Cubism

I went and saw a Picasso exhibit. Amazing. His artwork harkens back to a childlike view of the world. Those strange paintings that look like a 4 year old drew them, well, that's what he was going for. They were not without the adult elements and the brushstrokes of a master, but his paintings really do look at the world in a different way.
Let me digress... And explain. Have you ever had a young child explain a picture he drew of, say, his father? If you ask who it is in the picture he will look at you like you just asked the most obvious question and tell you it's his dad. Then he'll tell you why. Maybe it's a look on the face or a curl in the hair or a way of holding his hands, or something. Something that the child has picked up that is truly insightful and tells us that this kid knows what he is talking about.
That is what Picasso tried to do. I also saw some Degas, Renoir, Sargeant, and the Rockefeller Bedroom. But no picture Spoke to me quite like this one:


Then, of course, we dined. We started off with an appetizer of sweet potato in a goat cheese sauce. Then, in honor of St. joseph's feast day we had the most amazing hott cross buns (to the tune of three blind mice) and prosecco on rooftop.

That was when I got busy making a Coffee and Chili Rubbed Pork Loin with Parsnip Puree with Asparagus Pesto.


First off, the parsnip puree. Boil the parsnips in salty water until they are done (took about 10 minutes). Then, add salt and pepper and puree. I added parsnip water to get the right consistency and to help the blender. That was it. Part mashed potato, part carrot... Really, really good and amazingly delicious.

The Pork Loin
Rub with a mix of:
2T coffee fresh grounds plus another 2T of used coffee grounds
2T whole grain mustard
1T chili powder
1.5t unsweetened cocoa powder
1t coriander
2 medium cloves of garlic
Cayenne and salt to taste
mash that into a paste and rub the pork and then allow the pork to sit. I used the hott cross buns and bottle of prosecco method to time that. Once the prosecco is done, heat up a cast iron pan with some olive oil and sear the pork loin for 3 minutes per side. Then take the whole pan and put it into a 375 oven for 25 minutes or until the pork reaches the proper temperature. I also periodically added some parsnip water and about 1/4 C of red wine to keep it moist.

The drippings were nothing short of incredible. Do not waste them. And this was, of course, rounded out with a little gluten free bread courtesy of... You guessed it: her.