The Coral Gables Cocktail

This little number, David, is for sipping by the pool. Or, you could shake one up and enjoy it on the veranda overlooking the croquet game below. The lawn does look lovely, doesn’t it?

For 2
4 ounces fresh squeezed madarine or clementine juice
2 ounces cold dry gin
1/2 ounce cointreau or grand marnier
(If she has a sweet tooth, you could add a full ounce)
2 dashes orange bitter

Combine the ingredients in descending order over ice and shake gently. Strain into chilled martini glasses and garnish with bitter orange zest.

Cumin and Rosemary Rubbed Pork Loin

I’m just back from my 3 month sojourn to India. I was meditating and asking forgiveness for what I did to that poor beast. Not only did I select the finest Red Wattle from a corral of heirloom hogs, but after I kissed his soft, moist snout and gave him a slap on the right hind quarter, I had him butchered into the finest cuts you’ve ever seen.

I don’t touch the stuff myself, David, but when that tall brunette with the fangs saunters across Broadway, grabs you by the hair and says, “Cook me dinner, He-Man” you’ll need a recipe to satisfy her meat lust.

These are the lengths to which I go to help a friend. God forgive me.

Cumin and Rosemary Rubbed Pork Loin with Roasted Pear and Madeira Wine Reduction

You can use a 2 pound loin to feed a small harem or if it’s just the two of you, ask your butcher to cut two – 2 inch thick slices from a well manicured loin.

1 teaspoon cumin seeds toasted and ground
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 large bunch of Tuscan Blue rosemary
2 Bosc pears cut in half and cored1 piece of La Tur, 1/2 pound Nevat or another creamy mixed milk cheese
Zest of an orange
1/2 to 1 cup of Madeira Wine
Sea Salt
Pink Peppercorns

Massage the Meat
Cover the bottom of your marinating dish with rosemary needles. Rub the fillets with cumin and smoked paprika. Season with salt and gently press the fillets onto the bed of rosemary. Cover the top of the fillets with additional rosemary needles and gently press on them. Cover the dish and let it rest in the refrigerator for 24 – 48 hours turning the fillets over once.

Roast the Pears
Preheat the oven to 375. Season the pears with sea salt, cracked pink peppercorns and orange zest. Bake uncovered for about 15 – 20 minutes or until soft.

Sear and Deglaze
Turn the oven up to 425. Turn the flame on your sparkling stainless steel range to medium high and temper a large fry pan. Sear the pork loin for about 4 minutes per side, then pop it in the oven for about 10 minutes to finish it.

Meanwhile deglaze the pan. Turn the flame to medium, toss in half a cup of the madeira. Drink the other half cup. Stir and reduce the sauce until it’s just a few tablespoons.

If you use a meat thermometer, cook the loin to 150 degrees, remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes. Slice the loin in half and if it’s still a little pink you can put it back in the oven for a minute or two. If her fangs are dripping serve it pink.

Plate It
Spoon the sauce on the plate. Fan the loin slices on top of the sauce. Put a dollop of room temperature La Tur on top of the pear. Serve with a Tuscan red. Follow it with raw figs and Parmigiano Reggiano.