Do you know that kind of sour that makes your saliva glands ache a little and actually squirt just thinking about biting into something? It’s like, no you don’t want to eat that, but you can’t stop yourself! And there you are 3 seconds later... not wanting to take yet another bite. But you know you will! A little shiver goes down your spine and you can’t decide if it is from pleasure or pain!

Well that’s the kind of sour I have for you today. The sour kind of sour, that can only be described as hurts so goooood!

And look at these things, I have seen engagement rings with less sparkle and appeal!

So break through your barriers, put aside your fears, and let's take a journey on the sour side.

Pickled Rhubarb Rubies!

Rhubarb Day 2

On Day 1, I managed to pull off rhubarb tarts. It’s the classic treatment for rhubarb and the obvious introduction to this vegetable. Because it is a vegetable.

But today I want to go a whole other way. I am doing a savory treatment. I am doing an Herb Crusted Roast Pork Loin with Braised Spiced Rhubarb and Celery.

Rhubarb has a very strong sour tang. This makes it a great accompaniment to savory foods. Because, don’t forget. It is a vegetable (have I mentioned that?). A vegetable with a clean, somewhat earthy, tartness. Which makes a wonderful partner to robust cuts of meat like lamb or in this case, pork.

It can certainly hold up to big flavors like red onions, ginger, orange zest and red pepper. Still, even in savory treatments such as this, rhubarb always needs a bit of sugar to round out it's sour flavor. I’ll sweeten it just a touch with brown sugar and golden raisins.

But not every rhubarb is pie; so be careful. Overly sweet rhubarb can be cloying.  Celery will keep this recipe solidly on the savory side of the plate.

I’ll say it this way, as simply as I can. 'Cuz that's how Lou Grant once said it.

“I cherish you people”.

I started this blog on November 21, 2008. Before that I never knowingly read a blog before. I had an "intellectual understanding" about what a blog was. But I remember thinking how could anyone really care that much about another person’s yammering. I remember thinking “how can I ever know if you have any idea what you are talking about?”

Well, I have done a one-eighty in these past 5 months. I now look to bloggers for inspiration! I look forward to reading your yammerings.

One of these inspirational moments came from an Award Winning Irish Food Blogger named The Daily Spud. She recently posted a marvelously simple rhubarb compote/stewed rhubarb recipe. Her joy and love for this recipe came shining through.

I made some lame comment about having never eaten rhubarb but having an "intellectual understanding” of what rhubarb was. I am the worst commenter. I actually am a better lurker. But still, sometimes you gotta support the bloggers you love.

So these past few weeks I have had rhubarb in the back of my mind. I am not the kind of person who is happy having an “intellectual understanding” of food. I am surprised she still speaks to me.

There is only one way to reconcile the heavy burden I carry over my rhubarb remarks and the high standards to which I try to hold SippitySup.