Craveable Veggie Burgers

One of the bigger challenges in feeding my family well is the minivan roadtrip.  Ack!  It has been such a temptation to throw my hands up in despair and give in to the siren call of the fast food islands at the side of the road.  But I now have my iPhone!  I can pass a hundred miles of freeway looking for little food gems in far-flung towns along our routes.  I’ve made a science of discerning the truth behind the chatter of sites like Yelp. Read more

Mustard and Panko Crusted Pork Chops

Oh, you are SO going to love the simplicity of this dish!  It smells absolutely amazing while it cooks- perfuming the house with the fragrance of mustard and thyme.  It is also delicious, of course.
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Pork Chops with Red Cabbage and Apricots

This is a trifecta dish: beautiful, simple and delicious.  It is a great example of how to use technique to build great flavor:  the fond and fat of the pork chops are used to flavor the aromatics for the cabbage.  The juices from the resting chops further boost the savory quality just before serving.  When they’re all served together, they all speak to each other perfectly. Read more

Really? The Brown Stuff Has a Name?

I will always remember my amazement the first time I read that the brown stuff that’s left in the bottom of the pan is called fond. Someone gave that stuff a name!? Even more mind blowing was the revelation that you should eat it, rather than attacking it with an SOS pad. I read on and learned that fond is created by the Maillard reaction. Read more