Dinner 001: Pretzel Pork with Red Apple Risotto

How's it going? Good? Good.

I know I've been MIA for a while, and I'd apologize, but apologizing for not blogging is about as cliched as ... well, apologizing for not blogging.

Anyway ...

Hope ya'll had a very merry Christmas and a very new year. I certainly did. Santa Claus saw fit to drop plenty of goodies down my chimney, most of it food and cooking related. My mother-in-law got me a nice big food processor, my father-in-law got me some stainless steel cookware, my sister got me some hand-whittled salad tongs from her trip to Africa, and my parents got me and the missus some new china (you can see the china and the tongs in the pic below). Plus I got cookbooks, serving sets, and exotic salts from aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Following Christmas was my birthday where my wife got me a flour sifter (with a trigger, no less) and a new kitchen scale (with a digital display, no less).

And now as calender turns to 2010, I suppose I should put this stuff to good use. While this was not our New Year's Eve dinner (that meal was prepared by the people at Steak 'n' Shake), it was delicious nonetheless; pretzel pork, red apple risotto, salad, and challah bread. Yum-yummy. The recipe for the pork and risotto follows, while the challah will go up on a later date. As for the salad ... well, you know how to make a salad, dontcha?


Pretzel Pork
Ingredients:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon steak sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup crushed pretzels (I used the big Snyder's pretzel rods thrown through a food processor)
• 4 pork chops
• Vegetable oil (variable)

1. First things first, fire up that oven (about 200 degrees) so you can keep the chops warm while you make the risotto.
   
2. In a shallow bowl combine the egg, steak sauce, and garlic powder. Fill a second bowl with the crushed pretzels. Dip the pork chops in the egg mixture, then in the pretzel crumbs. Be sure to press the chops into the pretzels to develop a nice coating on the outside.
   
3. Fill a non-stick skillet approximately 1/4th of the way with oil and turn your heat somewhere between medium and high. You want the oil level to rest about halfway up the chops. Place the pork chops in the pan and fry them for about 3 to 4 minutes per side (until the crust turns brown and the inside is almost done).
   
4. Place the pork chops on a wire rack and place the wire rack on a cookie sheet. Gently salt the pork chops and place them in the 200 degree oven until ready to serve.
   

NOTE: These chops may be under cooked on the inside before you put them in the oven. Have no fear, however, because they will finish cooking while you make the risotto, which should take about 20-30 minutes.


Red Apple Risotto
Ingredients:

• 1 thinly pared strip of orange rind
• 3 large Johnagold apples, peeled and diced
• 3 tablespoons butter, separated
  
• 3 tablespoons grated carrots
• 6 cups vegetable stock (variable)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups risotto rice
• 5 tablespoons dry white wine
• 4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste

NOTE: Be sure to read step two carefully. There are lots of things going on, and you'll have to juggle three pans on your stove. Don't be afraid, though, I believe in you. Just remember, the future belongs to the bold ...

1. First things first, bring a pan of water to a boil, add the orange rind and apples and boil for 4-5 minutes. Drain well, discard the rind, and pat the apples dry a paper towel.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over high heat, add the apples and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. In a separate pot, bring the stock to a boil. Heat the olive oil in another pan, add the rice and cook, stirring, until the grains are coated in oil. Sprinkle in the wine and cook until it has evaporated.
   
3. Add one ladleful of the hot stock and stir until it has been absorbed.
   
4. Add the apples and carrots as well as the cinnamon.
   
5. Continue ladling in the stock, making sure that each ladle gets absorbed before adding more. This process will take 10 to 15 minutes.
   
6. When the rice is almost tender, stir in the Parmesan, Worcestershire sauce and remaining butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

About Last Night (And Tonight)

On Monday, my wife and I will be celebrating our second anniversary, but tomorrow night (or tonight, as the case may be) will be the big party.

We're having a big backyard dinner party for about two dozen of our friends, and I'm handling the food. The menu consists of seared chicken in a mushroom veloute with vegetable cous cous and brussels sprouts. And something for dessert. I'll have to see what I've got lying around.

