Saturday, we watched another episode of Rogue Heroes* and enjoyed a pork roast. A four-pound Boston Butt, in fact, which I floured, browned and simmered for more than four hours over Tom Yum Chicken Bone Broth, adding checks of peeled Granny Smith apple early and then potatoes, parsnips, carrots, celery, white onion and Portobello musnrooms. It was falling-apart tender -- and I have leftovers for two more meals. The broth is an excellent match for pork with apple. The TV series is an excellent match for anyone who enjoys well-told WW II history with a touch of informed imagination.
This morning, another experiment: I have had a packet of microwaveable "Organic Super Grains, Smoky Southwest: sorghum, quinoa, amaranth, and pearl millet" on the shelf for some time. With a buildup like that, it was going to either be amazing or inedible, and I am very pleased to say it is amazing. I diced and browned a half-sized can of Spam with some chopped-up orange grape tomatoes (enjoy them while you can: "Bahama Bombs" are a Canadian import), put just a dash or McCormick's curry powder† and a little smoked paprika on it, and stirred in the just-microwaved grains. When it was time, I pushed it all to the sides and scrambled a couple of eggs, mixing it all together and adding some cilantro (be sure you like it first!) and parsley. This is as good a breakfast bowl as anyone could wish for, flavorful but not hot.
* This BBC series, SAS: Rogue Heroes in the home market, tells the story of the formation and early years of the Special Air Service, which requires very little dramatic invention: the men involved were brilliant and a bit off-center, the kinds of men who flourish in wartime and ferment when idle. Remarkably well-acted and well-cast, after we watched the first episode, I turned to Tamara and remarked, "They made a TV series for you!" The early SAS, along with the Long Range Desert Group, was one of the inspirations behind the TV series Rat Patrol -- but the reality is more incredible than any sanitized (and highly Americanized) 1960s TV program.
† I will point out, as I have in the past, that "curry powder" is not, strictly speaking, an Indian condiment; it's a British or Anglo-Indian mixture of Indian-type spices, and varies widely from one brand to another. It's good stuff, especially for those of us who don't have ready access to (or knowledge of) the full array of Indian spices, but get to know how hot/sweet/piquant your local varieties are, and understand it for what it is. McCormick's works well with U. S. Southwestern flavors, so I was confident in using a little of it here. One thing you will not find in most kinds of curry powder is salt -- which makes it ideal for anything that's already salty.
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