Pork Tenderloin with Shallots and Pears

This was surprisingly quick to put together and almost felt fancy. But perhaps that's because I never make pork tenderloin and "shallot" is the classiest name for a vegetable that I've ever heard. Speaking of classy foods...
The recipe calls for pear nectar. Really? Not hunting all over for that! After making a roux with butter and flour--a procedure I have not carried out many times and perhaps never with success--I added some cranberry juice and water (because I didn't have any stock). So, my sauce wasn't pear-flavored, or really very flavored at all, but it eventually got thicker!

Here's my roux...sorta looks like pancake batter.
Searing the tenderloin allows for a very brief time in the oven, which is good when your oven is possessed and likes to turn itself off, beep incessantly, and flash the cryptic "F7" message. This is another story altogether.


Also, I think I need a new meat thermometer. I'm considering the infrared kind or one with an oven-proof probe and remote. Any suggestions?

Presentation Marks

Before watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, I made this simple broiled wild Alaskan (That's pretty close to Canada.) salmon with roasted asparagus and wild rice. The salmon marinated briefly in lemon juice then in soy sauce and brown sugar for about 15 minutes. I'm blaming the charring on my most despised cooking apparatus: the electric stove. I know it was the electric broiler's fault and not mine for setting the broiler to "high." Don't you agree? Down with the electric range!

I actually made an attempt at an interesting presentation, but, as seems to be the case with most of my meals, was too anxious to eat to actually try too hard. Now that I look back on it, those asparagus spears are lookin' particularly flaccid. Some people (namely the one who ate the other helping of this meal) call me overly critical--and not only of my own cooking--but I know I have a long way to go before I'm the kind of cook that I strive to be. That is, the kind who might wipe the edge of the plate before they serve it to someone. And I have certain standards for the food that I eat. What's so wrong with that?! Nothing, but it sure does make me annoying to eat with sometimes!

Today I read an NPR profile on two-time gold figure skating gold medalist and Olympic commentator Dick Button today. He has a rep for being a bit harsh at times. I particularly love his remark: "It was just so-so" following a world champion's routine. However, his occasional critical comments are balanced by a true love and appreciation for all aspects of the sport.

But he's adamant about not sugarcoating what he sees on the ice. "I don't think anybody wants to sit there and listen to somebody say, 'Ooh, ooh, ooh, wasn't that beautiful? Wasn't that just too lovely for words?' The heck with that," he says.

So, what I'm getting at is...I'm the Dick Button of cooking.

Snow-bound Woman Subsists on Chocolate Chip Cookies

I stopped cooking somewhere around Day 4 of what has turned into my 10 day snow-cation. Luckily, before I threw in the towel, I made Wednesday Chef's Flat & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies; I've been eating them ever since.

Following the recipe resulted in HUGE cookies, that were a little too gooey on the inside. I moved towards more of a drop-style cookie with each new batch that went into the oven. I also cut the salt as Wednesday Chef did, and without a mixer, creamed the butter and sugars with the pure brute force of my forearm....grrrr! I'm strong.

I didn't eat them all--I brought a container-full to a Superbowl party and a dozen to a snow-bound board games night--but I did eat way too many. I think I woke up with a cookie hangover today.

Oven-baked fries

Sure, I could have eaten leftover risotto, but what else was there to do but cook? Night 2 of Snowpocalypse, I made these thick, crispy fries.


I've never made my own french fries before. Deep-frying is not a culinary technique I strive to master. Poaching, yes. Braising, that sounds important. But deep-frying sounds tedious and dangerous (Did I mention I burned my face when I was cooking these? Yup, I said face...and these weren't fried.) Dropping food into hot oil...I'll leave it to the pros with their nifty baskets.

Actually, I made tempura once. It was Christmas Eve at my parent's house. I think I let my mom talk me into it. Tempura is fried, right? If I recall correctly, it took way too long, I burned myself, and it didn't taste as good as it does in the restaurant.

Back to the snowpocalypse fries.

I followed the temperature and time specifications from this recipe, but I used olive oil, salt and lemon pepper. I will definitely make these again; who doesn't crave french fries?

Oh, and I didn't just eat fries for dinner. There was also a turkey burger and warm spinach with pancetta and balsamic vinegar.

In case you were wondering, the face-burning occurred when I stuck my head in the oven (Have I learned nothing from Sylvia Plath?). I didn't feel the heat right away so I moved in a little closer. That's when my eyelashes melted my eyes shut. Good thing I had some fries to ease the pain.