I want to hug my Crock-Pot.

I've been trying hard to get into the habit of posting more frequently, but have been distracted with my TV show obsessions as of late. Luckily, they've all finished up their seasons, so I can finally get back to my LIFE. And this blog.

This slow-cooker stroganoff was something I made a while back, when it was probably a bit cooler. But with June gloom in full swing, a warm, meaty plate of slow-cooked beef and pasta is totally appropriate for dinner, I say.

Beef Stroganoff (recipe adapted from Everyday Food)

2-3 pounds beef chuck (with decent marbling), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 sweet brown onion, chopped
2/3 pounds white button mushrooms, trimmed and halved
1/3 pounds cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Cooked egg noodles, rotini, or other short pasta
Chopped fresh dill, for garnish

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, toss beef, onion and mushrooms with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Turn off or keep on warm.

In a 2-cup heatproof measuring cup, stir cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Ladle about a cup of cooking liquid into measuring cup, whisk to combine. Pour mixture into a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 minute, until smooth and thickened. Pour cornstarch mixture into slow cooker and stir well. Stir in sour cream and Dijon mustard.

Serve beef over noodles and garnish generously with dill and a dollop of sour cream, if desired (and you will desire it).

Don and don. (But not done.)

First, I have to disclose that I am no longer in Japan (unfortunately). I've been back for a few weeks now, but there was too much good food consumed to stop blogging about it! So bear with me as I hammer out these last few posts.

During our stay at Yoron Island, a tiny little island near Okinawa, we frequented a delicious little restaurant in town run by by the nicest Yoronese couple you might ever meet.

A small group of just strolled in one night, stuffed our faces, and in appreciation, brought back our friends a few more times to partake in the tasty local grub-eating.

A sampling of what was devoured:

Ten-don -- tempura (with the dipping sauce IN the batter) over rice.


Katsu-don -- breaded pork cutlet over rice.


Gyu-don -- beef and soft-cooked egg and onions over rice.


Wow.

That's a lot of don. I ate a ton of don in Yoron. I realize this just now. Well, can you blame me? It's yummy, comforting, cheap cheap, and filling. We did a TON of walking. I needed don, for the energy and sustenance. Yes, that's right.

I probably didn't need this homemade gyoza, but I sure as hell wanted it.


Take me back! I'm overdue for my don.

Kiss My Bundt.

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about cupcakes.

Following that: pancakes.

And today: bundt cakes!


From left: Red velvet, cinnamon pecan, mocha chocolate, and lemon drop bundt cakes from Kiss My Bundt Bakery, located near the Beverly Center and the Farmer's Market on 3rd in L.A.

I suppose you could think of the bundt cake as a naked cupcake. There's no wrapper that gets in the way (aside from the one that provides a safety net for your crumbs as you take a bite).

Also, the bundt really does focus on the cake part -- not always so with the cupcake. And these bundts were everything a good cake should be: moist, dense, and rich.

My favorite was the one I chose: the mocha chocolate. It was just a damn good chocolate cake -- one that makes you feel comforted, safe, happy. I only wish there was just a leeettle more coffee flavor to it.

They let us have a sample of anything we wanted before we made our choices. It was very difficult to not be too greedy.

I'm looking at their menu of cake flavors -- some I'd especially like to try next time: mandarin chocolate, peach melva, peanut butter (I miss you!), pineapple upside-down, strawberry, and rum.

Hang on -- they have double-dipped raspberry kisses, too? (Description reads: Fresh raspberries double-dipped in white chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate.) How did I not see these??

Distracted by the fine bundts on display, I guess.

They come in various sizes: the "big ol'" bundt cake, which you can get whole or by the slice, as well as "baby" bundt cakes. But wait! They go even smaller...

The "mini" bundt cakes ($2.50 each) are the cutest size:

Aww. Precious.

* * *
Kiss My Bundt Bakery
8104 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
323.655.0559

Oh, quick shout-out to my cousin/biggest fan/aspiring hand model, who directed us here. And who is "modeling" above.

Flappy Jack's.

I think I appreciate being often near Route 66 more now than as a kid, when all I was concerned about was how confusing it was that this street had multiple names (Route 66 v. Alosta v. Foothill Blvd., etc). But now, all I care about here are the great food finds.

A prime example, well-known and well loved: The Donut Man, with its killer strawberry-stuffed donuts. And really, there's nothing else to say about this place that hasn't been said already. If you haven't yet visited The Donut Man, just get down there, pronto.

Today I want to share my foodventure at another Route 66 establishment that has become really popular among locals: Flappy Jack's Pancake House Restaurant.

