Short and sweet today.  You may recall that I promised lots of food this week.   There is lots of food waiting to be talked about but no time to talk about it in.  Next week!

Do you have a thing that, no matter how much you make, it all gets eaten?  Up until last spring, I had that experience with only two things.  Popcorn and guacamole.  Then, in one of my cooking classes, I made these snap peas and was astounded to watch every last one of them get eaten.  Dinner parties – gone.  Last month’s yoga retreat – gone.  They are addictive, salty, nutty, crunchy.  They are also quick, healthy, and vegan.

I always de-string my snap peas and I have been surprised to hear that other people don’t do so.  I find if I don’t do that, this charming vegetable becomes less charming.  The fibrous string is hard for me to choke down so if you haven’t done this step, give it a try.  They don’t always come off.  In my experience, the fresher the pea, the more readily the string comes off but I don’t know if there is any scientific basis in that.  Using my fingers, I just “snap” one end and pull it towards the middle along the top of the pea and then “snap” the other end and pull it toward the middle along the bottom.

One Year Ago:  Dried Cranberry and Ginger Canoli
Two Years Ago:  Apple Torte
Three Years Ago:  Vegetarian Caesar Salad

Sesame Snap Peas
Dana Treat Original
Serves 4

Don’t let the simplicity of this recipe fool you into thinking these are nothing special.  They are special.  They can be made even more so by the addition of a bit of minced garlic and ginger, added about a minute before the snap peas, but they are equally delicious without.  I had some gomasio, a Japanese condiment made from white and black sesame seeds and salt, on hand and used that to garnish but plain old sesame seeds are good too.

1 tbsp. canola oil
10 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp. soy sauce
Sesame seeds (for garnish)

Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Drizzle in the canola oil and swirl around the pan.  Add the snap peas and salt and cook, tossing occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until starting to brown in places.  Drizzle in the sesame oil, give the peas a toss, then pour in the soy sauce.  Cook for one more minute, just until the sauce starts to get syrupy, then pour out onto a serving plate.  Garnish with sesame seeds.

There are certain things you can count on in life.  The sun will rise, the sun will set.  You will pay taxes.  Unless you have the stomach flu, you will be hungry at some point today.  You know how it goes.  There are also certain things you can count on here on the Dana Treat site.  There will be vegetarian food, there will be chocolate, and about every three months, there will be talk of a Bainbridge yoga retreat.

It is hard for both Jen and me to believe, but May will be our three year anniversary of doing these retreats together.  If you are new here, Bainbridge Island is a magical haven just across Puget Sound from Seattle.  There is a ferry that takes you from our downtown waterfront to the island in about 35 minutes.  My friend Jen, who I have known since 7th grade, lives there and teaches yoga in a studio on her property.  Over three years ago, she told me about her dream of quarterly day-long retreats.  She asked if I would want to partner with her four times a year.  She would provide the space, the yoga instruction, someone to guide meditation or other exercise, and I would make lunch for everyone.  I love Jen.  She is one of my closest friends.  I wanted to help and I also wanted to participate.

So in May of 2009, we launched.  It took me a few retreats to figure out how to get everything done the day before so I could actually participate in the morning yoga session.  Now it goes a little something like this.  I take a 7:55am ferry to the island, drive to Jen’s house, and then spend the time before the 9:30am start unloading my car and getting the kitchen set up.  I find a spot for my mat and towel in the studio and after a short intro of the retreat’s theme (this time it was nourishment), the hot yoga portion starts.  I don’t practice hot yoga at home but I really love doing it on occasion.  Jen is a dear friend of mine but believe me when I tell you that she is a most incredible instructor.  Her own practice is so strong and such a part of her that she teaches from a place of curiosity, experience, and joy.  She talks like a normal person and wherever she takes you, you want to go.  One of my favorite things she said this time was, “Starve the negativity.  If you don’t feed it, it can’t survive”.  Another, while we were in a challenging pose, “If you are talking to yourself in your head right now, make sure you are saying something nice”.

At the end of the hot yoga portion, people take a bathroom and water break before a meditation portion, and I book it up to the house for a quick shower and to set up the lunch.  People are starving by the time they get to me, so I have learned to have nibbles out and at the ready in case I am still putting the finishing touches on the food.  I’ve made a completely different lunch every retreat.  I’m proud of that.  People are incredibly grateful for the food and I love spending the time getting to know this amazing community better.

There is always a little downtime after lunch, so I usually chat or start on the clean up.  Some people take a walk, some find a nook and read a book.  Before we all know it, it’s time for the second yoga class of the day.  Our tummies are gurgling a bit and we are all sleepy so it is to Jen’s immense credit that she can get us back in the studio and back in downward dog.  Before we know it, we are back in the flow – just hard enough to make it exciting but not so hard that we regret taking a second cookie.  It is an invigorating end to an amazing day.  I have cried at almost every one of these retreats and I am not a crier.  It is so incredible to take a day to yourself, to spend it with a dear friend, to do the work in yoga, to immerse yourself in an amazing community, to be surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, and to eat wonderful and healthy food (if I do say so myself).  At the end of it all, you wait for a ferry, book and flashlight in hand, and commute back home on the water.  Even the coming and going is magical.

