As excited as I was by the arrival of my Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, I immediately handed it over to Abby. “Pick what looks good,” I told her. The book was written by Deb Perelman, grande dame of food bloggers, Olympian baker, DALS honorary guest, and shutterbug extraordinaire. This last part of her bio was crucial for me. If I’ve learned anything from this whole cooking-for-kids thing, it’s that the easiest way to convince someone under four feet tall that something is delicious is to show them a photograph of that something looking delicious. And when there are pages and pages of photographs showing things like Tomato Shortcakes with Whipped Goat Cheese and Balsamic and Beer-braised Short Ribs with Parsnip Puree and Apple Cider Caramels? Well, I know I’ve hit the jackpot. Almost an hour after giving Abby the book — an hour filled with ohmygodMOMs and wows — she handed it back to me the way you see above. It shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise that the pages she tagged were Gooey Cinnamon Squares and Chocolate Raspberry Rugelach and Peach Dumplings With Bourbon and Hard Sauce and Deepest Dish Apple Pie. Perelman’s famous for her baked goods, each one of which just feels definitive — either the only one you’ll ever need or the only one that actually exists in the world (Buttered Popcorn Cookies!). Her recipes are not always easy, but they deliver in a big showstopping way, which is why she’s my go-to for holiday entertaining. As she says in the introduction, “I don’t really care if a meal is going to take more than thirty minutes to cook or if I’ll have to chop three different vegetables. All I need to know is that a soup that may take a little longer and may be a little more involved will actually taste better than what I’m used to.”
Of all recipes tagged with Abby’s post-its, naturally, I honed in on what looks the most manageable for a weeknight dinner. It’s pork, it’s apples, and you know it’s going to be good. Deb was nice enough to let us run it below.
PS: I’m giving away one free copy of The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook to a commenter selected at random. Winner announced Thursday morning (and must live in the 48 contiguous states). Good luck!
Update: Megan (#26) is the lucky winner. Thanks everyone and look out for some more giveaways as we head into the holidays.
Pork Chops with Cider, Horseradish, and Dill
From The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, by Deb Perelman
Serves 2 to 4
glaze
1/2 cup (120 ml) cider vinegar
1/2 cup (120 ml) hard or pressed apple cider
2 tablespoons (30 grams) freshly grated horseradish
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
chops
4 bone-in loin pork chops, 1/2 inch thick (1 1/2 pounds/680 grams total), room temperature
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small dish, and set aside.
Trim any excess fat around chops until it is but a thin ribbon, no more than 1/8 inch thick. Pat chops dry with a paper towel, and generously season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the oil starts to smoke. Add the pork chops to the skillet, and cook them until they are well browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the chops, and cook 1 minute longer; then transfer chops to a plate and pour off any fat in skillet.
Pour glaze mixture into the emptied skillet. Bring it to a simmer, and cook until mixture thickens enough so your spatula leaves a trail when scraped across the pan, about 2 to 4 minutes. Return the chops and any accumulated juices from their plate to skillet; turn to coat both sides with glaze. Cook them over medium heat in the glaze until the center of the chops registers 140°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Transfer the chops to a serving platter and pour the glaze from the pan over them. Sprinkle with dill, and eat immediately.
Pork chop photo by Deb Perelman.
love the blog, very excited about the cookbook!
Yay, pick me! Between your book and Deb’s, I’ll be all set!
Apple cider caramels sound so delicious!
DALS and SK are my go-to sites for inspiration!
Deb’s recipe for pickled red onions pretty much changed my life. I make them year round and they make everything taste better. I’m so glad she has a book!
I was just looking at purchasing this book last night!
Smitten Kitchen is on my “check daily” list, along with DALS! Thanks for the opportunity to win the book!
Oh man! I love her blog (ALMOST as much as yours), and her book is on my Christmas wish list!!
I would LOVE to get this cookbook! Deb’s blueberry boy bait is so delish.
I’ve been eyeing this in the stores.
One of your blogs led me to the other (I can’t remember anymore which direction it went) and have led to many happy meals here. I’ll admit, I’m more likely to make DALS recipes because they’re on the more manageable end of the spectrum. But SK photos are definitely drool-worthy and inspiring! Both books are on my Amazon wishlist for this Christmas…
I am so excited for this book! It is on my Christmas list….I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
Heard her speak on NPR and am so curious to see the book. Oooh, I hope I win! Thanks!
Smitten Kitchen was my first food blog obsession, and lead me to many others (like DALS)! Would love to have a copy of the book!
I want the deep dish apple pie secret! Apple and pork are quite the couple in my opinion. Cheers
Pick me! Sounds great! Either way, I’m going to need to pick this one up
This book is on my Christmas list and I’m a frequent visitor to both DALS and Smitten Kitchen. You guys rock!
This one is on my Christmas list!
I adore Deb’s recipes and haven’t gotten my hands on a copy of her book yet. I’d love to win it!
SK is my other favorite food blog! (And the first one I ever read!)
Love SmittenKitchen! Would love to win a copy. I plan on buying one if I can’t.
Deb’s peanut butter chocolate cake insanity has been my go-to dessert for birthday’s for my husband’s side of the family. They all love peanut butter & chocolate, and none of them like to stray too far into the un-known. Making that cake (with or without the ganache and brittle) allows me to have fun and fuss in the kitchen, and EVERYONE loves it.
This cookbook is definitely going on my holiday wishlist!
I just got it from the library yesterday – swoon! Deb does no wrong.
I love Deb’s food and her writing. Her cookbook looks stunning!