James Silverton wrote:
> sf wrote:
>
>> Mashed doesn't mean "pureed" so don't think of it like you'd
>> think of mashed potato, but - OMEGA, it's great!
>
> I've made mashed cauliflower and it's not bad but it's not very
> interesting or a substitute for mashed potatoes AFAIAC. Perhaps if you
> used large quantities of butter it would be better but that's out for
> me.

I put about the same amount of butter in mashed cauliflower as in mashed
potatoes. Garlic goes well in both but it really stands out in mashed
cauiflower.

It's easy to end up with excess water after mashing cauliflower. Drop
it in a sieve to let it drain for a minute after mashing.

Here's the difference to me - I think potatoes absorb a lot of flavor so
a small amount of spice tends to almost disappear into potatoes. The
result is a background sparkle that's nice but almost not worth it. I
think cauliflower is lighter and easier with spices. They stand out
better to me. A bit of nutmeg is very nice in mashed cauliflower, as
does garlic or any other herb or spice.

In some of my meals I like to have one flavor profile on the meat
course, another flavor profile on the veggie course. If I have a cream
or cheese sauce for the meat I want an herbal or aromatic addition to
the veggie. Cauliflower is very adaptable that way - It goes great with
either addtion. Tarragon goes with either mashed potatoes or mashed
cauliflower. I am not impressed with nutmeg, clove, allspice or cimamon
in mashed potatoes but I like them in mashed cauliflower.

One nice thing about mashed cauliflower - It's not a "low carb
substitute for potatoes". It's a core low carb veggie in and of itself.
There's nothing fake in a dish of mashed cauliflower with some herbs.
It's not a condolance dish. It's a core low carb food made to taste
every bit as good as a potato. Attempts at low carb pasta are lacking.
Not so with mashed cauliflower.

Cauliflower a bit too mild for you? Toss one brussel sprout in the
steamer and mash it in with the cauliflower. It adds a nice green sworl
and makes the flavor more intense without getting nearly as strong as a
dish that's all brussel sprouts.