Crispy Pork Milanesa Recipe

Milanesa, or breaded, pan-fried tenderloin, spans the globe in popularity. Call it what you will, Wienerschnitzel or Tonkatsu—in Iowa we put in a bun half its diameter with a squirt of yellow mustard and call it lunch.

Pounded thin and fried in hot oil, Milanesa is the perfect combination of crispy exterior and juicy interior and it happens to be one of The Professor's favorite meals. Last weekend we were bored so we drove an hour to Fargo to buy the week's groceries. Most mothers complain about grocery shopping with their children, I on the other hand, much prefer my child to my husband—at least she doesn't care what I've got planned for dinner that week.

A trip to Fargo meant I could get some out of the ordinary things like Meyer lemons and escarole so I had carefully planned our weekly meals to take advantage of such abundance. The Professor decided two seconds before we entered the grocery store what he wanted to buy.

"Are we going to the Asian market?" He asks.
"I don't think I need anything there" I say.
"Well then what are we going to have for dinner this week?" He responds, "I want some good stuff."

Yes, this is what he tells me. He wants some good stuff. Now I know he didn't mean we don't normally have good stuff, but at that moment that is what it sounded like to me and I wanted to punch him in the face.

In his manliness he continues, "Why don't we have Milanesa?" The truth was we weren't going to have Milanesa because it wasn't on my meticulous menu I had planned out, but my response was, "Because it's a pain in the ass to make." With a "so shut-up." thrown in under my breath.

He responds with a "No its not, you make it all the time."
And I respond with a "Then why don't you make it yourself?"

And that is how we happily carried out our shopping trip...and our hour drive home. I felt bad though, so of course we had Milanesa the next night and lived happily ever after.

Crispy Pork Milanesa
(Printable Recipe)

Makes 4 servings

4 pork cutlets or boneless pork chops pounded to about 1/4-inch thick
kosher salt and black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons olive oil
lemon wedges for serving

1. Generously season pork on both sides with salt and pepper. Place flour, egg, and panko into three separate pie plates or shallow dishes.

2. Heat oven to 300°F. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and have an oven-proof plate or baking sheet ready.

3. While oil is heating dip one cutlet in the flour, cover completely with flour then shake off excess. Dip in egg, covering completely, then let excess drip off. Then cover in panko, pressing to adhere to the pork.

4. Once oil is shimmering place breaded pork in hot oil (if your pan is big you can do two at a time) the oil should vigorously bubble when pork is added, if not wait longer for oil to get hot enough. Let fry undisturbed until golden brown on one side, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and repeat on other side. Transfer pork to plate and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining pork. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Vinegar Marinated Roast Chicken Recipe

Back when I lived in the land of plenty a run to Trader Joe's was no big deal—and not something you would talk freely about with your friends. In foodie circles TJ's was snubbed for not being green enough (too much packaging), not local enough (who knew where all those rice crackers and coffee beans where coming from), and generally not expensive or unique enough to garnish praise from those in the know.

Now I see a run to Trader Joe's as my biannual (if I'm lucky triannual) occasion to stock up on food that actually tastes better than cardboard. Like squirrels stocking up for the winter, The Professor and I pile our carts (and yes we each have our own cart) high with pasta, olive oil, coffee, and organic milk that I don't have to take out a small loan for.

On my last run, I picked up a bottle of orange muscat champagne vinegar and immediately thought of a recipe that has been burning a hole in my have-to-make-it folder. I ran across this fruit vinegar marinade on one of my favorite blogs 5 Second Rule and loved the idea for a new twist on roast chicken. I was going to use plain old apple cider vinegar but now finally I had the vinegar to really do it justice.


Adapted from Cheryl Rule


Makes 4 servings

1/3 cup fruit vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1 (3-4 pound) whole chicken cut into 8 pieces, or 3-4 pounds chicken legs and thighs

1. Combine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and olive oil in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Lay chicken pieces in a single layer and season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Place chicken in vinegar marinade and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, turning occasionally.

2. Heat oven to 400°F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and coat with nonstick spray. Remove chicken from marinade (letting excess drip back into dish) and place in a single layer on baking sheet. Pat dry with paper towels.

3. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast registers 175°F. Serve immediately.

Pasta with Mint, Capers and Sun-Dried Tomatoes Recipe

I take refuge in my kitchen on a daily basis. Life is confusing, overwhelming, scary. Cooking on the other hand is orderly and instantly gratifying.

With so much tragedy striking our world lately I have felt more compelled than ever to discover and cherish the joy in my life and I derive an incredible amount of joy from cooking. Especially terrificly simple pasta dishes such as this one. How could something so easy, be so delicious? I don't know, but I love that it is and that makes me happy.

Pasta with Mint, Capers, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
(Printable Recipe)

Makes 4 servings

1 pound dried short pasta (fusilli, penne, rigatoni)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup mint leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and chopped
1/4 cup currants
3 tablespoons olive oil

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions.

2. Meanwhile toss remaining ingredients together in a large bowl. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Transfer pasta to the bowl and toss, adding 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid and a little more olive oil if too dry. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add remaining 1/4 cup of cooking water if still too dry. Serve immediately.

Beer Braised Chicken with Cornmeal-Chive Dumplings Recipe

The Professor will ask me occasionally if I feel deprived, having to cook within his restricted diet. I usually tell him no—I'm used to not eating cheese or cream or baked gooey desserts. And for the most part, this is true.

I will admit to having secret fantasies of him going out of town for the weekend and my 'lil one and I spending a leisurely afternoon making crunchy-topped macaroni and cheese or bubbling lasagna. In my fantasy we sit around the dinner table laughing, leisurely eating and vowing never to tell Papa what fun we had over a casserole dish of cheese.

No dairy essentially means no comfort food, but there are exceptions to the rule. One thing I frequently make when a soul needs soothed is chicken and dumplings. It is always a welcome surprise to the Professor that he can tuck into some fluffy little puffs of dough and thick bubbling stew without regret.

This version has soy milk and vegetable oil in the dumplings, but you could use regular milk and butter, or even some shredded cheese if you'd like.

Beer Braised Chicken with Cornmeal-Chive Dumplings
(Printable Recipe)

Makes 4-6 servings


For the chicken:
2 1/2 pounds chicken legs and thighs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
12 ounces pale ale beer

For the dumplings:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup milk (any kind, whole, soy, low-fat)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped chives

For the chicken:
1. Generously season chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large shallow pot with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering add chicken pieces and brown on both sides. Transfer chicken to a plate and add jalapeños, garlic, and onion to pot. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until tender.

2. Add cumin, bay leaf and flour and stir until flour is slightly toasted and gives off a nutty smell, about 2 minutes. Slowly add chicken stock and beer, stirring to prevent flour clumps. Return chicken to pot and bring to a boil.

3. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until chicken is very tender, but not falling off the bone, about 45 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, taste stew and add more salt and pepper if necessary. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove all skin, and bones, and shred the meat. Return to pot, cover and keep warm over low heat.

For the dumplings:
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Bring chicken stew to a rapid simmer and drop tablespoon-sized pieces of batter into the stew, spacing them about 1/2-inch apart. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the dumplings have puffed up and firm to the touch, about 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover and serve.

Candied Cayenne Pecans Recipe

My relationship with these nuts started innocently enough. I was a young line cook at my first high-profile restaurant job, recently transplanted to the Napa Valley from the Midwest and thinking there wasn't much in the world that I couldn't chop or stir my way out of.

I had the bi-weekly duty of making enormous batches of these nuts (we used pistachios instead of pecans) first thing in the morning, right after the chips were fried, but before service began and the fryer oil was tainted with calamari and onion rings. They were a garnish for the butter lettuce salad—their spice cooled by buttermilk-blue cheese dressing and crisp leaves of endive.

Now I'm eternally tied to these nuts. Their addictive nature has taken hold of my family members and I am now required to make them every Christmas or risk jeopardizing very important relationships.

Once I made the mistake of handing my mother-in-law a tin of cookies instead of these nuts. One look at her strained smile and I knew something was up. "You didn't make the nuts?" She said trying to disguise her disappointment.