Now that most of these people know me and many read my blog, they always want to know which dishes I’ve made are either on my blog or will be posted there soon.  I got many questions about the chocolate chip cookies of course.  People were also crazy for this winter slaw.  I’m not surprised.  I taught this slaw twice last week in classes.  It comes from our good friend Plenty and it totally changed my opinion about slaws.  Like many, I’m not a coleslaw fan because mayo is not my friend, but I haven’t ever really liked any slaw I have made or tried.  I’m in love with this one.  Two different types of cabbage, some buttery sweet nuts, sweet mango, and a bit of kick from a red chiles make this an intoxicating slaw.  There are also lots of herbs and a dressing you will want to make a double batch of and use for many different things.  I tweaked.  Cashews instead of macadamia nuts, no papaya (those things freak me out), more green cabbage, more herbs.  My recipe below reflects those changes.

As if the flavors and the color were not enough to recommend this slaw, I will tell you this.  It keeps well.  I can’t think of another salad or salad type thing that I would want to eat a day after, or even an hour after, it has been dressed.  But we munched on this one happily two days after I made it.  Even the nuts were still crunchy!  Finally, this is not a slaw you want to underdress.  I am usually very sensitive about too much dressing on my salads or salad type things, but if you don’t use enough dressing on this one, it’s a little hard to choke down.  That red cabbage needs a good soaking.

One Year Ago:  Simply Sweet Diamints and Spicy Pasta with Broccoli and Cauliflower
Two Years Ago:  White Bean Dip and Caramel Cake
Three Years Ago:  Guacamole

Sweet Winter Slaw
Adapted from Plenty
Serves 6-8

Dressing
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 lemongrass stalk, chopped
3 tbsp. maple syrup
2 tbsp. roasted sesame oil
1 tbsp. soy sauce
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
4 tbsp. canola oil

Slaw
1 tbsp. butter
¾ cup raw cashews
2 tbsp. sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
½ a head Savoy cabbage, finely shredded
½ a head red cabbage, finely shredded
2 medium mangoes, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 fresh red chile, deseeded and finely chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

First, make the dressing.  Place all the ingredients, except the sesame oil and canola oil, in a small saucepan and reduce over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes, or until thick and syrupy.  Remove from the heat.  Once cooled down, strain the sauce into a bowl and whisk in the oils.  Set aside.  (Dressing can be made up to one week in advance.  Store in the refrigerator.)

Melt the butter in a small saucepan or sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the cashews and toast them, shaking the pan frequently until they start to brown.  Sprinkle on the sugar and stir constantly until the sugar is melted and starting to turn brown.  Scrape the mixture out onto a sheet of parchment paper and allow to cool and harden.  Chop coarsely.

Place the shredded cabbage in a large mixing bowl with the rest of the salad ingredients, including the nuts.  Add the dressing and toss together.  Taste and add more salt if necessary.

I’ve been writing this blog for 3½ years.  In blog years, that is like, eternity.  I’m sure there are those who wonder, why bother?  Why spend money to get it up and running and then hours a week on something that brings you no income, no direct contact with your audience?  I can very easily tell you why.  It’s reading about people’s favorite teachers which gave me so much hope about our new school and the upcoming year.  It’s sharing some personal and kind of painful stuff and getting love and support in return.  I often say this but sitting here in our little study, typing, watching the cars drive by, I most often feel that there are five people reading my blog.  And then I share on a more personal level, and I am blown away by the support.  So.  Whether you are a first time reader, a first time commenter, someone who visits often and comments often or someone who has just commented for the first time, I want to thank you for being here and for supporting me, on many different levels.

One more thing, before we move on to corn.  The winner of the $50 Target gift card is comment #92 (randomly generated and coincidentally, the year I graduated college).  Congratulations Jennifer!  I will contact you to get your mailing address!

Without further ado, I have to ask are you tired of corn yet?  Is it possible to be tired of corn?  Let’s talk about corn.  What is your favorite way to eat corn?

Up until very recently, I would have said “boiled for three minutes, slathered with butter, showered with salt”.  Because corn is pretty perfect that way.  Especially if it is height-of-the-season farmers’ market corn.  Which is the only time I buy it.  Certain vegetables I buy all year regardless of the season.  Broccoli, carrots, onions, potatoes, the usual.  All of those taste pretty good to me whether I buy them in January or July.  Tomatoes taste terrible in the winter but I need tomatoes in my life and yes I know they are a fruit.  Corn and asparagus are things I eye warily in the produce aisle, suspicious of why they are there when spring and summer are one or two seasons away.  But come late summer/early fall, I buy a lot of corn.

