An Evening of Art at Paint Monkey....And Captain Apple Rum-aritas!

  

Thank you Living Social!  Talk about leaving your comfort zone!  Mark and I met up with mixology class friends, Gail and Dave, for an evening that sure was different from how we'd normally spend a Saturday night.  Well, as far as the painting goes anyway.  The Paint Monkey class (yes, that's the real name of the business) was BYOB...so that part wasn't all that far from the norm.

(The four of us pregamed the class at Industry Public House - awesome food and cocktails...more about Industry in another post, folks.)

Heading into class, we didn't know what to expect...none of us had any real experience with a brush and a canvas.  We set up our BYOB items (Gail brought horseradish cheddar, fontina & crackers along with vodka and cran, I brought Captain Apple Rum-aritas and Black Bottom Macaroon Cupcakes...we'd had an early nosh at Industry so I figured dessert would be appropriate.  

The magic about to begin....

Then over to the line of canvasses just waiting to be turned magically into our very own works of art.  Could we actually do this?  Joe Groom, Artist-in-Residence, believed we could...and coached us along the way.

Coach/Artist Joe offering helpful advice.

Armed with steely fortitude and a damned good cocktail (the proverbial "creative juice?", we set to work.  The canvas came imprinted with a light outline, we provided our own spin...some spins were a little wilder than others.

Marilyn Before - Notice the Cocktail!

As the evening progressed, so did our canvasses.  Magically, each one of our blank slates started to come to life.   

Mark feeling those creative juices

Although we each had identical paints and tools to begin with, each "artist" brought something unique to his or her own painting.  Oh...that Marilyn at the very top of today's post?  Mine. Yep, I'm proud.

After a lot of laughs and some very good-natured ribbing (and those cocktails), our creative evening slowly came to a close.  

Gail putting the finishing touches on her masterpiece!

Dave's Marilyn is perfection...but we'd expect nothing less from Dave.

Turned out there actually was a hidden Renoir, Andy Warhol or Monet in each one of us.  Who knew.  Well, what I do know is that we ended the night looking at sample canvasses on the wall, trying to decide which painting we'd do next.  Hmmmmm...Starry Night?  Georgia O'Keefe's Poppy?  That lovely Monet?  How about the Christmas Tree painting to grace the living room for the holidays?  Decisions, decisions.....

Gail overlooking the payload of "fine" art

Just in case you want to head over to Paint Monkey to create your own work of art, let me leave you with the "how to" on that Rum-arita.

Captain Apple Rum-arita

Serves 8

 

• 2 1/4 cups rum, Captain Morgan or other spiced rum
• 6 ounces Triple Sec
• 1 cup apple butter
• 2 cups apple cider
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup simple Sugar Syrup, cinnamon stick simple syrup
• lime wedges

 

In a pitcher, mix apple cider and apple butter until smooth.  Add the rest of the ingredients (except the lime wedges, of course) and stir well.  Serve over ice garnished with a lime wedge.  Or if you need a warming drink, heat the mixture gently on the stovetop and serve in mugs.

 Paint Monkey
100 43rd Street
Ste 212
Lawrenceville
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
412 770-4923 

Apple Baked Navy Beans With Smoked Pork

Frugal alert!  By this time, you all know I like to make the most of menu-planning and budget-stretching.  Just yesterday, I struck gold. It was a rich vein of mahogany, made-from-scratch, beautiful navy beans, sweet with flecks of smoked pork (yep, from the Spiced Apple Balsamic Smoked Pork Loin I made last week!) and accented with fresh apple, apple butter, apple cider and then made zippy with mustard and onion in a sweet and savory counter-tempo.

What's frugal about that?  For starters, navy beans are cheap, cheap, cheap and I already had the cider and apple butter from the smoked pork roast!  Apples?  I've always got apples on hand from Shenot's at this time of year, especially when my favorite Stayman Winesaps are in season.  

Back when I was a kid (and dinosaurs roamed the earth), Winesaps were my dad's favorite...he KNEW his apple varieties!  To this day, I don't think there is a crisper, juicier, more flavorful apple out there. The kids crave this late season variety, too, so the autumn tradition of looking forward to - and buying - Winesaps continues.

Now don't go thinking these pork n beans are just like the canned ones.  Nope.  Not even close.  These aren't your typical tomato-y, mushy, overly sweet, tinny tasting things you find on grocery store shelves. These have character!  Campbell's and Bush's, eat your heart out!

Not that I have anything against canned beans....they make a fine, quick casserole when doctored, bacon covered and baked.  Just don't ask me to eat them plain out of the can and heated up on top of the stove.  Those things aren't even close to acceptable in this house!

High in protein and with the addition of the pork, these beans are hearty enough to be served just with a salad and maybe some buttered cornbread, too.  Want something more substantial?  Serve them as a side dish like in the photo above with grilled chicken and a veggie.

