Random updates from the week

We got some snow and ice last week. I took this photo of the rising sun sparkling on the frost on the holly bush in our backyard.

Mesquite-smoked sashimi bourguignon?

There is a new restaurant at my workplace — the description is “blends the bold flavors of Japan with the heart of Texas.” I’m trying to understand, then, why it is named “La Maison Bleue.” 🤔

Best seen in theatres!

I saw a movie trailer on television last night and the ad described the movie as “best seen in theatres.”

Which sounds an awful lot like “we need your $15-each admission price for the two weeks this is in the theater so we can make some of our money back. If you wait for streaming we are screwed!”

I mean, I get it if it was a movie like, say, “Dune” or “Apollo 11” where the cinematography was stunning and being surrounded by a theatre screen would help immerse you in and enhance the experience … but this film could only generously be described as a cheap-laughs lowest-common-denominator comedy movie… at best.

The most delicious thing I made this week

I never thought I used to like cauliflower (mushy! smelly!), but once I figured out you could roast it, that changed everything. I could have eaten the entire pan all by myself.

I’ve roasted it with just oil, salt and paper. I’ve roasted it with Dijon mustard, shallots, and golden raisins. And this week I roasted it with red onions and a delicious shawarma style spice blend, and drizzled with a lovely tahini sauce. It goes great with naan or pita, tomatoes, olives, shredded cabbage, and any other veggies you like.

Here’s the recipe at nytimes.com.

Cauliflower Shawarma with Spicy Tahini

Cauliflower:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1-1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/4 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of ground cayenne
1 large head cauliflower (about 2 1/2 pounds), trimmed and cut into bite-size florets
1 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
Tahini Sauce:
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon harissa paste, gochujang, or other hot sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup ice water

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Prepare the cauliflower:
In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, cumin, paprika, salt, coriander, turmeric, black pepper and cayenne. Add cauliflower and onion, and toss until well coated. Spread mixture in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roast vegetables until they are golden brown, slightly crisp and tender, 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once or twice. If the vegetables look dry as they roast, drizzle with a little more olive oil.

As they cook, prepare the tahini sauce:
Whisk together lemon juice, harissa or gochujang, garlic and salt in a small bowl, and let sit for a minute or two to mellow the garlic. Whisk in tahini. Whisk in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is smooth and thin enough to drizzle. You may not need all of the water or you may need to add a little more: Tahini brands vary a lot. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more harissa, lemon juice and salt if you like. The sauce should taste zippy and creamy.

Scatter parsley on top of the roasted vegetables and serve with tahini sauce.