I catered a party for about 40 people last week and as soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I needed it on the menu.  I tested it several times beforehand and with one bite, I knew I had a winner.  I’m sure there are some of you out there who stubbornly believe that you don’t need to do much to corn to make it taste good and I encourage those of you to realize that not much is actually done here.  The corn doesn’t even cook for that long but the time it does spend in a hot pan, it is accompanied by a bit of butter, shallots, cumin seeds, and tons of herbs.  Like, tons.  The original recipe called for higher quantities of tarragon and dill, but I say use what you have.  At this time of year, I always have a lot of bits and bobs of herbs floating around and I used them all.  Cilantro, basil, tarragon, dill, mint, parsley, chives – all of them went in.  We are coming to the end of corn season but before we do, please give this a try.

One Year Ago:  Saffron Cauliflower, Summer Squash Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Mint
Two Years Ago:  Holly B’s French Bread, Thai Green Curry, Nectarine and Mascarpone Tart 
Three Years Ago:  Rosemary Aioli

Summer Corn Sauté with Tons of Herbs
Adapted from Bon Appétit
Serves 6-8

The only herb I wouldn’t use here is rosemary – I don’t think its unique flavor would mesh well with corn.  Fresh oregano is pretty strong if you are using that, just add a bit.  If you are doubling this for a party of 40, use two sauté pans and prepare for it all to be eaten.

2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 large shallots, chopped
1 tsp. cumin seeds
6 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 8 large ears)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped assorted herbs
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup chopped fresh tarragon

Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add shallot and cumin seeds.  Sauté until shallot is golden brown, about 4 minutes.  Add corn kernels, 1 tsp. coarse salt, and 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper.  Sauté until corn is tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and mix in all herbs.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

And now, for a bit of a rant.

Like most parents, my mom and dad tried to teach my brothers and I certain things.  There was a long list but some were more non-negotiable than others.  One was Clean Up Your Room.  And Always Be On Time.  Also If Someone Extends an Invitation Do Your Very Best to Be There.  The first one didn’t stick with me but the other two did.  Randy and I are always on time and we also make a big effort to attend any event/party/gathering to which we are invited.  I’m always amazed when people don’t follow suit.  Occasionally, I send out an invitation to something and most people take forever to respond if they do at all.  Is this a Seattle thing?  Does our casual lifestyle mean that we don’t need to RSVP?  Does this happen in your city?  The only thing that bothers me more than the people who don’t respond is the people who decide, on the day of the event, that they can’t make it.  Manners, people.

Done!  Moving on.

The fabulous Jen Yu breezed into town this week.  Do you know Jen?  Her site is one of the very first blogs I read.  Her talent, strength, determination, and her serious cooking and baking chops have made Use Real Butter a must read for me for years.  Jen and her husband were in town for a very limited time and I suggested a potluck at our house to gather the people she wanted to see.  She gave me her list, I sent an evite, and I was surprised by the quick response.  Apparently, Jen rates highly.  I decided to make several dishes to highlight our spectacular produce but, as per usual, on the day of the potluck, I got several cancellations.  I opted to be realistic and bag one of the planned dishes, a corn pudding I have been wanting to try since the corn left the markets last fall.  There was plenty of delicious food for everyone and we had a truly wonderful evening.

But I still had a bag of corn waiting to be used.  My good friend Deb came for dinner last night with her kids and I thought it was time to try out that pudding.  The original recipe uses four ears of corn and feeds 10 people.  I cut the recipe in half and microwaved the other two ears (it’s ok! Melissa Clark does it!) for the kids to eat straight off the cob.  My Graham is now missing both his front teeth so I cut his off the cob for him.  As I watched the corn tumble onto his plate, I had one of those memories that nearly knock you off your feet of my mom doing the same for me at a long-ago kitchen table in a long-ago house.

Anyway, this is not the kind of recipe you usually find here unless you are baking.  Butter, cream, milk, cheese, eggs.  I eat all those things, just not usually all together in one dish.  I thought it might be too heavy, a gut bomb.  But it wasn’t at all.  This is a dish where everything works together in harmony so that you don’t taste too much of any one thing and the only true standout is the summer’s pitch perfect corn.  The only bad thing I can say about this recipe is that it doesn’t look like much on the plate.  But looks aren’t everything.

One Year Ago:  Lavender and Honey Tea Cakes and (more corn in my red baking dish! and much prettier on the plate!) Polenta Baked with Corn, Basil, and Tomatoes
Two Years Ago:  Mushroom, Walnut, and Rosemary Pâté
Three Years Ago:  Chilled Roasted Tomato Soup with Mint

Corn Pudding
Adapted from Food & Wine
Serves 4-6  (4 as a main, 6 as a side)

1 cups milk
¼ cup heavy cream
2 ears of corn, shucked
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
½ stick of unsalted butter (4 tablespoons)
¼ cup cornmeal
3 large eggs, separated
½ cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
½ tsp. plus a pinch of salt
Black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.  In a saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a simmer over moderate heat.  Add the corn, cover, and cook over moderately low heat, turning a few times, until tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 4 minutes.