In contrast to The Donut Man, which has a natural, authentic Route 66 charm (whatever the hell that means), Flappy Jack's is one of those places that tries super hard to give off the look and feel that it's been around forever. Inside its walls are adorned with cliché Americana decor, but I remember driving by this building when it used to be a Carrows.

No matter. As long as they can back it up with good food, who the eff cares, right?

Yes, it's very easy to forgive and forget once the waitress plops down in front of you a plateful of pancakes each larger than your face. (Those with small, dainty faces: pretend just for a moment that your face is large and rotund, like mine.)


These banana-nut pancakes -- with bananas and pecans throughout and on top -- were warm, fluffy and inviting. As if I could just snuggle between them and sleep and/or eat contentedly.

This quickly got to be a very rich breakfast, so I countered with a side of savory sausage links. Maple syrup and sausage is always a beautiful thing. I would say the sausage became the guling to my pancake bed, but that would be taking this metaphor just a little too far.

My cousin got the stuffed French toast -- logs of bread filled with sweet vanilla cottage cheese, and served with strawberry compote.


The next time we visit I must remember to ask them how they construct such a fine bread log of cottage cheesy goodness.

My boyfriend went with the country fried steak smothered in gravy and served with "home-style potatoes" aka hashbrowns, and a small stack of (normal-sized) buttermilk pancakes.


This regularly comes with eggs instead of fruit, but he does not like/eat eggs.

A dish I'm tempted to try next: bacon pancakes. After all, everything is better with bacon, as they always say.

* * *
Flappy Jack's Pancake House Restaurant
640 W. Route 66
Glendora 91740
626.852.9444

Dude, I'm cheesing my f-ing brains out right now. *

O.

M.
F.

G.

That's what I said when I stumbled across a particular article in L.A. Times' The Guide today. Actually, it was more of a Tourette-like shriek of excitement that I apparently could not contain. You'll read why in a second. Here, I'll walk you through it (my thoughts are in parentheses):

" YES, IT'S CHEESY (Hmm, what? Cheese? You've caught my attention..)

It's a slice of life organizers bill as "an orgy of cheese." (Ooh, please do go on..)

Begun in 2003 by a group of friends living together in a loft, the Grilled Cheese Invitational (Wait just ONE minute. THERE IS A FESTIVAL EVENT DEDICATED TO GRILLED CHEESE?! I'm going to piss my pants right now I'm so excited.) has grown from 16 competitors and 80 attendees to 150 sandwich makers and a crowd of as many as 800 attendees, who will serve as judges (!!!) blah blah blah blah... FREE.. blah blah. Blah. "

.. Yeah, actually right there I just kind of just skimmed through the rest and bolted to my computer to RSVP, only to find out it's fricken' maxed out its capacity! And then I got really bummed. And then after I pulled out of my momentary depression, I signed up for its e-mail list to be notified of cheesy announcements and to know in advance when the next event rolls into town.

And I can't wait. Just check out the categories for the competition.

Mmm.. my imagination's running wild with cheesy fantasies.

*

A happy belated Valentine's Day.

My boyfriend luurrves me. Why?

This could be one reason:


Valentine's Day fell on a Thursday this year, so we waited until the weekend to celebrate. I decided to show my love for him by slow-cooking the shiz out of some beef. This smoky beef stew with blue cheese and chives had enough tender, fall-apart meaty goodness to ensure our future together. Hehe, kidding. Maybe.

For me, this recipe is one of those where you can't argue with any of the ingredients. To quote Sunset Magazine, "bacon, smoked paprika, and chipotle chile powder give this stew layers of smoky flavor." Red wine gives it depth (I used a Shiraz Cabernet), onions add sweetness... and who doesn't like buttery potatoes and carrots? To top it all off, tangy blue cheese slowly melts into the stew to complete a flavor masterpiece.

This recipe doesn't mess around.

Cornbread muffins were a perfectly sweet accompaniment to the salty smokiness of it all. It's teetering on the edge of my dish and contemplating a skinny dipping.


DO IT. JUUMMMP.

By the way, Trader Joe's Cornbread Mix (complete with real corn kernels!) is awesome. Of course, I added even more corn and then sprinkled the tops of my muffins with sugar. I couldn't help it. I love corn and sugar.

Oh, and I didn't forget about dessert: peanut butter and chocolate fondue, with apples, bananas, pretzels and strawberries.


Yes, I garnished it with sprinkles shaped like lips. And what.

Glorious mac and cheese, please.

