Susanality

Summer cooking is stunningly simple. Just go to the farmer’s market or farm stand, grab whatever looks freshest and most tempting, and do as little as possible to it. The same goes for proteins, whether it’s fish, chicken, shrimp, or the occasional steak. I marinate briefly or not, so it’s ready when I am, then turn on the grill, and the meal lands on the table with a minimum of fuss and mess. Leaving the kitchen nice and cool (and clean) is a bonus.

I have to admit that until I read Kendra Vaculin’s treatise on the Hugo Spritz in last week’s New York Times, I was blissfully unaware of its charms. It’s true that I don’t spend much time in bars, or even drink very much, but I do enjoy a spritz in the summertime (or anytime?). I will often order an Aperol spritz, but they are almost always a bit cloying for me unless made at home with proportions I choose, which always include less Aperol and more spritz.

Tres leches has a long origin story that many Latin American countries claim as their own. It has become ubiquitous worldwide, with popularity in places as far-flung as Turkey and the Balkans. Its popularity as a celebration cake is well-earned; it’s very easy to put together, it’s delicious, especially on a hot summer day, and it can feed a lot of people. Baked in its usual pan (a 9-by-13-inch Pyrex), it’s very portable, too, making it perfect for picnics and potlucks.

As I was giving a lot of thought to what kind of recipe to share with you this week, I considered a lot of meaty dishes—mostly cooked on the grill—that seemed like they would be appropriate for Father’s Day. I even got so far down the road with a pork souvlaki idea (with all the trimmings) that I made it and served it to my husband and niece a few weeks ago. It was a very good feast, but also not quite there recipe-wise, so I ultimately shelved it (for now).

Making a fruit crumble (or crisp, if that’s how you roll) is a surefire way to get people to go weak in the knees with very little effort. Warm, fragrant fruit with a crunchy topping is almost universally pleasing. There will always be a few naysayers who don’t like cooked fruit, but hey, more for us, right? They can just have the ice cream that’s de rigueur for serving, though crème fraîche or heavy cream is just fine too.

“Bread is the Staff of Life,” a poetic saying I heard a lot growing up, is often attributed to Jonathan Swift from the 17th century, but the term originates from the Bible. Bread is so basic and sustaining to human life. For those who have gluten allergies, I imagine not having good bread leaves a gaping hole in their nutrition and their very happiness. While there are commercially-available gluten-free breads, most of them are not very good.

Plus a fun serving suggestion! I just know that the NYC Greenmarket is practically bursting with produce by now, but I haven’t been in the city for a few weeks. Out here on the eastern end of Long Island, we are a solid two weeks behind. I like this, because when I go back and forth, the season seems to last just a little bit longer. I thought for sure there would be sugar snap peas at my farm stand today, but I found only shelling peas (they said they had a “few” sugar snaps yesterday).

And I want to give you the first taste! Photo by Anna Williams. In case you missed it, I finally revealed the cover of my new book, Cookie Queen, on Instagram last week. It was a long time coming, as I had kept the project mostly under wraps while I was working on it, except for a couple of teases here and there.

We are very lucky to have Melina Hammer of Stories from Catbird Cottage guest-posting over here today. If you want to see the recipe I shared with her readers, a springy, green, and versatile soup made with all the first goodies of the season, head over to her Substack. As far as today’s recipe goes, I was so happy she chose to make an île flottante, aka Floating Island, which is one of those classic-for-a-reason desserts. It is delicate and elegant, as well as easy to make.

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