On Halloween I’d pour my pillowcase full of assorted treats onto the floor and sort them into piles. There was a pile for chips, a pile for chocolate bars, a pile for rockets (which are apparently called Smarties in the US?), a single toothbrush and then a mound of the inedible candies like those “chewy” caramels, anything that didn’t come in a wrapper (poison! LSD!) and Goodies. Goodies, to me, are the most god awful candy creation ever devised by man. In case you are unfamiliar with this confection, as I suspect we may only unleash such things on Canadian children, goodies are a candy-coated licorice flavored candy. To me, there’s something about it that’s akin to making chocolate covered brussel sprouts. That is, if there is a proper way to introduce licorice to a child, this is definitely not it.

It was during this time in my life, when my palette was particularly vulnerable to such a viscous onslaught, that I developed a pronounced hatred for the flavor of licorice and all things licorice flavored. Red licorice however was always a favorite of mine, being used from everything from snack to makeshift straw. Red licorice is flavored with cherry and/or strawberry and is really not licorice at all though, sort of like how white chocolate is a pale impostor of actual chocolate.

In my teenager years, where I first started fostering a passion for food and cooking, is when I discovered fennel. Fennel Seed…

1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon red curry paste
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 pound pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
8 rice paper wrappers
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
water

1. Combine garlic, curry paste, water, sugar, fish sauce and lime juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until
2. gar dissolves, then set aside to cool. Marinate pork overnight in the prepared sauce once cooled.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the pork until cooked through.
4. Soak rice paper wrappers until soft. Roll up with a portion of the pork and shredded carrots. Serve with your favorite
5. pping sauce.

Makes 4 servings

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup boiling water
or
8 flour tortillas
1-1/2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced
10 dried shittake mushrooms
6 scallions, chopped
12 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ginger puree

3 tablespoons rice wine
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 head napa cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
water

1. Combine flour and water in a large bowl and stir into a soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, then divide into 16 equal portions.
2. Roll each portion of dough into a 6" circle. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brush each pancake with sesame oil and lightly cook on each side until puffed and browned. Remove from pan and repeat with remaining dough. Set aside.
3. Combine soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil and cornstarch and marinate pork for at least an hour.
4. Meanwhile, soak shittake mushrooms in boiling water until tender. Discard stems and slice. Combine with scallions, garlic and ginger and set aside.
5. Combine rice wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar and pepper and set aside.
6. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Drain pork and discard marinade, then fry in the skillet until cooked.
7. Remove pork from the skillet and add the eggs. Quickly scramble them, then stir in the vegetables.
8. Return the pork to the skillet, along with the prepared sauce, and continue to cook until sauce is thick.
9. Spoon a portion of hoisin sauce onto each pancake and top with a portion of the pork mixture. Roll up and repeat with remaining pancakes and filling.

Makes 8 servings

1 pound pork tenderloin, 1" thick slices
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 chipotle in adobo
3/4 cup apple juice
salt and pepper

1. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the pork in batches, flipping once,
2. til cooked through to the center. Remove from the pan and keep warm in the oven.
3. Add the onion, garlic, chipotle and apple juice to the skillet. Bring to a boil, and cook until sauce is reduced and
4. ick. Serve along with pork and on top of Cumin Apple Couscous.

Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons corn oil
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 red chilies, seeded and chopped
6 cups chicken broth
19 ounces canned diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 pound lean ground pork
1 cup masa (corn flour) or 10 corn tortillas
4 ounces cheddar, grated
4 ounces Monterey jack, grated
4 ounces mozzarella, grated
1 cup milk
1 cup tortilla chips
salt and pepper

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Sauté carrots, onions, garlic and chilies until tender.
2. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, then stir in the tomatoes, cumin, paprika, cayenne and oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Stir in the pork and masa or corn tortillas and cook until pork is done and masa is thoroughly incorporated, stirring occasionally.
4. Reduce heat and stir in milk and 3/4 of the cheese. Serve garnished with tortilla chips and remaining cheese.

Makes 6 servings

1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup bread crumbs
4 flour tortillas
2 ounces cheddar, grated
2 ounces Monterey jack, grated
salt and pepper

1. Combine pork, cumin, paprika, cayenne, garlic and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Flatten the pork mixture into a disk the size of the frying pan and fry until browned, then flip and continue cooking until cooked through to the center.
3. Remove the pork from the heat and cut into slices. Serve on tortillas with shredded cheese and other desired toppings.

Makes 4 servings

1/2 pound lean ground pork
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 scallion, minced
24 wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten
water

1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup vegetable broth
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced in coin
3 scallions, chopped
white pepper

1. Combine the ground pork with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar and scallion and refrigerate for an hour.
2. Moisten the edges of a wonton wrapper with egg wash and place about a teaspoon of pork filling into the center. Fold the wontons as directed by the wonton package; over lengthwise, fold over again, keeping your thumbs in place, then join the corners to make a wonton shape. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and filling.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the soup while making wontons. Combine cornstarch with cool chicken stock and vegetable broth. Put in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Stir in the soy sauce and oyster sauce then add the carrots and scallion. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until carrots are tender.
4. Add wontons to the simmering broth and cook until pork is fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Serve with a bit of freshly grated white pepper.

Makes 4 servings

2 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup onion confit

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Rub pork tenderloin with olive oil and press salt and pepper into the flesh. Slice into pieces small enough to fit into a skillet.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear all sides of the tenderloin. Transfer to the oven to finish cooking until a meat thermometer can be inserted into the center and register around 160 degrees, about 20-25 minutes.
4. Allow meat to rest before slicing and serve with onion confit. See Dinner Entry for possible recipe!

Makes 8 servings

4 six ounce pork chops
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven broiler to high.
2. Rub pork chops with cinnamon, brown sugar and pepper.
3. Place pork chops on a baking sheet and place about 6" under the oven broiler. Allow to crisp and caramelize on one side, then flip and cook the other side.
4. Remove from the oven, tent with foil and allow to cool slightly before serving with Apple Sauce.

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 pounds pork spare ribs

1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons brown sugar

1. Combine brown sugar, salt, chili powder, cumin, paprika, thyme and pepper and rub liberally over the ribs. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
3. In a saucepan over medium heat combine water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey and garlic. Stir until dissolved together, then remove from heat.
4. Seal ribs tightly in a double layer of tinfoil, leaving a small opening on one side. Fill this with the sauce prepared in the saucepan and then crimp shut.
5. Tilt the ribs to disperse the liquid inside the tinfoil shell and place on top of a baking sheet. Put in the oven and cook until the meat is tender and the bones are easily removed, about 3-4 hours.
6. When the ribs are cooked, remove them from the oven and drain the liquid into a saucepan.
7. Preheat oven broiler.
8. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and add the remaining brown sugar. Stir the sauce until thickened to the consistency of a syrup, then remove from heat.
9. Brush the sauce onto the ribs, then return them to the oven, about 6" from the broiler, until they become a golden brown, about 1 minute. Slice into 4 sections and serve.

Makes 4 servings