Dayrecipe Food Community

Brining the chops makes them moist.

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2cups water
• 2cups dark lager beer
• 1/4cup coarse salt
• 3tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
• 3tablespoons mild-flavored (light) molasses
• 1cup ice cubes
• 61- to 1 1/4-inch-thick center-cut bone-in pork chops7large garlic cloves, minced
• 3teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 2teaspoons salt
• 2teaspoons dried sage leaves

DIRECTIONS Combine 2 cups water, beer, 1/4 cup coarse salt, sugar, and molasses in large bowl. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Stir in ice. Place pork chops in large resealable plastic bag. Pour beer brine over pork chops; seal bag. Refrigerate 4 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Remove pork chops from beer brine; pat dry. Mix garlic, pepper, 2 teaspoons salt, and sage in small bowl. Rub garlic mixture over both sides of pork chops. Grill pork chops until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 145°F to 150°F, about 10 minutes per side, occasionally moving chops to cooler part of rack if burning. Transfer chops to platter; cover with foil, and let stand 5 minutes. Serve.

Judy Rodgers is currently working on a cookbook from her Zuni Café in San Francisco. Grilling the mushrooms for this salad (which will appear in the new book) intensifies their flavor.

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 35 min

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4cup hazelnuts
• 1garlic clove, halved
• 1lb fresh exotic mushrooms such as chanterelle, cremini, and shiitake, trimmed (discard shiitake stems)
• 1 1/2tablespoons champagne vinegar or white-wine vinegar
• 3/4teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/3cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1(8-oz) head frisée (french curly endive), trimmed and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1teaspoon hazelnut oil or white truffle oil (optional) special equipment: 6 to 8 wooden skewers

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F.Roast nuts in a shallow baking pan in middle of oven until toasted, 10 to12 minutes. Wrap in a kitchen towel and rub to remove skins from nuts(not all skins will come off). Cool nuts and coarsely chop. Rub a large salad bowl with cut sides of garlic, then discard garlic and add nuts to bowl.

Prepare grill for cooking or preheat broiler.

Thread mushrooms horizontally through caps onto skewers and arrange on a baking sheet. Whisk together vinegar and salt in a small bowl, then gradually whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Add pepper to taste.

Brush a few tablespoons vinaigrette onto mushrooms and grill 4 to 6 inches over glowing coals, turning once, until mushrooms are golden and tender,3 to 5 minutes. (Alternatively, mushrooms can be broiled.)

Working quickly, remove mushrooms from skewers and slice 1/4 inch thick. Add to salad bowl with frisée, remaining vinaigrette, hazelnut oil, and salt and pepper to taste and toss well.

Makes 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2tablespoons salt
• 1tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
• 2teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2teaspoons onion powder
• 1teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning with garlic and onion
• 1teaspoon chili powder
• 1teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature24-pound chickens, quartered,rinsed, patted dry1sourdough baguette, cut on diagonal into 3/4-inch-thick slices

DIRECTIONS Combine first 9 ingredients in small bowl; whisk spice rub to blend well. Transfer 1 tablespoon spice rub to medium bowl; add butter and mix well. (Rub and seasoned butter can be made 2 days ahead. Cover separately. Chill butter. Bring butter to room temperature before using.)

Sprinkle spice rub over both sides of chicken pieces. Arrange chicken pieces on waxed-paper-lined baking sheets. Cover chicken with more waxed paper and let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Reserve 4 tablespoons seasoned butter. Spread remaining seasoned butter on 1 side of baguette slices. Place bread slices on platter and cover. Place chicken on grill, skin side up. Grill 20 minutes. Turn chicken over. Grill until skin is deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. Turn chicken again and grill, skin side up, until cooked through (no red shows when chicken is cut at thigh bone), about 5 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to platter. Brush chicken with reserved 4 tablespoons seasoned butter.

Grill bread until just golden, about 2 minutes per side. Arrange toasts around chicken and serve.

Ginger and sesame lend an Asian accent.

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 3tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1/4teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 16uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined3tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2tablespoons soy sauce
• 3cups cooked short-grain brown rice (about 1 1/4 cups uncooked)
• 1mango, peeled, pitted, chopped
• 4green onions, thinly sliced8ounces sugar snap peas
• 1teaspoon oriental sesame oil
• 1teaspoon sesame seeds410- to 12-inch metal skewers

DIRECTIONS Whisk 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon ginger, and crushed red pepper inbowl. Add shrimp; toss. Chill 2 hours.

Whisk 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon ginger, lime juice, and soy sauce in another bowl. Add rice, mango, and onions; toss well. Cover rice salad; let stand at room temperature.

Boil sugar snap peas in salted water until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain peas and transfer to medium bowl. Toss peas with sesame oil and sesame seeds.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Thread 4 shrimp onto each of 4 skewers. Grill shrimp until just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side.

Mound rice and mango salad in center of large platter; surround with sesame sugar snap peas. Top with grilled shrimp skewers and serve.

An easy dish that uses some traditional Japanese ingredients, including miso. Made from fermented soybeans, miso paste comes in various shades, with the darker ones being stronger in flavor. This recipe calls for white miso (also called shiro-miso), which is sweeter and more delicate.

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2teaspoons water
• 1teaspoon prepared chinese-style hot mustard or dijon mustard
• 1/3cup white miso (fermented soybean paste)*
• 3tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2tablespoons mirin (sweet japanese rice wine)**
• 4teaspoons sugar
• 1teaspoon soy sauce45- to 6-ounce sea bass fillets
• 8green onions, trimmed
• olive oil
• toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS Whisk water and mustard in small bowl until smooth. Combine miso, vinegar, mirin, sugar and soy sauce in small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk in mustard mixture. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Rewarm over low heat before using.)

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush fish and green onions with oil. Sprinkle both with salt and pepper. Grill fish until opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. Grill onions until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer fish and onions to 4 plates. Spread sauce atop fish. Sprinkle sesame seeds over sauce and serve.

*Available at Japanese markets and natural foods stores and in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets.

**Mirin is available at Japanese markets and in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets.