Fall Comfort Food - Apple Cider Braised Pork and Pocket Apple Pies

The weather has turned colder here in DC and along with jackets, sweaters and boots I've been able to dig out some of my favorite fall recipes and make some delicious comfort food. 
One thing I've been really anxious to make is something I discovered last year while looking for something to do with the delicious apple cider that I get from the market I work on the weekends.  I knew that apples went well with pork so I thought about braising some pork in apple cider, doing some web research I found out that I'm not the only one to have this idea.  So after a few trials, I think I have the ratios down for a great meal.

It's a very forgiving recipe, you can adjust the quantities and ingredients pretty easily to fit what you have on hand or what you like.

Start with some pork - I use pork shoulder, if you wanted less fat you could also use a pork roast, or if you wanted to make a smaller version you could make this with a couple of pork chops in a deep frying pan a lot faster than the slow braising process I use.  Season liberally with salt, pepper and some garlic powder and let that sit while you prep the veggies.

-Slice one medium sized onion - any type will work, but I tend to use yellow onions or red onions.  Cut in half, then slice.
-Chop one small-medium head of cabbage.  If you don't like cabbage, you can use another sturdy type of green (turnip greens, collards, kale, etc.) but cabbage gives a nice flavor with the apple and the pork.
-Cut a few cloves of garlic to a medium/large dice - I like a lot of garlic so I used 3-4 cloves, adjust to taste
-Other things you can add are fresh fennel, celery, turnips, carrots, any veggie that will withstand a long, slow cooking process without turning to complete mush

Heat a large braising pan - dutch oven, deep frying pan, stockpot, etc.  Anything that will hold all the ingredients, hold heat well and has a cover.  Brown the pork in the pan on all sides, add a little oil to keep from sticking if neccesary. 

Then add in your veggies around/under/on top of the pork.

Now you're ready for your braising liquid:

Mix 2 parts apple cider, 1 part apple cider vinegar, 1 part water or chicken/veggie stock with 1 or 2 large tablespoons of country style dijon mustard (the kind with the seeds in it). 

Pour the liquid on and around the pork and veggies, add some salt and pepper and any other seasonings you like (thyme, sage, rosemary, etc. are all nice with this recipe - whatever you like and have on hand is fine) reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours.  You can also put the pan (if it's oven safe) into an oven set at 250-300 degrees for this part.  The lid will keep the moisture in your pot and keep everything from drying out even if the liquid does not cover your meat and veggies.

Once everything is cooked down, the pork should be cooked all the way through and easy to pull apart.  You might want to drain some liquid off, but serve the pork and veggies mixed together with some of the braising liquid.  You can serve with potatoes, I like to actually throw in some chopped potatoes for the last hour of the cooking process so everything finishes at the same time.  You can also serve over mashed potatoes, rice, egg noodles, or just serve in a bowl with some crusty bread and soak up the braising liquid with that.  It's a very hearty fall/winter dinner that makes your house smell wonderful.


I also discovered this weekend a fast and easy way to make a delicious apple dessert that went wonderfully with the apple cider braised pork.

I used some store bought pie crust for ease and quickness, if you are the type of cook that makes your own pie crust and freezes it for quick use like this that's even better - or you can make a quick crust from scratch if you have a good recipe.  This makes two pretty large pocket pies, you could make make 4 smaller ones with the same amount of ingredients, or double it to make 4 large/8 small pies.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

-1 pre-made circle of pie dough, sliced in half
-1 medium-large apple, sliced. (Any type will do, I used a Gala but you could use any type depending on how sweet or tart you like your pie)
-1/8 cup bourbon (optional)
-1.5 tablespoons brown sugar
-1.5 tablespoons butter (melted)
-dash of vanilla extract
-cinnamon, granulated sugar, & nutmeg to taste       

Place your two pieces of pie dough on a baking sheet and brush with melted butter, then sprinkle cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg on dough. 

In a small bowl combine apple slices with bourbon, brown sugar, a dash of vanilla extract, and a dash of cinnamon. 

Spoon apple mixture onto pie dough, fold dough over and seal edges to form a pocket.  Brush remaining melted butter onto top of pie pocket and sprinkle with more cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes depending on size and quantity of pies; bake until golden brown all over. Let cool and then enjoy!  Can be cut into pieces and eaten with hands, or topped with ice cream while warm and eaten like regular pie.  Tasty any way you want to eat it!

