Barbecue Sauce

Mark Miranda knows how to tailgate. As executive chef of the Rusty Scupper, Miranda regularly feeds hundreds of ravenous Ravens fans before each game. The restaurant's $19.95 buffet features all the staples — including a crowd-favorite crab dip — and all you can drink draft beer. "You want comfort foods — things that are native to yourself and Baltimore," said Miranda, 48, the executive chef for the popular Inner Harbor seafood restaurant. "Chicken wings with barbecue sauce or old bay, sausage, peppers and onions are huge.

The flavor of a peach in hot weather can instantly transport you back to your childhood. The peach succumbing to the pressure of your grip while the juice cascades down your chin is a tactile memory that explodes in your cortex with every first bite of the season. Peaches can be had locally from June until September, and now is a great time to start cooking with them. Peaches are normally thought of as dessert fare, but when combined with more savory items, they can be used to create a mind-blowing appetizer at your next cookout.

The flavor of a peach in hot weather can instantly transport you back to your childhood. The peach succumbing to the pressure of your grip while the juice cascades down your chin is a tactile memory that explodes in your cortex with every first bite of the season. Peaches can be had locally from June until September, and now is a great time to start cooking with them. Peaches are normally thought of as dessert fare, but when combined with more savory items, they can be used to create a mind-blowing appetizer at your next cookout.

Sunday, May 20 Science talk Author Andrea Wulf discusses her new book, "Chasing Venus," at noon at Adkins Arboretum's Visitor's Center, 12610 Eveland Road in Ridgely. Admission is $20, $15 for members. Information: 410-634-2847 or adkinsarboretum.org. Lecture Historic Annapolis' St. Clair Wright Lecture Series will feature an illustrated talk by Andrea Wulf, author of "Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature and the Shaping of the American Nation," at 6 p.m. at St. Anne's Church on Church Circle.

* Item: Maker's Mark Gourmet Sauce* What you get: 15 ounces* Cost: About $8* Preparation time: A few minutes to four hours, depending on use* Review: When I asked the butcher at Sutton Place Gourmet in the Festival at Woodholme what barbecue sauce he most often recommends, he immediately picked up a bottle of this bourbon-flavored sauce imported to Maryland from a seven-generation Kentucky distillery. Though it's a little pricey to slosh on with abandon, included recipes suggest stretching the sauce by adding everything from Italian salad dressing to apple jelly.

Lately I've been cooking boneless pork chops in place of the ubiquitous chicken breast. All chicken, all the time - it just gets too boring. I like to rub the chops with a mixture of salt, pepper and that great flavorful smoked paprika from Spain called pimenton. The paprika is a great match for pork of any kind. After pan-frying the chops, I add a light glaze of barbecue sauce for a touch of sweetness. Sauteed sweet onions echo the flavor of the sauce for a great side dish. Carol Mighton Haddix is food editor of the Chicago Tribune, which provided the recipe analysis.

Timothy Dean may have finally found his niche - and it's at the mall. Last month, the chef, best known in Baltimore for his string of restaurants on Eastern Avenue (and his appearance on the seventh season of "Top Chef"), opened Timothy Dean Burger in the Boulevard at the Capital Centre. The vibe is fast food, but the food - burgers, fries and gourmet pizzas - is worthy of white tablecloths. Over the past few years, the celebrity chef has weathered a string of well-publicized setbacks.

Basketball player Michael Jordan will become a sandwich Friday.The McJordan Special will be available at McDonald's franchises in the Chicago area and northwest Indiana, at least until mid-April.The new sandwich is a quarter-pound hamburger with smoked bacon, cheese, barbecue sauce, onions, mustard and pickles.

I love a good burger, but with its calorie and fat content, the classic American sandwich has become a rare indulgence. I do try to use the leanest ground meats for those times when the hankering becomes overwhelming. Recently, I looked through the cupboards and refrigerator for something to add more flavor to the lean meat. Shallots and garlic came to the rescue. Then I made a quick mustard-barbecue sauce to drizzle over the burgers. Serve these indulgences with lettuce and tomato, if you like, but you won't need any ketchup.

* Item: Lloyd's Barbeque Sauce with Shredded Pork* Servings per package: 16* Cost: $7.79* Preparation time: 8-10 minutes to heat the full, 2-pound tub on the stove, 6-8 minutes in the microwave.* Review: If you like a barbecue sauce with bite, this is a winner. Lloyd's, a St. Paul, Minn., restaurant supplier, has combined lean shreds of pork with a tangy vinegar-and-tomato barbecue sauce. This entree comes fully cooked in a resealable tub, heats nicely ++ on the stove or in the microwave, and is low-fat to boot (90 calories per quarter-cup serving, 20 calories from fat)

Timothy Dean may have finally found his niche - and it's at the mall. Last month, the chef, best known in Baltimore for his string of restaurants on Eastern Avenue (and his appearance on the seventh season of "Top Chef"), opened Timothy Dean Burger in the Boulevard at the Capital Centre. The vibe is fast food, but the food - burgers, fries and gourmet pizzas - is worthy of white tablecloths. Over the past few years, the celebrity chef has weathered a string of well-publicized setbacks.

