>I had to go to Bethesda last week to touch base with the Mother Ship, the main office.
I don’t have to go very often, usually only about twice a year for a couple of days.
We have a fantastic crew and it’s always great seeing everyone. Not too mention, Bethesda is just a really cool town. It has this vibe, this energy, that gives the city a pulse. I’ve never been to New York but I imagine it to be like a mini New York; always something new to see; always awake and in motion.
There are incredible places to eat and the tulips are simply beautiful if we’re lucky enough to get there in the Spring when they’re blooming. I’m pretty such the Big Apple doesn’t have tulips.
The flight from Tampa is a straight shot if I fly into Washington Reagan Airport, which I always do. The other plus is the super cool DC METRO picks up at the airport and just happens to drop off in Bethesda right below the parking garage to my office.
Talk about convenient right?
Any-who, I flew up early Tuesday morning and caught the 7:45 flight home on Wednesday. It rained the second day of the trip, oh and just happened to be a whopping 22 degrees COLDER than the day before.
81 on Tuesday
49 on Wednesday
What is UP with THAT?!
The rail trip back to DCA was quiet and just as we approached the airport a massive full rainbow appeared that was brighter than any I had ever seen before. It was like a paintbrush had swiped the sky and left this dazzling ribbon of color to send me off.
I took my Nikon with me and snapped a few photos between trains and below are a couple of the good shots. These have been uploaded directly from my camera with absolutely no post-process altering. What you see is what I saw.
Pretty amazing huh? And did I say it was a complete arc?
But the show wasn’t over yet. As I stood on the platform snapping a few shots I noticed off to the right a second rainbow began to form.
If you look in this next shot off in the right corner you can just see the second one faintly. Like the Little Engine that Could it tried and tried but just as it got a little steam a huge rain cloud blew in and took them both away.
The twin bows were a fantastic send off and they stayed with me the next couple of days as I settled back into the routine of life and catching up on 53,737,219,486 emails and pending tasks. I think I’m making a dent in them though I got about ten done by Friday.
Not bad I think.
The best part of coming home, besides the waiting muscular arms of Medicine Man and kisses from WizKid, was returning to my therapy den; my kitchen, and I thought it would be great to make something colorful, being inspired as I was by the ribbons of colorful light that sent me home in style.
Took a recipe for some pork chops, modified it a bit and threw together some complimentary side dishes and voila, Rainbow Inspired Romano Pork Chops, with ham and garlic sauteed asparagus over a bed of buttered herb rotini.
Romano Crusted Pork Chops
adapted from original recipe by: sgrishka
2 1/2-inch thick Center-cut loin pork chops; (bone-in or boneless)
3/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. fresh or dried rubbed sage
1/2 tsp. fresh or dried thyme
1/2 C. Romano cheese; freshly grated
1/4 C. Swiss cheese; freshly grated
1 large Eggs
1 Tbs. Vegetable oil
1 C. Dried Panko bread crumbs
Olive oil; (for shallow frying)
4 cloves Garlic; peeled and chopped
Preparations:
1. Spread cheeses in a shallow dish. Beat eggs with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in another shallow dish. spread bread crumbs in a third shallow dish.
2. Dry pork chops thoroughly. Combine salt, pepper, sage, and thyme, and sprinkle generously over both sides of chops.
3. Dredge seasoned chops in Parmesan cheese, coating both sides completely. Then, dip both sides of chops in egg mixture, letting excess drip back into dish to ensure thin coating. Finally, dip both sides of chops in bread crumbs, pressing crumbs with fingers to form an even, cohesive coating.
4. Place breaded chops aside and let sit for 5 minutes.
5. Heat 1/4 cup of olive or cooking oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. To flavor oil; stir in garlic, and cook until lightly browned. Remove garlic and Increase heat to medium. When oil shimmers, add chops and fry 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy, or to an internal temperature between 150 and 160 degrees F.
6. Drain on rack set over baking sheet, then transfer to a warm serving platter. Serve with lemon wedges and garnish with parsley sprigs.
thebutterdish 