You know what’s good? …warm, chewy, pull-apart soft pretzels.  The texture is so wonderful and the occasional slight crunch of the coarse salt makes it even better.  You may be surprised to learn how incredibly easy they are to make.  It takes some time, but it’s well worth it.

Pretzels are delicious with mustard.  However, we paired ours up today with some homemade roasted garlic dip.  The dip is great for this pretzel, but would be equally good for chips or even dolloped on a baked potato.

savour… mall food

Many foods are indicative of a particular region… lobster rolls, shrimp po’boys, deep dish pizza.  Obviously some are much more well-known than others.  Many people have never even heard of beer cheese yet alone knew that it is pure Kentucky.

With the Kentucky Derby just about a month away, we decided this might be a good time to introduce you to this robust dip.  It would be perfect for a Derby inspired party.  The ingredients are fairly simple and probably in your kitchen right now.  It is quite flavorful.  The smoothness of the cheesy dip goes perfectly with the crunch of the pretzel rods.  Make it and watch the race to the bottom of the bowl begin.

savour… and they’re off!  

Stuck in a side dish rut?  Inspired by the recent St.Patrick's holiday, we are presenting a super simple and tasty potato alternative today.  There appears to be some dispute over the origins of this dish... and it most likely has nothing to do with anything Irish, but the name suggests otherwise.  You have to get your inspiration wherever you can.

Peppers are in abundance in Texas at this time of year.  Most supermarkets have them on sale at 3/$1 right now.  The red peppers are especially appealing at this price as the cost sky rockets in a few months to closer to $3/1.  In fact, when buying for this dish, I bought extras and sliced them up to freeze for future fajitas or grilled sausage.

savour... getting it while the gettin's good

I first ate biscuits and gravy in Virginia back in the 80s.  I was on a road trip including a long stretch of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  We stopped at a questionable looking roadside diner out of hunger and lack of any other breakfast prospect.  I asked the waitress ‘what was good’ and she immediately responded, ‘biscuits n gravy’.

It’s completely possible that they just needed to move the biscuits and gravy, but she was right.  It was good… downright delicious, actually.  The biscuits were fluffy and the slightly browned tops were buttery and a bit salty.  The sausage gravy was peppery and filled with chucks of breakfast sausage.  This was one stick to your ribs kind of breakfast.

As this is hot breakfast month, we are pleased to present our very best recipe for Biscuits and Sausage Gravy.  These homemade buttermilk biscuits will be an instant hit.  Paired with the gravy and a portion of eggs, this meal is sure to satisfy.  Add this to your Sunday morning breakfast line up and you might even be able to skip lunch.

savour… a full belly

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February kicks off Hot Breakfast Month.  To get us started we are offering up the basic crepe.  Many avoid this breakfast item as they seem problematic, but they are easier to make than you may think.  When wrapped around some fresh fruit or other stuffing, they are a delicious start to any day.

Crepe batter is similar to pancake batter, but the result is very different.  They are more consistent with a flour tortilla, but not as dry.  With a simple, small, non-stick pan you can be on your way to a stack of crepes in no time.

savour... ooh la la

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Soup month and the Chinese New Year collide here to bring us the inspiration for today’s post.  While this might not be traditional Chinese fare, it incorporates some of our favorite things about fresh Asian soups.  We like to call it Dragon Soup.  Our soup is basic at its heart, but made better with ginger and a bit of heat. 

One of the most appealing qualities of soup is its forgiving nature.  You can put a little less of this or more of that and still arrive at a very tasty result.  If there are ingredients in this soup that don’t appeal to you, substitute them with something else or omit them completetly.

For more authentic taste, use real Chinese noodles.  They have a unique flavor and, fortunately, are more widely available than ever before.  Check the import section of your local supermarket.

savour… oodles of noodles

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There is a proliferation of citrus populating the produce section.  I find myself trying new ways to fit it into every meal.  Many years ago I fell in love with butter croissants and orange marmalade.  For me, this coupled with a freshly pressed pot of coffee is the perfect breakfast indulgence.

While it may be a surprise to some, marmalade is quite simple to make.  We used a variety of citrus fruits, but if you prefer you could use just orange.  Then you can capture the essence of citrus for use throughout the year.

By the way, we are debuting our next video this month.  Our intention is to present you at least one new video per month.  Be sure to check out our last one, Chocolate Dipped Candied Citrus Peel, when you have a moment.  We have made some improvements I think you will like.  Let us know what you think after viewing.

savour… sticky situations

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