Crispy Tender Pork Carnitas

If you have ever eaten AMAZING pork carnitas they were probably cooked in a large vat of lard. But I bet you don’t have, nor do you want to use, a vat of lard. This recipe, created by my personal chef, avoids lard but does use a bit of bacon fat. Just a bit. And oh my, that “just a bit” keeps it on the side of healthy but takes it to a place that makes you want to sing.

Carnitas

There are some diverse ingredients added to this pork dish….

Late Summer Savory Stew

Late Summer Savory Stew will stop you from asking, “Who eats stew in the summer?” After you taste this recipe, you will forever eat stew in late August, early September.  FOREVER. I promise. When it’s tomato gathering time you will think, “I must make that Late Summer Savory Stew” and off you will go to the harvest made available in your backyard garden or at the local farmers market.

So go and gather. Lose yourself in that place where the tomato clings to its vine in the sun. Even on a day when hope wanes, it is difficult to feel anything but gratitude when you pick a homegrown or local tomato. Plucked from the vine or plucked from the bin at the local farmers market, the tomato reminds us that one day all will be set right in our world. (Ok, maybe I’m being a little bit melodramatic. But seriously, look at this tomato.)

TO DIE FOR Chicken Meat Balls

These TO DIE FOR chicken meatballs are so good.  My Personal Chef has been making these for years.  But this particular recipe was created by him and my daughter Jenna back when we wanted to fill her freezer during her college years. They made for a quick meal in between her classes.  To this day I still beg my Personal Chef to whip up and freeze a batch of these. And of course, these are always better if you use fresh herbs from your garden. But don’t let that stop you if you don’t have them! Read on.