Nurturing my inner... pork and beans

Mostly when I think about having pork for dinner, I prefer it barbecued.  Slow-roasted with a rich, smoky, sweet sauce.  Maybe a tenderloin with mashed potatoes.  Mom used to make pork chops fairly often, but they always seemed kind of dry to me.  So I was off to find a way to cook up some tasty, moist pork.  I took my cue from Tuscany.

BTW, I love a slow Sunday of cooking and catching up on home chores.  (Well, mostly the first part, not so much the second.)

Pork Chops & Tuscan Beans

2 thick cut pork chops with the bone
1 can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 can diced tomatoes, drained
4 fresh sage leaves
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
2 dried bay leaves
2 tbsps olive oil
1/4 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, cut in big chunks
3 carrots, diced
2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 tsp salt

Go to a respectable butcher, if you got one.  Here in Virginia, they aren't stand alone like in Connecticut.  So I went to one of the best meat market sections of a local grocery store I know of - Wegmans!  I talked to the butcher and his advice was to go for the bone in, center cut chop.  He said the bone gives the meat more flavor and would work especially well with my plans.  A one pot meal.

Brown wrapper. So traditional.

I got them home and unwrapped them.  Wow, they were a couple of formidable hunks of pig.  Was I prepared to be in charge of this much meat?  Seeing as I meant this to be a two portion (or two person) meal, it felt a little less intimidating.  So I jumped right in to tackle this dish!

Seems like special dinner ingredients, but
they just make an ordinary day special.

In my ever trusty Le Creuset 5.5 French oven on medium heat, I added some olive oil and sauteed up the onions, garlic and carrots until just translucent and soft.  About five minutes.  I removed and placed in a bowl.

Some base flavor veggies to get started.

Back into the French oven on medium to medium-high heat went a little more olive oil and the two chops that I lightly salted and peppered on each side.

Lean meat.

I seared the chops on each side until golden brown.  Then removed them and put aside on a plate.

Nice crisp edge on exterior.

My pot was a thing of beauty.  Full of flavor bits.  I didn't want to lose those!



Future good stuff.


I was going to fill the pot up with lots of great things.  For one, some fresh and dried herbs to really add that Tuscan spin.  Woodsy, aromatic, strong.  A great compliment to pork which is not a rich meat.  It needs some help.  The beans will soak up the flavors as well.

Heady and powerful.

So into that gorgeous pot full of left over pork drippings went the lot of it.  Which is why this is a fabulous meal.  The carrot, onion and garlic mixture from earlier, broth, water, beans, tomatoes, herbs and salt.  Be sure to use a wooden spoon when you stir and loosen up all the bits on the bottom to flavor the liquid.

Ah, fall in a pot.

On top of that went the seared pork chops.  They will shrink a little as they cook, so jam them in there.

Pork submerged.

Lid on and into a 350 degree oven for approximately two hours and 15 minutes.  Enough time for me to tidy up my place, fold fresh laundry and pay bills.  (Who says you can't get several things done at the same time!)  I checked on it a couple times and scooped the broth over the top of the pork to keep it well juiced.

Liquid has reduced and thickened with
the beans.

After the low and slow cook, the pork became fork tender and stayed moist because of all the liquid.  There are different ways to serve it.  A couple of big ladles of the bean mixture in the bottom of a shallow bowl with a whole pork chop on top is how I would have done it if I was entertaining formally.  In this case, I was trying to make meals for the week for me and I wasn't sure I could finish up an entire monster chop that night, so I opted for flaking off large chunks of pork in the cooking pot with the beans and scooping it all up together.



Hearty, yet light.

A friend of mine was texting me as I was taking the pot out of the oven and I told her to drop on by.  Of course I had in mind to use her as a tester and I'm proud to report she said it was a keeper!  A little crusty bread to dip in the liquid and that's all you need.

Nurturing my inner... sweet sweet main street

On a trip to CT a few months back, I decided to take my mom to a little town that I'm not sure I've ever been to.  I've heard of it though, because the hooty tooty people live there.  (As opposed to the horse people who live in the town I'm from.)  So here is a little trip into a couple stores in the quaint town of New Canaan, CT.

