Pork chops: Habit Forming

Julia came over last night and I made us a purple dinner. We had pork chops with mustard-shallot sauce, red cabbage, and smashed potatoes (purple red and white).

Julia really liked the cabbage, but it wasn't how I had imagined, and to me it just tasted of failure. It was kind of mushy. I seared both sides on the stove, added s, p, some coriander seeds and a pat of butter, covered the whole pan in foil and stuck it in the over for about 15 or 20 minutes. I think lower heat (i had it at 385) might have produced the effect I was going for. It was better with a splash of vinegar.

The potatoes were just smashed potatoes, nothing special. But they were totally edible. It is best to start potatoes in cold water on the stove and bring everything to a boil together.

The butcher convinced me to buy chops "from the other end" with the loin still attached. They had more meat, and the loin was really tasty. The sauce had whole grain mustard and chopped shallots. I think i prefer the glaze made with fruit or jam, but this was not bad.

off topic

As a side note, before I get to today's real post: My dog, Henry, is usually very calm and quiet, like a very well behaved cat. Last night after dinner, I decided to let him chew on the pork chop bone while I held it (I'm not sure if it is ok for dogs to eat these bones, and I didn't want him to swallow it). This made him go nuts! He turned into a wild beast with shifty eyes. Apparently we feel the same way about pork chops. Julia took some pictures.

'tis the season

Grapefruit is really good this time of year. My grandmother taught me how to select the best ones, and I think she is right on. These are her tips: the fruit should feel heavier than it looks. Pick up several, and the one that feels surprisingly heavy is a keeper. Also, the spot where the stem meets the fruit (what is this called?) should be smooth and flat, not puckered and lifting away from the rest of the grapefruit. Find one that has both traits, and you are on your way to a delicious citrus experience.

Some people put sugar on their grapefruit. Bleh! I get the same reaction from them when I share that I prefer just plain, or a dash of salt.

vinegar

I had leftover polenta with seared spinach, a favorite. I learned from Carla that balsamic vinegar is really good on spinach.

Also, I bought white chocolate peanut butter on impulse at the grocery store. It is very tasty, and you just need a tiny bit. All I ever want to eat now is this peanut butter on bananas.

chocolate berries q&a

I have received questions about the chocolate berries. It sounds like many of you dear readers are considering making them at home. Excellent!

A tip - make sure to put the freshly dipped berries on a tried and true non-stick surface, like wax paper or parchment paper. I put a small batch directly on a plate, and this was a huge mistake. Once the chocolate set they were impossible to eat. When I tried to pick them up, the berry pulled out of the chocolate and the chocolate was hopelessly stuck to the plate. This kind of kills the magic.

Also, it has come to my attention that some of you don't have any metal or glass mixing bowls, or mixing bowls at all. This is highly distressing! You know who you are, and now you know what you will be receiving from me for the next major holiday. But don't fret, you can still make it happen. Dig through your pots and pans and find two that fit together, with the top one nesting in the lower, and proceed as if your pot is a mixing bowl.

molasses: still good

My little sister and I hang out every weekend. Last weekend we went to the MOS, and this weekend she wanted to make a "giant cookie," so that was the plan. Once I picked her up, the plan had evolved into "giant ice cream sandwich," and finally lots of ice cream sandwiches, some big, some small. We used the Joy of Cooking recipe (the recent revisions are really a let down, luckily Seth bought me a good old one as a gift years ago), but we didn't have brown sugar. So we substituted white sugar with a healthy dollop of molasses. I think it might have been an improvement - the cookies had a rich, slightly caramel taste. She has never made cookies from scratch, and she was pleased our cookie dough tasted just as cookie dough should.

We decided if we did it again, we wouldn't let the ice cream soften so much before stuffing the cookies, and fyi: they have to go back in the freezer for longer than you would think to firm up as one solid mass. I took some to Sarah and Jim and they said they were the best. I'll have to tell my little sister of her success next week.

Pork chops ! Who knew?

Pork chops are incredible, people. They are cheap, easy to prepare, and taste amazing. I know this isn't exactly a secret, but I'm here to tell you -- it's all true!! I think our demographic needs to rekindle the flame with pork chops. The meat is inexpensive, so there is no reason not to buy the best chop available. I got two thick, free range, organic chops for $4. Don't forgo the bone! They had boneless, but the bone is a must, as Jessica demonstrates. It was all so good I will explain in detail how to prepare:

First, I salted and peppered both sides of the meat, and set that aside (I think I put a tiny bit of vegetable oil on the meat before seasoning), then I put 3 cups of water on to boil for polenta. I snipped the ends of the green beans and got a few handfuls ready. Then I got a skillet almost smoking hot, and put in the meat. After it browned on one side, I flipped it to brown the other, then turned the heat way down. By now the water was boiling, so I whisked in the cornmeal, and turned the heat down on that, too. Keep whisking all the way to the end, and it should be gently bubbling. You can add butter, salt, pepper, parmesan, whatever. I just did butter and salt.

I found a quick and dirty way to cook green beans. Put a thin layer of water in a skillet with some salt, and bring it to a boil. Then throw in the beans and cook them on high heat , stirring frequently, until the water is gone. It kind of steams them, kind of boils them. If you reach preferred done-ness, just pour out the excess water. Then when you are ready to serve, turn the heat back on, add a little butter, s & p.

Back to the chops. I had never made pork chops before, so I just kept spooning the liquids over the top while they continued to cook on low heat. When they were a tiny bit pink in the middle, I took out the meat, threw a healthy spoonful of apricot jam in to the pan, a bit of butter, and made a sauce with the drippings. It was amazing! Jess and Chris came over later to eat the leftovers.

Anyhow, this was really quick, and delicious. Go buy a pork chop!

Don't forget about poptarts

Yesterday was sort of an inedible day. PopTarts for breakfast, low fat cinnamon sugar (I was enamored of poptarts in high school, but haven't really had them since, aside form the one time in Cleveland), leftovers for lunch, snacks at some work event for pre-dinner, and leftover berries unceremoniously heaped on yogurt for real dinner. For my goal of cooking or making something thoughtful everyday, it was a bit of a failure. But a warm cinnamon poptart is highly edible, if you can handle that kind of sugar content in the morning. And Seven Stars Organic Lowfat Maple Yogurt is still the best, in my opinion.

edible

So I was hoping to just name this blog "edible" because terrible foods and delicious foods are all edible. No judgement ! But that name was taken, so I tacked on the "inedible." Enjoy. I was inspired by Emily's blog.

chocolate berries - easy !

Last night I went to my friends' house for dinner, and was supposed to bring dessert. But they are teachers, early to bed, early to rise types, so we started at 6:30. I wanted to bring something that is slightly more thoughtful than a pint of ice cream and a fistful of spoons. Chocolate berries are totally easy ! I melted dark chocolate over simmering water (put on the stove as I was taking off my jacket, took out the dog while it was melting), and within minutes I was dipping the berries. Then I popped them in the fridge while I was brushing my teeth and checking email. Takes just slightly more effort than buying ice cream at the store, and they went over well.

I rate this test edible.

More soon

and we'll work on the format, too.