Last summer, Corey and I took a dream vacation to Kauai. I’d always wanted to visit Hawaii, and after we moved to California I swore we’d make it happen. Kauai, in a word, is paradise.

Hawaiian cuisine didn’t knock my socks off. I expected an abundance of fresh, tropical vegetables and fruits, but soon learned that island-grown produce is limited. (One server even told us that most of Kauai’s pineapple is imported from Tahiti instead of other Hawaiian islands.) As a result, most of what we ate was fresh fish served with a starchy side. My sadness about the missing veggies quickly disappeared when I tasted the fish – especially ono, a meaty white fish that was unbelievably delicious.

I won’t be returning to Hawaii anytime soon (unless my husband plans to surprise me for Mother’s Day 2011…how about it, honey?!), but I was ecstatic to see ono at a local fish market. It was wild caught and just as firm and buttery as I remembered it to be.The fishmonger suggested I sear it for a minute on both sides, then transfer it to a hot oven for an additional 4 – 5 minutes. With a bit of butter and a squeeze of lemon, it was total perfection.

And on the side: an abundance of summer produce, which I strongly prefer over taro or white rice.

This trinity comes together in one of my all-time favorite summer side dishes. Simply chop red onion and zucchini and saute in a bit of oil and butter until soft and beginning to brown. Cut the corn off the cob and add it to the pan along with any of the milky juice that comes from the cob. Stir it all together for a few minutes more, and add salt and pepper to taste. There’s really nothing better for a summer meal.

Zucchini is another one of those foods that I didn’t really love pre-pregnancy (I’d actually make this dish with red bell peppers instead), but now I can’t get enough of it. It’s a wonderful complement to the corn, and perfectly ripe at this time of year. Something else that’s ripening with each passing day? My belly. Check out the difference between 16 weeks and 26 weeks, which I hit yesterday:

Most baby books illustrate weekly growth by comparing the baby’s size to various food items. At 16 weeks, she was the size of an avocado; this week, she’s the size of an eggplant. That sounds big in and of itself, but in the coming weeks, I’ll be expanding to accommodate something the size of a watermelon. How’s THAT for a reality check?

Everyone knows that pregnant ladies have cravings. Most assume those cravings are for strange combinations (i.e. pickles and ice cream), but honestly, it’s not been that way for me. My cravings arise when someone talks about a specific food, or I see a specific food in a TV commercial or Food Network show, and then I cannot. stop. thinking about that food. It consumes me, and it takes every ounce of self control not to leap off the couch (or out of my office chair) and immediately leave the house to find and consume said food. Most recent cravings have included donuts (I literally dreamt about the Maple Glazed Bacon Apple donut at Dynamo Donut and knew that had to happen this weekend), salami, chocolate milk, barbecue potato chips, Pretzel M&Ms and Trader Joe’s Dried Fruit Bars. None of these foods were part of my pre-pregnancy diet, so it’s pretty interesting to see how differently my hormones interact with my taste buds.

And as for today’s recipe, it, too was born from a craving that started more than a week ago when I joined my friend Melissa for a Saturday brunch. Melissa is a great source of information on SF restaurants, and we got to talking about Blue Plate, a place known for amped-up comfort food. When Melissa started to describe the restaurant’s signature macaroni and cheese, my craving was instantaneous. Apparently it’s made with Drunken Goat cheese (a semisoft Spanish variety that’s been soaked in red wine) and topped with buttery breadcrumbs. I’ve never dined at Blue Plate, and while this conversation was certainly enough to get my hiney over there, I thought it would be more satisfying to make a similar dish at home. A Google search found that the recipe is available online – but if you look closely at said recipe, it is most definitely NOT scaled down to make four portions. Fourteen cups of liquid to make a cheese sauce for 1 pound pf pasta?! Not only does that seem way too liquidy, it also appears that it would wash out the flavor of the cheese, which – after all – is the main reason we eat mac and cheese. I used the Blue Plate recipe as a general guide, but searched a few other mac and cheese recipes to find alternate proportions for my roux and cheese sauce. The end result:

Utterly fantastic, if I do say so myself. If you’ve never had Drunken Goat cheese, the flavor is so subtle and wonderful. Neither the wine nor the goat’s milk flavor is too overpowering; it’s lightly nutty and slightly sharp, providing a perfect contrast to the tangy white cheddar that’s also included here. Even those who think they hate goat cheese (ahem – Mom) might find that this variety is much more appealing than soft and creamy variations. I’ve seen Drunken Goat in a variety of supermarkets and cheese shops in San Francisco; it’s likely you’ll find it near you, but if you can’t, you could try to substitute any semisoft goat cheese.

Both Corey and I agreed that this was a near-perfect execution of “fancy” mac and cheese. High quality cheese made it luxurious, but it didn’t go over the top (as some restaurants tend to do) with the addition of lobster, truffle oil, or other fanciful ingredients. I have no idea how it compares to the real Blue Plate version, but I’m willing to bet it’s almost as delicious – if not more so!

Beth’s Drunken Goat Mac and Cheese – inspired by Blue Plate

serves 4 to 6

2 c elbow macaroni

1.5 c whole milk

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 shallot, diced

5 oz shredded drunken goat cheese

4 oz shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp dried mustard

dash of Tabasco or other hot sauce

dash of Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c plain breadcrumbs

1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 8×8″ baking dish with cooking spray.