The reason I took her there was to go to the nearest location to her house of Le Pain Quotidien.  (Where I saw some famous actor who I can't remember his name.)  I had enjoyed it so much in VA, they have a killer cappuccino, that I had to take mom for the waffle.  After we were done with brunch, we walked along the adorable, picture perfect main street.  It had all kinds of shops and boutiques.  I bet you can guess which ones I was drawn to the most.

First stop, Belgique Chocolatier.  Darling artisan chocolate place.  If I lived nearby, I'd go every week.  (No, I'm not kidding.  I really would.)

Practically out of a watercolor.

Inside, it was row after row of decadent, interesting, cleverly-flavored treats.

Can you see the giant chocolate acorn and
flower shapes at the bottom right?

The interior of the shop was like a snapshot out of Paris.  Not that I've ever been to France, but this is what I think a European chocolate shop would look like.  Warm and cozy.  They even had rugs on the wood floor.  (Can I live in there?)

I'm pretty sure this is what heaven looks like.
At least at the entrance.

I used restraint, for a change, and just got four pieces.  One for mom and three for me.  (Hmmm...  That makes me sound rather selfish.  Oh well!  All is fair in love and chocolate.)  They put my lovely gems in a pretty, little cellophane bag with a B sticker to keep it safely shut.  (For the time being.  But a sticker is no match for me!)

Was hard to choose. I wanted them all.

I often go for anything with hazelnut or caramel, but I do also tend to be attracted to the peculiar.  In this case, the flavor that most intrigued me was the Speculoos-filled faceted dome.  Speculoos, in case you don't know (and why would you), is a ginger biscuit traditionally made in Belgium.  I've seen it ground up and made into a spread for waffles.  But then to take the spread and add it into a chocolate - well that is brilliantly unique!  I'm in!

How do they get those detailed designs?
A stencil? An airbrush? Magic wand?

I recommend going for the strangest flavors when you can.  Embrace the bizarre!  Speculoos rocks!  (Even if you can't spell it.)

A view down main street. Sweet old town.

But wait!  I was not done yet.  There was one more place.  A cupcake place.  for my second stop.  Crumbs.

Hello puppy waiting out front. Your owner
is in there getting a quick snack.

Like all good cupcake places, and they are EVERYWHERE these days, the glass case was filled with options.  Colorful ones at that.  I always find it SO hard to choose.  But I have been trying to have a different kind at every place to keep it interesting for both you and me.

I'd rather just back the car around, pop the
trunk and say, "Load 'er up!"

The friendly shop worker handed the cupcake to me in a plastic container with their juggling jester sticker on top.

Thank goodness I was still full from brunch
or I would have just eaten it while sitting
on the bench outside with the dog.

I carried my package home like it was a box of plutonium.  And I'm happy to report it arrived 100% safely with super cute carrot icing detail fully in tact.  That afternoon, I ate half.  It was a substantial cupcake, so a whole one was a little more than I could wrestle down that day.  (Yes, I am a sugar lightweight.)

Another winner!

Might I recommend a chocolate and cupcake world tour for everyone.  The earth would be a happier place.  Can you ever be disappointed with a mini personal cake at your disposal?  I think it's unlikely.  They make you smile.  Plus it's a heck of a delightful way to spend 30 minutes of browsing and snacking.  (I might also recommend that if the cupcakes are smaller, you really should get two different flavors.  Call it investigative research to anyone who looks at you funny.  They're just jealous of your self-assurance and dessert bravado anyway.)

I'm noticing lately that I remember the cities I visit by the food.  I guess there could be worse ways to travel!

Nurturing my inner... from ho hum to yum

If food doesn't look appetizing, you may not be so keen to dig right in.  So it could also be said that simple food when plated in a fancy way can be even more appetizing than you imagined.  You're not getting any actual recipes today.  But instead, a lesson in taking a few extra minutes to present your creations restaurant style.

