Tuesday, March 22, 2011

SOMETHING IN THE OVEN

It's so nice to have a pork roast in the oven for an hour-and-a-half, scenting the house with the lovely smells of garlic and pepper and a little thyme, with a pool of cider with apples and onions bubbling beneath. There were two of the little roly-poly roasts, much the size of Cornish Hens, and they cooked to a perfect 180, fork-tender and delicious beneath the reduced pan juices and flavorful apples.

Sides of Braised Cabbage with a little garlic and soy, some from-a-box Red Beans and Rice, a square of dense, cheesy Cornbread, and a dab from a lovely jar of Cranberry Chutney---perfect on a cool night.

And the scents of the afternoon, with that porky succulence filling the air---just having an oven-dish in progress, whether roast or chicken or casserole, says that you're coping; you're on top of things, and can go on with chores or relaxing alike, content in the outcome: A good hot dinner with little effort and a lot of preliminary enjoyment just of the moment, as well.

Something in the oven---one of the best features of a cold day.


11 comments:

  1. Oh, yes! I love how you capitalize on and celebrate the little home comforts that make life so dear.

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  2. Are there leftovers? Can I come over for lunch?

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  3. Home comforts---one of the best concepts ever concepted, isn't it?

    And Maggie---How 'bout a late supper? You can be here in about four hours, I think. Of course, you'll HAVE to spend the night.

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  4. Rachel, you DO need a "Like" button so we can agree with others without having to think of a new way to say the same thing. Not that I'd ever do that, right?

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  5. Rachel, Rachel, Rachel.♥♥♥ This is just plain cruel. Why? You know you have me licking my lips, and I'm leaving for work with nothing but a cup of coffee.

    But, delicious coffee, it was.

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  6. Chesapeake said it ...you DO need a LIKE button! How can you do this to us??...my mouth is watering, but enjoying it all the same, as usual.

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  7. AWWW, I'm SORRY, all you Sweetpeas!! My photo skills are NIL, and I'd NEVER make a living "Plating"---I seemed to have sauce splooshed all over the plate (Not that THAT'S a bad thing---yum). It WAS a good dinner.

    And a button---I barely know where the SEND button is, Guys!! You know I've only been posting photos about a year, anyway---took me that long to learn THAT.

    On another site I used to belong to, any REALLY good-looking dish or cake or bowl of something gorgeous---I once said DIVE!!! as in "dive right in," and everybody started using it.

    Thank you ALL for chiming in!

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  8. The "like" button comment made me smile.

    But, if you would like a button for your blog that others can lift and share on their blogs, just let me know. I would be glad to make one for you.

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  9. Dive, indeed! I believe that I have a tiny little two-person pork roast hiding somewhere in the freezer. I need to dig that little fellow out and give him the Rachel treatment. It looks and sounds wonderful!

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  10. As a veg-and-fish-osaur, I do miss the permeating smell of a pork roast as it renders down and gets tender. I also miss the ease of being able to shove a seasoned hunk of something into the oven and have it come out, after a bit, delicious -- with little or no tending. That's serious magic!

    ~Bellwether Vance

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  11. Oh, you made me hungry here.:-) I also love the smell of oven-roasted pork, as well as the delicious taste of its tender meat. Oh yummy!!! I think I'll have to cook one tonight.:-)

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