Apple and Sage Pork Chops

This photo and recipe come from McCormick, the American food company specializing in spices. My Librarian and I stumbled upon a few of these pre-packaged meal spice packs while cruising through the supermarket one night. Generally the spices we use are fresh, save for a few dry spices we buy at one of the markets, but this recipe card really intrigued us, not least of all because the pork looked absolutely divine. These things come with a recipe card that you can keep handy for future dishes and the pre-measured spices necessary for the dish on said card. We figured what the hell, right?

The package included 1 1/2 teaspoons of Rubbed Sage, 1 teaspoon of Minced Garlic, 1 teaspoon of Thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of ground All-Spice, and 1/2 teaspoon of paprika. There were a few things we would need to add so we made a note of the things we had at home, that which we would need to grab, and headed over to the meat section to select our boneless pork chops.

Later that week, we were ready. Per the instructions, we mixed 1 tablespoon of flour with the entire spice packet and 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. The recipe asks you to sprinkle - honey, I don't really sprinkle - so I took each of my 4 pork chops and lightly dredged into the mixture.

In a large skillet, I cooked the pork chops on medium heat until browned on both sides and promptly removed and put them on a plate tented with foil. Next, 1 medium thinly sliced onion was cooked for about 3 minutes (or until tender), followed by 2 thinly sliced red apples. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finally, stir in 1/2 cup of apple juice, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and the rest of the seasoned flour until well mixed. Return the pork chops and any collected juices to the pan and bring it all to a boil. Reduce to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes or until done.

We served with a side of apple mashed potatoes and it was delightful.

Happy Birthday, Julia!

I adore this photo of Julia Child - I picked it because I feel it really sums up the chef and the woman behind the apron. Julia died two days shy of her 90th birthday in 2004, but is far from forgotten. A revolutionary force in the field of cooking and in American culture, Julia published a shit ton of cookbooks, conquered the world of PBS with more than 20 years of her own cooking show, loved to eat, loved to cook, loved her husband Paul dearly, and even worked as a spy for the CIA (then the OSS) after graduating from Smith. Never one to shun butter, Julia lives on in our arteries and our kitchens.To Julia!

"Lipstic on my belly-button and music in the air - thaat's Paris, son.


What a lovely city! What grenouilles a la provencale. What Chateauneuf-du-Pape, what white poodles and white chimneys, what charming waiters, and poules de luxe, and maitres d'hotel, what gardens and bridges and streets! How fascinating the crowds before one's cafe table, how quaint and charming and hidden the little courtyards with they wells and statues. Those garlic-filled belches! Those silk-stockinged legs! Those mascara's eyelashes! Those electric switches and toilet chains that never work! Hola! Dites donc! Bouillbase! Au revoir!"
-from My Life in France

The Pennsylvania Dutch Festival: Donuts!

 So clearly it's not all about donuts, but I found they are by far the tastiest part of the whole festival. Starting today and running through the 14th, The Pennsylvania Dutch Festival takes center court at the Reading Terminal Market with handmade quilts, woodwork, and other goods right alongside the food. Oh and the food: Delicious fresh sausage grilled alongside fresh peppers, homemade ice cream, brittle and fudge and what seems to be the main attraction - the donuts. How can you resist these freshly made baked goods? At 85 cents a pop, you simply can't. At least I couldn't and upon arriving this am, I snagged a tasty powdery treat to accompany my coffee.

Fond Summer Memories: Peaches on the Beach

One of my fondest summer memories involve fresh Jersey peaches and the beach. My grandmother had a house in Ocean City, NJ and during the summer, my father would often spend his weekend visits with my brother and I 'down the shore.'

New Jersey is ripe with farms that offer mouth-watering goods in the warmer months - driving south on the Garden State Parkway you couldn't go more than 1 mile marker without passing homemade signs advertising fresh Jersey corn, peaches, tomatoes, peppers, alongside other varieties of locally grown fruit and vegetables. We would stop at any one (at least one - more often than not we would stop at multiple) of these stands and purchase enough fruit and vegetables to feed a tiny army. My favorite were the peaches. Soft and juicy treasures, warmed by the sun, these gems made my mouth water.  The best way to savor these is on the beach, fresh from a cool dip in the Atlantic.