   

Why Chaz Bono is important

If you pay attention to mainstream media, it's pretty much impossible these days to avoid stories about Chaz Bono.  The transgender son of Sonny Bono and Cher has been everywhere - a book, a documentary on Oprah's network, talk shows, tabloids and recently the volume of noise about Chaz got turned way up when it was announced that he was joining the cast of Dancing With The Stars on ABC.  Of course this had to happen eventually, transgender people, long the butt of jokes and ridicule have been making strides towards visibility and acceptance and it was only a matter of time before a celebrity (or in this case, more like the child of two celebrities) transitioned in the public eye and brought the spotlight to the transgender community.  The reaction to Chaz has not all been positive to say the least, but he has also received a tremendous outpouring of support as people start to view him as the confident, happy man that he is and see that transitioning clearly has improved his quality of life, not diminished it.
Last night Chaz was voted off Dancing With The Stars after 6 weeks of the competition, a very worthy showing.  Addressing the audience after learning he was eliminated, he had this to say:

"I came on this show because I wanted to show America a different kind of man, and I know that if there was someone like me on TV when I was growing up, my whole life would have been different," he continued. "I dedicate everything I did to all the people out there like me -- especially the kids and teens who are struggling. You can have a wonderful, great life and be successful and happy."

And this is why Chaz Bono, who is just one of many trans people, matters right now.  Because by doing nothing else than refusing to stay silent and out of the spotlight, he has given a voice to many who did not have one before and provided a visible example of the normality of trans people.  He is just a guy, who had a different path to manhood than some, living his life and showing that there is a possibility of a happy, well-adjusted existence after transition.  He doesn't have to make big statements, he doesn't have to say all the right things, by simply existing and putting himself out there he is showing people, especially young people, that it's okay to be who you are.

This is a message that is needed in this country now more than ever. 

A survey published earlier in 2011 by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force titled "Injustice at Every Turn" showed some startling statistics about the transgender population in the United States.

• 41% of the respondents reported attempting suicide, in contrast to the national average of 1.6%
• Transgender people are unemployed at double the national average
• 26% reported losing a job due to their status as transgendered, 50% reported workplace harrassment due to their gender identity or expression - at the same time, even when suffering harrassment 78% reported feeling more comfortable and confident at work and their job performance improved after undergoing transition
• 57% reported significant family rejection
• 46% reported being unlikely to to seek police assistance when needed due to harrassment
• 53% reported suffering some form of harrassment trying to access public services such as bathrooms, restaurants, hotels, etc.

These statistics may sound startling to you, and I hope they do actually.  I hope that you are someone who does not experience this or watch someone you love go through the world experiencing this type of discrimination.  But for many people, these statistics told the story that they already know all too well - that while gays and lesbians are making strides in acceptance, legal protection and recognition of their relationships, the trans folks are being left behind a movement that they helped begin. 

Where I live, in DC, there have been multiple shootings and deaths involving trans identified individuals this summer.  The police have been accused of being slow to act and not doing enough to find those responsible, in one incident the perpetrator was an off-duty DC police officer who witnesses say jumped on the hood of a car containing two transgender women and their friends and said "I'm gonna kill you" before firing his gun at them.  This might seem like an extreme case, but every day there are incidents of trans people being kicked out of bathrooms for not appearing "female" or "male" enough to use a public bathroom, trans people denied employment or being harrassed by authorities for not having ID documents that match their appearance and preferred name, trans people being denied housing or admittance to a shelter because their existance makes someone uncomfortable, and many more examples of discrimination.  In the United States, only 13 states and the District of Columbia have laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression.  That leaves many places where trans people have no recourse when denied basic needs such as housing, employment, or a safe place to use the bathroom.

