This week Cooking from Books celebrates its 8th anniversary. So 333 posts later, rather than publishing a new one, I decided to post my very first one from May 8, 2014. I think we’ve come a long way. I thank you for your continued support and look forward to another eight years of sharing my kitchen adventures with you.

Pork chops with Peppadew peppers were on last night’s menu. I substituted hot Peppadews, a branded sweet piquant pepper from South Africa, for the traditional vinegar peppers. Another variation on this classic Italian-American dish came from a “Cook’s Illustrated” recipe, which calls for starting the pork cops in a cold pan, making for a juicier chop, and using temperature rather than time to measure doneness.

Wine Pairing: Morellino di Scansano