– by Neil White (on my Kindle) – a really, really interesting book. It’s a memoir about the year the author spent in prison in Louisiana. About his sanctimonious attitude when he arrived there (he was convicted of kiting checks trying to keep his publishing business afloat) and what he learns during his year. But as much as it’s about his life as a prisoner, it’s more about the other residents of the prison – the last remaining lepers (Hansen’s Disease) who are provided for in the facility. Neil White is quite a character and I wondered more than once if he was ever going to “get it,” that he was greedy and egotistical. The book wasn’t published for about 10 years after his release, so at least he didn’t profit immediately by telling tales. The epilogue was so sad – listing the deaths of many of the leprosy patients and some of the inmates he came to call friends. One person at amazon commented that it was not worth reading because the author profited from his incarceration, and that he didn’t appear to have redeemed himself. I disagree – I think he did. If he didn’t, then he knows how to spin a good yarn. I choose to believe he learned a whole lot about himself and where his life took a (wrong) left turn, and that he’s trying to atone for his failings by publishing the book. You decide.
- by P.D. James (on my Kindle) – if I hadn’t read about this book in the Los Angeles Times a week or so ago I’d never have pursued this book. It’s nothing even close to her wealth of books of the mystery genre. But yes, it IS a mystery (not something I normally read) but it takes place about 5 years after Pride and Prejudice leaves off. That was the hook for me. An entertaining read and a way to keep in touch with all the lovable (and not-so) characters from Jane Austen’s classic. It’s not a page-turner in the true mystery-murder style, but it’s fun to read.
– by Judith Ryan Hendricks – I picked up this book at a lending library I use now and then. I have to laugh, though – the collection of books (probably numbering about 350 or so) is divided by paperback and hardback. And then by color. COLOR? I find that so ludicrous. But anyway, the title caught my eye. It’s definitely a novel, about a youngish woman who’s been a baker and a chef, but who is suddenly single. It’s about her struggle to find herself, to find a new rhythm of life. In the telling of the journey some recipes are included (baked goods, including bread-bread), which are available on the 
– by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman) – most everyone who reads blogs knows about Ree – the Pioneer Woman, from Pawhuska, Oklahoma. She’s always entertaining, whimsical and enjoyable to read. A couple of years ago she wrote a memoir of her romance with Ladd, her now husband. I can’t count how many times, as I was reading this, that I was LOLing (Laughing Out Loud). She is such a witty writer and knows how to tell a story. Even though I know she married Ladd and has since had 4 children, I was caught up in her story from the first page. I wrote it up in more detail on
– (on my Kindle) Michael Tucker (from L.A. Law some years ago) and his wife, on a whim almost, buy a home in Umbria. An old, old, old house with two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, I think, and a nice terrace (where a lot of living goes on in Italian homes and families). It’s the story of the purchase itself, the friends they meet, the neighbors, how Michael finds the best butcher(s), bakers and candlestick makers. It made me long for another trip to Italy, actually. They enlarge the home, although they’re not there for most of the construction. It’s a similar tale to Frances Mayes’ books and Peter Mayle’s books too, but it’s different. Tucker is a TV star; his wife’s a stage actress. They live on some higher plane than I do, for sure, with lots of friends with connections. But it’s a cute story and I enjoyed it clear to the end.
(Stacy Schiff); 
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Leafing through some recipes for pork tenderloin, nothing struck my fancy. Either I didn’t have the ingredients, or it sounded like too much work. Then provenance provided. A friend from my art class brought in some citrus to share. Handing us a bag, we picked through and took what appealed. Paz told us that these little guys (pictured) are sour limes. (No, they’re not kumquats, although they’re similar in size, but not in shape.) But, these were the orangest-looking limes I’ve ever seen, but they were tart. Very tart. What to do with them? Paz said she doesn’t use them for anything, that’s why she was giving them away. She suggested a lemonade-type drink, using lots of sugar.
Why not a marinade, then? I concocted my own mixture of a little bit of olive oil, the sour citrus juice and a clove of garlic, mashed. It marinated with the pork tenderloin for a few hours, and I rolled it around a bit now and then to make sure all the sufaces were in contact with the meat.
