Sketches from the Orphan Bar 4.4.13

Once the initial mental cacophony of being in a crowded room settles down and fades into a subtle drone the images gather to the forefront of my mind to be consciencelessly catalogued.

The greaser fella sighs into his beer, in a short sleeve white t-shirt so crisp that I assume that it's come right out of the package and smells of plastic. I think he is waiting for something or someone because his face lights up when a text comes through. The beautiful bartender's sister sits with an sweet faced baby in her lap, his head a mess of blonde curls. Next to me another local slumps and laughs occasionally at my dark humor, as I speculate on the lives of others and decline to take personal chances.

Lately the olfactory is knocking me over. A sudden super-sense. I can smell everything from the Old Spice on the greaser, to the smell of butter on the chef just off a shift. I confirm with him, his cuisine is French. The sick aspartame smell of my cheap whisky and diet coke and the cheaper floral perfume of the two french girls who whisper about men from last night and eye the baby with disdain

How did we all end up in this city? By fate or by chance? Both seem to operate on the same wavelength and free will claims no stake in either.

I want to reclaim will.

I want to be guilty when my mind's levee breaks.

-----

from the journal

Rock & Roll Cookbook- The Doors L.A WOMAN

Notes from the Rock and Roll Cook Book: The Manifesto

It’s time for a revolution. American cooking culture has become stagnant. Two camps like political parties sit out on opposite sides of the fence. On one side we have the foodies, whose knowledge and know-how has descended from passion into snobbery. On the opposite end we have the 30-minute meal camp, where quick and healthful usualy means taking tried and true favorites and trying not to shake things up too much. It’s high time for a revolution.

Cooking and eating a meal should be a joy, one that challenges and excites us, and brings us out on a culinary ledge. But it should also be something that one can do in an evening. that’s not to say there isn’t a place for a lazy Sunday and a complicated, time-consuming dish. I’m just saying it isn’t Wednesday.

So where does this leave a twenty-something Brooklynite? The Rock And Roll cookbook. The idea was simple, born out of a love of rebellious music and a rejection of the two camps of thinking. Take inspiration from the music that I love and apply that free-spirited, but at it’s base, technically simple world and apply it to food and drink. Choose an album and use the inspiration to make a meal. It’s already been shown that listening to music can effect the way your brain processes taste in a recent paper published by the  British Journal of Psychology so why not take that idea one step further. Dust off your vinyl, put on your Doc Martins and follow me. It’s gonna be fun, we’re going to make some mistakes, we’re gonna get messy, and there might just be a sweet jam or two.

Episode One: L.A Woman by The Doors

Inspired by Jim Morrison’s post record release flight to Paris, France, where he ultimately died a few months later, I’ve chosen a Pinot Noir wine and a chevre chicken combo that swirls like an acid trip. It’s a quick and easy dinner to prepare, with a few new “twists” that make it interesting. Though this may seem like a tame meal by Doors standards keep in mind that they had to fire their producer because he called the classic song Riders on the Storm “cocktail music.” Sometimes you have to cool it down to make things hot.

The Food

Tripped Out Chicken

-Thinly sliced chicken breast fillets
-Chopped Scallions
-Chevre or Soft Goat Cheese

Each roll up will consist of one fillet, two table spoons of chevre, and two tablespoons of scallions. You will probably want two roll ups per person.

Lay out a chicken fillet and place 2 tablespoons of chevre in a line down the middle. Then sprinkle the scallions. Starting from the wider end of the chicken, roll the fillet up like a sleeping bag, then place a toothpick to the middle to ensure that it stays closed during the cooking proccess. Spinkle the roll-ups with salt. Grease a frying pan with olive oil and head it on medum. Place your chicken in the pan. Brown each side and then cover the pan and put it on medium-loe allowing it to cook for around ten minutes.

