Pork Chops (No Applesauce)

This week marks two anniversaries: the first, and most significant, is the one year since the passing of my funny friend and brother-in-law Denni. The other, and certainly less important,  is the one year mark of my food blogging. Yet, one begot the other, so now they are forever entwined. Denni and I, as readers of Cooking with Alice know, had a running joke about pork chops and applesauce, which ironically, I don't particularly care for. So today, I share with you my favorite way to serve pork - thin boneless chops sauteed in butter with a red wine and rosemary pan gravy reduction. I got this recipe six or seven years ago from a magazine (I want to say it was Saveur, but I am not certain) while visiting my BFF Anne. It sounded delicious on paper, and is truly scrumptious on plate. The trick is to use very thin chops. If your Sam the Butcher doesn't have them, ask if he will slice regular boneless pork chops thin. And instead of apples, the sauce is enhanced with red grapes. I like to serve it with garlic mashed potatoes and truly savor every bite. I even like to lick the pan afterwards, it's just that good. I am sure if Denni were here, he would enjoy it too, sans the applesauce, of course.

The quintessential Brady Bunch episode entitled "The Personality Kid". When someone at a party actually tells Peter that he has no personality, he takes the dis to heart and begins searching for the "new" Peter Brady. The girls plot to make Peter feel better by complimenting and flattering him in an overt manner that any dummy could see through the transparent scheme. And of course once it is revealed, he feels even worse. (Meanwhile, Cindy and Bobby are on a home safety kick, forcing surprise fire drills). Mike and Carol tell him to stop feeling sorry for himself and improve his personality if he thinks it's so bad. Peter takes this advice to the extreme and begins adopting the personas of famous leading men, most noticeably, Humphrey Bogart. He then proceeds to talk like Bogie, and when he sees what they are having for dinner, he repeats that like Bogart too. "Pork chops and applesauce" over and over. This too fails and he resorts to a joke book to amp up his wow factor. Everyone in the house guffaws at his jokes, giving him a false sense of humor. He asks to have a party to try out his new act. Sadly, the kids at the party have heard them all before and Peter is even more deflated, as there is no punch in his line. A few of Peter's girl friends gather round him to convince him that he's anything but dull and things are finally looking up. Peter finds solace and popularity in his dullness and the girls who feel sorry for him. Here's looking at you, kid.

The Recipe:

1 butterfly chop per person, sliced thin (in case you didn't get the message above)
kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
3 tblsp unsalted butter ( 1 + 2)
1 c seedless red grapes, cut in half
1/2 c red wine
1 tsp chopped rosemary (although, it is my favorite herb, so I often use more. I mean I LOVE rosemary)
1/4 c chicken broth

Season both sides of the chops with salt and pepper. heat 1 tblsp butter in a large pan over medium high heat. When the butter has stopped foaming, add the chops and sear until the edhges are browned and the middles are just beginning to brown (1 1/2 to 2 minutes). Flip and cook until just cooked through, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Repeat until all pork is cooked and transferred. Add grapes, wine and rosemary(did I mention how much I love rosemary?) to the pan and bring to a boil, scraping the pan with  a wooden spoon to incorporate the browned bits into the sauce. Boil until syrupy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the juices from the pork plate and the broth and boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half, another 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add 2 tblsp butter. Swirl the butter around in the pan until melted. Serve the chops topped with the pan gravy. Savor and enjoy! Serves 4.

Blogger note: Thanks to my faithful readers, who in my two blogs combined have racked up almost 5,000 hits this year. For Denni, yesterday, today, and always....

Six Million Dollar Man-icotti

So manicotti, not exactly my favorite Italian food. I am a less than avid fan of the cheese and pasta in a pool of red sauce. However, I did make it for the first time last summer (see Cooking with Alice "Own Room Manicotti") and I have to admit it wasn't half bad. Speaking of half, and parts left over, that blog left me with lots of half used packages and bottles in my pantry. For instance, four manicotti shells, a third of a box of lasagna noodles (which I will never use, because I always make my own), half of a bag of lentils, and three-quarters of a bottle of Cream Sherry. Someday, I'll concoct a recipe to use them all, for sure. Meanwhile, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses stuffed in cooked manicotti shells (which is harder than it sounds, the stuffing, not the cooking, btw). Layered with tomato sauce (you could use Nonie's Sauce, Pomodoro Sauce, or a tomato basil as I did). Really, parts are parts and you can't ruin this one - use what you have on hand.

