Where do the Cubans get their pork?

My partner in crime with the cooking club, Doris Bloch, hosted a meeting that focused on Hawaiian and Caribbean flavors last week. I decided to do what I thought would be simple to make, which it really was, except that I had a real challenge finding an ingredient. I chose to make Cuban sandwiches, which is a lineup of pickle slices, roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and yellow mustard on Cuban bread. French bread a suitable substitute. I was sure I had seen deli pork roast somewhere and didn't consider that a problem. After facing several supermarket deli persons' "duh, sorry" responses, I figured I'd have to actually roast a hunk of pork. Yet, when I approached Harris Teeter, they said that they would have roast pork that afternoon. When I got there after four pm, another blank stare when I asked for that pound of sliced roast pork. Turns out the roast pork they earlier mentioned was a hot hunk of roast pork scheduled to go over and join the rotisserie chickens. So, I bought it, sliced it down, layered my sandwiches and put them on the pannini machine and... became a fan of Cuban sandwiches.

But just to prove I wasn't dreaming about seeing roast pork in a deli: In my early exploratory moments, I had sent an email to Wegman's asking them if they had deli roast pork. A day or so after our party, the deli man from that incredible store called to tell me he had a very good roll of roast pork that goes for $10.00 a  pound. Now I plan to get some of that because my mouth is set for a good rye bread, mustard and pork sandwich, maybe with a slice of red onion. Keep in mind, however, HP's roast pork piece  weighed a pound, already cooked cost $6.99. To indulge my pricey fancies,  I have to drive 10 miles to my nearest Wegman's.

New Jersey has pork stores; what's the matter with Virginia?

La Caraquena, Falls Church

I occasionally watch "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" on the Food Network, hosted by Guy Fieri, and always wonder if I shall ever be near any of the many restaurants he highlights. A week of so ago he did have a local Latin American restaurant featured and it looked really interesting and the food good. So I Googled it and saw that it had been reviewed in the local newspaper and with enthusiastic comment that indicated others feel as the reporter and Guy did. How many of our readers have been there? Would like to know before I venture outside of my Reston neighborhood.

Beginning Italian Students Love Ricotta Pie

My sources tell me that those taking Beginning Italian F501 recently had a foodie class where they each brought in a dish to class. The ricotta pie, made by the instructor Donna Kendall, was so good it has found its way to the doc store where all sorts of good stuff may be found.  Another reason to check out this wonderful OLLI reference source. Scroll to F501 and then you too can make a ricotta pie. It sounds just terrific!

Comfort Food Class Ends

It's been a few since I posted a new blog and that's because I've been distracted by the visit of my daughter Katy, here from Copenhagen just to visit with her mother. She's been here almost two weeks, quiet weeks, since I can't think of exciting things to do at this time of year that we both would enjoy. Nonetheless, she keeps busy with a book she's polishing up and what we both enjoy, eating. Yesterday she joined me in the comforts food class where we cooked shepherd's pie made with lamb and rice pudding. I think she expected to sit quietly in the corner and just observe, but it wasn't long before she was stirring and pitching in with others to save the day. It was fun for me, the students seemed to enjoy having her and final conclusion to this, the final day of the winter term for our class, the food came out really delicious. I shall miss this class as they  have been a fun group.

Within a week, I plan to put the recipes from this class on doc store so that everyone can replicate them. I expect to repeat this series again next winter term with new recipes that most of us find comforting.

Fish Night

This week's Fish Night was a very simple affair -- seven people and a simple crab and pasta dish. I had seen the recipe in the Food Section of the Washington Post the preceding Wednesday. Our Fish Night cocktail was really good -- something called an Apple Ginger Calvados Cocktail from a beautiful website called "Gourmande in the Kitchen." The honey ginger syrup that you make for this is a real keeper. I'm going to try to think of other ways to use it -- otherwise I might simply drink it straight from the fridge!

Last week's menu was more interesting, however, and I did not get a chance to blog about that because I did some traveling starting before dawn the next morning. Last week, our Monday Night cocktail was a Nassau Sam (using Hugo's Nassau Royale which I forgot to return to him on the preceding Fish Night). It was OK -- not very interesting. With our drinks, we munched from a cheese, olive, marcona almond platter.

There may actually have been a theme to this dinner -- four of the recipes I used are from "Essential Pepin" which is a collection of Jacques Pepin's recipes from throughout his career. He's one of my favorite TV chefs and this book is considered by many to be the best cook book of 2011, so it was a no-brainer to add it to my collection and starting cooking from it right away. We started with his Onion Soup-Lyonnaise Style which is truly wonderful and far easier to make than the classic version. I highly recommend this recipe. Then we had:

• Mousse-Stuffed Trout with Sweet Vermouth Sauce -- this is also from "Essential Pepin" but I can't find an internet link that will allow me to share the recipe. This is really sad because the dish was terrific -- very, very elegant and tasty! It would be perfect for a special dinner and makes an amazing presentation. So buy the book!
• "Cottage" Fried Potatoes -- just because I had some small red potatoes that needed to be used as they were starting to sprout!
• Braised Endive with Olives -- I don't get much positive reinforcement for this (to say the least!), but I love trying new and unusual side dishes for my Fish Night guests. I loved this, but it was not unanimously appreciated! Again, no link to the recipe, but you can watch Jacques make it online.
• Butter Glazed Carrots -- again from my "Essential Pepin." These were good, but I actually like other glazed carrot recipes better.

For dessert, with our coffee and tea, we had shortbread. I can say, without hesitation, that I have finally found the best recipe and technique for shortbread. I'm experimenting now with different flavors and seasonings. Tangy Line Shortbread? Lavender-Scented? What do you think? I'm convinced I can do even better next time.

"In Grandmère's Kitchen"

I've spent the last several hours doing what I enjoy most: reading through a new cookbook. This time, the book is written by our dear OLLI friend and wife to our OLLI member George Heatley. French chef Cécile Heatley has written  a wonderful book, which judging from the cover blurb suggests that this is only the first volume of more to come.  "In Grandmère's Kitchen: Food and Traditions from France and Around the World for the Modern Cook " is a well organized and very complete book of just under 150 pages. Bound in a spiral binding with slick covers that can be easily wiped off, this first volume is devoted to vegetables and fruit, my favorite ingredients.

Cécile begins by offering a glossary of fresh produce, describing them, how to select, how to store and prepare. Her following chapters are in these categories: soups, appetizers and salads, main courses and side dishes, desserts and finally, odds and ends. Her recipes, despite the fact that one assumes French recipes are complicated, are not complicated at all. Where an ingredient might seem obscure or difficult to find, she gives hints on either where to find it or a substitute. All written in plain English by this very French woman.  In between the aforementioned chapters, she inserts personal anecdotes, historical background, and even a list of foodie movies.

Noting that the title is "In Grandmère's Kitchen" you might expect that Cécile includes ways to include the grand-kids in the cooking process. You would be right.  Lovely pictures of the Heatley grand-kids begin the book, showing them peeling veggies for their grandmother's current cooking project.

What I like best about this book is that it gives me new ideas about how to cook some veggies that I've always done in the same old way. Little tips, putting something with something I've never tried before; my creative juices (sorry, no pun intended) are burbling, and I am about to run out and buy a few eggplants and a package of artichoke hearts to play with. This is a very practical book.

The price is $20 and very much worth it. Email Cécile at cecileheatley@gmail.com or grab George next time you see him on campus. Likely he'll have a few copies in the trunk of his car.