Sometimes I Cut my Food with Occam’s Razor

There is beauty in simplicity. With the heavy amount of travel in my schedule over the past few weeks, I have not had time to create culinary magnum opi in my own kitchen. However, that does not mean that I have not been eating well.

Two pork chops, seared in a cast iron pan with bacon grease, salt and pepper. In another pan, sautéed onion, garlic, then added sauerkraut. Put the pro chops in the second pan, covered with the onion/garlic/sauerkraut, lid on, and let the pork cook through. Served with an apple sauce I still had in the pantry from last fall. Total cook time: 20 min.

Defrosted chicken breasts in home made barbeque sauce. I prefer mine to be a little thinner and runnier than from the bottle. Bottled barbeque sauce is often full of high fructose corn syrup and is far sweeter than I like. The sauce balances the acidic kick of vinegar with the sweetness of honey or maple syrup, accented with spices, garlic and onion power, and painted across the rich canvas of tomato. Defrosted in the sauce, the thick breasts were grilled at 400˚, basted and flipped once. The char of the grill and the caramelized the sugar in the sauce add a pleasant crunch.

Corn on the cob, shucked and boiled, brushed with truffle oil and sprinkled with truffle salt, the earthiness of the mushroom countering the sweetness of the fresh corn.

Home made salsa. Thick cut tomatoes, corn, avocado, mango, purple onion, salt, pepper, garlic, and a hint of jalapeño. I didn’t made the dip, because if I did, it would have contained cilantro, but the chewy, rich, and sweet portions of the dip begged for the saltiness crunch of the tortilla chips.

2 cups ice, 2 shots whiskey, 3 scoops vanilla ice cream, 1.5 cups frozen peaches, ½ cup milk, blend. The result? Whiskey peach adult milkshake. Top with whipped cream (fresh if possible) and chopped pecans (toasted if possible). Southern summer dessert refreshment.

Why is it that something as simple as a sunny side up fried egg can be a part of a meal, as in an egg sandwich, a meal unto itself, and a condiment, as in topping a burger? I don’t favor the ingredient list in many protein bars, cereals, and ready-made foods, full of things I don’t know and cant pronounce. Even as a cook, baker and chef, I can fall victim to the “more is better” rules, making complicated dished that require careful measurement and care. Don’t get me wrong, I love a soufflé or a 20 ingredient long curry as much as the next person, but also enjoy falling back on the simple pleasure of coarse salt on a slice of watermelon, grilled asparagus, or even the childhood throwback of “ants on a log.” (celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins)

Summer is the season of fresh produce, so let’s enjoy it as much as we can, and can the rest.