My personal reaction to Chaz has surprised me.  I didn't expect to feel emotional about it, I didn't expect to feel as invested as I have in him competing on a silly dancing television show.  But I found myself mesmerized watching the first episode, voting as many times as I could for him to stay on, and watching every week to see how he does.  Last night when he was eliminated I was emotional again hearing him say how his life would have been different if he could have seen someone like him on television when he was younger.  I was emotional because until I saw it, I never realized the sheer impact of seeing someone like Chaz on national television, not being studied on a talk show or the butt of jokes on a sitcom, but dancing alongside everyone else, could do for someone.  It was something I didn't realize was lacking until I saw it and realized that it had never happened before.  I was emotional because I can relate all too well to this and seeing him on television inspired me to do something I thought I would never do - come out as a transsexual.

Yes, I am a successful guy in my 30's with a loving girlfriend, great career, a happy and comfortable life and 10 years ago I went through a medical transition from female-to-male.  If you've met me or come to know me online anytime in the past few years, chances are pretty high that you didn't know this about me.  I don't talk about it with those who I know don't know, it's not a subject that just comes up usually, there is no logical segue into "hey, so I had a sex change" in most conversations.  It's not something I've put a lot of effort into hiding, it's just something that most people wouldn't have any way of knowing and for the most part, and I've liked it that way.  The point of going through transition was to get to this other side, a place where my gender is not an issue, where I'm seen exactly as the man I am without question.  But lately this place has felt less and less comfortable as I see the statistics of injustice suffered by trans people and the alarming amount of youth taking their own lives before they have a chance to know how it doesn't always have to be an issue.  I feel, much like Chaz talked about, that I can be a positive example of someone who made it through this process and is living a happy and productive life.

I don't feel tortured, conflicted, or in turmoil.  I'm not constantly worried about my safety or discrimination - although there are definitely times when I still need to be.  I feel very lucky and very priviledged to be at this point in my life, and I feel like I am in a position to create change simply by being who I am.  By letting people get to know me, see how I'm not different than them, how it is possible that you know others just like me who you would have no clue had ever been any different.  At different points in my life, I have had shame and fear about people finding out and looking at me differently or rejecting me.  Writing this now, I have a fair amount of that fear, but I also know that I've been through a lot of hard things in my life and come out okay so if I lose a few people who can't deal with this I know I will still be okay.  I have an amazing family who have shown love and support to me my whole life, caring and loving friends who have always had my back and the love of my girlfriend who supports me in everything I do.  I'm very blessed to have the life that I do and I don't want to have to worry about hiding anything from anyone.  I'm proud of what I've been through, of the man that I have become and how I got here and I want to work tirelessly to give everyone who struggles with who they are the same opportunities and support that I have had to succeed.  To borrow an overused and slightly imperfect phrase, it gets better.  But we all have to make it better and build a world where there is room for everyone to be who they are.

Thanks Chaz, for putting yourself out there and pushing me to be a better person.        

"This is What Democracy Looks Like"

From http://www.publicintelligence.net/

I've heard those words a lot over the past week, and it naturally takes me back to when I was 24 and marching on the streets of Seattle shouting those words during a cold and rainy week in late November.  It was the week of the WTO protests and I was working as a Customs broker entering cargo from overseas through U.S. Customs.  Having started my career working on the Canadian border entering mostly paper and wood products from Canada, I was beginning to realize for the first time in my career how things shifted as I moved to the larger port of Seattle.  Suddenly my job was entering consumer goods made in Asia and I was realizing my role in the larger world of global commerce.  In the months leading up to the WTO conference in Seattle, I was learning about the governing body from two angles - in my job people were looking at the conference as a networking opportunity and a chance to get in front of global decision makers and trade officials while in my personal life my friends were doing a different kind of networking - setting up trainings and workshops on the role of the WTO and why people are opposed to it's workings and arranging to house, feed, and support the massive influx of protesters coming in from all over the world. 

Having just moved to the city from a small town a year earlier, it was a time of great growth and learning for me.  I didn't attend college, and had entered the work force while still in high school working my way into a decent entry level position for a 24 year old.  Career wise I was one of the most "grown-up" of my group of my friends but I also felt like I had missed a huge chunk of education that they had gotten, the education on social issues and the systems of oppression that keep the status quo in place.  It seems funny to even say now but I was learning about systemized oppression such as sexism, racism, and classism for the first time.  Things that I had just thought were "the way things were" were actually complex ideas and theories and there were people talking about them, and actually planning to do things to create change.

