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This is my last post for a while; we welcomed our sweet baby boy Wren into the world at 2am on December 30th, as rain and wind lashed the dark windows of our hospital room. The lead-up was long but the actual labor was fast and uncomplicated. Wren is sweet and soft and healthy—he’s a natural and welcome addition to our family, our second little bird. Phoebe has been so sweet with him, even as she unleashes maximum toddlerhood on Jonji and I. Understandable, as she navigates this new life as a big sister.

This post was almost finished by the time I went into labor. I will be back (I already have a couple of recipes in mind!) to posting as soon as I can find a new rhythm and the extra energy needed. Here’s what I’d written when I was still very pregnant last week:

We had a very enjoyable holiday week, even if I did go a bit overboard on the baking—I knew I wouldn’t have a lot of bandwidth to do much in the next couple of months. I made cheese rolls and chai on Christmas Eve Eve, apple pie and Santa cookies for Christmas Eve, and a truly delicious lemon tart from Claire Saffitz’s book, Dessert Person, for Christmas. Needless to say, I was pretty worn out from it all come Christmas.

One of my favorite holiday moments was the Winter Solstice, on the evening of which my parents gathered us all in Lighthouse field to string a secluded tree with popcorn garlands, popcorn balls, and pinecones smeared with peanut butter and dipped in birdseeds, all of which we had made the day before. After we decorated the little tree, the kids played on a blanket mom had brought to cover the damp grass. On the walk back, the setting sun broke through the trees and bathed the eucalyptus trees in a firey orange glow that had us all entranced. We ended up changing course and trekking through the field to the ocean as the sunset painted the darkening landscape in shades of cold blue and deepest orange.

As we embark on this next phase in our family adventure, I’ve been looking at ways to cut time and energy during cooking, without giving up nutritional value and interesting flavors. Enter roasted cauliflower. This is an easy throw-in-the-oven side dish that will compliment most meals. The flavor comes from caramelizing the cauliflower florets in a very hot oven with plenty of salt and oil. Throw in some whole spices for crunch and extra flavorful zing, plus a little turmeric to make it all a happy golden color, and you’ve got yourself a delicious, simple vegetable side that you could easily eat all in one sitting.

Spiced Roasted Cauliflower

Serves 4

1 large head cauliflower
¼ cup olive oil
generous ½ tsp kosher salt
1 ½ tsp whole coriander seed, lightly bashed using a mortar and pestle
1 tsp whole cumin seed
½ tsp ground turmeric
freshly cracked black pepper
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Rinse the cauliflower to remove any dirt. Chop in half and slice out the core, then remove any tough outer leaves (keep the tender, clean ones—they are also delicious when roasted!). Break and slice the florets into small pieces, about ¼ – ½ wide and 1 inch long (this can be a very rough guideline). You want a mix of smaller and larger pieces.

On a large baking sheet, toss the cauliflower florets and leaves with ¼ cup olive oil, generous ½ tsp kosher salt, bashed 1 ½ tsp whole coriander seeds, 1 tsp whole cumin seeds, ½ tsp ground turmeric, and a good amount of freshly cracked black pepper until everything is evenly coated. Spread the cauliflower evenly across the baking sheet—if it’s too crowded, use two sheets (if there isn’t enough room between the florets they will steam rather than crisp up).

Roast for 15 minutes, then remove the tray from the oven and flip or toss the florets to support even browning. Roast for another 15-25 minutes, until the cauliflower is caramelized and browned, but not so cooked that it’s mushy. Remove from the oven and serve while still warm or hot, with a sprinkling of chopped parsley if you’d like. Taste and add salt if needed. Enjoy!