Mother’s Day

Sheet Pan Bacon Pork Tenderloin with Chili Sweet Potatoes

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Easy meal for Mother’s Day

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I’ve been wrapping up pork tenderloin in bacon for so many years (40?) that when I see a photo where someone else has done it, I think they’ve stolen my idea. (Perhaps they have but I’m doubtful. The world is large and I’m but one small cook.) Before the bacon method, I sometimes stuck slivers of garlic into knife-made slits all over the meat, slathered Dijon on top, and covered the whole shebang with almost more salt, pepper, and rosemary than was reasonable. Occasionally, and it’s all here on the blog, I combine all those ideas, and lest you think that was somewhat over the top, it wasn’t. Try it! Pork tenderloin, a bastion of easy-cook lean meat with a plethora of ideas for second round meals, remains a stable favorite in my cooking rotation, especially when it’s BOGO or buy one; get one “free.” This time, as the tenderloins — not to be confused with pork loins (scroll down to see the difference)– were two to a pack, I came home with 4 for about $13.50. Best sous and husband Dave divvied them up and vacuum-sealed them to freeze individually. Given that each was between 1 and 1 1/2 pounds of no-fat goodness and great for just about any cooking method (stovetop, oven, grill, air fryer, or electric pressure cooker), I started looking forward to my choice of preparations for spring and summer. First off was the bacon routine because #1 I could do it in my sleep and #2 I had this sweet sweet potato recipe that I knew was a match made in heaven. Having cooked a number of pork tenderloin sheet pan meals over the years, I knew I could put the meat and sweet potatoes all in one pan in the oven and sit down to eat in a half-hour. Meanwhile, I could find music, pour wine, set the table, and make a green vegetable.

Scroll down to IF YOU LIKED THIS... for a short list of my pork tenderloin faves. Type Pork Tenderloin into the search box for more.

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Strawberry-Chocolate Chip Scones with Almonds For Mother’s Day

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Use mini chocolate chips so the chocolate doesn’t overwhelm the almond and strawberry flavors.
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Since the coronation of King Charles and the American Mother’s Day fall just over a week from one another, I couldn’t help but think of making scones in honor of both events. (Of course I watched the whole coronation…well, at least from the time I awoke. Enchanting it was – especially the choir.) There’s nothing like a basket of gorgeous scones to set off a festive brunch or holiday tea and they’re both easy to make (I promise!) and very fast, particularly if you use a food processor. The only big decision will be….What kind of scones will you make? Scroll down for ideas or if you’re quite serious, you can order the wondrous Scots baker and fiction writer, Sue Lawrence’s fine book, SCOTTISH BAKING for the real deal scoop. I had a basket of lovely fresh strawberries on hand and a small jar of toasted almonds leftover from a salad, so there was little question about what I’d do. I adore strawberries with chocolate, so I thought I’d toss in just a few mini chocolate chips to gild that lily and quite soon, Strawberry-Chocolate Chip Scones with Almonds were born. And, if I do say say so myself, they’re fabulous. I want them again.

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KIDS BAKE MOTHER’S DAY: Apple-Pecan Coffeecake

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What is it about making brunch at home that feels extravagant and comfy all at the same time? We’re all over planning changeable, healthy dinner meals complete with menus, shopping lists, and Sunday prep, but morning fare is relegated to nearly the same dish over and over again. Folks literally eat oatmeal for breakfast every single day. Or peanut butter toast. Yogurt and granola. Whatever. But take us to a swank brunch buffet at a fancy hotel and we’re putting soft poached eggs on smoked salmon dill biscuits and snarfing down raspberries in Grand Marnier with dark chocolate waffles as if there were no tomorrow. And then there’s the bottomless mimosa, isn’t there? When we finally decide to put on an at-home morning spread–for Mother’s Day, say?– that takes more thoughtful preparation than slamming down bread in the toaster and manage some actual day-before cooking or baking, it’s amazing how pampered-rich, how homey and cosseted we feel. Kinda like, “Well, isn’t this nice?!” And it is.

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Colorado Bean Dip for Memorial Day

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In 2020, our ubiquitous all-American cookouts — which roar on ad infinitum Mother’s Day through Labor Day — were often a tad sad little affairs if we had them at all. Instead of the jumbo party packs of burgers and brats, unending veggie or cheese trays, boxes of big cupcakes, and the super-sized bag of red, white, and blue paper napkins to last all summer long, we were buying a single pound of ground beef, 4 buns, a pint of vanilla, and left the colored napkins on the shelf. Fireworks, if available on the 4th, were viewed from apartment building balconies or hillside decks. We were masked and our celebrations felt the same.

