Jeff Houck

The Tampa Tribune’s food writer since 2005, Jeff Houck covers the way people live through their food. He also hosts the Table Conversations food podcast and believes that everything crunchy is good.

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• December 2011

Bacon And Maple Syrup Sundaes, Mimosa Cupcakes and Duck Confit Salad [This Week’s Weekend Eats]

Posted Dec 5, 2011 by Jeff Houck

Updated Dec 5, 2011 at 01:16 PM

Joan Nova, who follows me under the name @foodalogue on Twitter, writes and photographs for a beautiful blog by the same name.

The dish above is a compote made of winter fruits and served with a side of pancake muffins.

She writes:

I associate compote with my maternal grandmother. It’s not that I have a specific recollection of her making it for me…but, somehow, when I think of compote I think of her, so there must be a connection somwewhere in the recesses of my childhood memories.

I think she would approve of my recipe.I have to say at the start that I’m not a big fan of winter fruit, but I love this! Hand-held winter fruit just doesn’t have the same appeal to me as grabbing a juicy black plum or a sweet peach and biting in. But…an apple or pear that is accompanied by a good cheese and a glass of wine…or has been baked, stewed or otherwise altered…well, then, now we’re talking.

For this delicious seasonal recipe and the beautiful photo she took of it earned her this week’s first-place prize for Weekend Eats:

“The Food 52 Cookbook” by Amanda Hesser & Merrill Stubbs. It’s a great, great read with lots of fantastic recipes perfect for your gift-giving needs.

Other fantastic contributors this week include:

@amoretogo - @ventsbyAmore we catered in Gainesville and had some crazy good Arancini with pea & mushroom, along pink champagne

@kitchenmage - Taste of organic, raw evaporated cane sugar, aged 32 months. (10#/30 beans) #swoon

@otmdish - Lovely mashed carrots & rutabegas with truffle butter!! also luscious swordfish belly.

@sekimori - Shingetsu sushi, NY style pizza and thai chile sauced mahi….and not one bloody picture taken.

@bergus - Duck confit salad, and rack of lamb and risotto at a surprisingly classy community college restaurant.

Shirley Steele - Chicken pepper pasta made with fresh red and yellow peppers and grated aged parmesan cheese. What made the meal that much more delicious is my fiance and I cooked it together!

@SaintPetersblog - Bachelor Party in NoLa, so Oyster’s at Felix’s and lots of Emeril, whose restos still deliveri excellent food.

@PhoebeDiane - Mama cooked up @Mariobatali’s paella recipe for my boyfriend’s “meet the parents” dinner. I think it went over well.

@LynnATL - Caldo de quinoa - Chicken broth with quinoa and fresh vegetables from Tierra in ATL. Delicious yumminess.

@HeatherHAL - Freshly caught local Dungeness crab at the Wharf & Irish coffees at the Buena Vista #Crabonanza

@mimijohnson - Boeuf Bourguignon from Le Select in Toronto. A gift from heaven.

@heatherdd93 – Oh, so sinful mimosa cupcakes! Of course there’s champagne in there!!!

Here’s this week’s droolworthy gallery. Click on each photo to get a description: