Real barbecue is the antithesis of grilling.  There’s nothing quick and easy about it.  To properly cook a pork shoulder over smoldering coals for hours until its tender, moist and humming with smoky flavor takes patience and attention to detail.

So it’s no wonder we only pull out the smoker now and then.  Every time, we bite into pulled pork straight out of the smoker, though, we regret that we don’t do it more often.

It’s hard to beat the taste of well-marbled pork cooked until the outer layer becomes deep brown and crusty.  Pile it on a bun with tangy, crunchy cole slaw and life doesn’t get much better.

This is a can’t-miss dish for a party.  And just the thing for the waning days of the summer vacation season. Continue reading A feast of smoky pork →

The way this summer has gone, it looked like there never was going to be a good time to try out my idea for adult versions of the commercial (and trademarked) Popsicle.  But the weather seems to have settled into a nice run of warm days at last and I’ve been experimenting with making ice pops with a kick.

These frozen bars are milder versions of a couple of refreshing summer cocktails made with fresh juice.  It took a little tweaking to get the flavor right while reducing the alcohol enough that the pops would freeze.  They’re supposed to be fun, not seriously intoxicating, anyway.

For my models, I drew on Lynchburg Lemonade, named after the Kentucky home of the Jack Daniels distillery, and a generic peach daiquiri recipe.  I substituted lemon juice and homemade simple syrup for sour mix in the potent lemonade recipe and stuck to fresh peaches rather than “peach-flavored” liqueurs in the daiquiri.

The results are fresh tasting and fruity–with just enough liquor to make the flavors more interesting.

These are easy to whirl together in the blender and freeze in the ice pops molds readily available in most cookware stores these days.  Let them freeze overnight and you’re ready for an impromptu party, complete with frozen drinks.

Tomato season got a slow start this year but my favorite vegetable finally has hit its stride.  Ripe and juicy heirloom tomatoes overflow the tables at local farmers markets and their bright, intense flavors are just the ticket for a terrific gazpacho.

This dish was inspired by the VitaMix blender I finally broke down and bought this summer.  (What can I say?  The demonstrators at Costco were incredibly persuasive.) Continue reading Gazpacho season is here →

“Ramen?” everyone groaned when I brought out the packages of instant noodles on a backpacking trip in Point Reyes last weekend.  The wavy blocks of cheap dried noodles have become such a culinary clichè in the back country that my companions couldn’t believe the food writer would actually serve them.

“Give me a break,” I replied a bit testily. “David Chang likes ramen.  Just wait and see.  It’ll be good.” Continue reading Backpacker’s ramen transformed →

Sangria has suffered from a bum rap for far too long.   This light and refreshing Spanish sipper has been ruined so many times by too much alcohol and an overload of sugar that most wine lovers won’t give it a second thought.

Yet, when simply made with a young and fruity red wine, a little citrus and sparkling water to cut the alcohol, a glass of sangria is the ideal drink for a lazy Sunday afternoon with friends. True, it’s not a serious wine, but who wants to be serious all the time. It’s just the thing to go with a bowl of olives or burgers just off the grill. Continue reading Sangria for a summer Sunday →