Comfort Foods and Indulgences

2011bestbite.jpgOh, I have no trouble recalling the favorite thing I ate in 2011. It was October 8th, the evening before the Chicago Marathon. My husband and I were in the Windy City to watch our son, who lives in Fargo, ND, run the marathon. His birthday was the same day as the run, so we planned on lots of celebrating. My husband and I were ready for a break after a day of walking the city.

We happened upon Bice Restaurant in the Talbot Hotel and thought we'd stop for just a glass of wine as we regrouped and decided on our plans for the rest of the evening. One glass of wine turned into another, then dinner and finally, dessert. Just the thought of that dessert makes me salivate. Bice's Cioccolatissimo was recommended to us by our server.

"I am a diabetic," he said. "If I am going to die, I am going to die eating Cioccolatissimo." After that, how could I say no to a chocolate dessert that was planned to be this charming man's last bite on earth?

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marshmellowshake.jpgLast night I made one of the most requested meals at my house, Sliders. However, I was in the mood for the whole burger and a milkshake experience.

I recently saw this recipe for Toasted Marshmallow Milkshakes and I knew I had to try it.  Let's not mention there was a bag of marshmallows burning a whole in my pantry. 

And honestly, I think this was the best milkshake I've ever had. It's very sweet but the flavor is incredible and authentically toasted marshmallow. The family could not believe I was serving dessert with dinner. Hey, it was one of those kind of nights.

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biscuitsgravyBiscuits and gravy is a popular breakfast dish in the South. It consists of buttermilk biscuits covered in thick "country" or "white" gravy made from the drippings of cooked pork sausage, white flour, milk, and often bits of real sausage, bacon, ground beef, or other meat.

It’s usually served with a couple of eggs on the side. The gravy is usually flavored with black pepper, fennel and sage. In some parts of the southern United States this is also called sawmill gravy.

You can try any kind of ground sausage; Whole Foods offers a great variety. Turkey sausage works very well with this recipe.

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ImageOne of the most classic dishes of French cuisine is coq au vin, that famous stew of rooster braised in red Burgundy wine. Really it does not have to be made from rooster, capon or chicken are just as much called for in traditional recipes. The practice of stewing meat in wine is very much ancient. Coq au vin traces its history back to Roman times when France was a part of Gaul, which combined most of western Europe. This dish doesn't rely on one type of wine. It can be made with any wine, and regions throughout France do make it with their local wines. The two best-known versions are made with Pinot Noir or Riesling.

The region of Alsace specializes in coq au Riesling. Food from this area has a slight German slant, since the province once belonged to Germany. Alsace is a very important wine-producing region, specializing in Riesling, recognized as some of the best all over the world. The wine is used in many traditional dishes such as baeckeoffe and of course coq au Riesling. Braising the meat in wine for a long period not only thoroughly flavors the meat, but it also helps make it particularly tender, especially if your using a tough old rooster.

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ImageThe morning began with a three hour power outage....a transformer exploded down the street.  I had just started to heat up soup for school lunches.  With an electric stove, that was no longer going to happen.  Since Oregon mornings, especially this one, can be very dark and dreary.

With two kids holding flashlights, I whipped up some sandwiches last minute and off to school they went. I remained home in the dark contemplating what I would do with my already derailed day. 

I ended up taking my 5 mile walk and thinking about what sinful treat I would bake, sometimes I wonder why I exercise.  Honestly, why I would bake anything is beyond me when we have pounds of Halloween candy left.  But whatever, these cupcakes are fabulous and worth every ounce of flab they will put on my bottom.

They truly do taste like caramel apples, minus the sour apple taste.  They are fabulous and you must try them...soon. I'm seeing this on a Thanksgiving dessert buffet....yes I am.

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