Flavor machine!

Mom sent me and Deb 7 qt. Le Creuset ovens for Chanukah-- sweet! It's amazing-- the heft and the enamel finish work wonders, and it's easy to clean.

I made a pork loin last night-- marinated it, browned it on the stove, then poured the remaining marinade in the pot and put it in the oven, covered, for ~:40. It came out like this-- I was worried about the thick crust baked onto the enamel. But after removing the meat and pouring off the fat, it deglazed perfectly with a little chicken stock and red wine and made my most succulent pan sauce yet-- it wasn't a burned crust but a build-up of tasty fond.

Keeping it real (trefe) for Chanukah

As I lit the Chanukah candles last night, it occurred to me that I'd never made latkes. I checked in Measure for Pleasure and changed the recipe a bit-- I added a second egg (since it didn't hold together with one and the potatoes were big), and I grated a small red onion into it for savoriness.

I tried different oils for different batches-- olive oil, canola oil, and ghee-- the ghee worked the best since it could get really hot so the pancakes browned beautifully. I kept them under foil to eat later, planning on going out for applesauce, but made some instead while the pork roast cooked in the oven.

I stuck to the plan to make the pork loin (making it a trefe night in the kitchen) and marinated it in the fridge with a garlic/oregano/salt/pepper/citrus marinade from the Gourmet cookbook.