Pork Scallopini with a Porcini-Gorgonzola Pan Sauce

Actually, what you see pictured is more a schnitzel than a scallopini.  But I’m going to do something radical here, and suggest that you not do what I did.

We love a good schnitzel around here.  Pork tenderloin, chicken…I make a lot of schnitzel around here.  So I kind of went on auto-pilot here until it got time to dress it up a bit.  I’ve been working pretty hard, locked up in my office, and our meals haven’t been as elaborate as late.

As I was dredging the pork, I remembered the dried porcinis and gorgonzola in the fridge.  Immediate visions of this glorious pan sauce burned my third eye, and at that point I realized I had over-breaded.  Too much breading (and too much clean up too).

So, like I said, don’t do what I did.  A simple dip in some seasoned flour is all there is to it.

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Nutella-Filled Pretzel Balls

Some of you may have noticed that things have slowed down some around here.  It’s true — since late last year, I’ve gone from 3 to 4 posts/week down to 1.5.

Which is hard for me, ’cause I love Island Vittles.  This little blog is like my baby; I’ve watched it grow and evolve for 2+ years now, and I like the way it’s maturing.  It’s grown up a lot — it’s not overly whiney — but it does stand up and take a stand when appropriate.  The pictures have gotten way better, and it’s starting to show up on Google.

So what’s the problem?  Well, see, IV is still just a blip in the big blue ocean of food blogs.  My hundreds of views/day isn’t going to get me noticed on even the most sensitive radar.  This isn’t a hobby for me.  My dream is to make a living writing/talking about food.  I’m on the radio regularly and I write in various online/paper publications, but a gal’s gotta make a living.  I’ve been told I need a niche.

And that’s what this is all about.  I’ve found a niche, and I’ve been working away at it since November.  Outlander Kitchen features historical food inspired by the fictional world of Diana Gabaldon, the widely popular author of The Outlander series. … Continue Reading

Tuesday Dooze – Snow Day!

I’m a little late for Tuesday Dooze (Mother Nature was a bit behind schedule for that).  But how about an (almost) Wordless Wednesday?

My 2 guys playing in the snow…then back home for pea soup on the woodstove with toasted cheese sandwiches.  I’m almost hoping the power goes out.

I can’t believe I just said that.

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Everyday Bread

Many of you will know that my last year’s New Year’s resolution was to bake all of our bread.  I shared a few recipes last year, like the Caramelized Onion-Beer Bread and Stinging Nettle Loaves, but I held back others, trying to adapt and perfect them first.

Today’s recipe was one of those.  Funnily enough, it’s also the one I’ve made the most.  I started months back with a basic white bread from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice — but then added a little rye for chew and flavour — which meant that I had to play with amounts of yeast, sugar and salt to make sure everyone plays nicely (and, more importantly, consistently) together.

It took me a few months, but the time has come.

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Za’atar Crusted Tuna with Buckwheat & Barley Risotto

I expected Howard to fight me on this one — so I only gave him a small scoop to start and topped it with a little extra tuna. (He’s a sucker for seared tuna.)

But he’s not fond of buckwheat, see…I’ve tried a few variations, but never received a lot of enthusiasm in return.

So I was a little surprised when he came back to the kitchen looking for more before I had even finished taking the photos of my plate (food blogging can be a drag at dinner time).

And then I sat down and had mine — and went back for more, almost right away.  It’s full of simple flavours, and the juxtaposition between the seared, almost cold, tuna and the creamy comfort of the barley/buckwheat is a surprisingly perfect pairing of opposites.

In other words, it’s really, really good.

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