Summer

"I don't think this blog can go on much longer without including a recipe for souvlaki. You've all had it at Greek restaurants and tavernas, at the diners owned by Greek families and at practically every eating establishment in Greece.

To truly enjoy a souvlaki, one should try it in the home of a Greek. Here, I marinade pork butt into tender grilled morsels.

I find pork butt to be the most flavourful and there's just enough fat in the cut to heighten taste and keep the meat moist. You may certainly use a leaner cut of pork but the butt (shoulder) is my preference.

"Think of this dish as Chicken Teriyaki with a South Asian flair, or India meets the other flavors of Asia. It sounds exotic but it’s actually kid-friendly and easy to make. The marinade is a simple mix of soy sauce, brown sugar, fresh lime juice, a bit of oil, garlic, ginger and spices. What makes it unique is Garam Masala, an aromatic Indian and South Asian spice blend containing cinnamon, coriander, cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, mace, peppercorns and cloves. You can find it at Whole Foods or other specialty markets — it’s worth adding to your spice rack for sure.

"If you like a good kick of mustard, you'll love this combination. It's also well flavoured with tarragon, used in the dressing and as a garnish"

"No summer meal is complete without potato salad. My mother would make it year round. Vertie found potato salad a quick addition to the evening meal. Because she make it afer work it did not have long in the refrigerator, so it was warm. The traditional serving method is chilled but I like unchilled–it reminds me of her."

Our weeknight dinners can become a little monotonous at times, but I make an effort to change things up on Sundays. Whether it’s an in depth recipe that takes hours to prepare or just a simple fresh marinade, I always try to incorporate something new to our repertoire.

Since it’s really warming up in Ohio, we have been using our grill to cook dinner on a regular basis. When we have time, we love to fire up the charcoal and hang out on the deck to enjoy the weather. What smells better than a fiery charcoal grill on a warm spring evening?