Kah KOW!  It sounds like a cartoon, "pah POW," doesn't it?   As if it should be in a little white cloud star burst in a comic strip when all hell is breaking loose.   I think I'll add it to my repertoire of socially acceptable expletives.  I could have used it during our last kitchen Egg Snafu.  Instead of yelling something profane, I'll really just be screaming CHOCOLATE!   And since chocolate is a great comfort food, it will only enhance using it as a silky comforting expletive slipping across my tongue.

The irony is that my kitchen Egg Snafu was a simple 6 ingredient recipe.  One that I had done before perfectly, and then really Kah KOW'd it up this last time.  Turned it into some crappy scrambled eggs.  Then I dove into this 20- ingredient-multi-step-hard-to-find-spices-recipe and it turned out great.  Go figure?!  I guess because some of the ingredients (like Harissa and Hungarian Paprika) were not in my spice rack or immediate awareness ... and the fact that I'd be combining chocolate with tomatoes ... maybe that gave me pause and I paid more attention to what I was doing.

I found the word Kah KOW when I looked up the origins of chocolate ... the phonetic spelling of cacao.  It just jumped off the page at me.  Originally, hot chocolate was not sweet at all, but very spicy.    This recipe from Chestnut Street Inn really does it justice.  Chocolate in it's most original form ...

Savory and Spicy.

Make this as an appetizer to spice up your Valentine's Day dinner... while it's not as dramatic as my Egg Snafu ... it definitely has all the trappings of a good LifeTime or Hallmark movie.  Watch and learn ...

The character you love to hate, but still can't resist ... Harissa.  She's a spicy one.

I had a heck of a time finding Harissa.  I looked all over the supermarket.  But for you men out there, this isn't the type of character you can discover the old fashioned way.  As in  ... shopping ... physically ... in an actual store.  This one is global and high tech.  I thought I'd find it at Marx Foods.   But nope.  No Harissa.  Googled it  ... found a bunch!  And I even found a recipe to make Harissa.  Now ... I wish I would have done that BEFORE making the soup.

Enter stage left ... the stand in ...

In my creative zen at the grocery store, since Harissa was described as a North African Chili Paste, I figured some tomato paste and chili powder sounded about the same.  And while it tasted great ... it's not really the same thing.  So here are some references for you ...

Harissa Shopping Online

Recipe:  How to make Harissa

After reading the description of some of these as "hot" and "pain is good" ... I'm kinda glad I went with my homemade thought up version.  I like the taste of a little kick, but so spicy that I can't feel my tongue is no good.

And as for character development, this is the bitch in the story ... and while I have found substitute words like "kah KOW" and "Shut The Front Door" ... I haven't found an adequate replacement for the noun referenced above.  If you have a cute one, please let me know!

My fake Harissa ...

Heat oil and butter in a stock pot over medium heat ... this is the plot.

Add chopped onion and saute until translucent.  Get out the Kleenex ... chopped onion is a sure tear jerker.  What kind of Hallmark/Lifetime movie would it be without a few weepy eye moments?

Now the Italian favorite comes in and makes a squishy, but well scented, mess of things ...

3 garlic cloves.

A little spa action with the skin peel.

And now all the characters are getting thrown together in the same plot ... I mean ... pot.

Here comes the heroine of the soup story.

Hungarian Paprika.

She's also a bit spicy and mysterious ... but words like "pain" are not associated with this spice.

Add a little wine to the moment and the plot thickens.

Funny tangent ... I was cooking at my friend Beth's house and had called and asked her if that Magnum of chardonnay I saw in her fridge only a couple of days ago had about a 1/2 cup left in it that I could cook with.

Nope.

Lush.

I told her I'd bring over a fresh bottle ... she said she'd drink that too!

The plot thickens ...

Add the rest of the ingredients listed in the recipe and let it simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.

And then gets whipped and turned around a bit so you have no idea where it's headed!

Side note/Sub-plot ... I actually had to blend twice ... the volume of the soup was too big for the blender.  So while you may SEE one blender shot ... know that it took two.  And ... because it was hot it sort of exploded (just a little) and got bits of red soup all over the place.  Told you there was drama.

Add the blended soup back to you stock pot ... add the greens ...

then add the hero ...

kah KOW!

Chocolate.

He's smooth and rich, and while a bit bitter, he still absolutely melts with the other characters.

Add a little honey to sweeten it up and cut the acidity.

Sprinkle on the cheese for a nice happy finish!

The End!

CREDITS

Spicy Tomato & Chocolate Soup

from Chestnut Street Inn, Sheffield IL

Yields: Approx. 6-8 Servings

2 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbl Unsalted Butter

1 Onion, Diced

3 Cloves Garlic, Minced

2 Carrots, Peeled and Diced

2 Celery Stalks, Diced

1 Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Sliced

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to Taste

3 Tbl Harissa (North African Chili Paste)

2 tsps Hungarian Paprika

2 tsps ground Cumin

1 tsp ground Coriander

½-3/4 cup Dry Sherry or White Wine

1-28 oz Can Diced Tomatoes

4 Cups Chicken Broth

¼ Cup Cilantro, Chopped

¼ Cup Italian Parsley, Chopped

3-4 oz Bittersweet Chocolate

2 Tbl Honey or to Taste

Queso Fresco, Goat Cheese or Crème Fraiche to Garnish

1) Heat oil and butter in a stock pot over medium high heat until butter melts.

2) Add onion and sauté until translucent, approx. 5 mins. Add garlic, carrots, celery and sun dried tomatoes.

3) Season with salt, pepper, harissa, paprika, cumin and coriander. Saute for a couple of minute to toast spices and soften vegetables.

4) Add wine and continue cooking on high until all of the liquid has evaporated. Add tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 45 mins or until the vegetables are tender.

