Banh Mi!

It's time to ketchup, mustard! Seriously, this hiatus has gone on too long. So, in no particular order, get ready for a marathon of updates. Because there haven't been any posts since January, but there have been many delicious meals.

Of late? I tried my hand at some Banh Mi (which autocorrects to "Bang Mi"...glad I caught it. That would be awfully misleading).

My inspiration was a relatively new place on South First called Elizabeth Street Cafe. They offer French Vietnamese Cuisine and although we haven't been, I stumbled upon a recipe for the pork sandie around the same time I heard about the restaurant and thought I'd try it out.

I made a few adjustments (used thinly cut pork chops instead of tenderloin--cheaper, required less pounding, nearly as lean), but otherwise pretty much followed the recipe. There are quite a few steps (like pickling the radishes and carrots) that may seem complicated, but are totally worth it.

I'll be curious to see how ours rivals Elizabeth's...I'll have to document when we go and let you know. Any good sandwich discoveries lately?

Happy Searching!

Five Stars for Five Spice Pork

One of the most recognizable flavors in Asian cooking is probably Chinese five spice. If you don't recognize the name, you would probably recognize the taste--the flavor is not shy and is used in several Asian dishes.

Five spice is comprised of (cleverly enough) five spices: star anise, cloves, cinnamon, szechuan pepper, and ground fennel. Sometimes, it can be a bit overpowering. But these five spiced-pork chops we had the other night? Stood right up to the bold flavors and made my taste buds hum with delight.

The full menu included five spice-pork chops with a cilantro-jalepeno cream sauce, hash browns, and spicy sesame green beans.

The pork chops were lightly rubbed with five spice, S&P, then seared over medium-high heat in some olive oil to get a crispy crust. After being finished in the oven (because they were seriously thick), they got topped with a luxurious cilantro cream sauce (cilantro, jalepeno, garlic, green onion, white wine, cream).

Let me just say that I wish I had a plate of this in front of me right now. Five stars!

What are some of your favorite, go-to spices? Do tell!

Happy Searching!


p.s. Interested in more specific recipe details? Leave a request in the comments section and we'll get 'em to ya!

Pass the Pork, Please!

By now, it's no secret that I am an all-American, red-meat lovin' lady. I really enjoy a good steak, especially when it's accompanied by a glass of Cabernet. However, between high cholesterol and expanding waistlines, something's gotta give (and hopefully it's not the chair). The solution? Pork Au Poivre.

A take on the classic (and highly caloric) Steak Au Poivre, Ellie Krieger's pork version is big on flavor without the added fat. The "Au Poivre" is what gives the dish its bold flavor but instead of encrusting a filet with pepper, Ellie uses pork tenderloin (I substituted thin-cut boneless pork chops which turned out fine). The traditional cognac cream sauce is replaced with an equally luxurious red wine reduction (don't be scared by the word "reduction"--you just pour wine in the pan and let it simmer...easy-peasy).

The pepper adheres to the pork with a light slathering of Dijon mustard, which you barely taste in the finished dish. It just adds a nice depth of flavor but isn't overpowering. Throw some veggies on the side, cook up some rice, and you've got a delicious meal that won't leave you with Chewer's Remorse.  

Happy Searching!


p.s. Try it out with a nice red (you need some for the recipe anyway)! One of our favorites? Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon. A bottle is around $12, but tastes like it's worth a lot more. Cheers!