Transfer the corn to a plate and let cool.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and swirl in the butter until melted.  Let cool to room temperature.  Using a large knife, cut the kernels off the cobs and add to the saucepan.  Scrape the shallot into the saucepan.  Whisk in the cornmeal, egg yolks, Cheddar, and the ½ teaspoon of salt along with a few grinds of pepper.

In a large stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt at high speed until firm peaks form.  Fold the whites into the corn mixture and pour into the prepared baking dish.  Bake for about 30 minutes, until the corn pudding is puffed and golden brown.  Let the pudding rest for about 5 minutes before serving.  (DT:  I served this about 30 minutes after it came out of the oven.  It had fallen slightly but the texture was still nice and light.)

Last weekend, we hosted a 30th birthday party for our babysitter Erika.  Babysitter is not really the right word.  To me, it implies someone doing their homework and watching TV while your kids sleep.  Nanny is not the right word either; she was with us too few hours and besides, “nanny” sounds condescending to me somehow.  Erika is a unique and special woman who has shared her love and her kind heart with our family for the past 4½ years.  What do you call that person?

As I told you here, we met Erika at the Boyer Clinic where Graham started on his speech therapy journey.  When Graham was diagnosed, I was five months pregnant with Spencer.  I could not imagine how I was going to bring a child to a twice weekly appointment with an infant in tow.  As with everything we moms do, I figured it out.  But it caused me a lot of stress.  I would often have to wake Spencer up so that we could get to the clinic on time.  I nursed him in the waiting room or in the classroom.  I put him in the Bjorn and did that crazy dance moms of infants do to try and lull him to sleep.  I suffered through those days and dreaded the evenings when colic turned Spencer into a demon who would not stop crying until he wore himself out around midnight.

Meeting Erika and learning that she needed some hours offered me hope.  I was able to let Spencer take his morning nap undisturbed.  I was able to focus on Graham who was now doing preschool at Boyer along with his speech therapy.  I was able to get some distance from my challenging infant which, if you have ever had an infant, you know is crucial to your sanity.  And because Erika is as amazing as she is, I was able to walk out of the house and not worry about that infant, trusting that he was in capable hands.  There is no price you can put on that security.

Time passed.  The boys grew.  Erika stayed.  She was getting a Master’s degree so her schedule was flexible and we moved her two mornings a week to one full day.  I love my children but I looked forward to Thursdays for two full years.  I could go to yoga and get my hair cut and go to the doctor and meet a friend for lunch if I wanted.  Erika sits for us at night as well and has taken the boys over weekends when we have gone away.  In all that time, all those years, all those days, all those nights, she has never called me with a problem.  Not once.  My boys are easy and she knows them well, but she is also extremely capable.  When we have been out of town and I call to check in, I feel like I am actually calling to make sure she is all right.  I know the boys are fine and having a blast.

So Erika turned 30 and she (sob!) got a job.  She is no longer here on Thursdays and just typing that makes me want to cry.  The main reason that I feel weird calling her a babysitter or a nanny is that she is truly family to us now.  She has been with us since Spencer was six months old and Graham was two.  She know my children better than anyone besides me and Randy.  She loves them and they love her.  We are lucky in that she will always be a part of our lives.  She will sit for us on weekend nights and when we leave town.  I like to tell her she will never be free of us!

To celebrate her 30th birthday, I thought it was only right to throw her a party.  Erika is a vegetarian and an enthusiastic eater of my food.  A night with 20 of her friends and lots of food and wine would be right up her alley.  In true Erika fashion, she thanked me 426 times before the party even started.  We all had a fun night.  Graham thought he had died and gone to pretty girl heaven with all the dresses and jewels and long hair and makeup.  It was wonderful to be able to celebrate her in a personal and relevant way.

Among many other things, I made these asparagus.  I do a lot of party food, but often the party is not at my house.  I have been eying this dish for a long time, but have not been able to make it because I knew it would not travel well.  In my book, asparagus is best simply steamed or roasted, but I was intrigued by the crunchy coating.  Truthfully, these were not as crunchy as I wanted them to be and they wilted more than I wanted them to, but they were pretty and still tasted good, especially that drizzle of sauce.  If I made them again, I would be sure to use very thick asparagus so that they are just cooked by the time the breading browns.

