Battered & Baked Sesame Cauliflower (Gluten-Free)

Plus, why you should talk to your food.

Happy Friday, friends! Today’s recipe makes me really, really happy. It’s a sweet and savory sesame cauliflower that’s battered then baked instead of fried. A sweet, umami-rich sauce, which is sweetened with just a touch of honey, envelopes the craggy roasted cauliflower like gossamer. It’s far lighter than take-out but just as richly satisfying (and, as always, it’s gluten-free). Before we jump in, let’s talk about why we should talk to our food.

To celebrate the fact that I just sent in my book manuscript (!!) I’m offering 25% off paid subscriptions in perpetuity (for the first time ever!), meaning the cost is less than a cup of coffee per month. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting this work—the book wouldn’t have happened without you. (p.s. The offer ends on Sunday night.)

“I love you, and you love me.”

In January I did Joie Jacobsen’s New Year Jumpstart proxy program (this was my second year), where you send her your three intentions for the year along with two or three things you’d like to release. I love it because it forces me to get specific about who I’m becoming and how I want the year to feel, as well as to pin down the energies, beliefs and emotions that I’m ready to let go of. As part of the program Joie sends a daily email with a simple affirmation or message. One morning she shared this practice around food. It goes like this: when you sit to eat, say to your food, “I love you, and you love me.” 

This has been so fun to play with, and I knew I wanted to share it with you too. I’ve had a gratitude practice in the kitchen for a long time, where I give thanks to the foods I eat (no matter what’s on my plate), which you can read about here and here. While I’ve been known to tell my food I love it, I’ve never thought that it loves me back. However, this reframe instantly turns eating into a co-creation. It’s no longer a one-sided exchange of consumption, but rather a reciprocal relationship. 

As Joie stated, “I love you and you love me. I want you and you want me. This isn't a request, it’s recognition that we are always in an exchange of energy with the world around us—we are co-creating.”

When we believe that the foods we eat—whether it’s a frozen pizza, a homemade chicken stew, take-out noodles, or a bowl of ice cream—are eager to nourish and sustain us, just as we’re eager to take pleasure in their flavor and texture, we form a loop of love. Can you feel how this immediately lowers resistance? There’s no constriction in love—it’s open and joyful. 

That day when I received that email from Joie I was in Vermont with James and the girls. We went skiing and took a break for lunch at the ski lodge restaurant. I ordered nachos, which were one of the only gluten-free friendly items on the menu. When the platter arrived, the cheese sauce was congealed and topped with what Ella called, “mystery meat.” Let me tell you, they did not look appetizing (and I freaking love nachos). However, I was famished, and this was lunch. 

As I eyed the platter suspiciously, I suddenly remembered the message from Joie that morning. I took two deep breaths to clear my mind, and said to the nachos, with honesty, “I love you, and you love me.” I immediately felt my resistance to the food slip away. “This meal is going to fuel me for the rest of the day on the mountain, and I’m so grateful,” I thought. I ate the nachos, and I felt fine the rest of the day. 

This isn’t to say that if the meal had truly been unsafe to eat I still would’ve felt fine, but I do know that had I not believed that those nachos loved me, I would have been filled with unease while eating and after. I would have remained in my resistance, and it would have made the lunch far less enjoyable and, I believe, harder to digest. 

I’ve since tried this several other times, not just with restaurant meals, but also with dishes that I’ve cooked at home. It’s been a joy each time. It turns my meal into a friend—an ally that’s there to nourish me as much as I’m there to savor it. There’s more connection, and with it, more pleasure.

As Joie explained, we can also take this concept into our wider lives, beyond food. What if we believed that the things we want in life—our true hearts’ desires—also want us? That the dreams on our hearts want us just as much as we want them? Instead of wishing on a distant star, we create a relationship with our inner desires, bringing them closer to us.

Invitation

This week, if it feels fun, tell your food you love it and that it loves you back. Create a loop of love with the meals you consume. See what happens!

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Sesame Cauliflower

I love you sesame cauliflower, and oh baby, do you love me back. This meal is truly my love language, featuring tender nuggets of cauliflower in a glistening ginger and sriracha spiked sauce.