Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Recipe 86: New Orleans Stuffed Artichokes

Wow! The challenges: Amazingly enough, do not begin with the page and a half list of ingredients. They begin with artichokes, which are supposed to be in season; a novice, and time, time, time...

I had very high hopes for this recipe. I love artichoke hearts. I'm still wondering how they get them out, even though I've attempted this once before with better artichokes. I think I'm officially sold on quartered frozen artichoke hearts, or even jarred. It could be that my artichokes were too big or too tough. I'm not going to profess to be good at buying the right artichoke.

It could be that I am not a huge breadcrumb fan. I think breadcrumbs are useful in some things, but there are far more flavorful foods to stuff your veggies with. If I were to be doing this recipe, I'd probably pick a finely diced andouille or chorizo sausage and cook it until it was tiny, then stuff add the cheeses, parsley, basil, oregano and green onions. The bread crumbs themselves were very flavorful, though they over-powered most of the parmigiano-reggiano and pecorino-romano cheeses. The cheese provided what I believe was the intended bite factor, but the flavor of the breadcrumbs came through over the cheeses. I did enjoy the crushed red pepper, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper(in quite small amounts) in the bread crumb mix, but in the end, they too were hard to notice. All of this is mixed together, then set aside.

Next, you mix olive oil, hot water, lemon juice, and grated lemon zest. This mixture gets drizzled over the bread crumbs, then they are set aside while you prepare the artichokes.

Now the work begins. First, saw off the top third of the artichoke...I think it was more like half to two-thirds on these big boys. Then you get to scoop out the choke with a spoon or a melon baller. I now need to re-shape my melon-baller. The spoon survived, but probably because we traded it off with a sturdy paring knife. James became an immense help with the artichoke, otherwise, I might have tossed them in the backyard and bought frozen hearts. The hearts are the best part after all, and the part we work so hard to get to.

After an hour of prepping this choke and breaking melon-ballers, we finally got close to a stuffing point. I finished slicing off the stems to stand-up the artichoke and prep it for stuffing. Also, when you cut off the top, rub the entire exposed surface with lemon. When you get the choke out, rub the artichoke again with lemon.

Next, or once you get to scooping out the choke-if you need a break, heat olive oik in the bottom of a medium skillet of medium heat, when it is hot, add the garlic and anchovies, cook until fragrant...I used this as part of the braising liquid-oops. Then I added 1" of water, 2T. of extra-virgin olive oil, salt(I might have forgotten the salt-but there's anchovies), a lemon half-cut into pieces.

Now, stuff the bread-crumb mixture into the artichokes-one at a time-working from the outside in. When the leaves get to tough to pry apart, stuff the middle. Cut another lemon half into slices and top each stuffed artichoke with a lemon slice, and drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over each artichoke. Add the artichokes to the pot, they should fit snug to hold each other up, and bring the braising liquid to a boil. Once the liquid boils, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cook for 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours, until the leaves are very tender and pull away very easily. Yes, now that you've gotten in the artichoke work-out(which I was foolish enough to attempt on a week-night), you must wait for said artichoke to tender up...Maybe we should tenderize it first next time. It might be easier to work with;-).

Once they have become tender, remove the artichokes from the pot and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Drizzle with cooking juices, if desired.

After tasting them, the heart was good, but slightly more bitter than I'm used to. I think Emeril likes his veggies slightly more bitter than I do. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't to die for either. I felt let down with the bitter aftertaste of the leaves. It could have been the artichoke too...I don't know. I would still add the sausage instead of the breadcrumbs. At least then, I'll know I've cheated on any diet I've attempted. I think the breadcrumbs are still sticking to my arteries and contributing to the weight I've put back on since cooking through this book.

I may have to try these again one weekend, but I was not terribly impressed. Maybe I'll have better luck once I become an artichoke expert. I did not plan to become an artichoke expert.

I will not likely make this recipe again though.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Recipe 85: Gremolata

The challenge: What in the world is gremolata? It suggests it as a topping over osso buco, braised lamb shanks(which are coming up, bank account permitting), or roast beef.