Well, I guess January is turning into a retro food month.

This weekend was all about mac and cheese. And I'm not talking about Kraft's neon-orange cheese powder. I'm talking gloriously baked, creamy and buttery, breadcrumb-topped, three-cheese, bacon-mushroom-chicken mac and cheese.


Let me back-track a bit.

Recently, I made my first trip to Yard House, and was pleased to confirm that the food's good, and the alcohol's great. And I totally dig the classic rock tunes. I love eating, drinking and being merry while listening to the Stones and Zeppelin! ... But that's probably for another kind of blog.

Anyway, my first-ever Yard House dish choice was the (Mac and Cheese)^2. Kind of a boring selection, I know, but I felt like something hearty and comforting: "roasted chicken breast, applewood smoked bacon, wild mushrooms, cheddar and parmesan cheese with castellane pasta and white truffle oil."

And I'd thought about that $16 mac and cheese ever since.

So here's my Yard House-inspired grown-up macaroni and cheese recipe. Except I don't use white truffle oil -- I was all out, of course. Silly me. But I did decide to throw in Gorgonzola for an added kick. Take that, Yard House! (It's like that one time I totally one-upped Rachael Ray's chicken cordon bleu burgers by using prosciutto instead of ham and Gruyère instead of regular ol' Swiss.)

Glorious Baked Macaroni and Cheese, courtesy Yours Truly, with a little inspiration from Yard House and a little help from Williams Sonoma (which provided the foundation for this recipe)

1 lb elbow macaroni, cavatappi, cellantani, or other tubular pasta
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk, heated
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
4-6 ounces Gorgonzola cheese (or other blue variety), crumbled
1 can chicken breast, or roasted (real) chicken breast, sliced
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, to taste
1 cup FRESH* sourdough breadcrumbs
10 slices bacon
Cremini mushrooms, as much or as little as you like, quartered

Fill a large pot with water and set it over high heat. Boil the pasta to slightly underdone (it will cook more in the oven); drain. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

As you're waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, be productive! Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until barely simmering; remove from heat and set aside. Process cubes of crusty sourdough bread (if it's a day old, it'll make it easier on you) -- go ahead and process the crusts, too -- until you have a cup of breadcrumbs. Set aside.

* Yes, I highly recommend using freshly made breadcrumbs -- they will give a crunchier, yummier texture than store-bought breadcrumbs.

Start your roux: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour; whisk to incorporate into the butter. Cook 1-2 minutes without over-browning. Add the milk and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil; remove from heat.

Add the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses a large handful at a time; mix well.

Toss the pasta with the cheese mixture in a large bowl. Add the chicken now, if you got it from a can. Add it later if you're using roasted chicken breast. Or you can add it now, whatever.

Fold in the Gorgonzola -- 4 ounces if you like it mild, and up to 6 ounces if you prefer the potency. Add salt (keep in mind that you will be adding bacon later), freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.

Spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, or grease with butter. Spread pasta mixture into dish; sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over pasta. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave and pour over breadcrumbs. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes, or until top has browned.

While macaroni is baking, cook the bacon; drain on a paper towel. (Adding the bacon to the dish later will maintain its delightful crispiness.) Discard most, but not all, of the bacon drippings.

Brown the mushrooms in the remaining bacon drippings over medium-low heat. Add a pinch of salt to bring out a little of the moisture, but be wary not to make them soggy. They should be browned and fragrant, but still firm. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

When the macaroni is ready, serve some up in a bowl, and top with sliced roasted chicken breast, mushrooms and crumbled bacon. Then say, "YESSS."

Is your tummy grumbling yet?

Comfort food at its finest.

If you love comfort food, particularly of the American variety, hearty and delicious, made with love and lots of butter, then Paula Deen's probably your go-to food TV mama for recipes. And if you're also happening to look for a food blog that specializes in down-home cowboy grub, then look no further than The Pioneer Woman.

This weekend I made Pioneer Woman's berry cobbler, a prime example of comfort food in dessert form. The original recipe calls for only blackberries, but I used a frozen mixed berry mix with blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. So it didn't look exactly like this.


But it looked and tasted just as delicious. Moist, sugary and tart, I finished probably about a third of the cobbler in one sitting. And it is SO easy to make.

(More alterations: Instead of 1 cup self-rising flour, I used 1 cup all purpose flour + 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder + a pinch of salt. And I threw in 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract in the batter for kicks.)

Remember, comfort food recipes aren't for calorie-counting health nuts. These dishes are, more often than not, bad for you. But in such a good, good way.