In the immortal words of Oscar Goldman: Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster. The Six Million Dollar Man was the cornerstone of what I consider the golden age of television – the 1970s. Astronaut Steve Austin suffers a life-ending crash, but secret big government intervenes and keeps him alive with electronic parts (American made parts, I might add). Steve Austin (aka Lee Majors) gives an arm and both legs and an eye for an eye to become the first cyborg government agent for the OSI. You can just see him running around (in slow motion) in his red Adidas track suit with the sound effects that moved a generation. The show aired on ABC from 1974-78 (when the network always won the Battle of the Network Stars competition, I might add – coincidence, I think not) and spawned the spin-off Bionic Woman – but that is for another day and another post. I loved him then and I love him now, although I have to admit that six million dollars seems kind of cheap by today's standards. Adjusted for inflation, Steve Austin would be about a 30 million dollar man today. Now that's my kind of guy.

The Recipe:

2 tblsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/3 c tomatoes, crushed
1tsp chopped basil
3/4 tsp salt
Manicotti shells
15 ounces ricotta cheese ( I use fat free, and you should too)
1/2 c shredded mozzarella
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan heat the oil and saute the garlic. Add the tomatoes and salt. Bring to boil, reduced heat and simmer for one hour.
Meanwhile, cook the manicotti according to package directions. Drain well.
In a large bowl, mix cheeses. Stuff the shells. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir basil into the sauce and remove from heat. Layer sauce, then shells, then sauce again in a baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes.

Big Night Pomodoro Sauce

Pomodoro is about the best little homemade pasta sauce a cook can make. Sadly, I only just discovered how delicious and easy it is about a year and a half ago. Once again, I owe it all to Tutto Italia - the most excellent Italian restaurant at Disney's EPCOT. Faithful readers will know that this is the second recipe from that fine eatery (see Bookem Danno Pu-Pu Platter). Anyway, one taste atop some fresh spaghetti and I was sold. Some Disney freaks search out all of the restaurant recipes and put them on line, so finding it was zippity doo da. Tomatoes you get to crush by hand (good stress relief), olive oil and tons of garlic. It does need to simmer for at least an hour, so you do need a bit of lead time, but it is totally one of those pantry staple item dinners you can make when you think you have no food in the house. We like it over fresh pasta, my Julia child prefers it on her meatballs, sans pasta. However you choose to use it, buon appetito.

Big Night (1996) is just about one of the best movies about food ever made. A true foodie fave about two Italian immigrant brothers struggling in the restaurant business. Their dilemma lies in the the chef''s unbending desire to serve food the way it was meant to be - not the Americanized version of Italian cuisine. Thus, no customers. Starring Stanley Tucci, Tony Shaloub and Isabella Roselini, how can you go wrong? The movie is full of memorable scenes, but my favorite is when an ugly American couple come to dine and the woman orders a side of spaghetti and meatballs. Now, anyone who has been to Italy knows that the meat and the pasta are NEVER served together, and thus the chef refuses the customer's request. When the woman questions why the meatballs and the pasta are served separately, the waiter explains "sometimes the meatballs like to be a lone". Comedy and drama ensue as the brothers desperately fight to save their restaurant, gambling everything on one night and an appearance by  Louis Prima -  but I will say no more, as I don't want to spoil your appetite, and you need to watch (or re-watch) it for yourself.  P.S. it goes great with a nice little Chianti.


The Recipe:

28oz can of plum tomatoes in sauce (you should always have these on hand!)
1 clove garlic, chopped (as I have noted in the past, I use the frozen minced garlic cubes)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
fresh basil, chopped (okay, so you can make it without this)

Crush tomatoes by hand in a bowl, by squeezing them. Cook garlic in oil until fragrant. Add crushed tomatoes, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cook for at least an hour (and this is important, the longer it simmers, the better - don't cut corners here), stirring occasionally. Add basil & remove from heat. Serves 4 (unless your guests like to sometimes be a lone...)

