Friends give friends baked goods

A beautiful thing happened this past Sunday morning...

It had been a great, but very long week and I needed to recharge myself very badly...  So badly in fact, that I was still in my PJs around 11 a.m. and left my husband to make breakfast for us (bacon, eggs, toast.. a balanced and very manly breakfast).

Breakfast was crucial and thoroughly appreciated, but I had a massive craving for something warm, comforting and sweet to go with my coffee.  I ransacked my pantry, fridge, freezer, but came up with nothing that could do the job.  Suddenly, the doorbell rang and my friend's son delivered this:

Banana bread!!!!  Can I tell you how much I love my friends?!?  They are the baked goods in the store of life...  Friendship is not required to survive, but to truly live, one must be blessed by at least one true kindred spirit...

Lovely Lemongrass Pork Chops

I made pork chops tonight and they were so outrageously delicious that my husband made me PROMISE to write down the recipe...  He even took a picture (yes, that is a half-eaten pork chop from tonight's dinner table).

This is a fusion recipe that combines the Vietnamese marinade of lemongrass, green onions, garlic, sugar, black pepper and fish sauce with the browning/cooking technique of the French.

Lovely Lemongrass Pork Chop Recipe

4 bone-in pork chops (medium thickness)
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/2 cup sliced green onions (or scallions)
6 smashed garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of chopped lemongrass (frozen is fine)
2 tablespoons of sugar (plus an extra tablespoon of sugar to make the caramel)
1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
2 teaspoons of fish sauce (preferably a Vietnamese brand that is lighter brown in color)
1/4 cup of olive oil (or canola oil), divided

Combine all ingredients in large bowl (except for half of the olive oil and a spoon of the sugar) and coat the chops evenly.  Let it all marinate for at least 30 minutes.  Heat a large frying pan with the remaining oil and sugar (between high and medium-high).  Once the sugar turns caramel (dark brown color), place the pork chops in the pan and let it brown.  After about 3 minutes, flip the chops over to the other side and pour in the rest of the marinade from the bowl.  Cover and let cook for about 10 minutes.  Test for doneness by cutting into the part of the chop closest to the bone.  Enjoy!