Well, you know where I was that night? Standing over a pot of boiling oil is where, making those nuts with the only slotted spoon she had in her house, hoping the plastic would hold out until I finished.

Luckily, she is a forgiving woman and the next morning the nuts were prominently displayed on the table and everything was right with the world.

Adapted from Mustard's Grill

Makes 1 1/2 pounds nuts

1 1/2 pounds pecan halves
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 quarts vegetable oil
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pecans and blanch until slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add powdered sugar and mix until completely incorporated.

2. Thoroughly dry pot and return to stove. Fill with oil making sure pot is big enough so 2 quarts of oil only comes up about half way. The oil will bubble up dramatically when you add the pecans and you want to leave lots of room. Attach a deep fry thermometer to the side and heat oil to 350°F over medium heat. Meanwhile, combine salt and cayenne in a small bowl and have ready a baking sheet.

3.  Give nuts another stir to coat them in the sugar and then using a metal slotted spoon or a spider scoop up a spoonful of nuts, letting any excess moisture drip back into the bowl. Carefully slide nuts into the hot oil and repeat until you have about 1-2 cups worth in the oil. You want to give the nuts plenty of room to move about in the oil and not clump up with each other.

4. Fry nuts, stirring occasionally, until very brown, about 5 minutes. Remove with the spider, letting any excess oil drip back into the pot, transfer to the baking sheet and spread out to a single layer. Immediately sprinkle with salt mixture and let cool to harden, then push to one side of the baking sheet. Once oil has returned to 350°F, repeat with remaining nuts.

Nuts will keep tightly covered at room temperature for 2 weeks.

Caesar Salad Recipe

As it continues to snow here day after day and the temperature fails to creep past 20°F, I remind myself that winter is like a marathon, you can't think about how much further you have to run, you just have to envision how overjoyed you will be at the finish line.

In a frost-bitten daze I go to the grocery store to try to brighten my mood. Maybe I can pick up some delicious produce, something different than the tightly wrapped broccoli and plastic cartons of spinach I've been eating since last October. Like Charlie Sheen having one more drink, I am in complete denial of reality—of my supermarket offerings that is.

I imagine glistening bins of dark leafy greens, towers of plump Brussels sprouts, and an array of colorful carrots neatly stacked in rows. Unfortunately I am awakened from my delusional stupor when the dank fluorescent lights of the produce aisle hit the whites of my eyes. Ashamed to let the check-out lady see the tears swell up in my eyes I quickly grab a bag of Romaine and dash out the door.

I go home and make this Caesar salad, lick my wounds, and wait patiently for spring.


Adapted from Cristina Ferrare


Makes 8 servings

For the croutons:
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups roughly chopped bread cubes (like baguette or sourdough)

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons canola oil

To assemble:
2 heads romaine lettuce
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. To make croutons: Heat oven to 350°F and arrange rack in middle. Combine smashed garlic and oil and infuse for 20 minutes.

2. Remove garlic from oil (it can be reserved to make the dressing). Toss oil and bread cubes together in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and toss again. Spread bread out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden and crunchy, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. To make dressing: Combine lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, garlic, and anchovy paste in a large glass jar with a tight-fitting lid (a Mason jar works well). Cover tightly and shake until incorporated and uniform. Add oils and shake once more until incorporated. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Use immediately, or store in refrigerator for up to 3 days; shake again before using.

4. To assemble: Wash, dry and tear lettuce into a large bowl. Add Parmesan, croutons, and half of the dressing (save other half for another salad). Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss, making sure everything is coated. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary, serve immediately.

Five-Spice Beef Kabobs Recipe

I love cooking, I really do, I typically spend about three-quarters of my day thinking about it, but there are times when even I would rather not cook.

I try to prep for dinner while my little one is in her room not taking a nap. So the ritual goes, read books, lay her down, close the door and retreat to my kitchen. But there are afternoons when I dread that extraordinarily short walk through my house because when I arrive there it means I have to actually do something.

