Whole Cauliflower Roast

As we enter into the month of August, I remembered an old recipe of Whole Cauliflower Roast. It’s a good time to take a pause and look back upon the summer months that I spent here in the US with friends and a few family members. The days just went past quickly in the last 1 and 1/2 months that I got to spend here with many memorable moments. There were reunions, exploring different places, learning from others and of course different kinds of food tasted.

Cauliflowers are easy to make, and most people love the taste of cauliflowers in different kinds of dishes. But they are cruciferous vegetables so, some people may find them a bit too gassy. I remember a phase of using a lot of cauliflowers for cooking since they are low carb and easily available.

Cauliflower rice and different kinds of pasta/baked dish sauces made from cauliflowers was a good way to sneak in veggies for pesky kids. Let’s say that phase came into my life through some external forces which wanted to mold our dietary conversations in that direction.

Gratefully not yet Dead

Looking at this simple vegetable waiting to be put into the oven, I have a little rearview mirror. It’s a reminder to ignore that old song “Mud mud ke na dekh, mud mud ke“. What’s the good word here?

I managed to do a few things which I had never done before. Some things were over and beyond the act of deciding upon a dish, a recipe, ingredients or process to cook it.

It is painful to state the obvious- it was also about the people. Taking into account that it was a team effort and that the act of cooking is perhaps the simplest or most complicated one depending upon the objective.

Some of my realizations was a thrilling surprise, an awkward awareness of being out of my comfort zone or just simply the secret relief of accomplishing something. Definitely quite a few mixed experiences and emotions.

Floral Bouquet of Learnings

Here’s my gift for those who sang about Flowers– I really had to work at flours. I tried not to- but I ended up being pummeled and kneaded. Bartlett Arborettum walks work you as well. So, here’s a top note-

1. Took the longest flight ever personally- travelled for more than 24 hours to get to the US. For me that 16 hours+ flight from Delhi to New York was quite a big achievement. Also tried other means of transportation like trains, subway, buses and local uber or taxi here. It was always interesting as I faced new situations of inner dialogues as I tried to unlearn things from the past.
2. Visit a few close friends and family across Connecticut, New York, Houston, San Francisco Bay Area, New Jersey, Virginia and stay with them for a few days. I had visualized their homes, their close relationships and their special places through some of the sharing in the past. Sometimes I had no idea- so it was an experience which really helped me to connect a few of the missing links.
3. Asked my friends, their spouses or kids to help with finding a few ways to add some brushstrokes to the empty canvas I carried around. It was our endeavours to build this website and the Youtube channel in their own way. I was surprised how much they went out of their comfort zone to help me. 🙂

Designing the Process

There’s no manual for this – no pun intended. So I may wax on wax off not knowing the context of the various characters in the play being reenacted in their usual lives.

Here’s the middle note-

1. Face a barrage of questions about why or how I am doing this- apart from the ticking off of things on a bucket list. In fact, I was at pains to answer those questions in addition to the hundreds of questions which I already had in my own mind. Mostly these questions were about resources- time, money or people that could generate sources of income to make this sustainable. I was weirdly trying to see if happiness could be a resource and what could help that for others or me. I haven’t studied the happiness index from Bhutan and have no knowledge how to get that into the conversation since it is not entirely an independent variable.
2. Find new sources of inspiration for what I am doing- by enabling an exchange of ideas and opinions. Even the tough inquisitions sparked some thought which helped me to go with the flow into a new set of experiences. Being unplanned in the trip without a very strong heavy-handed cage of must dos, must sees and must tries helped me to relax. I didn’t want to be overly worked up about what I missed or didn’t miss. It happened naturally over time.

Cauliflower Roast may replace Toast

Continuing with the rearview mirror on the other side now. These are a few of the scary things I did.

Here’s the top note-

• Taking care of self in a manner which is less impacted by others or less harmful for others who juggled multiple priorities in their own lives. It was also a challenging exercise. Sometimes it was getting the me time, sometimes it was being able to assert a level of contradiction in my own behaviors which others could accept. Sometimes it was accepting the contradictions in other’s behaviors without being overly worked up or judgmental.
• I ended being judgmental or judging others in my head. But I kind of worked through it understanding my thoughts are not me- unless I actually act upon them. Some of these thoughts were very carefully planted by others actually.

How does transparency work?

1. Expressing feelings in appropriate ways was challenging because the understanding of what’s appropriate changed as I moved around. Mostly, I was with people who were more indulgent than I had bargained for, and I was skidding on muddy waters.
2. Letting go of self-imposed constraints in communication had interesting results. Unfortunately, I let go of my observations and realizations as well. So, end of the day, I wasn’t sure it really helped to hold back.

Some cells are for fasting

Where’s the kitchen here? Is there a secret underground passage? Why was the panic button created? This has a complete option of privacy for guests or stars.

Here’s the middle note-

How does respecting others’ choices work?

• Relaxing with activities which I liked- fun times with friends, cooking with or for them, visiting museums, looking at or admiring objects of art, small snippets of conversations with strangers, observing participating in different group activities and trying to capture a few moments which made me reflect on whether any of this would matter- these things helped me to move along. But I must confess- it was very slow movement. Sometimes it was so slow, I almost felt the static in the air. And that helped me to observe really minute things which I would perhaps not see in my usual everyday life of running from one activity to another.
• Understanding the concept of space, the unknown, the background of what’s happening in other’s lives and then not caring about it (or rather letting them deal with it) was perhaps one of the most difficult challenges. It was kind of caring but pretending not to care. Finding the right balance in that mix was challenging- because being detached actually doesn’t come naturally to me.

