I think I was 19 the first time I tried this dish. I think I had it at don Taylor’s Omelette Express in Santa Rosa California, but if so, it’s no longer on their menu. No matter where it was that I tried this dish the first time, I was an instant convert.

Omelets are one of my culinary weaknesses.  For me they are on the same order of obsessive magnitude that some people hold chocolate.  The very nature and versatility of the omelet is mind boggling. Whether it be the classic folded French version or the currently more popular Italian frittata, there seems to be no limit on the flavor combinations possible and I think I may have tried them all.

Even after years of experimenting, I always come back to this simple dish. It satisfies a craving for me. Even though it’s been years since I last made this it instantly took me back to a time in my life where the world was exciting, my culinary horizons were expanding and the road forward didn’t seem like it was going to be paved with as much blood, sweat and tears as it has been. Food can do that.

This one is comfort food folks.  Make it with love and share it with someone you care about.  It will make memories.

… [visit site to read more]

© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: breakfast, comfort food, eggs, Italian Inspired, omelet, Recipes, Sausage

Is there any other food as comforting as chicken noodle soup? It seems to me that you would be hard pressed to find one.  It’s a staple of mothers for sick children, adults who are feeling homesick and the perfect choice for a gloomy drizzly day at any time.

Most people my age probably grew up on the version in the little red and white can, but there is absolutely nor reason why you shouldn’t be making this from scratch.  The flavor is better, the vegetables are crisp and the texture is amazing.  All it takes is a little time and a little love an you too can have the ultimate chicken noodle soup ready and waiting for you when you need it the most, even on days when you would rather not be cooking at all.

… [visit site to read more]

© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2009. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: chicken, comfort food, comfort foods, sickies, Soups and Stews

Winter is finally rearing it’s chilly head here in Northern California.  With temperatures finally dipping into the 30’s in the early mornings and the need for a jacket even in the afternoons the thought of a warm and comforting meal in the evening becomes less of a fond memory and more of an urgent desire. Baby, it’s cold outside!  Time for some comfort food.

Please note that this is not a recipe for Shepherd’s Pie.  Shepherd’s Pie, by definition uses minced lamb.  Anything else is a cottage pie and cannot technically be called a shepherd’s pie.  Regardless of that factoid (which you may or may not give a hoot about), this dish is full of all the love and goodness that you and your family will be craving throughout the oncoming chilly days and nights of winter. It’s a satisfying, warm and hearty dish that’s just perfect for cozying up around the table with family or friends and some good wine and conversation. (Or stout.  Stout is good here, too!)

Have yourself some meat and mash love this winter.  You deserve it.  It’s comfort food season, so consider this a calorie free meal for a Saturday night and enjoy!  We surely did.

… [visit site to read more]

© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bake, carrots, comfort food, comfort foods, ground beef, ground pork, Irish cooking, irish cuisine, Potatoes, Recipes

Before there was California Fusion Cuisine or even California Cuisine, there was the California health food craze.  This is a style of cooking that still defines what most of the country thinks everyone in California eats every day.  Anyone that lived in California in the late 80’s will remember some of the hallmarks of this misguided good frenzy, from enormously sized composed salads to anything and everything with cashews. These were bad enough, but the one signature example of California’s contribution to the mid-to late 80’s, and to the perception of America as a whole cannot help but be the chicken sandwich with avocado and bean sprouts, otherwise known as the California Chicken Sandwich.

In its basic form, this is just a sandwich composed of chicken, avocado, bean sprouts and cheese.  There isn’t anything intrinsically wrong with it, it’s a good meal.  When I worked the line at my local Lyon’s restaurant we made hundreds of these things every week and they were well liked.  The downfall of this unassuming little dish is that somewhere, somehow, it found its way into the American psyche and became linked to California in the same breath as tofu, Haight-Ashburry, Flower Power and brown rice. Just ask a non-Californian what we eat every day and chances are they’re going to mention tofu, bean sprouts and avocado.

My wife is Texan and has teased me about this combination since the day we met. (Fair, since I tease her constantly about having to ride a cow to school.) This post is for her as much as it is for the rest of the world.  Yes, this dish is indicative of what California was in the 80’s. Yes, it’s something many Californians would like to forget, and something no self-respecting chef in the state would place on their menu.  In fairness though, it’s stood the test as a great combination of flavors and when I though of it the other day I simply couldn’t pass up the chance to make one.

Just for old times sake, you know?

So I present to you my latest version of California’s most widely recognized dish; the California Chicken Sandwich.

Hope you enjoy.

… [visit site to read more]

© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Alfalfa sprouts, avocado, Cali, California Cooking, California Cuisine, California Style, chicken, comfort food, comfort foods, Sandwiches

Then one day while the Food network droned on as background noise to cleaning the living room, I saw it. There on the screen before me, Paula Deen, the First lady of Buttah was doing a segment on low country cooking, and her second dish was that elusive, delectable dish that I’d come to love so much from a box.

And it was too simple for words.

Literally, it’s probably the simplest thing you could ever make. Just brown up some proteins, add some green stuff, fold in rice and as much heat as you want, and viola! Enough dirty rice to last my rice luvvin’ wife over a week of lunches. The flavor.. Something just this side of heaven, in our opinion.

Dirty Rice is now one of those things I would never dream of buying in a box. It is a comfort food that I’ll lovingly recreate time and again. I’ll make my own at least once per month and freeze it up in individual serving sizes for a quick bite or a glorious side to any meal that needs a bit of kick to go along with it.

I hope Y’All enjoy this recipe as much as we did.

EDIT: I had a few people suggest that they would prefer giblets over livers. I’m here to tell you NOT TO DO THIS! I tried the recipe with giblets last night and the resulting dish was summarily thrown out. It is not a good combination at all! … [visit site to read more]

© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2008. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: comfort food, low country cuisine, Recipes, rice