Why Turkey Hill is my new best friend:

I'm pregnant.

I have never particularly cared for ice cream, but suddenly I'm going through it like water.

The morning sickness and fatigue have kept me from cooking or eating out, but I promise I'll be back to business soon.

apple cinnamon pork chops

I had half of an apple left over from a prior recipe, so I decided to change things up a bit. I make pork chops with applesauce all the time... but this was so much better.

- 2 pork chops
- half a Golden Delicious apple
- ground cinnamon
- chile powder
- 2 cups apple juice
- several tablespoons butter

Dice the apple, then set aside. Sprinkle pork chops with cinnamon and a little bit of chile powder, to taste. Cook pork chops in a skillet, with liberal amounts of butter and apple juice (no oil!)added as necessary to keep them moist. When chops are halfway cooked, add the diced apples to the pan, with another splash of apple juice. Sprinkle them with cinnamon, then cook with the meat until the apples are soft and have browned a bit.


Josh said this was my best meal yet, he liked it as much as my satay burritos (that's a recipe for another day). Victory!

Review: Black Finn Restaurant & Saloon

Black Finn Restaurant & Saloon

333 Waterside Dr, Suite 314/169

Norfolk, VA 23510

757-622-1200

Black Finn advertises as an Irish-American saloon, featuring "contemporary American fare." If you're looking for a culinary adventure, you'll be sorely disappointed. If you simply want to enjoy a martini in a friendly, waterfront setting, this is the spot.

I visited Black Finn twice - the first was a busy Saturday evening, and the next, a slow Tuesday afternoon. I waited well over 5 minutes at the hostess stand both times.

On my first trip I chose to sit on the patio, overlooking the harbor. The view was great, as was our waiter. Though my companion and I spent several hours conversing and ordered only drinks and dessert, our waiter remained friendly and attentive. The pleasant atmosphere seemed to encourage conversation among the tables, and I left in a good mood.

I opted to sit indoors on Tuesday. Our waitress apparently had called in sick at the last minute, so the hostess took our order. Our appetizer alone took well over 30 minutes to arrive. My chosen vegetable was mysteriously replaced with limp, overcooked broccoli, and the meal itself was boring. I cut the service some slack - it was terrible, but my poor hostess seemed to be in a bit over her head. The booth was comfortable, though I was annoyed to find that I couldn't change the channel on the personal television mounted next to my booth. The decor is also boring, with dark wood and dark colors dominating the space.


My selections:

Land & Sea Skewers
An assortment of two chicken, two steak, and two shrimp skewers marinated in our signature Guinness® marinade and grilled over an open flame. Served with teriyaki and spicy peanut sauce - 7.99

The steak was tough and chewy, and looked like jerky on a stick. The chicken was somewhat better, though essentially flavorless. One piece of shrimp was so charred that I didn't even bother to eat it.The sauces are good, but definitely come straight from a bottle - no surprise, as this is a chain restaraunt.

Chicken Macadamia
A boneless chicken breast pounded thin and rubbed with a macadamia nut crust. Prepared pan seared and finished with a light citrus sauce and served with grilled pineapple slices - 12.99

The chicken was dry, and the macadamia nut crust only made it worse. The "light citrus sauce" was apparently so light that I couldn't taste it. The pineapples were good, though. It's hard to screw up a pineapple. I chose garlic mashed potatoes as my side order. The potatoes were incredibly bland. I suspect they forgot the garlic, because I certainly couldn't taste it.

Philly Cheesesteak
One half pound of shaved Black Angus rib eye steak sautéed with grilled onions, topped with melted American cheese and served on a hero roll - 8.99

My dining partner seemed pretty pleased with his cheesesteak, though I will say that it did not look anything like half a pound of meat.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
This is a decent quality cheesecake, and just creamy enough to pass muster. It was a big slice, suitable for sharing with a dining partner.

Black Finn is a saloon at heart, which means they have a pretty nice selection of alcohol. I prefer their Appletini, or a glass of Knob Creek bourbon with Pepsi. The only drink I've tried that was a miss was the Tuacatini, which primarily tasted like rubbing alcohol.


Overall Impression: 2 out of 5 stars

Eating crow

I was pleasantly surprised by Josh's dinner last night. The meat was tender, and the baked potatoe was cooked perfectly... it was just moist enough that I didn't need to slather the thing in butter to make it edible.

I'm thinking I'll post some restaurant reviews in the coming weeks... mostly the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, but also a few places in the D.C. suburbs that I visit on weekends.

You say puh-tay-to, I say po-tah-toe....

I'm something of a control freak when it comes to food. The grocery store is my ultimate happy place, and I prefer to shop alone or with an equally dedicated partner... someone who can appreciate a good acorn squash, and doesn't mind that I spend hours reading labels and searching for locally grown produce. I was slightly offended when Josh tagged along last week, loading our basket with ramen and frozen pizzas... the food of a desperate man, not someone with a foodie girlfriend who shudders at the sodium content in the Souper Bowl that he was so taken with. I like things in a certain spot in the refrigerator or pantry, and I almost always have a very specific use in mind for each peach, pear and plum.

You can imagine how perplexed I am to be in the living room right now (the boyfriend's domain), tapping away at the keyboard while Josh does God knows what with my potatoes. I was planning to use them for homemade mashed potatoes, or to serve them herb-roasted with chicken. He's been making noises about turning my virgin vegetables into the buttery mess that is a baked potatoe.

Don't get me wrong - I like baked potatoes. These, however, are MY potatoes.

I have issues.

Dear Farm Fresh,

Almond butter should not cost $11. Are you out of your ever-lovin' minds?

I am pleased that you have both an ethnic foods section and an area for organic items, but I have to tell you - Safeway is kicking your ass left and right. They have a better selection, fresher produce (hello, moldy acorn squash - eww!) and the almond butter is around $5. I can deal with that price.

You're lucky I don't feel like driving 3 hours north to do my grocery shopping.

Love,
Anna Jo

New year, new you... detox me, please.

I advocate healthy eating. I avoid junk food, excess sugar and large quantities of meat. It is simple to eat wholesome vegetarian meals with when I am at my home in Maryland. Enter the holidays and a visit with the family in Texas... mi familia knows two styles of cooking: deep-fried Southern fare or spicy Mexican meals. I indulged my inner pig and ate my little heart out. I'm now bloated and have had a tummy ache for days on end, due to large quantities of red meat, fried foods, beans and fast-food fare eaten on the 25 hour drive to my husband's place in Pennsylvania.

Speaking of fast food... we hit up a McDonald's in Tennessee. I normally avoid the place, but my husband is a meat-loving barbarian and refused to stop at a decent restaraunt. I perked up momentarily when I noticed that they offered the McRib sandwich. I love the McRib and haven't had one in years (what can I say, when I cheat I do it in a big way.) I was ecstatic... until the woman at the window informed me that they don't serve the lunch menu at 9:30 a.m. Can someone explain this to me? Sonic serves their full menu all day long, why can't Satan's drive-thru follow suit? I hate McDonald's more than ever.

I called my in-laws a few hours before we got to Pennsylvania to request that they buy me some fruit to munch on when we arrived. My mother-in-law, bless her heart, bought me canned peaches in heavy syrup. I ate them, but I feel just as gross as ever thanks to the mass amounts of sugar the fruit was floating in. I can't wait to get home!