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I have a friend who can remember nearly every outfit she wore during special moments in her life. Her red Mary Janes on the first day of kindergarten, the hand-embroidered peasant blouse for high school graduation, the dangerously short Mary Quant mini skirt for dinner in London with her first real love--she can describe the outfits in exacting detail right down to the accessories. I have another friend who remembers the weather, how it rained on the day her college-bound boyfriend told her he loved her, the blinding snow storm on her first Christmas morning with her newly born daughter. And me, well I remember what was on my plate. I remember the meals.
Like many of us, I associate food with special times in my life. And there will never be a meal more memorable than the one I prepared on November 10, 1993.
It was a beautiful fall day and the man I had been dating for almost a year was coming over to have dinner with me. Usually my suppers were light fare, but the autumn chill in the air justified a heartier meal. A few days earlier, a friend sent me a recipe for walnut crusted pork chops. She said they were inexpensive, easy to make, and her guests raved about them. Those would be perfect, I thought. Add a vegetable, a bottle of wine, some crusty bread, and dinner could be served in no time.
I went to the grocery store in search of a side dish and decided on carrots. They were a nice fall color and would be quick to prepare. I bought a bottle of sparkling wine along with some bread and headed back to the apartment.
When Robert arrived, the kitchen smelled wonderful. After dinner, Robert asked me to marry him. I was shocked. On more than one occasion, Robert had made it very clear to me that a second marriage was never going to be in his future.
The next day when I told my friends about my engagement, I could think of no reason for Robert’s change of heart. I just laughed and said the delicious pork chops must have sent the self-proclaimed confirmed bachelor over the commitment edge! Jokingly, one of my friends asked for the recipe to see if they could work a bit of marriage magic on her long-time boyfriend. She made them for dinner the next week, and he proposed that evening!
A few years later, lightning struck a third time when another friend of mine served them to her boyfriend and the next day--you guessed it--he proposed. But in the interest of honesty and full disclosure, I have to confess that his proposal came on the second time she made them.
Three pork chop dinners, three marriage proposals, three engagements, three weddings, and, after all these years, three couples who are still happily married! Coincidence? Maybe…maybe not.
So, here’s the recipe for my very appropriately named “Proposal Pork Chops.” I think this is the point where my attorney would have me print a disclaimer along with the recipe declaring “outcomes described in this column are not typical--your individual results may vary.” That’s a little too formal for me, but given the past performance of this entree, I would certainly advise serving it with caution!
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
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Proposal Pork Chops
I have a friend who can remember nearly every outfit she wore during special moments in her life. Her red Mary Janes on the first day of kindergarten, the hand-embroidered peasant blouse for high school graduation, the dangerously short Mary Quant mini skirt for dinner in London with her first real love--she can describe the outfits in exacting detail right down to the accessories. I have another friend who remembers the weather, how it rained on the day her college-bound boyfriend told her he loved her, the blinding snow storm on her first Christmas morning with her newly born daughter. And me, well I remember what was on my plate. I remember the meals.
Like many of us, I associate food with special times in my life. And there will never be a meal more memorable than the one I prepared on November 10, 1993.
It was a beautiful fall day and the man I had been dating for almost a year was coming over to have dinner with me. Usually my suppers were light fare, but the autumn chill in the air justified a heartier meal. A few days earlier, a friend sent me a recipe for walnut crusted pork chops. She said they were inexpensive, easy to make, and her guests raved about them. Those would be perfect, I thought. Add a vegetable, a bottle of wine, some crusty bread, and dinner could be served in no time.
I went to the grocery store in search of a side dish and decided on carrots. They were a nice fall color and would be quick to prepare. I bought a bottle of sparkling wine along with some bread and headed back to the apartment.
When Robert arrived, the kitchen smelled wonderful. After dinner, Robert asked me to marry him. I was shocked. On more than one occasion, Robert had made it very clear to me that a second marriage was never going to be in his future.
The next day when I told my friends about my engagement, I could think of no reason for Robert’s change of heart. I just laughed and said the delicious pork chops must have sent the self-proclaimed confirmed bachelor over the commitment edge! Jokingly, one of my friends asked for the recipe to see if they could work a bit of marriage magic on her long-time boyfriend. She made them for dinner the next week, and he proposed that evening!
A few years later, lightning struck a third time when another friend of mine served them to her boyfriend and the next day--you guessed it--he proposed. But in the interest of honesty and full disclosure, I have to confess that his proposal came on the second time she made them.
Three pork chop dinners, three marriage proposals, three engagements, three weddings, and, after all these years, three couples who are still happily married! Coincidence? Maybe…maybe not.
So, here’s the recipe for my very appropriately named “Proposal Pork Chops.” I think this is the point where my attorney would have me print a disclaimer along with the recipe declaring “outcomes described in this column are not typical--your individual results may vary.” That’s a little too formal for me, but given the past performance of this entree, I would certainly advise serving it with caution!
Proposal Pork Chops for Two
Made with canola or olive oil cooking spray, salt and pepper, breadcrumbs, walnuts, pork chops, Dijon mustard
Made with canola or olive oil cooking spray, salt and pepper, breadcrumbs, walnuts, pork chops, Dijon mustard
Serves/Makes: 2
- 6 tablespoons fresh white breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
- 2 pork chops (5-6 ounce size)
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
- canola or olive oil cooking spray
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking pan with non-stick foil and generously spray with cooking spray.
Mix the bread crumbs and walnuts in a shallow bowl.
Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. Coat each side of the pork chops with the mustard and dredge the chops in the walnut-breadcrumb mixture.
Place the chops on the foil lined baking sheet, spray them lightly with cooking spray, and bake them for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F.
Turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees F and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the chops reach and internal temperature of 155 degrees F.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/victoria-wesseler/402-pork-chops/