Smoked Pork Chops and Spicy Asian Squash

I came up with this butternaut squash preparation because I love butternut squash but have been eating it the same way for years, namely, roasted after being tossed in olive oil and s&p. This time I roasted it after tossing it in canola oil then tossed it again with minced ginger, scallion and hot chili flakes once it came out of the oven. This made a significant difference! And it looks so pretty with the flecks of green and red from the scallion and chili.

The squash went exceedingly well with smoked pork chops, simply seared and heated in a cast iron skillet, and so smoky salty sweet. And some braised collard greens too.

Asian Oxtails

To celebrate the snow and my new kitchen I wanted to make something yummy and cozy. David Chang published an oxtail braise in the Times awhile back which I could not find so this is my version. After browning the oxtails and then carrots, celery, garlic and finely diced parsnip all went in the oven with soy sauce, red wine and beef stock. Also a bay leaf, slices of ginger, star anise and a cinamon stick. And about 1/2 cup of kombu broken into small pieces. Kombu adds a subtle sea flavor and thickens slightly it seems. 3 hrs at 250 degrees produced falling off the bone succulent meat and plenty of delicious sauce to eat with rice. We ate platefuls of the stew with braised bok choy.

The leftovers will be even better heated gently in the oven. I went one small step further, pulling the meat off the bones and reheating then serving over bowls of soba noodles with a dash of chili sauce and a sprinkling of scallions.

I've Been Away But I'm Back

The past year has seen a lot of changes in my life, the biggest being my husband's and my decision to live apart. Fall was very busy with apartment hunting, moving, job hunting taking up the main of my time and energy and cooking taking up almost none. Lots of takeout and pasta.



But now I'm settled in a new apartment with a cozy Ikea kitchen. It works so well and has a table to eat at, not an island. This means longer and more leisurely meals and less jumping up and down for me. Hmmm...you learn something new every day. And speaking of Ikea, I bought some of their top line pots and pans and I'm here to tell you that they perform as well as All-Clad. Really and truly.