Comfort Foods and Indulgences

Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake

Meyer-Lemon-Coffee-Cake There is nothing quite like the intoxicating smell of a bowlful of Meyer lemons. A cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, the Meyer lemons have a slightly orange skin, a very thin rind and a heavily perfumed flesh. I picked up over a dozen at the market this past week to make this Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake.

I never really see these lemons around until the holidays, even though they are in season late Fall through Spring. When they do come around, I grab as many as I can. They are one of my favorite fruits to work with.

If you have never had the pleasure of cooking with these types of lemons, I highly suggest picking them up on your next trip the market.

To have success with this recipe and for the rind to soften and sweeten sufficiently during baking, the lemons must be sliced to a nearly transparent thinness. If you have a sharp knife, you will be fine. I tried it with a mandoline but couldn't get the thinness I desired.

What a treat this cake is to eat. With two layers of Meyer lemons and a lovely batter surrounding them...not to mention the very thick streusel on top...it's breakfast heaven. The lemon flavor intensifies over time, so I highly suggest making it one day and serving the next morning.

Broccoli with Cheetos

So this isn't just broccoli with Cheetos crushed over the top, that would be silly. This is broccoli with a garnish of Cheetos served on top of a rich, garlic-shallot infused sauce made from Gouda and Parmesan cheeses. Perfection.

Now, when I placed this on the dinner table, my kids looked at me like I was half-cracked or had lost my mind. But at the same time they were cheering because Cheetos were going to be a part of dinner. Score.

Apparently this dish is all the rage at Park Avenue Winter, a New York City restaurant that serves this dish up as a side dish on their regular menu. The Cheetos-loving chef, Craig Koketsu, claims this dish sells better than the French fries on the menu. I believe him.

The sauce has depth and complexity and the Cheetos change up the texture in a nice way. It just rocks.

Everyone ate their broccoli last night. First time ever.

Dr. Pepper Brisket-Brie Tacos

drpeppertacos I love Dr. Pepper. I love brisket. I love brie and I love tacos. So, this seems like a pretty logical meal choice...for me! I even add a little chile-lime flavor to the meat and it goes surprisingly well with the brie, which is just a great melting cheese anyway.

I do like to cook my meat in the slow-cooker in Dr. Pepper. The soda concentrates down with a wee bit of complexity and offers a very slight background sweetness to the meat. It tenderizes...it flavors...I'm using the Pepper.

When the meat is done cooking, I remove the fat and pull the meat apart. I place the pulled meat back in the slow-cooker with a slight bit of liquid from the original cooking process and season it with a chile-lime salt called, tajin clasico seasoning. The seasoning, I see it everywhere from Walmart to the regular grocery store. If you do not have it, the same result can be achieved with fresh lime juice, some salt and chile powder stirred into the meat. Just keep tasting and adding until you get the flavor result you are happy with. It's so delicious especially since beef and lime are so classic together.

Favorite Find - Le Bon Garcon

lebongarcon I lost my sweet tooth long ago. Except for one thing. Caramel. I just can't resist it. That doesn't mean I always love it though. Plenty of people are trying to capture my heart and tastebuds, but few rarely capture my imagination. Le Bon Garcon is one of them. Though apparently they captured Oprah's love first. I didn't know that when I got the opportunity to try Justin Chao's creations. Originally an architecture student, he traded in the drafting table for a kitchen one and found his passion in pastry. After studying in Paris and returning to Los Angeles, he formed Le Bon Garcon, which uses Plugra butter and no preservatives in their hand-crafted and wrapped caramels. You may think you've had amazing Salted Caramel. You'd be wrong. But I wasn't surprised I LOVED that one, I mean come on. It's salt and butter, people.

I was intrigued by the Rosé (a seasonal flavor only available until 9/15), as I didn't know caramels came with other flavors and this blend of raspberry, lychee and rose essence just sounded so perfectly ethereal. And it is. Light and lingering, perfectly summery. I was going to skip the Mango, which is blended with cardamom and ginger. Even though I like all those things, I couldn't wrap my head around mango caramel; however, it is one of his signature flavors, so I gave it a shot. Holy cow! This one blew my mind. It's so intense, like a Starburst from my youth, but so much more classy and luscious and mangorific. The Macadamia was also good, but I like my caramel unadulterated by nuts. The Man thought it was great. To each their own. Even the packaging was lovely - simple yet colorful and fun. If you have a caramel lover in your life, they need to know about Le Bon Garcon. Excuse me while I go get another piece. http://www.lebongarcon.com

Pork & Mushroom Stew Served Over Apple-Potato Mash

porkapplemash Quick and easy is what this stew is all about. It does not require a four-hour simmer, so it’s perfect for a last minute craving. With preparation time, it took me about 50 minutes to get this on the table. The best part is that it is absolutely delicious.

Using pork tenderloin is ideal for this meal since it’s already tender and doesn’t require hours of braising time to make it that way. Since the base of the stew uses apple cider, there is a slight sweetness to it. When served over the apple-potato mash, it becomes this over-the-top meal.

Don’t leave out the Granny Smith garnish as it really adds a nice touch to the dish.

With rain today in the Pacific Northwest, this meal is the perfect accompaniment to cold weather.

Comfort Foods and Indulgences