Chicken Tortellini Soup
A comforting bowl of soup you can get on the table in under 30 minutes Isn’t it time for you to take a break? If you’re like millions of us, you never cooked so many meals in your life. And it’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner.…
A comforting bowl of soup you can get on the table in under 30 minutes Isn’t it time for you to take a break? If you’re like millions of us, you never cooked so many meals in your life. And it’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner.…
A Vegetarian Pasta kicks off Asparagus Season with a twist. The first asparagus of the season is something we can’t wait for. Asparagus has become a virtually year-round staple, imported off-season from South America. But nothing compares to the home-grown variety. We love asparagus so…
In a world turned upside down, Food Hero Joe Ariel is coming to the rescue of both First Responders, Healthcare Workers and the Restaurants who need our business to survive. After graduating from college in Nashville, Joe Ariel’s move to New York City was accompanied…
A perfect lunch or casual dinner dish features Asian flavors just right for the whole family. This is a wonderful flavor-filled casual meal for serving at lunch or dinner. It brings Asian tastes to the table achieving the balance of sweet, sour, salty and umani…
The Sheet Pan: A great way to cook because it can be used to roast, bake or broil. For Christmas, one of Andrew’s gifts to me was Molly Gilbert’s book (Workman Publishing 2014). The asterisk is because the book also puts Breakfasts, Desserts, and Snacks…
Friends with Food Benefits. One of the great things about writing about food is that eventually, people seek you out with great things to cook and great wines to drink. So it was that I found myself in possession of a bottle of Garda DOC…
How much dry pasta makes a great bowl of pasta and sauce? We love a great bowl of pasta. It’s one of our most favorite comfort foods, especially on a cold winter night. I am particularly fond of Orecchiette, the little “ears” — the exact…
Make these glorious Pork Chops and surprising salad once…and it won’t be the last time. Guaranteed. What a wonderful surprise this recipe is! Gorgeous, big, bone-in Pork Chops are butter-basted and emerge from a cast-iron skillet looking like Porterhouse steaks. They’re accompanied by a crisp…
Bring a dish of Summer Sunshine to your Winter table in under 30 minutes flat. I nominate this dish for being a great big bowl of happy colors, great flavors, and almost instant gratification. It comes together in under 30 minutes. That alone qualifies it…
In the pantheon of amazingly quick and easy things to cook, there is the salmon filet. This lovely rosy fish cooks in all of 6 minutes depending on how pink you like it. And 6 ounces is a gracious serving. We can have the discussion…
As promised, I am going to try to make everything posted in December easy ways to get dinner on the table with maximum flavor impact. Today’s dinner incorporated a Premio sausage combination I’d not seen before. Premio packages both Sweet and Hot Sausages in one. …
The Bánh Mì sandwich is likely the most famous of all Vietnamese exports and rightfully so. A pint-sized baguette is split lengthwise and filled with all kinds of savory ingredients. You can find banh mis with all kinds of meat fillings but common to almost…
Yotan Ottolenghi is arguably one of the most influential chefs in the world. His latest cookbook “Ottolenghi Simple” (Ten Speed Press 2108) was just released in this country last week. Chef Ottolenghi has been a frequent presence on these pages and links to his other…
In keeping with our vow to eat less meat and experiment with a more plant-based diet, I was delighted to have found the bones of this recipe in Food and Wine. It’s pure vegetarian, a wonderful balance of textures and flavors with just a shot…
PRODUCT NEWS YOU CAN USE

Did you know that New York State is the second largest apple producer in the whole country? Only Washington State tops us. Trust a resourceful friend of ours, Wendy Brovetto, native New Yorker and grandchild of an Upstate New York Farm family, to create truly incredible Rustic Apple Jams in 4 extraordinary flavors. When she did, Croton Trading Co. was born.

Wendy explains ”We created our apple jam after one of those overzealous days of apple picking yielded a larger-than-usual haul. With more apples than any family could consume, the experimenting began and gave way to what we think is the perfect blend of apples and cinnamon.”
“We source our apples from local NY Orchards -- Thompson's Orchard in Westchester Co andl Richters Orchard on Long Island. I have a special fondness for these family-owned farms. Richters Orchard was a big part of my childhood, as my sisters and I would go on weekly outings with my dad to stock up on apples and cider"

"We carefully blend different apples to create our flavor profile and find inspiration from seasonal spices to create our Apple Jam”. Wendy proudly states.

Now Croton Trading Company is up to 4 flavors: Fall Harvest Blend, Ginger Pear Fusion, Chai, and Brown Sugar. You can see the whole range here:

Needless to say, we couldn’t wait to put Croton Trading Company’s Apple Jam to work making our Skillet Apple Pork Chops. This one-pot recipe is perfect for weeknights but so good you may want to serve to company. The chops finish cooking in Croton Trading’s Apple Jam and we always serve it on the side to give even more great apple taste to the dish. Here’s the recipe:
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 (6-oz.) bone-in pork chops
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
½ cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
1 cup Croton Trading Rustic Apple Jam (we used Ginger Pear)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 small red onion, thinly vertically sliced
Chopped Parsley for garnish.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork chops evenly with 3/8 teaspoon salt and 3/8 teaspoon pepper. Add pork chops to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until pork chops beautifully browned. Remove from pan. Set aside pan and drippings.
In a small bowl, combine stock and Croton Trading Apple Jam, stirring with a whisk. Set aside. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan with drippings, swirl. Add remaining 3/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 3/8 teaspoon pepper, sage, rosemary, and onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in stock mixture. Return pork chops to pan; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Plate each chop individually. Top with chopped parsley as a garnish. Serve with plenty of Croton Trading Apple Jam on the side.
FERNET, FIRE, AND A PERFECT CHICKEN IN BUENOS AIRES