We'd arrive in Ocean City and bustle into my grandmother's, a whirlwind of hugs, kisses, bags, and groceries. In a few hours time we'd be off the beach a few blocks away, a cooler always alongside the towels and chairs. The peaches would have been sitting in a brown paper bag, warmed by the sun and ripened in the farmer's orchard. Reaching in, you'd pull one of these deliciously plump fruits out of the bag. The warm sweet juice would mix with the salt on your face from the ocean and it would be pure heaven.

About a week ago, I took a day trip to the beach and packed along a few peaches from Kauffman's, a farmer we patronize fairly often. The sun was hot, the water was cold, and when I bit into that peach I smiled.

So dear readers pray tell, what are your fondest summer food memories?

Flounder, Asparagus & Vidalia Onions Roasted in an Herb Butter Rub Served with Orzo, Dressed in a Lemon Butter Sauce

Clearly Summer is the time for fresh, light, and citrus. This dish requires a bit more preparation and can get complicated, in part due to my making two separate sauces - the herb butter which the fish, onions and asparagus cooked in and the lemon-butter sauce which I made to serve over the fish, veggies, and pasta.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and start with the herb butter. In a bowl, beat 4 tablespoons of softened butter with a fork. Add 2 teaspoons of minced fresh flat leaf Italian parsley, 1 tablespoon of fresh minced thyme, 1 teaspoon of fresh minced chives, the zest from 1 lemon, the juice from two lemons, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Using a dab of extra virgin olive oil, I oiled a 9x13 cooking dish and layered the bottom with 2 or 3 thinly sliced vidalia onions, then the asparagus. Generously rub down the flounder fillets with the herb butter and lay on top of the onions and asparagus.

The flounder will cook pretty quickly depending on thickness; to avoid overcooking I generally go with 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Toss it in the oven. Put on the water to boil for the orzo.

Once your fish is nearly finished, move on to the lemon butter sauce. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter over low heat in a small saucepan with the zest from 1 lemon. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of flour and cook, stirring until the mixture just begins to color. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and the juice from 1 lemon, wisking vigorously to smooth out any lumps or chunks. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Once the fish, onions and asparagus, and orzo have been plated, pour the sauce over and serve.

Summer Bounty: Tomatoes

This tomato plant is a wonderful addition to our garden this summer. As with our edibles, we have it on our roof to keep neighbors from picking it at street-level. Given that it's a bit unsteady and a little over 3 feet tall, after bringing it home, I tethered the plant base to a very convenient satellite dish protruding from the side of the building, left by a former tenant. Further reinforcing it are bricks stacked three high surrounding the four sides of the base. The plant has remained despite crazy monsoon-like storms.

Speaking of undesirable weather, the plant has taken a bit of a beating from our unusually steamy summer; with temperatures hovering in the high 90s for pretty much all of July, the leaves did wither a bit, but as you can see the plant is still happily producing fruit, which we have been able to add to salads, salsas, and sauces.

Trout Amandine

Instead of fillets of fish I asked my fish poacher for two trout, gutted, de-boned, and beheaded. Laying each fish flat, skin side down on the pan, I seasoned each with salt, pepper, and a bit of fresh lemon zest before I set them in the oven at about 350 degrees.

Turning my attention to the almonds, I chopped about 1/4 cup and added them to an already heated frying pan. You'll want to stir them frequently so they toast rather than cook and burn, for approximately 5 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a plate.

Wipe out the frying pan and add 4 tablespoons of butter, the juice from one lemon, and about a quarter cup of minced fresh flat leaf Italian parsley. Stir in the almonds and season with a bit of salt and pepper.

At this point the fish should be thoroughly cooked, tender, and moist. Once the fish have been plated, spoon the sauce over. I served it alongside fresh orzo that boiled with a bit of butter and lemon in the water and fresh brussel sprouts.