Here are some recipes from Gourmet magazine. I've gotten tired of typing every possible into my database, so am ripping out pages of ones I want to try, and will adopt them over time. This is part of my campaign to reduce the bulk of the magazines and books around here, which is moving along, but has a long way to go.

Zucchini in Pecan Butter

2 tablespoons (unsalted) butter
1/4 cup pecans
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick matchsticks
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup parmesan curls (shaved with a vegetable peeler)

Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat. Cook the pecans, stirring, until golden brown and the butter is browned. Add the zucchini with salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, until just tender, about 10 minutes. Serve the zucchini topped with parmesan curls.

This next group comes from a big recipe about cooking an 8 to 10 pound fresh ham in your charcoal grill, or you could do it in the oven. You can use the general ideas for smaller cuts of meat.

Brine for Fresh Pork

4 quarts water
1 cup sugar
1 cup table salt
30 whole cloves
4 whole nutmegs, cracked
1 8 to 10 pound bone-in shank end fresh ham, skinned and trimmed of all but a thin layer of fat

Bring all the brine ingredients to a boil in a big 8 to 9 quart pasta pot. Remove from the heat and add the ham. The brine needs to completely cover the ham. Cool for 30 minutes, then chill, covered, turning the ham once or twice, at least 1 day, no longer than 2 days.

Rub it with the spice rub, and then cook over indirect heat in your grill for 1 to 2 hours until 155 degrees inside. (There are detailed directions about using a drip pan, turning it after one hour, etc. - just use your judgment.) Baste with the sauce for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Spice Rub for Fresh Pork

2 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds
4 teaspoons cumin seeds
4 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
4 teaspoons paprika
4 teaspoons kosher salt

Finely grind the spices in a spice grinder. Rub this all over the meat. (I don't have a spice grinder, so I would make do with ground spices the first time, and maybe someday will do it the right way.)
Molasses Rum Sauce for Barbecued Pork

1/4 cup dark rum
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup butter

Heat together until the butter is melted. Brush over the meat several times during the last 30 minutes of grilling.


Garlic Rosemary Focaccia

6 large garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
2/3 cup olive oil
3 (1/4 oz) packages dry yeast (3 scant tablespoons)
2 1/4 cups warm water
7 cups flour, plus additional as needed
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
Coarse salt for sprinkling
Freshly ground black pepper for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine garlic and oil in a very small metal bowl and set on a baking sheet. Bake in lower third of oven for 1 hour. Cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Pour oil through a small sieve into another bowl and and discard the garlic.

Whisk together the yeast and warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy. Stir 1/2 cup of the garlic oil into the yeast mixture. Whisk the table salt into the flour and stir half into the yeast mixture. Add the rest of the flour and use the dough hook on low speed to mix for 3 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, adding more flour if needed. Knead the dough on medium-high speed for 5 minutes until the dough is soft and slightly sticky. Transfer to a large oiled bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Oil a 17 by 11 inch baking pan with some of the garlic oil. Gently press the dough into the pan, allowing it to rest 5 minutes if difficult to work with. Cover the dough with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.

Make indentations in the dough at 1 inch intervals with oiled fingertips. Drizzle with remaining garlic oil and sprinkle with rosemary, coarse salt, and pepper. Bake in the lower third of oven until deep golden on top and pale golden on bottom, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the bread to a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.