Pork loin chop with braised Pink Lady apples and strozzapreti gratin

Not as veg-heavy as it should be, considering what I have in the chiller. But last night I gave mac n’ chee another major upgrade, served with homemade sloppy joes and sautéed poblanos. It was exactly what I craved after a day of chores but I didn’t want to dumb down the leftovers with a hot dog or a sammich (I ate the leftover sloppy joe mix with canned beans and some crackers for a quick chili happy time lunch).

I used the last of the strozzapreti and smothered it in smoky, peppery cheese sauce: I stirred a scant 1/2 teaspoon of pimentón into the béchamel and then gooed it all up by folding in handfuls of creamy (local!) pepper jack and a sharp NY cheddar. A generous shaving of pecorino Romano and fried onions on top and in the oven it went until browned and bubbly. Grab fork and commence toe curl.

So you see? Since I had this wonderful stuff with a sloppy fucking joe, I really needed to enjoy the rest of it with something a little classier. Like a tender pork loin chop with braised Pink Lady apples and caramelized onions, with crispy fried sage leaves and a whisper of pink peppercorns (any more than a whisper and you’re chewing on a Christmas candle).

And my handsome little male squash blossoms. I still haven’t worked up the nerve to fry them! But I did wilt some with sliced squash, minced jalapeño and garlic, a drib of truffle oil and a wince of white balsamic.

You see those fused filaments (quite manly, if you ask me), which support the golden talcum, gamete-bearing anther? Flower anatomy is unadulterated, full-spread, hot sex. And you wonder why I’m a botanist.

Anyways, tomorrow is Project Runway night, and I’m thinking store-bought pizza dough. Ooh! Maybe I’ll put corn on a pizza, Japanese-style.