Palmiers and Pork Chops

I've been away on vacation/visiting family so I haven't posted in awhile. When I returned from my trip, however, I had a burst of great cooking experiences. Due to copyright issues, I won't post the recipes that are not otherwise available online (in which case I've linked to them), but I do have some pictures to share.

First, I made Ina Garten's "Savory Palmiers" (or see Back to Basics, 43) for a social event. I approached this with some fear as every time I open a package of puff pastry I hear this in my head. This is since my last attempt to make baked brie, which came out more like an exploding puff pastry volcano of brie.

However, much to my surprise, they came out pretty darn well! My favorite part of the recipe was making the homemade pesto. All pesto is NOT alike, and Garten's recipe (or see Back to Basics, 44) is by far the best I've ever tasted! Can you really go too wrong with homemade pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and pine nuts? The only real change I made was using green garlic in the pesto as opposed to mature garlic.

I apologize that the only photo I have of the finished product I took with my phone...

Meanwhile, while on vacation in Philadelphia, I bought The City Tavern Cookbook: Recipes from the Birthplace of American Cuisine. Using the recipe for Baked Veal Chops (p. 153) and substituting pork, we had a scrumptious and relatively healthy meal with whole wheat couscous and salad.

Tonight's dinner: Lamb kofta, Mark Bittman's Radish Salsa, and fettucine with leftover pesto (from Ina Garten).

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