Foie Gras & Flannel

Sometimes, you just need a hamburger. And if it comes with mushrooms and caramelized onions, that’s okay.

(Side note: Get outside—it’s gorgeous! Perfect day for a ride or walk down the Fulton Mall.)

Links from the week that kept me salivating:

Waffles are the new pancakes:
» Crispy Buttermilk-Cheddar Waffles with Kielbasa Maple Syrup from Vanilla Sugar
» Sunday Morning Breakfast from The Thinking Blonde

Details for TasteFresno’s 2011 Tri-tip Cook-off are starting to unfold.

The Fashionably Bombed girls pick up a guitar (and machine guns?).

Heather in Fresno eats a rib. And some brisket. With mashed potatoes.

No Network shows the man behind the bread pudding. Watch, then make it yourself.

I Heart Fresno hearts California Wok.

What have you been clicking?

This is what I woke up to this morning.

Go ahead, look back up. Take it all in. That’s bacon on top of a sugary glaze made from Grade A maple syrup, drizzled over homemade cinnamon rolls. I have the best wife ever.

The recipe is from Delcious Coma. There’s also a delicious recipe on TasteFresno for those that like their rolls wrapped in bacon.

These showed up after lunch. They were from Frosted Cakery, and they were delicious.

Actually, they were a little too good. I’ve cut back significantly on sweets, and while it was tempting to inhale this, I shared the second half. I’m way too nice sometimes.

If you haven’t been to Frosted, it’s part of Wishon Row in Tower. Every one of the businesses in that collective is local, and uniquely awesome.

The folks at B&K do. Go get some.

This is here is a fruit review. Some people review restaurants, some review wine, but I’m reviewing fruit. It’ll be a thing one day.

Anyway, today I tried my first pomelo. It looks like a swollen grapefruit, but is much less dense (it’s like holding a softball, actually). It was meh.

I know that thing was good for me—all citrus is, right? But it looks like a larger cousin to the oro blanco, which has become an obsession for me over the last two months. (Seriously, because of that fruit I eat a grapefruit a day now.) The pomelo isn’t as sweet; it’s also not as tart. It’s a lot of water, really, wrapped in 3/4 inch of pith and peel.

What do you think? Did I get a bad one? Am I missing something?

I can’t take any credit here—these were all Kim. We got the lemons and marmalade recipe from fellow foodie Renee, and Kim made seven jars. (We still have a couple, if you don’t feel like making your own.)

The muffins were Kim’s first attempt, and they sooo much better than store-bought. Hat tip to Renee for also pointing her to this recipe. Bravo, babe. I want more.

From Papi Tios in Tower. I’d give them a 3/5 – the asada was a bit salty, but then again, it’s hard to complain when both tacos cost $1.50.

Follow Fresno Tacos on Twitter for more taco finds.

The recipe is straight out of the Sriracha Cookbook (with an addition of avocado).

The tuna came from Central Fish. It was excellent.

Yum.

I found this recipe in a collection of “100 greatest” Cajun recipes. It’s ridiculous. Prep the peppers the day before for an easy weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

• 4 large bell peppers
• Water to cover
• 1 Tbsp. baking soda
• 2 Tbsp.salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup celery, minced
• 1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
• 1/2 lb. ground beef*
• 1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 lb. pork sausage, finely chopped
• 3 cups French bread, torn into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp. Cajun spice mix
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. Tabasco (or 1 tsp. Tapatío)
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

* I use a full pound of ground venison, but realize that may not be accessible to everyone.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Cut the peppers in half, lengthwise, removing the membrane and seeds. Place in a large sauce pan, cover with water, and add the salt and baking soda. Parboil over medium heat for 5 minutes; remove and refrigerate in a tightly covered bowl until ready to use. (Note that if you’re prepping these a day in advance, the peppers can be parboiled on the second day.)

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; once melted, add the olive oil to keep it from burning. Sauté the onion, celery, eggplant, chopped bell pepper and garlic until wilted, about 7 minutes; stir constantly. Stir in the parsley and meats, and continue to sauté another 10 minutes. While the meat cooks, mix the bread and milk in a large bowl; once absorbed, squeeze as much milk as you can from the bread and discard it. Combine the bread with the eggs.

Add the bread and egg mixture to meat and vegetables, mixing well. Season with the spices, reserving only the breadcrumbs, and pour into a 13×9″ baking dish. Bake uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. When done, remove from the oven, let cool for 15 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight).

When you’re ready to serve the peppers, remove them from the refrigerator and fill with the chilled stuffing mixture. Top with the breadcrumbs and broil about 10 inches from the top of the oven for 15 minutes, or until thoroughly heated and golden on top.