morsels & sauces

I have always loved cauliflower, so it is nice to see that this little brassica get its 15 minutes in the spotlight. Granted, its current moment seems to be confined to substitution status for white rice. (Seriously, have you seen  all of the recipes for cauliflower "rice"?  Enough to make anyone's paleo heart pitter patter.) But not for me--cauliflower can always step the spotlight, in any form. Enter Ottolenghi, center stage. Let me tell you a little about this cauliflower cake. With the addition of the flour, this dish is a little bit more substantial than your basic egg dish.  Infused with onions, this cake is savory and satisfying.  And while there is the slightest whisper of turmeric, it's more for color than taste. I really wouldn't change a thing, even the slightly precious sliced onions placed ever-so-decoratively atop this cake. But come on, let's treat ourselves with a little decoration, even if we're serving this for a simple dinner....

Do you need a super easy go-to appetizer? Are you stressing about your pre-dinner bites? Are you sick of cheese and crackers (okay, that's blasphemy)?   I gotta say, it's as simple as having some frozen puff pastry on hand, because Martha Stewart is to the rescue. Again. We would expect no less from the queen of entertaining. While this would be the perfect appetizer for a Mexico - Italy soccer match up in the World Cup, I can also vouch for its viability in an American Superbowl game this past February. Since I don't particularly care about the Superbowl (and somehow do decidedly care more about the World Cup), I do try to ensure that the food is fantastic on that wintry Sunday evening. Enter Puff Pastry Tart Three Ways. Sure, you could make just one, but this is perfect as a combination piece because everyone can have a little of everything. And it really does look quite striking all together. And if you cut it into even smaller bites, you can spre...