Spice-Rubbed Pork with Bourbon Peach Sauce

Yesterday I showed you last week's cooking disaster, so today I'm much happier to share a cooking VICTORY!

I love pork tenderloin. It's almost always my entree of choice when I visit a fancy restaurant because it's so easy to mess pork up. Every recipe I've tried in the past has resulted in ludicrously dry pork that I just gnaw on for what feels like hours.

I remember when I was just starting to cook, people told me about searing. I lacked the vocabulary and the know-how to understand what they were talking about, so every time I tried searing, I ended up cooking the meat for too long.

But on Saturday, all of that changed! For I made coffee-chile pork tenderloin, topped with bourbon peach sauce. And it was AMAZING and EASY.

First, I prepared a spice rub with the spices shown above: 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 packet of Starbucks Via ground coffee (I used the Italian Roast), and 1 1/2 teaspoons of chili powder. The recipe called for ancho powder, but listen folks, this was spicy enough...frankly I'll use less next time.

I have found it increasingly difficult to find a pork tenderloin that isn't pre-marinated, especially because we live so close to Smithfield and their products dominate the pork aisle. I decided to use their "Peppercorn and Garlic" marinated tenderloin, so for that reason I skimped a bit on the garlic powder and didn't need to rub any oil on the meat to help the rub stick.

I poured the mixed spices onto a plate and pressed the tenderloin into it, rolling it until it was covered. While doing this, I preheated the oven to 375.

I then liberally sprayed my grill pan with canola oil and with the pan nice and hot at medium-high heat, I popped that bad boy on there. This is what it is to sear meat: you allow it to cook for about 3 minutes on each side, just long enough to form a beautiful crust. That's going to keep all the juices in while you then bake the tenderloin.

I placed the tenderloin on an aluminum foil-lined pan (just to reduce mess) and placed it in the oven for 30 minutes. Perfect amount of time to dilly dally on the Internet and finish an episode of "Felicity."

When 30 minutes passed, I cut into the middle to see if it was done and it was, but I was schocked by how juicy it was. It sliced like buttah. I used the foil to tent the meat while I made the bourbon peach sauce.

If I'd had my druthers, I would have used fresh peach slices, but what I had were cans of diced peaches. I melted a tablespoon of butter over medium high heat, then added the peaches and cooked for 2 minutes. Then, I added 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. I gave that a good stir, then removed from the heat to add 1/4 cup of Maker's Mark bourbon. Mmmmmmmm.

I returned to the heat and let it simmer. I realized later that at this point I was supposed to add a second tablespoon of butter, which might explain why my sauce didn't seem thick enough, but no matter, it was still delicious.

I topped the pork with the sauce, which gave it a sweetness to contrast the spicy rub. It was SO GOOD. I cannot express to you how amazed I was. It really might be the best entree I've made. If you like pork (heck, if you think you don't!) you should try this recipe; don't be afraid to adjust the rub to your taste, but also don't be afraid of the coffee. It gives it a smokiness but doesn't taste like you poured Starbucks on your tenderloin.

That Time I Ignored Donna Hay

My long-time readers know there was a time when making any kind of food was a challenge. Working outside a recipe was (is!) unthinkable, and thinking fast on my feet, such as making substitutions, was beyond the realm of possibilities. 

I'd like to think I'm past that now, that two years of cooking has taught me a few things. But, oh, I have learned! I am not there yet. That's what Donna Hay taught me.

Donna Hay, if you don't know her, is like the Martha Stewart of Australia, except even more artful and tasteful. Her recipes are always deceptively simple, and accompanied by droolworthy, perfectly art-directed photo layouts. My good friend Ryan sent me two of her cookbooks out of the blue, and after a quick perusal of "Off the Shelf", I identified a couple recipes to try. 

I decided to make her crispy Thai-spiced chicken with a side of coriander noodles.

The coriander noodles are typically paired with a honey-seared salmon, but why not with chicken, I reasoned? I told Sean to get busy shredding zucchini...so far so good.

My frenemy Donna recommended getting several ingredients from Asian supermarkets, like rice flour and rice noodles and Kaffir (lime) leaves, but Donna, sometimes people only have time to go to Harris Teeter and hope for the best!

So, I reasoned the Thai spice would still come through if I subbed Panko bread crumbs for rice flour. She recommended I combine quartered chicken breasts with all of the ingredients at once — egg whites, rice flour, red chilis, cilantro leaves and the lime leaves. I scoffed at her suggestion, particularly since I didn't have some of those ingredients.

Instead, I lightly beat some egg whites in a bowl, and then on a plate, placed bread crumbs, red chilis, cilantro leaves, sesame seeds and a couple squirts of lime juice. So far so good.

