? School of Improvised Cuisine

When I worked as a computer tech, I used to say I graduated from the Wing-It School of Computer Science, an affiliate of the CYA School of Business.

I need a name for my cullinary improv school, out of which tonight's recipe came.

You may recall a while back, I bought some marjoram. I'd found a recipe involving pork, but I don't have all the ingredients, so I decided to focus on what I did have in the house.

I don't do a lot of breading, I don't need the extra calories, but it's a lot less than say pan frying, so I started with a cup of panko. Please note I don't say panko breadcrumbs. Panko means breadcrumbs, otherwise you're saying breadcrumbs breadcrumbs. Like Automated Teller Machine machine or spiced chai tea. Anyway, I like panko over American bread crumbs because they're flaky and soft and crisp up nicely in the oven, sealing in juices.

I ended up with the following:

1 cup panko
1/2 t garlic salt
1 t dried marjoram
1 t dried parsely
1/2 t dried thyme
about 20 grinds of black pepper

This coated 6 thin-cut pork loin chops that were about 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick with plenty leftover. I served them with mashed potatoes, broccoli and corn. The whole meal was very tasty, as judging by the amount of food my sweetie attempted to steal from my plate.

This is a recipe that needs more experimenting. There was a vague herbal flavor that stayed at the front of the mouth, but nothing really definable. The herbs got lost in the pepper.

So, we shall consider a good, home-made herb breading my next perfection project. Which reminds me, I did so another version of the macaroni and cheese, that'll be coming up in a couple of weeks.

Next week, we'll have a special guest. A dear friend and a fabulous cook, my friend Beki, who makes her home in West Seattle. Beki has an easy-to-follow pho recipe that demystifies a favorite Vietnamese dish. I think you'll love it.

Questions? Comments? Death threats? Let's hear them!