The following is about cauliflower -- and about my brother. You've probably encountered him in the comments section of this blog. He's that fellow who's always telling me not to eat swordfish because of the mercury, or asking where his share of the goodies are, but mostly lauding my efforts.
He does have other things to occupy him on occasion. In fact, he's both award-winning and outstanding in his field. (I was going to make some kind of dreadful pun about him being out standing in a field somewhere, but I'll spare you.)
In addition to keeping busy with all this commenting, he's also an excellent cook. He's even mentioned the possibility of writing a guest post here at some point in the not-too-distant future. We can dream, can't we? My brother and I talk and commiserate and ask each other's counsel about many things. Some of those things are culinary. Whenever G hears me on the phone saying "marinate it for at least an hour before you pan-sear it" or "okay, okay, I promise I'll use organic lemons from now on" he knows that the person most likely to be on the other end is my brother.
My brother is the person who taught me to cut cauliflower in a cross-section before I oven-roast it. 
This method both provides lots of surface area to get crisp and brown, and makes a very artistic presentation -- lovely flat cauliflower-scapes. There's something so beautiful about this vegetable in cross-section. I love seeing how it grows, the branches and flowerets arching away from the stem.
This preparation is one of G's favorites. We slice our lovely cauliflower, oil it, season it, roast it, admire it -- and then devour it.
Roasted Cauliflower in Cross-Section
1 large cauliflower
2 Tbsp. olive oil (herb-flavored oils work well here)
Herbed sea salt, pepper
Preheat the oven to 425F. Slice the cauliflower across the entire head in inch-thick slices. Some of it will crumble or be in small cross sections, while the center pieces will be large and fan-like. Use about a tablespoon of the olive oil to oil a large baking sheet. Spread the cauliflower out in a single layer, brush or drizzle with the remaining oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 7 minutes; flip cauliflower slices with a pancake turner so that the top side can brown. Continue roasting until the cauliflower can be easily pierced with a knife and is just tender.
What a great idea to cut cauliflower in cross-section! And hey I for one would like to see him guest-posting on this site!
Posted by: rowena | June 16, 2005 at 05:02 AM
I cut my cauliflower into cross sections too, they hold their shape much better and your can cook them more evenly. Cruciferous vegetables eg., cauliflower, brocolli, brussel sprouts are all the rage because of anti-cancer properties. This is a delicious way to get your vitamins!
Posted by: Gia Parsons | June 16, 2005 at 08:15 AM
Hi Rowena,
I bet you get incredible cauliflower in Italy. Somehow the vegetables over there always seem to have more flavor -- they're less watery or something. Maybe our soil here has become denatured with fertilizers and chemicals -- and of course some of our vegetables are genetically engineered for size and sturdiness rather than flavor and texture. Do you ever make any of those yummy pasta con cavalfiore dishes?
Hi Gia -- you're so right about the goodies that our cruciferous veggies contain. I'm always looking for ways to put more of this stuff into our diet. Roasting is simple and delicious, but I'm willing to branch out, too. I'm so glad you came and commented -- I love your blog, btw.
Posted by: Julie | June 16, 2005 at 12:09 PM
Problem is I can't remember where I got this idea. Very popular in our house too and makes a nice party display. You need a frseh head of cauliflower that isn't getting dried out or it crumbles when you try to slice it...Yes, preferably organic.
Posted by: Joe C | June 17, 2005 at 11:04 PM
Oooo, I'll bet this works a treat with broccoli romanesco -- that's the light-green broc-cauliflower hybrid whose florets look like pointy fractals. I am so trying this in the fall! :)
Posted by: Bakerina | June 18, 2005 at 03:56 PM
This looks delicious! Any recommendations for total cooking time on this recipe? After the 7 minutes on one side, I mean; are we talking another 7 minutes or more like half an hour?
I'm thinking about trying this out tonight but I'm a little wary about making sure it will be ready at the same time as the fish I'd like to serve it with :)
Posted by: brian w | June 30, 2005 at 05:22 PM
Hi Brian,
I would say it probably takes another five to seven minutes, but it is of course somewhat dependent on your oven and how even the heat is. Good luck! Let me know how it turns out.
Posted by: Julie | June 30, 2005 at 06:25 PM
This is so fine. Why I didn't think of it, I can't imagine. But that is so often true of the best ideas. They make so much sense, you feel you must have always known about them. I'm off to make some.
Posted by: Lindy | August 16, 2005 at 04:14 PM
Lindy, let me know how it worked out for you!
Posted by: Julie | August 17, 2005 at 07:12 PM
Thanks for a great idea. I just discovered cauliflower and have been experimenting. Last week I tried it roasted with garam masala, olive oil and sea salt.
Posted by: DiWriter | October 31, 2005 at 12:42 PM
Di, thanks for visiting. Cauliflower is a staple in our house, since it's one of G's favorite vegetables. Check out my recent posting for cauliflower soup as well -- very comforting in cold weather.
Posted by: Julie | November 01, 2005 at 06:02 AM
Thanks, I'm going to have nightmares tonight.
Posted by: muska supra | October 14, 2011 at 06:17 AM