Making New Friends

Reader, this is cauliflower. Do you two know each other? No? You should.

Until recently, I did not know cauliflower. Sure, I'd seen it sitting forlornly on the crudite platter at parties. Being the social snob that I am, I'd pass it by, opting for the popular baby carrot or celery stick instead. On the few occasions when I was brave enough to try that raw cauliflower out, I'd internally curse myself. This is like the dude at the party you smile and nod to and then try to get as far away from as possible, maybe even washing your hands after the interaction... I felt that strongly about raw cauliflower.

But now, after exploring the culinary possibilities within the confines of paleo-world, I've finally discovered that you know, beneath its raw exterior, cauliflower is a really really worth it. A diamond in the rough, if you will.

So next time you're craving rice with your Thai curry, stick a head of cauliflower in the cuisinart, then sautee it in olive oil, black pepper, and a wee bit of salt. SO FRICKIN' GOOD.

Or, if you want to impress non-paleo eaters (and not scare them with the "try this cauliflower! It's just like rice!"--because let's be honest, it's not, and thank goodness), try this amazing recipe for caramelized cauliflower. It's possibly one of the easiest things to make in its class of deliciousness.

On a related note, I will say that I've been longing for sugar yesterday and today. I saw this recipe for dark chocolate almond butter cups that sounded really good earlier in the day, and was feeling mopey about them. Not so much because I "couldn't have" the sugary badness, but because I still want it. But then tonight, I was geeking out while eating my riced cauliflower sauteed in olive oil and salt and pepper. It was really really really nice to have a moment of truly enjoying a dish, and reminding myself that loving food is still going to happen eating this way.