Dinner on the Deck with the Reynolds

So Lucian was home from Miami and we thought it was time for a family dinner and a few rounds of the Whad'Ya Know Show? game. Here's the menu...Chipotle-orange pulled pork -- slow cooked all day long....here's the linkhttp://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-weekendrec23a-2008jul23,0,5087816.storyI modified a few things...most planned, one not. We were planning some other sauces so I left out the orange zest to done it down a bit; it was a hot day so used a slow cooker instead of the oven, was so not baking brioche rolls (see hot day) so bought kaiser rolls...used some sauce to keep the meat moist and put the rest in a squirt bottle for the table...am a flake so forgot to grate and serve the cheese.Jake's Turkish Coffee Barbecue Sauce (The Barbecue Bible - Raichlen - p 465) -- even if you don't love coffee, you will love this sauce, plus once you fire up the espresso machine you may as well have a latte!Lemon Mop (The Great Ribs Book - Carpenter & Sandison - p 66) -- substituted lime for lemon and the leftover is a mighty good on grilled chicken.Lime Pickled Mangoes with Ginger and Chiles (License to Grill - Schlesinger & Willoughby - p 336) -- Definitely the hit of the party...sweet, hot, healthy and delicious!Grilled poblanos and serranos, Joy's beans -- one pot of garden and one of baked, and Irene's pesto pasta salad. I am too full to mention desserts, but I will say that Bobby Flay's sangria is a summer staple at my house. The white peach was reeeaaallly tough to pass on, but brave girl that I am, I branched out from p 251 to p 250 (don't try this at home). Two (or maybe four -- it got a bit blurry) thumbs up for Bolo's Pomegranate Sangria from Bobby Flay's From My Kitchen to Your Table) This cookbook is fabu...everything I've made out of it has become an instant family favorite...especially the grilled pork tenderloin and lemon-thyme rice...back to the sangria...I always use peaches in my sangria and this was no exception...between the pomegranate juice and all the fruit, I am pretty sure I got my daily allowance of fruits...a new twist on the apple a day plan....For those of you who are fans of NPR and for those of you who aren't the game is a lot of fun...we range in ages from 10 to 90+ and had way too much post-prandial mental stimulation...here's a sample question...Question: Can you eat your pet in California? A. Yes, B. No, C. Sometimes.Answer: Buy the game to find out. You'll also learn what kind of pig Porky is..you'd think narrowing down to three choices would help...but not so much....until next time...

A Taste of Portugal

This wine is summer in a glass! Gatão Vinho Verde...lemony fresh, slightly frizzante, low in alcohol! It is lively in your mouth and slightly tart. Enjoy this on the deck with the bamboo wind chimes bongling in the breeze, Stan Getz on the stereo while gazing at the flowers or stars. Sweet memories that will bring sunshine to your mind and a smile to your face deep into winter while you plan your field trip to Portugal...a trip you can afford thanks to the $7.99 price (DC area).