Seasonal changes in the air

Yesterday I saw a willow tree and remembered an old children’s book of The Wind in the Willows which seems to be very faint in my memories now. Perhaps some of it may be quite ancient and irrelevant for kids these days.

Nothing to do with Cauliflowers, but yes autumn is coming up soon after August.

It’s time to prepare for some of the heavy festive foods that are coming up in India through the months of Aug-Dec.

Unfortunately, I am not sure, I remember exactly the recipe of that Whole Cauliflower roast. I’m trying an experiment of doing the recipe development through a collaborative effort. I got some ideas from my sister-in-law in Virginia and from my friend’s husband here who has been a willing collaborator. Anyways, I couldn’t find my old recipe.

Also realised that it makes sense to take into account ingredients which are readily available and who’s likely to eat this now.

I could have called my mother but then that’s the joke which we shared earlier as well. Sometimes, you don’t have that option and at other times, you don’t want that option. Rings a bell?

Prepwork before Whole Cauliflower Roast

If you already have everything you need for a comfortable cooking session or perhaps a well-trained guest, you may get all the rest. And yet you are itching for a fight.

Then, here’s the bottom note-

There’s a problem with holding on to delusions of grandeur in the kitchen. I never time myself when I am cooking. Truth. I only do so when I’m baking. An irritating nagging reminder or repetition- I’m a student, always.

I just had to simply spend the time out of somebody else’s hair till I was required to be of some service. Only to be told, your services were never required in the first place. ;D

Friendship or any kind of ship is never evenly keeled. Perhaps that’s a tough one to explain to Mammals on land who want to be in a zoo.

Here’s a little analogy of an old trickster mercury trying to handle questions about gravity.

Whole Cauliflower Roast Gravy

Important question to script writers: Am I saving for a dowry for my husband or his mistress’ children’s summer camps?

A gravy is not needed for a Whole Cauliflower Roast. In fact, most people who wish to avoid calories will avoid this gravy which makes it look rather yucky and heavy. The main reason I made it with this gravy is to share an all-purpose recipe that lends itself to other possibilities.

The other reason is to try and engage the various team members and the supporting collaborative cast in the process which may or may not have some learnings. For them or for me. Who knows.

If you have some trauma- especially with the gravy dripping on your clothes, on the floor, on pristine white upholstery or cupboards, you may understand what kind of a battle we have had. Let’s take a closer look at the output.

Then you look at the effort put into the story by someone who had some other things on their mind. The effort is to try to show- how to bring in something of value to those annoyed by the very things which gave you joy.

Weekend Fun for Whole Cauliflower Roast

I didn’t need a book of sarcasm to feel the difference . You painted brown on brown to make it white. If I say that I like it browned- you may point out that the cauliflower is actually still white inside. We are not talking about beef steaks here.

Unfortunately, it’s a sad tale of making that oft repeated observation, it does look raw inside. Now the compliment – the food tastes much better than it looks – ends up offending all at once.

I’m happy I got that compliment, because I understand what it really means.

It means for me and others like me- home cooked food. Food cooked with love meant to make you eat and not just look at it or admire from afar like an object of art that you detest finishing.

Somewhere the regret remains that you didn’t share it with another. Or the pride comes that you had it instead of another. Either way, it cuts like a knife.

I had forgotten about the Dutch House- a book I had enjoyed reading a few years ago. Somewhere this week, I was happy to remember it again.

Milkweed whispers to pines; Monarch Butterflies last for how long?

I share this recipe in memory of all the people who helped me to eat, shop, prep, cook and share my meals. Some of them are no longer with us. Sometimes, that’s kind of fun. Hard as it may sound.

The Cauliflower roast was not hard at all. And I maybe on the hitlist of a few cult group’s SSS gang. (Hmmm).

For grandiosity- we can name it Malai Cauliflower Roast or Navratan Cauliflower Roast. Or do a tongue in cheek reference- Johnson’s Cauliflower Roast.

Footnote

Blanket statement on Umbrellas

It was a mix of the usual herbs and spices

I added the dose of mustard and yoghurt

Added the cashews and the poppy seeds

There were the green chilies on top

And then there was black pepper and ginger for the kick

And yet it didn’t work

Except to give you an acid reflux.

Why is my body different from yours?

Is that a silly question asked by the sleeping child

Or by the one who checked in and checked out wild

By letting me know I was actually well

You were pretending to be swell

While it was a bit too much

To have you partake of that which I gave

Freely to others as their job description

And you assumed with no prescription

Patch Adams is a children’s book

And you felt that deserved a closer look

While all I tried to do was investigate

Something that would make me alive and others wait

When the whole world was telling me you are so late

I was just incubating a beehive or a wasp’s nest

Failing my own made-up silly self-actualizing test.

You told me I have soft hands

And the other got the compliment

That she looks like an actress

And yet, everyone I see around here

Seems like some kind of an actor or actress

How do I separate the real from the unreal

When everything is about a deal or a seal

Roast, broiled or simply fried- we already know

You like this, because it’s your choice.

Melting Lemon Drop 06. 08. 2025