This past summer I got caught up looking at the old books Mom used to read to us before we went to bed. I loved turning the pages, smelling that familiar old book smell and remembering lining up on the bed with my brothers intently listening to familiar stories. We all knew the ending but always found ourselves getting caught up in the magic of the words.

I got to visit with my old books such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? and Hop on Pop, a Dr. Seuss book that my Dad never really appreciated (can’t imagine why ). I loved those old, dare I say, classics.

Due to this walk down memory lane, I was thrilled to see Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham is celebrating 50 years! For fifty years poor Sam has been getting nagged about eating green eggs and ham. Hey, at least he gets to try ham at the end of story, so there is a happy ending.

In celebration of this literary corner stone, the National Pork Board has some recipes that add a little twist to the classic green eggs and ham dish. I need to try some of these out… on a boat, in the rain or on a train.

Don’t miss the beginning!

I. Introducing Jamie

As I kick off one of my first cooking highlights, I think a little background material might be beneficial to showcase how incompetent I am in this arena. Living in Columbus, going to Ohio State, working a couple of jobs and attending the occasional class took up a lot of time throughout college so I always had an excuse for why I was just ordering out. That, and doing so allowed me to avoid an evening run to the grocery store when already hungry and buying twenty items, all of which expired before ever being consumed.

One day I got off work early, perhaps skipped an afternoon class—though I’d never admit it—and decided I’d do the craziest thing ever (yes, even more so than jumping in Mirror Lake when it’s 20 degrees). I would make dinner. So, I loaded up on groceries, got back to my lovely college apartment and attempted marinated chicken breasts. Yes, I know it’s a PORK blog, but hang in there. So, I did everything perfectly, dinner smelled amazing as it started to cook and I decided it’d be the perfect time to catch up on some studying and my favorite television shows.

THREE hours later, my roommate got home from class and asked if she actually smelled something cooking—as in, ‘are you seriously cooking dinner?’ which was dripping with sarcasm no less. The picture at right showcases my so-called dinner that night after I remembered that food I happened to be cooking. Hours earlier. How was I supposed to know our oven had a super over-cook function? I’m sure this had nothing to do with the time the food was actually in that oven…

It only took me three years to recover from my cooking cluster and to work up the confidence to try another go at marinating. Keeping in mind the pan used that day didn’t fare near as well as I did. But, nonetheless, this time I marinated in style with—you guessed it—pork.

If it is any indication of my incredible talent in the world of culinary arts, I purchased a brand new stove in November of last year and didn’t unwrap the eight layers of super strength saran wrap until—well, mid-May. Even then, I only set the clock and I’m pretty sure all of the original paperwork is still—to this day—taped to the top rack of the oven. Sad? Yes, I know.

While I may have a few ‘Porktastic’ qualities, cooking sure isn’t one I will be winning an award for any time soon. And, while I’ve come to terms with that, the competitor in me just can’t settle for not at least attempting to excel.

Long story short, I am chronicling some of my adventures in the kitchen so all the Martha Stewart’s and Betty Crocker’s out there can feel better about themselves and their extraordinary abilities. Meanwhile, the rest of the real world can relate to my struggles and attempts at cooking. Check back for meal highlights, recipes and the occasional humor ingredient mixed in along the way… In the meantime, take a look at www.ohiopork.org and snag some great recipes from farm families that are busy taking care of their animals, children AND cooking fabulous meals. I could probably handle the pigs, perhaps even outwit the kids, but this cooking deal is a whole other story!

–JJ

Hello!  I’m Bethany and I’m an intern for the Ohio Pork Producers Council.  I, along with others at the Ohio Pork Producers Council and the Indiana Pork Producer Association, are going to add our two cents to this wonderful blog.  It’s time to get excited!

You may have some questions about what to expect such as what kind of recipes are going to be on the blog, will you talk about anything besides food, and what’s a pork butt.  Well, I have all those answers.

What kind of recipes will now be on the blog?

Anything with pork of course!  Since I can only contact my culinary genius, my mom, by phone since I left the nest, I believe in keeping my recipes easy and made from simple ingredients that are easy to find.  Unfortunately for you, I am going to take you on this journey with me as I try to feed myself and my roommate.  Other recipes will come from a variety of people with a variety of perspectives, so I hope you find something that helps you create a wonderful eating experience no matter what your level of experience.

Will you talk about anything besides food?

Well, personally I like food… I’m planning on eating it for the rest of my life.  However, I understand that not everyone is as obsessed with the smell of bacon and the next meal as yours truly.  So we are still planning to include updates on festivals, weird pork paraphernalia, and giveaways.

What’s a pork butt?

The answer is here!

Let me know if there is something you would like to see!  I’ll be talking to you soon!

-          B

I dove into the world of Facebook and found friends!  The question is am I ready for the entrance into Twitter or better yet, is Twitter ready for me and my love of ham, bacon, pork chops, pork loin, and… bacon (Did I say that already?).  Well, ready or not I’m going to share my love of pork and all its goodness with Twitterers (Is that even a word? I have so much to learn)!  Come and join me!

February 21 is “International Mother Language Day.” In honor of this cultural event, and since it is the world’s most popular meat, we thought we would teach you how to say “pork” in different languages. Now you’ll be equipped to order your favorite protein no matter what country you’re in! So, if your native language is:

• Spanish: carne de cerdo, carne de puerco, or chancho (depending on which country you’re in)
• Italian: carne di maiale
• French: viande de porc
• Mandarin Chinese: 豬肉 or zhu rou
• German: Schweinefleisch
• Japanese: 豚肉 or butaniku
• Russian: свинина or svinina
• Thai: เนื้อหมู or moo
• Pig Latin: Orkpay

If saying pork so many times makes you hungry (it sure did us), keep your international juices flowing with these Chuletas Contentas, Spanish for Happy Pork Chops.

