Comfort Foods and Indulgences

Recently I had a tryst with an old flame. No, ‘old flame’ is not quite right. You see, I’ve mindlessly used him many times over the years--even recently--meeting him most often in dark movie houses. On rare, more daring occasions we met in my bedroom, on nights when I admit I much more anticipated my latest Netflix delivery or guilty-pleasure TV show. He was always a second thought; an accompaniment; a reliable, cheap snack I held back from enjoying fully, lest I spoil the more respectable dinner waiting for me at home.

But this night was different. I was alone. . .insatiable, yet I longed for something more substantial, more fulfilling. . .more memorable. Suddenly, and for the first time, I saw him in a new light. The idea seemed so silly given our past dealings, that I needed some kind of sanity check before making the call. I did what one does when faced with such a crisis. I grabbed my phone, and desperately tweeted:

No one did (talk me out of it), but when shortly thereafter I received an inquisitive tweet from none other than the brilliant Amy Ephron (“What does homemade mean?”, “Did you grow and dry the corn, or do you just mean ‘not microwaved’?”, “Recipe, please?”), I knew I was on to something, and that there was no turning back.

It would be great if I had the time to make "real" focaccia bread, unfortunately my life is just too crammed with a million other activities at the moment. However, this simplistic version of the classic Italian peasant bread comes together in an instant.

This is wonderful finger food and a great party appetizer. In the oven, the grapes become lightly roasted, soft and juicy. The contrast of the salt and sweet really make this a winner.

Because you are using already prepared pizza dough, it takes no time at all to get this on the serving table. Every Mom's dream!

Your friends and family will thank you! 

I dream about this kind of soup. It's completely decadent. It's probably one of the biggest comfort foods out there. Which is perfect for this time of year in Oregon. It's cold, rainy, snowy, sleety and it's so dark outside by 2 in the afternoon. The gray landscape just begs for dishes like this Triple Threat Loaded Baked Potato Soup.

Now, what makes it a "triple threat"? Let's see, it has lots of ham from my juicy ham I made the other day, it's full of bacon and extra sharp cheddar cheese...I won't even mention the cream, buttermilk and sour cream in here too. It is the best dang soup you could ever imagine. The kind of soup you have to force yourself NOT to eat three or four bowlfuls...because you'll want to. And you might even do it.

My husband took one bite and just looked at me like, "are you serious...this is incredible"...umm, yes, I know. Did you expect anything less....(insert maniacal laughter now)?

American bison are an important part of the prairie ecosystem and after a decline almost to extinction around the end of the 19th century, today there are many ranchers working hard to bring them back. I enjoy cooking and eating bison (sometimes referred to as buffalo).

The brands I've tried thus far have all been grass fed, lean, raised in a more sustainable manner and well, delicious. You may be able to find ground bison at your supermarket and it's pretty easy to use in recipes that call for ground beef. Bison steaks however are another story.

Because most bison is grass fed, it's leaner, like grass fed beef. Considered a highly nutrient dense food, it's lower in calories, fat and cholesterol than even chicken, it has 40% more protein than beef and is high in iron, omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin E. Without rich marbling, it needs more tender loving care. Wild Idea Buffalo recently sent me some samples of their products.