Pork tenderloin is one of our favorite main courses. It’s incredibly versatile and, provided it’s not overcooked, moist and tender. When I see it I buy it but, this being the middle of nowhere, France, not everything is available every week. Living here has encouraged me to be flexible…. And to plan ahead. If I’m just doing the weekly shopping for the two of us I’ll have a few ideas … Continue reading →
Spanish Rice is another of those dishes that has been around forever and may or may not have any relationship at all to anything ever actually made in Spain. Growing up in a small town in the Midwest, if we were told something was Spanish or Italian or French we just accepted that as fact without knowing anything more. The only Google we had was the public library in the … Continue reading →
We had the first artichokes of the season last weekend. In celebration I wanted something simple to make that required a minimum of my attention. Thus a recipe is born. I used both butter and oil in browning the shallots. Oil keeps the butter from burning and butter adds a nice flavor. I wanted them crispy brown rather than caramelized so I was using medium heat – which is what … Continue reading →
If I was trendy I would call this a ‘sheet pan dinner’. I’m not trendy and I don’t have sheet pans. For some reason, maybe because ovens here are small, sheet pans are not popular, One could say they are almost non-existent. The cookie sheets I have were purchased at Williams-Sonoma 25 years ago. Quality lasts. But they are flat, no edges, so only good for baked stuff. I’ve never … Continue reading →
You may have heard of the classic French dish Steak au Poivre. This isn’t it…. You may also have read my opinions on French steaks which is why I chose to do this with pork tenderloin. French pork is excellent, succulent , and tender. We were very happy with our Porc au Poivre. Just one word of warning from she who has a wimpy palate: Remember that, while adding a lot … Continue reading →
Asparagus season is coming to an end. I haven’t seen the lovely purple asparagus in two weeks and this week the green asparagus wasn’t available. There were piles and piles of white asparagus, however, so we’re still okay for another week or too. Whew! One of the things that happens as we get to the end of the season is that I am allowed more flexibility in recipes. Yes, mon … Continue reading →
I may have mentioned a few hundred times that my mother loved to bake but hated to cook. She did cook, of course, because that is what one did. She was a good cook, but she didn’t enjoy it so there was no burning desire to try new things and / or new ways. She had 15 or 20 dishes in her repertoire that she made well and made often. … Continue reading →
