Spicy Fried Buffalo Cauliflower N' Kale Wraps (The Blurry Puppy. . .PLUS: Cooking from Yotam Ottolenghi's "Plenty More" and etc.)

I can tell you honestly that if you crave drinking buffalo hot sauce straight from the bottle like I do, you will LOVE this wrap (though I don't recommend doing so, nor have I ever personally--but the thought has crossed my mind). In the midst of a mini-cold snap here, we had a hankering for some cold weather food favorites. Dr. Thyme and I went on our first date centered around food and the food of choice (way back before the vegan in us had emerged) was hot and spicy chicken wings. I had claimed I could tolerate any heat--the hotter the better. Spicy/Fried food lover, meet Mr. Fried Cauliflower. No one would be the wiser. And let me tell you, it even crunches like the other. (Only nothing was hurt during the creation of this meal.) I can't take credit for this fried cauliflower anomaly. The first I'd read about "frying" cauliflower was in Alice Water's cookbook, Chez Panisse Vegetables. (Or maybe one of her other cookbooks, but I do know it was Ms. Waters who has enlightened me on the matter of so many other vegetable cooking matters as well.) This recipe and making of this will require a bit of prep, and it is a little messy, but comes together in a jiff, so don't be all, I can't do this recipe with all those bowls and pans and stuff! Uh, yes you can.

Super simple and incredibly filling and tasty. Serve with a side of homemade fries. 

Well, Frankie (aka: Frankenstein, The Shite, The Monster, The Hot Mess) is now in Puppy Elementary classes. She's discovered kitchen counters, newspaper, wall paint!, paper towels, shoes, pillows, toilet paper, mommy's slippers, and books! *Anything but the one hundred toys we have scattered around her twenty-four/seven. And I am on my way to Home Depot this morning to get some of my Martha Stewart Sea Glass paint color for my kitchen wall which Frankie somehow had decided she wanted nothing to do with and in a corner of the kitchen is a bare white triangle of wall glaring at me. I can't stand it so MUST re-paint it NOW. Alas, I caught her just as the rip occurred so she was unable to do any more damage (nor did she swallow any of the paint). But OMG. Really.

This is last night after turning my back for a mere second to then look back at the remnants of a paper towel confetti party. I try not to let that face melt my heart--I try to be strict and not laugh out loud. But look at her. . .

Those teeth are like giant staple guns in her mouth. 

Poor sissy--always with the baby. Sometimes I feel badly about all the entertaining she provides for the little one. But then I think back to how quiet and lonely she was prior to The Baby, and quickly get over this.

The puppy is a full time job. You think it's going to get better. It does on some days, but on most days we are reminded she is a total toddler--and this period in a Great Pyr lasts until they are almost Two. Years. Old. 

*So the lovable Polar Bear-like face assists in deflecting much of the frustration, anxiety, hysterics and jumping-off-a-cliff moments one has during their adorable growing life. 

Puppy Elementary started last week. It didn't go so well. I had a bad flashback moment to when I was bitten in the face during puppy play time and we're asked to "interrupt" the play (it helps socialize them. . . supposedly). I have an incredible fear of strange dogs now ever since The Incident. My fear wasn't as pronounced during puppy kindergarten because, well because they were small puppies. Graduating to a bigger class means bigger dogs and thus, my fear of coming between the canines increased. I had to finally come clean and give the instructors my reason for my almost screaming outburst when Frankie was "playing" and puppy vocals began to turn into what I heard as growls and then we were told to "interrupt". I just backed away and said loudly--(and may have let out some salty language at the same time): I'm NOT comfortable with this! At which point they could all see I was clearly NOT. Fortunately, I was given a longer break to get Frankie outside and myself outside for a much needed re-group. We returned to class and the rest of the night went a bit better. By the end of the evening, I felt it was important to share my seemingly abrupt display of NOT happy play moment anxiety. The instructors were completely understanding and couldn't have been nicer. This week Dr. Thyme will join me for school and help buffer the tension by being the one to "interrupt" the play and I can remain all calm and collected.

Simple prep for the wraps is as follows: mix equal parts flour and cornstarch, a tablespoon baking powder and your favorite dried seasonings and some salt in a bowl--then in another bowl, 1/2 cup soy milk and two tablespoons Dijon mustard. (This is your "magic" dipping station.) Cut cauliflower up into bit-sized pieces--making more than you'll use in the wraps because they'll be extra for munching on and dipping in hot sauce later.) Tear up some kale and drizzle olive oil over it, massage it with your hands to wilt it. (You don't have to use kale, use spinach or whatever you have on hand--I opt for kale to offset all the "bad" stuff here. It clears my conscience.) Heat oil in a cast iron pan--hot enough to sizzle when you test it with a drop of flour--then dip the cauliflower into the milk, then flour, then milk and flour again--gently place in oil, fry for about six minutes--turning over during the last minute to finish cooking. Remove from the pan and place on paper towels to dry. Mix your favorite hot sauce blend and place it all in a "sprouted" grain wraps (I got mine from Whole Foods)--swipe in some Vegenaise and roll! Yum!

Speaking of good food and good eating, there are some new cookbooks in the kitchen. I've been busy trying new recipes from all of them. My camera is full of pictures, but want to keep this post relatively short, but can't resist a short shout out to another delicious dinner recipe we had just last night. *So this is a two-fer post! 

When Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi arrived, I couldn't wait to dive in and make one of his new recipes. His cookbooks are all worth reading from cover to cover because your vegetable cooking repertoire will increase one hundred percent. (I love reading his books.) Last night we had Eggplant Pahi. I had to make a trip to the International Food Market for Curry Leaves--a must. For the rest of the recipe, I sort of riffed off of other curry dishes I was familiar with--so I added some canned tomatoes and chickpeas as well. The trick to the dish is the final addition of mashed up spices (which is where the curry leaves come in)--added to the main vegetable base of cooked eggplant, pepper and onions. Though heavy on the fat side a bit, the dish cooks to a beautiful, sinfully delicious warm bowl of yum after it swims in sunflower oil. (Yotam suggests serving this warm or at room temperature. I followed his advice and after cooking this for an hour in my dutch oven, I turned off the heat and let it sit--enjoying a slightly warm dish vs. piping hot.) When I scooped it out into the bowls over some basmati rice and naan bread on the side, the aroma and texture of the vegetables were heavenly. Go to this link to hear Yotam personally discuss this recipe on the Good Food podcast.