Memories of My Appetite

I had hoped that this blog would contain notes and reviews of the various recipes I've been trying lately. However, the stomach bug that Stephanie and Julie got (did I mention that Julie barfed all over my Penzey's and King Arthur catalogs yesterday?!) also affected me in a minor way. I've been mildly queasy for several days and have had nearly no appetite, so I haven't really cooked anything. So, instead, today I will mention my favorite new food discovery of the last few months: panko (Japanese bread crumbs). My favorite use for them so far is breaded pork chops. I don't know what it is about these bread crumbs, but the chops come out incredibly crunchy on the outside but very juicy inside every time! I serve them with homemade applesauce (which I always make in the food mill, with the skins on so the applesauce is a glorious pink color). After I'm done frying the chops, I add a little more oil and quickly stir-fry a couple handfuls of snow peas that have been sliced crosswise about 1/4" thick (a trick I learned at my favorite food forum, Cooks Talk). They pick up all the lovely browned bits. Yum, yum, yum. Maybe I am getting my appetite back after all.