Umami Bites: We Figure Out How to Build a Better BLT, Grill Delicious Cauliflower, and Give Roast Beef a Bath

One of the hottest food trends this year is cauliflower, it’s all over the cooking shows and food magazines, but just because an ingredient is popular doesn’t make it taste any better. The issue with cauliflower it doesn’t have a lot of flavor on its own, and it loses a lot of its health value if you smother it in cheese, which is how we used to eat it growing up.

All of that changes when you add some smoked paprika, cumin, lemon juice, and grill the cauliflower until there’s a nice char on the outside.  Then it becomes something completely different, it becomes delicious, which is why you should try our new Grilled Cauliflower recipe.

A tip when you’re grilling cauliflower and other veggies is to use a flat grill pan, so you can spread everything out without having any pieces slip through the cracks. We like this one from MR. BBQ,

I never thought I’d say this, but I’m excited to be going to Nebraska. This coming Monday I’ll be hanging out in the middle of the path of totality for this year’s solar eclipse, you can follow along on Facebook and Instagram for what I hope will be lots of amazing pictures. If you’re still thinking about whether or not to go, read Where to Go and How to Watch This Year’s Solar Eclipse.

You’d never realize how popular BLT sandwiches are by looking at cookbooks.  Very few bother with this summer staple.  The thing with simple dishes is there’s a fine line between delicious and pedestrian, which is why Eileen spent time figuring out How to Build a Better BLT.

If you like tender, juicy roast beef try cooking your next roast sous vide. Our sous vide roast beef recipe makes a fantastic roast that is delicious, whether you’re serving the whole roast for dinner or just making it for roast beef sandwiches.

If you’re looking for an interesting cocktail to sip on during these late summer evenings, try mixing up a Bees Knees Cocktail, its warm honey flavors help it live up to its name.

Here at Umami, we love a good mystery almost as much as we love a good drink, which may be why we keep writing stories like the Mysterious History of the Margarita.  It’s full of intrigue and mystery and the number of hazy details you’d expect from people drinking lots of margaritas.

To round things out, we have a Simple Grilled Burger recipe that is delicious and can be thrown together in a few minutes and a vinaigrette recipe for all those fresh veggies from the farmers market. We also have Dan’s latest Green Path article about what it’s like to be a trailblazer and almost get lost in your business and out hiking in the North woods.

Looking ahead, we’re hard at work on a new technique to make better BBQ, mixing up lots of Sazeracs, and getting a scrumptious Greek chicken salad recipe ready for you.

Umami Bites is Umami’s electronic newsletter. Each issue is filled with recipes, cooking tips, and ideas to help the curious cook explore the world of food. Check out our archives for past issues.