Comfort Foods and Indulgences

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.

Read more ...

"I love recipes that don’t require mixers, beaters and lots of bowls. These squares really should be called Date Nut Brownies because of their soft and chewy texture. The combination of dates, nuts and brown sugar make them reminiscent of Sticky Toffee Pudding. These moist bars will make anyone a fan of dates which are one of the best natural sources of potassium."

bars.jpg 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour (4.5 ounces)
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F and adjust rack to middle position. Lightly butter a 9x13 pan and set aside.

Beat butter, sugar, salt, soda, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs, scraping the bowl and mixing until well combined.

Beat in flour, dates, and nuts. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Using wet hands, press the dough and smooth batter into an even thin layer.

Bake the squares until golden brown, about 22 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let cool on wire rack for 30 minutes. Cut into 2” squares and dust squares with confectioners’ sugar.

– Recipe courtesy of Cook Like James

beefshortribs.jpgI can't remember exactly where I had my first taste of beef short ribs. A restaurant? Someone's house? I do know they were served over cheesy polenta and together they did this little dance in my mouth (I think it was a rumba). Anyway, the meat was so tender and overall was a very good food memory.

Fast-forward in time, I now love making short ribs at home. The process is so easy and your reward is a very flavorful dinner everyone loves. However, I never cook short ribs and serve them right away. I usually make them in the morning or put them away until the next day. I like to let the fat settle at the top and remove it before serving. This type of dish always tastes better after the flavors meld.

If you've never heard of beef short ribs, the best cuts come from the lower (ventral) section, between the 6th and 10th rib, often called the short plate. The short plate is what gives them their name (not the fact that they are short). The meat itself is on top of the bone, about 1-2" in height. Make sure to select a package with meaty hunks as lots of times they are packaged with more hidden fatty pieces inside.

Read more ...

cherrypannacottaPanna cotta or "cooked cream" is a popular Italian dessert made from cooking milk, cream, sugar, and gelatin. It makes a luxurious dessert for Father's Day or any other special occasion. Be warned: panna cotta's silky texture and rich flavor will make even the manliest of men swoon. He may even say strange things like, "heavenly," "sublime," and "decadent."

This is normal. However, if this behavior continues for more than a few hours, don't panic. Turn your television on to the Speed Channel, gently lead your man to the sofa, and seat him there with a Slim Jim and a Coors Light. In a few hours he'll be making sense again.

There are myriad recipes for panna cotta, but I used Helen's (everyone's favorite tartelette). Helen claimed this panna cotta was "easy-peasy," and she wasn't kidding.

Read more ...

ImageCulinary historians have traced the first cake “brownie” to the 1906 edition of The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, edited by Fannie Merritt Farmer. This recipe is an early, less rich and chocolaty version of the brownie we know today, utilizing two squares of melted Baker’s chocolate. Food historians don’t know if Fanny Farmer obtained the recipe from another source, printed it as is or adapted it, or provided the name.

The second recipe, appearing in 1907, was in Lowney’s Cook Book, written by Maria Willet Howard and published by the Walter M. Lowney Company of Boston. Ms. Howard, a protégé of Ms. Farmer, added an extra egg and an extra square of chocolate to the Boston Cooking-School recipe, creating a richer, more chocolaty brownie

Be sure to test for doneness before removing the brownies from the oven. If underbaked (the toothpick has batter clinging to it), the texture of the brownies will be dense and gummy; if overbaked (the toothpick comes out completely clean), the brownies will be dry and cakey.

Read more ...