Pacific Rim Honey Grilled Pork

Nontraditional Octoberfest Food

Recipe from Letters from the Hive

BBQ season isn’t over, so my friends on both US coasts tell me. And they’re right. Golden October days are perfect for grilling, provided that we start early enough to avoid grilling after dark. Also, rake away those dry leaves from the BBQ area to keep it safe. Autumn grilling is especially good for roasting meats that pair well with seasonal homemade applesauce.  This sweet-savory pork recipe comes from an unlikely source. The book Letters from the Hive is an informative and rather sexy look at bees, honey, and beekeeping—see my Goodreads review for details. Essentially, the pork is saturated in an Asian-inspired honey-lime marinade, then grilled or broiled. This marinade also works on fish.

Curried Pork and Pumpkin Stew

Sunshiny Color & Spicy Flavor

Recipe adapted from Sweet Onions and Sour Cherries

Happy 2013! Lest you think that I was dissing the humble pumpkin in our pumpkin vs. butternut squash pie smackdown on Christmas, I offer you this pumpkin-based winter stew. True that butternut is easier to make into pies than pumpkin, looks brighter, tastes sweeter, and is preferred by most diners in desserts. However, since pumpkin is more earthy and substantial, it’s perfect for savory dishes. Pumpkin compliments other vegetables and meats. Its flavor and texture marry well with curry ingredients to create a satisfying and spicy potage. Butternut is just too sweet and solid to perform the magic that creates this effect. Curried pumpkin stew is an antidote to cold and dark winter weather, warming both in degrees Celsius and Scoville heat units.

Spicy-Sweet Glazed Pork Chops

Hot and Sweet Glazed Pork Chop

Recipe by Robin

During the hot days of early August here in the Northern Hemisphere, many people are on vacation, and the rest of us wish we were. I’m all for simplifying food preparation at this time of year: firing up the BBQ and grilling outside, making a big salad with tuna for dinner, or making a meal of just steamed garden vegetables like my Mom and I used to do. It's summer--let's spend more time relaxing and less time cooking! Here’s a simple recipe for grilled pork chops, and I made it even simpler by using the electric frying pan instead of the BBQ grill (you can use either one).