This week as I went about my chores, I thought about Kathy, my blogging colleague, fellow Dorista and new friend who blogs at Bakeawaywithme.
In one of her chatty, interesting blogs, Kathy shared with us that she owned 600 cookbooks. Seriously? Yes, 600, she’s counted. Furthermore, she’s still a buyer. I have a few words of advice for you, Kathy. “Don’t Move. Don’t Ever Move. Don’t Even Think About Moving.”
This week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe choice is Fresh Orange Pork Tenderloin. The thickly-sliced pork medallions played well with sliced beets, Trader Joe’s baked french fries, and a hearty red wine. Yummmm
Our French Fridays with Dorie recipe is a very delightful Fresh Orange Pork Tenderloin. Easy to put together, the two main ingredients are 4 large oranges and a pound-and-one-half pork tenderloin. Duh! The seasoning is simply salt, pepper, chopped onions and bruised cardamon pods. Although a large pork tenderloin serves four dinner portions and I was only cooking for one, I decided to make the big guy. I needed the protein.
A vision of orange: juice, zest and segments.
Unfortunately, pork gets a bad rap. It’s that bacon and cured meat thing. According to Fitday, a wellness link:
Lean pork is a healthy choice of meat. It is a good source of proteins, vitamins and minerals. The low sodium content makes it a good choice of meat if you want to maintain healthy blood pressure.”
These days I need to “do healthy”, find more energy than I probably have stored away, and pretend there is more boom in this early boomer than there actually is. After selling my Nevada house last week, I’m now deciding how to meld the belongings from this 2000-square foot house into my 1000-square foot Colorado condominium that is already beautifully furnished.
Eight pork medallions, browned and gently simmering, donated graciously by a lean, little pig.
Yeah, I’m laughing, too. This is déja vous all over again. Eight years ago when we moved from Colorado to Nevada, we went from 4000-square feet to 2000-square feet. That was painful. Now again, it’s all about sorting and tossing and organizing and donating and selling and giving and begging. I’m a Nester, whatever space I have, I fill it ….and, more. When my friends hear me say, “Would you like………..”, they Just Say No and back away quickly. I cannot shame my children into taking more. The Goodwill Donation Truck man is tired of me and my trash container was overweight last week. That’s trouble.
This past week, as I packed boxes and de-cluttered my Life, I gratefully gobbled up those pork medallions (8). Made exactly to Dorie’s directions, I felt the slices were a tiny bit tough. Next time I will shorten the simmering time. Is there always a reason for chopped onions being included in recipes? I would have preferred a stronger cardamon flavoring. Otherwise, mighty tasty and filling.
While cleaning my linen closet I found these placemats, a souvenir from a trip to Carcassonne. It not only brought back French memories but also helped brighten up the dinner table.
I am writing this Post late Friday night and will barely make the FFWD deadline. I have just driven into Aspen to spend a week here organizing my April 1st move on this end. (And, yes, rent a storage unit.) Although in the past 10 hours I have driven from 70-degree temperature and sunny skies to a 38-degree temperature with a snowstorm on the way, I am happy.
Cold, very cold, but happy.
SATURDAY MORNING, ASPEN, COLORADO:
My Welcome Home Breakfast with friends of 25 years (and still counting), at Poppycocks.
Hanging Out at the Hotel Jerome’s J-Bar. Saturday.
Well, I’m proud of you for getting your move in the works, for sorting (I can’t ever move!), for making lots of changes, etc….and still getting this pork recipe done. WOW! Your meal looks great! So…I’ve actually been thinking about you this week and your move from warm to cold. That’s another think I can’t ever do. I have to drive to SLC, UT next week and I check ed the weather forecast, and it will be a high of only 20s on some days…don’t know if I can do it. Don’t know how I grew up there and stayed alive. I know that the mountains, etc are sooooo beautiful and so much to do, but my blood has thinned and I worship the sun. So when I was feeling sorry for myself and my upcoming trip, I thought of your permanent move to cold. Good luck!
I am selfishly delighted that you’ll be in Aspen full time…Bill is throwing around Fall 2014 as our time to return to our favorite little hamlet! I hope your cookbook collection is way smaller than Kathy’s…good luck with the purging.
PS…glad you enjoyed this dish. xo
Good luck with the move 🙂 And yes, more cardamom would have been great. I wasn’t bothered by the onions though (I diced them very fine).
Moving is never fun. I still have boxes from two moves ago lined up in my basement. If I didn’t have to sort through them to pick out the childhood treasures from the junk, I would have tossed them after the first move 🙂 My one sentimental cell got the best of me.
My mom decided to do me a favor (I was the only child that lived locally at the time) and purge her house of 55+ years a couple of years ago – she had two roll-offs full of stuff and I don’t consider my mom to be a saver at all (I think most of it was my dad’s stuff from the barn).