I usually stall, make a cup of tea, turn on the radio, stare aimlessly out the window and then realize that she will only stay quietly in her room for so long and get to cookin'. Those are the afternoons when I cherish recipes like this one. Recipes where I spend more time bemoaning how long it will take me to make it than it actually takes me to make it. Peel a garlic clove here (bitch a little), grate some ginger there (feel sorry for myself), cut up some beef and before I have a chance to complain anymore I'm done!

Note: I cook these skewers under the broiler in the winter, but they would be wonderful on the grill as well.

Makes 4 servings
Adapted from Parents Magazine


3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 pound beef sirloin, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces

1. If using wooden skewers, cover about 12 of them with water and let soak until ready to use. Combine soy sauce, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and five-spice powder in a medium bowl. Add beef and toss to combine. Cover and chill for an hour.

2. Heat broiler to high and arrange rack in the lower third of the oven. Thread 4 pepper pieces and 3 beef pieces onto each skewer, starting and ending with the pepper, alternating between each. Place on a baking sheet and broil about 10 minutes or until browned and blistered.

Turkish Meatballs with Warm Red Pepper Relish Recipe

So it has been at least a month since my last meatball post, a month in which I most definitely have eaten meatballs at least three times, okay probably more, but I've stopped counting because there is no reason to keep track of such things.

This blog does not need another post about meatballs, but this one is so different than the others I've carried on about that it is worth noting. I understand many Turkish people are Muslim, so I want to say straight out that the Turkish descriptor in the title refers to the spices and the way the meatballs are served and not the fact that I made them with pork, which I would not have done had I been able to get my hands on some ground lamb, so no disrespect intended.

These meatballs are dense, earthy and small. Perfect then for tucking into a warm piece of flatbread heavy with onions. This meal is not for the delicate; bite after bite will leave you with juice (from the meatballs, or maybe the pepper relish) trickling down your wrist. I promise you, you won't care. The combination of the robust meatballs and tangy-sweet relish will leave you oblivious to a little stain on your shirt.

Adapted from Bon Appétit Magazine
Makes 6 servings


For the meatballs
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 pieces Middle Eastern flatbread
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow onions, halved, then cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

For the red pepper relish:
1/2 cup finely chopped drained roasted red peppers
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1. Gently mix beef, pork, onion, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a large bowl. Roll mixture into 1 1/2-inch diameter meatballs and place on a baking sheet.

2. Heat oven to 300°F. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add flatbreads one at a time. Cook until toasted and brown, about 2 minutes per side. Wrap flatbreads in foil and place in oven to keep warm.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until caramelized and brown. Transfer to one side of a baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm.

4. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown half of the meatballs on all sides until just cooked through (about 8 minutes), then place them on the baking sheet with the onions and return baking sheet to oven. Repeat with remaining meatballs, adding more oil if skillet seems dry.

For the red pepper relish:
1. In the same skillet, cook red peppers until heated through, about 1 minute. Add water and vinegar and bring to a simmer, scrapping up any browned bits. Continue cooking until reduced to 2/3 cup, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

To serve:
Transfer onions and meatballs to a platter. Serve with flatbreads and relish and plain yogurt, if desired.

Bean and Spanish Chorizo Soup Recipe

Sausage and beans are a perfect pair, kind of like James Franco and Anne Hathaway—no wait, not like that, that was a medium-sized disaster. No, sausage and beans are more like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, always in perfect step with one another.

Most commonly the sausage found in bean soups is raw (before you cook it in the soup that is) or smoked, but I love the idea of browning cured sausage until the edges are crisp and its fat has been rendered out into the soup pot. Cured sausage gives you that tang of fermentation that adds acidity to an otherwise rather modest soup.

If dry-cured Spanish chorizo isn't available in your area, you could do what I do and simply drive 5 hours to the closest metropolitan area and buy some, OR you could use other dried salumi.

Makes 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced Spanish chorizo
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 pound mixed beans
2 quarts chicken broth or stock
1/2 head bok choy, washed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped sage

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook until crisped, about 10 minutes. Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and cook until vegetables are softened and translucent.

2. Add beans and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until beans are tender, about 2 hours. Add bok choy and sage and season with salt and pepper. Cook a few minutes more until bok choy is wilted, but still has a little crunch.