5) Pass soup through a food mill to puree (I used a blender) and remove any large particles. Return soup to pot and place over low heat.

6) Add parsley and cilantro. Add chocolate and enough honey to balance acidity. Adjust seasoning to taste.

7) Serve hot, garnished with queso fresco, fresh goat cheese or crème fraiche.

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It's the little things that make a meal special.  For breakfast, sometimes it's as simple as the perfect cup of coffee.  But some innkeepers put in a little extra love and effort to make breakfast memorable.  Crisp ironed linens, fresh flowers and fine china.  I always get nervous when they serve on fine china because I'm usually kind of a clumsy sleepy head and not feeling all that fancy in the first half of the day.

Andrew Inn & Cottages in Key West adds that extra  touch my making their own flavored butter.  Strawberry Mango Honey Butter.  What a way to liven up a plain piece of toast. On my busy mornings, I sometimes only have time for coffee and an English muffin.  But this recipe makes my boring busy morning breakfast into a treat.

I couldn't find fresh mangos anywhere this time of year, so I just used strawberries since they are in season.  It will make a great extra little touch for a Valentine's Day breakfast.  Now if I could only find a heart shaped butter mold.

Simple ingredients ... butter, strawberries, honey and preserves.

I chopped up the butter to make it easier to mix once it softened.

These strawberries were really ripe and sweet, so they were kind of hard to "chop" without creating a bit pile of red mush.  It was also hard to not want to eat them all!

First whip the softened butter, then blend in the rest of the ingredients.

Butter is almost too rich to lick the bowl ... but it's tempting!

It melts perfectly into all the nooks and crannies of a hot English muffin.

“Unbuttered toast is a substance half complete, and to be forced to eat it in that state is necessarily to feel deprived.” -John Thorne

Strawberry Mango Honey-Butter

from Andrews Inn, Key West Florida

1lb of butter
4 large strawberries
1/2 mango
1/2 cup of honey
3 large tbs of strawberry preserves

1) Let butter soften to room temperature in a large bowl, then whip the butter until it reaches a smooth creamy consistency.

2) Finely chop the strawberries and mango and add to the bowl.

3) Add half a cup of honey and the strawberry preserves and once again whip until it reaches a smooth consistency.

4) Spoon into three medium containers keep one in the refrigerator, and freeze the rest until needed. Will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about two weeks.

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The thing I love most about Fall ... well, besides the cooler weather, holidays, festivals, and everything decorated in my favorite color (orange) ... is the spices.

Clove. Cinnamon.  Nutmeg.  Allspice. Ginger.

They all seem to bring with them a feeling of comfort and warmth.  For the next three months I'll be baking up a storm using every combination of these delightful spices.

As much as I like to hover over my hot cup of coffee and savor the morning, some days are a little more rushed than others.  This recipe is perfect for one of those days where you crave the soothing feeling of being wrapped up in a warm blanket lingering over a hot beverage ... but in reality you have to get out the door quick.  Take a couple of these wholesome treats with you for a boost of energy you'll need to face the day.

This recipe for Sweet Potato Muffins was sent to me from  Mitch at the Beaufort Inn in South Carolina.  He's had a lot of practice making breakfast over the years, even before life as an Innkeeper.  Sundays used to be his only day off and he would make something delicious in the morning for his daughter and a houseful of her friends.  Lucky girls!

Here's what you'll need ...

Here's what you'll need ... 2 cups white flour, 1/2 cup freshly ground flax seed, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 tablespoon ground cloves, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 cup oil, 2 cups baked/peeled/cubed sweet potato, 2 eggs, 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1 cup dried cranberries.

Mix your dry ingredients together into a large bowl.

These are the little boogers you have to watch out for.  Flax seeds.  They're what makes these little muffins wholesome, hearty, filling and delish ... but don't over indulge our you'll experience what I call a flax-itive.

I grind mine in a coffee grinder.  It does the trick pretty good.

After grinding the flax seed, add them to your flour and spice mixture and mix well.

Next, beat the eggs in a separate bowl.

Add your eggs, oil, and honey to the flour/flax/spice bowl.

This is going to get real thick, real fast.  I don't recommend using a mixer or beater.

Instead just a fork will do and fold the batter together.

The honey combined with the flax seed makes this a thick and hearty stick-to-your-gut kind of muffin.  No fluffy pastry here.  This is a get outside and go hiking-climbing-fall-leaf-collecting-pumpkin-picking kind of breakfast.  Eat your heart out Kashi.

I had to resist the temptation to puree the sweet potato.  Add them cubed, not mashed.  They melt down a little and give it a moist texture.

Fold in the nuts, cranberries and sweet potatoes.  Do you feel like you're making your own super food bar yet?  The recipes I post are usually not the healthy kind.  Bookmark this one for when you get into the thick of the holidays full of butter and sugar and crave a less guilt-ridden snack.  Just remember ... don't over indulge.

Scoop the gooey wholesome goodness into greased muffin pans.  I like to add a little flour too.

I makes em pop out really easy and creates a little crust on the edge.

This batch of batter almost made 2 dozen small muffins.  You could also make 12 really gigantic ones ... just add a little more time to your baking.

Let cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Muffins

Ingredients

2 Cups white flour

1/2 Cup freshly ground flax seed

1/2 Cup honey

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tbsp ground cloves

1/2 cup oil

2 cups baked, peeled, cubed sweet potatoes

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup walnuts

1 cup dried cranberries

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2) Using a wire whisk, mix dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, flax seeed and spices) in large bowl.

3) Blend in beaten eggs and honey and mix well.

4) With a spoon mix in sweet potato cubes, walnuts and cranberries.

5) Separate into greased muffin pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

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