Food In The Fort

These muffins are an exercise in simplicity which will help you attain that ineffable state where all desire and suffering shall be extinguished and you break free from the chains of karmic bondage, finally achieving enlightenment and wisdom.

Oh, alright. So it’s probably unrealistic to expect that from any food but these muffins are pretty tasty. And I’ve been making variations on this recipe, on and off, for a few months now trying to get the perfect vanilla muffin. I don’t think I’m there yet, but these will do. They have a delicate flavor that will go well with your morning coffee and they are pretty easy to make to boot. In fact, if you’re organized, you can probably whip up the batter in the time it takes your oven to preheat.

I also like to think these are versatile little quick breads in that the basic recipe serves well as a base for other muffin varieties. Throw in a handful of blueberries, or chocolate chips or perhaps dial back the sugar and throw in some Asiago cheese and suddenly you’ve got a whole other biscuit. So maybe these muffins haven’t reached nirvana, but when they’re this simple and good who cares? Read the rest of this entry »

This is a recipe that Catherine and I are wild about. We positively love the rustic, hearty taste of the fish, mushrooms and potatoes coupled with the creaminess of the evaporated milk, and the spicy kick of the chili powder and ground red pepper. Weekday nights are notoriously hurried and since Catherine often has after-school activities she’s usually starving by the time she gets home. So I like to have something quick, simple and filling ready when she walks in the door so we have more time for talking and cuddling. And this recipe certainly fits the bill. That it should be so delicious just makes this recipe all the more perfect.

In fact, now that I think about it, this may have been the very first meal I ever made for Catherine. I don’t think I’ll forget the look of surprise and delight as she walked in the door and the warm, fishy aroma first hit her, or the look of joy that overtook her face on first tasting it. As I said above, Catherine and I both go nuts for this time-saving stew which leads me to wonder why I waited almost a whole year to make it again.

I mean, really, why don’t we make this more often? It’s so simple to make that you can chop up everything the night before, fry up the bacon and onion the next morning and toss it all in the crockpot before you leave for work. By the time you come home, you’ve got a wonderful, tasty and satisfying home-cooked meal that beats the pants off any pizza. And if you knew how much I love pizza, you’d know how strong of a statement that is.

You’ll want to serve your stew with your favorite cheap beer and a nice crusty bread to sop up the soup left at the bottom of your bowl. Read the rest of this entry »