Kale is so last year. The new “it” veggie? Cauliflower. Whether pressed into pizza crust, pulverized into rice or prepared in buffalo sauce, cauliflower has gone from being broccoli’s boring, pale cousin to the world’s favorite very-much-not-guilty pleasure food.

But, why? Cauliflower’s a culinary blank canvas, the perfect vehicle for the gooey goodness and eclectic flavors of the many scrumptious add-ons that soak into its florets. Just ask celebrity chef David Burke, culinary director of The Adelphi Hotel: “Cauliflower has an interesting texture and color that leads to many versatile applications on a dish,” he says. “It’s a flavorful ingredient full of variations.” Throughout his career, Chef Burke has used cauliflower in countless, innovative ways—from cauliflower steak and Kung Pao cauliflower to cauliflower ravioli and cauliflower clam chowder—with plans to make cacio e pepe cauliflower, a pasta dish, next. As a cauliflower connoisseur myself, I’m all floret.