Yucky Yucca, Perfect Pork

It's true: I'm already missing Costa Rica. How can I not when the weather is at the freezing mark and there's dirty, slushy snow on the ground? Not to mention there's barely enough sunlight to get my daily dose of vitamin D. It's utterly depressing.

I needed a pick-me-up. What's more perfect than a reminder of where you just vacationed? That's why I turned to a coffee-crusted pork loin over pureed yucca. I threw in a bourbon cream sauce just for good measure. For the time it took Ryan and I to scarf down our food (which I have to say wasn't very long), we temporarily forgot about the miserableness outside. We were comforted with the tastiness inside.

Correction: Everything was tasty but the yucca. It was my first time pureeing the starchy vegetable (I'd previously fried it). Costa Ricans have perfected their cooking technique; mine needs work. The flavors were there, but the texture was not. It would have been a perfect adhesive for wallpaper. So I'm reaching out: If anyone has a recipe for yucca that doesn't involve frying, I'd love to hear from you.

Coffee-crusted Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon Cream Sauce (adapted from both Epicurious.com and Bfeedme.com)

Rub

3 tablespoons ground espresso or coffee

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 to 1 1/3 pound pork tenderloin (will likely need more than one)

2 tablespoons canola oil

1. Mix first 10 ingredients well; sprinkle on a large plate.

2. Dry tenderloin, then drizzle with canola oil. Make sure the oil lightly (but completely) covers the meat. Roll the tenderloin in the spice mixture to completely coat.

3. Place tenderloin on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

4. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, depending on the size of the tenderloins and desired doneness (I removed the tenderloin at 140 degrees and let it rest for about 10 minutes to let it reach 145).

Sauce

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup bourbon (brandy would also work)

1 cup beef or veal stock

6 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon thyme, chopped

Salt and black pepper to taste

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and saute until translucent, then add garlic and cook for another minute.

2. Remove pan from heat and pour in the bourbon. Place pan back on heat and bring to a boil; reduce by half.

3. Add stock, cream and thyme. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

Easy Does It

As excited as I am to be back in the kitchen, I find the first couple days are a little difficult. It's almost like I need to ease back into it. Soon enough, my knife skills pick up speed and my creative juices begin flowing.

For now, I just need a couple simple recipes to get me in the groove. My one restriction is that they aren't too unhealthy—after 10 days in Costa Rica and eating everything in sight, my body needs to recuperate. Between the salty food, cocktails and high humidity, my limbs are feeling as bulbous as Barney Rubble's.

So I popped open chef Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home cookbook hoping for some inspiration. Sure enough, his recipe for braised chicken thighs with olives, lemon and fennel drew me in. Added bonus: The meal only needs one pot, so cleanup is a cinch.

The recipe was a hit; it reminded me of a dish I had at Hearth, a modern Tuscan restaurant in my neighborhood. Chef Marco Canora uses rabbit instead of chicken, which I would like to try next time.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives, Lemon and Fennel (adapted from Ad Hoc at Home)

Yield: 4 Servings

2 large fennel bulbs, sliced after removing stalks and cores

8 chicken pieces, bone in and skin on (I used 4 legs and four thighs, attached)

Kosher salt

Pepper

Canola oil

1 medium onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2/3 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup olives with pits (I used a mix of Spanish green olives and Nicoise olives)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 fresh bay leaves

4 strips lemon zest, removed with vegetable peeler

4 thyme sprigs

2 cups chicken broth, plus maybe a bit more

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a thin layer of canola oil in a dutch oven (or heavy-bottom pan large enough to fit all pieces without overcrowding them) on high heat. When oil is hot, add chicken skin-side down to brown, about 5 minutes depending on the heat of oil in pan. Turn chicken over and brown for 2 minutes.

3. Remove chicken from pan and turn down heat to medium-low. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they're transluscent. Stir in garlic and cook another minute. Turn up the heat to medium, add fennel, and cook about 10 minutes, or until its crisp-tender. Stir often.

4. Pour in wine and simmer until reduced by half. Stir in olives, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, lemon zest and thyme. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until fennel is tender.

5. Return chicken to the pan in a single layer, skin-side up. Make sure the liquid comes about halfway up the chicken; if not, add a bit more stock. Bring liquid to a simmer, then cover pot with lid and place in the oven. Transfer to the oven and cook 45 minutes-1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked through and very tender.

6. Serve two pieces (a drumstick and a thigh) with a serving of the olives and vegetables.

Return of the M.A.K.

Thought I wasn't coming back?

Just because I completed culinary school doesn't mean I'm calling it quits on The Chopping Block. Obviously the blog's format will be a bit different than the first six months, but the concept will remain the same. The way I see it, the culinary arts is a never-ending educational opportunity; there's always some new knowledge to acquire. I plan to continue learning through recipe testing, restaurant hopping, book reading—and then relaying it all to you.

One of my goals is to amp up the recipe coverage. I'm always experimenting with new techniques, ingredients and flavor combinations, so why keep it all to myself? If you trust my palate, you won't have to do the dirty work. Friends and followers are always asking me to share recipes, so it's about time I get to it.

My immediate mission, however, is to land a full-time job. That's where I've been directing most of my energy. But it hasn't been all work and no play—I returned yesterday from an amazing 10-day vacation in Costa Rica with Ryan. It was well needed (and deserved, I might add). We did a lot of hiking, sunning and, of course, eating.

Now I'm back in bitter cold Manhattan, but I can't complain. As nice as it's been to have someone serve me for a week straight, I'm ready to return to cooking. Plus, I could do with something other than arroz y frijoles. My shoebox-size kitchen and miniature stove await.

New York, I've bean missing you.