A Simple Feast

Settling with Sage Marinated Pork Chops

2011-03-24T16:21:00.000-07:00

Remember Oregon Trail? Ok, take that and mix it with Monopoly and Risk and multiply the awesome points times at least 1,000. This equals Settlers of Catan, the most wonderful game I've played since I've discovered the previously mentioned. The goal is to gain victory points by gathering resources to assist you in settling more land. I know your inner nerd is snorting.

Josh and Stephanie were a part of our Catan dinner party. Not only did we have sage marinated pork chops, in replacement of the sheep you gather in the game, but we also celebrated the delicious and intelligent Pi Day. You can guess what day this took place on. I made apple pie and topped it with vanilla ice cream. Yum.

Having our friends over to a relaxing night of dinner and a game truly constitutes as feasting to me. My church has been going through a series on doing life together and hospitality is a part of this. In my mind, eating and hospitality might as well be synonyms.

But, inviting people in to your home can be an overwhelming and time consuming task. On the other hand it's also infectious fun. I'm to the point now when people even mention what they ate for lunch I think about how I could re-make it for dinner one night and then how I can make someone else eat it. If God calls us to be hospitable and to open our homes, if this is truly his heart, then the overwhelming, time consuming part is reduced a ton, because it's for a purpose.

Try it out. See what happens.

Sage Marinated Pork Chops

Sage

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Pork Chops

I rubbed all the ingredients on to the pork chops until it was mostly covered with black pepper or sage leaves. I pan fried the chops in more olive oil, medium heat. It doesn't take too long to do, 10-15 minutes, so stay close by.

As soon as they were cooked through I cut them in to smaller serving portions, mostly for the look, and fanned them on the plates next to an apple compote and a garlic mashed potato. That's it.

Dumpster Diving for Dinner: Pork Chops & Pears

2011-03-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

No, I didn't actually go dumpster diving for my dinner. And, my friend reminded me why. It all started with a show called Portlandia, a sketch comedy poking fun at Portland, Oregon's stereotypes. It's is so true it has to be funny. In one of the clips a couple is obsessed with dumpster diving because it's the green thing to do. They find toys, clothing and even food. Of course they use it. There's hardly anything wrong with it... aside from those specks of dirt and the flies circling it. But, when they invite their friends over for dinner the guests always cancel on them. I wonder why.

My time with my friend, who did show up because she's not afraid of my meals, was refreshing. It was one of those talks where things in life are slightly sucky but there's still hope strewn within, because you know the sucky things are temporary. After the venting, eating and inhaling of green tea and grapes we thought it smart to learn more about Portlandia. We ended up watching clips for an hour and a half and we laughed the entire time. I usually make it a strict rule to not do things like this because it is "YouTubing", when people gather around a computer and laugh at silly videos and continue to share them for hours. I usually can't stand it, but obviously my heart needed a good laugh. I couldn't help but smile and share the show with everyone I talked to for the next day.

I would also like to think my dinner was a little bit better than dumpster dive dessert. I made pork chops in a white wine sauce topped off with pears. I thought if apples could go with pork chops why not pears too? Plus, a pear dipped in white wine - come on! It's delicious! It was an extremely simple dish to make and the white wine really did complement the pears and the pears really did complement the pork. But, in the end I'm still searching for that one extra thing to make it pop. I thought I could bake it next time, to make the pork softer. It's possible I got thrown off by the texture. What do you think? What could it use?

Continue the conversation, and please don't suggest baby food from the dumpster out back. Enjoy!

What You'll Need:

Pork Chops

White Whine

Butter

Shallot

Garlic

Pears

I eyeball all of my garlic and shallot. Once it's chopped start to cook it in the butter, and shortly after add the white wine, on medium heat. The butter helps to thicken up the sauce and keep the ingredients from burning to the bottom.

After it's sizzling a little add the chops to the middle of the pan, covering them in the sauce, and then place the pear slices around the pork. I put the lid on after this and let it do its thing, occasionally checking to make sure nothing was sticking to the bottom.

Once the pork is cooked thoroughly and the pears are softened the dish is ready to be served. Simple Enough.

Romano Pasta with Diane Keaton

2011-03-06T14:48:00.000-08:00

I have a guilty pleasure of loving Diane Keaton movies. I think she plays some really classy ladies. There's just something about her in Something's Gotta Give, with her house in The Hamptons and how her clothes match her interior decorating. I love it!

In Because I Said So she's a mom and she loves to cook. There's one scene where she's had a particularly stressful day so she makes herself this delicious looking pasta dinner and eats it all alone in her kitchen. This isn't to say I've had a particularly stressful day, quite the opposite, but I am saying there are moments when I make myself pasta and I'm home alone that I feel like I too could be the next great playwright (Maybe I should write plays first?). But now I'm mixing up my movies. The point is there's an extremely satisfying feeling in making an elegant pasta all for myself.

On this chilly afternoon the elegant dish was Romano Pasta - a fettucini noodle sauteed in a marsala, garlic, shallot reduction and topped with graded romano cheese.

The marsala and shallot paired up so nicely. They really brought out the sweetness of each other. And the romano cheese added just the right amount of saltiness.

Here's to your Diane Keaton Pasta Meal -

Fettucini Noodles

Olive Oil

1 Clove Garlic

1/2 Shallot

1/4 Cup Marsala Cooking Wine

Pinch of Flour

Freshly Graded Romano Cheese

Begin boiling your water as you start to saute your garlic and shallot in the marsala and olive oil. I cooked mine on medium heat and this reduced the juices to a good level. Let the mix sit on low while your noodles cook.

Once the noodles are ready add them to your pan of garlic and shallot. Sprinkle some flour on top to thicken your glaze over the noodles. Then add half of the cheese while the noodles are still in the pan and the other half once in the bowl.

