Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food, by Rick Rodgers

Seeing as it’s time for all things frightfully delightful, I’m unearthing this older post for the simple reason that I love this appetizer. It’s savory. Fun. And the perfect dish for Halloween. After all, I live for October 31st. It’s the next best thing to December 25th as far as I’m concerned. What’s not to love? Scary movies, costumes and lots of foods that capture the ghostly spirit of the season.

Like the Vampire Chasers our good friend Mejo made one crisp October night. As I recall, they had everything boys and ghouls like. Sautéed leeks, garlic, and cheese. A wonderful combination of bold flavors. I remember her joking, “After a few, your breath alone would chase off the living let alone the undead.” Not that it stopped us from scarfing down several and joining her in the kitchen to conjure up more. They’re deliciously addictive that way. They’re ridiculously simple to make too. So simple neither Mejo, my wife nor I could find the recipe.

However, we were certain of several things…they had to have lots of leeks, garlic, butter and cheese. And with that combination, how could you go wrong? So I winged it and went by memory. Risky yes. But at least worth a try. After having one (actually several – like I said they’re addictive) I was a kid mesmerized by the wonders of Halloween all over again. Even better, I had a grown up treat that I could look forward to every time Halloween rolls around.

Makes 12 – 14 (you can double the recipe)

The Ingredients:

3 hearty sized leeks

3 – 4 cloves of garlic, minced

½ onion, diced

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

White wine

12 – 14 slices of baguette bread (cut on the bias)

Gruyère cheese, grated (about 1 cup or so)

Salt and pepper to taste

The Method:

Pre-heat oven to 425° F.

Rinse leeks. Cut off leafy green part, roots and discard. Slice the white and pale green part into thin rounds. Place into colander and rinse well (leeks can be a bit sandy). When rinsing, separate the rounds into little ringlets. Set aside to drain.

Cut baguette bread into medium slices, brush tops with olive oil, place on prepared baking sheet and toast in oven to a golden brown. Keep bread on pan and set aside.

Add butter and olive oil to a medium saute pan and place over medium heat. After butter melts add leeks and onion. Allow them to soften and stir occasionally. (15 – 20 min.)

Add in minced garlic and deglaze pan with white wine (about ½ cup). Simmer on low until most of the liquid has reduced down. Salt and pepper to taste.

To build the Vampire Chasers, place a small amount of the leek mixture on to the toasted baguette bread. Top off with Gruyère cheese.

Finish off in oven, under the broil setting. Carefully watch as the cheese melts and lightly browns. Keep a close eye on them, you don’t want them to burn.

Top with chives or fresh thyme if you like then scarf down several to chase the vampires away.

Remember when Halloween was about collecting a crazy amount of candy. And then watching in earnest while your parents carefully picked through the night’s gluttonous haul for anything suspicious. Now that I’m older, the brightly colored sweets have lost their appeal. I find myself favoring options that are far more satisfying and savory instead. Like these Olive Mummies. To conjure them up start with pitted olives “bandaged” with thin strips of puffed pastry. After baking to a golden brown, the pastry’s flaky crunch complements the intensified saltiness of the olives. All of which makes gobbling up these mum-yummy treats devilishly sweet.

Take the life/lemons analogy. It’s all about turning a frown upside down (see, there’s another one). But why lemons? Since when did they get such a bad rap? Sure they’re sour and shaped a little funny. But that’s part of their charm and hardly a reason to compare them to the problems…ahem, opportunities…life throws our way.

And what about all the other produce options? Like say, kumquats. Now there’s something that’s sour plus the name’s funny. While it might not be “motivational” it’s at least worth a grin. However, I suspect “when life gives you kumquats make curried kumquat chutney” just didn’t have as much ring to it.

Right, so lemons it is. I’m down with that. And when life throws a few my way, I’ll take it as an opportunity to lemon up something delicious. Like a buttery pound cake that’s lightly grilled and topped with whipped cream and fresh blueberries. Just thinking about it makes me happy. See, I’m feeling motivated already.

