For our anniversary dinner last night I was going to make pork chops with a lime dressing and black bean tomato quinoa from the current Gourmet. However, when I was at my parents' house in Houston this month my mom had made pork chops with biscuits and gravy and yesterday that sounded much better, so I made buttermilk biscuits using Mark Bittman's recipe from How to Cook Everything (surprisingly good and easy, using the food processor. I say surprisingly because Bittman claims the biscuits are even better made with yogurt which made me suspect he knew nothing about biscuits whatsoever.).

The pork chops couldn't have been easier- heat a pan with olive oil til it is nearly smoking and then sear for a few minutes on each side, then put the pan in a 450 oven for a few more minutes until they are around 140. Then put the chops to rest covered in foil and add some flour to the pork fat/oil in the pan, whisk in, and then whisk in milk slowly til you have a thick, thick gravy. Add lots of pepper and salt to taste.

Of course, this all led to this morning, as I was heating leftover biscuits and gravy, having to start our fourth year of marriage with a lie when my husband asked if he just saw me eat a spoonful of gravy. No, I would never do any such thing, dear. Except I totally would.

In other celebration day after meal news, if you have leftover jalapeno cheddar bread from your Goode Company barbeque birthday meal, it makes EXCELLENT french toast, topped with lime sour cream. (Thank you Sally Schneider.) It is hard to imagine leftover jalapeno cheddar bread but when the meal included brisket, pork ribs, sausage, sweetwater duck, pinto beans, baked beans, tater salad and jambalaya, it seems more plausible.