Bay Scented Quinoa

Makes 4 Servings
-1 cup dry quinoa
-1 ½ cup water
-3 Bay Leaves
-1/4  tsp salt

The ancient Greeks believed that chewing Bay could give you prophetic dreams, something Jim Morrison would heartily endorse. The quinoa grain is a staple of the indigenous South American diet, and since Jim thought he was the reincarnated spirit of a Native American shaman, this meshes nicely with our theme.

While your chicken is being prepared boil up 1 ½ cups of water. Add three bay leaves and ¼ tsp salt. When this comes to a boil, and you’ve put your chicken in the pan, add one cup pf quinoa to the boiling water. Boil for 15-20 minutes

Lemony Haricot Verts

-1/2 a pound Haricot Verts
Haricot Verts or French Green Beans are a simple and cheap staple of France and round out our healthy meal with a vitamin dense vegetable.

Clean and snap off the stems.
Boil for 10 minutes or steam for 15 minutes
Squeeze  fresh lemon over the hot green beans
Salt to taste

Wine
Les Volcans
This French wine is not only spicy with high notes at the end of the bouquet but has a full palate with a crisp finish. Though the Pinot Noir is known for it’s gentleness and its susceptibility to bottle shock there is a certain rawness and heat and underlying power that gives lends this red it’s name. Just like a certain lead singer.


----------------------------------------------------
UPDATE 7/10/12
The Lex Wine blog is totally down :(
So I've reposted these articles here.
Thankfully I retained the rights to this project

The Rock & Roll Cookbook: RUSH!

The Lex Wine blog is totally down :(
So I've reposted these articles here.
Thankfully I retained the rights to this project
______


The Rock and Roll Cookbook
Episode 2 - RUSH

THE ALBUM:

There are few bands that divide devoted metalheads in the way that Rush does. Simultaneously self-serious and silly, these gods of the progressive rock camp are known for their technical proficiency as well as their devoted fan base. There’s something inherently nerdy about Rush. The Led Zeppelin obsession, the ringing “astoundingly high” tenor, with sci-fi tinged lyrics, and a set of synthesizers that would make Thomas Dolby blush.

I have to admit that I came to appreciate this band only in the last year. It’s fitting that I was exposed to them in the basement studio of a bass player friend of mine. Sitting around after a long drive back into Brooklyn, the synth player demanded that we listened to Rush. Previously only known to me as “the band with the girl who wails” I found myself actually kind of digging the sound, and deeply amused at the raucous abandonment in which my friends enjoyed the music. Still though, I rolled my eyes. The next day though, when Rush came on the radio, I actually payed attention. A few days later I had bought this album and found myself thoroughly enjoying it. When I caught myself perking up my ears to the opening synth riff of Tom Sawyer and getting into my “ready to rock” stance I knew I was hooked. It’s with that slow realization in mind that I came up with a dinner menu based on their most popular album Moving Pictures.

THE MEAL:

A nod to Rush’s Canadian heritage the protein aspect of this meal is a pan-seared Salmon that juxtaposes sea-salt and honey. It’s named in honor of Geddy Lee’s Order of Canada citation recognizing his humanitarian work.

Favorite Canadian Son Salmon

Needed
-One 6oz Salmon Fillet per person
-2 tbs Olive Oil
-Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste
-1 tbs Clover Honey per fillet

Heat the 2 tbs olive oil in the pan on medium heat for around 2 minutes.
Take your Salmon fillets and sprinkle the sea salt on the fish.
Place in the pan heated oil and cook for around 4 minutes, flip the fish and let it cook for another 3 minutes. Then spoon the honey over the fillet, the heat will help to liquefy the honey.
Try to get an even coat on the salmon and cook for another minute before removing from heat and dusting with black pepper to taste.