I covered the pieces of chicken with the mixture, and then we put it in a pan on medium heat with three tablespoons of peanut oil. Guess what happened?! The panko bread crumbs were burned black faster than I'm assuming the rice flour would have been, and it took foreeeeeeeeevvverrrrr to get all the chicken cooked throughout.

I suppose the peanut oil burned at a higher heat than I'm used to...or the panko was a bad idea...or maybe I was a mess because I was trying to rush through making dinner while finishing up an article from home? Whatever the reason, it left me frazzled.

Meanwhile, I realized I totally did not have the right noodles. It said maybe Chinese egg noodles would work and I thought, "Hmm...I have some leftover tagliatarelle...that's egg pasta...how bad could it be?"

I combined the tagliatarelle, which we cooled with cold water, with the shredded zucchini, chopped cilantro, chopped mint leaves, lime juice and honey.

And at 9 p.m., we sat down to eat this: Burnt breaded chicken and the slimiest, most disgusting pasta ever. 

The lesson: When that nice lady Donna Hay takes the time to tell you how to recreate her genius, don't mouth off and tell her she's wrong. She's right. And you...you are still pretty new to this domestication thing.

(The postscript would be that the chicken still tasted pretty good and the combination of the red chilis, cilantro and sesame seeds was a nice spin on the usual boneless chicken breast.)

Sunday Best v.72

Painting of the NY skyline, as it is now, by Miss Capricho.

• Storycorps has done an incredible job of gathering remembrances of Sept. 11. Every year, since 2006, I have listened to these stories. 
• The New York Times has a page reflecting on the past decade. Take a moment to look at their hard work.
• A cool photography series about organizing.
• Could it be true? Zombie engagement photo session?!?
• A guide to buying houseplants.
• I really want to try making ice cream at home, and might have to get this cookbook.
• Advice on framing art.
• What teachers wish they could say.
• What we should have learned in high school.
• A handy guide to what foods you can freeze.
• Make your own pinata!
• So wishing I had gotten an iPhone right about now: An 8 mm film app. Awesome!

Pigeon Toe Ceramic Drawer Pulls

I'm loving these sculptural drawer pulls by Pigeon Toe Ceramics. The link there is to DesignStory, which has a sale on them, but you can also find them here. They are $24 for one and $130 for a set of six.

I think they have this Flintstones quality to them that's playful, but modern and chic. They could really dress up a faux-walnut MALM dresser, or could spruce some solid white nightstands. 

DIY: Katie's Table Makeover

Way back in December, my sister-in-law moved into a new apartment and wanted to get a new look for her new bedroom. She's always loved the shabby chic look, and we liked the idea of finding her a table that could work as a nightstand...something to spiff up a bit.

We had only been shopping for a few hours when we found this little white table on super sale; it was perfect, with a little drawer and a shelf below. It was on super sale at Potomac West Interiors in the Del Ray area of Alexandria, Va.

Katie loves yellow and wanted to bring some sunshine into her room, especially because she works nights and doesn't get to see the sun too often! She decided to paint it yellow. 

She sanded the table with a square sanding sponge and used sandpaper for the legs. 

 She used Behr's Wildflower Honey primer + paint, doing two coats in one weekend.

 She didn't have a tarp or dropcloth, so resourceful Katie used two garbage bags, split apart!

She liked the idea of giving it an older look with hardware, and at the time, Anthropologie was selling fake keyhole knobs. She added this one.

Et voila! Finished look. We did a bunch of stuff for her room all in that one shopping weekend...she also bought the rosette bedding from Anthro, and the lampshades were on sale at Pottery Barn. The lamps, I think, were from Target. Above her bed are the framed skeleton keys we did here.

Yay Katie! Unlike me, Katie actually delivers on her project plans! 

If any of you would like to share a DIY project, feel free to email newlydomesticated(at)gmail(dot)com.

Patterned or Solid?

I cannot CANNOT make up my mind. I've been thinking, as you know, about making a headboard. The best part of making a headboard is that I can use any fabric I want. The worst part is, I can use any fabric I want.

I keep vacillating between choosing a solid fabric or a patterned fabric. On the one hand, I think a patterned fabric would be a fun way to punch it up, whether it's a neutral or colorful fabric. On the other hand, almost all of our sheets are patterned, so it might be better to go with a solid headboard. On the other other hand, mixing pattern works fine as long as you're in the same color family, right? RIGHT? Ugh, I'm losing my mind.

Let's compare shall we?

From From Gardeners to Bergers.

Ticking stripe headboard from Martha Stewart. I actually think this would be great for our guest room, where I have all my silhouettes.

I like the idea of a neutral pattern, like this one.

And I really, really love the impact of this floral headboard from Lonny.

But oh, a simple solid....so chic, so timeless...

A solid headboard can mix well with patterns, like this one from Rue.

