The Cauliflower Diet by Radha Thomas. Ebury Press; Random House India.
And on the cover, a singular cauliflower floret. On a scallop-edge plate. The reader`s eye then goes to the lettering bordering the bottom of the plate: The new rice. The new potato. The new thin.
Now I ask you, is that a hook or what?
Thomas who now wears quite a few hats quite successfully, that of jazz singer (which sounds so much better than musician, right?), city columnist, as well as author (Men on My Mind, More Men on My Mind) basically demystifies the humble cruciferous veggie and tells us everything we didn`t know we needed to know about the cauliflower. Interspersed with absolutely down-home as well as Conti recipes (thayir saadam, payasam, sakkarai pongal to risotto, paella and sushi rolls) all starring you- know- what, and a set of very toothsome pictures, the book adopts a chatty tone that serves quite to its advantage.
The pivot, though, is the dietary wonders of the cauliflower and Thomas packs in enough information on how this versatile veggie (alliteration the blurb writer`s, not mine) is the ideal substitute for several types of starch, for a fraction of the carb count. And yes, it works. The author will vouch for that.