Snow today?

There's been talk of snow, or at least sleet, on different weather reports this week. Some have said the temperature would be down near freezing again this morning. But so far that hasn't happened. The temperature is about 40ºF right now (6:00 a.m.). Rain is still in the forecast. Spring is a season of fits and starts here. These are some vineyard photos that I took a week ago, on my birthday.

A gourmet treat out of a can

Yes, I mean it. It's what we had for lunch yesterday. I don't remember ever before buying cans of haricots blancs à la tomate, but now I know they are delicious. And nutritious. Look at the label on the can. It says these beans rate a nutri-score of A and are riches en protéines. The ingredients are eau, haricots blancs trempés, concentré de tomates, huile de colza, sel, sucre, et arôme naturel. A large-size can of plain white beans sells for 1.02 euros at Intermarché here in Saint-Aignan. A large-size of white beans with tomato paste in them goes for 1.12 euros. Both are a bargain.

I don't know about you, but in North Carolina I grew up eating what we called "pork and beans" out of cans. My mother also cooked a lot of dried beans as well. I posted about them a couple of weeks ago. White beans are the basis for the French specialty called un cassoulet, which is white beans cooked with duck, lamb, and/or pork or pork sausages (saucisses de Toulouse).

Yesterday, I didn't take the time to make an actual cassoulet. I also wouldn't call what I made Boston baked beans, because I didn't put molasses in it. I did add some spices and some other flavoring ingredients including Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and maple syrup (but not too much). What we had was just pork and beans. They cooked for about 90 minutes. And were delicious.

On dirait le bon vieux temps

Twice this past week, I went out with Tasha the sheltie and my current digital camera (my mobile phone). I took pictures of the sunrise and the local landscapes.

Don't worry though. It won't last. It's supposed to rain all week. Actually, it rained all day yesterday.

Kung Pao Pork

It all started with a nice head of broccoli and some tri-colored bell peppers. The broccoli was fresh; the peppers were frozen. Whenever I go to the supermarket, I buy broccoli if there is some to buy. We keep a bag or two of bell peppers in the freezer at all times, or whenever we find them in the freezer section.

A few days ago, I noticed a tray of lean pork tenderloin pavés (thick-cut steaks; pavé means "paving stone"). It was the only one, and I grabbed it for the modest sum of 3.5 euros. Yesterday these ingredients came together to make a recipe called Kung Pao pork, using soy sauce, srirasha sauce, and other sweet and/or salty Asian sauces that we keep on hand.

I cut the pork loin into strips and marinated and then stir-fried them with some chopped shallots and garlic cloves. I cut the broccoli into florets and blanched those broccoli separately in a steamer pot. Then I put them in the wok with the pork and poured on the remainder of the marinade the pork had bathed in. I stirred all that together, added the peppers, and voilà... Kung Pao! We sprinkled on roasted peanuts at the table. We also steamed some frozen pot stickers from the supermarket to make steamed dumplings as an accompaniment. Lunch was served, and the pork was very tender.