Cooking a lovely dinner doesn't always have to involve a lot of ingredients or painstaking processes and how you arrange the elements when all is done can make a world of difference in going from ordinary to wowie kazowie.  Here are a few easy pointers.

1. Marinate your meat.  A simple salad dressing will do.  Put thawed beef in a glass dish and cover with dressing.  Leave for a couple hours or longer.

Balsamic has deep tangy notes.

Lots of flavor without a lot of effort.  Can throw on the grill or broil in the oven like I did.

Out of dish, onto pan.

2. Add a little bit of butter.  Simple sauteed butter with garlic or shallots gives plain veggies a fast flavor boost.  And you don't need a ton of butter like they use on TV.  Just a pat or two.  Steam green beans for five minutes in preparation.  Melt butter on medium heat and add sliced garlic.  Saute until soft.

Garlic and butter. Such a simple, but reliable
combo.

Add steamed veggies to butter and garlic and toss for a few minutes until well-coated.  Add some slivered almonds at the end for some crunch.

So quick.

3. Use your tools.  Multipurpose your kitchen tools in new ways to lay a fun foundation.  Large biscuit cutters can be stuffed with wild rice.  Pack lightly before removing the mould to get a shape that stays in tact.

Won't take you but a minute.

Put it all together.  A circle of wild rice, sliced balsamic marinated steak and string beans with garlic and sliced almonds.  That's a pretty ordinary meal that didn't take a lot of time to prepare, but once plated, it looks like you just went to a five star restaurant.

As good as any steakhouse.

Here's a sample of what I did with chicken I bought in a premarinated pack and baked.  I made some black rice and put it in the bottom of a bowl. Then sauteed up some shallots with olive oil and tossed in some fresh snow peas for the next layer.  Cook just for a few minutes.  To finish, I sliced the baked chicken and placed on top.  Again, looking like a pro.

It really doesn't take much to gussy things up.

One more for you.  Fish.  A simple mixture of Israeli cous cous with sauteed zucchini, mushrooms and spinach for the bed on which the fish shall lay.

I do this often. Wild rice or cous cous with
a combo of veggies I change up each time.
(Shallots and garlic, of course too.)

I baked some cod in cornflake crumbs, like my mom used to when I was growing up, and landed it on my mixture from above.  Even though I don't blog all the time about what's going on, it doesn't mean I'm not cooking at home. I may be remaking tried and true favorites or conjuring up slight variations based on what I picked up at the market.  (And on occasion I'm completely failing at something that needs more work before I can present it to you.)

Just two items, but looks like more.

Must be the artist in me, but I think it's super fun to take a regular weeknight dinner and jazz it up with some simple tricks.  Like slicing meat on an angle or piling up veggies over a rounded stack of rice.  And putting my creation on a cool plate.  For a moment, I can picture myself in a small bistro in the city, listening to some lively music by candlelight, taking my time and savoring every forkful.  Now that's nice.  (Not bad for a girl who grew up in the woods with a mom who doesn't like to cook.)

Even if you're just cooking for you, treat yourself well.  Like a welcomed guest in your own home.  Don't always rely on Styrofoam takeout containers to satisfy your physical hunger.  You're not any less deserving of home cooked meals served in lovely ways because, like me, you may not have a family to cook for.  Be your own good company.  It will also feed your soul.

Nurturing my inner... get back up again

Since it's "fall," it appears I had a literal interpretation of the season this year and did just that.  My first crashing tumble while running.  Let me give you some details.  (Like you could possibly stop me.)

