Comfort Foods and Indulgences

makinglasagnaWe all have our own rituals for fall Sunday afternoons. Some guys sit around and watch football; for me it takes only about a quarter before I need a nap. Others feel inspired to take up household projects; the less said about my ability with a hammer the better.

Instead, I cook. Well, I cook all year round, but when the days start to cool and the light turns golden, I get more ambitious. Rather than 30 minutes at the grill, I throw myself into hours-long kitchen projects. This year, it's been lasagna.

It started in late September. I had just gotten back from the farmers market when I heard that Marcella Hazan had died. I looked over everything that I had bought and in her honor immediately started making dough for fresh pasta. And peeling and seeding tomatoes and turning them into sauce. And making a Parmesan-enriched white sauce. And blanching, chopping and sauteing beet greens. And then putting it all together. All of a sudden it was dinner time.

There's nothing like lasagna from scratch to while away a lazy Sunday afternoon.

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lobsterfradaviolaLobster's back. First there was creamy lobster risotto for Father's Day. Now it's Lobster Fra Diavolo, a treasured Italian-American dish characterized by a spicy sauce for pasta or seafood.

Fra Diavolo, was the king of pasta in the 1990's. (I know this because it was Jeff's favorite entree to order at a "nice" restaurant when we were dating.)

The last time Jeff ate lobster fra diavolo, Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" was a number one hit. Though Jeff will always love lobster fra diavolo, he doesn't feel similarly toward Whitney, so I decided not to invite her to our lobster dinner.

I played Sinatra, our oldest and most favorite crooner, instead because Italian food always tastes better with ol' blue eyes.

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milkalmond.jpgNot too long ago I was a bittersweet chocolate snob. I would only eat chocolate bars with a very high percentage of cacao, the higher the better. But I've discovered some milk chocolate recently that I really love. If you only eat high percentage cacao, I urge you to try some of the more exquisite milk chocolates on the market. They may surprise you. They certainly surprised me.

Milk chocolate has milk powder or condensed milk as an ingredient and generally has much lower percentages of cacao. Having tasted lots of chocolate, I am still very fussy about what I like and what I don't like. Regardless of the cacao content, good chocolate has to have clean flavors, it can't be too sweet, too salty or overwhelmed by flavorings such as vanilla. It should melt smoothly without a hint of graininess. It should be so good that even a little bit satisfies.

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GAMEDAY-DESSERTS-largeIn terms of sports-watching food, desserts are often neglected. And this just isn't right -- you have to balance out the nachos and wings with something sweet.

Granted, desserts aren't exactly the most fan-friendly food. Wielding a spoon while booing and cheering is a potentially dangerous (and definitely frustrating) endeavor. Which is why we've compiled a list of the best handheld desserts we could find. Classic cookies, rice krispies, blondies and brownies are all included.

Whether you're a fan of butterscotch, chocolate or peanut butter, we've got you covered. Check out our 35 dessert recipes that are perfect for football season.

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bbqfriesPotatoes are my kryptonite. Those of you who have been reading here for a long time know my love of potatoes. I don't care if they are mashed, baked, fried, hashed...it just doesn't matter. I can't say no to them in any form. I really try to keep my distance from them but they call to me with their siren songs. Ugh.

So what's a girl to do with five russet potatoes sitting on the counter? Cut them into thick wedges and slather them with barbecue sauce...why not. And then eat them one by one until you feel you can't stuff yourself anymore. Rinse. Repeat.

It's not like the fry itself has this overwhelming barbecue sauce flavor, but it ends up having a nice smoky-sweet background taste. So, to really drive home the whole barbecue experience,mix more of the barbecue sauce with sour cream to make a dipping sauce. Yum. 

I love how the barbecue sauce adds a crispiness to the edge of the fries.  Just couldn't stop eating them. Save me from myself.

Make these for your next cook out...you will love!

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