European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 8, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Perfect fall dish of my x by Marian Burros the new York times apples go with pork As naturally As peas go with carrots. The combination is a sure sign of cooler weather the recipe Here is an updated version of an old favorite. Ginger and Lemon add a clean refreshing note and Yogurt adds a bit of Tang. Instead of a Gravy thickened with flour the sauce is Flavoured with the Yogurt and thickened slightly with cornstarch. The result is a dish with a lighter feel that is just As satisfying As a pork roast with Apple rings. Cooking cucumbers is hardly new but it is not done too often. Cooking adds a Sweet note to what is otherwise simply a Crisp food. Ginger pork chops with apples and prunes 8 pitted prunes Cut in half v4 cup Brandy 4 thick Center Cut pork chops trimmed of fat freshly ground Black Pepper to taste 1 or 2 Tablespoons canola or Corn Oil zest of i Lemon coarsely grated 2 garlic cloves minced 2 slices fresh Ginger minced 1 Large Apple cored and thickly sliced 1 cup Apple juice 1 cup Plain nonfat Yogurt 1 Tablespoon cornstarch 20 ounces tiny new potatoes scrubbed unpeeled cooked and kept warm. Place prunes in Small bowl and pour Brandy Over them. Set aside. Season pork chops with Pepper. Heat Oil in Skillet Large enough to hold chops using 1 Tablespoon Oil in nonstick pan 2 Tablespoons in regular. Saute chops with Lemon zest garlic and Ginger in hot Oil until chops Are browned on both sides. Add Apple slices prune and Brandy mixture and Apple juice. Cover and Cook until chops Are tender 20 to 30 minutes. If chops Are thin Cook 20 minutes. Stir Yogurt with cornstarch and add to chops. Stir to mix with sauce reduce heat and Cook just until sauce thickens a bit and is heated through. Serve with potatoes. Yield 4 Servings. Herded Cucumber 2 medium size regular cucumbers or 4 Small Kirby cucumbers 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1 to 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Parsley. If cucumbers Are waxed Peel them. Otherwise Wash and leave Peel on. Cut off ends and slice thinly. Heat butter in Skillet. Saute cucumbers in hot butter with chives until cucumbers Are Limp 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle with Parsley and serve. Yield 4 Servings. 60 minute gourmet i f or hungarian flair try pork and paprika by Pierre Franey. The new York times mention the word paprika and most people will think of hungarian cooking. While the hungarians Are indeed extraordinarily fond of paprika a it shows up in their Gou lashes soups White sauces and countless other dishes a this potent spice does not come from tha country. Paprika both the hot and Milder versions is derived from a Type of Chili Pepper that is native to South America. It is a Distant Cousin to the Cayenne and red Chili peppers. When i think of this pungent mildly hot spice pork comes to mind the dish Here could be considered hungarian in inspiration although the sauce is considerably lighter than most hungarian sauces i have tasted. The pork cutlets Are first seasoned and browned Well. Then a sauce is made by sauteing onions and garlic with Marjoram and paprika. When the onions Are lightly browned you can add Vodka or Gin for an extra dimension of flavor and some Chicken Broth and simmer for 15 minutes. Sour Cream is the thickening agent at the end. The mildly piquant paprika cuts through the Rich sour Cream to create a nicely integrated flavor. This Type of Eastern Quot european dish Calls for cabbage. A Quick Way to prepare it is to soften some onions with garlic and then add the cabbage sliced apples for sweetness vinegar Caraway seeds Chicken Broth and seasoning. The combination simmers covered for Only 15 minutes. Pork cutlets with paprika sauce 8 Boneless pork loin cutlets about 3 ounces each trimmed of excess fat Salt and freshly ground Pepper to taste 1 Tablespoon vegetable Oil i cup finely chopped onion 2 Teaspoons chopped fresh Marjoram or 1 Teaspoon dried 1 Teaspoon finely chopped garlic 1 Teaspoon paprika 2 Tablespoons Vodka or Gin i cup fresh or canned Chicken Broth 1/4 cup sour Cream 1. Sprinkle the cutlets with Salt and Pepper. 2. Heat the Oil in a Skillet Large enough to hold the cutlets in one layer. When the Oil is very hot add the meat and Cook Over medium High heat for about 5 minutes or until browned. Turn the slices and Cook 5 minutes More. 3. Remove the fat from the Skillet and scatter the onion Marjoram garlic and paprika around the pork. Cook and stir until lightly browned. Add the Vodka and Chicken Broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. If there is too much liquid reduce it. Stir in the sour Cream reheat but do not boil. Yield 4 Servings. Braised cabbage with Apple and Carawa y seeds 2 Tablespoons butter or vegetable Oil 1 cup coarsely sliced onion a 1 Teaspoon minced garlic Small head firm cabbage coarsely shredded about 5 cups 1 medium size Apple peeled cored and it amp it in thin slices 1 Tablespoon White vinegar 1 Teaspoon Caraway seeds i cup fresh or canned Chicken Broth Salt and freshly ground White Pepper to taste 1. Melt the butter in a Skillet and add the onion and garlic. Cook stirring until wilted. Do not Brown. Add the cabbage Apple vinegar Caraway seeds Chicken Broth Salt and Pepper. 