Lately I have found myself with a lot of cauliflower on my hands. Makes sense given the season, but one can only eat so much steamed cauliflower before it gets old. I have also roasted it (which I love) but I wanted to try something new. Awhile back I heard a radio piece on how the sensation of “creamy” is really about the molecular structure of a food and not the fat content. Scientists had run experiments where blind taste-testers were asked to plug their noses and were given heavy whipping cream and pureed cauliflower and then asked to identify them. Most people could not distinguish the difference between the two. This gave me the idea to mash our cauliflower to give it a different texture and taste. At first I tried a recipe with mascarpone cheese and carmelized onions. Surprisingly, the dish was too rich. For my next attempt, I just added a little margarine, which proved to be the right amount of fat and flavor (and had the added benefit of being vegan!). A few drops of truffle oil adds a great depth of flavor.

Truffled Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower, steamed until soft
• 2 teaspoons margarine (Earth Balance)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pepper to taste
• A few drops of truffle oil (optional)