Comfort Foods and Indulgences

hazelnut-cream-puffsChoux pastry is one of the most important kinds of pastry in French cooking. The translantion of the word “choux” is cabbages. Actually, “my little cabbage” is a term of endearment in France. With choux, you can make petite sweet pastries called profiteroles, and savory cheese puffs, gougeres. The basic dough is always made the same way with the same proportions — 1/4 pound butter, 1 cup water, 1 cup flour and 4 large eggs. This scientific formula will produce hollow puffs when baked, golden brown and crispy on the outside. With choux pastry, I make Cream Puffs.

My first taste of cream puffs came from a batch my mom made, filled with vanilla ice cream and doused with chocolate sauce. I liked them. I think we should start a Facebook page that would generate support for making the cream puff the new cupcake. Just like those sweet little frosted cakes, light, chubby cream puffs can be picked up and eaten out of hand.

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chocicecreamThis is a super easy, super delicious chocolate ice cream. It uses just a few basic ingredients and does not require any special equipment. Sweetened condensed milk eliminates the need for eggs and sugar and carefully supervised custards.

The texture is incredible – smooth, silky, almost mousse-like. As always, use the best possible bittersweet chocolate – like Callebaut or Valrhona.

Eagle Brand’s website features several flavor variations (click for their recipes), but this one from Cook’s Country seems to have the best balance.

I’m planning to test some fruit versions soon!

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tomatilloguacAs football fans gear up for Super Bowl Sunday, they'll buy more than 50 million pounds of avocados, almost all of which will be transformed into guacamole. How will all this guacamole get eaten? With chips, of course. 15, 000 tons of chips.

That's enough guacamole to cover a football field, end zone to end zone, waist deep.

Guacamole couldn't be easier to make, so skip the pre-made containers at the super market and make your own this year.

Though I love traditional guacamole, I'll be making my Roasted Tomatillo Guacamole Sunday, a palette-tingling concoction of silky avocado, tangy tomatillos, and hot serrano chili. Tomatillos (toh-MAH-tee-YOS), also known as green tomatoes, are a staple in Mexican cuisine, beloved for their tart, citric flavor, not unlike a Granny Smith apple. When selecting, look for smooth, crisp, papery skin and firm, brightly colored green fruit.

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pimentocheeseIt hit me hard. A craving for pimento cheese just came out of nowhere and wham! I had to have some.

The mother of one of my good buddies from my childhood in Hawkinsville made the best pimento cheese… and that’s the recipe I wanted to try. I couldn’t remember exactly how she made it, so I tried to recreate hers. Low and behold, I came out with a version I’m quite proud of. Like any dish, simple but good ingredients make the difference, and with pecans falling, a fall spin on this Southern classic was born.

Toasted pecans make just about anything better...tomato soup, any dessert, salads, and now pimento cheese. That essence, that flavor of goodness from a toasted pecan makes my taste buds sing.A slight salting doesn’t hurt either. A few of these from the farm goodies tucked into my pimento cheese sandwich were quite good my friends, quite good. 

Now on to my next pimento cheese condiment…Wickle’s Pickles. Those of us who attended Auburn or are from that neck of the woods know what I’m talking about. These Dadeville, Alabama exports are pickles with a kick and are super right out of jar or on a sandwich or burger. (Try my pimento cheese and these pickles on a burger…wow!) Many of the major grocers are now carrying this brand so go get some as soon as you can! Be sure to try them with my pimento cheese and toasted pecans too...yum!

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bakedeggs.jpgThis was our breakfast Sunday morning.  Aren't they cute?  They were very, very good.  It's the whole egg and the toast combo all together in one nice package.

These are so easy to make and wouldn't they be splendid on a brunch buffet table?  The best part, you can easily make two, ten, a hundred, whatever your needs are at the moment. 

I think there are a lot of variations you could do nicely with this recipe, such as, swap out the Parmesan cheese with grated Gruyere or crumbled blue cheese to give a different taste.  Use feta and substitute oregano for the other herbs for a Greek flavor.

I used sourdough but I think this would also be nice with onion or brioche rolls as long as they are sturdy.

Any way you put these together, they will be great.

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