Adventures in Cauliflower

Friends.  When you invite a Jeff-Award/Iron Bartender winning Broadway actress to your home to guest star on your food blog, there is no need to be nervous.  Jeff Award/Iron Bartender winning Broadway actresses are just like you and me.  They put on their slacks one leg at a time, they enjoy a Mariano's oyster bar, they host drag queen dinner parties at their home.  Just like you and me.

Unlike me, Miss Caroline Neff happens to be a vegetarian, so she offered to teach me how to make one of her favorite dishes (which when I make again will probably pile tons and tons of pepperoni on. And sausage. And bacon?  And bacon.)


(Admit it...I'm begging to actually creep you out, right?  It's okay. I have begun to creep myself out.  Someone take this Paint program away from me.)

#24: Cauliflower Pizza
   

Choice of libation: My thinking was you can't just serve any old drink to a Jeff-Award/Iron Bartender winning Broadway actress.  You gotta get the special stuff. So I pranced across the way to Ye Olde Mariano's, waited until the bartender in the produce section was distracted, and reached into a secret cabinet to grab the stuff they only serve at the oyster bar.  Pavao Vinho Verde, folks.  Effervescent, citrusy and goes with everything. 

Choice of Music:  Chad insisted on DJing the event so he introduced us to an awesome band called The Struts. a British rock band led by singer Luke Spiller who can be compared to Freddie Mercury and a young Tim Curry. In the best way possible. Their album, "Everybody Wants" has awesome rock anthem after awesome rock anthem. 

                                              

Okay.  So on to the cooking, shall we?

So yeah.  Grate that cauliflower.  I'm a terrible phone photographer when I am tipsy.

You didn't need a picture of someone grating garlic, but you DID need a picture of adding a crap ton of cheese to grated cauliflower.  There's a full head of minced garlic in there, too.  Yeahhh....

Form that pizza  on a baking sheet.  When Caroline did it, she made a perfect circle.  I will settle for an odd rectangle.  Because that's what they called me in high school.

Top that pizza before throwing it into the oven. 

Andie wanted to help.  She really did. 

She helped us wait for the pizza to bake by washing our faces.  But then...

Oh how festive!  It was truly flavorful and I will definitely be making this again.  But, you know, probably with 4 kinds of meat.

For your consideration: A lady cop drama unlike any you've seen before.  Stacy Fields left her desk job to step out of her father's shadow to become a hard nosed cop. Unafraid to take chances, we she often goes undercover and pose as a decoy to nab the bad guys.  The tough-but-caring working mom, Jeni Lithium was a narcotics officer before joining the homicide division.  Just because she was stuck behind a desk, doesn't mean she can't take action and kick down doors.   

Together they're LITHIUM AND FIELDS. Next fall on NBC.

stolen from Caroline Neff's head

1 head cauliflower, grated (I'm sure there's a more specific measurement, but a small - medium head is usually what I use)

1 egg

1/4 cup mozzarella

Garlic garlic garlic!

Steam or microwave grated cauliflower until soft (not too soft less than 5 min in microwave). Allow it to cook and drain it as best as you can - I'll take a towel and just squeeze it to get as much moisture out as possible. Add garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, mozzarella, and egg. Mix together, and lay out on a greased (or Pam'd) baking sheet. Make it in to a pizza shape and bake at 375 for about 15-20 min (until edges begin to brown). Take out and top with whatever delicious ingredients you like, bake again until ingredients look ready.