One Year Ago: Tagine with Carrots, Potatoes, and Olives
Two Years Ago: Sushi Rice Salad

Roasted Sesame and Panko Coated Asparagus with Soy-Ginger Drizzle
Adapted from Bon Appétit
Serves 4-6

Because I used thinner asparagus, I didn’t bother to peel them.  But as I said above, I would use thicker ones next time and peel them as the recipe suggests.  The measurements here are very fussy (1/4 tsp. sesame oil?) so I just did it all by taste.  I’m keeping their notes as a guideline.

¼ cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar, divided
3 teaspoons soy sauce, divided
1¼ teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger, divided
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 pound thick asparagus spears, trimmed, bottom 2/3 of each spear peeled
1 teaspoon golden brown sugar
½ teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

Preheat oven to 450°F. Oil large rimmed baking sheet. Whisk mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon grated ginger in pie dish. Mix panko and sesame seeds in another pie dish. Toss asparagus in mayonnaise mixture to coat, then roll in panko mixture. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Roast until browned, turning once, about 16 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk 1 teaspoon water, brown sugar, chili-garlic sauce, remaining 3 teaspoons vinegar, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil in small bowl for sauce.

Transfer asparagus to platter; sprinkle with salt. Drizzle with sauce.

A student in one of my recent classes told me that her favorite vegetable is shallots.  I was amused at first – I mean, who puts shallots at the top of their list?  And then I started thinking about it.  Shallots are pretty amazing.  They are sweeter than onions with more complex flavor.  They are delicious simply pan-fried, add so much to any soup or stew, they are a mainstay in my salad dressings, and they turn into something downright addictive when allowed to get crispy and set atop something like a rice bowl or even a green bean casserole.  That is one pretty awesome vegetable.  Broccoli is my favorite and I don’t think it brings nearly as much to the party as the shallot.

I had never roasted shallots and I figured, after realizing how much I love them, that it was time.  Time to roast them with thyme.  Sorry.  I’m a little punchy these days.  Ahem.  This is what I think of as a well-behaved side dish.  It is easy, not time consuming, has few ingredients, and can be made in advance.  They come out of the oven soft, smoky, sweet, and with that wonderful sour wine-i-ness that comes from balsamic vinegar put in a hot oven.  As they sit, they mellow even more.  I tend to think of side dishes as green vegetables, but this dish was such a welcome change.  I served these alongside a filo dish with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes and they were perfect.

One Year Ago:  Crostini with Goat Cheese and Leek Confit
Two Years Ago: Gruyère Gougères

Roasted Shallots
Adapted from Fields of Greens
Serves 4

1 pound shallots
Olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 fresh thyme sprigs

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Cut the ends off the shallots and peel them.  If you are struggling with getting the skin off, make a shallow cut along the length of the shallot and then peel.  Place them on a small baking sheet and drizzle them lightly with olive oil.  Pour on the balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Use a rubber spatula or your hands to mix well.  Lay down the time sprigs and cover the pan with foil.  Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.  Remove and discard the thyme sprigs.  Allow to cool and serve.

I really really try not to be, but sometimes I am a picker.  You know, dinner is over, you are stuffed.  And yet the remnants of the meal are beckoning to you.  And so.  You pick – find the bites with your fingers that are the most tempting.

Recently, I made a pasta that starred many of the things you see here.  And it was good.  But when all was said and done, I picked at the cauliflower.  Ignored the pasta all together, nudged it aside, so I could get to the tangy, slightly sweet, savory, and spicy cauliflower.  Clearly this vegetable needed star billing.

So, I made it.  I sautéed garlic – more garlic than this somewhat garlic ambivalent person usually does.  I added a full teaspoon – maybe more – of red pepper flakes.  I added some chopped up caper berries because a dear friend bought me some for my birthday and a small handful of kalamata olives.  I wanted raisins and I remembered that same friend gave me some pickled raisins (swoon!) and tossed a couple tablespoons of those.  Acid was needed so in went half a can of crushed tomatoes.  And, of course, the cauliflower.

My mom used to make steamed cauliflower when I was a kid.  I ate it because she made me.  This is not that cauliflower.  Randy sometimes imagines he doesn’t like cauliflower.  He loved this.  You could certainly add pasta and have a knockout dish.  But you don’t need it.

These raisins.  I have to give some away.  Maybe you are thinking – raisins?  As a giveaway?  Well, if you are a fan of things pickled, you will love having these in your pantry.  They are a local treat, made by the good folks at the Boat Street Café.  I will send two winners each a jar.  Just tell me what you would do with them!  Winner will be picked this Sunday.

UPDATE: Contest closed!

One Year Ago:  Apple Torte
Two Years Ago:  Gratinéed Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes

Spicy Sweet and Savory Cauliflower
Dana Treat Original
Serves 4 as a side dish

If you are not a big fan of spice, you can dial the red pepper way back here.  I wanted to add toasted pine nuts to the finished dish, but I was out.  I think they would be terrific here.

