Matt: What are we doing for supper? Wanna go have an early one at Habanero’s?
Me (in my head): Ugh. I was burnt out on Habanero’s the second time we went there.
Me (out loud): We have food here. Surely we have food here.
Matt (rummaging through the freezer): Unidentifiable animal parts (dog bones)… loaf of bread… frozen okra… What’s this? Pork tenderloin.

Matt got out Cooks’ Illustrated-Best Light Recipe. He’s impressed by their methodical explanation of technique and ingredient recommendations. I usually don’t have the patience to read the entire article, and just want to delve right into the recipe. He followed the recipe, which required searing, baking, and then “carry-over cooking.” Carry-over cooking is when you remove the meat from the oven, wrap it in foil, and let it sit, while it continues to cook from the retained heat. While the meat was searing, we added the glaze: maple syrup, cayenne pepper, cloves, and cinnamon. It smelled delicious—like a perfect fall day.

The meat was absolutely perfect. Matt did a terrific job. This was even better than last night’s $18 pork chop, he said. In addition to the tenderloin, we had asparagus risotto, prosciutto ciabatta from Harvestyme Bakery, and white wine. Each bite complimented the other. We thoroughly enjoyed the bread.

Matt, a usual sopper, declared that the bread stood on its own and could not “be tainted with anything else.”
The first bite, he says: “I think this is the best bread I’ve ever had.”
Later: “This is the best bread I’ve ever had.”
While chewing the tenderloin: “I think this is some of the best pork I’ve ever had—I’m just glad I’m the one who cooked it.” =D