This holiday season, we would like to transport you to the kitchen of Kelly Brotman, a comedy sketch writer from California. Earlier this year, she started a Facebook page called “Cooking away your fears” with over 300 followers. Living with FD, Kelly finds new and creative ways to express her emotions and stay upbeat. During the pandemic she used her creativity to overcome her emotions and in her own words encouraged us to “cook our sorrows away”.

Together with her mom, Kelly prepares delicious recipes such as “Yotam Ottolenghi’s mustardy cauliflower cheese”. Yotam is an Israeli-English chef who inspired our young chef to express her emotions through delicious dishes.  

While she prepares her recipes, Kelly makes jokes and entertains her followers.

Be sure to follow her FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/Fearsaway34/.

Yotam Ottolenghi’s mustardy cauliflower cheese

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Cauliflower 1 large (700g), broken into roughly 4cm florets
unsalted butter 30g
onion 1 small (120g), finely diced
cumin seeds 1½ tsp
medium curry powder 1 tsp
mustard powder 1 tsp
green chillies 2, deseeded and finely diced
black mustard seeds ¾ tsp
double cream 200ml
mature cheddar 120g, coarsely grated
fresh white breadcrumbs 15g
parsley 5g, finely chopped
salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180C fan/gas mark 6.

Steam the cauliflower over boiling water for 5 minutes, until just softening. Remove and leave aside to cool slightly.

Put the butter into a 24cm round casserole pan or ovenproof dish of a similar size and place on a medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 8 minutes, until soft and golden. Add the cumin seeds, curry powder, mustard powder and chillies and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mustard seeds, cook for another minute, then pour in the cream. Add 100g of cheddar and ½ teaspoon of salt, and simmer for 2-3 minutes, for the sauce to slightly thicken. Add the cauliflower, stir gently, and simmer for another minute before removing from the heat.

Place the remaining 20g of cheddar in a bowl and add the breadcrumbs and parsley. Mix, then sprinkle over the cauliflower. Wipe the top inside edge of the pan clean (with a spatula or cloth) – any cream there will burn – and place in the oven. Bake for 8 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cauliflower is hot. Turn the grill to high and keep the pan underneath for 4 minutes, or until the top is golden and crisp. Keep an eye on it so that it does not burn. Remove from the grill and allow to cool a little – just for 5 minutes or so – before serving.

Serve and enjoy!

Kelly’s FD diagnosis does not define her. She is an inspiration to our community and shows us the importance of creative activities to overcome challenging times.

Although holidays look different this year, there has never been a better time to express our love and gratitude for the wonderful blessing we have in our community.

To learn more about Kelly, also check out her site on writing and ceramics: https://www.kellybrotmancomedywriterandceramicsintraining.com.

A special thank you to Dr. Celeste Camargo for this incredible FD highlight!