3 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 heaping tsp. red pepper flakes
3 tbsp. caper berries or capers, rinsed, drained, and roughly chopped
12 kalamata olives, halved
1 medium cauliflower, cored and cut into florets
½ cup dry white wine
3 tbsp. golden raisins
About ¾ cup canned crushed tomatoes
Generous ¼ cup of basil, julienned

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat.  Pour in the olive oil, swirl it around, then add the garlic.  Sauté, stirring constantly, and once it is golden, add the red pepper flakes, capers, and olives.  Be careful that the garlic does not burn.

Add the cauliflower, give everything a good stir, then pour in the wine.  Allow to cook, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by half.  Stir in the raisins and the tomatoes.  Turn the heat down to low and cover.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is fork tender – about 10 minutes.  Stir in basil and serve warm.

Before we had children, one of our very favorite things to do was go to the theatre.  Each year we would get season tickets to either the Seattle Rep or the Intiman and see incredibly high quality shows.  One year, we did a special deal where, in addition to the tickets, we got a fixed price dinner (with a deep discount) and a restaurant right nearby.  The place is nice inside and the food was fine and we always enjoyed our evening.

This year, after only seeing a show here and there for the past four years, we got season tickets to the Rep.  We will see eight plays over the course of their season.  We have already been to two and I have to say it is so nice to have this part of my life back.  The other night, Randy and I went to see Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women and, for old time’s sake, decided to eat at that old restaurant.

It’s still a sweet place but the menu is almost exactly the same as when we last dined there, about four years ago.  That is never a good sign.  Worse, my food – which was always passable before – was pretty terrible.  My salad was soggy and there is not much I like less than soggy salad.  My main course, a wild mushroom risotto, was nearly inedible.  It was barely warm, chalky and mushy, with bits of undercooked sweet potato (huh?) scattered throughout and bits of brown that I could only guess were mushrooms.  As a nod to the “wild” part of wild mushroom risotto, there were a couple of chanterelles charred almost beyond recognition sitting atop the mush as a garnish, along with a giant sprig of tarragon (again, huh?).

Eating such a terrible dish made me want to give mushrooms a better experience.  Allow them to shine all their glory instead of hiding them throughout overcooked rice.  When I was planning to make the fregola the other night, I had a sense that it was going to be on the lighter side.  I felt like our dinner could use a more substantial side than just the green beans I had in my refrigerator.

This flavor packed side dish stars some Asian ingredients but it really would go with just about anything.  It’s the kind of thing that you keep picking up pieces to taste, long after you have decided that the seasoning is spot on.  I used cremini, shiitake, and chanterelle mushrooms, but any would be good here.  If you are going to roast whole shallots, as the recipe instructs you to do, I would use very small ones.  If yours are large, I would slice them into rounds and roast them that way instead of cutting then into quarters like I did.

Mushroom Sides Previously on Dana Treat: Asparagus and Grilled Shiitake with Ginger Soy Vinaigrette, Mushrooms with White Wine
One Year Ago:  Tomato & Goat Cheese Tarts
Two Years Ago: Eggplant Rollatini with Capellini

Roasted Mushrooms and Shallots with Fresh Herbs
Adapted from Food & Wine
Serves 4 to 6

2½ tbsp. dark sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1¼ pounds mixed mushrooms (DT: I left mine whole, but you can cut in half)
Salt
10 small shallots, peeled
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil with the garlic, ginger, and soy sauce.  Spread the mushrooms on a baking sheet and drizzle with the sesame oil mixture; toss to coat.  Season with salt.  (DT: be very careful with the salt since soy sauce is so salty.)  Roast the mushrooms for about 30 minutes, until tender and glazed.

Meanwhile, on a second rimmed baking sheet, drizzle the shallots with the remaining ½ tablespoon of sesame oil; toss to coat.  Season with salt and roast for about 25 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and tender.

Place the mushrooms and shallots together in a bowl and add all the herbs.  Toss well to coat the vegetables with the herbs.  Serve warm.

One of the questions I get most often is whether or not I make meat for Randy.  The answer is not.  I have never cooked meat or poultry.  Or lamb or pork or rabbit – do those count as meat or are they in another category?  Anyway, no I don’t make meat for him.  I wouldn’t know the first thing about cooking it.  I stopped eating meat when I was 16 and started cooking when I was around 22, so I have never cooked meat of any kind.  I also really like to taste my food – if for no other reason than to make sure it is properly seasoned – so I would not feel comfortable making something I won’t eat.

However, once in a great while, I make fish.  In the summer, Randy likes to grill salmon outside but occasionally I am moved to do something with it in the oven (but not moved enough to eat it).  I’ve made these crab cakes a number of times and even though I have never tasted them, I know they are great because people go absolutely crazy for them.  Theirs is always the first empty platter.

The non-vegetarian thing I make most often is mussels.  Why?  I don’t eat them.  But Randy loves them and they are, by far, one of the easiest and quickest meals I make.  I also make mussels because mussels are moules in French and you can’t have moules without frites.

