By JANET K. KEELER

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 9, 2001

eat your veggies

spotlight on plant food

cauliflower

• eating: This member of the cabbage family is not the most glamorous vegetable in the clan. In fact, it may conjure memories of dreary crudites or a stinky boiled-to-death heap on your dinner plate. Banish those images and embrace the cauliflower as the vitamin C-packed, fiber-toting, antioxidant-carrying food it is. Its nutty, mild taste pairs well with Italian, Asian or Indian flavors.
• buying: Cauliflower florets should be milky white and devoid of dark spots. Leaves, which protect the florets from the sun as the cauliflower grows, should be green and not limp. Cauliflower is available year-round. Refrigerate in its cellophane wrapping or a plastic bag; it will keep for at least a week.
• preparing: Remove the leaves, then place the head on its side and trim off the thick stalk. Next, cut out the tough core by turning the head upside down and cutting around the core with a paring knife; it should lift out after you've circled it with the knife. Cook the cauliflower whole or break apart.
• cooking: Sauteing, braising or steaming are best methods; all three intensify flavor. Braising is a combination of dry-heat and moist-heat cooking. The cauliflower is first browned in olive oil or butter; liquid (water or broth) is added to the pan and the florets cook further. With any of the methods, the vegetable will be cooked in less than 15 minutes.
• quick fix: Asian Cauliflower. Clean cauliflower and slice thinly. Pour 1/2 cup of chicken broth into saucepan and add slices. Cook for 5 minutes, covered, on medium high. In the meantime, mix 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water. Add the mixture plus 1 tablespoon of soy sauce to cauliflower and cook until liquid thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with sliced scallions.

this web site cooks

www.cheftalk.com

Professional chefs from around the country pitch in to make this site part cooking school, part history class and lots of fun. Recipes, helpful instruction, bulletin boards and retail outlets are available here.

"A Day in the Life of an American Culinary Student" is the on-going musings of a 30-year-old man who begins culinary school this fall. His advice: get a restaurant job before going to cooking school so you'll know if you're cut out for it. The difference between chopping parsley for two hours and watching the Food Network, he writes, is huge.

cooking class

When stocking the spice rack, buy whole spices because they retain flavor longer than ground. Spices can be ground in a coffee grinder or by using a mortar and pestle. Processing a piece of bread in the grinder cleans out any residual spices.

constant comment

"All I ask of food is that it doesn't harm me." -- Michael Palin, actor, author and former Monty Python trouper.

food donations

Thanksgiving and Christmas aren't the only times to donate food to shelters and other organizations that help those in need. Many larders become bare this time of year. Campbell Soup Co. and the National Association of Letter Carriers will collect non-perishable foods Saturday and all you have to do is leave the food in a bag near your mailbox. If you want to get more involved, the Ronald McDonald houses in St. Petersburg and Tampa need volunteers to cook on-site for people staying there. You can also make casseroles and deliver them to the houses. For more information about Ronald McDonald House food programs and needs, call 821-8961, ext. 7694.

savoring subtlety

The Hawaiian Sweet & Sour variety of Mr. Yoshida's Fine Sauces from Heinz has a balanced, mellow flavor. It's neither too sugary nor too acidic, a common problem with sweet and sour products. Like the other two flavors in the line, Original (based on mirin, a sweet rice wine) and Cracked Pepper & Garlic, it also can be used as a marinade or used straight from the bottle as a dipping sauce. A 17-ounce bottle is $3 to $3.30 at most grocery stores.

what time's dinner?

We say we are too busy to cook at home but it appears we are doing it more. According to the International Housewares Association, American households prepared food 42 times a month, on average during 2000, compared with 32 times a month in 1998.

this or that

Many cheeses can stand in for others in recipes. Some of them include: goat cheese for feta cheese; Edam for Gouda; cottage cheese for ricotta; Romano for Parmesan; cream cheese for neufchatel or mascarpone, and gorgonzola for other blue-veined cheese.

Compiled by Janet K. Keeler, from staff and wire reports

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