How to make cauliflower cheese in Santiago

Paul and I became godparents today (Monday 23rd). Woo!

Separately, we also made Paul's mum's cauliflower cheese (as opposed to plain old cauliflower cheese) with ingredients procured at La Vega, the big fruit and veg market here in Santiago.  We initially went along just to see what all the fuss was about.  Apparently it's the cheapest place to get fresh produce and was rammed before last week's holiday.  Today it wasn't too busy, which was probably a good thing for us.  We went at around 2pm when things were winding down but there was still lots on sale, Including some unusual things:

Chirimoya or custard apple

Black corn

Black avocados

The dried peaches or huesillos (H) used in mote con huesillos 

The market was also randomly littered with arcade games (so people could have a game break in between haggling?)

Paul's mum's cauliflower cheese is made with the green parts of the cauliflower as well as the florets and we decided we were going to cook it before we realised that at La Vega they tend to chop off all the green bits to display them.

We only found one that had enough green bits left!

When we got back to the flat, we realised Javier didn't have any baking dishes, so we went back out to buy one.  It was a bit of a mission - there are loads of market-type places in central Santiago but they all seem to sell either phone accessories, clothes or medicines.  We walked so far we had to have a break at Domino for a hot dog :o)  This was also an educational pit-stop as I had one with barbecued bacon bits, which taught us the word for bacon (tocino).

We eventually found a department store with a homeware section and got some Pyrex dishes.

When we got back we realised why Javier had no baking dishes.

His oven door doesn't open fully because the washing machine is in the way!  Oh my god!  Making cauliflower cheese has never been such an ordeal before!  Thank god Eddie, the Chinese salsa teacher, lives upstairs and was in and allowed us to use his oven!  Cue several trips up to the 26th floor.

Paul got pretty sick of being followed by a paparazzo.

I was so happy we finally had a cooked cauliflower cheese that I forgot to take a picture of the finished product in its entirety. Here's how much of mine was left when I realised this.

Javier, Jason and their friend Victor cleared their plates :o)  Neither of them had had the green parts of a cauliflower before.  Maybe we can start a revolution in Santiago.

On the campervan front, Mario called a few people today and we are going to see a couple tomorrow - fingers crossed!!!!  I really want to get this show on the road!!!!