The idea of cooking maple syrup with meat and other savory foods can seem potentially, well, gross to some people, including me.

But I was wowed by my first maple-infused foray into brining meat.

I followed the simple instructions in the excellent new cookbook, "Food to Live By: The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook" by Myra Goodman (Workman, $21.95).

As noted therein, soaking pork in salty, sugary, spicy water tenderizes and gives it a subtle sweetness that's enhanced by a brush of maple syrup before cooking. "Your guests," the book promises, "will not be able to put their finger on exactly why these are the most juicy, flavorful pork chops they've ever tasted." I soaked my chops for the full two days; they cooked in minutes and disappeared as quickly.

Using maple syrup for baking? No problem. I don't think I've ever had the granola that Earthbound Farms sells (www.ebfarms.com), but the book didn't have to sell me on the fact that it would be good. I made it using a very dark and flavorful Grade B syrup, Penzeys' piquant Vietnamese cinnamon and organic red flame raisins and, per the author's suggestion, mixed the ingredients by hand right in the baking dish, to save washing a bowl. A colleague calls it the best granola he's ever tasted.

EARTHBOUND FARM'S FAMOUS MAPLE ALMOND GRANOLA

PG TESTED

• 4 1/2 cups (18 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
  
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shelled, raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
  
• 1 1/2 cups slivered or coarsely chopped raw almonds
  
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  
• 1 1/4 cups pure maple syrup, preferably Grade A Dark Amber
  
• 1/3 cup canola oil
  
• 1 cup raisins

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325.

Place the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and cinnamon in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the maple syrup and oil and stir until all the dry ingredients are moistened.

Spread the granola on a rimmed baking sheet of about 12-by-17-inches. Bake the granola until it begins to brown, about 25 minutes, then stir it with a flat spatula. Let the granola continue to bake until it is light golden brown, dry, and fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Stir the granola at least once more as it bakes and watch it during the final minutes because it can burn quickly.

Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack, add the raisins, and stir to combine. Let the granola cool completely. Transfer the granola to an airtight container. It can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 month or frozen for up to 6 months.

You can serve the granola straight from the freezer. It doesn't get hard and it thaws almost instantly. Just pour on some milk.

Makes about 8 cups.

-- "Food to Live By:

The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook" by Myra Goodman

MAPLE-BRINED PORK CHOP

PG TESTED

For the brine

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  
• 1/4 cup coarse (kosher) salt
  
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
  
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme, coarsely chopped

For the chops

• 4 bone-in, center-cut pork chops, cut 1 1/4 inches thick (about 3 pounds total; look for solid pink flesh without white streaks; loin chops are best)
  
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  
• Olive oil

Make the brine

Combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, salt, mustard seeds, peppercorns, bay leaf, and thyme with 4 cups of water in a large saucepan. Heat the brine over high heat and stir until the brown sugar and salt dissolve. Remove the pan from the heat. Add 1 cup of ice water.

Pour the brine into a glass or ceramic dish just large enough to hold the pork chops and refrigerate until chilled. (The brine should be chilled so that it doesn't raise the temperature of the chops when they are added.)

Prepare the pork chops

Place the chops in the brine, making sure the meat is completely submerged. Cover the dish and refrigerate the chops for at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours.

Remove the pork chops from the brine and discard the brine. Rinse the chops under cold water and dry them thoroughly with paper towels. Brush both sides of the chops with the maple syrup. Let the chops sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Brush the chops with olive oil. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chops until browned, about 3 minutes per side.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the chops until they are firm to the touch and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted through the side into the center of one registers 145, 8 to 15 minutes. (Don't let the thermometer touch the bone.)

Let the chops rest for 5 minutes, then serve warm

Serves 4.

-- "Food to Live By: The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook" by Myra Goodman