So I did what most young people learning about the evils of the world for the first time do, I said cliche things like, "if you're not outraged, you're not paying attention" and I got involved.  That involvement led me to DIY workshops where I learned about the intersections of race, gender, and class.  I learned about the power of multinational corporations over the governments of poorer countries when it came to sidestepping environmental or labor protections standing in the way of profits.  I learned about GMO's for the first time and how corporations were controlling the global food supply and squeezing out small farmers.  It seems ridiculous to say it now, but at the time my mind was blown.

I read everything I could get my hands on and attending potlucks, skillshare sessions, and fundraising shows and parties.  It was one of the first time the internet was being used to organize folks on a global scale and get unbiased news coverage and information out quickly.  It was a very exciting time to be getting involved in activism to say the least. 

I took the day off work on November 30th for the big protest march through Seattle organized by a coalition of labor, environmental and other NGO's.  As I walked miles through my city I was amazed by the different messages of the groups and how they all tied in to this global meeting of trade officials.  It was a peaceful protest of union men and women in hardhats concerned about trade agreements sending jobs overseas, environmental advocates dressed as sea turtles concerned about trade agreements that override local protections put in place for wildlife, nude vegans protesting the destruction of organic local food supplies by multinational seed corporations and so many others with signs broadcasting their varied messages.  And then, in my city, in the United States of America, I saw this:

Photo from http://www.gapsucks.org/



Photo from http://www.benjamin.org/

 Heavily armed police in riot gear firing rubber bullets and tear gas at peacefully assembled protesters exercising their constitutionally protected right to freely assemble.  This is not the country I thought I lived in.  That week turned out to be more of an education and life changing experience than I ever imagined.  I watched as people were beaten in the streets indiscriminately by the police, I saw hundreds rounded up and arrested and held for days for no reason or recourse, I watched dumpsters and cars burn in the streets of the city I loved, and I felt the burn of tear gas in my eyes and throat over and over again for no reason.  It was the time I stopped trusting my government and the time I stopped thinking of the police as protectors of the law.  The trauma of what I saw happening to Americans in the streets of what is supposed to be the most free country on Earth was shocking.  For years after the protests I would walk downtown and still be able to see the smoke from fires and tear gas and hear the shouting, the explosions of percussion grenades and the rhythmic thumping of the police hitting their riot shields with their nightsticks in unison. It was a terrifying experience that has not been easily forgotten, but so much good came out of it as well.  It was also the time I believed that a small group of dedicated people could make change and have an impact.  We shut down the WTO negotiations that week and brought global attention to important issues.  Yes, much was overshadowed by the violent and stupid actions of a few but the impact of the WTO Seattle protests lives on today as I watch #OccupyWallStreet unfold in New York and around the world.

The lessons I learned that week in November have stayed with me and shaped a lot of what I do now.  While I'm older and much less willing to risk arrest now, my heart and support are with those in the streets refusing to be silent and accept what they see happening to their world.  And whenever I start to feel like the issues are overwhelming and nothing will ever change, I'm inspired to get back out there and fight for the world I believe we all deserve in any way I can.  I wish I could say that things have changed since WTO, I wish the horror of the photos above brought about changes in the way police deal with peaceful protesters, I wish it were safe to take to the streets and speak up about injustice but the stories coming out of New York show that it is not.

In some ways it's surprising to me that people are confused about what these protests are about.  I get that the messages can be mixed and confusing and it's easy to write the protesters off as trust fund college kids who are bored and causing trouble...some of them probably are.  But the message behind these protests is one that should appeal to about 99% of the U.S. population, the ones who are struggling every day in this economy.  These aren't troublemakers, spoiled college kids out of touch with reality or the "lazy and unemployed".  These are hard working people, educated people, people who went to school, got jobs, paid their taxes and did everything there were "supposed to" do and still they aren't getting ahead - some of them aren't even getting by without taking on a crippling debt load they have no idea how they will pay back.  Meanwhile we watch the wealth gap grow every day in America and around the world.  We watch those with money use it to make money and those without slip further and further behind.  It's maddening and it makes sense that people are taking to the streets now and I hope it continues.  It is the only way things have changed in history, when the frustrated and disenfranchised have had enough and realize they have little left to lose by being silent.  This is an exciting movement and I hope we are just witnessing the beginning of historic change.  I look forward to the weeks, months and years to come.