Anyway, I will be bringing you pictures, recipes, and horror stories after the fact.

Actually, how about a horror story in advance? Tonight, while my wife and I were cutting up yellow squash for the cous cous, my wife cut right into her finger. She's okay (if she wasn't okay she wouldn't be sleeping and I wouldn't be bloggint), but she freaked out nonetheless. I told her not to dick around with that knife.

Anyway, time for shut-eye, since I have nothing but work to do tomorrow.

Black Pepper Sugar Cookies

Calm the hell down, mmm-kay? I wouldn't steer you wrong, would I? Of course not, so let's all put on those steampunk helmets, turn the cranks, and open our minds just a smidge, deal? Deal!

These cookies are sweet, sugary, and just a little spicy. You can tweak the amount of black pepper you use to suit your tastes - I know I did! Also, throwing a Hershey's Kiss in the middle might be a good way to cool off the peppery taste. I just thought of that, however, so I could be a million miles off base.


Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Light brown sugar

Equipment:

• Baking sheet(s)
• Electric mixer
• 2 large bowls

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (Fahrenheit) and grease your baking sheets.
2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, black pepper, and baking powder, and set aside.
   
3. In a larger bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
   
4. Beat in egg and vanilla into the butter/sugar mixture, then slowly incorporate the dry ingredients.
   
5. Allow the dough to cool in the freezer for approximately 10 minutes.
6. Scoop the cold dough into rounded teaspoons and roll them in brown sugar.
7. Place the balls on the greased cookie sheets.
8. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes (or until golden brown) at 375.
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing the cookies from baking sheets and cooling on a wire rack.
   

Links: Coffee, Cheese, and Jujubees

I'm fighting a losing battle with my digital camera right now, so whilst the battery charges (and I enjoy a young William Shatner in an old Twilight Zone episode), enjoy this baker's dozen of food-related links.

The most recent installation of NPR's Science Friday included an excellent segment on the science and history of cheese making.

Esquire has a fine handful of food articles, including a section on Jujubees, How Men Eat, and a recipe for something called Coca-Cola Brine Fried Chicken.

Luxirare has what essentially amounts to food-porn in their article about Pie Lollipops.

Lifehacker.com has posts about Altoids tins, produce washes, and 10 Tips and Tricks for Better Coffee, including how to roast your own beans.

The fantastic Skull-a-Day blog has some handy-dandy "skullverware" notebooks, perfect for punk rock cookbooks.

The Freakonomics blog has an old article about the origins of several phrases, including "Let them eat cake."

Joy the Baker has some great info on how to make homemade vanilla extract.

Speaking of vanilla extract, check out the trailer for the new movie, Extract, from the same guys that made Idiocracy and Office Space.

And speaking of movies, the always awesome Filmspotting Podcast was all about food last week with a review of Julie and Julia, music from the Sea and Cake,* and the top five films about food.

I'll have a recipe for beef stew up tomorrow; until then I'm going to go somewhere and sit down.

*Note: I realize that the Sea and Cake doesn't actually sing about food.

Oatmeal Crackle Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cups Werther's Originals (roughly one package)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoon allspice
• Coco powder
  

Equipment:

• Baking sheet(s)
• Parchment paper
• Oven
• Food processor
  
• Mixing bowl and mixer

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit) and line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Unwrap the Werther's Originals and chop them in the food processor.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar.
4. Stir in the egg and vanilla until smooth.
5. Mix in the flour, salt and baking soda, stir into the creamed mixture.
6. Stir in the rolled oats, pecans, and candy bits.
7. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto the cookie sheets and flatten.
8. Dust the tops of the cookies with the coco powder.
9. Bake for approximately 15 minutes at 350.

FYI: These cookies are super sweet, almost candy-esque. Make sure the butter and brown sugar are properly softened before adding the egg, vanilla, etc. For more consistent cookie size and shape, put the dough in the fridge or freezer between batches. This recipe should yield around 30 cookies.