Mahi Mahi Fettucini

2011-02-26T16:54:00.000-08:00

I love fish because it's so simple. If you have salt, pepper and good fish then you have an awesome meal. I recently happened upon a Mahi Mahi sale, so I had to get it! Tonight when I decided to make it I had kale in the refrigerator and fettucini in the cupboard. A new, sort of healthy, concoction!

The Final Product: Mahi Mahi Fettucini in a Lemon Butter Sauce with Kale and Almond Slices.

I plate the fish up. Hand it to my husband. Then comes a knock at the door. Life happens, but joyfully. As I struggle for 30 minutes to keep the noodles from hardening and sticking together my husband goes to help our neighbor with a broken down car. In the end, a worthwhile trip because now we know he is also planting a garden this summer. Will my vegetables be shared with his vegetables? I can only hope. Maybe outdoor meals will be made in each others backyard amongst the humid air and fire pits!

I snuck a bite while he was gone and the almond mixed with the buttery lemon Mahi Mahi made my eyes rolls to the back of my head. The flavors were so rich and melty.

I took pictures because I feel like I can make a good meal but I'm not always good at making it look pretty. So here it is:

This dish isn't for the totally health conscious (I mean, I did use a quarter stick of butter), but for the hearty meal after planting a garden kind of gal or fella.

Tips for next time: Try some garlic sauteed in the mix as well. Anytime I cook noodles I add garlic. Can you tell I like heavy flavors?

Enjoy trying this out, and I hope you also find a neighbor who wants to garden with you!

Recipe:

Butter

Lemon Juice

Salt/Pepper/Lemon Pepper

Olive Oil

Almond Slices

Kale

Mahi Mahi

Fettucini

Melt butter in pan. Add Fish. Sprinkle with Salt/Pepper/Lemon Pepper. Add Almond Slices.

My fillets were really thick so I added some olive oil as the fish started to cook so it wouldn't burn on top.

Boil water. Add Fettucini and Kale. Keep in hot water until fish is ready.

Drain fettucini/kale mixture and add to pan with Mahi Mahi. I added some more butter to the noodles so they wouldn't stick.

Serve and enjoy!

Yiddish & Matzah

2011-01-11T13:07:00.000-08:00

My husband wishes he was Jewish. The fact of the matter is that he very well could be. Blood tests are expensive though. But, because of his affinity for the people, for the culture, I try my best to accommodate. An easy favorite so far has been matzah ball soup, the Jewish chicken and dumpling.

The soup is simple, chicken broth and herbed dumplings. There are of course variations, some with chicken, and some without. Some have carrots and celery, but you don’t have to. Either way it’s delicious. The dumplings are made with a flour meal, parsley, some salt and whisked with eggs and oil. Personally I think it’s just as easy to use the Manischewitz mix. However you decide to make it, the mix sets for about 15 minutes, you boil small balls of the dough and then they expand, doubling in size usually. The once doughy balls become light and fluffy taking on the chicken, herbal flavor. It’s simple and filling. It only takes about 35 minutes with prep to make, and really, it simmers for 20 of those minutes.

I made it for one of my best friends and her sister. We were just enjoying some time together after a week of vacation. We talked about catching up things, work being among the likes of conversation, shopping finds, the Bible, and then the inevitable conversation, all things Jewish.

Now, my friend and I not being very educated in all of Judaism decided to talk about our fascination with the sound and attitude of Yiddish. My heart desires to be able to speak in this way. I feel like I’d rule the kitchen if I did. “Don’t stick your hand in the matzah. That’s fakakta! It’s not kosher anymore!” The Bostonian-like inflection has so much bite to it but wisdom as well. I can see why my husband loves it.

And it’s actually a language, which makes it cooler. It pulls words from the European countries where Jews lived, mixes it with Hebrew and incorporates them in to every day use. Most of it is German derived but there’s also Polish and Slavic among others.

As we slurped our soup we enjoyed laughs trying to understand Yiddish words. For example, the word used above ‘fakakta’ means messed up.

Batamt means tasty. Example: “That matzah ball soup was batamt!”

A beryiah is a homemaker and is also a word that could come in handy incorporated in to a great pick up line one day.

The list goes on and on, but even though I learned some useful words what I enjoyed most was laughing with people I love and sharing a meal. We obviously grew in knowledge from it and our relationship was fed as well. I may have not ruled the kitchen with my Yiddish tongue but my stomach thought I was a total beryiah.

Feasting

2011-01-05T08:59:00.000-08:00

Food is important. We all get hungry. Everyone knows they need to be nourished. Sustenance keeps us alive and keeps us going.

But, there are some, like myself, who admittedly enjoy their fair amount of baked goods, sugared drinks and savory meals. Why? Because food is not just good, but it is simply joyful. It is satisfying.

Let’s count the reasons why food is so awesome. One, flavors vary so much. Each herb has its own scent and taste. Each fruit has its own acidity, bitterness or sweetness. Two, when complementary flavors are married a most mouth watering dish is created. And three, amongst all of the ins and outs of these scents and tastes there is a conversation that happens. People gather, at a table, at a bar or even a couch and they talk, feast and enjoy.

What satisfies my heart even more than the food though is Isaiah 55. God tells His people to come and eat and drink. Not only does he say to nourish your self freely but to nourish yourself well, with good food. If you’re thirsty and hungry you can come to him. God shows us with food how he is the ultimate provider and satisfier of everything we need.

God created food and he made it interesting. Why wouldn’t we want to explore it to its furthest?

That’s why this blog exists. I enjoy the exploration, the tastes and the conversation. To follow are the recipes tested and the learning other people and I so get to enjoy.