French fries are my favorite food in the entire world.  Hands down, no questions asked.  I always told Randy that whenever I found out I was pregnant, I would have french fries for dinner that night.  And I did.  Both times.  For me, two of the most wonderful things about being pregnant were eating dessert after dinner every single night (real dessert – like cake) and ordering my veggie burger with fries instead of salad every single time.  And not feeling guilty about it.

So yes, I love my fries but I also love my skinny jeans and the two do not go together.  Believe me.  That is why I love making them in the oven.  Some people would say that they are not technically fries since they are not, um, fried.  I really don’t care.  For me, they are just as satisfying and really even more so, since I can truly enjoy them without a second thought.  Lots of ketchup is key for me too.

So before I tell you how I make my frites, allow me to tell you how I make my moules.  This recipe is for one (since I don’t eat them) and I adapt it depending on what I have in my refrigerator.  Someone from the onion family, someone aromatic, someone herby, and white wine are the keys here.

Moules for One
Dana Treat Original

Just so you have an idea of how versatile this recipe is, I have swapped out leeks, onions, scallions, fennel, thyme, and sherry for the ingredients you see listed here.  Randy always loves them.

Olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
1 pound mussels, rinsed well and beards pulled off
¼ cup white wine (preferably one you would drink)
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

In a medium Dutch oven with a lid, heat just enough olive oil to coat the bottom.  Add the shallot and celery and adjust the heat to medium.  Add a large pinch of salt and sauté just until the vegetables start to get soft, about 5 minutes.  Carefully pour in the mussels and give them a good stir.  Pour in the wine and then sprinkle in the rosemary.  Give it another good stir, then lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.  Allow to cook for six minutes, giving the pot a good shake a couple of times.  Remove the lid and discard any mussels that haven’t opened.  Pour into a shallow bowl and serve with grilled bread.  And frites.

I have made these countless times and believe it or not, it is a little tricky getting them to turn out right.  If you love potatoes as much as I do, these will never be bad but use my tips to make them great.  For two people I would start with 2 large russet potatoes, 1½ tablespoon of olive oil, at least a teaspoon of salt and a lot of black pepper.  You will want your oven at 400ºF.  They will bake anywhere from anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes for the first leg.  It all depends on how brown you like them, how thin you cut your potatoes, your oven, etc.  After I do the flip, it’s just another 5 minutes or so to completely warm them through.  Here are my tips to get the most out of your frites.  (You don’t have to peel them but I do.)

1)  Trim your potatoes. Unless you are someone who likes a bit of burnt stuff on the ends of your frites (I know people who do), I would trim off the ends of your potatoes.  If I have a particularly bulbous one, I will trim off the sides too.  Then try to cut them in the as even pieces as possible.  That way they will bake and brown evenly.

2)  Soak your potatoes. Fill a large bowl with cold water and place the cut-up potatoes in the bowl for at least an hour.  This will remove some of the excess starch and which will keep them from sticking to the baking sheet and also make them crispier.

3)  Dry your potatoes. After their hour-long bath, it is important to dry them as well as possible.  I throw them in a kitchen towel and rub for a minute or two, then dry each one individually.  Lovingly.

4)  Don’t crowd your potatoes. For maximum flavor and texture, you want contact with the pan.  If you put too many frites on any pan, they will start to steam rather than bake.  Make sure each frite is touching the pan, not lolling about on another frite.  If you are making a lot, use more than one pan or bake them in batches.

5)  Go easy on the oil. I don’t just say this for healthy reasons.  If you use too much oil, the potatoes are likely to get soggy.  1½ tablespoon is about enough for 2 potatoes – 2½ tablespoons at most.  Just make sure you take the time to really mix coat all the frites with oil.  You could do this coating thing in a bowl, but why?  Just do the coating, mixing and salting directly on the baking sheet.  And speaking of salt…

6)  Be generous with salt. Potatoes of any kind need lots of salt.  These are no exception.

7)  Don’t move them around too much. Resist the urge to keep pulling them out of the oven and turning them over.  This is the tip that took me the longest to embrace.  I was always sure they were sticking and would try to move them around which would leave me with lots of severed frites.  The key is to actually let them stick and then cook – that way they will release.  Trust me.  They will not be browned on all sides.  The Earth will continue to spin on its axis.

8)  Be sure to make enough. People love these.  It’s not just me.  Be sure to plan on at least one potato per person and more if you have big eaters.  Moules are a light meal so you will be surprised how many frites you will want to eat alongside them.

This is the dish I made to serve alongside the ratatouille on Sunday night.  I like to think of it now as the dish that could have killed my reputation, at least on Twitter, as a cook.  Let me explain.

