A Word From The Other Parsimonious Chef...: Make Something Memorable. Vanilla Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Poached Pears & Roasted Sage Sweet Potatoes.....

Apple Cider Poached Pear

Music as much as food moves me in ways that I can't describe and always has. I listen to hip hop, rap, rock & roll, grunge, classical, country, celtic, blues, r&b and gospel on a regular, to name a few. Of course like most of you I have had times when I fall in and back out of love with a certain genre but I always find my way back to it for one reason or another. In my early twenties it was all about rap, funk and soft rock with Rakim, Rick James and , Led Zeppelin and Steely Dan leading the way. As rap started to change (from self reflection to self aggrandizing) my needs for something that spoke to what I felt lead me to grunge music with Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots speaking directly to me. In my thirties is was all over the place with blues, jazz, celtic and r&b it seemed that I felt like I needed to be more mature about my musical selections, after all I was now in my thirties. I remember pulling up with my windows rolled down (see how old I wrote rolled) , music blaring and scrambling to find an age appropriate station depending upon whom I was pulling up next to. It kinda reminds me of going to McDonald's Now, we all do it - lie to get off the phone as we pull up for fear of being outed as a McDonald's regular, "As IF"! I truly appreciate all forms of music and try to listen to whatever my ears can take in. While there are plenty that will say the music of today sucks, I say we are extremely lucky to listen to the music of yesterday and today, it gives us a unique perspective on music as a whole.

Music and Food are similar in the aforementioned ways. It's for this reason that I added music to my blog and change it to fit each new post, if you haven't listened to the music as you read or look at the pictures you are doing yourself a disservice. My palate has in deed matured and while I still enjoy a cheeseburger and fries, now I will make the cheeseburger with buffalo meat and add duck fat to the fries. The expression "The more things change the more they stay the same!" has never been more inappropriate. While the things are the same it's the subtle nuances that can move a recipe into a new class of being. How many of you remember the episode of the Brady Bunch (again dating myself) in which "Pork Chops and Applesauce!", was repeated by Bobby, Alice and Mama Brady Click Herethroughout a 2 minute clip. Pork Chops and applesauce continues to be a favorite of mine the combination is a classic one, think about it, when a pig is roasted what's in its mouth.

Forward thinking is just that, it's all about being inspired by the past but moving it into the future to fit today's sophisticated needs and palates with your own spin. Make Something Memorable!

On the menu today: Vanilla Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Poached Pears, Sage Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Spinach.

Vanilla Roasted Pork Loin

Apple Cider Poached Pears

Vanilla Roasted Pork, Spinach & Apple Cider Poached Pears

Pork tenderloin with vanilla is a match made in heaven, the sweetness of the vanilla and salt of the pork are a perfect combination. Applesauce is classic but is it sexy on a plate? Maybe, but not nearly as sexy as a pear, now if we can infuse the pear with the taste of an apple we can have sexy and tasty. Add in the sweet potatoes and one might think it's too sweet, but with the smokiness of the sage it breaks the sweet up and gives the dish its' perfect balance.

For the Pork we will need the following:

Pork Tenderloin (1 can feed 2-3 people)
Garlic (3 cloves per loin)
Olive Oil (2 Tbs)
Vanilla extract or powder (2 Tbs)
Dijon Mustard (.5 tsp)
Brown Sugar (.5 cup)
Coarse Kosher Salt (t t)

Marinate the pork by mincing the garlic, adding the other ingredients together and placing on top of the pork. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for 4-24 hours. Grill or sear the tenderloin to get char marks or browning (see picture below). Place in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for 16-20 minutes, until slightly past medium rare or your desired internal temperature. Once done allow to sit for 3-5 minutes before slicing.

Roasted Tenderloin

For the Poached Pears we will need the following:

Pears (1 per guest)
Sparkling Apple Cider (1 bottle)
Cloves (15 each)
Brown Sugar (1/4 cup)
Dark Rum (1/4 cup)
Balsamic Vinegar (2 tsp)
Corn Starch (3 Tbs)
Water (2 cups)

Peel the pears and place in a boiling pan along with all of the other items except for the corn starch. Allow mixture to poach the pears for 25-35 minutes on medium heat and remove allowing to cool. Reduce the liquid by 1/2 and add a slurry (3 Tbs cornstarch and 1 Tbs water). Allow mixture to come to a boil and reduce the heat, cook to your desired consistency. Allow to cool and pour over the pears before serving.

Cider Poached Pears Over Sage Sweets

For the Roasted Sweets we will need the following:

Sweet Potatoes (1 per 2 guests)
Sage (15 leaves)
Garlic (1 Tbs)
Olive Oil (2 Tbs)

Slice the potatoes into rounds as pictured below then marinate in diced sage, diced garlic, olive oil for 10 - 30 minutes. Roast on 375 for 15 - 20 minutes. Allow to cool and plate as seen below.

Sage Roasted Potatoes

For the Spinach we will need the following:

Spinach (32-64 oz)
Olive Oil (2 Tbs)
Garlic (1 Tbs)
Coarse Kosher Salt (t t)

Heat a skillet then add olive oil and garlic, allow garlic to brown slightly before adding the spinach. Cook until completely wilted and salt to taste.