Pork is so lean these days, that I never serve a tenderloin, anyway, without something to go with it. It needs a sauce or a salsa, or something to accompany it. Even though the meat is tender and moist (if it’s cooked right), tenderloin in and of itself lacks any robust flavor. So serving it with a strong-flavored sauce is generally a good thing. Paz also gave us oranges, so I created a VERY easy pan sauce to accompany the pork. While the meat was roasting in a 400 oven, I sauteed some yellow onion (slices, halved), then added some fresh orange juice and vermouth and just before serving I added some orange zest.
I removed the roast when it reached 140 on my handy-dandy meat thermometer (I have the probe-type that inserts into the meat and dangles out the oven door to its base, where I set the finished temp). Once I took it out of the oven, I tented it lightly with foil, which keeps the meat warm. It actually rose in temp another 4-5 degrees while it sat. Meanwhile I finished up the rest of the dinner and salad, then the meat was sliced a bit on the diagonal and I spooned some of this pan sauce on top. The onion had taken on the sweetness of the orange juice, tempered by the vermouth, and was altogether lovely. Each bite of pork was consumed with a bit of the orangy-onion. If you wanted even more flavor, add some dried cranberries, or even raisins. Another option would be to add the sections (supremes) of another orange to the sauce just before serving (cook them just long enough to heat them through in the pan sauce).
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Baked Pork Tenderloin with Orange
Onion Pan Sauce
Recipe: My own concoction
Servings: 3
1 pound pork tenderloin
1 whole garlic clove — minced
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
SAUCE:
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 whole yellow onion — halved, sliced
1/2 cup vermouth
GARNISH:
Italian parsley & orange zest
1. Carefully trim the pork tenderloin of silverskin and most of the fat.
2. In a ziplock plastic bag combine the garlic, orange juice, olive oil plus salt and pepper. Add the pork and seal. Squish it around and refrigerate for several hours, turning several times.
3. Preheat oven to 400. Remove pork from marinade and allow to sit at room temp for about 20 minutes. Discard marinade. Dry off pork with paper towel.
4. Heat a medium skillet (large enough to hold the pork), and add the additional olive oil to the pan. Sear the pork on 3-4 sides to brown, about 1-2 minutes each surface. Remove to a small baking sheet lined with a Silpat (or foil).
5. Bake pork for about 15-20 minutes, until the meat has reached 140 (use meat thermometer). Remove from the oven and lightly tent with foil for about 10 minutes. Meat temperature will continue to rise during this time.
6. SAUCE: While the pork is baking make the sauce. In the same skillet used to brown the meat add olive oil and heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the sliced onion and saute on medium heat until the onion is translucent, and may even lightly brown on cut edges. Do not burn. Add the orange juice and vermouth and cook for another 10 minutes covered, at a simmer, stirring occasionally. If all the liquid evaporates add a bit more vermouth just to keep the onions moist. Season with salt and pepper and just before serving add the orange zest.
7. Slice the pork tenderloin on a slight angle, making slices about 1/3 inch thick and spoon the onion orange sauce on top of each slice. May also garnish the pork with finely minced Italian parsley and additional orange zest.
Per Serving (assumes you eat the marinade too): 465 Calories; 26g Fat (56.0% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 98mg Cholesterol; 89mg Sodium.
A year ago: Cilantro Chicken
Toffeeapple
said on March 20th, 2009:
This is making my mouth water! It sounds marvellous.
T-A: It was good. Maybe not off the charts, but healthy, anyway, and I loved the orange flavor with the onions. . . Carolyn T
Marie
said on March 24th, 2009:
I have never heard of sour limes! I have had qumquats, and I loved them. What a lovely sounding sauce to serve with pork. I agree with you. Pork tenderloin on it’s own without a sauce to accompany it is quite lacklustre, no matter how properly cooked. A good sauce is it’s best companion!
I still don’t know for sure WHAT they were. Small. Orange. But she definitely said limes. I used them all up in the marinade and sauce, so don’t have any more of them. . . Carolyn T