Snowy Saturday Supper with Kristin & Dolce

Before a hardy meal, assorted tiny olives are the perfect small bites with cocktails.

Someone is ready for dinner to be served.

Waiting for supper, Lloyd Page assumes his place at the head of the table.

Comfort food with a Japanese inflection inspired the table setting, more minimalist than usual.

Scallions, garlic and dried red chilies marinating in olive oil. After our mochi - Japanese pounded rice cakes that magically transform into airy puffiness when baked at high temperatures - had risen, the squares were tossed with the seasoned oil. Kinda like healthier garlic knots.

Flax and hemp seed mochi (glutinous rice squares) are ready to hit the oven.

Prior to transformation.

And after 15 minutes in a 450 degree oven! Crispy exterior, slightly chewy, denser inside.

We love this winter salad in 2015 here at Cafe Drake HRV. Tonight's variation: steamed kale and broccoli tossed with a sweet sesame dressing (tahini, sesame oil, tamari and mirin) and then heaped with sprigs of cilantro and parsley, sesame seeds and nigella seeds.

A mini-starter, served chilled, of roasted mushrooms. Such complex flavors, such basic ingredients, you gotta try this: roast whole baby portobello or cremini mushrooms, you can even use plain white button mushrooms, at 400 degrees F. for 10-12 minutes. Before roasting, in a single layer on a baking sheet, toss the 'shrooms with a tiny bit of vegetable oil and tamari or soy sauce. Remove promptly from the oven and mix the accumulated juices from the mushrooms - the salt in the tamari will help them release most of their liquid - with an equal amount of wasabi powder. We had about a T. of released mushroom liquid and stirred that into the same bit of powdered wasabi. Now toss the mushrooms in the paste, chill for an hour and serve with drinks, as an amuse bouche or an intermezzo dinner course.

Toasted mochi dressed with seasoned olive oil.

Time to Eat!!