A solid gray brings masculinity to a feminine room. Designed by Steven Gambrel, seen here.

I could never DIY this coral headboard, but I do love the idea of a bright color. From Decor Pad.

Finally, wouldn't this tufted gray headboard give plenty of room to grow? Seen here.

Brownie-Covered Oreos

I've been accused of being a dessert snob, and I'll admit, it's true. I like a challenge, be it frozen lemon mousse or creme brulee. But even I can recognize the undeniable truth that box mix brownies and oreos are a magic that just can't be created from scratch.

I was trying to think up some fancy dessert to bake for Sean's friends, but as soon as I spotted this recipe, I decided to scrap those plans in favor of full-on, unadulterated junk food porn.

The steps are beyond easy.

Mix your brownie batter according to the directions on the box.

Dip oreos in the batter.

 Put each oreo in a well-greased or liberally sprayed muffin tin. Bake at 325 for about 15 minutes.

 Et voila! From the outside, an unassuming mini brownie.

But what lurks inside is a happy surprise!

I Still Want to be Felicity

Netflix, clearly knowing the air is starting to chill at night and the stores are stocking sweaters, added "Felicity" to its streaming line-up. To say that I worshipped "Felicity" when it premiered is a huge understatement; I viewed it as a peek into my future, because I was SURE I would be going off to New York or something. Didn't quite go that way, but she was still my clothing inspiration. I remember literally cutting that top picture out of Entertainment Weekly and using it as a guide while hunting for my own peacoat.

In honor of Felicity, and the coming fall, I thought I'd share a little inspiration board to get us into the mood to say so long to summer. Even though my schooling years have passed, I still get excited about new fall clothes and school supplies. Remember that great quote from "You've Got Mail"?

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address."

Get the Look

Felicity Inspired by amberfiona featuring leather bags

Sunday Best v.71

Photo of Slim Keith, found here. Isn't that the most perfect fall suit?

Hoping to be back to some semblance of posting with regularity this week! I've painted a little bit, but I can't get my scanner to talk to my new computer at the moment...I bought a lamp shade hoping to rig some sort of DIY drum shade pendant to hide my hated dining area light fixture, but we agreed it looks ridiculous...needless to say, I don't have much to show for myself! 

• An incredibly crazy post for a roommate on Craigslist.
• How to turn your hair into a pretzel braid.
• How to feel better about your body. (it sounds like the secret is dating a vegetarian! My husband is a Five Guysatarian.)
• Amy Dickinson wrote about an all-knowing landlord.
• Air Mail-inspired tape!
• I've been practicing this no heat curling method all weekend. Mixed results so far, but I think I've almost got it.
• In France, they're having a Post-it War!
• I've also been practicing Hannah's tips for backcombing hair. Also, mixed results.

Hurricane Irene Made My Fingers Cramp

Irene, as tweeted by a NASA astronaut

Last Thursday, my husband told me his editors wanted him to basically live at his office to ride out Hurricane Irene. This made sense, from a work perspective, but I immediately was frightened. He would be in a generator-powered building, built to withstand 130 mile per hour winds, and I would be alone in our apartment, trying to keep my company's website afloat from afar. 

If the power went out, I'd be alone here. If roads were impassable, I might be alone here, with limited supplies and not able to see my husband for days. If the Internet/power were out for an extended period of time, our website wouldn't stay updated and our readers wouldn't be able to get information (accessible to many through smart phones). I didn't know what to do.

We debated some options — could I sleep at my office? Could its generator power radio equipment AND computer equipment? Likely not. We decided I would travel to Alexandria to safely work from there.

It seemed like a kind of crazy scheme...leave the area to report on it from far away? But me and two of my coworkers decided to do it and we all hit the road Friday. It was the best decision we could have made, because, as it turns out, our office lost power and at least one of us lost power at home for days. 

We quickly realized after the storm had passed that we were one of the only sources of information for our readers. We began posting information of where they could get coffee, free water, gas to our website, facebook and twitter and for the subsequent days, we worked all the time except for breaks to eat and sleep. 

It was exhausting (literally, my finger joints were popping), but our readers started reaching out, telling us stories about how they weren't sure if they could even go home until we posted that power was back in their neighborhood, or they had no idea if their workplace would be open, or they were able to get one of the last generators because we mentioned it. We worked through the exhaustion because, for once, we didn't imagine they needed us. They actually needed us.

So on Tuesday morning, I was finally able to journey home and see my husband (!!!) and since then, things have gradually begun to return to normal. We still don't have any fresh food in our fridge, and tomorrow will be my first day off since August 21.

Thank you for bearing with me during these days of sparse posting! I promise to get back on track next week.

What was you hurricane experience like? If you don't live in an area that was affected, have you ever been through a natural disaster? Please share!