"Fooding" - As If We Haven't Eaten Enough

Bon Appetit arrived yesterday and nothing really appealed other than their version of an Egg McMuffin which I re-christened: 

The Bacon Grease Special
Cook bacon in a large skillet.  Remove bacon and some of the bacon grease.  Take a slice of bread and using a water glass (diameter your choice) press out a hole in the bread.  Put the slice of bread in the bacon grease and start it browning.  Carefully break an egg into the hole and let both cook.

When you figure the egg is done on that side, carefully flip the whole mess over to cook the raw side.  When this has being accomplished, lay a slice of cheese across it - I'd use Velveeta as it melts quickest - and turn off the burner.  Let the cheese melt as the egg finishes, plate it and garnish with bacon strips across the top.  Eat.  And you know it's going to be good because it's got bacon grease!  I didn't say Good FOR you.  Pay attention here. 

"Picnic in Provence, A Memoir With Recipes" by Elizabeth Bard  368 pages  $26
A winsome little story with inedible recipes for foods I don't like.  However for sheer ease of accomplishment, I did like this and we are coming up on Christmas treats - as gifts or just house bounty. 

These are called "Mendiants" (beggars) and are easy enough that a dullard like myself can make them. 

1 lb. best possible chocolate - you want minimum 70% cacao and Trader Joe's carries it.  Carefully melt it and pour it on parchment paper on a cookie sheet in little rounds.  Only make a few little circles at a time as you are going to be sticking at least three of the following into the warm chocolate and it will harden or set quickly.

Possibilities:

Traditional in France -
Chopped dried figs, dark or golden raisins, blanched almonds, whole hazelnuts.

Making it up as you go - chopped dried apricots
Chopped candied orange, lemon or grapefruit peel
Candied ginger
Walnuts
Dried cherries or cranberries

Making it is even easier.  After you've chosen your garnishes, put them in small piles so that you can run an assembly line of sorts.  This might be a good thing for a child to help you with - assign each kid a particular item to press into the chocolate.   Wash their hands yourself to make sure they are clean.  Little kids are ambulating germ factories.