Roasted Cauliflower with Capers and Preserved Lemon - and about letting go
Eat In My Kitchen will be out worldwide in 34 days (in English, on October 4th) and my German book will see the book stores even earlier, in less than a month, on September 26th. It's becoming real. It's the transition from a project that existed as an idea in the heads of a handful of people to a finished, physical book, which will lean against other books in book shelves and hopefully come to use in many kitchens. Soon, this transition will be complete and then it won't just be my 'baby' anymore. Then it will be out in the world, it will live its own life, create lots of stories around food, and I won't be a part of it anymore. Soon, it won't be in my hands anymore.
You could say that it's not really a huge difference to the blog, which is true to a certain extent. For almost 3 years I've been sharing my recipes (more than 600) here, in the digital world. Whoever felt inspired cooked or baked them, many sent me pictures or emails, and enjoyed it. This interaction still made me feel like I'm a part of it, a part of my Eat In My Kitchen blog that changes constantly, it grows and evolves. But the book is different, it's done, it's printed, it reached the warehouses already, there's nothing I could change, even if I wanted to. Now, I have to learn to let go.
Although there's no work left to be done on the physical book, there's tons of organization left. My book launch events in London, Berlin, Malta, New York, and Washington seem to need my attention 24/7, there are interviews and photo shoots on my schedule, and so many things that come along with a book, things that I never thought about. It felt like a lot of work writing this book, but to send it out into the world seems even more crazy.
I have a habit, whenever my life resembles a rollercoaster, I try to be a little more disciplined and create a rhythm that I stick to. I have my rituals, I take Saturdays off, I go jogging more regularly, I set up more tea time breaks than usual, and I don't skip dinner. It's often quite simple, due to a lack of time and inspiration, but that doesn't matter. I chop my vegetables, nibble on my cheese, and sip at my wine glass (not every night though). I try to create normality within the chaos, a routine, and that helps me.
My current life leads to recipes that neither require much work or time, nor many ingredients. Unfortunately, the time that's left for my beloved grocery shopping decreased considerably in the past few months. But there's no need to complain, those dishes created out of spontaneity taste just as good. On one of those late nights, I opened the door of my fridge, I spotted a head of cauliflower, a jar of my homemade preserved lemons, and capers from Malta. I cut the cabbage into pieces, tossed it in olive oil and my tasty preserves, and ended up with the most delicious comfort food. It was a happy night.
If you're curious about my Eat In My Kitchen book, you can pre-order it here:
Roasted Cauliflower with Capers and Preserved Lemon
Serves 2
cored cauliflower, cut into medium pieces, 600g / 1 1/3 pounds
olive oil 60ml / 1/4 cup
preserved lemon, thinly sliced, 1/2
capers, preferably preserved in salt, rinsed, 3 tablespoons
flaky sea salt
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F.
Spread the cauliflower in a medium baking dish. Add the olive oil, preserved lemon, and capers and toss to combine. Season with a little flaky sea salt (mind that the capers are salty) and crushed pepper. Roast for about 18 minutes or until the cauliflower turns golden. Flip the cauliflower and roast for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, turn on the grill (broiler) for the last few minutes, if you prefer it a bit more crispy. Serve warm or cold.
Mozzarella di Bufala and Olive Tapenade Sandwich with Preserved Lemon
The best sandwiches are often the ones that are thrown together in just a few minutes. You grab whatever your fridge offers without overloading the whole composition and straining your taste buds. Just a few contrasting flavours and textures, the bread has to be fresh - soft and juicy to soak up the filling - and you're done.
Cheese is made for sandwiches and mozzarella is always a good choice, the creamier mozzarella di bufala or burrata are even better. A dark tapenade made of black olives, capers, and anchovy adds depth, refined with a handful of fresh parsley. This lies on a bed of arugula, the spicy leaves go so well with preserved lemons, which I use for the salty-sour topping. You can find them in big supermarkets but I recommend preserving your own. Tucked in a jar with lots of coarse sea salt for a month, the citrus fruit slowly becomes soft and ready to add some tangy bite to meat and vegetable dishes - or sandwiches.
I developed this sandwich recipe for the West Elm blog, where you can also find this recipe and the wooden chopping board you see in the pictures - it's just the right size for a loaf of bread and some cheese for late evening cravings on the sofa. The linen napkin and stoneware bowl and plate are also from their shop. This post was sponsored by West Elm to make my kitchen a little prettier!
Mozzarella di Bufala and Olive Tapenade Sandwich with Preserved Lemon
You can use leftover tapenade for spaghetti.
Makes 4 small sandwiches
For the olive tapenade
pitted black olives, preferably Kalamata, 100g / 3 1/2 ounces
flat-leaf parsley leaves 10g / 1 small handful
small red onion, chopped, 1/2
capers, preferably preserved in salt, rinsed and dried, 1 tablespoon
anchovy filet, rinsed, 1 (optional)olive oil 6 tablespoons
freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon
Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon
ground pepper
For the sandwiches
ciabatta, 8 small slices
fresh rucola, 1 handful
mozzarella di bufala, torn into small pieces, 125g / 4 1/2 ounces
preserved lemon, thinly sliced, 1/4
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
For the tapenade, purée the olives, parsley, onion, capers, anchovy (optional), olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, and pepper in a blender or food processor until smooth. Season with additional mustard, lemon juice, and pepper to taste.
Divide the rucola and mozzarella between 4 slices of bread and sprinkle with the tapenade, preserved lemon, and crushed pepper.
