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Now that the days are getting longer and warmer it just calls out time to grill. When I think of summer grilling one of my favorite items to grill are Bratwursts. Isernio's Chicken and Pork Bratwurst are a great, healthy choice for your summer grilling. The 95% lean Chicken Bratwurst and 80% lean Pork Bratwurst are made from all-natural ingredients with no additives or preservatives. Isernio's has put their own spin on the traditional German Bratwurst seasonings, creating a sausage with bold, savory flavor. Plus, they're bun-length, so there is a brat in each bite. For an extra kick, simmer them in your favorite beer until cooked through, then brown on the grill. Topped with spicy mustard, grilled onions and peppers on a toasty bun and you have a great summertime treat.

The weather recently has been a bit of a let down, with all the rain and wind passing through. If my cousin were here he'd probably say something like, "Da weather go stay all kine junk!" I did manage to take advantage of warmer days in the last month, however, to try out a teriyaki recipe that I got from my mom back in Hawaii. As a bit of quick background, I grew up thinking of "teriyaki" as an overnight marinade for grilling meat, particularly beef. Imagine my surprise when I arrived in Seattle, went to my first teriyaki restaurant, and was served meat that had a sauce poured on it after the cooking process. Don't get me wrong, it's still tasty...just not quite what I expected. Anyway, with my urge to barbecue returning now that I don't have to brush snow off of my grill, I've been experimenting with a recipe and I thought I'd share it with folks. Here's the basic ingredient list:

- 2 cups soy sauce (shoyu for you folks from Hawaii)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 or more teaspoons of finely grated or chopped ginger
- 3 green onion stalks, chopped
- a splash of sake (can be substituted with mirin)
- optional - 1 large garlic clove minced, or 3-4 cloves crushed or sliced

The garlic is optional because my mom didn't always throw it in...she doesn't like garlic that much. I've been adding 3 or 4 crushed cloves since I tend to remove the garlic from the meat before grilling. The main area that's strongly to taste is the sugar, with some people like something closer to a 1:1 ratio of the soy sauce to sugar. Feel free to experiment a little, since it's pretty easy to taste the sauce and adjust by either adding more sugar or soy sauce. To be honest, I mostly go by taste and don't really measure proportions. I suspect I probably use something closer to a 3:1 soy sauce to sugar ratio and a little more ginger.

As far as directions go, all you do is mix the ingredients together (heating the soy sauce then adding the sugar may help in dissolving it, but isn't necessary) and marinate your chosen meat overnight. Personally, I've been using choice sirloin steak sliced thin, marinated, and then put on bamboo skewers so they don't end up in my grill. The result is a flavorful dish that is designed to go great with steamed rice, and can be eaten either hot off the grill or cold for that "authentic" Hawaiian plate lunch experience.

Hope you enjoy the recipe, and feel free to leave a comment with feedback or any recipes of your own! Mahalo!

I don't really ever stop grilling for the year -- I just slow down slightly in the winter. With the nice weather in the last couple of weeks, my grilling instincts are really starting to kick in, so I thought I'd share some of the items I'm looking forward to grilling this season.

- Asparagus is starting to pick up. Around mid-week, we'll have medium to large stems from California and some nice slender stalks from Washington. Personally, I prefer grilling larger asparagus as long as the stalks are green -- white near the base means tough.

- Onions are always good for grilling, but in the next few weeks, look for something called salad onions -- especially those from Walla Walla. These are the onions they thin from the fields to allow the remaining onions to grow large. Salad onions will still have tops attached like green onions, but the bulbs will be larger and they grill up beautifully.

- Believe it or not, many varieties of fruit are excellent on the grill -- don't be afraid to experiment! Honeydew, cantaloupe, peaches and nectarines are some of my favorites. Just slice them in half and grill cut-side down.

- I wait eagerly for figs all year because my wife and I use them in a favorite meal. We slice them in half, coat lightly in olive oil and roast indirectly on the BBQ until they start to bubble, about 10 to 12 minutes. Then top with a nice blue cheese like Kaserei German Cambozola. Let the cheese just start to melt and serve. Our favorite pairing is with a rack of lamb, a Caesar salad and a nice Cabernet Sauvignon (we like Clos du Val for this meal).

- Finally, a mixed medley is a grilling standby at our house. Starting with grape cherry tomatoes, I grill lightly with pineapple, peppers, mushrooms and onions -- then top with butter & salt. I grill them in a foil pan next to my steak until the cherry tomatoes just start to burst from the heat.

Happy Grilling!

Mike