Mr.(Kristy) Green Jeans Bean Soup

This recipe comes courtesy of the person who makes me laugh harder than anyone else I know. And that is saying something. My friend Kristy (aka Kristen Beckman, fka Kristy Green) was introduced to me by our mutual friend Denni (aka Dennis),who also happened to be engaged to my sister. Our bond was instantaneous, and has stood the test of time (20 years to be exact). It is actually her Grandmother's concoction, and like most old ladies, she didn't write anything down. Thus, leaving the heirs to the cooking fortune to wing it. When she first sent it to me, she had no picture, so I delayed the post. Luckily, she was cleaning out her refrigerator at work and found a container, yum. From reading the recipe, it sounds like a pretty straight forward bean soup (except for the ketchup). I have only made soup from a ham bone once (see Split Peabody and Sherman Soup), as I usually make Pasta and Bean Soup that has prosciutto as it's delicious meat base - but that's for another day and another post. As for Kristy's Grandmother's soup, some day I am going to have to try it, I'm sure I'll like it.

So Captain Kangaroo, you know I watched it. I know the Captain (Bob Keeshan), Mr.Green Jeans (so famous that he has his own soup), Bunny Rabbit, and Dancing Bear. Mr. Moose and the famous ping pong balls. But really, not one of my favorites. I loved Mr. Dress-up more (uh oh, my Canadian slip is showing) and Mister Rogers and of course Sesame Street. But, I will acknowledge that without the Captain (and probabltyTenille) we wouldn't have had Pee-Wee's Playhouse, so homage I will pay. I mean it ran for like thirty years, which is how old I am when I lie about my age. The show hosted a cavalcade of stars like Ruth Buzzi (which is just fun to say), Minnie Pearl and Fanny Flagg. And, was set in the "Treasure House" (not unlike Pee-Wee's "Playhouse") and featured a Magic Drawing Board (not unlike Pee-Wee's Magic Screen). Regular characters included both humans and puppets (not unlike Pee-Wee, blah, blah, blah, blah). I think I will write my doctoral dissertation on the pop culture influence of early children's television on the Saturday morning shows of the 1980s.

Kristy writes: You would've laughed at me writing this. I've never written a recipe in my life. It was hard! I'm calling it "Mr Kristy Green Jeans Bean Soup" but obviously since this is your blog, you get to make the call. :-)

The Recipe (as written, no bloggger discretion advised):
 

Start with a ham bone, preferably with meat still on. I like to use leftover spiral hams. Simmer the bone in large stock pot full of water for 1½ - 2 hours. I do not add any salt to the water but I do add a small onion (quartered), 2-3 bay leaves (depending on size), 1-2 whole cloves (or a couple good dashes of ground cloves) and a few dashes of celery salt, garlic salt and black pepper.

After simmering is complete, remove the bone/meat and strain the broth (to remove the onion which I don’t like in the finished soup – but by all means keep it in if you prefer). This also helps remove any fat or gristle that came off the bone/meat during cooking. Add broth and meat back to pot. (I also put the bay leaves back in.)

Now the rest of the ingredients I do not measure. This is how my Grandmother and Mother did all their cooking so I am making my best guestimates for purposes of this recipe. So go ahead and add to the stock:

- 2-3 large cans (strained) of any type of white bean (navy, cannellini, great northern, etc.) I prefer great northern beans but can’t always find them here in sunny AZ so I use cannellini.

- 3-4 large carrots sliced, diced or however you prefer your carrots in soup

- Appx. ¼ cup brown sugar

- A couple of good and healthy squeezings of ketchup (I use Heinz 57 brand, any other brand would be blasphemy) I forgot to mention that this last time I made it, I had saved the pan-drippings from when I cooked the ham.  So I added about 3 heaping tblsp. of that when I added the ketchup, etc.


Bring all this back to a boil and simmer for another hour or so. After I bring it back to the boil, I taste the broth to see if it needs more ketchup, sugar, etc. What is affectionately known in our family as the “dump and taste” method of cooking.

This is best served piping hot with fresh baked bread and butter or cornbread muffins. My Grandmother would make it with diced celery however I am not a fan of cooked celery so I do not include it. Enjoy!\

YOU GOTTA HAVE ART - ichokes

Artichokes are simply one of my favorite foods. I must admit though, for many years I only ate the overly seasoned marinated artichoke hearts out of a jar that are so commonly found on antipasto plates. Then, about 12 years ago, Mark and I fatefully found ourselves in Rome in late April – literally the heart of artichoke season. We dined on fresh steamed artichokes as our primi every night and were instantly hooked. All that Chianti didn’t hurt either, I might add. Anyway, preparing artichokes at home is not as daunting as it may seem. Yes, there is that unappealing exterior, and the “hairs” which I will get to in a minute, but all and all totally worth the effort. This recipe is super simple – once you scoop out the hairs – which if you read below in the recipe detail is really easy it just sounds gross (and by the way, if you aren't reading all the way through the recipes you are missing out on some of my witty repartee, just sayin). Cutting them in half takes a bit of strength (which I am not known for) but still easy compared to the delicious results. I sautéed the artichoke halves in garlic and butter and then steamed them for 20 minutes all in the same pan. It’s like a Roman Holiday on a plate!

