Dinner

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a more stunning piece of kitchen equipement as the Le Creuset Doufeu. Seriously – when I took it out of the box, it was art, sitting right there on the stovetop.

You’re probably asking yourself what in the world a doufeu is, and how in the world do you say it? First, let’s start with the pronunciation. A doufeu or Dough-foo is a cast iron French oven made with a special lid specifically designed to baste your food as it cooks.

You see there how the lid is quite large, and has a big “bowl” in the center of it? That bowl is crucial to the Le Creuset genius. The lower part of the pot is like any other Le Creuset you might own – cast iron, covered with enamel, and perfect for searing any of your favorite meats and vegetables.

Where the Doufeu stands apart is in the lid. After you’ve started the cooking process, and you’re simply ready to let everything in the pot simmer, you put the doufeu lid on, and then fill the lid with ice cubes. Yes, ice cubes.

Cheese enchiladas are comfort food to me the way matzo ball soup might be to someone on the East Coast. It\’s just one of those satisfying meals that sounds good no matter what time of day it is, where you are, or whether or not you\’ve just eaten.

I just got my Texas Monthly magazine yesterday (thanks to my hubby for subscribing), and this month is dedicated to \”How to Cook Like a Texan\”. Of Cheese Enchiladas, Katharyn Rodemann writes, \”They say our palates memorize flavors. If that\’s the case, every Texan has enchiladas learned by heart.\”

Amen.

I don’t know about you, but some nights I am wiped from work and the temptation to succumb to take out, eat out, or something in a box is almost too much to resist. One meal that James and I are happy to eat any time of year is chicken noodle soup. You may think that homemade soup is something you need hours and hours for, and yes, sometimes that’s true. But on a weeknight, it really is possible to have homemade soup in under an hour.

There are a few pantry items you need to keep on hand in order to make this possible, but believe me, once you’ve done that, when you go to stare into the depths of your fridge, and suddenly realize you’ve got everything you need for this filling and healthy supper, the wash of relief and hunger might just be at equal measures.

I find few things as satisfying as baking homemade bread. I really love everything about it. It is amazing to me that a few simple ingredients can (after a few hours) turn into a beautiful, fresh loaf of bread. Plus, it is a great addition to any meal, and I can’t eat soup or salad without a fresh roll or slice of bread.

I also enjoy the process. My KitchenAid mixer gets plenty of use in my kitchen, but I rarely use it when I make bread. There’s just something stress relieving and calming about kneading bread by hand. Sometimes it’s fun to get my hands dirty, you know?

So, when Amber asked me to write a guest post for Bluebonnets and Brownies, I immediately knew that I should make homemade bread. I bake bread almost every week, and I am always excited to try new recipes.

One of the best things about winter eating is soup, and one of the best things about winter eating in my kitchen is Bean, Bacon and Ham soup. I don’t know about you, but I always want Ham when it comes to holidays. But even when I buy the smallest spiral ham I can find, James and I are left with days and days of leftovers.

When I was a kid, I had this favorite movie around Christmas time, simply called “Santa Claus”. I don’t remember a lot about the movie now, I haven’t seen them show it in years. But what I do remember is that one of the main characters was a homeless child. And the one scene I remember vividly, is that he was hungry. And a girl in a big, beautiful house saw him, and made him a plate, with roast beef, and rolls and took it out to him on Christmas Eve.

Tell you what – Migas are kind of a mess to look at. But in that good, ooooh look at all those lovely yummy bits sort of way.

What are Migas, you ask? Well, they’re a Tex-Mex breakfast food. Corn tortilla strips are fried in oil with a touch of salt until lightly crispy, then whipped eggs, and if you fancy it – peppers, onions, and cheddar cheese – are added and scrambled together. Traditionally they are served with fried potatoes and refried beans (which I promise, aren’t really fried at all, so as not to completely terrify your arteries with my description).

Why do I call it miraculous? Because my husband ate it. “That’s not a miracle!”, you say – unless you know James. My husband has an aversion bordering on phobia of most things cheese. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, as he’ll eat pizza, cheeseburgers, and cheddar and crackers. But if you put fondue, …

I can’t tell you a lie. James and I are really horrible at eating leftovers. Whether it’s from a restaurant or delicious food made right here at home, both of us are horrible at facing that same flavor combination the next day. I’ve found a way to combat that though, when it comes to chicken. …