Turns out this is a very simple topping to make. Take a half cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, 1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon minced garlic and 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest.

The directions are even simpler: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to blend.

Done. Quite easy. Makes a great topping for the roast beef with horseradish sauce. I will definitely make this recipe again when I make the lamb shanks, or if I get to make roast beef again or use a cheaper cut of steak for that recipe.

Enjoy!

Recipe 84: Outstanding Rib Roast with Gremolata

The challenge: Rib roast generally starts at $9.00 a pound at the butcher shop and goes up from there...this recipe calls for a 7-8# rib roast. I do not have that kind of disposable income, and it seems I have less and less as time goes on. Alas, I obviously found a way to make this succulent dinner. Ric's, a local grocery store had rib-eye steaks on sale for $5.99 a pound. When I found that ad, I decided to check it out. I could probably work in 2# to my budget and quarter the recipe. I ended up getting individual steaks instead of a roast, and I got three small ones that were less than a pound each. For about $15.00, I got out with there with between 2 and 2 1/2# of meat.

I decided to make this for dinner, as roasting anything takes some time. I was glad I picked a lazy sunday for this, I was able to get so much done in the mean time. I pulled the steaks or "roast" out of the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for nearly an hour.

I tossed in a load of laundry then painted some pots for my nieces and nephews easter gift. Relax, the paint is mostly acrylic and washes off with soap and water and a small scrub brush. Once those tasks were done, I began making the paste for the edges of the meat.

I added 1/4 cup of oil to the processor, then the smashed garlic cloves(this is why I ran out for the horseradish-it called for a lot), next I added the onions and the small can of anchovy filets. I wasn't certain either, but you gotta get flavor somewhere. Next I took the leaves of about five sprigs of rosemary and placed them in the food processor. I processed until smooth, or close anyways. It was hard to tell in the food processor with this blend. I set that aside and began to chop veggies for the roast. I chopped celery, onion, and carrot into one inch pieces. If I would have had more experience roasting things for short times, I would have cut the vegetable pieces smaller. They ended up a little crunchy, but were still good.

I then began brushing the paste onto the steaks. It said to cover all sides, and I did for each individual steak. Then I got the vegetables and realized the steaks were supposed to be laid on top of them. I gently lifted each steak and placed the vegetables under the steaks as evenly as possible without moving them too much.

I roasted these steaks somewhere between 30 and 40 minutes at 400 degrees. I had set the alarm on my phone for 2:45PM, giving them about an hour. When I got home from picking up the garlic for the horseradish sauce I was working on, I realized the steaks were ready. Things smelled overdone and my kitchen was a smidgen smoky. I found a potholder/dish cloth and pulled the roasting pan out immediately. The edges were blackened. I worried that they were overdone and ruined. I had to let them sit for 30-40 minutes to find out. I decided not to worry about it and finished the horseradish cream sauce and gremolata.

After those were both done, about 30 minutes later, I sliced gently into the edge to find beautifully roasted meat that tasted very succulent and had excellent flavor even without the brine. The brine added a lot. I was in heaven. I tried another bite dipped in the horseradish sauce. Pure heaven in a steak. Then I topped a bite with both horseradish sauce and gremolata. I was not disappointed. Wow, in fact, I was thoroughly convinced of Emeril's genius with food at this point. If only I could afford to share this with family and friends.

I did tell James that I almost ate the whole thing at the stove and would have brought him and puppy bones and juices to taste later. It was simply incredible.
I will definitely make this recipe again, I just have to save up nearly $100 for the ingredients, $50 would make half though;-). I can not wait until I can do this again.

Recipe 83: Fresh Horseradish Cream Sauce

The challenge: 1) Picking out horseradish. 2) Grating fresh horseradish. 3) Wondering if I'll even like it. 4) Having enough garlic.