Fill a medium sized pot with water and bring to a boil. Add salt (to taste) and the macaroni. Cook 6 to 7 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While the pasta cooks, begin the cheese sauce. Heat the milk in a small saucepan set over low heat; you want it to be warm, but not bubbling or scalded. (Note: to save time, I heated mine in the microwave using a glass measuring cup. It was perfect in 2 minutes on 50 percent power, but you have to watch it closely to make sure it doesn’t scald.) As the milk heats, melt the butter in another saucepan set over medium low heat. Add the shallot and cook for a minute or two, then add the flour. Whisk the flour, butter and shallot for about 2 minutes or until the mixture is golden and smells slightly nutty. Slowly pour in the warmed milk, whisking continuously. Continue to whisk over medium low heat until the sauce begins to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes. When thick, remove from heat and whisk in the mustard, tabasco, worcestershire, and black pepper, followed by the cheddar and drunken goat cheeses. Continue to whisk until smooth. Combine the cheese sauce with the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour the macaroni into the prepared baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the breadcrumb topping begins to brown. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes if you prefer a crunchy topping.

What lies beneath that beautiful blanket of cheese? A nice, meaty lasagna? A breaded and fried chicken cutlet? The answer is a delicious surprise.

No mystery meat here. Mushroom Parmesan is one of my all-time favorite recipes, something I discovered years ago when I was a full-fledged vegetarian. I’m no longer a veg, but I consistently return to this recipe when I want something savory, hearty and delicious. I’ve served it to some pretty hardcore meat eaters (including my husband) and everyone loves it. Portobello mushrooms have a wonderful beefy texture that stands up to the cheese and marinara used in this dish. It’s also far less labor intensive than eggplant parmesan – no breading and/or frying required. The mushrooms are slightly precooked to soften them up…

…and then covered in cheese and sauce before they’re baked in the oven. Count on two large mushrooms per person and serve with copious amounts of garlic bread.

Mushroom Parmesan

adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

4 to 6 large portobello mushrooms

1 to 2 c quality marinara sauce (or other tomato sauce of your choice)

1/2 to 3/4 c shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

olive oil

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth. Remove the stem and use a spoon to gently scrape away the gills.

Set a grill pan or large skillet over medium high heat. Drizzle the mushrooms on both sides with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms in the pan and cook, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until they are fairly tender.

Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray and add a bit of marinara to coat the bottom of the pan. Place the mushrooms in the dish and top each with a generous amount of sauce, followed by the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce is bubbly. If desired, broil for a few minutes at the end for a nice, brown exterior.

Strawberry season is upon us. And while I love a good strawberry shortcake, my all-time favorite use for strawberries is a light, fresh salad with berries marinated in balsamic vinegar, black pepper and a bit of brown sugar. This recipe is the inspiration, but through the years I’ve modified it a bit to suit my tastes. (The only real change is to swap brown sugar for white, and to use far less of it – you don’t want it to taste like dessert.) The combination of tart vinegar, spicy pepper and sweet strawberries is nothing short of spectacular. The syrupy sauce is so delicious, no additional oil or dressing is needed.

Once you have your berries and a bed of greens, you can customize this salad in any way that sounds good to you. I’m partial to chopped, toasted nuts (walnuts or pecans are the best) and semi-stinky cheese (goat, feta, or a bit of gorgonzola). If making this for an entree, I’ll add grilled chicken, bits of bacon and avocado to make it even more substantial and delicious. You can bet this salad will be on my dinner table at least once a week as long as strawberries are in season.

Recently, Corey and I dined at Beretta, a super hip, super delicious restaurant in the Mission. While everything we ate (and drank) was absolutely divine, one particular standout was an appetizer of Baked Polenta with Gorgonzola Cheese. Thick slices of polenta were grilled, then baked with garlicky tomato sauce and a smattering of creamy gorgonzola. I detected a second cheese alongside the gorgonzola; our server never gave me a straight answer on what that cheese was, but guessed it was probably fontina. It was simple and delicious and I knew I had to recreate it at home.

I’m sure Beretta made the polenta the day before and allowed it to firm up before slicing and grilling it. I’m also sure they used homemade sauce. In order to make this dish weeknight friendly, I took two very important shortcuts. I bought premade polenta (ever seen it in those handy little tubes?) and jarred roasted garlic pasta sauce. It doesn’t matter, since those two flavors really play second fiddle to the cheese. You know it’s true.

Gorgonzola and fontina can be expensive,  but you only need an ounce or two to add huge amounts of flavor to this (or any) dish.  I added some pecorino romano since I had some on hand; if you have parmesan sitting in your fridge, that would be equally delicious.

Baked Polenta with Three Cheeses

inspired by Beretta

serves 2 to 4 as a hearty meal or appetizer

1 package (roll) premade polenta, 16 to 18 ounces, or a similar amount of leftover cooked polenta

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 to 1 full jar roasted garlic marinara sauce, warmed

2 tbsp crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1/4 cup shredded fontina cheese

2 tbsp cup finely grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese

Remove the polenta from its package and slice into long rectangles.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced polenta and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.

Preheat the broiler to high. As the broiler heats, spray a medium sized baking dish with cooking spray and coat the bottom with a thin layer of sauce. Add the polenta slices and top each slice with a layer of sauce, pecorino, fontina and gorgonzola. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.