The first time I ever had ratatouille also happened to be the first time I had polenta.  My beloved high school drama teacher had a daughter a few years older than me who really liked to cook.  One summer, newly vegetarian and home from college, they had me over for dinner.  They made me the ratatouille from the Moosewood cookbook and served it on top of a bed of polenta.  Truthfully, I was nervous.  I was maybe 19 and although I had always loved food, my palate was not what I would call overly sophisitcated.  But I loved that simple stew and I fell head over heels for the polenta.  Ever since, if I make ratatouille, I make polenta.

With Matt and family coming over, I wanted to make a little fancier riff but still keep it a Sunday night dinner.  In the Plenty cookbook, I found this idea.  This polenta is cooked with rosemary, butter, and Parmesan, and then poured out onto a sheet to cool and solidify.  Some mushrooms that are sauteed in olive oil and then tossed with garlic and herbs.  Taleggio cheese is carefully place over the top and the whole thing put in an oven warm enough to melt the cheese.

I bought my mushrooms, as I did almost everything for this meal, at the farmers market.  We are in prime mushroom season right now in the Northwest.  The chanterelles were $8 an pound and I splurged on a few porcinis as well.  I washed all the pine needles out of them and allowed them to dry, sauteed them as directed.  The few bites I stole told me that even without the polenta, this was going to be a great dish.  My polenta didn’t solidify as much as I wanted but the taleggio melted just as it should and the mushrooms were definitely the star.  After everyone went home, I put the polenta in a container but ate the mushrooms off the top as I did the dishes.

At 3am I woke up with a cramped stomach.  I did not go back to sleep that night.  I never felt terrible but I did not feel good.  My stomach tends to be pretty hard to upset – it is only very rich food or frivolous amounts of olive oil that make me feel sick.  Consequently, because I cook pretty clean, I have almost never felt ill from something I have made.  I knew it had to be the mushrooms because everything else I made was pretty healthy – I even used a lighter hand than advised on the cheese.  In other words, I was very concerned that I had poisoned my guests.  Is it not bad enough to feel the pressure to cook for a food blogger that you respect, but then you have to go and poison him and his wife?

By the time my boys woke up and I had made it about halfway through a novel, I was feeling better.  I sent a tentative email to Matt.  Were they feeling all right?  I was just a teensy weensy bit concerened about the mushrooms.  A tense hour went by in which I envisioned hospital visits and my reputation slaughtered, not to mention a budding friendship between three year old boys squashed.  But no, all was well in their house.  Phew!  So as it stands, my two worst cooking gaffes are the African peanut stew I made for a friend who is allergic to peanuts (I didn’t know!) and the frittata I served to a couple who came for brunch and who don’t eat eggs (I didn’t know!  And wouldn’t you mention that you don’t eat eggs if you are invited for brunch?)  What is your greatest cooking faux pas?  Come on – make me feel better.

Providing you don’t buy poisonous mushrooms, this is really a great dish.  Polenta is one of those things that can be hard to serve to guests.  If you are going to go the soft route, it really needs to be made just before serving (unless you want to cook it in a double boiler).  But if you make it this way, it can sit until you need it and it will still be hot from its trip to the cheese melting oven.

Polenta previously on Dana Treat: Polenta Baked with Corn, Basil, and Tomatoes
One Year Ago: Smoky Chard Over Grilled Bread
Two Years Ago: Mediterranean Five Lentil Soup

Mushroom and Herb Polenta
Adapted from Plenty
Serves 4

The recipe instructs you to add truffle oil to the pre-formed polenta but I was out so I left it out.  I opted to pour my polenta out free-form on a sheet of parchment paper for a more rustic look, but you can also pour it into a oven-proof pan sprayed with a little non-stick spray.

3 tbsp. olive oil
1 pounds mushrooms, very large ones halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. chopped tarragon
1 tbsp. chopped thyme
3 cups water or vegetable stock
1 tsp. salt
¾ cups coarse cornmeal
¼ tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. chopped rosemary
3 ounces Taleggio cheese, rind removed, cut into very thin slices

Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Once hot, add half the mushrooms and fry until they are cooked through and brown in spots, about 8 minutes.  Try not to move them around too much.  Remove from the pan, add the other half of the oil and repeat with the rest of the mushrooms.  Off the heat, return all the mushrooms to the pan and add the garlic, tarragon, thyme and a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.

Line a medium-sized baking sheet with parchment paper.  Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan.  Add the salt, then vigorously whisk in the cornmeal.  Bring it back to a boil, stirring all the while, then reduce the heat as low as it will go.  Cover the pan.  Stir every 5 minutes or so until the polenta is smooth, about 20 minutes all together.  Add the butter, Parmesan cheese, rosemary, a good pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper.  Spread the polenta over the parchment paper and allow it to cool and firm up, at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425ºF.  Top the polenta with Taleggio and place in the oven until the cheese is melted and starting to bubble, about 5 minutes.  Remove and top with the mushrooms then return to the oven just warm for a minute or two.