The Real Tom Sawyer’s Collard Greens

It’s funny that a Canadian band would write about something as American as Tom Sawyer. Though the lyrics to this song are cryptic, the recipe based on them is straightforward. Taught to my by my High School boyfriend’s southern mother, these collard greens are comfort food to many.
-One bunch fresh Collard Greens
-4 Cloves of garlic
-2 tbs olive oil
-Red Wine Vinegar
-1/2 tbs table salt


Come Around Mashed Turnips

There are few vegetables that are as divisive as the turnip. A “gross food” to many kids, turnips have a rep for being lame when they truly do not deserve it. Slightly tangy and with way more psrsonality than a potato, the turnip needs a second chance later in life to be really appreciated. Does this remind you of anything dear reader? A certain rock band in my life perhaps?

-FUN FACT!-Did you know that before people carved pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns they carved turnips into the crooked smiling lamps for Halloween celebrations?

-ANOTHER FUN FACT!-Turnips were a staple food for the First Peoples of Canada!

-4 fist sized turnips
-2 quarts water
-1 1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 tablespoon sugar
-2 tablespoons butter
-1/4 cup whole milk
-Salt to taste
-1/2 Tsp ground Celery root

Peel and cube the four turnips, it should produce about 6 cups.
On the stove boil the two quarts of water, add in the salt and sugar.
When the water comes to a boil add the turnips and boil them just a little past soft, about 20 minutes.
Drain the turnips and then either put them back in the pot, the flat bottom of the pot makes them easier to mash. Add in the butter, whole milk, and ground celery root, and mash with a potato mashing tool.
Alternatively you can use a table top mixer to mash the turnips. Or some other method. Everybody mashes things in their own way. Do what you want man. It’s the rock & roll cookbook. Add salt to taste and serve.

Last night I cut open a small rat...

Not the general way I start my posts, or it hasn't been in the past, but it is true. Last night I was lucky enough to take the Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Class at the Observatory in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Susan Jeiven, a tattoo artist by trade, was a wonderful and patient teacher. She talked us through the finer points of brain scooping and flesh boraxing.

I can honestly say I loved the class. Below are images of my little "Church Mouse." I'm calling him Padre. The pins will come out when his ears dry.

The Rock & Roll Cookbook: Ram by Sir Paul

The Last Rock & Roll Cookbook on the LexWine Blog

The editor for this blog has resigned, and the owners have put the site on hiatus. Though this was written months ago, the final installment of the Rock & Roll Cookbook as a column on the LexWine Blog has just gone up.

I began this project specifically for the LexWine Blog, and I'm not sure how to proceed with it. I think the best step for now is to put it on hiatus until I find a new home for it. I considered putting it here, but I don't think it fits thematically with the rest of this site...



UPDATE 7/10/12
The Lex Wine blog is totally down :(
So I've reposted these articles here.
Thankfully I retained the rights to this project
_______

Hello Lex Wine Lovers and Rock & Rollers,

I hope you had a happy and healthy holiday and New Year. I want to start 2012 out with a feel-good, positive album and where else would I turn but to the “cute Beatle” Sir Paul McCartney and his 1971 release of Ram.

After McCartney’s self-titled first post-Beatles release, which went double platinum but did not have a hit single, he and his wife Linda decided to spend an extended holiday at their farm at Mull of Kintyre in Scotland. It was in this pastoral setting that the two began collaborating on songwriting, with Linda providing concepts and backing vocals. A photographer, Linda was the first female photographer to have her work featured on the cover of Rolling Stone. However during her time with McCartney she learned to play the piano. Though critics claimed that her singing was flat, something she herself agreed with, she went on to become a member of Wings and to prove herself a capable musician.
Though the album was written in Scotland it was eventually recorded in New York City. The session musicians were auditioned under the guise of recording a commercial jingle. The record was pressed in stereo, and mono copies were made for radio stations. Those mono copies remain the most expensive and rare.
Ram contained Sir Paul’s first #1 hit after the break-up of the Beatles with the tune Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, titled after Paul’s uncle and an American war hero. Many were relieved to see that Paul could still write hits without his famous songwriting partner. John Lennon was more than a little suspicious of the project, and not without reason. Lennon felt that there were many thinly veiled insults directed at him and Yoko Ono throughout the album, a fact that Paul himself later confirmed. “[John] had been doing alot of preaching and it got up my nose a bit.” This frustration with Lennon’s public statements led to the writing of the opening track Too Many People which contained lines like “Too many people preaching practices.” and “You took your lucky break and broke it in two.” Lennon fired back with his song How Do You Sleep? on his record Imagine. More on that in the next installment though.
One of the legacies left behind by Linda McCartney is that of adamant vegetarianism and a passion for animal rights, one that her widower carries on to this day. Linda was often quoted as saying “If slaughterhouses had glass walls than the whole world would be vegetarian.” It is with this in mind that I present No Ram Shepherd’s Pie a vegan version of a classic English favorite.