2. Bring to a boil stir cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and if there is too much liquid reduce it accordingly yield 4 Servings buttered Fine noodles with Parmesan % Pound Small Zucchini washed and trimmed 2 quarts water 1/3 Pound Fine egg noodles 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil i Teaspoon Salt freshly ground Black Pepper 8 turns of the Pepper Mill 1 Teaspoon chopped garlic 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Basil leaves 1. Slice the Zucchini into Long Julienne strips. 2. Bring water to a boil in a pot and Cook the noodles until tender Drain and Reserve 1a cup of the cooking liquid 3. Heat the Oil and add the Zucchini and Sprinkle it with Salt and Pepper. Saute briefly just to heat the Zucchini through add the garlic and Basil. Add the noodles and reserved cooking liquid. Cook stirring gently until the mixture is hot. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Yield 4 Servings Page 14 a the stars and stripes Friday novembers 1991 How to stuff a pork chop first make a Slit in the meat and use a knife to form a pocket lightly spoon about a cup stuffing into the pocket. Close the pocket with two Wood picks through the meat. Lot Angelot Timet 4 snip off the picks level with the surface of the chops. By Joan Drake the los Angeles times a Survey by National family opinion inc., a consumer research organization reported that 93 percent of the 1,304 Consumers polled believed that pork must be cooked Well done to be wholesome. Apparently this conviction is based on the age old fear that eating undercooked pork causes the illness  National pork producers Council says that concern Over becoming infected with this disease trom eating pork is no longer justified. Even if present Trichina is killed at 137 degrees Well below the oneness recommended for pork. Today a farm feeding practices Are producing pork that is 50 percent leaner than the meat available 20 years ago. Quot in the past it was possible to overcook pork and still have a fairly tender product with Good flavor Quot says Robin Kline a registered dietitian and Council director of consumer affairs. Quot however that s not the Case  the Council now recommends cooking pork to 160 degrees or medium in order to retain More of the meat s natural juices and tenderness for Many pork cuts this Means it is properly cooked when still slightly Pink at the Center. A meat thermometer will ensure that the meat is cooked to the proper temperature and is especially easy to use in larger cuts such As roasts and stuffed pork chops. When purchasing pork chops for stuffing select those that Are double Cut about an Inch thick use a Sharp paring knife to trim any fat in excess of i Inch from the Edge of the chops. Then make a horizontal Slit 1  to 2 inches Long through the fat. Insert the knife into the Slit and draw it from Side to Side to form a pocket step 1. Lightly spoon about a cup stuffing into the pocket of each pork chop step 2. Securely close the pocket opening by inserting two Wood picks step 3. Snip off the picks level with the surface step 4 before Browning the chops on both sides in a Small amount of Oil. Add enough Chicken Broth to the pan step 5 to prevent the chops from sticking. Reduce the heat cover the pan and simmer the chops 30 minutes or until tender and the desired degree of oneness adding Moro Broth As needed. Remove the chops and keep warm dissolve a Tablespoon of cornstarch with a Small amount of water and add to the remaining pan juices Cook stirring until thickened. Serve the sauce Over the chops stuffed pork chops 1 cup stale bread cubes i cup chopped celery i cup chopped onion 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 1 Teaspoon fresh chopped Sage Salt Pepper a cup milk 6 pork chops Cut about 1 Inch thick 2 Tablespoons Oil 1 14vi-ounce can Chicken Broth 1 Tablespoon cornstarch Combine bread cubes celery onion thyme Sage and Salt and Pepper to taste moisten mixture with milk set aside. Use Sharp paring knife to trim any fat in excess of a Inch from Edge of chops Cut horizontal Slit 1  to 2 inches Long through fat then insert knife into Slit and draw from Side to Side to form pocket repeat Lor each chop lightly spoon about a cup stuffing into pocket of each pork chop securely close pocket opening by inserting 2 Wood picks snip off picks level with surface saute chops in Oil Over medium heat until browned on both sides add enough Broth to keep chops from sticking reduce heat cover and simmer 30 minutes adding More Broth As needed remove chops and keep warm dissolve cornstarch in Small amount of water stir into pan juices and Cook stirring constantly until thickened serve Over chops makes 6 Servings note remove Wood picks before serving the stars and stripes a Page 15