Spice is Nice

Growing up in a Jewish home, my mother wasn't big on the hot pepper or the jalapeno's! Garlic.... rosemary... salt... pepper... they were the constants. So for me, spicy food was always something that meant burns going in and out! When I got to college in upstate New York, I discovered real "Buffalo" wings. These were nothing like the wings I'd seen before or since. When presented with a "suicide" wing, I was immediately aware of how well named these little crispy nuggest were. However, with a bit of blue cheese on them, I found it to be not just tasty, not just hot, not just juicy, but addictive. Every week without fail, we'd order our wings from Sergio's - 2 dozen wings a piece with extra blue cheese, carrots and celery. Originally for me, college was about being on my own and discovering alcohol... now, it was the quest for buffalo wings. After college, it was all about blackened food. Spicy cajun rubs for fish, chicken, steaks and shrimp. You could practically order anything blackened and I think everyone did. Then the big spice craze was wasabi. The one spice I can handle as hot as it comes is wasabi. Horseradish heat cleans my head, literally. And I LOVE it. So, now at the cafe, I've been looking to add new sandwiches and salads to the menu. My memmories of blackened spices came right back and I knew, right away, that a blackened chicken sandwich and a blackened chicken salad were in order. The sandwich gets a nice chive and key lime aioli and the salad gets goat cheese, candied pecans and a strawberry vinaigrette! We're going to have the salad on the menu this Sunday for mother's day. I may have grown up without the hot and spicy, but now, I find that it's definitely something that I can't imagine having ever lived without!

What's Your Comfort Food?

As I woke up this morning, I noticed that it was raining and grey and all I wanted to do was stay in bed... with a bowl of mashed potatoes. Yep... Mashed Potatoes! I am not ashamed to admit that mashed potatoes are one of my most favorite foods. Why do I love them so much? I think it could possibly be because of the creamy texture. Or maybe it's because I put an extremely generous amount of butter and cream in them. Or maybe it's just that I have yet to meet a potato that I didn't like! Yesterday was my day off, however, a friend of ours who is a massage therapist was coming over to help out with pinched nerves and sore muscles, and in exchange for massage, he requested fried chicken. So, 2 dozen pieces of crispy buttermilk fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and coleslaw were prepared as payment. Fried chicken is another comfort food for me. This one is easier to explain - IT'S FRIED CHICKEN! Seriously.... it's dangerously delicious. It turns out, our massage therapist lists fried chicken as his ultimate comfort food. In asking those I work with what their comfort food is, it became more exciting to find out not just what their favorite was, but, WHY it is. Linda told me that her comfort food is soup, or a pot roast. Ashley turns to her mother's special chicken dish. Jade turns to chocolate. After talking to all of them, it seemed comfort food provides comfort in many ways; texture, taste and smell which for some leads to positive memories. For whatever reason, when asked what their favorite comfort food was, they all made the same happy faces as they brought out their answers! What's your favorite comfort food?