From The Winning Certificate
After the death of her adopted mother, Sylvia develops an insatiable desire to find her birth mother. She becomes a teenage gang member trapped in a life style of violence and hopelessness. Rick Podowski helps Sylvia through writing poetry and eventually Sylvia is able to leave the gang. She finds her birth mother and becomes an unwilling participant in a plot by her mother's two stepsons.
From Chapter 19
Antonio, who had been released from the hospital that morning, was sitting at the kitchen table having dinner with Jenny. Even though there were no candles, Mexican love songs were playing on the stereo and the subdued light of dusk made for a romantic atmosphere. Sylvia was spending the night at her grandmother's house.
Jenny had promised to make her famous Irish Apple Maple Pork
Chops. When the chops were fried to a deep golden brown, she brought them to
the table on a blue-rimmed oval platter. Three chops covered with apples and a maple sauce
that included Irish whiskey sat in the middle of the platter with a border of
piped mashed potato mounds surrounding them. A basic green salad accompanied
the meal.
Antonio opened a bottle of Burrell School Zinfandel. He poured
two glasses and they sat down to eat.
"This is delicious," Antonio said as he finished a
piece of the chop. "I love this sauce. It's tangy and not too
overpowering. You're a great cook."
"It's an easy dish to make," Jenny said. "All
I did was to fry the chops and the sauce is a fourth of a cup of Irish whiskey,
a half cup of chicken broth, one chopped apple, and a fourth a cup of maple syrup."
"I'm really impressed," Antonio said. "I've
never tasted such creamy mashed potatoes."
Jenny smiled and took a sip of the wine. The Zinfandel was,
she thought, perfect with this dish. It pleased her so much that Antonio had
taken pains to complement her meal by purchasing such a fine wine.
In 1854, Lyman J. Burrell planted the first grapes in the Santa Cruz Mountains on the winery property and in the 1860's the family donated an acre of land to build a school. Little is know about the original school, which burned in a forest fire in 1889. In 1890 a new school was built that served as a K-8 school through 1954. Currently it serves as the residence of the owners.
The building was abandoned, and the Moultons, Dave, a
hardware engineer and his wife Anne, a teacher began to restore the schoolhouse
in 1973.
The winery, which occupies the old carriage house, was
bonded in 1994. Initial plantings were to Chardonnay and Merlot, with Pinot
Noir added in 2002. They also planted Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and
Syrah.
Barrel selection is tailored to each varietal. Long, slow
aging from 12 to 18 months in French or American oak barrels produces a
superior wine. Bottling follows, with an additional six to twelve months of
aging before any wines are released.
In the 2009 Santa Cruz Mountains Commercial Wines
Competition Burrell School won silver medals for its Cabernet Franc, Pinot
Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.
Jenny's Irish Apple Maple Pork Chops With Vine Hill Zinfandel/Syrah Blend
Jenny and Erin both love the flavors of Ireland and this dish is one of their favorites. The Irish whiskey combined with the sweetness of the maple syrup and the apples makes for wonderful flavor. The fruity Zinfandel goes well with this dish.
Serves 4
4 - 6 ounces boneless pork loin chops
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup good Irish Whiskey or Bourbon
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 apple, washed, peeled, cored and chopped
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cook pork chops in a heavy skillet about 10 - 12 minutes on medium
heat. Do not over cook the chops. Remove & keep warm. Add oil, garlic, and
bourbon to the skillet. Cover and cook over high heat 1 minute.
Add the chicken
broth, maple syrup, apple, salt & pepper cooking until slightly thickened,
about 5 minutes.
Stir in the thyme & cook 1 minute. Serve sauce over the
chops.