Anyway…. your meal looks lovely and refreshing and positively energy building.
Sending all the best wishes your way!
Oh Mary, This post really hits home for me. I’m in Atlanta visiting my son and his family. It’s 7:30 in the morning, I turn on the computer, and see your post about my cookbooks! It gave me a good laugh! We are actually thinking of putting our 3000 sq. ft. house up for sale in the spring, and move to a 55 and older place at the Jersey Shore. I think of my cookbooks all the time. They have to come…but there is a lot I’m willing to get rid of. I collect everything! I’m definitely a nester! I choose to think that after many years in the same place you tend to put things away from trips you’ve taken, gifts you were given and of course, all those things the kids made for you when they were little. Priceless to me! It’s taken me a year just to organize my thoughts on what I will get rid of.
Sorry for babbling on…it’s way too early in the morning to be thinking about this!!
Your pork tenderloin looks delicious! I will be posting mine next week while we are in Fl.
So glad you’re happy…stay warm and enjoy your new home!!
Great post!!
Those place mats brought back memories to me as well. Hubby and I visited Carcassonne in
2002 as we drove toward Bordeaux and Cognac. Such a beautiful medieval city. Your pork
looks so delicious especially with the sliced beets. As for moving, after this last move, I
still have unpacked boxes from all the items purchased over the years. Have a great weekend.
Whew!
Love your post, I am forever trying to “clear the decks” and given and tossed a bunch, but can never seem to quite get there – good luck with that!! 🙂 I thought this was ok, but I didn’t really change anything – it could have used more something. Hope you enjoy your weekend!
I’m glad to hear the pork fortified you all week! I didn’t really like the sauce, but did like the cooking technique. More fiddling ahead.
I’ve lived in the same house for almost 20 years. I dread our next move. I’m a nester too. I don’t have quite as many cookbooks as Kathy, more like 400 though I haven’t counted lately. That will be a problem.
Lovely pictures of your welcome back breakfast! Have a great week!
well fear not! we are in the process of giving (or leaving stuff in boxes on people’s stoops) stuff away and de-cluttering, sorting, trashing and donating all of our stuff… since we have a weight limit to stay under for our international move… too bad more people dont want our stuff huh? 🙂 My goal for the next place is to actually buy furniture like bookcases and drawers to actually have a place to put things away… at least now with two kids the husband unit is actually interested in letting me buy furniture!!! 🙂
your pork looks good also 🙂 i pictured four portions of pork (our entire tenderloin) and we felt that two quarters was a good portion for one person. 🙂
Mary, how do you actaully get all the things done – packing, travelling, “scaling down”…and those FFwD posts…we have so many things in our house that I would like to get rid off and I tried to implement this new “rule” that for every item that one of the kids brings home, another one has to go…HA! …what was I thinking…it does not work. But I have found a new charity that happily accepts some of the things that I managed to drag out of the house…
Having said that, I like your presentation of your dinner plate on the Carcassonne placemats with the lovely looking Orange Pork, red beets and French fries. And I love the pictures of you in the snow and your wonderful Welcome Home Breakfast!
The Valentines have not arrived yet but I will send you a mail as soon as they they do!
Try to get sufficient rest – stay warm and have a wonderful Sunday!
Hi Mary, moving sucks doesn’t it. You look happy back in Colorado though. I have tonnes of cookbooks too – don’t want to count them. Glad you enjoyed the pork – I thought it was delish too.
600?! Really?! 🙂 I do think I remember reading that on Kathy’s blog and totally agree with you that she should NEVER MOVE! I don’t envy your purging and melding, Mary. We are not even moving and I am trying to purge and it is really difficult. Let me say that the placemats you found are perfect for your French Friday meals and I love that you set such a pretty place setting for yourself. Your dinner looks fantastic and I am glad you enjoyed it as much as we did. I absolutely love the photo of you and Jerome. Hope you are getting settled and staying warm.
For me, much better as a salad the next day so I’d cook the whole thing for just me any day.
Ha- love the photos- especially those fun extra ones with your friends. That is simply fabulous that you have such wonderful friends basically everywhere !! And completely understandable. You are a giver and that is combined with the fact that you have a lot to offer. What an amazing combo and it is easy to see why so many want to be a part of your life. Now about those cookbooks of Kathy’s (how did I miss that post 🙂 and your own collections – I raise my hand in guilt. Not 600 cookbooks but “too many” and my trips to the Salvation Army need to be spaced so I don’t embarrass myself too much. And yes, as I get to the actual recipe – great job and kudos for making that whole loin. Go big or go home and yes, you did go home….glad you survived the move. Enjoy your nesting 🙂
My parents are going through a similar process. Their enormous storage unit is still very full of stuff that needs to be sorted!
We enjoyed this, but didn’t love, either.