I know that the title of this post will have caused some people to pause for just a moment. How can a blog devoted to chocolate and alcohol present something about cauliflower?

It turns out that my food pyramid is defective:

• Level 1: Sugars: white, light brown, dark brown and confectioners
• Level 2: Butter, eggs and milk
• Level 3: Flour and baking powder
• Level 4: Bacon and chicken wings

It appears that I left out vegetables. And it further turns out that there are some rarely eaten vegetables that can be delicious. Even cauliflower. How many times have you eaten cauliflower? Unless you eat a lot of cheap stir fry, I bet you can count the number of times on your fingers.

But this dish is a reason you’ll need to start counting on your toes, too. This is an excellent side companion, one that will create conversation at the dinner table.

This recipe can be quickly made and gives you the freedom to experiment. Try more lemon or chile or mint, bump up the onion, maybe add some Asian hot sauce. This can be your cauliflower gateway. The recipe is from Chef Bruce Binn of Termidor in San Francisco. It’s further proof that San Francisco is an American culinary mother lode.

In the directions below, the cauliflower is baked, cooled, then warmed in a skillet. We were testing, we were hungry, we skipped the cooking and warming part. We went directly from oven to seasoning and found the disk yummy.

Not to worry, my readers. I will be returning to chocolate and alcohol in the next blogs.

Crispy Cauliflower with Lemon and Mint

Yield: Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head of cauliflower, rinsed, trimmed and cut into small florets (about 1 pound)
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt
• 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 mint leaves, torn

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower floret with 2 tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Transfer the cauliflower to a rimmed baking sheet and roast, rotating the baking sheet and stirring the cauliflower halfway through, until the edges are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the cauliflower and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until crispy and warmed through, about 4 minutes.

In a large blow, toss the cauliflower with the lemon juice, pepper flakes and mint. Season with salt and serve immediate.

Source: Chef Bruce Binn, Termidor, San Francisco and published in Tasting Table