Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin

1 mediumish pork tenderloin (unless preparing for a large meal, I rarely notice the weight of the meat I am buying. Maybe I should work on this.)

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
coarse S&P

3 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp honey



• preheat oven to 375º

• score the tenderloin with evenly spaced slits, every 2" or so
• stuff one piece of garlic into each notch
• season both sides of pork with S&P

• melt butter and honey in oven safe skillet or dutch oven
• sear tenderloin in skillet, about 4 minutes per side
• place in oven for 7 to 10 minutes (you want the pork to measure somewhere in the 140–150 range)

• remove pork from skillet, tent with foil to keep warm
• put skillet back on burner.
• over medium heat, add a bit of water and scrape edges of the pan. let sauce simmer and reduce for about 5 minutes, or until desired thickness

• slice pork on the diagonal and serve drizzled with sauce. And still just as good the next day.


Tuesday, May 5, 2009
(The best thing about all the Swine Flu hoopla is that pork is crazy cheap. And tenderloins are always so fast and tasty. Double win.)

Asparagus Gruyere Tart

1 package puff pastry

1 c grated gruyere
15–20 asparagus spears
1/2 tbsp olive oil
coarse salt & pepper
about 1/4 tsp lemon zest



• preheat oven to 400º
• roll out puff pastry on a sheet of parchment, as close to 10 x 16" as you can
• score edges with a knife to about 1". Prick interior with a fork all over.
• bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Flatten interior if needed.

• Sprinkle gruyere on interior of pastry.
• place asparagus spears on top of cheese, alternating spear heads. Trim ends as needed to fit tart.
• brush spears with olive oil.
• sprinkle with salt and pepper. Finely zest a bit of lemon over tart.
• bake for another 10 minutes, or until asparagus is tender.
• let cool a few minutes, then serve. It is addictive.



Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Friends' Night
(Mason told me I should post this. So be it.)

Chocolate Bourbon Cake
(found at simplyrecipes.com)


5 oz unsweetened dark chocolate

1/4 c instant espresso / coffee
2 tbsp cocoa powder
scant 1 c boiling water

1 c bourbon
1/2 tsp salt

1 c unsalted butter, room temp
2 c sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda

2 c flour

1/4 c bourbon
icing sugar



• preheat oven to 325º. Grease and flour a large bundt pan.

• melt chocolate in microwave. Set aside.

• pour instant espresso and cocoa in a medium sized bowl.
• add boiling water. Stir until dissolved.
• whisk in first cup of bourbon.

• cream butter until light and fluffy. add sugar. cream until light and fluffy again.
• add eggs one at a time.
• add vanilla, soda and melted chocolate. Mix until smooth.

• alternate adding bourbon mixture and flour in this order: bourbon flour bourbon flour bourbon, mixing well between each addition.
• pour into preparded bundt pan.
• bake for about an hour and 10 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.

• let cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Unmold.
• baste with additional bourbon while still warm.
• If serving immediately, dust with icing sugar. If you are baking ahead of time, baste with a bit more bourbon (you really can't have enough) and dust with sugar right before serving.



Wednesday, May 29, 2009
Keely's Goodbye Dinner at Crystal & Marc's

(The cake is nice and moist and chocolatey and dense. The bourbon really comes through, but next time I would probably add even more. Like I said, you can't have enough.)