Turmeric Cauliflower

This is a FAVORITE.  I'm from the Midwest and the South (14 years in one and 5+ in the other) so I'm used to being loaded up with fat plates of fried crap.  And it is good crap because what isn't good fried?  NOTHING.  My favorite of the fried crap was fried cauliflower.  Every good Southern home has its secret recipe which is a battle of who has more secret MSG making power than the next.  And yes, it's so tasty, but then after the meal you want to die, you blame it on eating too much... you blame it on the food being "too good" or "too rich" and it was.  It was so good you want to die.  Well the issues with fried are that it violently breaks down protein into a hodge-podge of things, including MSG-like compounds or as we call it - the SPICE.  We always say it with contempt after a bad meal, and even our friends have taken to calling MSG containing meals SPICED.  Just don't confuse this with real spices that have nothing to do with MSG.  The second isssue is that most things fried are also battered. Wheat has protein and frying it results in, yep, the SPICE.  Egg is incredibly protein rich and using that in conjunction with flour yields, yep, - super the SPICE.  Then the grandmas and aunts and moms with their secret ingredients are usually upping that spice quotient without even realizing it by using any number of protein breakers like lemon into the batter, Taco Bell fire sauce (in my opinion, Taco Bell is one of the WORST offenders of using flavor enhancers to cover their heavily modified and very low grade food to make everyone feel as though you NEED it) and other additions.

To escape the South and keep the flavor, fresh turmeric does a fine job.

This is a VERY simple recipe.

Beforehand it looks like a non-event.

But just wait until you see it and smell it coming out of the oven...
Preheat oven to 400-425

• 1 head of cauliflower (trim off the 'stump' and leaves, cut large florets into slices)
• 1 inch chunk of fresh turmeric more or less depending on how much cauliflower (I just grate it no peeling or chopping)   Turmeric will give you "cheetos" fingers and can stain things so grate over a plate or work surface made to take this kind of thing.
• 4 cloves garlic grated
• 2 TBSP olive oil or more as needed
• pinch of salt
• ground pepper or some hot pepper seeds

Toss to combine, and bake.  At 20 minutes it will start to become tender.  Take it out, toss to coat everything once more and put back in to get the tenderness you desire.  At most 30 minutes.

Fresh Turmeric Root

The upsides of this dish is that Turmeric is well known for its health benefits and is a very subtle, savory flavor that pairs well with dark flavored things like beans, lentils, grains.  It is what gives Curry is color.  It also is used to ease joint pain and inflammation.  Curcumin, the thing that gives Turmeric is color, has antioxidant; anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, stomach-soothing, and liver-and heart-protecting effects. This will take that would-be fried cauliflower and kick it in the teeth.  I'm swearing off the fried stuff and going for this.