Cauliflower Cake and a GIVEAWAY!!

There is a wealth of great new cookbooks coming out/already out this Fall and I know my husband thinks I purchased ALL OF THEM.  I didn't.  Well, almost.  And now I don't know where in the hell I'm going to put all of them in this shoebox in which we're living.

I'm currently digging into this, this and (unfortunately for my pants) this one.  And I can hardly wait for this and this to arrive.

But the new one from Yotam Ottolenghi, Plenty More, is my new obsession.  It could be because my former obsession, Plenty, is packed away in probably the rear of one of three storage units of which I won't see the contents for at least several more months.  Or because absolutely no one makes vegetables as appetizing as this dude.  You know a book is going to be great when you dog ear the page of the very first recipe.  And practically every other page after that!  

The recipe for this Cauliflower Cake has made it's rounds on the internet......I think it must have originally been posted in his column on The Guardian's website (maybe?) and every time I've seen it, I think, "That sounds delish."  And there it was in this book.

It's kind of like a quiche, but without a crust and cakier (!) and with chunks of cauliflower in every bite.  And it's pretty.  Wouldn't that wow your Mahjong group when you pull this out for lunch (mother!!) or to serve at your next brunch.  

So, I'm going to do something I've never done before and give away a copy of Plenty More.  As my wise hubs says, "The hardest thing in the world to do, is give something away." so if anyone bitches because they didn't win, I'll send you all to your rooms and there'll be no more giveaways.  Understand?

So all you have to do is leave me a comment with your name and contact info ON THIS POST and next Friday, October 31 (Halloween!!!) I'll use that handy random generator you see at the bottom of the right hand column to pick a winner.  I'm giving y'all 10 days because I only get about two people a day around here and one of them is probably my mom or dad, so it'll take a little time to get more than my parents entered.  And only one entry per person, Dad.

Here's the recipe:

Cauliflower Cake

Plenty More, Yotam Ottolenghi

Ingredients:

1 small cauliflower, outer leaves removed, broken into 1 1/2-inch florets (about 4 cups)

1 medium red onion

5 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp finely chopped rosemary

7 eggs

1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped

1 cup all-purpose flower, sifted

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Parmesan or another aged cheese

melted unsalted butter for brushing

1 tsp white sesame seeds

1 tsp nigella seeds (I didn't have these so I left them out)

salt and black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 deg. F

Place the cauliflower florets in a saucepan and add 1 teaspoon salt.  Cover with water and simmer for 15 minutes, until the florets are quite soft.  They should break when pressed with a spoon.  Drainand set aside in a colander to dry.

Cut 4 round slices, each 1/4 inch thick, off one end of the onion and set aside.  Coarsely chop the rest of the onion and place in a small pan with the oil and rosemary.  Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until soft.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.  Transfer the onion to a large bowl, add the eggs and basil, whisk well, and then add the flour baking powder turmeric, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of pepper  Whisk until smooth before adding the cauliflower and stirring gently, trying not to break up the florets.

Line the base and sides of a 9 1/2" springform cake pan with parchment paper.  Brush the sides with melted butter then mix together the sesame and nigella seeds and toss them around the insides of the pan so that they stick to the sides.  Pour the cauliflower mixture into the pan, spreading it evenly and arrange the reserved onion rings on top.  Place in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown and set; a knife inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean.  Remove from the oven and leave for at least 20 minutes before serving.  It needs to be served just warm, rather than hot, or at room temperature.