Comfort Foods and Indulgences

Weeknight dinners can be daunting if you are working all day or chasing kids around after school. We have been in the middle of basketball season, which means, three nights a week it is chaos at dinnertime. Mostly because the kids are starving by the time they get home. 

Everyone here loves chicken Parmesan, but I don't really have time on a weeknight to pound out chicken breasts, make red sauce and shred several kinds of cheese. As a result, I have come up with an alternative, quick method everyone in my family really enjoys. The best part, I can literally throw this together after a basketball game and it's ready in no time.

The only thing I have to remember is take out a package of tenderloins from the freezer in the morning. I buy them in bulk at Costco.

My aunt recently told me about a note she found that I sent her nearly 20 years ago. In it, I apparently raved about a maple syrup muffin that I wanted her to try.

I had no memory of it but luckily she saved the note which included the recipe and I decided to make them this morning.

They’re still worth raving about. The combination of maple syrup and walnut makes for a great fall/winter muffin, and the sour cream keeps them moist and tender. They’re perfect for weekends during the holiday season.

My family is pretty loosy goosy about the holidays.  We’ve reduced the mania to a few key factors- a great night together with some Christmas carols, a $50 Secret Santa gift, and a fantastic meal. It’s simple and perfect.  My dad is normally responsible for cooking the dinner –which is never a disappointment because he is a fantastic cook.  This year, however, my folks had overbooked themselves on Secret Santa day and asked me to take care of the meal.  I was thrilled because I had found a few recipes I was dying to take for a test drive and I knew my family would be eager guinea pigs.

I have not yet had the pleasure of eating in, Nancy Silverton’s restaurant in Los Angeles but that didn’t stop me from buying the cookbook as soon as it was published.  Nancy Silverton has the same passion and dedication to the joy of cooking and eating without being a foodie douchebag that I hope to achieve some day.

Her recipes are always inspiring to read.  When I say this, I mean that as a chef I read her recipes and am automatically designing menus that will blend with and promote the flavors of the food she is describing.  She makes it easy because she understands how simple flavors can be intertwined to create something delicious.

Needless to say, when The Mozza Cookbook arrived in my household I spent hours devouring it, bookmarking so many pages that the book is bloated with post-its.  When the opportunity to cook for my family showed up, I knew my Mozza moment had come.  Almost everything from this menu is from that cookbook.

This is a super easy, super delicious chocolate ice cream. It uses just a few basic ingredients and does not require any special equipment. Sweetened condensed milk eliminates the need for eggs and sugar and carefully supervised custards.

The texture is incredible – smooth, silky, almost mousse-like. As always, use the best possible bittersweet chocolate – like Callebaut or Valrhona.

Eagle Brand’s website features several flavor variations (click for their recipes), but this one from Cook’s Country seems to have the best balance.

I’m planning to test some fruit versions soon!