My favorite part of traveling is eating. It’s sad but true. I also like trying to recreate things I ate on the road when I return home.  

I had all day Friday to play in my kitchen.  Armed with inspiration from my Seattle trip I created the following menu.

• Creamy Cauliflower Soup with White Truffle Oil
• Smokey Salty Pork Loin on Curried Coconut Risotto topped with Citrus Salsa
• Pineapple Upside Down Cake

The soup was inspired by a few different cauliflower dishes I sampled in Seattle. My version began with slow-cooked onions and celery . Then I added in one box of College Inn’s White Wine and Herb Culinary Broth and another boxful of plain water. I added in the cauliflower and brought it to boil. I reduced the heat and let it cook for nearly an hour then I removed it from the heat and blended it until creamy. I reheated it and adjusted the seasonings. I served it with a drizzle of truffle oil.

The risotto also relied heavily on a College Inn Culinary Broth. I really like this line.  This time it was the Coconut Curry broth.  I simply caramelized a huge red onion and then toasted the arborio rice. I slowly added the warmed stock one ladle at a time. I finished it with a big handful of chopped basil, cilantro, and a generous squeeze of fresh lime.

The pork was rolled in a mixture of smoked sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. I cut it into medallions and pan cooked them. I topped it with simple citrus salsa I made of navel oranges, blood oranges, one granny smith apple, cilantro, honey, white wine vinegar, and a little red pepper.

I used this recipe for the cake. It was perfectly moist and full of flavor.