What?  You still have apple butter and cider left after making the pork loin AND the beans?  Maybe you have just enough left (and a little tequila, too) to make a Margarita.  Sound good?  You're in luck!  There just happens to be a recipe for our Apple Cider Margarita right here on Dinner Plan-it!  Cheers!

Apple Baked Navy Beans With Smoked Pork

• 1 pound dried navy beans, soaked overnight according to package directions

• 1/2 large onion, diced small
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider, the good farm fresh stuff!
• 1/3 cup apple butter
• 1/3 cup molasses, unsulphured
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 cup pork, leftover smoked or roasted pork (or ham)
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced

Drain beans and mix with the remaining ingredients.  Pour into a deep casserole dish or a bean pot with a lid, if you have one.  If you don't have a lid, cover the dish with aluminum foil.
 
Bake in a 325 degree preheated oven for about 3 hours (more or less) until the beans are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, but not dry.  Moisten, if necessary, while they're baking with a little apple cider.    

 

Spiced Apple Balsamic Smoked Pork Loin

Apples and pork go together like...well, apples and pork!  Here it is October already and as the days grow shorter and darkness falls earlier, so are the prime days of smoking coming to a close.  Well, here in the north anyway...you fortunate warm-weather-all-year peeps can luckily smoke all year.  A word of advice to those who are not so warm-weather-advantaged: Smoke while the days are still warm enough to easily maintain the temperature in your smoker...strike while the smoker stays hot!

Not familiar with smoking?  Then let me explain that the meat in the picture above is not burned.  Nope, that's the beautiful bark that develops over low and slow smoking.  It is prized!  It is flavorful!  It is heaven.  You probably can't tell from the picture, but the pork roast is a bone-in center cut loin.  Bone-in equals flavor.  Bone-in equals juiciness and tenderness.  Do you get the idea that I only recommend a bone-in roast for smoking?  Yes, you do.  

Another tip to smoke the best doggone pork every time...be SURE the roast is well marbled with fat to keep it moist.  The fat will melt and as it melts, will infuse the pork with flavor while keeping it from drying out.  Of course, keeping it juicy is also the reason for the marinade.  Therefore, marinade + fat = an extra tender and succulent cut of smoked meat.  MmmmMmmm.

The roast was marinated overnight in a brew of farm-fresh apple cider, mustard, garlic, balsamic vinegar and some lovely fall spices.  Before smoking, I slathered the roast with an apple butter glaze that echoed the mood of the marinade.  Did you notice I said "farm-fresh cider" and  not cider-from-the-grocery-store-shelf?  Cider from the farm is less filtered and has more apple-y flavor, body, color and character...the same for the apple butter.  It makes a difference, believe me.  Love my local farms!  (That means YOU Shenot's, Soergel's and Kaelin's!)

While it's sad to see the waning days of warmth, there ARE advantages to the days of fall.  Let me list a few:

#1.  While tending the smoker, your beer stays colder longer and the ice in your cocktail doesn't melt as quickly.

#2.  Crisp, cool nights make for wonderful sleeping with the windows open.

#3.  Hay rides!

#4.  It's not long until little ghoulies and goblins knock at the front door for tricks and treats.

#5.  Shopping at favorite local farm markets for apples, pears, pumpkins, winter squash, beets, cabbages...the bounty of the field, fresh and fabulous.

What?  You don't have a favorite farm store?  Check the newspapers and the internet and FIND A FARM STORE NEAR YOU!  

Spiced Apple Balsamic Smoked Pork Loin

• 3 1/2 pound center cut pork loin roast, bone-in

• 1 pint apple cider
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
• 2 tablespoons stoneground mustard
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt

• 3/4 cup apple butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard, Colman's
• 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

The day before you intend to smoke the roast, mix the apple cider, balsamic vinegar and 2 T EACH of granulated garlic, stoneground mustard and Kosher salt in a STURDY zip lock plastic bag.  Once the marinade is mixed completely, put the roast carefully into the marinade, squeeze out all the air and seal.  Place the bagged roast into a deep bowl and refrigerate. (The bowl is to keep any leaking marinade from making a mess in your fridge.)
 
Early the next day start your smoker using soaked applewood chips. 
 
Once you've started the smoker, make the glaze mixing the apple butter, Colman's mustard, granulated garlic, balsamic vinegar 1/2 t. each of cinnamon, ginger and cayenne, the salt & pepper.  Mix well.  Slather the glaze all over the roast thickly.  You'll have some glaze left - save that to apply part way through the smoking if you wish.
 
Smoke, replenishing charcoal and soaked wood chips as necessary until done.  The roast took about 6 hours for ours to smoke - yours may take more or less time depending on the temp of your smoker, the size of your roast, etc.- so plan accordingly to get the meat on the table in time for dinner!  Remove the roast to a platter and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
 
NOTE:  If you don't own a smoker or just don't feel like doing it outside, you can roast this in the oven as you would normally - no smoke flavor, but still delish.  

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and roast the pork for 30 minutes.  Reduce the temp to 350 degrees and continue roasting until tender and cooked through the way you like your pork.