I've never used fresh horseradish, let alone grated it. Emeril is kind enough to warn you it is not for the meek, and if you are meek or desire less tears you may wish to use the fine grating attachment in your food processor. This is how he starts out. So last night, I grated half of a fresh horseradish, wondering what I'd do with the other half. I stored it overnight in the fridge, and added it to 3 cups of heavy cream with the shallots I chopped last night.

I began mincing the garlic and realized I would not have enough for this recipe. So, I ran over to James' to grab a head of garlic. Once I had my go to garlic in hand, I finished mincing the garlic and tossed it in the pan. I added the dijon mustard and kosher salt and black pepper, then brought the mixture to a boil.

Once it boiled, I simmered for a bit, close to the 12 minutes I was supposed to. Busy chopping parsley, garlic and grating lemon zest for the gremolata(for the beef rib roast), I wasn't paying very close attention to time. I stirred it a couple of times, then took it off the heat. It still came out very well.

I commented above that I did not know if I would like this. I'm not sure if I've ever had horseradish sauce. I may have tried it at Arby's, but I don't recall ever using it myself, I prefer Arby's other sauce, the sweet red one I can't remember the name of, maybe I need to go get some;-).

Alas, this was a good recipe, though I was grateful for the break from the horseradish when my aunt called. I will probably be talked into making this sauce again, but I'm not sure if I will volunteer it again, unless I know someone really loves horseradish sauce. It was very good flavor, but a lot of work for something I don't use often. Considering it often goes on food I normally cannot afford, I won't be making it often;-).

But as I said, I will most likely make this recipe again.

Recipe 82: Apple Tarragon Granita

The challenge: I do not like tarragon...what might I substitute for it. Wait, I need to make this exact the first time. I bought the apple juice and tarragon and a bag of lemons...you only need a few teaspoons of lemon juice, but Emeril uses lemon in nearly everything, so I bought a bag. I already had sugar on hand.

I did buy some fennel so I could remake this recipe with fennel if I did not like it with tarragon. Funny thing...tarragon's taste much improves when processed with some sugar.

I mixed the tarragon sprig and sugar in the food processor until the sugar turned green(natural dye for those who need it). I tasted it, wondering if I'd like this recipe. Surprise, it got better than when I have cooked with tarragon. Then I added 'Farmstand' apple juice and lemon juice and stirred occasionally for ten minutes or so.

I used Simply Fruit's Farmstand style apple juice because it has less sugar than its competitors. It cost a few cents more, but was worth it for the smaller amount of sugar. If you are not worried about sugar consumption, any cheap apple juice will work.

Next, I put it in the freezer and stirred it at 30-45 minute intervals. I made a smaller batch in case I didn't like it. It would be less to toss in the garden. The granita came out icy, fresh, and refreshingly sweet without being overly so. I'm having it for dessert tonight, and now need to find a use for fennel fronds as I think I'm making this whole recipe for another night, or for dessert with the family next week.

Enjoy. It does take about four hours to freeze, but its worth it. I will most likely make this recipe again.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Recipe 81: Pink Lady Apple Martini

I was planning on having this with the Outstanding Rib Roast with Gremolata, except, I didn't get to this meal today...so tomorrow, I get to eat good and hope I have leftovers. I bought a roasting chicken just in case(now to decide what to stuff it with;-)).

The challenge: Getting a good vodka. I don't drink hard liquor often. I prefer red wine(the drier the better) or beer(the stronger and darker, the better). Originally, I bought the cheap stuff, I don't even recall the name of it. James told me I should use the Sobieski, which is affordable yet good. I decided to buy a pint tonight since the recipe only takes one cup.

The second challenge: I will have to try this recipe in the fall when I can find Pink Lady apples, or some other flavorful, crisp apple falling off the tree...suggestions will be welcome.

