By Super Bowl week. I want to acknowledge that I grew up in a household where the Patriots are not a sports team but a civic religion, and in that context, the Patriots being in the Super Bowl is not casual. It is a state of elevated spiritual alertness that manifests in the Donovan household as Sean Sr. watching more television than usual and Patrick calling me with analysis I receive with more patience than he probably deserves.
The Super Bowl party is at Patrick's, which is always where the Super Bowl is, and I'm on dip duty, which is always my assignment. I make buffalo chicken dip because it's easy and the whole room will eat it and none will be left. This is the mathematics of party food: make the thing that disappears completely, because leftovers are the measure of something that didn't quite work and I take that personally.
At work Patricia asked me about soups that don't smell overwhelming during chemo. I told her about a broth I'd made for a patient years ago — very simple, ginger and chicken and nothing that competed with anything. She wrote it down. I thought about writing it down better. I thought about whether there were soups specifically designed for people in treatment. It's just an idea. It's not anything yet.
Made the buffalo chicken dip as a trial run Friday night. Sean D. ate a quarter of it with a fork before it even went to a party. He said, "It's research." I said, "It's a fork." He said, "Research requires a fork." I made another batch Saturday for the actual party. The Patriots are going to need this kind of support next Sunday. We are ready to give it.
The buffalo chicken dip was Sean D.’s research project, but I wanted something I could bring to a party and feel a little less guilty about after a week of thinking about Patricia and chemo-friendly broths and the ways food either helps or doesn’t. Cauliflower gets all the same heat and crunch without the weight, and honestly it disappears just as fast—which is the whole point. Here’s how I made it.
Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot sauce (or your preferred buffalo sauce)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Season the cauliflower. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
- First roast. Spread the florets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, making sure they aren’t crowded. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the edges are golden and beginning to crisp.
- Make the buffalo sauce. While the cauliflower roasts, whisk together the hot sauce and melted butter in a small bowl until combined.
- Toss and finish. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and transfer back to the large bowl. Pour the buffalo sauce over the florets and toss to coat thoroughly. Return to the baking sheet and roast for an additional 8–10 minutes, until the sauce is caramelized and the edges are crispy.
- Serve. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately alongside celery sticks and your choice of blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 105 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 620mg