Kaimusailing

The Nao Trinidad was back in town and I discretely went about the marina looking for any of the crew, wondering if I would find any I remembered or conversely, if I would find anyone recognize me. We cooked a huge roast for them when they were in St. Marys, GA, last fall.
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One fellow responded when I said “Hola” to him, but his response was “how are you doing?” He should know better.
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I picked up 3 pork chops at the Food Lion. I couldn’t resist. After the recent $2.99 pair of pork chops filled the bill for a couple of meals, one a grilled pork chop on salad, the other a pork chop sandwich, here was a trio of pork chops on sale, $2.49.
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It seemed selfish and sinful to cook these chops just for myself. I couldn’t however entertain on the little boat, maybe I could, it’s a little tight for just me, maybe in the cockpit, but the weather is gloomy and not suitable for dining outside.
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Although I picked up the pork chops because they were a bargain, I had other stuff in the fridge that needed use. Mozzarella, some marinara sauce, and now the chops. I had the makings of chicken parmesana but with pork chops instead. I thought about it. Yeah, I could make it, eat one, and put away the other two. I’d like to have one on top of a simple salad, just tomatoes and romaine with my vinaigrette dressing.
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Cuddily called while I was checking out the sports channels in the former Red Shell Shanty, now the Boater’s Lounge, she had a bad experience with a light bulb, a part of her microwave oven over her real oven. Yeah, I could come over and take a look at it. I told her I had 3 pork chops that needed cooking, the magic number 3, oh, do I mean cooking for her and Teri and me. Yes.
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It was early in the afternoon and I had time to prepare, get ingredients together, pump up the slowly leaky rear tire, shower, remark to the marina manager; look, it’s Cornelia Marie’s old car!, and then depart after showering in the main building.
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The bulb in Cuddily’s microwave sort of shroud that exists above her stove and real oven had failed and then broke off when she tried to unscrew it. I was apprehensive about working around electricity in a place I didn’t know that well, but it was probably built to code and I was using high quality Harbor Freight insulated tools. The bulb came out easily. The ID numbers were stamped in the bulb’s brass screw in plug. She took it to the hardware store.
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I had the run of her kitchen, plates out for flour, egg, Italian bread crumbs, and one for the pork breaded cutlets when they were breaded. They looked so perfect, I popped them in the fridge for a while and rinsed off the growing stack of preparation plates.
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Teri was coming with a salad. We had wine. I took the chops out of the fridge. Cuddily arrived with the replacement bulb, not exactly the same, but it screwed in and we had light above the stove. She got out a heavy cast iron skillet, perfect. I chose to saute the chops the way I made the chicken parmesan, all in one skillet.
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We had wine and watched a presser on one of the NBC channels, it was Kamala Harris and President Zelensky of Ukraine. I don’t know exactly why I got emotional watching part of it, maybe because I know I have some Ukrainian blood in me, certainly Polish blood, Vladimir Putin is very evil, he invaded Ukraine, they are the victims, they are asking for help. Meanwhile there is an anti-Ukraine faction in our country. Apparently they are friendly to Putin and despise Ukraine. I had to go to the other end of the kitchen.
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Her stove and skillet helped me with my tears, big flame, sizzling Irish butter and EVOO, the chops went in. I asked Alexa to set a timer for 5 minutes. The chops were searing and I was backing off the flame. I’m experienced. I had a gulp of wine or two and then Alexa sent me back to the skillet, flip the chops, spoon marinara on them, it was thick and set up a dense almost tomato pasty layer of, tomato, then mozzarella slices, and finally grated asiago. Cover it all and shut off the heat. Not sure if there is enough latent heat. A couple more sips of wine, OK, gulps. Just fire it up for about 30 seconds more, look, there is sizzling in the pan, shut it off.
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The utensils, et al., were brought out to the rear porch, deck, in Hawaii it would be a lanai, and the salad came out there with the dressings. I served up the pork chops, one on each plate, to the table. Add salad, make sure the wine is filled.
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This is not just a meal I will prepare again, it is a one pan gourmet dinner entree that I must explore with other meats, maybe even shrimp or fish. I can change what I add, doesn’t have to be parmesan, could be kiev. Got to go to Sysco in Pocomoke and see what they got there. That’s where the chefs go, that’s where the Saddlebred pinot noir is only $7.29 a bottle! For now.
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I was inspired by my artist friend, Eve, who we were in touch with and found had a bad chest inflammation, probably bronchitis. She is one of the best chefs, can do it with her hand tied behind her back, I know. The way she cooks up a gourmet sauce with her phone crooked in her neck, no big flames, patience with the process, good health to her. In the meantime we have to carry on with a nod to that person who sets the standards.
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The image is of a parmesan pork chop.