Two’s Company Take The Express Route To Someone’s Heart

Impressing a guy in the age of killer cooking was quite a challenge. During the ‘70s, any date who could pronounce coq au vin (kohk-oh-vahn) started me on a cooking frenzy. I knew that I had to go through the stomach to a man’s heart, but it seemed to require a detour into “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child.

In my closet-sized kitchen I boned whole chickens; made butter from cream (it’s no big deal - just pour the cream into a heavy-duty mixer and let it rip); kneaded bread dough and left the walls flecked with chocolate mousse.

As for exciting dinner conversation, forget it. I was exhausted, a wreck. And I couldn’t accept a compliment without a little irritation. If I was such a great cook, why wasn’t this guy making some commitment?

The marathons ended when I met a man who suggested I didn’t have to cook for him; we could just go out. How liberating.

We married and I do cook, almost every night. I don’t make the show-stopping dishes of 20 years ago, but instead choose full-flavored foods that don’t turn our kitchen into a field of tension.

Pork with green olives is one of our favorite dishes. It has an appealing sharp flavor and alluring aroma and takes only 30 minutes to prepare. I prefer the express route to my husband’s heart.

Pork with Green Olives

1/2 pound pork tenderloin (1 small pork tenderloin)

Flour

1 tablespoon butter

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons slivered almonds

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 large shallot, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon minced fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

6 herbed, cracked green olives (see note)

Vegetable orzo (recipe follows)

Cut pork into 1-inch cubes. Dust with flour, shaking off excess.

Melt butter in large skillet. Add pork and brown on all sides. Add garlic, almonds, salt, pepper and shallot. Saute 2 minutes over medium heat.

Add wine and stir, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to low. Stir in mint, lemon juice and olives. Cover and simmer until pork is cooked through and tender, 20 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve with vegetable orzo.

Yield: 2 servings.

Note: Herbed, cracked green olives, packed in oil, are available in gourmet and ethnic food stores.

Vegetable Orzo

1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

Salt

2 teaspoons butter

1/2 cup diced zucchini

1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Freshly ground white pepper

Cook orzo until tender in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain well.

Meanwhile, melt butter in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and sweet red pepper and saute until tender, 5 minutes. Stir in lemon peel. Add orzo to vegetables and cook 1 minute to coat with pan juices. Season lightly with salt and generously with pepper. Serve immediately.

Yield: 2 servings.