Pork Loin done Right

the simplest way to prepare pork loin is to make a simple glaze and pop it in the oven on a low heat.

First the glaze:

• Apricot, orange or peach jam (or a combination of all three)
• Mustard
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Salt
• pepper
• brown sugar.

If you're lazy you can use one of the premade dry rubs for pork, and mix with mustard, worcestershire sauce and the jam.

Directions:

1. Cover your pork loin with about half the glaze.
   
   
2. Throw it in the over on a low heat, around 350 and roast.
   
   
3. Add more glaze as you cook it. Keep spooning the drippings over the loin, about every 20 minutes or so.
   
   
4. Just cook until its done - white all the way through and simply falls apart. It'll be easy to cut, and the glaze drippings you can add to the pork slices.

Feel free to replace the dry ingredients with a decent jamaican jerk rub or if you have a wet rub, replace the worcestershire sauce and mustard with the wet jerk sauce.

Enjoy!

A New Coq Au Vin

The "Cook for a Cure" went over as a huge success. One of the meals I made was my own twist on the classic Coq au Vin. A simple french peasant dish of chicken, vegetables in wine. Coq au vin simply meaning "Rooster in Wine" is usually made with older chickens because the connective tissue gives for a richer broth.

Now the recipe I'm going to give will be a simple basic one, from there you can experiment and create a lot more by adding more different vegetables in the main stew.
I was cooking 80lbs worth of chicken, so this recipe is a faster cook and easier then the slow stewed Coq au vin's of traditional france.

Take about 6 chicken thighs - dry them, salt and season them. I just used pepper and kosher salt.
In a pan with a light coat of olive oil, put the thighs skin side down and cook until cooked on that side (about 4 minutes or so).
Remove the chicken and place on the side, drain most of the fat.
Place in about a clove of halved garlic, a hearty amount of celery - cut in one inch pieces.
Cook the celery and garlic until the celery is soft.
Place the chicken in the pan with the garlic and celery, uncooked side down.
Cook until just under done - maybe about four more minutes.
Add enough wine that the celery and garlic are just covered. I used a chardonnay, but either that or a white zinfandel will work just fine.

The wine will also clean the fat that may be burnt onto the bottom of the pan of because of its acidity.

Take some chopped parsley and sprinkle over the coq au vin. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 5 -10 minutes on a low heat. Slice into one of the thighs and make sure its cooked thoroughly. If not, you can always throw it in the oven at around 375 until its done.


Now a few options you can throw in mushrooms, onions, carrots, pancetta or unsmoked bacon in the piece. All of that you want to throw in after you've drained most of the fat. you can also add a few tablespoons of cognac - moreso with a red wine like merlot if you use that instead of a white.

As per usual, be creative, have fun. This recipe knocks out 90% of the cooking time for Coq au Vin and makes for what i think is a great base to an awesome meal.

Dizzy's Club Coca Cola

The atmosphere screams of the sophisticate you expect of Columbus Circle while lightly beating of the beatnik roots of the popular jazz scene. Tables close enough to reach out and touch your neighbour while being far enough away that you can still have an intimate conversation. The backdrop of the stage a panoramic view of the city from the edge of Central Park. Even the building being spaced so perfectly from the view that they don't crowd your view of the treetops of the park. Intimacy, privacy and connection to the city and it's music prepare you for both a musical and culinary treat. The menu reaches to the heart of jazz's Louisiana connections with a seared Catfish Po'Boy, Bourbon Flamed Angus Strip Steak, Crawfish and Crabcakes and Crawfish Beignets. The mainly seafood laden "Gumbo-laya" with crab meat, shrimp, crawfish, andouille sausage, tasso ham and chicken makes me wonder if the chef's can dish out what the menu has me yearning. And to Dizzy Gillespie himself is a dish named "Salt Peanuts"

The warm lighting and simple flourescent downlighting on the tables decorated with an eggshaped dome light help to accentuate the clean edges and of the room as well as its waving acoustic wall panelling. The scent of the room becomes as intoxicating as a back-alley New Orleans restaurant as I now crave crawfish étouffée and gumbo.

The crab soup was light on the crab with a nice touch of saffron. Though lacking in content, the use of celery and spices blended nicely for a rather enjoyable start. The spices used gave a late kick that would last until at least your meal was served. I still would like to see more crab in the soup advertised as a crab soup.

The sounds of Dizzy Gillespie's All Star band featuring Charlie Persip, Dizzy's drummer and current New School professor was great. Starting off with specific people who couldn't keep tempo, but were excellent once they woke up or had their solo and got on-point.

