Passion Project: Shredded Pork Tenderloin over Rice and Greens

It all started with a craving. A pulled pork sandwich kind of craving. I don’t know where it came from, but I know that I suddenly needed one. Have you ever made pulled pork at home though? Not only does it take forever, but it also requires one of the largest cuts of meat there is: pork shoulder. I neither had the time, nor the appetite to cook a whole shoulder. So what could I do? Pulled pork is typically made from the shoulder because of its high fat content. When cooked at a low temperature for an extended period of time, the fat slowly melts and the meat strands fall apart. Could I get this result with another cut?

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Passion Project: Perfect Pork Chops with Garlicky Swiss Chard

In my opinion, pork is the most intimidating kind of meat there is. I actually have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with it. While it has been featured in some of the best dishes I have eaten, it has also been in some of the worst. It’s so easy to overcook that it can really be hit or miss. As I’m sure you know, overcooked pork isn’t good. At all. What makes it even worse is that pork can be THE juiciest (I’m talking pulled pork sandwich kind of juicy). So naturally, it’s even more of a waste when it isn’t cooked properly. For this reason, I waited to take a class about it before I tried to prepare it myself.

Chicken and Fajita Vegetables Swiss Chard Burrito

I’ve been home for over a week now, and all I’ve been doing is eat. Seriously… It’s partly due to the fact that it’s the holiday-season but I also simply can’t control myself when my dad’s cooking. I tend to forget how good it is when I go back to school, and then I fall right back into it when I go home. In many ways, it’s a daily test to my self-control that I fail miserably. So in preparation for today’s New Year’s Eve dinner, I felt like I needed a “detox” lunch.

Winter Grain Bowl with a Poached Egg

I can barely wait for Thanksgiving break! Only two days of classes left until I get to leave for NY and enjoy some well deserved time off with my roommate and her family. Over the past three years, this has become one of my favorite traditions of the fall semester, and one that I look forward to from the very beginning of the school year.