• Heat the oven to 400°F. On the middle rack of the oven, place a large ovensafe skillet (I used a 12-inch cast-iron pan) to heat as well.
• Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels. Rub both sides with olive oil, then season liberally with the lemon pepper seasoning and salt. I sprinkle lots of lemon pepper on both sides of the pork chop, covering the entire surface, and also rub some on the sides. It's really hard to have too much lemon pepper if the seasoning blend doesn't contain salt, so feel free to be heavy handed. Salt is what tenderizes and flavors the pork chop, so feel free to be liberal with that too - I use about 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (or 1/4 teaspoon of table salt) per pork chop. 
• Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven (be sure to use oven mitts) and set it over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
• Place the pork chops in the hot skillet. They should immediately begin to sizzle. Sear until the bottom of the chops are golden-brown, about 3 minutes. It's okay if the chops start to smoke. If too much smoke is coming out, turn the heat down a bit.
• Flip the pork chops using tongs, and transfer the skillet immediately to the oven (don't forget those oven mitts!).
• Roast the pork chops until they are cooked through and register 145°F in the thickest part of the meat with a digital thermometer. Cooking time will be 6 to 12 minutes depending on the thickness of the chops and the temperature they were at the start of cooking. Start checking the chops at 6 minutes, and then check every one to two minutes, as needed, until they're ready.
• Transfer the pork chops to a plate, along with any pan juices in the skillet. Tent loosely with foil and let the chops rest for at least 5 minutes before serving or cutting.

Make the cake:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour the sides of 3 8-inch cake pans, or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place a circle of parchment in the bottom of the cake pans.
• Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. If your butter is too cold, beat it a bit more here to warm it up. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes, until the mixture is pale yellow, light, and fluffy. Do not rush this step! This is what incorporates air into the mixture and what will cause the resulting cake to be light and airy.
• Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk into the batter, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two, starting and ending with the flour. Mix after each addition, but don't overdo it - it's okay to stop and go on to the next addition even if you can still see some streaks of flour or milk. Add vanilla and mix until just combined.
• Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level the batter by holding pan 3 or 4-inches above the counter, and dropping flat onto counter. I do this about 5-7 times per pan. This releases air bubbles in the batter and leads to a more level cake. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Let cakes cool for about two minutes in the pan, then turn out onto cooling racks and let cool completely - this will take at least an hour.

Make the lemon curd:

• Create a double-boiler: Fill a saucepan with a few inches of water and bring to a simmer. Place all the lemon curd ingredients in a metal bowl, and place the bowl on top of the saucepan to create a double boiler. Make sure that the bottom of the metal bowl doesn't touch the water. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it begins to thicken (sort of like the consistency of loose salad dressing) and turns color from a bright yellow to a pale, frothier pastel yellow. You can also check the temperature - it will be done when it reaches 165-170°F. This will take about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate until completely cool - it will thicken even more.

Make the elderflower buttercream:

• In a large bowl, or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer if you're using one, add the egg whites and granulated sugar. Whisk them together briefly by hand until combined.
• Create a double-boiler again with a saucepan and simmering water. Place the bowl with the egg whites and sugar on top of the saucepan (again, don't let the bowl touch the water). Heat the egg white mixture, stirring, until it reaches 155-160°F. The mixture should be very hot to the touch and the sugar should be completely dissolved.
• Once the egg white mixture has reached the designated temperature, take it off the heat and beat the mixture with the whisk attachment on high speed for about 8 minutes. You can return the bowl to the stand mixer to do this, or do it with a handheld electric mixer with the whisk attachment. When done, the meringue should hold shiny, medium-stiff peaks and be cooled to room temperature. The outside of the bowl should feel at room temperature. Stop the mixer and swap out the whisk for the paddle attachment.
• With the mixer on low, begin adding in the butter a couple tablespoons at a time. Use the paddle attachment to mix each addition in. The butter must be room temperature in order to incorporate properly with the meringue.
• After the butter has been mixed in, add the elderflower liqueur and mix to combine. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and mix the buttercream until silky smooth, light, and creamy. This may take a few minutes.

To assemble:

• Cut off any domed tops of cakes so that each cake layer is even and flat. Run hands along all sides of the cake to remove excess crumbs. Place one cake layer on your cake stand or pedestal, and brush about 1/3 of the elderflower liqueur onto the top of the cake with a pastry brush. With a pastry bag with a plain round tip, or a plastic bag with a corner cut off, pipe a circle of buttercream around the outer edge of the cake layer. This will add structural integrity, and help to hold the lemon curd in place. Because the lemon curd isn't very substantial, though, the buttercream circle doesn't have to be super thick - maybe about 1/4 inch in height. Spread about 1/3 of the lemon curd on top of the cake inside the buttercream circle.
• Repeat with the remaining cake layers, finishing with elderflower liqueur and lemon curd on the very top of the cake. Brush any remaining lemon curd on the sides of the cake with a pastry brush. Frost the top and sides of cake with remaining buttercream. To frost the top of the cake, it's easiest to pipe the frosting on with a pastry bag or plastic bag first. I use a round tip to pipe a spiral covering the top of the cake, then use an offset spatula to gently smooth out the frosting and fill in any cracks. This will help you frost the top of the cake without pushing off all of the lemon curd underneath.

• Heat oven to 350°F. Season the chicken thighs liberally with salt and pepper and let rest. Mince two of the garlic cloves and set aside. In a large, ovenproof skillet (I used a 12-inch cast iron pan) over medium-high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the remaining 10 chopped (or smashed) garlic cloves, anchovies, capers, and a couple of dashes of crushed red pepper. Let cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the anchovies, until the garlic browns around the edges and the anchovies dissolve, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken thighs to the pan and cook until nicely browned on one side, about 7 minutes. Don’t worry - you won't burn the garlic. The chicken will release juices as it hits the hot pan and sort of braise all the aromatics you’ve just fried in the oil. Flip the thighs, place the pan in the oven and cook about another 7-10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. You can check doneness with a meat thermometer - the thickest part of the thigh should read 165°F. Don't worry if your chicken still looks a bit pink - thighs can look pinkish, especially near the bone, even when cooked.
• When the chicken is done, take the skillet out of the oven and transfer the thighs to another plate. Heat the skillet and its juices over medium heat and add the minced garlic and half the lemon juice. The juices should begin to simmer – cook for about 30 seconds, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Return chicken to the pan and cook it in the sauce for about another 30 seconds.
• Drizzle the remaining lemon juice over the chicken and garnish with a handful of chopped parsley. It makes a beautiful dish served straight from the pan!