Cloudy With A Chance of Cheesebomb Meatballs in Fennel & Tomato Sauce and Greek Beef Stifado: Comforting Cuisine Defined by Xáncho

The transition from the sweltering summer heat to frequent afternoon rains is a seasonal cue triggering a craving for comforting cuisine. That craving for a hearty meal with fresh, bold, real and deep unrestrained and even nostalgic flavors transports you to another time and place. And the sumptuous offerings of Xáncho with its impressive array of gourmet frozen tubs for take-out and delivery has the perfect dish to satisfy your cravings. If a sumptuous bowl of slow-cooked beef stew or savory meatballs in a rich and tangy sauce are on your list of comfort food cravings, then read on...

For more than a decade now, Marco Rodriguez has been cooking his version of comfort food at his home kitchen drawing inspired takes on the world's tapestry of flavors including Greek, Italian, Spanish, French, Moroccan and Turkish cuisine to his constantly changing and evolving menu for take-out and delivery. A passionate self-taught chef, Marco mastered the basics at a culinary school and honed his skills with stints at a Michelin starred restaurant in New York. In between the home kitchen and office, Marco also manages the family business and has even written about food for a prestigious publication. Clearly, his culinary journey continues with even more flavorful stories retold and shared with each specialty dish at Xáncho (for more on Xáncho, see my previous posts A Rhapsody of Flavors: The Gourmand Market Preview from 2016 and An Outdoor Affair: Eat Well, Live Well at The Gourmand Market Preview from eight years back). 

But what makes a particular dish rank high on the comfort food list? Exactly what triggers the emotion, feeling or memory that warms both the palate and body? There have been studies correlating energy-dense, high calorie, high fat, salt or sugar that seems to press all the right buttons in our brain for that mood-altering change. But we can choose to keep it simple, good food and real flavors never fail to uplift our spirits on a cloudy day. Or any day. And Xáncho has it all figured out with its repertoire of specialty dishes that just hits the spot. 

The cloudy afternoons become a recurring theme in the daily forecast and over at Xáncho, that means a chance of Cheesebomb Meatballs in Fennel & Tomato Sauce and Greek Beef Stifado. Can there be anything better than a bowl of stew or meatballs on a cloudy day? 

A traditional beef dish richly seasoned with a medley of warming spices, red wine and pearl onions, the hearty Greek Beef Stifado is a staple at Greek Sunday family dinners during the colder fall and winter months. Xáncho recreates both the flavor and mood with fork-tender beef short ribs in a thick and smooth yet sticky gravy like sauce. The multiple layers of richness from both the beef and sauce combine for a level of indulgence that drapes the palate with its lingering notes. This is comfort food, lavishly defined by Xáncho. 

Simmered for hours, the flavors come together in an elegantly seamless weave with each distinct note complementing the other. Best paired with Greek orzo or pasta, mashed potatoes, crusty bread or even rice, the Greek Beef Stifado by Xáncho is pure and comforting goodness in a bowl perfect for the rainy days. 

And it's a solid feast in itself. Each frozen tub from Xáncho offers hearty servings for two or even three (or one really hungry dude) for a solid and satisfying feast at home. Like butter, the thick and tender slabs of beef short ribs just melts in your mouth with its beefy richness followed by the equally rich and decadent sauce. 

The subtle sweetness of the pearl onions continues the delectable play on flavors with the red wine adding a flavorful depth to the stew along with the herbs and spices. Starting with the finest and freshest premium ingredients, each dish is a masterfully executed rendition of comforting classics by Xáncho. 

Stews from every cuisine around the world slow-cooked and simmered with a variety of ingredients always warms the palate and soul for that perfect finish and the Greek Beef Stifado by Xáncho is one of those satisfying meals that transcends and cuts across borders with its pure and honest play on flavors. 

Then, there's the meatballs. The Cheesebomb Meatballs in Fennel & Tomato Sauce by Xáncho is another tasty number that guarantees good vibes from the very first bite. Juicy, dense and moist beefy meatballs filled with cheese with rich and tangy tomato sauce already sounds like a winner. One bite seals the deal. 

Starting with the sauce with chunks of fresh tomatoes for that vibrant burst of flavor and that subtle sweetness from the fennel, the sauce really make and complete this dish. Many say the true secret in any meatball dish is the sauce, and this dish makes the case for it. Grab some fresh pasta or a baguette and you have another satisfying meal from Xáncho. But Xáncho takes the extra step with the meatballs by filling it with cheese. The aptly named Cheesebomb Meatballs deserves the moniker to complete the comforting savory duo of hearty dishes from Xáncho. 

Meatballs are deceptively simple and unsurprisingly, quite easy to mess up. Xáncho stays true to the dish with its meticulous execution delivering bold flavors and a savory richness with a fresh and tart finish for some of the best renditions in the metro. 

And that first meatball just leads to another...

...with the beefy notes and cheese filling perfectly tempered by the tartness of the sauce for balanced flavors. 

With each bite delivering a flavorful surprise from the cheese filling, a stock of Cheesebomb Meatballs in Fennel & Tomato Sauce should be in your freezer for those cloudy days. Comfort food comes in many forms, and sometimes the simplest works. Xáncho offers an impressive array of savory options in frozen tubs. Simply reheat and enjoy. 

Stews or meatballs, what's your go-to pick on a cloudy day? Get both and fill up your freezer with the savory and comforting offerings from Xáncho in just a few clicks and taps on your mobile device. It's often said that good food can take you to another place or time. Xáncho is your ticket to a world of comforting flavors from Moroccan to Italian, Greek and Spanish, French and Turkish cuisine and many more from their kitchen. Today's culinary landscape has evolved with so many home kitchens offering well-executed dishes for new and memorable flavor experiences. Global cuisine are now part of the culinary mainstream, broadening our palates with a world of diverse flavors. And that's always a good thing. 

When a sudden downpour dampens your day, you can always rely on the ever dependable stews and meatballs to brighten your day. And you can find some of the best at Xáncho with the Greek Beef Stifada and Cheesebomb Meatballs in Fennel & Tomato Sauce. Cloudy day? No worries. Just heat up a tub from Xáncho and transform your day with a few tasty and comforting bites without the fuss...