This is one of the easiest recipes I have made in this book, and it helps me to feel a wee bit chatty this evening. It takes 2 pink lady apples, vodka, 4 teaspoons apple juice(I used 4 tablespoons-must have read it wrong. It also takes a tablespoon of superfine sugar a teaspoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice and some ice cubes. I used between 8 and 10. Cut the apples into 1/2" chunks, discard the cores and toss all but the ice cubes into the blender. I added the ice cubes...oops. I pureed for 30 seconds until smooth then pressed the mix through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Then I placed the mix back into the blender. I think blending the ice cubes makes up for not having a cocktail shaker. It came out good, and was a little stronger than I expected, but was very good. I will definitely make this recipe again, potentially in the fall with apple cider in place of the juice and for the ice cubes. with a slice of ginger, this could be a great fall libation.

I will definitely make this recipe again. I may have come in under $10 on this recipe as well...It depends, I think, if you count all the vodka or just the cost of 1 cup I needed for the recipe.

Happy cocktail shaking!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Recipe 80: Asparagus Flan

The challenge: Time constraints, Tuesday night, and preparation.

I foolishly thought making this in the midst of making grits and smothered shrimp and andouille would be an easy process, or at least stream-lined. I do like a good challenge, and it had been a crazy day. The cooking soothed me, and many of these things needed to be made.

Preparation is a very good thing. It made the smothered shrimp easier to work with. However, I started with the asparagus flan, after the grits, because it had a 25 minute baking time, which would allow me to focus on the shrimp and grits. So, its really like I'm making two recipes, right? Not when you haven't chopped in advance.

I removed the tough ends from the asparagus, and blanched them in salted boiling water, and dropped them in ice water. James was kind enough to finish the chopping for me and the onion while I prepared the ramekins for the flan and prepped the dish.

Next, the onion, asparagus, and olive oil cook until the onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. It smells wonderful. Then the lemon zest gets added in, I did that myself and got James to chop the tarragon while I stirred the grits. Next, The asparagus-onion mix gets put in the food processor and ground until smooth. I did not notice any tough fibers, but I purchased pencil thin asparagus and must have had an excellent sous-chef;-).

Once the mixture is processed, and passed through a fine-mesh sieve if need be, transfer the asparagus mixture to a mixing bowl and whisk in the eggs, heavy cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper. I then divided the mix evenly into six ramekins and wished I would have greased the seventh at that time.

I placed the ramekins in a water bath and baked for 25 minutes, in which I made the smothered shrimp to go over the grits I needed to stir again. Once they were finished, we let them rest for ten minutes or so while we tried the shrimp and grits(Yummy), then we tried the asparagus flan. James tried his first and doesn't care for asparagus or tarragon. He let me finish his. I like asparagus, and decided next time, I will either leave out the tarragon or replace it with fennel.

I will most likely make this dish again, just not in the midst of making two other recipes, unless everything is ready to go.

Recipe 79: Smothered Shrimp and Andouille over Stone-Ground Grits

The challenge: Three recipes in one on a weeknight is near insanity. James seriously considered having me committed. I thought I was prepared, this time. Mostly I was, but when I added in the asparagus flan as a side dish, I forgot that I hadn't prepped the dish.

I had already peeled and de-veined the shrimp, and chopped most of the vegetables. I was feeling ready to go. I began searing the shrimp in butter and oil, adding the paprika, salt, and cayenne to the pan. I talked James into dicing the andouille. The andouille happened to be at the butcher shop at a reasonable price! Somebody was looking out for me. I added the previously chopped onions, garlic, shallot, and green onions. I was only supposed to add the green onion bottoms, and save the tops for later. Wait till later.

Next I added tomatoes, and James was kind enough to chop them for me, as I was still remembering to stir the grits. The tomato was then added to the pan with shrimp stock and sour cream to finish off the dish. I was supposed to add the green onion tops here, but could not find them for some time. When I looked into the pan, I thought I noticed some. Then I remembered I stored the tops with the bottom and they had already been tossed into the pan. Oops, it was a classic Tanya moment.

The smothered shrimp was excellent. I'll be craving this recipe one day again. The seared andouille made a great addition, and all the flavors worked great together. I will definitely make this recipe again, and remember that its easier if you chop everything first. I probably won't make it while making asparagus flan again, but you can guess which blog is coming next. Enjoy!

