Vegan with a Vengeance

minute. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Add the asparagus and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until the asparagus is still bright green and firm but slightly tender. Move to a serving plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Garlic
    SERVES 6
    Â 
    Believe me when I tell you that these are amazing. No, seriously. Roasting the Brussels sprouts gives them a popcorn-y flavor. Gone are the days of overboiled Brussels sprouts covered in processed cheese; this is seriously good food.
    1 pound Brussels sprouts, washed and halved
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    3 cloves garlic, chopped
    Â¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
    Preheat oven to 400°F.
    Lay the Brussels sprouts on a rimmed baking sheet; douse with the olive oil. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, add the chopped garlic, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt, using tongs and toss to coat. Return to oven, roast for 5 more minutes. Before you remove the Brussels sprouts from the pan, rub them into the garlic, and, when you serve them, sprinkle with whatever toasted garlic remains in the pan.

PIZZAS AND PASTAS
    Pizza is the most social food there is. As each pie comes out of the oven, anticipation builds as you wait for it to cool just enough to slice it. The crowds gather ready to pounce and fight for their slice if need be. And then everyone sits around eating and saying, “Great pizza!” and coming up with topping ideas for the next one. Or just letting you do all the work. I put pastas here, too, to have a little Italian celebration, and because the sauces can per form double duty as pasta sauces.

Pizza Dough-A Novel
    MAKES TWO 14-INCH-DIAMETER PIZZA CRUSTS
    1 cup warm water
    1½ tablespoons sugar
    1 (¼-ounce) package active dry yeast 1
    2 tablespoons olive oil, plus about 2 teaspoons for the rising bowl
    3 cups all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon salt
    Cornmeal
    The first step is to “proof” your yeast. I’ve been told that with modern yeast technology this step is unnecessary, but my mother-in-law does it, so I will, too. Pour the water (be sure it is warm, not hot) into a small bowl and dissolve the sugar in it, then add the yeast. Stir it a little bit so the yeast gets wet, and let it sit in a warm place for 10 minutes or so. When you come back it should be kind of foamy and maybe even bubbling a bit; if it is, congratulations! Your yeast is alive. If nothing’s happened you’ll have to start over with a new package of yeast.
    While you’re waiting for your yeast to prove itself you might as well assemble the dry ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Once you’re sure your yeast is good, add the oil and the yeast mixture to the flour and salt and stir, or mix with your hands if you’re the adventurous sort. You won’t get very far before the dough balls up and doesn’t want to absorb any more flour; don’t worry, that’s normal. Sprinkle a little flour on your nice, clean countertop and dump out the whole mixture onto it. It’s time to knead.
    Kneading dough is a bit more art than science, and there’s no real “right” way to do it, as long as you get it thoroughly mixed and stretched. Don’t work too hard at it; you’re going to be kneading it for 10 minutes or so and you don’t want to wear yourself out at the start.
    Your dough should be a little sticky; before you start, pat your hands with flour to keep them from sticking. If the dough is really, really sticky, work some more flour into it as you knead. Soon enough the dough should become less sticky and easier to work, in a kind of magical way; now’s the time to really start working it, stretching it out and squishing it with your hands. Don’t be afraid to treat it rough; it likes it. The more you work it the stretchier and more elastic it will be, which is what you want for pizza dough.
    After about 10 minutes the dough should be nice and stretchy, still moist and
tacky but not sticky or gooey. If it seems really tough and dry you’ve probably added too much flour. Don’t worry; it happens. You can still use it; maybe knead it a little longer and remember to try not to add as much flour next time. Pizza dough’s not hard, but it takes a little practice to get it perfect.
    Form the dough into a tight little ball. You’ll need a clean bowl that’s at least twice the size of your dough ball for the dough to rise in. Put a little oil (about 2 teaspoons,