An Poitin Stil offers the least expensive bison burger I've seen in these parts, at a penny under 10 bucks. I planned to check it out during this trip to the Timonium Irish pub. But then I saw the Backyard BBQ Burger ($8.99). The Backyard offers two types of cheeses, bacon, caramelized onions and homemade barbecue sauce for a dollar less than the bison burger. Those extras can cost you 75 cents apiece if you add them to the Stil's bison or angus burger. To keep this meal under $10 and still enjoy the civilizing effects of cheese and bacon, the Backyard was an easy choice.

Mission BBQ celebrates America, from its heroes — firefighters, soldiers, police — to its food — barbecue. With a familiar restaurant concept, a handsome interior design and a short menu, Mission BBQ is a welcome change of pace in chain restaurant-heavy Glen Burnie. While not bad, the barbecue could be better. Still, it's a concept you could see expanding to other counties, and eventually, states. Mission BBQ feels familiar in a fast casual way. It's set up like a Chipotle or Qdoba — you order at a cash register and wait for your food at a pick-up station.

Throughout the 2011 NFL season, Langermann's in Canton is offering game-day specials inspired by the Ravens' doomed opponents. Eating one's enemies, as it were. For Week 1, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Neal Langermann served a Devonshire sandwich, inspired by the LeMont restaurant. The original consists is composed of crisp bacon and chicken placed on a single piece of toast and then covered with a rich creamy cheese sauce. For this Sunday's game against Memphis, Langermann served Eggs Memphis, a twist on the traditional Eggs Benedict using pulled pork in Jack Daniel's barbecue sauce.

Mark Miranda knows how to tailgate. As executive chef of the Rusty Scupper, Miranda regularly feeds hundreds of ravenous Ravens fans before each game. The restaurant's $19.95 buffet features all the staples — including a crowd-favorite crab dip — and all you can drink draft beer. "You want comfort foods — things that are native to yourself and Baltimore," said Miranda, 48, the executive chef for the popular Inner Harbor seafood restaurant. "Chicken wings with barbecue sauce or old bay, sausage, peppers and onions are huge.

Walk into Kloby's Smokehouse, and the first thing you notice is the smell. The rich aroma of meat being smoked for barbecue hangs thick in the air. It's a hint of what lies ahead, and part of the reason why this popular Laurel restaurant recently had to expand. The barbecue here is good. Really good. Opened only two months ago, Kloby's new restaurant and bar is attached to the old bar and carryout. The orange-and-yellow walls are adorned with TVs and firefighter regalia (the owner was formerly a firefighter)

Mission BBQ celebrates America, from its heroes — firefighters, soldiers, police — to its food — barbecue. With a familiar restaurant concept, a handsome interior design and a short menu, Mission BBQ is a welcome change of pace in chain restaurant-heavy Glen Burnie. While not bad, the barbecue could be better. Still, it's a concept you could see expanding to other counties, and eventually, states. Mission BBQ feels familiar in a fast casual way. It's set up like a Chipotle or Qdoba — you order at a cash register and wait for your food at a pick-up station.

GOOD BARBECUE sauce is like a fine perfume: It should be applied with a gentle touch; it should highlight the goods, not overpower them. So said Ardie A. Davis, a savant of sauces. He is founder of the American Royal International Barbecue Sauce Rub & Baste contest, an annual event that draws more than 400 entries from around the nation. I was surprised when I heard Davis and a number of other poobahs of barbecue discuss the fine points of their craft during a meeting last week of the Association of Food Journalists in Kansas City.

Burgers become an easy choice for weeknight dining, especially in the summer, when the grill can be stoked up. Turkey burgers are a good variation to get you out of the beef-patty rut. One way to keep the turkey moist is to add a bit of milk or cream and only lightly mix them together. Over-handling the meat can mean tough burgers. One of my favorite burger toppings is caramelized onions. Here I've speeded up that cooking time by first stir-frying the onions in a skillet, then slow-cooking them for about 15 minutes.

Lately I've been cooking boneless pork chops in place of the ubiquitous chicken breast. All chicken, all the time - it just gets too boring. I like to rub the chops with a mixture of salt, pepper and that great flavorful smoked paprika from Spain called pimenton. The paprika is a great match for pork of any kind. After pan-frying the chops, I add a light glaze of barbecue sauce for a touch of sweetness. Sauteed sweet onions echo the flavor of the sauce for a great side dish. Carol Mighton Haddix is food editor of the Chicago Tribune, which provided the recipe analysis.