Famous Chocolate Cream Pie

This is a post written by my Mom after a recent trip she had. She made this while I was visiting them in Connecticut and it was amazing! Check it out:

On a recent weekend trip through Vermont, my husband and I happened upon a small, nondescript cafe in Hartland named Stella's. It didn't take long after entering to realize this was not your average small-town eaterie. It was clean, filled with locals, and the specials of the day were artfully described on the whiteboard. The deal-maker, though, was when a question about one of the menu items sent the waitress back to "ask the Chef." The chocolate cream pie on the menu was preceded with the moniker "Famous", so I had to try it to find out why. It certainly lived up to it's name! The crust provided a crisp and chocolatey base for a deep chocolate custard, topped with peaks of sweetened whipped cream, sprinkled with mini-chocolate chips and dusted with cocoa powder. Chef John would only disclose that the delicious crust included crushed vanilla wafers and cocoa powder. Here is my adaptation, which may or may not become as famous. . . . but is just as delicious.

French Toasted Breakfast Sandwich

 I'm having too much fun with the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. My Mom and I made a few recipes with some of the Nature's Pride bread that we bought out in Connecticut and then when I got home, I had received a coupon from them so I went and got some more. I think my favorite bread from them so far was the Country White Bakery Buns. Since I usually make our own bread, pretty much the only bread we usually buy are hamburger and hot dog buns. These make the best buns for sandwiches(we made sloppy joes with some of them too) and were perfect for our newest creation: French Toasted Breakfast Sandwiches!

Foodie Weekend in Connecticut

I had a flight voucher that expired at the end of September, so last week I took my 10 month old daughter( the only one left in our family that flies for free) and flew out to visit my parent's in Connecticut for the weekend. They just moved out to the the area a few months ago and we wanted to visit them in their new place. We had a wonderful weekend exploring the area, visiting historical sites, farmers markets, cooking some great food and eating at some fantastic restaurants.

I've already posted some of the great recipes that we made but I also wanted to provide some reviews of the restaurants that we ate at.

Come on in, my kitchen's always open

Close your eyes for a moment… come on, do it! Now picture this… On the plate in front of you sits a perfectly grilled pork chop, grill lines searing in a spicy rub and then covered in a wonderful smoky ancho chile sauce. Placed beside it is a charred poblano chile stuffed with fresh herbs and cheesy potatoes. Got your mouth watering yet? Here’s the catch: This meal isn’t at a restaurant or even a fancy get together with friends. Not that it couldn’t be, but in my kitchen this could be a late night meal for my wife and I on a Tuesday after a long day at work, just enjoying some time together or sitting on the couch watching one of our favorite shows.

Savory Bread Pudding

There's nothing quite like a good bread pudding. Soft bread cubes in a firm pudding with a great blend of sweet spices mixed with some raisins or other fruit. A bread pudding makes a great dessert to bring to a potluck or family dinner that is a bit different than your typical fare.  While most bread puddings are of the dessert variety, a savory pudding makes a great brunch on the weekend and the following recipe is a sure way to get requests for the recipe from any that try it.

Gruyere and Prosciutto Baked Omelette

I love to make omelette's, first because I love eggs, second because it gives you a chance to be creative and use things in your fridge and pantry to create a great breakfast or dinner. While I typically cook them over the stove, here is a great way to mix it up and bake it. Feel free to be creative with this, adding or substituting other vegetables and cheeses to make this one your own (although I do have to say, this version will definitely impress you the way it is).

Short Rib Osso Buco with Polenta Crust

I was going to Williams-Sonoma's website to check out some recipes that my Mom found and on the first page of recipes there was this amazing looking Short Rib recipe from Tuscany. I am a sucker for a good picture of food and this one caught me right away. I have to admit it wasn't just the food that looked good though. I saw that it was cooked in a ceramic dutch oven and I've just recently started cooking with them. I have just been cooking my no-knead in them and I really wanted to try some kind of stew in it as well. Since we were having some friends come over for Dinner Sunday night I thought that would be a good time to try it out. This recipe definitely takes some time to cook but there's really not a whole lot of time spent in preparation for the amazing results. After being cooked for over 4 hours the short ribs are completely tender and flavorful and the polenta crust is a perfect combination with the rest of the flavors.