Don't like cauliflower? You just didn't know how to cook it

Variants of cauliflower dishes and Espresso Martini.

Why is cauliflower called that? I used to think it was because it comes in the most incredible colors. But it turns out that it got its name because you eat its inflorescences, not its leaves.

Until I was about 20, I thought that cauliflower was only cooked in batter. How nice it was to have my ignorance shattered by hundreds of amazing variations on the cauliflower theme.

Here are just a few of them.

The text below is in the original language.

I came across this cauliflower salad in New York. In one of the Italian restaurants in the West Village. Since then, for many years now, I have been serving it as a side dish to meat or fish when guests come over. And it's always the same: "Cauliflower, how unusual, how delicious!"

Ingredients:

- half a head of cauliflower

- half a glass of raisins

- half a glass of pine nuts

- one large onion

- salt, pepper, hot sauce (sriracha)

- cilantro

- olive oil

Soak the raisins in hot water for 10 minutes to soften them. Fry the coarsely chopped cabbage until half cooked. Better yet, grill or bake it in the oven. The main thing is that it should not be too soft and preferably charred, toasted. Fry the coarsely chopped onion until brownish-golden (make sure that it does not burn, but caramelizes. You can add half a teaspoon of sugar to help it with this). Add nuts and raisins to it. Then you can mix everything in a frying pan or in a large dish. Season to taste with salt, hot sauce, lemon juice, cilantro. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Serve warm.

The second recipe is also from an Italian restaurant, but this time in Kyiv. One of our favorite places in the city is Piccolino.

Ingredients:

- half a head of cauliflower

- 2-3 "legs" of broccoli

- parmesan cheese

- salad mix

- olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper

Chop raw broccoli and cauliflower. Mix these vegetables in a deep dish. Season with oil, lemon juice, and salt. Put into a serving dish and sprinkle generously with parmesan and freshly ground pepper.

According to legend, Espresso Martini was born in London in 1984. In the hands of Dick Bradsell, the genius bartender of our time, any order, even the most bizarre, had a chance to become a masterpiece. Thus, at the request of a model who came to the bar for something that would "first cheer her up and then surprise her," Espresso Martini appeared. So, let's touch the legend.

Espresso Martini (1 cocktail, 2 minutes)

- 75 ml. vodka (preferably premium, so that it does not have a strong taste and smell)

- 50 ml. espresso

- 25 ml. coffee liqueur

- 3 coffee beans or a pinch of ground coffee for garnish.

Pour all ingredients into a shaker, add ice and shake well. A white foam should appear. Serve the cocktail without ice - that is, up, garnished with coffee beans or a path of ground coffee. If you have a sweet tooth and want to not only cheer up and be surprised, but also enjoy a dessert: cut the vodka to 50 ml and add 25 ml of Baileys.

Bon appetit!