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COOKING THE BOOKS: Fun Gifts for Mother’s or Father’s Day

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Diana Henry’s FROM THE OVEN TO THE TABLE: Simple Dishes That Look After Themselves

While Mother’s Day — yes it’s this Sunday, May 10, 2020 — is absolutely just around the corner, Father’s Day, June 21, 2020, offers a little more leeway for thought…and shipping. Shopping, I mean. Wedding or graduation coming up later? Even a zoom ceremony/celebration? Whichever. If some lucky duck needing a gift anytime soon has a yen for cooking, I’ve got a few ideas for you. Scroll down for some fun info, recipes, and pix of stunning new and newer cook and drink books I’ve come to eat adore. Yes, there’s this: if you’re looking to get mom’s present there on time (lots of brownie points for on time–otherwise get on the phone that day), it’s time to click and pay. Today. So take a look at a book and see what you think. Links to amazon included for fast ordering.

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Crustless Shrimp+Green Chile Quiche

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If you are a cook anything like me, you’re always on the lookout for something new for brunch–that lazy, laughingly-slow, boozy late morning meal reserved for special occasions or holidays. Even my husband, visiting his folks a few weeks back, texted me to say, “Anything new on the brunch front?” I guess he or his parents were a little tired of their go-tos and that’s a bit on the odd side because most people in the world are very attached to their breakfasts, if not their brunches.

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Italian-Style Braised Leg of Lamb

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above: braised, cooled, chilled overnight, sliced and covered in its sauce right before warming in oven for serving the second day

Lamb, the meat of any-time-of-the-year special occasions, happy summer grilling, and winter warming stews, is the quintessential meat despite the infamous quote from, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,”

Aunt Voula: What do you mean he don’t eat no meat?

[the entire room stops, in shock]

Aunt Voula: Oh, that’s okay. I make lamb.

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Spring Brunch for a Crowd Made Easy–Sheet Pan Quiche with Variations

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   In Alyce’s Kitchen: SHEET PAN CLASS UPCOMING MAY 22: 10 AM-1PM. $40. Message me or leave a comment if you’d like a spot. Includes lunch! Will repeat in June as needed since a few of you already can’t make that date, but want to make sheet pan meals with me. Can’t wait to cook with you!

Dorie Greenspan and I are in total agreement over one thing:  quiche must return to the everyday American table on a regular basis! Not that I know Dorie personally– though we’ve exchanged a few comments here and there on social media–but when I read her recent column about quiche in the Washington Post, I felt my heart strings pull just a little tighter.  I know an ally when I read one.  YES!

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Spring Brunch Cooking Class–Master Quiche Recipe, Homemade Sausage, and Sam Sifton’s Glorious Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

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Upcoming cooking classes:  see above, top right corner-CURRENT CLASSES. Come cook and eat.  No shopping and no cleanup.  I promise.

NOTE:  After this post, More Time will be on vacation for a wee while. I’ll see you when I get back!  

About once a year I invite folks for a slow-down-your-life, stay and chat Sunday brunch for which the menu is short and sweet: a few quiches–each different, all made ahead and warming as folks have a first drink, a big bowl of fresh fruit cut up and maybe mixed with some fresh mint, a basket of muffins and/or rolls or a skillet of crispy potatoes (recipes below), and a choice of “osas” (OH-sahs)—MIMosas, POMosas, Bellinis, CRANmosas, and so on (choose your own juice or fruit and top with sparkling wine.) A big pot of coffee is turned on just before guests’ arrival, brunch music is tuned in, and everything is laid out on the table or counter all happily self-serve. Plates are at the start, food in the middle, and flatware is wrapped and tied in napkins, placed in a basket at the end of the buffet so no one must juggle plate, flatware, and dishing up food all at the same time. Drinks are set-up in their own stations and guests sit wherever they like, moving around at will, as conversations wax and wane, or when they’re hunting seconds.

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Recipe for Whole Wheat Cranberry Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins (above)

Recipe for Blueberry Muffins from my book  (below)                IMG_5693

This class, taught at Mountain High Appliance (formerly Shouse) in the Jenn-Air Kitchen (or at home if I have just four students!) focuses on the main portion of a basic make-ahead brunch that you can embellish (i.e.muffins, coffee cake, green salad, bloody marys), but also gives you the happy opportunity to create your very own breakfast sausage and a warm, boozy bread pudding for dessert–which, according to Ina Garten, is what people will remember anyway.  (I think people will remember the comfort of being together.) The Menu, then, which can be divided between guests for potluck, looks like this: Continue reading →

Make-Ahead Holiday Brunch for 12

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I might love brunch more than any meal...perhaps I like the laid-back time involved or the old-school approach.  There’s barely a noted beginning –sitting around drinking coffee as the food is put out — and there needn’t be any end. (Movie with the coffee and brandy??)  It’s almost always a group.  Nearly certainly a special occasion.  More fun at home than at some swanky, pay-through-the-nose, eat-til-you-drop place, I think.  Even the dogs are at ease.

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