No Ram Shepherd’s Pie

You’ll Need:
1 Large Onion
1 cup sliced Crimini Mushrooms
2 minced Garlic Cloves
4 large Russet Potatoes
½ cup sliced Carrots
½ cup Corn
½ cup Peas
½ cup cooked Spinach
3 tsp Flour
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Soy Creamer
Margarine
Salt
Pepper
Whole Bay Leaves
Chopped Parsley

Optional:
Any other vegetables you like. Really, the more the merrier.
Gimme Lean Soy Based Ground Beef

How to do it:
Peel potatoes and boil water.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
In a large sauce pan put 2 tbs of Olive Oil, saute’ the onions
As the onions have begun to caramelize add in the mushrooms, giving them a little room to brown.
When the mushrooms are browned turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Add in ¼ of a cup of the soy creamer and the bay leaves, and put on a very low flame.
While stirring add in the flour to thicken. This creamy mushroom sauce serves as a base for our Shepherd’s pie.
Take your peeled potatoes and cut them into manageable pieces.
Drop potatoes in the now boiling water.
As the potatoes boil saute the remaining vegetables and garlic in olive oil, salt & pepper. If you’ve decided to add the soy saute’ that in with the vegetables. When the vegetables are ¾ of the way cooked remove them from heat.
By now your potatoes should be done boiling. Strain and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Add in ¾ a cup of the Soy Creamer, 3 tablespoons of Margarine or similar vegan butter.
Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil to the mashed potatoes
Mash using a manual masher, tabletop mixer, or hand mixer.
If you prefer creamier mashed potatoes then add more soy creamer.
In a deep baking dish (I use a 10 inch diameter circular ceramic one) layer the sauteed vegetables, then pour on the mushroom sauce.
Finally cover the top of the mixture with the mashed potatoes and smooth flat with a spatula.
Brush the top of the pie with olive oil.
I like to put a little shake up nutritional yeast on top of the mashed potatoes before I put the whole thing in the oven to bake.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the potatoes take on a light gold color.

Wine
In keeping with the theme of animal friendly options and environmental stewardship we suggest a hearty red of the organic variety.

The Plague Doctor

Image of a plague doctor by Gerhart Altzenbach 1700's

Historical Information

As may be seen on picture here,

In Rome the doctors do appear,

When to their patients they are called,

In places by the plague appalled,

Their hats and cloaks, of fashion new,

Are made of oilcloth, dark of hue,

Their caps with glasses are designed,

Their bills with antidotes all lined,

That foulsome air may do no harm,

Nor cause the doctor man alarm,

The staff in hand must serve to show

Their noble trade where'er they go.

-Anonymous 17th Century Poem

It's hard to imagine that there was a time where intimidation was considered part of proper bed side manner for a doctor, yet the image of the plague doctor  speaks to this quite clearly. Though the details of the plague doctor's costume were created with the protection of the doctor in mind, they had a second intention, one of the instillation of fear. If you saw this giant raven-like figure entering your neighbors home, you knew no good could follow. The engraving above speaks to this effect as the left side's background shows children fleeing from the plague doctor.

The costume of the plague doctor was not totally based on the instillation of terror however, and each part of the total costume served a purpose, even if the reasoning behind it's use has now been debunked by modern science.