As I have done every Saturday for the past four months, I went to my long distance running class, even though I was super tired from particularly late work hours this past week.  That's what you have to do with running - make a commitment.  No excuses.  My run was going okay: not terrible, but not stellar.  Somewhere in between.  I was glad I had a friend by my side going the same pace, so it made for a relaxed, comfortable time and kept me going during the moments I was feeling slightly apathetic about forward motion.  We were on the trails, which are paved, but there was a ton of debris on them from the recent storm.  (Which included a tornado with ghastly 45 degree angle downpours of hard rain.)  Branches, nuts, leaves, rocks, mud and water were left everywhere, so we were very careful to slow our pace, take the down hills particularly gingerly and step onto clear spaces whenever possible.  It wasn't a day to rush.  (Which was good, because we didn't miss the family of six deer that were within feet of us at one point.)  There was a time when my running buddy had stepped onto an acorn or something and almost twisted her foot.  A bit later, I think I hit a rock and did the same slight tripping move.  We were both fine though.  Nothing major.  That is to say, until...

Yeah, well, so much for my being "careful."  It all happened quite quickly.  In an instant, really.  There was a moment when I was trying so hard to catch my balance and then WHAM, onto the asphalt.  The full force of my weight landing hard on my knees and me catching my upper body with my palms as I skidded forward like a kicked empty soda can.  After the initial realization that I had a fight with gravity and lost, I looked back and saw there was about a 2.5 in diameter short piece of stick that had been hidden under some leaves.  I never could have seen it.  I think I stunned my buddy who wasn't quite sure what happened to me because in the blink of an eye I had gone from upright to horizontal.  Looking back she said I actually appeared to hover there in the air for a moment. Probably for that split second when I was working overtime to try and right my very wronged angle as I was saying to myself, "Oh my, the ground is coming up awfully quickly!!"

Wow, no fun.  Certainly one of the most embarrassing three seconds of my life.  Yet, I got up and dusted myself off, glad I had on running capris instead of shorts so at least that helped to minorly protect my knees that were now quite banged up.  A quick wipe of my bleeding hands and we began walking again.  Unfortunately, we were about halfway out and still had a couple miles back yet to run.  This is how you know you're really a runner: after a short walk to the next intersection, I said, "Let's go."  Maybe it was the Adrenalin from my super speedy plunge to earth, but the second half of my run was actually better than my first - sans the painful right knee and throbbing, bleeding left hand.  As another friend said later - take pride, these are your battle scars!  (We runners are messed up!)

Some soap and water to clean up my boo boos back at the store and a couple coffees later, I needed to head home to ice my poor knee.  (That was likely going to divorce itself from my body even after I apologized for falling on it with all one hundred and *muffled sound* pounds of me at high velocity.)

Needless to say, that night I wasn't in the mood to stand and cook.  But I was craving some comfort food.  Thank goodness my fridge held some I had made recently that was ready to go.

Potato Leek Soup

2 lbs peeled, diced potatoes
1 large leek sliced in half and then into 1/4 inch strips
4 cups chicken stock
4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tbsps unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt (to taste)
Splash of heavy cream
Dollop of mascarpone cheese

This is how I made it.  All started with a couple pounds of potatoes.  I got some slightly waxy ones.  Thought they would be extra creamy.

Different sizes are fine. They will be diced.

To prep things, I peeled and diced the potatoes and put them in water so they wouldn't brown.

Make them about the same size chunk.

Into the pan I was going to make the soup, my Le Creuset 5 1/2 quart French Oven, I added the butter and turned it on medium.  As it melted, I threw in the leeks and sauteed until translucent.

Gotta love a one pot meal.

If you have the time to make chicken broth, then sure, do that.  I used the box, which I think isn't a bad substitute.

Do I get points for it being organic at least?

Add the stock and fresh thyme and bring to a boil.  Then add the potatoes.  Bring back up to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cover.  Cook for about 15 - 20 minutes or until a knife can go through the potatoes easily.

A simple combination that will bring complex
flavor later.

I don't own an immersion blender, so I did an easy two step process.  (After I removed the thyme twigs.  Don't forget that part.)  First came out the potato masher.

Such a handy tool.

Into the pot went the masher and I, well, mashed stuff.  Just a little bit.  To scale down the large pieces.

Easy with soft potatoes.

