Sunday Six

E

erininny

Well-known member
(CAUTION: PROLONGED WHINE AHEAD)

1. I think I'm on cooking autopilot, these days. My aunt is in town, and we invited her to dinner last night--we had chicken breasts sauteed in wine (Zzzzzzzzzz); basil couscous with zucchini, onion, and lemon zest; salad; and a bunch of nibbles. I make this about 4 times a year, and (sadly) I don't think I ever engage my frontal cortex to do it. No idea why I couldn't think of something more creative.

2. My aunt took us to lunch at Brasserie Ruhlmann (not my choice--I protested valiantly). Overpriced, lukewarm service, and non-stellar coffee. Because I was morally outraged at the thought of someone spending upwards of $20 for me to eat salad, I ordered a small bread basket and had it with four cups of coffee. Though tasty, the bread/pastry selection wasn't even warm! (Yes, there are bigger problems in the world, but it seems like a big problem in the world of Brasserie Ruhlmann.)

3. The only thing I make really well these days is hummus.

4. I can always tell when fall starts, because I just want to go curl up somewhere and eat apple crisp for weeks.

5. (gratuitously grumpy whine omitted)

6. NFRC: Our new apartment has 54 inch by 72 inch windows, and we STILL do not have anything to cover them, perhaps because my husband thinks I can magic some curtains out of my armpit overnight.

Sorry this is so gloomy. smileys/frown.gif Hope everyone had a good weekend.

ErininNY

 
My six

Actually, I'm trying to think if there were even six. I didn't do much.

1. Attended our 50th annual OU/TX bash/family reunion. This one was small and there were still probably 50 people there. Granddad is 96 now. My youngest first cousin is almost 20. My mom has THIRTY first cousins.

2. Came home with a bunch of the leftover BBQ we have catered, so I made some potato salad & had brisket, ribs & smoked chicken for dinner.

3. Fished a partial loaf of cinnamon raisin bread out of the freezer and found a pint of expired but still good cream while cleaning out the fridge, so I made bread pudding and some custard sauce. It was good. Think I'll take some to work for breakfast tomorrow.

4. Took a nap, although I never really went soundly to sleep.

5. IT'S RAINING!!!

6. Lazed around and read most of the day.

 
Thanks... (NFRC)

We ruled out blinds because they're a pain to clean. (I mean, you know how lazy I am.) smileys/wink.gif

Anyway, I forced him to choose from 5 fabrics, and have somehow agreed to make shades. But the fabrics are nice, and at this point, I don't care if it takes me a month to make the shades. smileys/wink.gif But thank you for the tip! (I think we used them last time!)

 
My Sunday One. Milk-Braised Pork.

We loved this method of dealing with a pork roast, by Marcella Hazan. But then Shaun introduced me to the SAveur recipe. It's a fine one. So tender, so sweet, but the balance of salt and lemon and sage needs to be carefully dealt with.....

I did it tonight with a small and boneless shoulder blade and it was simply outstanding.

And I served it (to myself) with bacon-steamed Brussels sprouts and baked squash.


Pork Loin Braised in Milk and Cream

Serves 4-6 (Saveur, November 2001) Total braising time: 3-1/2 to 4 hours

1 5-lb pork rib roast
Salt & freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
About 5 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise
Leaves from 1 bunch of fresh sage
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
Wide strips of zest from 1 lemon

Remove and separate ribs from roast and set aside (or ask your butcher to do this for you). Tie roast with kitchen twine, then generously season with salt and pepper. Heat oil and 1 tbsp of the butter in a medium heavy-bottomed casserole over medium-high heat until butter melts. Add pork, fat side down, and ribs and cook until browned on all sides, 2-3 minutes per side.

Pour off fat from casserole, reduce heat to medium, and add the remaining 2 tbsp butter. When butter melts, add the garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add half the sage leaves and fry for a few seconds. Slowly add milk and cream; then add lemon zest, season to taste with salt, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover casserole, and gently simmer for 1 hour, turning pork after 30 minutes. (Resist the temptation to stir the sauce.)

Coarsely chop remaining sage leaves and add to casserole. Continue simmering, partially covered (and without stirring), for 1 more hour, turning meat after 30 minutes. Uncover and continue simmering, turning every 30 minutes, until meat is very tender and milk mixture is golden and thick, about 1-1/2 hours more.

Transfer meat to a warm serving platter and remove twine, then slice meat. Spoon sauce over meat.

My note: For small roast, use same quantity of seasonings but halve the liquid.

 
My 6

I bought a boneless pork loin, and thanks to Marg, now I now how I'm going to cook it. 'Love braised meats.

Made my old stand-by apple cake - decided not to try the new upside-down Bundt cake yet. Still plenty of apples to go. And tomatoes. And kale. So much kale.

Played with new laptop - hate it - probably will return it and start from square-one again.

Trees are starting to turn, took a long ride in the country and stopped for pumpkin pie...

Made chicken and biscuits on Saturday. Gotta find a way to jazz it up.

Fish fry Friday. Don't feel like cooking, would rather be out in the unusually warm, sunny weather here right now (81 and sunny over the weekend).

 
My Six

I made bacon cornmeal waffles, and then blogged about it. that was fun.

What was not fun was having allergic reactions to the waffle. I tried it again this morning and same thing. Pffffft....

I also started to write about the pear custard tart I made last week (which I also had a bad allergic reaction to, by the way). But still I'm going to post the piece.

My blood tests came back but despite not showing allergic to things I'm still having reactions which means it's Oral Allergy Syndrome. Seriously, this sucks. I think it's eggs, wheat, fruit and nuts.

On a happier note I found a new stall at the Berkeley farmer's market, The Fifth Quarter and the guy there makes the best beef jerky I have ever had, and his pork green chile sausages are amazing.

I also had a basket of padron peppers. I know I'm totally late to the party on these but oh my, I'm so in love with these peppers, I want to eat them every day! I can't wait for the Tuesday market to see if I can get more...

 
erin, your honest and "gloomy" post had me grinning---thanks for that today. sometimes it's

good to hear that everything is not all roses and butterflies for everyone all the time, although, I wish it was so.

My DH's dogs ate a whole batch of pumpkin white chocolate cookies that I had sitting on the way back of the counter, in a ziplock bag. I forget that they can(and do) reach the counters, where my little dog does not. grrrrrrr.

 
Ooh... Intriguing. smileys/smile.gif (Still NFRC.)

I took the plunge and ordered fabric for curtains. (I may also be certifiably insane.) Thanks for the tip! Let's get together before it snows. smileys/wink.gif

 
You're welcome, Ang. smileys/wink.gif A pity about those cookies!

Believe me, my roses and butterflies are more like weeds and frogs, these days. (Just going through a rocky patch, career-wise--everything else is ok, and can be chalked up to Seasonal Affective Disorder.) smileys/wink.gif

 
Oh, we know all about S.A.D up here! It's just starting though---may some butterflies and sunshine

still touch your days! I would send you some pumpkin cookies, but . . . .

 
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