Recently, I had the opportunity to visit our local art gallery. I learned a few things about different eras of art as well as what kind of artwork I prefer. Some pieces made me stare in awe while others left me shaking my head. I was blown away by artifacts that were 3,000+ years old and unimpressed by some work that, to me, was creepy. We have all heard that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and an art museum can confirm that point!
One aspect of the paintings from two or three centuries ago that caught my attention was how women were depicted. I know that it was a sign of wealth for people to look well-fed. What I noticed is that the women looked realistic. Today we are so conditioned by social media and advertisers as to how we are supposed to look and what constitutes beauty that we spend our lives being ashamed of our own unique bodies. Lately, I feel I have heard a lot of women making negative comments about their bodies. At the gym I hear remarks about being ashamed for indulging on the weekend or not working out enough. At social gatherings I hear statements about dreading bathing suit and short sleeve season. At restaurants I hear complaints about not being able to lose some random amount of weight. The common denominator is women are embarrassed about their bodies because they do not measure up to some arbitrary ideal someone else has set or that they have in their mind.
The artists from hundreds of years ago painted what they saw. They didn’t use photoshop to “improve” a women’s body. To them it was already perfect. I know I have wasted too many hours in my life worrying about how I look and how others will judge me for my looks. I still struggle with trying not to base my happiness on a number on a scale. But knowing I would have been worthy of being painted by a renaissance artist is very gratifying!
This week’s recipe is my take on a very popular restaurant item, Buffalo Cauliflower. I love ordering this dish! I have attempted to make it at home, but I get so frustrated with dishes that require dipping and breading and frying. My hands get goopy, it’s impossible to keep the ingredients from cross-contaminating and they never come out evenly coated. Not to mention the calories involved. Then I decided to roast my cauliflower like I usually do, toss it in my favorite hot sauce and top with vegan blue cheese dip. And that’s the recipe!
Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower
serves 2
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4-1/3 cup favorite wing sauce
1/4 cup favorite blue cheese dressing