Ottolenghi Cookbook

Another wonderful Christmas present cookbook (thank you, Jamie!) was Ottolenghi. Last week I got very excited about it and made several recipes. They were so tasty and unique with a variety of flavors and textures in each dish. Some of them require some obscure ingredients, but well worth it. The recipes would make impressive dinner party dishes. Recipes coming this week!

A special Ottoloenghi dinner for Jamie

New Pie Book

Isn't that the most beautiful pie? It's from my new cookbook, Four and Twenty Blackbirds - thanks Palmer and Austen! This particular pie was salt pork apple pie. It was really tasty, but it's an odd one and I think it would have actually been better sans pork. I can't wait to make another pie from the book, though, because the crust was so, so flaky and buttery and crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, and there are so many great looking recipes and helpful tips.

Mustard-Crusted Pork Tenderloin

I got three wonderful cookbooks from my brother-in-law, Austen, this year (it's a tradition now) one being Pickles, Pigs, & Whiskey. Even though I was on vacation in Florida last week, I couldn't resist trying one of the recipes immediately - the Mustard-Crusted Pork Loin. Yum! It was so flavorful, and the mustard mixture that you rub on the pork is my new favorite condiment. I want to put it on hot dogs and sausages, and it would be fabulous for pigs in a blanket at a party. This makes a lot and we were eating it for days, so it would be a good dinner party main course. I served it with more couscous-style cauliflower (just switching up the seasonings a bit).

Serves 6 (recipe says 4, but I think it's more like 6)
Ingredients:
2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
salt and pepper
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup grainy mustard
2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tbsp plus 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup grated shallots
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
3 cups panko breadcrumbs
5 tbsp clarified unsalted butter
3 tbsp chicken stock
1/4 cup apple cider
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cubed