The many faces of Pork

So this week's menu is consisting of the great celebrity up here of pork. I found a pork loin on sale at the store, and decided that I would try to get creative. (I must first say that next time I do this, I will go back to Groff's Meats--not only is it cheaper, it's fresher there. When a pig walks into the back of the store, I can't imagine much fresher).

So last night, I made pork tacos. I cooked the meat in a dutch over, but if I hadn't lost the lid to my crock pot back in Athens, I would have done it in there. My sister taught me to cook it like that because the meat becomes really easy to separate with a fork (and it doesn't usually mess up another dish for me). I cooked the meat enough to make for the tacos, the rest I set aside to make barbeque for night three, and a small portion to season as a roast (small, but enough) on Sunday.

I added chili pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic, cumin, paprika, and I think a few other things to spice the meat. It was nice, but not too overwhelming. We then added lettuce, tomato, salsa, and (for me) avocado. Delicious! I actually made a pretty successful attempt at recreating one of my hard shell tacos with a little mayonaise, and just the lettuce, tomato and pork into the (almost, but at least bacon and pork come from the same animal) BLT Taco that Taqueria del Sol used to do. I am constantly surprised at how good that tastes.

Tonight, Kevin was craving pesto. We had found some fresh basil for Sunday's past picnic and used the rest of it tonight. Kevin made fresh pasta better than ever, and it was worth the wait. I don't ever think of the egg yolks that are in dry pasta, but I am aware they are there in fresh pasta and wonder how I've lived so long considering the amount of cholesterol I've digested in my life just in pasta. But I have enjoyed every bite, especially each of tonight's.

Tonight, I also made glazed pecans for the first time. Sugar and pecans, along with a little heat, and wallah! Slowing down to make food on one's own is so simple, I sometimes wonder why I ever let a grocery store do it for me (oh yeah, that small thing called a job, but for now, this is my job!). I'm loving it.