Eggs are a critical leavening agent for cream puffs, making the batter rise and expand. Piercing the cooked puffs allows steam to escape so the texture is almost hollow. A stand mixer is crucial; the batter is too thick to beat with a hand mixer. Freeze completely cooled cream puffs for up to one month. Cream puffs are also good with savory fillings, such as chicken or shrimp salad.
Eggs are a natural partner with corned beef hash. You can prepare them over-easy, scrambled, soft-cooked or poached, as shown here. For simple directions on how to poach eggs, click on the link at left.
Chardonnay is a varietal that's difficult to pair with foods. But the creamy, buttery sweetness of butternut squash makes a good complement to wine. The same is true of tarragon, which in small amounts is a delicious backdrop for most chardonnays. Utterly satisfying, this pairing is comfort food and comfort wine at its best.
The flavorful pesto clings to the corkscrew-shaped pasta. Any small pasta, such as farfalle, penne, or seashell, would also work well. The pesto sauce darkens upon standing, so try to serve the salad shortly after tossing the ingredients.
These wheat-based Japanese noodles are available both dried (used in this recipe) and fresh. Dried udon are flatter than their fresh counterparts and closer in texture to linguine.
Your favorite sausage is grilled, then sliced, and served with sauerkraut that's been browned in a buttery spread for a sweet and tangy German-inspired meal.
