I like to collect recipes that remind me of people and places. I have an interesting lemon chutney recipe from Australia for example and I cook up Singapore chili crab if I want to be reminded of growing up in Asia.
I met my friend Rochelle when she was a neighbor of mine in London. Every summer she would quit her job and go traveling, I was deeply envious as I spent my London decades working too many hours building my career and she was swanning off like a hippy, coming back with recipes and cool clothes. In fact I have never figured out which of us had the right formula for life.

Pork and Clams -serves 4
1 ½ lbs boneless pork, cubed
2 onions, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
2 large tomatoes, cut in half, the seeds squeezed out and chopped
1 chili, seeded and chopped
2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon paprika
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
4 dozen clams, the smaller the better
¼ cup chopped cilantro

Fry the pork until browned all over in a slick of oil.
Add the onions, red pepper, garlic, tomatoes, and chili and turn to color before adding the wine, paprika, bay leaf and a grind or two of black pepper.
Do not add any salt at this stage as the clams will add saltiness later.
Let the pork simmer on low until it is tender, about 45 minutes.
When the pork is cooked, place the clams in a large sauce pan set over high heat. Pour over the clams the wine mixture that the pork was cooked in and cook until the clams have opened.
Add the pork and clams together and serve in soup or pasta bowls with cilantro sprinkled over.

Notes
The pairing of pork and seafood may seem strange, but it is no different really to our recipe for clam chowder which contains salt pork and clams, that recipe too may have Portuguese origins from the cod fisheries off the coast of New England. Paella from Spain similarly has a combination of meats and seafoods.
When I cook this dish I cook double the recipe of the pork stew and freeze half so that it can become a quick weeknight dinner.