Comfort Foods and Indulgences

These little cakes have been on my mind since I had a version of them here. They were so, so good. Until now, I have never had a hot wing sauce quite like the one used to make these. It's literally mouthwatering....spicy...and tangy, which is everything you want in a hot wing bite. Definitely a step above the rest, and the reason why I have been craving this taste since I had it last.

Of course Saucy Mama sent us home with some of her amazing hot wing sauce, so I have been planning my little cakes since.  These are little bites of heaven with incredible flavor. I have no doubt, these will be your "go to" football food this season. I promise.

Saucy Mama used fancy little pastry shells and filled them with the chicken mixture. You can see their version here. I would use them too, EXCEPT you can not buy them in my town. I suppose we are not fancy enough in our part of wine country to have them. Lame! So I had to come up with my own version for a pastry shell.

When it comes to flavoring Italian dishes, the usual suspects come to mind -- garlic, shallots, and olive oil. Yet, pancetta, an Italian unsmoked pork belly that is cured with salt and spices such as fennel, nutmeg, and pepper, may just trump them all.

This once humble cured meat, sometimes referred to as "Italian bacon," is currently di rigeur. Pancetta can be found in panini with buffalo mozzarella, in broth for mussels, in pastas, such as carbonara, in winter vegetable mashes, such as smashed potatoes, and on pizzas and flatbreads. Cooked pancetta, which lacks bacon's smokiness, infuses dishes with a sweet, spicy, and salty pork flavor.

Sliced pancetta for sandwiches is available at most major supermarkets. Many recipes, however, call for diced or chopped pancetta, which usually means a trip to an Italian deli is in order. (While you're there, you might as well pick up some sharp provolone and Sicilian olives.) Ask for the slab of pancetta to be cut about 1/4 - 1/3-inch thick. When at home, use a very sharp knife to cut it. You won't need to add oil to the skillet when you cook, as it will cook in its rendered fat, becoming irresistibly crisp and chewy.

Some of our most childlike instincts turn out to be the best ones: wanting a grilled cheese and soup on rainy days, popsicles and ice cream on warm days and hot chocolate on snowy days. We want you to be prepared for the inevitable snow day with a few go-to hot chocolate recipes, for you and the chilly ones you love.

But not all hot cocoas were created equal. We love a classic milk, cocoa and whipped cream combination -- of course -- but it's really hard for us to not tinker with things, even when they're perfect. We found some of the most stunning, craving-inducing hot cocoa recipes around. For you. Because we want you to be warm and happy. You're welcome!

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