Comfort Foods and Indulgences

Mmmmmmmmmmm, mmmmm! A fried egg sammich! A Farmer’s fav! Good bread, good eggs, that bit of magic that happens when a slather of mayo warms on lightly toasted bread… eating doesn’t get much better than this! Breakfast, lunch, dinner, or “brinner” (breakfast for dinner – a true delight every time), whenever you eat this sandwich, I’m sure it shall be pure revelry.

My whole life, I’ve loved a good ol’ fried egg sandwich. Yet, I’m proud to say I’ve discovered how to perfect this dish to be sublime every time. I’ve always known that soft white bread was key, runny yolks were mandatory, and that Hellman’s ever so lightly spread brings it all together.

Bread... oh the goodness of plain ol’ white bread. Aside from homemade bread, just about the best bread in the free world is Pepperidge Farm’s Soft Oatmeal bread. Spongy and soft, slightly sweet, and reminiscent of true home baked bread, this bread is the perfect binding for this sandwich.

Lightly toasted on one side allow the untoasted side to remain absorbent for the yolks that will burst upon first bite. This sandwich may be served open faced with a couple eggs on each face, but traditional sandwich style is totally apropos.

Good eggs are major. I prefer the taste of organic eggs and milk because I prefer the actual taste… they taste like eggs or taste like milk…the way eggs and milk are supposed to taste. The eggs from my father’s farm are quite tasty, but if I’m out, my grocer’s cooler has eggs a plenty to choose from. While on the subject of eggs…

When I heard that my friend, Brigid was making “50″s junk food” I immediately went to a recipe I have been coveting for some time now; Homemade Tater Tots. I have read and re-read Saveur’s 100 issue and there are so many recipes that I want to try, modify, and taste.  But it is these little golden nuggets of fried “potatoes” that I keep coming back to.  Yes, these Tater Tots are indeed fried.  And fried food is one of my guilty pleasures.

This is not a dish that I would regularly put on my dinner table, but it is a great treat and perfect for a crowd.  This is also a dish that could be done in advance.  All of us busy people, juggling everything from kids, work, volunteer committments, plus the perils of everyday life – having something pre-prepared and in the freezer is truly a wonderful thing.

There is simply nothing better than a homemade Tater Tot.  I made mine with organic potatoes and whole wheat flour.  With that said, could this be considered a healthy treat???

April 7th is National Coffee Cake day! Not that we need a special day to eat cake to enjoy with our coffee...but why not "celebrate" with one of these recipes that are sure to make the day super delicious.

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Coffee Cake wih Sweet Almond Topping

Cranberry Coffee Cake

Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake

Pear & Cardamom Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusal

Drake's Coffee Cake Muffins

Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake

Blueberry Lime Pound Cake

Chocolate Espresso Coffee Cake

Sour Cream Apple Crumb Coffee Cake

This may well be our favorite appetizer. The combination of the prosciutto with the luscious fig jam is so good and then the creamy goat cheese - well, you just have to make these.  And (shhhh...) they are so easy!

All you need for these little wonders are a good fresh baguette, a jar of fig jam, some salty prosciutto, plain goat cheese and some fresh basil.  The fig jam is an item which is now found in any grocery store.  You just have to know where to look for it.  Some stores carry it with the jams and some carry it with the international foods.  I know Whole Foods has this brand of jam and they always have some tucked in with all the cheeses.

This stuff is incredible - if you've never had it, you'll want to eat it with a spoon.  Or put it on toast.  Or make a sandwich with it.  Or put it on scrambled eggs.  Okay, you get it.  For the prosciutto, make sure you buy a good quality prosciutto - because there are so few ingredients, this appetizer is only good as the quality of your ingredients.