Is that not the most gorgeous picture ever? It makes me want to make the recipe all over again.

Melissa d’Arabian first burst onto the public food scene when she competed on The Next Food Network Star a few years ago. I watched as she held her own against other, sometimes more flamboyant and edgy, competitors, staying the course. She went on to win the competition, earning herself her very own spot on the Food Network line-up.

Her point of view? Ten dollar dinners.

A movement I can get behind.

Especially when it’s a well-balanced meal.

That’s kid-friendly.

And features recipes that don’t have you hunting all over heck and creation to find ingredients you’ll likely never use again.

Amen.

She is a stay-at-home mom of four, who has lived in Paris. As such, her menus have many different cultural influences, and aren’t just relegated to plain, ordinary fare. She learned her frugal tendencies from her mom, who was a single mother putting herself through college and medical school, and those lessons have clearly served her well.

So when I heard that she was coming out with her first cookbook, I was all in. After looking through it, the recipe for the pork shoulder caught my eye.

And the fact that it was a slow cooker recipe, when it was still plenty hot outside, was a bonus.

Pork shoulder, white wine, onion, garlic, salt, pepper.

People, it doesn’t get easier.

It smelled heavenly a few hours in.

And once done, it shredded up in nothing flat.

It was moist, flavorful, and kid-friendly.

Which is my favorite kind of recipe.

One of the features I like best about the cookbook is that Melissa gives you suggestions for how to use the recipe. The page following the pork shoulder recipe features 10 different ways to use the meat, everything from chili and tacos to hash, turnovers, and tamale pie.

Because who wants to eat the same thing for days on end?

The cookbook includes recipes for Salmon Cakes, Four Step Chicken Piccata, Kale and Crispy Bacon Salad, Roasted Garlic and White Bean Chili, Zucchini Carpaccio, Chicken Marengo, Bulgur-Stuffed Veggies, Fennel-Onion Quiche, Provencal Tomatoes, Cheesy Popovers, Double Chocolate Pound Cake, Homemade Yogurt, and much  more.

And now how about a chance to win her cookbook?  It’s over 350 pages of colorful photographs, easy and delicious recipes, and as Bobby Flay said, “Melissa’s real-life experience as a wife and mom makes her the perfect person to help all of us get dinner to the table.”

Amen to that.

• TO ENTER: Comment on this post and tell me your favorite chef/cook.
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• GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Friday, August 17th at 11pm EST
• WINNER ANNOUNCED: In this upcoming weekend’s Weekend Photos in Review post
• NUMBER OF WINNERS: One
• FINE PRINT: The winner will be selected using random.org.

All-Purpose Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder
Recipe courtesy of Melissa d’Arabian

• 1 3-to-4-pound boneless pork shoulder (or 4 1/2-pound bone-in pork shoulder)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
• 1/2 cup dry white wine

Rinse the pork, place on a cutting board, pat dry with paper towels and rub in the salt and pepper. Set the pork in the bowl of a slow cooker, scatter the onion over the pork, sprinkle in the garlic and add the wine. Cook until the meat easily pulls apart with a fork, about 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

Turn off the slow cooker and transfer the pork to a platter. Use two forks to shred the meat.

If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can braise the pork shoulder in a 325 degrees F oven for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours.

I served ours shredded on whole wheat buns, with sliced red onion, avocado, and a bit of Dijon mustard.

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