So it’s occurred to me that I do not cook as much as I used to and when I do cook I find myself wondering if frozen pizza is a food group.
I’m trying to get back in to things, trying to be more productive and responsible and all that.
Tonight I cooked.
I made my butternut squash risotto that I hadn’t made in…a billion years. Two tricks to my butternut squash risotto:
- Precook the squash, cube it and add it half way through the risotto cooking process. Some of the squash will stay cubey and some will melt into the risotto
- finish with chevre instead of butter
I also made pork tenderloin. I consulted a few recipes and came up with my own plan. I whisked a tablespoon of molasses with a tablespoon of fig vinegar. I then added 2 tablespoons of spicy dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger. All of this was slathered on the pork (I used 1/2 the tenderloin, the other half saved for later) and then covered it with crushed S&P croutons. Roasted for about 25 minutes at 425. I prefer my pork medium to medium rare, trichinosis isn’t an issue anymore and pigs are bred so lean now that well done pork is dry. I do cook the pork all the way for guests, do not worry!
oh man, dinner was awesome. Seriously, I’d been forgetting about good and real food! Later this week Anna is coming over and we will make pumpkin pasta! I also have what I need for beef stew, chicken and dumplings, chicken pot pie, vegetable curry, spicy kielbasa with potatoes and cabbage, molé burritos (that’s mo-lay burritos, like the mexican sauce and not mole burritos like the thing in the ground that runs around), potato corn chowder….and on and on…. you can join us, but you have to bring booze or dessert!