I came here today to to tell all of you about the salted caramel ice cream we make at Molly Moon’s.  I had plans to describe exactly why it is such a dynamic flavor.  With a small reminder that on our tongue are the 5 cornerstones of taste, salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami, I [...]

Poppy, Jerry Traunfeld’s restaurant of his very own (you didn’t think the Herbfarm was his did you?) opened for their 6th service tonight, with a menu titled, “A Thali to welcome Dana.”
You see, it was my first day as their pastry chef.  I know, I know.  Another job?  Another restaurant?  You think it’s hard to [...]

I suppose I should fess up to something.  It’s not that it’s a secret, or something I don’t want to talk about.  It’s just been a little hard to have to do, and sad to talk about.  I put my notice in at Veil.
It’s not really a surprising move, to those that know me well.  [...]

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My love for Balthazar is not a secret. I always question how much of my enjoyment of their food is connected to their warm, well worn, perfect environment. I try so hard to not let things like decor affect my enjoyment of the food, but I admit with Balthazar it’s [...]

For everyone in the Seattle area, Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream shop is opening today.
I am making the toppings for sundaes and splits, including hot fudge, butterscotch, vanilla bean caramel, and a rotating seasonal fruit compote, currently a luscious orange rhubarb.
Molly has sourced everything as locally as possible, with the cream itself coming from Snoqualmie [...]

I am a big big believer in focus leading to quality. (Note: not just a big believer. That’s TWO bigs!) I enjoy all sorts of restaurants that focus on one item — chocolate, hot dogs, bagels, etc. But one of my favorite foods is macaroni and cheese. It’s a perfect food item in my opinion. [...]

It’s no secret to those around me, I am hooked on Top Chef.
This season I have been invited by Leslie Seaton a writer for Buddy TV to comment on each episode for their website.  It was particularly fun this week as Wylie was the guest judge.
“Once again, Dana Cree, pastry chef at Seattle’s Veil restaurant, [...]

I have been in the public eye long enough to have met my critics.  Those individuals for whom my work does not only displease, but offends.
My first year at Eva, my use of huckleberries in February sent a customer into a snit.  “These taste as if they had been frozen, and that’s disgusting in and [...]

I have a question I haven’t been able to answer.
Is there anyone out there making their own bubble gum?  I can’t find any.
The closer it is to Seattle the better.
Is there a mom and pop  candy store out there with home made bubble gum?
A small family run producer mixing batches?
A tiny taffy shop hidden in [...]

I manage the dessert menu in it’s entirety.  This means not only creating the desserts and producing the components on a daily basis, but developing their replacements as the seasons change, and managing the inventory and ordering of my ingredients, and producing extras like the little amaretti cookies that come with each cup of coffee.
But [...]