The wide brimmed hat was worn as it was the traditional mark of the doctor. It would have identified a member of the medical profession much like a police hat would in the present. The most striking feature is, of course, the bird-beaked mask. The reasoning behind the aviary visage was two fold. One was that the plague was spread by birds and that by wearing the mask of a bird the doctor could draw the disease from the patient to the garment in an act of sympathetic magic. Additionally the beak was filled with strongly aromatic herbs and spices. This was to overpower the "bad air" which was another suspected cause of the spread of the Black Death. One can also imagine that the gangrene of the many plague patients did not give off a pleasant smell, perhaps this mask diminished those scents. The overcoat of the doctor was waxed or coated by suet and left no skin exposed to the terrible disease. It was also thought that the lipid coating on the overcoat could diminish the chances of the disease getting through the cloth to the doctor. At the very least it reduced the likelihood of bodily fluids clinging to it. Under the oilskin overcoat leather pants that bear a remarkable similarity to fisherman's waders were worn. This was intended to be an additional source of defense against the plague. Oftentimes the first place that the plague would manifest symptoms was in the lymph nodes, located in the armpits, neck, and groin. Therefore special care was taken to doubly protect those areas.

Though in the end the real culprit was fleas, this terrifying costume may offered some modicum of protection to the doctors. However it also may have helped to carry fleas from one place to the next in it's heavy folds. Either way, it's something that I have always found frightening & fascinating.






(SOURCE: Oxford Journals>Humanities & Medicine

• Jnl of the History of Med. and Allied Sci
• Volume XX, Issue 3
• Pp. 276)

Rock & Roll Cookbook! Billy Joel & Pizza

Head on over to Lex Wine Blog where you can learn to make pizza from scratch and discover some surprising facts about everybody's favorite Piano Man.

UPDATE 7/10/12
The Lex Wine blog is totally down :(
So I've reposted these articles here.
Thankfully I retained the rights to this project


___________

            A long time ago Billy Joel was better known for crafting tight, melodic piano ballads than for driving his car into things. Repeatedly. Given the cultural appetite for the  lurid details of our hero’s lives, it’s easy to lose sight of his remarkable talent. In this installment of the Rock & Roll Cookbook we are going to explore his 1977 album The Stranger and make a delicious pizza from scratch.

Born in the Bronx in 1949 to a German father and an English mother, music was always a part of Billy Joel’s life.  His father was an accomplished classical pianist and the young Joel took his lessons from a woman who also taught ballet in her studio. This led to much teasing in his early years. So much so that he took up boxing, eventually fighting on the Golden Gloves circuit.

 Billy Joel went into the world determined to make it as a musician come hell or high water. Upon leaving school he commented “...To hell with it. If I'm not going to Columbia University, I'm going to Columbia Records and you don't need a high school diploma over there." Within six years he was, in fact, signed to Columbia Records. Tenacity and dedication served him well. Though he didn’t officially graduate High School when he left, he returned 25 years later to finish his last English course and collect his diploma.

The Stranger is perhaps one of Billy Joel’s best known albums, impeccably produced by Phil Ramone. A violin prodigy who went on to produce acts as diverse as Luciano Pavoratti and Clay Aiken, this was the first team up between the two. They went on to work on all of Joel’s albums up until 1989 together. (This partnership lasted longer than any of Joel’s marriages to date.) The interplay between Joel’s songwriting and Ramone’s producing is thought to be the root of the power of these early Joel albums. Four of the nine songs on The Stranger were Billboard Top 25 hits, and the first track Moving Out eventually spawned a Broadway musical with choreography by Twyla Tharp.

Upon entering the studio though Billy had more rough ideas than completed songs. In fact the iconic whistling on the title track was originally intended to be a wind instrument, but Phil Ramone advised him that the whistling “was the Stranger.” Perhaps one of his most iconic songs, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant, was originally three separate songs. Inspired by the second side of Abby Road, the three songs merged into the 7 minute 37 second epic that spawned a thousand waiter’s opening of “Bottle of white, bottle of red? Or perhaps a rose’ instead?” In case you’re wondering, the Italian restaurant in question is loosely based on Fontana di Trevi across from Carnagie Hall. Though Only the Good Die young was met with some concerns over it’s perceived anti-Catholic content, Joel is always quick to point out that in the end the girl refuses the proposition in question. Though he hasn’t released any new pop music since 1993 Billy is constantly touring and has premiered a few of his classical pieces in concert.