You Gotta Have Art – the iconic advertisement for the Detroit Institute of Arts (where you know my heart resides) from the 1970s. It still rings true today, even though the building and the fashions have changed. Play the clip. YEAH! (Jazz Hands)

The Recipe: 

2 large artichokes

3 cloves garlic, chopped (I used the frozen garlic cubes)

2 tblsp butter

1/4 c water

Rinse artichokes under cold water. Cut the top 1/3 off of each.Trim the stem to about one inch and remove the smaller leaves from around the base. Use kitchen shears to remove remaining leaf tips.Cut each artichoke in half from the bottom to the top. Use a spoon to scrape out the hairy choke. (Now that's just plain fun - the hairy choke. I have never scraped a hairy choke before, but first time for everything, i always say) Rinse again to remove any residual hairs. (Mmmmmmm, residual hairs)

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Place the artichokes halves cut-side down in the pan. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Reduce heat to low, add 1/4 cup of water, cover, and steam for 20 minutes, or until tender.A fork should easily pierce the stem. Try to forget about the hairy choke and the residual hairs and enjoy! 

Veal Oscar the Grouch

Here’s one of the really cool things about Detroit – it is like a time capsule. Case in point, the recent reopening of the famed restaurant The London Chop House. Here in Detroit, there is little “progress” which is good if you are a fan of retro chic – few historic sites get torn down after they close (ok, Stroh’s, Vernor’s and Tiger Stadium did) but buildings and their contents remain when they close. The London Chop House closed its doors in 1991 after 53 years of business and it is as if the past person out turned off the lights and locked the door. And there it sat for 21 years, untouched. Literally. Proving you can go home again, everything was intact from the mahogany bar to the red leather booths. Just waiting for a modern day restauranteur to open it up, turn on the lights and dust everything off. We went there recently for dinner, and Mark ordered the house specialty Veal Oscar – which is about the richest dish there is – a pan seared veal chop, topped with lump crab meat and hollandaise sauce with a side of asparagus. It seems that Veal Oscar in all of its incarnations is accompanied with asparagus – I guess because you need one healthy element on an otherwise decadent plate. Yes, we are lucky to be in Detroit, the Motor City, Motown. At the risk of sounding like a Chrysler ad, truly a city on the edge of a Renaissance. Say nice things about Detroit.

123 Sesame Street. My first real television experience, had its debut in 1969, and I was hooked from the beginning. Yes, before The Brady Bunch, I loved Bert and Ernie, Grover, Big Bird, Oscar and the roving reporter persona of Kermit the Frog. I was mesmerized each day when it aired, and actually believed that if I sat on a rug in front of the TV set, I would go on the magic carpet ride, every door opening wide, with happy people like you. It truly was a sunny day, every day. Even with Oscar around, who for all of his curmudgeon like behavior, still found time to sing a happy song about his love of trash. That show taught me to count to ten – in both English and Spanish – which I can still do. And while the muppets were my favorites, even the humans like Bob and Susan and Mr. Hooper were lovable in their own way. The best part of motherhood was getting to watch the show again, with a new pair of eyes. And even though Elmo now steals the show, there are days when I still want to know: Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?

The Recipe: (Courtesy of Tyler Florence, because the London Chop House never learned to share)
1 bunch asparagus spears, ends trimmed
1 pound king crab legs
Water
White wine
Lemon slices
1/2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 veal cutlets, lightly pounded
1 shallot, chopped
1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsps butter, divided

Blanch asparagus tips in simmering water, drain and set aside.Poach crab legs in water,white wine and lemon slices for 5 minutes, then shell with a crab cracker and reserve. In a shallow dish combine flour, salt and pepper, coat pieces of veal. In a saute pan over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp butter and fry cutlets 3 minutes each side until golden brown. Remove the veal to a warm platter.Using the same pan, melt remaining butter. Stir in shallots and tarragon.Add olive oil, asparagus and crab. Saute 2 minutes to warm. To serve, place asparagus and crab on top of each cutlet and drizzle with Bernaise sauce.

