Hot Dog, Cheddar Cheese, & Chive Cake Salé with Tarragon Chive Butter for the Five Star Junk Food Makeover Challenge

When this posts Poppa Trix and I will be on holiday in Mexico City, sipping tequila at a cantina or enjoying a leisurely comida.  I look forward to catching up when we return!

I almost didn't show up for this month's Five Star Makeover Challenge, hosted as ever by the talented Natasha of 5 Star Foodie and Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! It's not that I don't like the theme - using your favorite junk food and elevating it in a new dish - it's just that, as I've said here before, I am feeling rather "meh" lately. I expect that my trip to Mexico City will breathe some new life into me!

Plus, I don't really eat what most people would consider junk food. It's not that I don't love me a bag of chips, but the fact is, generally speaking I'm not going to waste my calories on that. It takes too long to work it off. Butter? Yes. Cheese? Definitely. A slice of pizza? Oh, hell yeah.

Ham and Emmenthal Fluffy Tart, a Trixified Cousin of the Souffle, for a (Sort of) French Friday with Dorie

I know this isn't the exact recipe for this week's French Fridays with Dorie dish - a classic cheese souffle - but it's a close cousin. It's not that I have anything against souffles, mind you; in fact, I am a huge fan. I've made them in the past, as I'm sure many of you have, and I agree with Dorie that their difficulty level is highly overstated.

That said, I have been following recipes to the letter lately as part of the Joy the Baker cook off that I recently participated in, and this has left me itching to experiment a bit. And so I decided to try a fluffy tart.

Pecan Pralines and a Review of the Joy the Baker Cookbook

This post is part of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook Off, hosted by Heather at Girlichef and sponsored by Hyperion, who provided participants with a complimentary copy of the book. 

For the past month, I have been participating in the Joy the Baker Cookbook Cook Off and Spotlight hosted by Heather at Girlichef. Each week, along with 20-odd other bloggers, I made a recipe from the book.

Mujaddara, My Way

Every year about this time it happens: I get uninspired. Blah. My cooking falls into a bit of a rut. I blog half heartedly and irregularly. Instead of my usual full-speed-ahead approach, I find myself moving in slow motion.  In other words, I get a bit burned out.

Luckily I have a holiday coming up - more details later! - and I am trying to let the anticipation breathe some life into me. It's working, a little.

Another thing that works? This dish. It is the perfect thing to make when you want something simple and unfussy that's still flavorful and filling. It's comforting and homemade, and there will be leftovers so you won't have to think about the next day's meal. Best of all, I can make this on autopilot - and everyone needs a few dishes like that in their repertoire, especially when inspiration is elusive.