One if by land, two if by sea!

No, we're not having a revolution on West A Street. I just couldn't come up with a better Title for Grilled Scallops with Pistachio Butter and Pork Loin with Orange-Pomegranate Sauce.

I usually sear some scallops in a pan with some olive oil, maybe a little shallot. Then wilt some fresh tender greens and mushrooms with some balsamic vinegar and a touch of salt and pepper. But I had these big sea scallops calling my name Saturday afternoon and with the weather being so good lately (Thanks a lot October!) why not grill them? I sometimes make a sauce for chicken scallopini that consists of finely chopped pistachios, butter and honey. So why not adapt one for the scallops. Just leave out the honey, add some fresh chopped parsley, salt and pepper and you're there. I dried the scallops and seasoned them with crushed red pepper flakes, coarse salt and a drizzle of olive oil. They didn't knock my socks off but they were pretty good.

Today was perfect again for grilling so let's cook some nice juicy tender pork. Made a paste of minced garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper and olive oil. Slathered it on a pork loin and let it sit for a half hour or so. I set up for indirect grilling and used the stainless steel divider to keep some of the heat down. The cowboy charcoal I've been using burns really really hot and the divider helps keep the temp down so the pork cooks slowly and retains a ton of moisture. I had a little over two pounds of meat and after one hour it registered 160 degrees. I brought it inside, covered it with foil and made the sauce.

Orange juice, pomegranate juice, balsamic vinegar and honey. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 15 minutes. The volume will reduce and the product will turn to a syrup consistency. Hit it with a dash of salt and serve warm. I sliced the pork into nice portions and drizzled the sauce over the top. I really liked this dish and will make it again.

Cocktails consisted of Mindy having a "Royal Hawaiian" of pineapple juice, lemon juice, orgeat syrup and gin. While I had a "Voodoo Priestess" of dark rum, spiced rum, brandy, orange, lime and lemon juice, a dash of orange bitters and Voodoo Priestess Spice syrup. The syrup is made from cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground allspice and demerara sugar dissolved in boiling water and then cooled.

It was a good weekend. Hope yours was too! Have a good week.