Crème Fraîche Pound Cake

Adapted from Incredible Edible Egg

The Ingredients:

1 ½ cups flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest

1 stick butter at room temperature

1 ¼ cups sugar

½ cup  crème fraîche

3 eggs at room temperature

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon lime juice

The Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325° F.
2. Lightly butter a loaf pan and dust with flour to prevent pound cake from sticking, set aside.
3. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl, stir in lemon and lime zest. Set aside.
4. Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in  crème fraîche  and blend until incorporated.
5. Add in eggs one at a time and blend until incorporated.
6. Add in vanilla, lemon and lime juices and blend until incorporated.
7. In two or three equal portions, add in flour mixture and blend until incorporated.
8. Pour into loaf pan and bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Note: toward end of baking time check for doneness by inserting a cake tester into the center of the pound cake to see if it comes out clean.

Sweet and savory. Two concepts that are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Yet, when it comes to food pairings, they make perfect sense together. They join forces like a superhero and his trusty sidekick. On their own each gets the job done but together they’re deliciously unstoppable. Case in point – figs and blue cheese. On one side, you have the sweet flavors of fresh figs. And on the other, there’s the salty bite of blue cheese. While this dynamic duo won’t leap tall buildings in a single bound, they do something equally heroic. Fight the bland with good taste.

Still, those were the days.

So when the end of August rolled around and another school year reared its #2 pencil shaped head, I was both excited and bummed. Excited about the blank slate of possibilities that lay ahead. And bummed that my yearly stint as a bohemian was about to come to an end.

Coincidently, the start of school also meant that certain recipes would be replaced by more fall appropriate fare. And one of the soon to be missed was chicken salad – a cool, comfortable dish that had good food written all over it. I remember having it for dinner along with deviled eggs, sweet gherkins, sharp cheddar cheese and ice tea (the house wine of the South). It was the kind of meal that took the edge off of the steamy Texas heat and summed up everything I loved about summer – simple, easy-going and full of flavor.

Much like the start of a new school year, chicken salad is a blank canvas. You can mix just about any combination of ingredients to paint a picture of pure deliciousness. I’ve enjoyed mine on the sweet side with the addition of dried cranberries. And on the hot side with a fiery dose of serranos. But since I was in a mellow mood, I went for something more savory by adding sliced olives and toasted pine nuts into the mix.

Rather than pile everything on two slices of bread and dive in, I eased my way into the start of another season with bite sized rolls. Think of them as sliders minus the greasy burger. They were just enough to satiate and not too much to overwhelm. Which is how I remember ending summer and starting off each new school year…taking small, satisfying bites at a time. Funny how even as I grow up, some things never change.

The Ingredients

1 chicken breast, cooked and cut into small pieces
2 generous tablespoons each:
- diced red pepper
- diced yellow pepper
- diced red onion
4 – 5 pitted and seasoned green olives, diced
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Mayonnaise (to taste)
Dijon mustard (to taste)
Salt & pepper (to taste)
Arugula, rinsed and dried
6 – 8 silver dollar dinner rolls, cut in half
Olive Oil
6 – 8 bread and butter pickle slices

The Method

Combine the first eight ingredients and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Brush each cut side of roll with a little olive oil and lightly brown under broiler then let cool. Arrange a few slices of arugula on the bottom of the dinner roll, top with the chicken salad mix and finish with a bread and butter pickle.

Inspired by two great women, my Mom and Paula Deen.

For me, cooking is a delicious way to unwind. It doesn’t matter what I’m making, the fact that I’m making something is what counts. And as a result, the demands of the week are cut away with every chiffonade. Each worry is diluted in a good, rolling boil. I think many would agree, preparing a meal is feel good, taste good therapy (even if it means having to do the dishes afterwards.)

Mind you, it doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as crafting whatever fresh ingredients you have on-hand into a favorite dish. Or creating a new one. This pillowly tomato tart is a perfect example. There’s nothing overly complex about it. Or unexpected for that matter. Its effortless simplicity is what makes it so appealing. And to my point, relaxing.

