Cauliflower, that brainy cabbage, has officially stripped kale of its long-held crown as media darling of the veggie world.
Still within the same family tree (Brassica oleracea), that's a little like one Kardashian booty-bumping another one off camera.
And, incidentally, wouldn't we all feel better living in a world where cancer-fighting crucifers are worshiped over Kardashians?
While kale mopes around its circa 2012 mansion, consoling itself with buttermilk massages or baking in the sun until crackly, its creamy-colored cousin is assuming center stage on restaurant menus and magazine spreads nationwide.
A convincing chameleon, cauliflower takes on color and flavor with ease (blanch it in boiling water with salt and a 1/2 tsp. of turmeric for a golden hue and spicy infusion). It can even play the part of couscous, mashed potatoes, and pizza crust with confidence.
One star quality kale never had that cauliflower does though, is the ability to stand in for a piece of meat.
Chefs have begun butchering the globe into thick cross-sections, searing them stove top, and then finishing them in the oven until crispy and charred like a T-bone steak. Try it at home and you can break out the A-1.
Overexposure is a risk, so I won't share my recipe for tofu, cauliflower, sweet potato curry; or cauliflower cheese; or penne with cauliflower, capers, oregano, and breadcrumbs just yet.
This certainly won't be the last you see of the sulfur-y starlet.