Pork Chops with Orange &
Stir-Fried Shrimp with Ham and Peas

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            FOOD FUNNY
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This one from Anna Welander is a bit long, but I think you'll agree it's worth the time:

A traveler was driving through Arkansas when he lost his way and got off
the main highway. In a short time he found himself driving along a
narrow, bumpy back-country road. Just as he began to wonder whether he
should turn back or drive on until he could find a place to ask
directions, he crested a hill, and in the valley beyond was the biggest
pig farm he had ever seen. As he drove by, he saw rows and rows of
pigsties and pigpens, and pigs running in fields and pigs wallowing in
mud. Suddenly his eye caught something really strange. He did a double
take, muttered to himself, and then looked a third time. He wondered if
he had seen correctly-it looked like a pig with a wooden leg!

He found the lane and drove up into the farmyard, where he was met by
the farmer. "Excuse me," the traveler said. "I was just driving by and
looking at all your pigs and everything, and I noticed something that I
thought I just had to stop and ask about. Tell me, did I see right? Is
there really a pig out there with a wooden leg?"

The farmer smiled. "Oh, that would be old Caesar you were seeing. He's
the finest pig a man could ever hope to have - and smart! Well, let me
tell you a little about that pig."

"You see that barge down there on the river? That's a mining dredge
taking out platinum ore. Old Caesar sniffed out the vein and showed us
how to set it up. Now that dredge brings me in about a hundred and
twenty thousand dollars every year."

"Over there in the meadow, you see those oil derricks? It was Caesar who
showed them where to drill. Of course, it is just a small operation, but
I got a quarter of a million on the mineral lease, and each year the
wells bring me in about eighty thousand in royalties."

"There's another thing, a little more personal.One night a couple of
years ago I got to drinking, and I guess I had more than I should have.
I passed out drunk, fell down, and knocked over a lamp. That started a
fire in the house, and old Caesar smelled the smoke. He came in the back
door, got the wife and kid out, roused me up, and got me out."

"Why," the traveler said, "this is all amazing! I have never heard of a
pig like this before! This is fantastic! But tell me, how did he get
that wooden leg? Was he in a wreck or something?"

The farmer laughed. "Well, naturally," he said, "When you have a pig
that smart, you don't want to eat him all at one time."

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            TODAY'S RECIPES
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All recipes this week are adapted from "The Best Recipes in
the World" by Mark Bittman, available from Amazon.com at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0767906721/worldwiderecipes

Mark Bittman says he discovered this dish in Spain where
oranges are used to flavor just about everything when they're in season.

Pork Chops with Orange

3 oranges
2 Tbs (30 ml) olive oil
2 Lbs (900 g) pork chops or country-style ribs
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Grate the zest of the oranges, peel them, and cut them into
1/4-inch (5 mm) slices, reserving as much juice as possible.
Heat the oil in a skillet large enough to hold the pork chops in
a single layer over high heat. Season the pork chops with salt
and pepper and brown them on both sides. Add the orange
zest and reserved juice and top with the orange slices. Reduce
the heat to low and simmer covered until the pork is cooked
through, 15 to 30 minutes, depending on thickness.
Serves 4 to 6.

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This quick and easy stir-fry makes a complete meal when
served with white rice.

Stir-Fried Shrimp with Ham and Peas

2 Tbs (30 ml) peanut or vegetable oil
3 scallions (spring onions), green and white parts, chopped
1 Tbs (15 ml) finely chopped fresh ginger
1/4 lb (110 g) prosciutto, Smithfield, or country ham, chopped
1 lb (450 g) small shrimp, peeled
1 cup (250 ml) fresh or frozen peas, thawed if frozen
1 Tbs (15 ml) dry sherry
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat and saute the
scallions and ginger for about 10 seconds. Add the ham and cook,
stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Add the remaining
ingredients and cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp are cooked,
about 5 minutes. Serve with white rice. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Thu Jun 14 07:16:56 2007