Comfort Foods and Indulgences

When I growing up my Dad often had a bag of Keebler’s Pecan Sandies stashed away in an upper cupboard, reserved for when he was craving a crunchy cookie with a hot cup of coffee.

Unfortunately for him, the kids usually managed to find the bag and polish off what was left with some tall glasses of cold milk.

Keebler is still making their famous cookie, but this homemade version is a much better choice. Melt in your mouth nutty shortbread cookies that are incredibly flavorful, making it impossible to eat just one.

In the past I would make lots of mini quiches and freeze them for snack time or unexpected guests. These little baked egg cups have replaced those cute little quiches, no crust needed, thus no gluten. I prefer them purely vegetarian. Using up veggies from the previous nights meal (roasted asparagus, potatoes, broccoli, sauteed spinach, etc.) is right in line with my “no waste” philosophy. These are just another way to “re-purpose” staples and ingredients I already have on hand.

Generally, I like my eggs served with homemade salsa or onion marmalade on the side. Not only does it add so much more flavor, but it brings a bit of color to the plate. And think about the possibilities for your next brunch. Make these in advance, in a variety of flavor combos, leaving more room for Bloody Mary’s and conversation.

My favorite combo, so far, is this one or one made with blanced asparagus, goat cheese, and leeks. Make a double recipe. Keep them in the fridge for up to four days…that is, if they last that long.

I like Worcestershire Sauce.  I admit it.  One of the things I like about it is its name – how it was that extra thing in it – wor-cest-er-(shur)-ire sauce. I like the bottle, how it comes wrapped almost like a present.  It’s almost a guilty pleasure, a secret ingredient that you don’t necessarily want to reveal, like sugar in spaghetti sauce, or sour cream in anything, or ketchup on a steak which I don’t feel guilty about, at all. 

I don’t pour Worcestershire Sauce on top of steaks and grill them, the way my Dad used to in the backyard.  But sometimes I just have to make my mother’s cottage cheese dip.  It’s really great.  And it’s really soothing.  And I fool myself into thinking that it might even be good for you, well, sort of.  But take my advice, if anyone asks you what’s in it, you might consider saying, “You don’t want to know.”

It was a two-line email—the kind that makes you sit up and think—because it addressed an issue faced daily by millions of grill masters around Planet Barbecue:

“Sometimes we buy cheap beef because we are on a budget,” wrote Diane Q. “These steaks are often tough. We have tried salt, meat tenderizer, and marinades. Could you please tell me the best way to tenderize the steaks?”

I immediately thought of my last trip to Southeast Asia, and in particular, to steaks I ate hot off the grill in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Both were explosively flavorful thanks to complex marinades and polymorphic condiment spreads. And both were tough as proverbial shoe leather.

We North Americans and Europeans are spoiled when it comes to steak. Our notion of a “fork-tender” filet mignon or a “silver butter knife” sirloin (the signature steak at Murray’s in Minneapolis—so named because it’s so tender, the steak knife glides through the meat as though it were butter) are the stuff of dreams on much of Planet Barbecue.