Festive Food- It's Valentine's Day! Pork Medallions with Mustard Cream Sauce

Happy Valentine’s Day, Food Friends! No matter what your relationship status is, I hope you have a great day and remember that you are surrounded by people who love you. I know this is a cliché hallmark holiday, but it’s a day where I make Mr. Pickles some of his favorite things. This includes a dish I used to make to “woo” him. Obviously the proof is in the pudding so to speak. So if you’re trying to seal the deal with a guy or gal you are dating, try making this dish.

Pork Medallions may sound like they are fancy and difficult to make, but they aren’t. A pork medallion is simply a slice of pork tenderloin pounded flat with a meat mallet. This dish sure is rich and fattening and should be made only once in a while. I haven’t made it in a long, long time. Tonight while he was licking his plate clean, Mr. Pickles asked my why we took a hiatus from this dish. I told him the truth- it’s fattening and only made for special occasions now that we’re married. After I sealed the deal with him I figured our waistlines and hearts would benefit from putting this recipe on the shelf for a while.

But try it on your sweetie when you want to have a romantic dinner at home.

Pork Medallions with Mustard Cream Sauce

1 1lb. pork tenderloin

1/3 c. flour

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

3 tbsp. butter

4 scallions

1/3 c. dry white wine

1 c. heavy cream

¼ c. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. honey

Cut the pork tenderloin into ½ inch slices. Place between pieces of plastic wrap and pound to ¼ inch thickness with a meat mallet. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a plate. Coat the medallions with the mixture, shaking off any excess.

In a large skillet, sauté the medallions in the butter over medium low heat; 2 minutes per side. Remove to a platter, but reserve the drippings.

Slice the scallions and add to skillet. Sauté until tender. Stir in the wine and cook until the wine is reduced by half (about 3 minutes). Add the cream, mustard, and honey. Add medallions and simmer for 5 minutes.

Spoon sauce over medallions and serve the ones you love.

Family Hand-me-downs: Memérè's Onion Filled Meat Pie

Have you ever eaten something and have been immediately transported back to a certain place or time? I take a trip down memory lane each time I eat my Memérè's onion filled meat pie. My Memérè and Pepérè (that's French for grandma and grandpa) used to watch my sister and me during school vacation days and snow days when my folks were off at work. Memérè had the best imagination, and we would always make hand made cards and crafts. She always had the biggest meal of the day at lunch time, and my father worked right down the street from their home. He would come to their house to eat lunch with them just about every day.

Memérè was the definition, the true sense of the word "grandmother." She was kind and caring, always lending an ear and offering her support. She filled twenty nine years of my life with pure, true love. I miss her each and every day and wish she was still here to talk to. When she passed away in 2008, my sister asked if she could take Memérè's hand written cook book. She wasn't much of a cook, but she had a few staple dishes that were very good. This meat pie is one of them. A few weeks ago, Mr. Pickles and I traveled down to see my sister and her husband. I had forgotten about the cook book. My sister pulled it off a shelf in her kitchen, opened it up, and said "Smell the nostalgia." I closed my eyes and inhaled. It smelled just like the adorable cottage home that my grandparents lived in. I thumbed through the pages looking at her cooking instructions, written in her hand writing. It was almost as if I was visiting with her. What a great feeling that was.

This meat pie is so simple and quick to make. It also stores really well and is a fabulous left-over dish. I used very lean hamburg for this dish- 90% or leaner typically. It's a great weeknight dish that everyone will surely enjoy.

Memérè's Onion Filled Meat Pie

1 large sweet Onion, thinly sliced

1 lb. ground beef

3/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg

1 tbsp. dried parsley

1/4 c. ketchup

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. butter

1/4 c. plus 1 tbsp. grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Peel and slice onion into 1/4" slices. Separate into rings. 

Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix well until incorporated. Spray a 9" pie plate with cooking spray. Pat the ground beef mixture into the pie plate to form a meat "crust." Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute onion rings in butter over medium heat until limp, not browned. Remove meat from oven and drain off any fat. Sprinkle meat with 1/4c. Parmesan cheese. Spoon onions on top. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp. of Parmesan. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Serve.

Winesday: Firestone Riesling (2009)

My love affair with wine began years ago and intensified when I first moved to Washington, DC. You see, Virginia is a major wine region in this country. Many wine festivals are held throughout DC/Virginia each year. Friends of mine would all drive out to some of them for the day. It was such fun but I also learned so much about wine making, the process, and the science behind making a great bottle of wine. Mr. Pickles and I head to Virginia wine country about once a year. It is one of our favorite places to be.

I visit a vineyard just about every time I am away on vacation. I have been to Sonoma County, the Virginia region known for wine making between Charlottesville and Floyd, Eastern Long Island's North Fork, Tuscany, and this past fall I went to California's central coast which is in the same region as Santa Barbara. That is why I am writing about Firestone's Riesling.

I was out in California for two weeks on business. I got a bit lonely on the trip but saw some amazingly beautiful parts of the west coast. I ended one Friday in Santa Barbara (which is a place I fell head over heels in love with) and didn't have any work engagements the next day. So, what's a girl to do while she's flying solo in the central coast region? If that girl is Mrs. Pickles the only answer is this: drive to wine country, stop at vineyards, do tastings, purchase wines. There's something about driving down country roads and being surrounded by grape vine covered hills that puts me in the most happy and peaceful states of mind. I researched several vineyards and chose to take a forty minute drive east heading over the canyon into the town of Los Olivos. The ride from Santa Barbara over the canyon was gorgeous in itself, with the Pacific glistening in the sun way off in the distance. It only got better when I entered to adorable town of Los Olivos with its numerous wine shops, restaurants, and local art galleries. I can't wait to return with Mr. Pickles sometime.

I think I like wine so much because of the experience. Seeing the viscosity of the wine, translating that to the percentage of residual sugars in the wine, and then recognizing the top notes of the wine itself. It really is an activity that engages all of your senses. Mr. Pickles and I have made this a huge hobby of ours, and we have wines from every place we have visited.

I must be honest: I headed to Firestone Vineyard only because Andrew Firestone was my favorite on the "The Bachelor." I knew about their fabulous reds, which are widely known and easy to find in stores all over. When I entered the tasting room I must admit that I had never tried a white wine of theirs, and I am not fond of most Rieslings. Rieslings tend to be sweet, unless they are noted as dry on the bottle. Sweet wines are not my forte. I am a fan dry Rieslings, however, which have been introduced onto the wine scene just recently. I almost didn't try this particular wine, but the sommelier serving me insisted that I try it.

The 2009 Firestone Riesling is a semi dry one, and although there are slight sugars they aren't overpowering. This Riesling had a huge honeysuckle nose which translated beautifully on the tongue. It has a slight citrus taste with wonderful melon notes. It was different than other Rieslings I had tried, and I was blown away by the floral components of this wine. And the best part? This bottle is easy to find in many liquor stores. It is also sold for under $14 typically.

Serve this wine with spicy foods like Chinese dishes, sausage, and seafood. It is best served well chilled. 2009 Firestone Riesling earned 89 from Wine Enthusiast. And FYI- don't drink and drive. Mrs. P. was very careful not to taste more than a slight sip of each wine while she was driving around Los Olivos. Be careful out there. Hiring a driver while in wine country is a great idea, too!