


Peeling back the wrapper on a can of refrigerator biscuits and thwacking it against the edge of the counter takes me back to childhood. I’m not talking about the big flaky layer biscuits, I’m talking the cheapest ones – the skinny tube of “homestyle” or “buttermilk” refrigerator biscuits that come 10 to a can. I’ll eat them every which way, but not as baked biscuits. Most of the time, I plunk them on top of Chunky Chicken Noodle soup and let them steam up in a shortcut version of chicken and dumplings. It’s comfort food from childhood that still hits the spot to this day if I’m not feeling great.



When you think of tamales, what's the first filling you think of? Pork with salsa verde or green chile and cheese, maybe? How about asparagus and pepper jack? Drive east on 90 from Seattle and on the other side of Snoqualmie Pass in the Yakima Valley, there's a tamale joint called Los Hernandez, famous for their asparagus and pepper jack tamales. People rave about 'em.



It's hard to resist things that are mini -- Mini M&Ms, mini cupcakes, mini doughnuts, Mini Coopers. You can add these mini parmesan popovers to that list. Perfect for holiday get togethers, they're fast and easy to make -- you just whirl up the ingredients in a blender and bake in a well-greased mini muffin…