I wanted a slightly creamier consistency than I was getting with just the masher though, so for the second part of the process, I took half of the soup and put it into a regular blender.  (Warning: Do this carefully because it's hot and when you stop the blender and take the lid off, the bubble will burst when it settles and you could get hot soup on you.  You may want to do it in two small batches and wait a minute.)  Pour the blended portions back into the pot and stir all together.

Now that's perfect!  Creamy, but also with
some texture left.

I don't like to freeze things with milk or cream in them if possible, so I put some soup into one cup containers that I popped into the deep freeze for another day and left some in the fridge.  Into my bowl that night, after I heated it up, I added a little heavy cream and stirred it all up well.  Then I added a dollop of mascarpone cheese because I happened to have some around.  Once it started to melt, I was able to stir that in as well.  The soup was so creamy and comforting.  Made boo boos all better.

Mini mascarpone floating island.

The other great idea I got was that I remembered I had some cooked turkey bacon in the fridge from breakfast the day before, so I crumbled that on top as well.  I mean, potatoes and bacon together.  If that doesn't inspire wellness, I'm not sure what would.

It's funny, but you'd be surprised how many runners take a spill now and then.  That was news to me!  I had friends who have done the same thing (as recently as last week) post their stories to my social networking page, telling me all about their nose dives to the ground.  Seems like we're all in good company.  (One girl even said she takes a spill every few months.  Now that is something!)  One thing I know is true about all of us; though we may fall, we get back up again.  And we keep running.  (Which really is a great model for life in general.)  Of course, that doesn't preclude us from sitting on the sofa that evening with a cold ice pack to comfort bruised body parts and a warm bowl of soup to comfort bruised egos.  There has to be healing time.  For the inner and outer us.

Lesson learned: Sooner or later, we're all going to fall down.  Every one of us.  So get back up again.  You've got much more left to do.

Nurturing my inner... things remembered

Beautiful things.  I support purchasing them if you're going to use them.  What good is it to own items of beauty if you're only going to hide them in a locked cabinet getting dusty?  Well I'll tell you - zippo.  So when you purchase lovely things, make sure they get used.  Delight in them.  Like I do.

A friend of mine recently refinished an old mirrored tray she got at a thrift shop and it looked fantastic.  When I got my new bedroom furniture, that reminded me to look for one. After a few unsuccessful trips to nearby thrift stores, I decided to shop using online auctions.  I found just the ideal tray with an interesting shape.  1940s Art Deco style which would go perfectly with my Craftsman style taste.

On my new dresser. (With my favorite-no longer
made, so I have to ration-perfume and birthday
bracelet gift to me from me this year.)

This tray was in just shy of absolutely perfect condition.  And I adore it!  Here is a close up of the incredible detail.

Superb! It's just perfect for me!

As one who appreciates things of a long gone era, I thought I'd make an accompanying treat to celebrate my fabulous, yet functional, purchase.  Madelines.  There of course is an unclear history on how the Madeline came about.  From what I can gather, Madeline Paulmier was either an 18th or 19th century cook and in one way or another they were named after her.  That's good enough for me.  Let's get cooking.

Vanilla Bean Madelines

2 cups flour (can use all purpose, but I used cake)
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 tbsps light brown sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsps agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 vanilla bean
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Confectionery sugar
Nonstick spray

This is a plan ahead cooking adventure.  But hey, great cathedrals weren't built in a day.  Reminding me of one of my favorite sayings, "The best things aren't always easy, and the easy things aren't always best."  Post that one on your fridge.  So plan to make this batter one day and bake the mini cakes the next.

You'll begin your lesson in patience the first day by taking out eggs and leaving them to get to room temperature.  I don't know what most people would consider safe, but there is no way I'm emotionally capable of leaving them out overnight.  I am only willing to wait about four hours.  Might as well take out the butter while you're at it.

Put them on a flat surface that they can't roll
off of and crash to the floor. I used a frying
pan. Ingenious, no?

In a bowl add the flour, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl add the eggs and white and light brown sugars.  If you have a standing mixer, you're lucky.  I don't.  No room.  So I use an electric hand mixer.  Beat the eggs and sugar for 10 minutes.  (Or for as long as you can stand it.  I lasted for about five.)  Mixture will be light and fluffy.