It was a fair amount

Recipe 78:Creamy Stone-Ground Grits

The challenge: Time, and I have never made grits before, not even instant. I have no idea what they are supposed to look like when they are finished.

I used stone ground corn, as I was told I could and the internet search did not entirely denounce it. It did, however, suggest I use hominy instead of corn. If I make this recipe again, I may look for hominy to test it.

The recipe called for mixing milk and water with salt, pepper and 2T. butter and bringing it to a boil. Then I whisked in the grits and prepared to stir frequently for the next 1 1/4 go 1 1/2 hours while making smothered shrimp and asparagus flan.

I started the grits first because they took the longest and required only a moderate amount of attention throughout. Though I was kept hopping preparing three recipes at once. More on this in the smothered shrimp and andouille recipe as well as the asparagus flan recipe.

An hour and a half, and two recipes later, the grits were decided to be done, and the 8oz. of sharp cheddar cheese was mixed into the grits, we tested the recipe. The grits were better with the cheese, but still a little bland. However, they balanced the richness of the shrimp very well.

I will make this recipe again, with modifications.
When the grits were done enough...

Recipe 77: Shrimp Stock

The challenge: Peel and Devein dozens of shrimp. The original recipe called for 3# of fresh shrimp. I scaled back some and bought two pounds of headless. There is no fresh shrimp in Michigan at the beginning of April. I stood over the stove peeling each shrimp and tossing each peel into the stock pot and each shrimp into the bowl it would rest in until needed. I have peeled shrimp once before, but they were already deveined. I attempted knife precision and pulling out the vein in one stroke of the knife. I think I accomplished this feat twice for about 80 shrimp. I’m not half bad at it now, but I certainly felt sorry for the up and coming kid who got out of dish-washing duty to peel and devein shrimp all day, even if they had hands-on instruction.

After over an hour of peeling and deveining shrimp, I got to chop some carrots and celery and onion to add to the stock. I smashed the garlic, as instructed and tossed it in along with 2 bay leaves, a teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of black peppercorns and 3 or so sprigs of fresh thyme. I aimed to use less water to make a little less stock, but the ingredients are supposed to be covered. The shells and lighter ingredients floated to the top, I didn’t see any foam to skim off the surface as instructed. I heated it for nearly two hours and still got 3 ½ quarts of shrimp stock out of this recipe. If you need shrimp stock, or want to be curious with it, I have extra in the freezer and would be happy to share. The worst that will happen is it will get mixed up with duck stock, but the duck is a fatty bird, and shrimp is pretty lean.

This was not a hard recipe to make. It was, however, time consuming. It’s a good weekend task, and if you have kids around or someone that can help you peel shrimp, I’d put them to work. If they don’t believe they’ll like it, cook one up and feed it to them, then have them peel that tasty curlique. Happy stock-making. More to come for the rest of this conglomeration of recipes.

I will make this recipe again, but only when I run out of shrimp stock and really want the whole meal that goes with it.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Recipe 76: Pear-Parsnip Puree

The challenge: 1) Hoping coffee liqueur will work in place of walnut liqueur, 2) Wondering if James will like this recipe too;-), he doesn't like pears. For a man who calls me picky, he sure doesn't like a fair number of foods himself.

So, I peel and chop the parsnips and add them to a pan with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and oil. And I taste one, they taste like very mild carrots. I don't recall tasting them that I'm aware of before this. I like them. As I mentioned with the pork roast, I start this part first, they need to bake, covered for 50 minutes.

Then I proceeded to prepare and cook the pork loin (see Recipe 75). While the Pork Loin is roasting, I work on the second half of this recipe. I peel the pears and cut them into one inch cubes, coring them as I cut. I begin the butter in the pan and wait for it to just begin to turn brown, then I add in the pears as I'm told. I cook the pears for 3 minutes and add the coffee(walnut) liqueur. I ignite it and it says to cook like this for two minutes. It stays ignited not more than 30 seconds. Either I should have cooked the pears a little longer or I needed more liqueur. No matter, it is time to create a puree.

