recession, 2011

Applestyle

every picture tells a story

200 million years ago

I saw the Palisades from a speeding AMTRAK train last Thursday and it took me back a year ago this month when I was considering an apartment 20 minutes north of here by the GreyStone MetroNorth station.

From Wikipedia:

“The Palisades are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the Hudson River beginning north of the George Washington Bridge.”

“They rise nearly vertically from the edge of the river and are among the most dramatic geologic features in the vicinity of New York City. Formed about 200 million years ago when molten magma shot upwards through sandstone, the molten material cooled, solidified and then Hudson River erosion of the softer sandstone left behind the columnar structure of the harder rock that exists today.”

Cool, huh?

That apartment had a Manhattan skyline view...

... and a front row seat on every Hudson River sunset.

But looking back now, I’m glad I chose to be a ClockTowerTenant. I like the ClockTower a lot and I didn’t want to be slave to the MetroNorth schedule, frankly. 

But that view of the Palisades sure was nice.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Palisades

3-2-1-0

I love these “countdown clock” arrival signs.

Don’t you?

no brainer

Uhhh. Hell.

Why be forever without your friends?

those glorious fruit flavors

The best recipes have flair and festivity but take scarcely more effort than frying an egg. This is one of those recipes, a scrumptious meal complete in 30 minutes flat that presents beautifully and even grants you a 15 minute, unattended window to grab a quick shower before your guests arrive. 

Pork and fruit have a long established affinity so you’ll need a good fruit preserve, but not jelly or jam. Black currant is traditional but almost anything works really well. I made this once with black cherry and it was fantastic. A fine mustard, a bit of white vinegar and a couple good porkchops, plus potatoes for mashing and a vegetable.

Brown the salt-and-peppered chops in a drizzle of good olive oil, just hot enough to sear the outside and create a tasty crust.

Spoon three or four tablespoons of mustard into three or four tablespoons of preserve and mix it well.

Are the chops browning well on both sides?

Great, start your potatoes to boil...

...spoon the mixture over the chops...

...cover the chops with a tight fitting lid and turn the heat way down to a gentle simmer. Potatoes bubbling? Chops simmering? Perfect. Run and grab that shower.

In 15 minutes the potatoes will be getting there and the chops will have cooked through, the sauce will have softened and drained into the pan.

Take the chops out and keep them warm between two plates. 

Now start steaming your vegetable and gently pour about one-quarter cup white vinegar into the sauce. This is critical, the vinegar neutralizes the sugary sweetness of the preserves while letting all those glorious fruit flavors come through.

Turn the heat up, keep an eye on your vegetable, mash your potatoes and bubble down the sauce, whisking it now and then. Don’t let it burn, it will reduce to a rich, flavorful syrup.

Plate the chops, the potatoes and the vegetable and then drizzle that luscious fruit and mustard syrup all over the plate. That’s it. Don’t be surprised if your lucky guests ask for this again, it’s that good. 

And so easy.