Comfort Foods and Indulgences

If you make anything new this Fall season, make sure it's this. It would also be an amazing addition to the holiday table because it is so dang fantastic. No one is going to be able to keep their fork out of it.

This dish is so good, my twelve year old requested leftovers for breakfast. Go figure. It's just one of those lingering tastes that leaves you wanting more. It's earthy and decadent and received rave, RAVE reviews from my family.

This recipe came from Food Network's Magazine this month (I love this magazine), but I did change a few things. I used a little more bread, regular butter, bacon instead of pancetta, sage instead of tarragon, white wine instead of sherry and more cheese of course. It was perfect, just perfect.

Cremini mushrooms are also a nice choice for this dish. They are a little firmer than the white mushroom, so they hold up better. And, they have a fuller flavor.

I placed the hot mushroom mixture on top of the dried bread cubes to cool slightly before tossing with the egg mixture.

For many years, we had always hosted the neighborhood Halloween Party. On the night of Halloween, everyone showed up in costume attire to chow down on big vats of homemade chili, corn muffins, and slaw or large trays of baked ziti, Caesar salad, garlic balls, and some sort of festive cocktail. It really depended upon my mood and how many were expected to show up.

One year, a friend of mine brought over a huge tray with a pumpkin like cake on it. I couldn’t figure out what it was. A layer of pumpkin like mousse atop some sort of crust over a sprinkling of pecans.

I took one bite and I was addicted. I can’t really call it a cake, even though it is made with a cake mix. It is kind of like a pie, but not really. Her mom called it “Pumpkin Delight” and I have to say, it is delightful. For years, I followed the recipe. Would never have thought to have changed it. But with me being conscious about what I put in the food that I make, thus what ultimately goes into my kids bodies, I decided to test this recipe using more whole ingredients.

Torrijas, a cross between French Toast and bread pudding, can be found throughout the year in Spain, but they are particularly popular for dessert around the Easter holiday. The tradition of reviving stale bread with eggs and milk dates back to Roman times, and most countries have their own particular version.

I first tried this dish at the Palace Hotel in Madrid and was impressed with the subtle flavors of cinnamon, lemon and honey. There are many variations of this treat – some soften the stale bread by soaking it in a sweet wine, while other variations use milk, and honey. The chef at the Palace was kind enough to share his recipe, which I think is just about perfect.

In Spain, it’s served cool or at room temperature (frankly almost everything in Spain is served at room temperature) and drizzled with honey syrup.

Patricia (Technicolor Kitchen) and I are at it again.  She and I are having so much fun thumbing through our cookbooks, choosing our task, and baking goodies on our bucket list.

We both decided that this week we would bake from The Sono Baking Company Cookbook.  This is one of my newest purchases and  I have read it from cover to cover. I love this book and there are very few recipes I do not want to try.  I cannot wait to make them all.  Patricia chose to make hers with chocoate chips (I entertained that idea, but decided against it) and although she says the chocoalte was a bit too bitter, I kind of like the idea of bitter and sweet.

Who doesn’t like Cinnamon Bread (with raisins, chocolate, nuts)?  This is every bit as good as a cinnamon bread you would buy in the best bakery.  I swapped out the white flour for whole wheat pastry flour and it was airy and light and perfectly balanced.  The second day, we toasted it and slathered it with salted, organic butter.  Comfort food at its best!