About to be blended.

After the eggs and sugar are well incorporated, fold in the flour.  If you can sift it in, that would be good.  Add half, fold, add the other half, fold.

So creamy.

Melt the butter in the microwave, which should be already softish because you left it out with the eggs.



Just accept this recipe has two sticks of butter
now and move forward.


Shouldn't take but 30 seconds or so.  Pay close attention.

Where's the popcorn? Oh, wrong entry.

Pour that in to the batter and fold gently.  Not for too long.

Butter is the sports car of flavor delivery.
(I think I need to work on my metaphors.)

This is where you could add one of many flavors.  Almond, lemon, green tea, chocolate.  But since I was making these as a tribute to those classy chicks who came before me, who probably had mirrored trays on their dressers, vanilla was my extract of choice.  That's why I used vanilla bean paste and the inside of a vanilla bean.  (Mostly I just wanted to see the flecks of bean.)

Double dose of vanilla. Why skimp, I say.

For an additional hint of sweetness, as if all this wasn't enough, I shot in a bit of agave nectar.  It's all about the layers.  Fold that in, cover with plastic wrap and put into the fridge for at least a few hours or it will keep for a couple days.

Nice flecks.

In order to make a proper Madeline, one must purchase a Madeline pan.  You've seen one.  Has shell-shaped depressions.  It's a purchase you'll be happy with because you'll definitely make these several times a year.  Especially when you have endless flavor combos to explore.  The French may not like you tinkering with their traditional tastes, but hey, if you're not French, you can do whatever you want!  (Just don't tell them.  They already don't like us too much.  Why give them more material.)

Take the batter out of fridge and let sit at room temperature for 15 min.  Preheat the oven to 350.

I read reviews and ended up with the one
from Williams & Sonoma. They make
such quality products.

Though you could use more melted butter to brush the indentations, I used a butter-flavored nonstick spray.  Makes for fast work.  As did putting the batter into a Ziploc bag and cutting the corner off, like below.  Fill up each well three quarters of the way.  They will puff up when they bake, so you don't want to overdo it.

The bag trick is awesome!

When every well has been filled, you are ready to go!  Bake on the middle rack for 8-11 minutes.  And put on the tea kettle.

Ooh, can't wait.

Look for light brown edges. Insert a toothpick into the middle of a cake or two to make sure it comes out dry.  If yes, then you're done!

We're done!

They will pop right out.  (If you bought a quality pan.)  All three dozen of them.  Let them rest on a cooling rack, then plate.  I had a nice wood tray for them.  I flipped a few over so I could see the seashell side and then dusted them with confectionery sugar.  Divine.  But I needed the proper beverage for accompaniment.

How classic. I'm certain the French would
be proud. (Or at least tolerant.)

The local Expo center had their twice yearly big flea market a couple weeks ago.  I had my sights set on some things that I hoped I might find.  (I properly researched beforehand to know my price limits and to limit my chances of being snookered.  Do your homework - be savvy.)

A flea market is a lot of fun.  An exciting treasure hunt.  At the same time, I found myself feeling a little melancholy as well.  I thought: "Someone once bought this item brand new.  If she was 20 in the 1940s when Fire King Jadeite was manufactured, she could be in her late 80s today.  Did she sip tea in this cup with a dear friend?  Is it here, being resold, because she died?  How often did she use it?  When was the last time?  Did her children not want any of it?  Was there an estate sale and a stranger came in and bought up all her stuff just to resell and make money?"  These and many things I wondered.

Beautiful.

Jolting myself back to the present time... French pastries have a friend in English tea.

Steamy tea and one of my great aunt's
small teaspoons.

As I sat sipping my hot beverage and nibbling my tea cake, I thought about the woman who first purchased this piece of history.  I hope I honored her memory by cherishing this cup, this moment, and delighting in the perfect companion for my Madelines.  Perhaps things aren't ever really lost when passed on to someone who values them.