For the sauce:
1/4 c fresh tarragon, chopped
2 shallots, minced
1/4 c champagne vinegar
1/4 c dry white wine
3 egg yolks
1 stick butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste

 In a small saucepan, combine tarragon, shallots,vinegar and wine over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat and set aside. Place a stainless steel bowl in a saucepan containing simmering water, or use a double-boiler.Whisk egg yolks until doubled in volume. Slowly add the melted butter,continue beating until sauce is thickened.Stir in reserved shallot reduction. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm. Serve with Veal Oscar, yields one cup.

Serves four, so Bert and Ernie can invite Gordon and Susan over for dinner. Only a problem if you've got five people in your family, one, two, three, four, five.

A Flan to Remember

This recipe come courtesy of my BFF Anne. She herself is a great cook and someone who I go to for advice on anything kitchen and kitsch-en related. Anne and her husband, Luis, are a funny (in the ha ha sense) couple, like Lucy and Ricky. He's of Cuban descent and she (occasionally) has red hair and there is always some "splaining" to do. I will stop the comparisons there, because if I go any further Mark will start seeming too much like Fred and Ethel. Anyway, this recipe actually comes via Luis mother, Alicia. The way Anne tells it, Luis showed her how to make it once early in their relationship (some 22 years ago) and she's been doing it ever since. It is even the favorite birthday treat for their youngest son, Alex, who prefers it over a traditional flour cake with frosting year in and year out. It's just that good. She did make it for me once as well many years ago, and I remember it quite fondly, although I have never made it myself. Which is odd, considering I make panna cotta and creme brulee - both in the custardy dessert family. So here's what Anne says:
It is my mother-in law's recipe.  She is an excellent cook but only knows how to make 3 desserts.  Given that she is Cuban, flan is naturally one of them.  I think Luis is the one who showed me (and then never made it again).
.

"An Affair to Remember" - one of the top ten best girls movie night movies ever. And I'm talking the 1957 version starring Deborah Kerr (not car) and Cary Grant (not Archie Leach). All aboard for a cruise full of romance when Nicky and Terrie meet on a transatlantic crossing to New York. There is instant chemistry but each is involved with someone else. They get to know one another while at sea, and Terrie soon finds there is more to Nickie than his playboy persona – he is actually an artist who has given up on his craft. She encourages him paint again. They decide to go home and meet in six months on top of the Empire State Building if they have shed their partners and are ready to embark on a relationship with each other. But, on the fateful day they are to meet, Terrie is stricken down by a car on her way to meet Nickie. He waits for hours, but finally concedes she is not coming, unaware of the accident. Terrie is paralyzed and fears Nickie wouldn’t want her now, and pines for him from her wheel chair. Distraught over the seemed rejection, Nickie begins to paint again and gets a gallery to sell his art. Terrie happens upon the gallery and convinces the owner to give her one of his paintings for she is now penniless. Nickie finally tracks her down and confronts her in her apartment, angered that she failed to keep their date, only to spot the wheelchair and realize her paralysis and that she is the one with his painting. The lovers embrace, cue music, and scene.

The Recipe:

Flan de vanilla

1 cup whole milk (sometimes I use half & half)
1 can evap. Milk
1 can condensed milk
3 eggs (sometimes I throw in an extra yolk), beaten (no mention on how may eggs the hen laid)
Tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 heaping cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  
Put sugar in small saucepan and on med heat let it dissolve into a caramel. This takes a while but when it is a dark brown it is ready.  Caution:  it is lava hot and can go from brown to burnt quickly. Carefully pour into dish.  I use a Pyrex loaf pan.Turn to coat sides.

Mix all other ingredients and strain through a sieve to get rid of all that nasty egg"gunk". Pour into the caramelized  dish and then put that into a 9x11 cake pan filled about halfway with very hot water. My mother-in-law calls this the Baño Maria. My mother says Bain Marie. Others (less continental) would say
water bath. The water should reach about 3/4 way up the side of the dish. 

Cooking time?  Oh boy.  I check it after 45 minutes. If it looks too brown on the top I cover it with foil. It usually takes a good hour. There will be some jiggling, but a knife should come out clean when it is done.  Let it rest on the counter at least 45 minutes and then refrigerate.

When it is cold, run a knife along the sides to loosen and then invert on serving plate. Scrape all the
yummy caramel on top of it. Does that make sense?

Bloggers Note: I have left the recipe as Anne wrote it. She thinks she's not funny or clever, but I beg to differ.