You know I have been doing Meat & Potatoes five days in a row. It's not that I am complaining, it suits the season and it's been fun. But up until now my Meat & Potato recipes have all had a rustic earthiness that suits this classic combination quite well. Because when I say Meat & Potatoes you think hearty and comforting. I'm cool with that.

But today I thought I'd show Sup's! stuff and present something a bit more refined. Because I am out to prove that Meat & Potatoes can be versatile. They can be presented with the utmost panache and aplomb. So today we have Potato Crusted Filet Mignon with Arugula & Pomegranate Sauce. With its unexpected crust and sumptuous sauce, this is an elegant way to enjoy filet mignon. It may be the most refined version of Meat & Potatoes you will ever serve your guests.

It comes to you by the hands and heart of my brother Grant, whom I like to call Sip! on these pages. That's because he usually does the wine pairings. Well today is no excepetion because he has merlot for us. Despite what the lead character in the pinot noir-worshipping movie Sideways led us to believe, merlot can be a serious wine.

But don't assume that I just sat around and did my nails while he was cooking and choosing wine. Nope, I was involved– I did the photos. Which of course still left me time to do my nails.

I finally did it. I broke the spell and actually cooked. I don't mean reheated, or cold poached or relied on default memories of pastas long loved. I mean sat down, thought it out and created a completely original recipe using all of my faculties.

I had my synapses working in both directions. And we all know that synapses are essential to neuronal function, and without neuronal function there would be no such thing as really good cooking. Because neurons are specialized cells that pass signals to individual target cells. And neurons use synapses as the means by which they pass along pertinent information.

Information such as: "Gosh these pork loin chops look fabulous". And because the neurons I was using to view those loin chops at the meat counter this morning were able to share that information with other neurons in my brain the inkling of a recipe was born.

And I want you to know that without synapses the information I gleened by staring at those beautifull loin chops would have just sat in the receiving neuron never actually meeting its destiny. And in this case the destiny of that information may have started with a mere visual cue, but that cue was able to travel back and forth between neurons, telling my body what actions to take to transform those fabulous pork loins into the luscious, delicious, (if I say so myself) recipe that required all my cognitive skills to bring to you today! I think I even spelled it all correctly...