And while you’re at it – spread the Porktastic love in:

• Spanish: Cerdotástico, Puercotástico, Chanchotástico
• Italian: Maialetastico
• French: Porqtastique
• German: Schweinefleishtastisch
• Pig Latin: Orkptasticpay

Winter is the best time of year to read a good book. You can curl up under a blanket or sit by the fire and read as the cold, white snow falls silently outside.

Okay, your nights might not be quite so peaceful and we may have read one too many romance novels, but winter is a great time for reading. To get you started on your winter reading list, we visited the Porktastic library in order to present a selection of swinely divine books for everyone in your family.

For your little piglets we suggest the classics. They’ll build a firm foundation for their future in the Porktastic community.
The Three Little Pigs
The TRUE Story of the Three Little Pigs
If You Give a Pig a Pancake

For the top boar, something to get in touch with his manly side.
How to Catch a Pig: Lots of Cool Stuff Guys Used to Know but Forgot About the Great Outdoors

For the one hog wild for series, we suggest the first two entries in Joseph Caldwell’s “Pig” trilogy (the third one isn’t out or we’d recommend it too).
The Pig Did It
The Pig Comes to Dinner

For the one making sure everyone gets fed we suggest these mouthwatering cookbooks – they’re books too you know.
Pig Perfect: Encounters with Remarkable Swine and Some Great Ways to Cook Them
Bruce Aidells’s Complete Book of Pork: A Guide to Buying, Storing, and Cooking the World’s Favorite Meat

Winter is also a great time for soup. So when your stomach starts squealing, whip up this next Porktastic Nine recipe. It will warm you up and be a great reading companion.

Winter White Chili

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork

1 medium onion, diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 can (16 ounces) white beans, drained

1 can (14 ounces) corn, drained

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

1 can (4 ounces) diced green chiles

Directions

In a large saucepan, brown the pork with the onion, then stir in the cumin and chili powder. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the chili is heated through and the flavors are blended.

Good news: it’s been two weeks and the Porktastic community is still committed to its “Eat More Pork” diet plan. This may not seem like long, but we’re betting most of you have already abandoned some of your New Year’s resolutions. Since the year is still young, we’re willing to share ours and the let you in on the force that has us hog-tied: the Power of the Pork Tenderloin.

Pork Tenderloin has the power to make eating healthy – gasp – exciting. Salad may be traditional diet food, but by adding a few slices of tenderloin, boring lunches went from lifeless to lively. And we actually felt full and satisfied afterwards, so we didn’t have to dig around in our desk for a smashed candy bar left over from Halloween.

Pork Tenderloin has the power to bring five star dining to your kitchen table. You don’t need reservations or a special occasion to live high on the hog. It’s so quick and easy to make something snazzy like Pork Mignon any day of the week that your husband may think he forgot something important – like your anniversary (we won’t tell if you want to take advantage of his guilt).

Pork Tenderloin has the power to make family meals affordable. We love pork tenderloin because you don’t need the budget of a small country to afford this prime cut of pork. We found that lots of tenderloins come two to a package, which feeds about six people – talk about a pleasant surprise. Porktastic people are thrifty people so money saving doesn’t stop there. We’re stocking up on pork tenderloin now, while it’s on sale, and freezing it (for up to six months) so we can bask in the Power of the Pork Tenderloin all year long. We’re just hoping our resolution lasts as long as the pork.

"Hi-dy ho neighbor"

December was “Hi Neighbor” month, but good cheer was already so prevalent that we decided to push back our celebration of this friendly month and let the neighborhood cheer continue past New Year’s. Therefore, we at Porktastic are taking a cue from our two favorite neighbors this month by sharing our knowledge of all things pork. Whether it’s sharing our insight into the world of the hog farmer over the fence or inviting our neighbors to a Porktastically good meal (and then looking the other way when they take all the leftovers and our secret family recipe), we vow to be the best diddily-arn neighbors ever.

"Hi-diddily-ho neighborino"

So brush up on your hog farm know-how, whip up a Porktastic Nine recipe and meet your neighbors at the fence, driveway or door to join us in sharing pork with the world, one neighbor at a time.

Thanks to everyone who made National Pork Month truly Porktastic for us. Your love for all things pork came through loud and clear in the final week and, as a result, we’re proud to be doling out the freebies.

Congrats to all of our winners for being loyal fans of Porktastic.

Grilling tools -- They go to Connie from Ohio, who in turn pledged to give the tools to her son, a bona fide grillmaster who provides pork perfection at events across the Buckeye state. Way to go, Connie.

“Lick My Chops” t-shirt and pizza cutter — Trevor, also from Ohio, hopped all over this by revealing his tough and refined sides to Mr. Oinkers (a Harley rider and self-confessed foodie).

Artisan Pig Bowl – Kelly from Palo Alto, CA, now an honorary citizen of Porktastic, spoke eloquently of brining and smoking her own bacon from pork belly that she buys in 1o lb. increments. Quite deserving, we say.

Free pork gift certificates — Sarah, Aaron and Michael all wooed us with their pleas for pork and promises to share the goodness with others. How could we say no?

“Nice Chops” t-shirt. Holy smoke…the response for this baby was off the chart! In the end, we narrowed our list to a worthy baker’s dozen…and that’s where the folks at Indiana Pork stepped in and said… let them ALL have Nice Chops! We couldn’t agree more.

Although Pork Month is officially over, we’ve got more fun, food and Porktastic goodness up our sleeves. So RSS Feed us and come back often. We like it when you stop in and visit…