parmesan breadcrumbs, tear up the piece of bread and grind in a food processor or spice blender until fine. Add the parmesan, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and mix well. The breadcrumbs should be faintly moist from the oil.

  6. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the gratin, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.