The seared Catfish Po'Boy served with coleslaw and sweet potato fries was slightly chilly when served. The fries were so heavily salted that one may forget they were sweet potato fries and think they were in a 1990's McDonald's. Maybe a selling point for those who don't like sweet potatoes. The Po'Boy itself on a toasted roll with lettuce, tomato and all your po'boy basics was delicious. The spicy mustard they used added a well needed layer of flavour that the seared catfish lacks on its own. Cooked well enough that the fish stayed together while being cook fully through.

The second course of the night Chelsea Crowe, and her rich voice, perfect for jazz. Soulful, never late and on pitch as she sang Willow Weep for Me. I would even venture to say that I enjoyed listening to her sing it more then Nina Simone. even her stage presence was simply delightful. An act I'd like to see mature and be given a chance to perform more herself.

"I go green by drinking local."

The Long Island based Blue Point Brewering Company's Blueberry Ale closely mimiced the blueberry beer from the Boston Beer Works without the use fo blueberry garnish. Though the Beer Works is moving away from the blueberries through the hoses and rather an added garnish. The selection of wines, champagnes, beers, cordials and spirits was a bit more then i originally expected and made the place a bit more versatile as an after dinner spot.

The gift of the night was a free carrot cake for Dizzy's Birthday.

If not for the music and culture, Dizzy's Club Coca Cola offers an amazing view, decent bar selection and very good food.


Dizzy's Club Coca Cola

Cedar-Planked Salmon

Cook for the Cure

Thursday, 16 October 2008, at 7pm in the Atrium of the NJIT Campus Center in Newark, NJ, I will be hosting "Cook for the Cure."



Dinner cost are $10.

All proceeds over the cost of food will be donated to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

For more information contact me at:
Thomas L. Reynolds
Tom@ThomasLReynolds.com

I would like to thank Humberto Baquerizo and Ivetter Rodriguez for all the help and support they have given in setting this up. As well as Iberia Peninsula for their donations.

AYZA Chocolate and Wine Bar

Wednesday night I took a trip to NYC to see my friend Reena and enjoy chocolate and wine. What else is there that needs to be said about a place about 400 square feet with chocolate and wine? 11 West 31st Street, between Broadway and 5th, so you know where it is.



The place boast the ability to feel both tiny and give me the ability to enjoy my personal space, an issue with many small restaurants. The table isn't large enough for the both the food and wine menus but that's fine because the neurotic server will rearrange the items on the table until there's room for every bit of food and drink you order.

I believe we ordered a cabernet sauvignon but i can't be too positive, We pointed and had the first thing that Reena's finger landed on.

I don't drink wine properly. I believe that the method in which you sample your wine when you first get it does the wine minimum justice. There is a flavor a freshly opened bottle of wine has only twice. When you open it and when you're at the end of it. And though not always good, it is honest, true, real. But to me, "Sour, sweet, bitter, pungent, all must be tasted." Strong dry blackcurrant, though maybe a zante currant would add a bit of sweetness that it could have used. Once the wine opened, it changed to what is so still a bit dry but so much better a wine. I enjoy that transformation, that maturing of the wine in front of me.

Then you open the dinner menu. We kept it simple to a selection of appetizers. Steak Tartare, Angry Chicken and some shrimp dumpling. I wish I could remember better, but that wasn't much of the appeal. The food was good, overly laden with noodles and seaweed. Good, but almost unnecessary.

Lets talk about Angry Chicken. Get it. It's good and cute. I guess the angry is the mild amount of spice.

The Steak Tartare was all a good man can ask for in steak... still mooing and with horseradish.



Presentation - 10

Now for the whole purpose of going to a chocolate and wine bar...
The chocolate, and the wine.

Chocolate Choices we made, Bin 27 Port, Grand Cru and Alizé Hearts of Passion.

Starting with the Bin 27 Port was enjoyable. The best of the portuguese wine hits you late, subtle and perfectly toned with the dark chocolate.

The Grand Cru was a bit of a wash. The flavours dissipated while eating, leaving you with just a dark chocolate in your mouth.

But the recovery was the alizé hearts of passion. For those like me who enjoy the bold taste of pure passion fruit, this truffle offers that. Do not pair with red wine or a dry wine. If you've ordered a red or dry wine, just eat this truffle by itself. It presents a richness and boldness that makes even the most dull tongue understand why chocolate affects emotions.

All in all, Ayza is a good find and I recommend to anyone wanting to have a good day out. Don't go hungry, but the prices aren't bad. Enjoyable, fun, friendly and the architectural details are fun. You'll love when you figure out where the wine comes from.