Cauliflower – The way my mother used to make it

This is the cauliflower of my childhood.

This was (other than potatoes), the only cooked vegetable that I ate as a child – and only when prepared in this way, covered with buttered breadcrumbs. I have not changed too much since those days, although I do think that there has been an ever-so-slight improvement in my eating habits since my childhood –

A few years ago, we were visiting Massachusetts, and were privileged to have Shabbat dinner at Debbie and Jan’s house. I was so happy when I saw that Debbie had prepared this same recipe – exactly as my mother, Debbie’s grandmother, had served it so many years before.

Debbie shared a tip with me, which I have used ever since; she prepared the cauliflower in the microwave, with a bit of salted water (only the water that clinged to the cauliflower florettes when washing them before cooking, with salt sprinkled on the cauliflower).

The cooking time, of course depends on the strength of your microwave oven – better to do less at first, and if necessary, add a minute or two more, until it is cooked as you like. My mother used to cook the cauliflower whole, in a pot of salted water on the gas range – it is fine to do that too, but I love the way it comes out in the microwave, and it somehow seems more fun to prepare that way. I wonder if maybe one day there will be an iPhone app that takes care of cooking…….

Thanks Debbie, for the great tip – (and for the delicious and very enjoyable dinner with all of you that evening!).

Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower, broken up into florettes
• salt to taste
• water
• breadcrumbs
• butter or margarine

Preparation:

1. Break up cauliflower into florettes.
2. Trim off any spots on the cauliflower.
3. Soak cauliflower florettes in a large bowl of water. Pour a bit of plain white vinegar and a spoonful of salt into the water (this helps remove any impurities that may be hiding among the florettes). Soak for about a half hour or an hour.
4. Remove the cauliflower from the soaking water, and rinse well in running water.
5. Place cauliflower in microwavable dish that has a cover; there should be a bit of water (water that clinged to the cauliflower after rinsing it).
6. Sprinkle salt on the cauliflower florettes.
7. Cover the dish, and microwave. Time depends on size of cauliflower, and strength of microwave. Start at 9 minutes, and check cauliflower to see if it is ready. If it is still not soft enough, microwave for another two minutes. Check again, etc.
8. When cauliflower is cooked to your taste, remove from the microwave, and drain in strainer.
9. Meanwhile, in a nonstick frying pan, put some butter or margarine, and add breadcrumbs and a bit of salt. Fry till aromatic; make sure that the crumbs don’t burn. They should get only a bit of color.
10. Put cauliflower florettes in serving dish and sprinkle with the fried bread crumbs. Serve.