Cauliflower is the new spud.

A popular food is cauliflower treated as mashed potatoes, faux potatoes. Cauliflower has only twenty-five calories, whereas it has cancer-fighting compounds, vitamins, and a distinctly different, delicious flavor. White potatoes aren't so bad either. A potato is loaded with vitamins, but a serving has three times as many calories as cauliflower.  

The secret decadence is all that stuff we put in our potatoes and faux potatoes—the butter, cheese, sour cream....

Cauliflower tastes good, but it isn’t as smooth as good ole mashed potatoes. We haven’t called them “creamed” for several generations without a good reason.

We’ve decided the combined taste of cauliflower and potatoes is best. When we have guests, we make a big batch of this incredible food the day before. Our guests ooh over them and clean out the bowl. Usually we tell them the potatoes have cauliflower mixed in. they don’t know why the potatoes are more delicious than usual.

Cook the potatoes as you usually do. Peeling them is a waste of time and energy. It's easy to cut them in chunks and boil or steam the until they are tender.

When you go to the grocery store (do you call it supermarket?), select the biggest cauliflower you can find.

You want it to be pure snowy white, but if it has a few brown or black spots on it, plan to trim those off.

Now you have your cauliflower. You take it home and remove the clear cover if it has one. If you found a large one, you have a big vegetable to cook. Such a big piece of food to prepare is scary, right?
At this moment, the cauliflower has been cooked, and the perfume of it is a treat to the nostrils. Do you like the way cauliflower smells when it is cooked? All that good taste and smell are irresistible.

It doesn't have to frighten the cook though. Place it in a clear glass pan, cover the cauliflower with a generous piece of clear wrap. Fasten the wrap to the sides of the glass pan, and punch four or five holes in the wrap. Punching those holes is an important step.

Place it in the microwave and cook it until it is soft. 

Since you are preparing this dish a day ahead of time, you don't need to burn yourself on the steam. Let it sit and cool a few minutes. Peel off the greenery underneath and discard it. 

Remember, the cauliflower and the potatoes do not have too many calories. Although potatoes are loaded with carbohydrates, the problem is what we stir into the cauliflower and vegetables. 

At some point, you'll need to add a few pieces of finely chopped--minced--onion. If the onion makes its appearance after the vegetables finish cooking, it gives an interesting texture.  

After you've cooked and drained the potatoes and microwave-steamed the cauliflower, cream them with a mixer. It's better to have the potatoes or the cauliflower slightly warm so the ingredients can blend better. 

Add what you like. Today we're adding sharp cheddar, sour cream, and butter. Let your conscience and your taste buds be your guide. After whipping all that in, add a pinch of cayenne pepper, a shake or two of sea salt, some garlic powder, and a shake of parsley. Grind some fresh black pepper into it.

Shortly before serving it you may want to add chopped green onions or bacon bits.

(Photographs by John Cooke)