It starts with pre-made puffed pastry (a major part of what makes this dish uncomplicated by the way). Add in a few vine ripened tomatoes, some favorite cheeses (in this case Gruyère and pecorino romano) a sprinkle of thyme and you’re pretty much good to go. In 20 minutes or so you have a golden, flakey tart bursting with all the goodness of summer. It’s buttery, satisfying and a great way to take some time out to savor the moment. Which if you ask me, is darn good therapy for the soul as well as the palate.

The Ingredients:

• 1 package of frozen puffed pastry (2 sheets)
• Flour (for dusting)
• 3 medium-sized tomatoes, thinly sliced (for color use red, orange and yellow)
• Olive oil
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• Finely shredded Gruyère and pecorino romano cheeses (about 1/3 cup each)
• Egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of water (egg wash for binding and glazing the sides)
• Course sea salt
• Chives
• (Optional) Balsamic vinegar or hot sauce to finish

The Method:

Makes 2 tarts

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F° and allow the puffed pastry to defrost according to package directions.
2. Working on a lightly floured surface, unfold one of the puffed pastry sheets and roll into a flat square. Brush the edges with egg wash and fold the edges in (about 1/4 inch). Crimp with a fork.
3. Working on the inside of the fold, prick the pastry with tines of a fork then lightly brush the inside with olive oil.
4. Arrange the tomato slices so they almost touch the inside of the folded edge and slightly overlap each other. (Note, if the tomatoes are cut too thick their juices could make the tart soggy, so slice them on the thin side.)
5. Sprinkle with fresh thyme and lightly top with half of the cheeses.
6. Brush the outer folded edges with egg wash.
7. Repeat steps above for second pastry sheet.
8. Bake in oven for 20 – 25 minutes until puffy and golden brown.
9. Sprinkle with fresh chives and sea salt to taste.
10. (Optional) Lightly sprinkle center with balsamic vinegar or hot sauce. Enjoy.

For me, salsa is one of those must haves. Maybe it’s because I’ve spent most of my time in Texas, but around here, salsa is more than a condiment. It’s a permanent fixture on the table. We use it to wake up eggs in the morning. Take tortilla chips for a dip in it at lunch. And pour it into a myriad of recipes for dinner. If there was an option to have it in a 24/7 iV, I’d be willing to bet some would consider it.

Now that you know I’m a salsa addict, here’s another truth. I don’t often make my own. I’m more of a salsa roulette kind of guy. I pick jars off the shelf at random and take them home for my wife and I to try. It’s all good, don’t get me wrong. But all the while, I can’t help but think I’m  missing out by not making my own. And that’s when a salsa that looked more like a savory dessert salad caught my eye.

Allow me to explain. This particular recipe has no tomato. No hours of slow roasting vegetables in the oven for the perfect smoky flavor. What it does have is a fresh and generous serving of mango and avocado along with onion and peppers thrown in for a savory kick. A combination of ingredients that are guaranteed to be the life of the party when they get together.

It’s colorful, fresh and offers the perfect balance between sweet, sour and spicy. Enjoy it with blue corn chips or serve it over fish and chicken for a bright, flavorful punch. All in all, it’s quite addictive and a salsa that will no doubt make it into your menu rotation. I know it will be on mine. Ah, but I know what you’re thinking…is it one of those needful things that you  just can’t live without? Let’s just mark it down as one of life’s essentials and leave it at that.

The Ingredients

• 1 to 2 mangos, cut into bite sized cubes
• 1 large avocado, cut into bite sized cubes
• Half onion, diced
• Half jalapeño, seeded and diced
• Half Fresno chili, seeded and diced
• 1 small lime
• Zest of a lime
• Cilantro, chopped
• Pinch of salt

The Method

Gently combine the first five ingredients, half lime and squeeze juice over the mixture. Add cilantro to taste, season with salt to taste. Add in zest of a lime to taste (optional). Give one last gentle stir and serve immediately.