Comfort Foods and Indulgences

If ginger is your thing, this is most definitely for you. I sit here writing and contemplating if I should go get another piece...it would be my fourth. There is something about 10 degree weather that makes you want to bake and eat. So I did.

Let me mention the incredible flavor this cake has to offer. It has so much complexity and richness between the Guinness, the molasses, fresh and ground ginger and other spices. However, the best part is how incredibly moist this is...just look at it.

I truly feel if you are going to gift a loaf, this should be the one. At the very least try it for yourself, it's worthwhile to bake up. I also think it would be splendid with a dollop of whipped cream.  Yum.

Oh, I almost forgot, no mixer is needed, that's always the best.

The first time I tasted roasted chickpeas was at a friend’s house. She was so excited about them and quite frankly so was I….until I took a bite. The chickpea was all mealy and soft in the center. It was a total let down and I can’t think of any word to describe it except for….bleh.

I tried not to make a face, but when I didn’t eat anymore of them, well I guess that sent its own message. Is that not the worst when someone is really excited about something they made and it’s just bad?

Here’s the thing, with every recipe there’s a trick. When it comes to roasting chickpeas, it’s all about making sure they are hard like a nut before removing them from the oven. Sure a couple of them won’t be perfect but most of them should. This will require turning the pan and/or moving the chickpeas around on the baking sheet. You’ll also want to taste them before you pull them out just to make sure.

The final texture will be crunchy like a peanut. You’ll know when you bite into the right one. And they are such a great alternative for people who have nut allergies.

I love putting these in trail mix for my boys (I have one with a nut allergy) and even serving them at a cocktail party as a little munchie. Everyone loves them.

The year was 1996. I had just moved to San Francisco from Chicago, finally ridding myself of those long midwest winters and trading them in for even colder summers in the Bay Area. All joking aside, it was an eye-opening experience for me and one that I embraced fully. I absorbed the California experience on every level and tasted my way through the City, spending Saturday mornings at the old farmers’ market before it moved to the Ferry Building and familiarizing myself with local foods and personalities.

I grew to love Peet’s coffee (trust me, it took some doing), developed a huge crush on Albert Strauss, became obsessed with Tu Lan and all its horrors and discovered what eating fresh and local was all about.  Somewhere in there I discovered meyer lemons and instantly became obsessed with them. I started buying them whenever I could find them, matching them up with just about anything I could and realizing that while I may suffer from high cholesterol I will never ever develop a case of scurvy. Hallelujah!

My current comfort food of choice is chocolate.  It seems to sooth all muscle aches after a long day in the vineyard.  Don't worry if you've never attempted a souffle, this recipe is easy and foolproof and it doubles nicely if you want to serve it at a dinner party. The souffle rises very nicely, it was even higher than is shown but souffles do start to shrink if you don't serve them right away.

Anyway, as far as the cheating, in place of the traditional bechamel, a tricky sauce that requires constant stirring, sweetened condensed milk is used.  Baking spray is used to coat ramekins in a fraction of the time it takes to butter and sugar them.  Bittersweet chocolate chips eliminate the need for chopping and they melt quickly in the microwave (instead of slowly on the stove).