Just When I Thought The Cupboard Was Bare...

Does this happen to you?  

It's still a good three days from payday 

and you realize you have 1/2 cup of milk 

in the gallon jug, 

a stale box of Triscuits 

and some two week old hot dogs in the fridge...  

That's about it...  

Yeah, it happens to me often...  

Even David Copperfield can't pull a good meal 

out of a hat in that situation...  

A Lear jet, maybe, 

but a hot, tasty dinner, no way...  

That is when you dig into the far recesses 

of your pantry, freezer and refrigerator, 

desperately seeking anything 

that vaguely resembles kid friendly food 

that does not look like a science experiment....  

Now, I will cut the mold from the cheese 

in pursuit of a grilled cheese sammie 

with the best of them, 

but I draw the line when the jar of marinara 

is encircled in blue fuzz on the rim...  

So, payday is not until later this week 

and I was starting to panic...  

Tuesday nights are easy 

(Breakfast for Dinner...Woo Hoo)...  

I pull out the Bisquick 

and make pancakes with H20 instead of milk...  

But Monday night was a conundrum...  

Other than chorizo in the freezer, 

and I was not in a mood 

to figure out a meal with that, 

there was no protein to be had in the kitchen...  

Go "Meatless Monday!" you say...  

My kids would rather watch a "Nova" marathon 

than eat beans and veggies left 

in the crisper that don't look appealing 

to even a starving rabbit...

Except for one vegetable, 

a week old, hiding toward the back of the crisper drawer; 

cauliflower....    

Now, I love a raw cauliflower floret, 

sprinkled with salt, 

now and then, 

but my kids are not fans...  

I bought it on a whim last week, 

and could not get any takers...  

Subliminally, I must have been thinking 

about a cauliflower soup recipe 

I had torn from a discarded Williams Sonoma catalog...  

And so, mid-dig in the refrigerator, 

I got an idea, 

in Grinch-like fashion, 

a terrible, awful idea....  

I was going to make 

that Williams Sonoma cauliflower soup...  

I was going to make that soup 

and I was going to foist it upon 

my cauliflower-hating family 

as the best unnamed soup 

they had ever tasted...  

What desperate people will do, I say....  

And do you know what happened, Friends?  

I made that soup, 

and the house smelled so heavenly 

it was all I could do 

to not eat it all myself...  

And I served it to my kids 

and they LIKED it!  

And, later, I served it to my husband, 

and by jingle, he LOVED it!  

And I am going to make 

that damn cauliflower soup again 

and SOON!  

So, if you are left with the dregs of edibles 

in your cupboard, 

be brave...  

Don't scrounge for change under the seat cushions 

to snag some Happy Meals...  

Okay, you can do that, I have, 

and God knows you need a break...  

But one time, be the Top Chef that you are 

and make something out of nothing... 

It's strangely rewarding...  

It's like laughing in the face of paucity 

and culinary terror...  

You have prevailed and declared, 

Screw You, Empty Cupboard!  

Okay, I am getting melodramatic...  

But hey, I held off hunger 

and it made me smile...  

Hope you smile today, too!

Here is that fantastic Cauliflower Soup recipe...  

Give it a try...

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Pancetta and Gremolata Courtesy of Williams Sonoma

A garnish of crispy pancetta and toasted bread crumbs tossed with parsley and lemon zest transforms this creamy soup into a dish that’s fit for a special meal.  **PS: I did not have bacon/pancetta, but I sauteed the veggies in bacon fat...mmmm!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 4 Tbs. olive oil
• 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 6 oz. pancetta, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 shallots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
• 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock, plus more as needed
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup heavy cream (optional)(*Add this!)

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, toss the bread crumbs with 2 Tbs. of the olive oil and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the bread crumbs are golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. In a bowl, toss the bread crumbs with the parsley and lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper. Set the gremolata aside.

In a nonstick fry pan over medium heat, cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is browned and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add the onion, shallots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the 5 cups stock, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 30 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, (Or regular blender) puree the soup until smooth. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Add more stock if needed to reach the desired consistency. Stir in the lemon juice and cream. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Top with the crispy pancetta and gremolata and serve immediately. Serves 6.