Dinner with Tim

Wine:
Vinja Barde Vitovska 2006
Le Telquel
Valpolicella 2007

We decided to invite Tim over for dinner. We really like him, but had not had a chance to spend time talking to him in depth. He has let a very interesting life growing up in Shanghai China before coming to the States. We enjoyed the stories.

It was a warm night and we started out on the deck with drinks and some re-heated Tarte Flambe from Church & State. Church & State is an exceptional restaurant serving very authentic French Bistro Food. It is in Downtown Los Angeles in an area that is being converted to lofts. The restaurant can be very loud at times but it is excellent!

We then had Tomato Soup with Cumin and Figs from Moro East by Sam & Sam Clark. We make this every summer when tomatoes and figs are both in season. It sounds unusual but it is great! We really recommend it. You can the recipe from our blog of Aug 20, 2008. Just click the date to get the recipe.

We made Spice-Crusted Pork Tenderloins with Banana-Date Chutney from a recipe in License to Grill. We had never made this recipe before and liked it a lot. The joy of having the Egg!

Cathy made Fregula Sarda (a thick Sardinian Cous-Cous). It has lots of flavor and makes a great side.

Tim brought a Cheese Cake for dessert. Yum!

Spice-Crusted Pork Tenderloins with Banana-Date Chutney
From License to Grill


SERVES 4

Most people think of pork as high in fat, but a pork tenderloin actually has no more fat per ounce than a boneless, skinless chicken breast. Because of its weight and thick¬ness, the best grill treatment for this cut of meat is to sear it over a hot fire until it looks good (golden brown) on the outside, then pull it to a cooler section of the grill and let it finish cooking from radiant heat, as opposed to direct heat.
Here we rub the tenderloin with spices before cooking, then serve it with an intense chutney. The dates in the chutney make it very rich, so you don't need to use a lot—a couple of tablespoons per serving should do it.

3 12-to 14-ounce pork tenderloins
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons fennel seeds
3 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Banana-Date Chutney (recipe follows)

1. Sprinkle the pork tenderloins generously with salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, and cinnamon and mix well. Coat the tenderloins generously with this mixture, then grill over a hot fire, turning once or twice, for about 5 minutes, long enough to develop a nice brown, crusty sear on the outside. Once the tenderloins are well seared, move them to the side of the grill, where the heat is low, and cook, turning occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes. To check fordoneness: Cut into one of the tenderloins at its thickest part; it should be just light pink at the center.
3. Remove the pork from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice the pork on the bias and serve with a generous spoonful of Banana-Date Chutney.
BANANA DATE CHUTNEY

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium red onion, peeled and diced small
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/2 cup roughly chopped pitted dates (about 10 medium dates)
2 ripe but firm bananas, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced into half-circles about 1/2 inch thick
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh mint
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the gin¬ger and dates and saute, stirring a couple of times, for 1 minute more. Add the bananas, red pepper flakes, molasses, and lemon juice, bring to a boil, and sim¬mer until most of the liquid has evaporated, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the mint, and season to taste with salt and pepper. This chutney will keep, covered and refrigerated, for about a week.