I add the pears to the food processor, then the parsnips and whatever liquid I can get out of both pans. I puree for 30 seconds and add sour cream, salt and pepper. Then I process until smooth.

Now I have to keep this warm until ready to serve. I taste some then, I like it. I place the food processor dish in the fridge, and let it sit with the pork roast for tomorrow's dinner.

The next day, I add the puree to a sauce pan and re-heat it to place on the pork. I put it right on James' pork for him, because it goes with the recipe. He asks me what it is and I'm sheepish about telling him. Finally, I give in and tell him its pear-parsnip puree. "I don't like pears," he tells me again, just as he has every time I've mentioned making this recipe for him.

It's good, he says. And it is very good. It makes a great sauce or spread for the pork. All of the pear-parsnip puree went home with James and the Pork Roast that night. It didn't last very long.

I will definitely make this recipe again. I just have to find something else I enjoy it on.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Recipe 75: Roast Pork Loin with Walnut and Herbed Farmer’s Cheese Stuffing and Pear-Parsnip Puree

The challenge: 1) I don’t like pork—especially loin or chops. It gets dry and tastes processed. I will eat ham-though semi-grudgingly, and I will eat sausage and bacon and other pork products. Why? I was hoping you would ask that.

Ten years ago, I traveled to Yolaina (Jolaina), Nicaragua for a mission trip with my church. Our group helped the families in this beautiful community build-up their homes. I got sweatier and dirtier than I ever thought I’d get, and I loved most of it-except the day of uselessness due to heat-exhaustion. I rested, and possibly learned more that day than the rest of the week. I learned why our style of trip was a hand-up instead of a hand-out. It showed me another side to life. I grew up watching people asking for hand-outs. These people were doing the work themselves; they would do the work with or without us. We gave them hope. We did so because its like a Hollywood Actor or even a Senator coming over for dinner. Someone who has little reason to think you exist has come to visit, and that is special. Now I should get back to the pork. (I can go on and on about Nicaragua-if only I knew how to blog then).

So, meat is usually more of a delicacy in the poorest parts of the world. They worked to make sure we had a little meat, and a balanced, healthy and cooked meal. The last day in Yolaina, they served us up pork with goat’s cheese and rice and beans. We ate a lot of rice and beans there. The pork was good and fresh and succulent. Better than anything I’d ever had in America, yet I left this country believing that our poor, stucco-sided house in the decrepit north side of Lansing was a palace. Later that day, I’d learned during our bus ride back to Managua, the capital that Andy lived in the house that provided the pig we ate for breakfast. (Andy had all the fun, I’m so glad I wasn’t him;-)). He said the Senor of the house he stayed him woke him at 5AM, Andy followed and was handed a tool, and helped butcher a pig. I was looking forward to fresh coffee around 8AM and possibly as late as 9AM. The pig tasted so darned good because they had literally killed it only a few hours ago.

I came back to America needing to adjust. My body liked the fresh food diet, fruit off the trees, messy eating that is; the beans and rice and lack of grease and fat, and the fried plantains that I have a hard time replicating, but they are quite yummy when you get them right. It took me a month to eat a hamburger, while others were begging for one on the bus ride back. When I tried American, processed, store-bought pork chops that my baby brother loved, I could taste graininess, stringiness, and dryness. And they were cooked well. I found other dinners when pork chops were served. I still generally do. But I have to make every recipe in this book at some point, or I don’t have a blog and a commitment.

Facing one of my “The rent is due so I’m broke” weeks, I looked for cheap food. Note to self: if the vegetable or meat is cheap, Emeril will find a way to make to it expensive. I think I’ve had 3 recipes under $10.00 to make. Granted, that’s my dinner for a week, but I’ve never been big on leftovers. I’m lucky its all gourmet.

So, what does Emeril do to make this expensive? After all, Farmer’s cheese is only $5.00 for eight ounces-I don’t’ even blink at this price any more. He adds walnut liqueur.

