AUBURN – Bruce Little likes to give new things a try, especially in the kitchen. If while cooking he finds he’s missing a certain ingredient, he’ll simply try something different.

“If I hear about something that I want to cook, I think about it and adapt it. I’ll say, ‘Let’s give it a try,'” Little related.

Cooking is something Little has always enjoyed. “My dad liked being in the kitchen and always made it fun,” Little recalled.

But cooking isn’t always easy, Little acknowledged. “There’s a learning curve. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Little finds satisfaction in watching people enjoy what he’s made. “The shock value is good, too,” he said. “Chriss (Little’s fiancé) had never had squid; and when I prepared it, she was a bit nervous but liked it.”

Little especially enjoys cooking with his grandchildren. In fact, his 7-year-old granddaughter, Mahala, is “hooked” on watching cooking shows with him. While he learns some new recipes from those shows, Little said he always goes back to his Fannie Farmer cookbook if he has a question. “It was the first cookbook that I ever owned,” he noted.

Little hosted more than 20 people for a Christmas celebration this past year and he likes to have a Maine luau at his home in the summer. For the luau, he pulls out one of his favorite cooking tools, his smoker. “I make smoked cheddar cheese, and everyone likes my smoked salmon,” he said.

Little’s kitchen is stocked a bit differently than most. A biology and chemistry teacher at Oxford Hills High School, Little and Chriss also run an Internet business called Bert’s Awesome Stuff. Their “stuff” includes pickles, jams and chutneys made in small batches in their home kitchen, using many items from their gardens. As a result, Little has different kinds of vinegar and olive oil, along with large quantities of spices – like 10 pounds of dill weed – in his kitchen cupboards.

When Little isn’t cooking or teaching, he enjoys gardening, hunting and fishing.

His advice to new cooks: “Just do it. You learn from your mistakes.”

Winter squash with mango chutney

Ingredients:

1 medium-size squash (butternut, buttercup or any other winter squash)

1 10-ounce jar mango chutney

Method:

Peel and cut up squash. Cook until tender, mash and put in an oven-proof dish. Top with a layer of mango chutney. Place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees until heated through.

Sauerkraut and chicken with caramelized onion

Ingredients:

1 quart sauerkraut

4 chicken thighs, 4 chicken legs (Little removes the skin.)

2 medium onions

1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

Place half the chicken in the bottom of an oven-proof casserole dish. Cover with half the sauerkraut. Repeat with remaining chicken and sauerkraut. Cover and place in preheated oven at 350 degree. Cook until done, about 40 minutes. Just before the casserole is done, slice and sauté onions in oil in a hot pan until golden brown. Top the sauerkraut and chicken with caramelized onions and serve.

Note: Boiled white potatoes make an excellent side dish.

Smoked salmon

Ingredients:

1 to 5 pounds salmon fillets

1 quart water

½ cup oil

¼ cup salt

1 teaspoon or more hot sauce (your favorite)

1 tablespoon dried oregano or thyme

Lemon pepper or Cajun seasoning, to taste

Method:

Brine: Mix water, oil, salt, hot sauce, and dried oregano or thyme. Put in a gallon jar. Soak salmon fillets (with skin on) in brine for at least one hour (can leave overnight in the refrigerator and smoke them the next day).

Place salmon in a smoker with skin side down, sprinkle with lemon pepper or Cajun seasoning. Turn smoke on and smoke for 2 hours. (Little uses hickory wood chips).

Note: Little uses a cylinder-type electric smoker bought at Lowe’s for about $60. There are many different types of smokers. Follow operating instructions for whatever type you have.

Baked pork loin

Ingredients:

3- to 4-pound boneless pork loin

garlic cloves

2-3 star anises, broken into pieces (available in a health food store or Asian specialty shop)

1 cup soy sauce

Method:

With a paring knife, cut several small slits in the pork loin and stuff each with peeled garlic cloves and a piece of star anise (which can be left out if you do not like licorice flavoring). Place pork in a food storage bag (or marinating dish) and pour in a cup of soy sauce. Marinate for 2 to 3 hours. Remove pork from the bag and place in a casserole dish. Bake in preheated 350-degree until the interior temperature is 180 degrees. Remove roast from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Note: The pieces of star anise are hard so as you cut the meat, remove and discard.