My favorite party noshes are sweet and salty.  I remember mom bringing a can of chocolate-covered potato chips to a Christmas gathering.  I wondered how anything could possibly taste that good.  Since then this flavorful duo has inspired me to whip up trays of bacon-wrapped dates and platters of figs broiled with almonds and goat cheese drizzled with balsamic vinegar.  Yum!  It's a tasty match made in heaven.

I thought I'd reached the heights of this flavor combination until I saw the light.  Last week an episode of Meat and Potatoes featured a food truck in Seattle that makes amazing burgers.  What's so amazing?  The two little words that just rocked my culinary world--Bacon Jam.  I am not joking.  My previous efforts seem amateurish compared to this sweet and salty summit. 

I knew I had to try it--and soon.  Fourth of July burgers with bacon jam.  I searched the internet and found several recipes for this most excellent manna.  I settled on a gem by Not Quite Nigella which is scrumptious, decadent, even intoxicating.  Each bite is a new sensation of smokey, salty, sweet, maple flavor.  Try it; you will love this stuff.  In fact, I think I just settled on the perfect Christmas gift for my foodie friends and family members. 

NQN's recipe was quite manageable.  If you'd like to save time and effort yet still savor the flavor, order a jar from Skillet Street Food.

I've always loved to cook for others. It's one of the ways I show my love. Every step of the process is a gift--spending time planning, shopping for ingredients, preparing the meal. And then you get to dine together. Once my life status changed from full-time parent to empty-nester I began to appreciate the joy of cooking for myself. One of my favorite things to cook for myself is soup.

A nourishing and hearty bowl of love. My husband likes to try my concoctions but soup is not a meal for him. So I can be a bit selfish with this dish. The only person I really want to please is me. Some weeks I'll eat soup every single day of the week. Reminding myself as the days go by how good it feels to take care of myself. Last fall I made pot after pot of Portuguese Kale and Sausage Soup. Using the kale from my vegetable garden made the soup even better. Mmmmm!

I have a dear friend who hosts a soup and bread night once a week for hungry college students. Not only is she being creative; it's her way to serve. She's a gifted, intuitive cook who makes up all kinds of fantastic soups from whatever ingredients are on hand. When I marvel at her creativity she laughs and points out that you can make anything taste great with enough olive oil!

Would you like to make soup with your kids? I recommend " Blue Moon Soup." It's a really fun cookbook for kids filled with tasty recipes and charming illustrations. Included are soups for every season. I discovered the book a few years ago but a recent trip to the website revealed online recipes and even plans to launch a kids cooking show.

If getting really creative is your thing I love "A New Way to Cook" by Sally Schneider. The "new" refers to healthy, lower fat preparations for classic cooking techniques. I've been using this cookbook regularly for the past six months and have been really pleased with the results. The author gives you some basic guidelines and then suggests variations to make each dish your own. This book is chock full of delicious and healthy ideas and the soup section is fantastic! It inspired me to make my own rich stock from roasted bones and vegetables.

Soup can be pretty simple too. All you need are some veggies you like, canned broth, rice or pasta and a protein. It's such a good feeling to know you're making something nourishing and the cooking aromas are divine! Now it's time to reach for my well worn copy of "The Vegetarian Epicure" by Anna Thomas and make a pot of Pea Soup with Butter Dumplings. What a great way to celebrate Spring!