Mediterranean Pork Chops Recipe by Ruth Paget

Mediterranean Pork Chops Recipe by Ruth Paget

I just made Omaha Steak pork chops for lunch winging it in the kitchen, but I am pretty sure the following measures would work:

Ingredients:

-2 Omaha Steak pork chops, thawed in the refrigerator

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-5 sprigs rosemary, snipped 

-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

-1/4 cup water

-Kirkland salt and pepper, to taste

Steps:

1-Heat olive oil in frying pan and add pork chops. Cook on high heat 5 minutes per side.

2-After ten minutes, add balsamic vinegar to color pork chops.

3-Add water and snipped rosemary to the pan and turn pork chops to darken the pork chops.  Use a wooden scraper to deglaze the pan.  Let pork chops cook another 5 minutes.

4-Run the pork chops through the microwave to thoroughly cook and to help carsmelize the balsamic sauce on the pork chops.

Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Bon Appetite!

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Costco’s Quiche Lorraine is a Deep-Dish Quiche! By Ruth Paget

I made Costco’s Quiche Lorraine for lunch today and really liked it -

The quiche was about 3 inches thick and almost reminded me of deep-dish pizza.

There was enough quiche for 8 portions.  Leftovers went into Pyrex containers to be eaten for lunch tomorrow.

Some of my favorite ingredients are in quiche - eggs, cheese, cream, and savory ham.  

We drank a De Tierra Coco red wine from Salinas’s local winery tucked away in Corral de Tierra made famous by John Steinbeck’s novel The Pastures of Heaven.  

If you like quiche, Costco’s deli quiche is a pretty good deal especially on busy event weekends.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Hot Pot Trending on Tik Tok and my Cookbook Recommendation by Ruth Paget

I saw that H Mart’s Chinese Hot Pot Kit has people lining up at stores almost like a video games or manga release.

My blog about Jeff Mao’s Hot Pot Cookbook might provide some interesting recipes for first-time purchasers:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2023/04/chinese-hot-pot-meals-by-ruth-paget.html?m=1

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Kalanchoe Flowering Plants from Madagascar at Lowe's Nursery in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Kalanchoe Flowering Plants from Madagascar at Lowe’s Nurserty in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

On a trip out to Lowe’s Nursery in Salinas, California by Northridge Mall, I saw that Lowe’s was selling the perkiest, blooming plant called a kalanchoe whose origins are in the island of Madagascar off the eastern coast of Africa. 

The flowering blooms in this plant at Lowe’s were a tight cluster of pink in a naturally forming bouquet surrounded by a ring of green leaves at the bottom of the plant. 

The kalanchoa would look great by a specials board in a coffee shop, diner, or bistro. Hotels might like to place this plant on a counter with brochures about area shops (shopper guides noting store specialties), restaurants, spa services, and tourism sites. 

The kalanchoa plants require little water and are pretty safe to place next to promotional materials. More information about the kalanchoa plant follows below: 

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/kalanchoe/#:~:text=Factsheet%20%7C%20HGIC%201563%20%7C%20Published:,houseplant%20fertilizer%20once%20a%20month.

As of today, kalanchoa flowering plants sell for $12.99. Information about this plant and others for sale at Lowe’s Nursery follows:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Multicolor-Kalanchoe-in-1-4-Quart-Pot/3628346?store=3095&cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-lwn-_-ggl-_-CRP_SHP_LIA_LWN_Online_Mid_Priority(E+Band)_Omni-_-3628346-_-local-_-22862735652-_-&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22862735652&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W8u5cdqRslx8uc91NE-qkPGX

Lowe’s by Northridge Mall in Salinas, California has a large nursery next to its hardware store with competitive prices and a large parking lot. It is located off Highway 101 by North Main Street. 

For San Jose and Bay Area visitors, a plant, herb, or even a tree or two make great souvenirs of a trip to Salinas and Monterey County. 

A place like Lowe’s Nursery is important if you want your town to be like a French “ville fleurie” – a town decorated with flowers. Information about France’s Villes Fleuries program follows:

https://www.travelfranceonline.com/villes-et-villages-fleuris-basic-facts/

Happy Nursery Strolling! 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

May 1 in Salinas, California - Spring Carnival is Here posted by Ruth Paget

For more information about the Spring Carnival in Salinas, California today through May 10, 2026, check out my blog below:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/04/spring-carnival-may-1-to-may-10-2026-at.html?m=1

A carnival in town always reminds me of California writer Ray Bradbury’s dark fantasy novel entitled Something Evil This Way Comes. 

Maybe there is a movie idea here too.

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Sky Pencil Japanese Holly Trees at Carmel Valley Park, California by Ruth Paget

Sky Pencil Japanese Holly Trees at Carmel Valley Park, Carmel by Ruth Paget

Out for a walk at the Carmel Valley Park outside Carmel, California, I used the Google lens app to identify flowers, shrubs, and trees around the park.

One of the most interesting trees I saw was a Sky Pencil Japanese Holly that had been trimmed to look like tapering columns on either side of the entrance to the Carmel Valley History Museum (open on weekends and just in time for the 2026 Carmel Valley Garden Show).

According to the Monrovia Nursery Site, these trees are rabbit resistant and can tolerate pollution.  They are ornamental trees that can grow in tight spaces and tolerate pollution, making them good decorative plants for cities.

A photo and information about Sky Pencil Japanese Holly Trees follow:

https://www.monrovia.com/sky-pencil-japanese-holly.html

Happy Garden Strolling!

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Business of Being a Writer book sold by UChicago Press reposted by Ruth Paget

The writing resource book entitled Business of Being a Writer by Jane Friedman and published by the University of Chicago Press might interest writers in Monterey County California.

Details about this book and purchase information follow:

https://cdcshoppingcart.uchicago.edu/Cart2/ChicagoBook?ISBN=9780226838656&PRESS=CHICAGO&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BUY%20THIS%20BOOK&utm_campaign=Reader%27s%20Picks%20April%202026

Keep Writing!

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games