Onto the food!

            Though making pizza dough from scratch can seem intimidating, it’s actually a fairly easy process. However sometimes we don’t have a day in advance and in those cases pizza dough is usually available in your grocer’s cold case. There are also the pre-baked crusts but I have always found those to be inferior to starting with dough.

Pizza Dough

3/4 cup warm water about 10 degrees above body temperature

1 envelope active dry yeast

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

In a small mixing bowl combine the water and yeast, letting the mixture stand for about 5 or so minutes.

Combine all of the dry ingredients together and then slowly add the yeast mixtures and the olive oil

The dough should form a slightly sticky ball.

Take the dought and move it to a flourerd surface, perhaps a larger bowl that gives the dough room to rise

Knead the dough until it is smooth. If the dough is super sticky feel free to add a little more flour.

Lightly coat the ball in olive oil and cover the bowl. Allow the dough to rise for and hour and then punch it down in the center.

The dough is now ready to be made into pizza.

preparati

Hackensack Heart Attack(ack ack ack ack) Pizza

Being born in the town of Hackensack, NJ and raised in the state I have a particular affection for this song about “every kid trying to make it in America.” This pizza harkens back to those evenings with my family all around the table. You may notice that there aren’t exact measurements and ratios for the pizza toppings. If you love arugula, pile it on. Can’t stomach prosciutto? What’s wrong with you?! I mean, just leave it out...I guess. You’ll also note that I am not suggesting you cook a pizza sauce persay but simply to use canned tomato. The intention here is to let the natural flavors of the tomato ring through rather than to over sweeten by the inevitable carmelization that occurs when one cooks a sauce and then bakes it in the oven.

You’ll need:

-Pizza Dough

-Prosciutto

-Arugula

-One Can of Crushed or Diced Tomatoes

-Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

-One can Quartered Artichoke Hearts

-Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees.

Spread out your dough on a oiled baking sheet or a pizza stone if you have one.

Spoon on the tomato sauce, adding by the tablespoon full until you get the coverage you desire. You may notice that it is a little chunkier than your traditional pizza sauce, this is a call back to the more traditional pizzas I ate growing up. Try not to put on too much sauce, just a thin covering, other wise your crust will be soggy.

Sprinkle on a thin covering of mozzarella cheese over the pizza.

Add the prosciutto in slices across the pizza, then evenly distribute the artichokes.

Layer on the arugula, but keep in mind that it will wilt and shrink significantly in the oven.

Add the fresh cracked black pepper over the arugula.

If you desire add just the slightest sprinkling on mozzarella over the arugula.

WINE

Though Billy is a little more liberal with his wine pairings than I am I might go in the direction of a red wine for this meal. A Tempranillo, with it’s black plum flavors pairs well with the pork and the notes of black pepper will create a taste bridge from the food to the wine itself.

-Christa Pagliei

The Rock & Roll Cookbook is Bold As Love

Check Out the newest entry in the Rock & Roll Cookbook

UPDATE 7/10/12
The Lex Wine blog is totally down :(
So I've reposted these articles here.
Thankfully I retained the rights to this project
_______

Rock & Roll Cookbook # 4

THE ALBUM

Jimi Hendrix  Axis: Bold As Love

Patron saint of over-driven amplifiers and wah-wah pedals everywhere; Jimi Hendrix is thought to be the greatest Rock & Roll guitarist of all time. With his distinctive look and wild guitar style his name is synonymous with the excesses of the late sixties, and his death at twenty-seven is still considered a great loss to the music world. Born in Seattle, WA to  seventeen year old mother Lucielle while her husband Al was away in the army. Jimi’s father was part Cherokee and had six fingers on each hand, the former which influenced Jimi’s aesthetic style later in life. Often struggling with family dynamic and fiannces the family moved frequently and “Buster” as his parents called him took refuge in playing the guitar. After a stint as a paratrooper in the army Jimi began to persue his music career in earnest.