Challenge #2) Where in the world do I get walnut liqueur, and can I hope its like amaretto and cheap? I search out Meijer, and ask the clerks stocking wine that happened to be there. Then I call James, who has some liqueur expertise and the internet. I have him look it up to check brand names to be sure I’m not missing it. I’m not. I then have him look up the prices so I can decide if I wish to drive south of town to the specialty shops. Its $30 a bottle, he thinks it’s a fifth. I consider that a pint would cost me $15-$20, and I need a half cup total, but I’m sure I’ll use it again. But after a moment of looking closer, he realizes that’s per pint. I am in over my head on this one. So, I say to my phone, look up substitutions, please. You’ve probably already thought of some, but since I don’t use these liqueurs often, and it’s a Friday night, I haven’t. Hazelnut Liqueur (Frangelico), Amaretto, or coffee liqueurs are good substitutions. He asks for what’s in the recipe and I read off some ingredients and he thinks the coffee liqueur sounds good with it. I hope he’s right and buy the cheap $10.00 bottle and am reminded how much I like coffee liqueur in milk once I get home.

Challenge #3) Roasting a Pork Loin…and stuffing it. Since I have rarely eaten pork chops or loin once or twice in the ten years that I’ve been back from Nicaragua, you can honestly assume I’ve never stuffed and rolled a pork loin. I think I did once for a Halloween party. But the loin was smaller, maybe a shank or a smaller section and it ‘tasted like pork.’ It was edible, but dry and grainy and not very good. Back to the loin I’m roasting this week. FYI: I’m starting this at 7PM on a Tuesday night, some days I’m a glutton for punishment.

First I soak the golden raisins(sultanas) in the walnut liqueur while I get other things ready, like chopping the herbs and slicing the cheese so it’s easier to work with.

I get out my slicing knife and slice vertically, leaving the hinge. I prepare the stuffing, toast the walnuts, add the cheese, rosemary, thyme, and parsley. Then I sauté the golden raisin and liqueur mix and ponder how much work it would take to make my own walnut liqueur in the future. .

I spread the stuffing in the pork loin, and tie it shut with kitchen twine. I then salt and pepper the pork loin and toast the bread crumbs in butter to make the topping. (I told you he’s gourmet). I add the bread crumbs and roast this loin at 350 for about 40 minutes. I thought my alarm was set, and at 45 minutes, I’m pulling it out of the oven, hoping I didn’t just kill the loin. I let it rest for ten minutes. Then I cut off a small portion to taste. Its dry, and not too grainy, but it could be much worse. I do notice that bottom layer has a hint of pink in the center, so I worry that I’ll have to cook it longer and dry out the top, but that’s tomorrow’s worry. The stuffing, however, may re-appear in my dreams that night. Since its around 10PM and I should be getting ready for bed, I bag it up in a simple food serving bag, twist the top, fold it under and pop the roast in the fridge for the night. Tomorrow night’s dinner is done aside from some warming up, which hopefully will take care of that hint of pink.

Wednesday night, I get home and pop the roast in the oven, then call James to come get the cat who insists on being under foot right now. She wants to be loved, I just want to eat. I warm up the stuffed pork loin, tented under aluminum foil to keep the top from drying out too much, at 250 for nearly 30 minutes. Its not completely warmed through, but James reminds me he eats over half of his meals like this. When he sees the ribbon of pink I was worried about he tells me its about perfect. Is it any wonder that I love this man? The second time around, the pork is juicier and better. Its not a food I will make on a monthly basis by any means, but I expect I will make it again for special occasions, since James fell in love with it. I sent the leftovers home with him. I can make the stuffing with the ingredients I still have on hand.

I will talk more about the pear-parsnip puree in the next blog, as it is a separate recipe in this book, and part of the reason the roast took me three hours instead of two-one for prep, and one for cooking.

Even though I do not care for American, processed store-bought, dried out pork, I will probably be talked into purchasing a loin from a butcher shop (or a half or quarter of a loin) and make this recipe again.