Comfort Foods and Indulgences

After returning from a two-week holiday stay with family in Rhode Island, Jeff and I were in a bit of a funk. San Diego suddenly seemed too quiet, too sunny, too bland. We missed the crunch of snow beneath our feet, the hearty bowls of quahog chowder and the sight of a pink and orange Dunkin' Donuts on every street corner. More than anything, we missed the accents.

You’ve seen recipes for triple chocolate cookies, right? Well, why not triple peanut butter cookies?

I come from a long line of peanut butter-lovers. My uncle was so consumed with the creamy, sticky stuff, he named his dog Skippy. My mom made sandwiches with peanut butter so thick, each bite would take several minutes to finally swallow, let alone try to get a word out.

I grew up on my mom’s peanut butter cookies. They were crunchy and sweet and the little criss-cross marks made with a fork on the top of each cookie glistened with crystals of sugar.

Of course, I married a peanut butter-lover. Nothing makes him happier than a bag of chocolate peanut butter cups.

When I discovered the bags of Reese’s mini peanut butter cups at the store, I knew at least one bag of the adorable, bite-sized p.b. cups would go home with me to get chopped up and stirred into cookies. And how easy it is to do, because the tiny chocolate peanut butter cups come unwrapped.

I've had these on my mind for a while now. I'm not the biggest fan of traditional enchilada sauce but I will take buffalo sauce in an enchilada anytime! I stuffed these with ricotta cheese, Monterey Jack and of course blue cheese. More Jack on top and crunchy celery...this was a TOUCHDOWN.

I'm not sure your Super Bowl party will be complete without them. I made these in individual stoneware bakers, two enchiladas in each one. I admit I love serving food in smaller portions, it's always more fun. You could also make these in a large casserole dish, you'll just have to double or triple the amount of ingredients.

Even if the corn tortillas break a little on top when you roll them, it's okay since you will be covering it with lots of cheese. And I have a question, is anyone watching the Super Bowl this year for the game? It seems every one I have come in contact with says they are not thrilled with the teams. Most will be watching for commercials and the food. Ha-ha perfect. You better make extras!

When it comes to flavoring Italian dishes, the usual suspects come to mind -- garlic, shallots, and olive oil. Yet, pancetta, an Italian unsmoked pork belly that is cured with salt and spices such as fennel, nutmeg, and pepper, may just trump them all.

This once humble cured meat, sometimes referred to as "Italian bacon," is currently di rigeur. Pancetta can be found in panini with buffalo mozzarella, in broth for mussels, in pastas, such as carbonara, in winter vegetable mashes, such as smashed potatoes, and on pizzas and flatbreads. Cooked pancetta, which lacks bacon's smokiness, infuses dishes with a sweet, spicy, and salty pork flavor.

Sliced pancetta for sandwiches is available at most major supermarkets. Many recipes, however, call for diced or chopped pancetta, which usually means a trip to an Italian deli is in order. (While you're there, you might as well pick up some sharp provolone and Sicilian olives.) Ask for the slab of pancetta to be cut about 1/4 - 1/3-inch thick. When at home, use a very sharp knife to cut it. You won't need to add oil to the skillet when you cook, as it will cook in its rendered fat, becoming irresistibly crisp and chewy.