In 1967 The Jimi Hendrix Experienced released the album Axis: Bold As Love. 

The first Hendrix album recorded in stereo rather than mono it was a groundbreaking album both sonically and technologically. One of the most interesting was Hendrix’s use of a Leslie rotating speaker. Designed for organs the rotating speaker created a wavering effect on his guitar.  Well crafted songs, many of which later became cover staples for other artists, such as Little Wing, Up From The Skies a jazz influenced tune about aliens, and the roaring yet delicate title track Bold As Love round out this album that is ranked #83 of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
It is with this album in mind that I present to you the meal, a romantic dinner for two inspired by the album that is comprised of a Spicy Pork Tenderloin, an asparagus side dish, and curry cous cous. Most of these recipes are intended to sit overnight and then slide into the oven, or plate. This is designed to leave the partner who is cooking with time to enjoy being with their significant other, or others. Free love baby, free love.

THE MEAL

Bold as Love Pork Tenderloin

This spicy pork dish is both tender and hot, the perfect centerpiece to a romantic meal.
You’ll Need:

-3/4 pound of Pork Tenderloin
-2 tbs Olive Oil
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp pepper
-1/4 a tsp cayenne pepper
-1/8 a tsp ground clove

1- Combine dry ingredients in a small dish and mix thoroughly
2- Rub the tenderloin with oil
3- Put an even coat of the dry spice mix all over the tenderloin. Refrigerate for 6 hours, or overnight
4- In a pan with sides bake the tenderloin at 425 degrees on the middle rack for 20-30 mins
5- Let the pork stand for 5 minutes before slicing

Wait Until Tomorrow Asparagus Salad

This cold side dish is also intended to sit overnight, allowing the asparagus to absorb the dressing and chill. When the time comes simply take it out of the refrigerator and serve.

You’ll Need:

-1 bunch of asparagus
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 lemon
- 1 red sweet pepper
- 1 tbs Olive Oil
- ⅛ a cup crushed cashews

1- Clean the asparagus and cut off the white ends
2- Boil water and drop the asparagus in to blanch, do not leave them in the water for more than     2-3 minutes. If you do you’ll have limp asparagus, which is very unsexy.
3- Combine the salt, lemon juice and a little lemon zest, the sweet red pepper and the olive oil
4- Toss the dressing mixture with the blanched asparagus, put in a covered dish and chill overnight
5- When ready to serve sprinkle the crushed cashews on top as a garnish and to add depth to the flavor.

Curry Couscous
The famous cover of this album was directly lifted from an Indian religious poster. Though Jimi expressed appreciation for the symbolism, he also said he would of liked something that reprsented his Cherokee heritage. I personally disagree with Jimi, and this is one of my favorite album covers of all time. Inspired by the Indian theme this is a curried couscous recipe. Curry is the ideal starch for this meal as it is easy and quick to prepare and is designed to get you out of the kitchen.

You’ll Need

-1 cup of plain couscous
-1 tbs of butter
-1tbs curry powder
-1/3 cup raisins
-1/8 cup parsley
-1/8 tsp cumin
-1 ⅓ cup boiling water
- salt to taste

1- Boil water, adding in butter, curry, cumin, and parsley. Allow the butter to melt and the spices to mix into the water
2- Add couscous to the water, mix thoroughly, and turn off the heat.
3- Allow the couscous to sit for 5 minutes, and then fluff with a fork


WINE

The spicy nature of this meal calls for a wine that can cool the palate. A riesling, with it’s fruit and citrus tones strikes just the right note with both the pork and the side dishes featured above. Check out __________ over at 111 Lex Liquors.