Woops

Well, hello there. Sorry it's been a while. Life got all busy on me for a bit, but it should smooth out now, and I'll try to post more.

Not only have I been an absent poster, I also haven't been cooking much from Jerusalem or The Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook. I do have a couple of recipes to report on, though. This will be quick, because, well, I made them a while ago. None of them left much of a mark in my memory.

First, from the WW book: Caribbean-Style Pork Tenderloin. I barely remember it. My note in the book says "Bland. Took 2x as long to cook as it said it would." So there you have it. Orange zest and juice, lime zest and juice, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne left no lasting impression.

Conclusion: Dislike. Won't make it again.

I served the pork with Cuban-Style Rice and Beans. This was good, in much the same way that the chilis from this book are good. Black beans and brown rice are bulked up by red pepper, onion, and tomatoes and seasoned with garlic, oregano, bay, and vinegar.

Conclusion: Just okay. Not bad, but not very interesting.

I have mixed feelings about my one Jerusalem offering: Butternut Squash & Tahini Spread. I made this spread for a vegetarian friend of mine who came to visit (then we went to Krakow, which was SO beautiful!). The dip was good, in a cinnamon-spiced pumpkin pie kind of way, but the garlic back-note annoyed me. It just didn't jive with the rest of the flavor. Also, I expected the tahini to nudge this dip closer to the savory side. It was a lot sweeter than I expected. I like sweet, but it tasted odd on salty pita chips and tomatoes. Maybe carrot sticks would have been a better choice.

Conclusion: Liked it, but not compulsively eatable in the way that I normally find dips to be.

It appears that I took no pictures of any of this food. Weep not.