Did Someone Say It’s Almost August?

I’m not one to typically rush summer. I love grilling, summer Fridays and weekends on the beach as much as the next person. BUT when I hear August I think of the heat we’ve had all of July.

Maybe it’s the long weekend in the mountains talking, after highs of 76 and lows in the high 50s, but the summer heat has kept me inside far more than I like, and the constant glazed donut look from sweat isn’t such a great look.

Anyway, time to cool down. Thankfully food can have a kind of comfort all year round that balances the weather, busy schedules and just getting through the week with something to look forward to. It doesn’t have to be complex. Just as good as a cold beverage on a hot summer day hits just right, the comfort of a home cooked meal, a favorite local bite after work or a late night ice cream walk can pause everything else around you.

This weekend, that comfort comes in the form of family hanging around tables covered in newspaper with fresh steamed Maryland crabs covered in Old Bay with some cold beer to wash it all down. There are easier (and cleaner) meals than cracking open 6+ crabs to pick them clean. But that nostalgia and being with everyone one time every year for this particular meal beats anything.

What’s Cookin’

Safe to say summer travel is in full force, going from a trek up the east coast to Maine to the PA mountains this past weekend and capping it all off by heading down to the beach in a few days.

Can’t complain too much when time away is filled with good eats: fresh seafood and lots of grilling. So what meals did I manage to squeeze in this week?

Dumpling Salad with Smashed Cucs and Roasted Corn

Inspired by the smacked cucumber salad from last week, I decided to leave out the smack and go for a light smash to do a take on the two recipes with what we had around the pantry. Don’t knock the warm dumplings over the cold salad till you try it. Quick and easy and finished with a sauce combo of garlic-soy-vinegar dressing + sriracha mayo + Trader Joe’s chili onion crunch. It ain’t the most appetizing looking, but it’s the perfect mix of quick meal and fresh bites.

Shawarma Chicken with Homemade Pita, Hummus and Roasted Veg

This one is a level up of a go-to. Trader Joe’s marinated shawarma chicken is a weeknight secret. Roast the perfectly seasoned chicken thighs in the oven next to some veggies (or leave out the veg for a fresh bite on the side), and your dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes and packed with flavor.

A little more time on Mondays plus some prep for the rest of the week, has me making some homemade pita in less than two hours — thanks to The Mediterranean Dish, a favorite – plus a simple hummus loosely based on, you guessed it, the same source.

Taste Tease: Vodka Sauce Stuffed Shells

I don’t care how hot it is, I’ll eat pasta whenever and wherever. I’ve been craving my family’s homemade sauce and meatballs and spaghetti for weeks now. BUT if I decide to hold off, these vodka sauce stuffed shells from Pasta Social Club are the next pasta meal calling my name. (High chance I make both anyway 🤷.)

Feed the Feed

As someone who has both an endless flow of ideas making up countless notes or reminders in my phone as well as an unrealistic confidence that I could make or build anything if I take the time, I admire someone actually executing extremely creative ideas with his own twist.

Frankie Gaw has the perfect mix of imagination, creativity, nostalgia and aesthetic. I first found him from his series “Turning American Classics Asian”, where he takes classics like pop-tarts, honey nut cheerios or Kraft mac and cheese and adds his own familiar twist to make not only a better sounding product, but he even brands it in his own way with packaging and everything.

His hands-on creations mixed with a wide range of creativity is admirable and inspirational. If anything, it goes to show that everything takes time, and capturing the process is almost as fun as the finished product.

Catch the loads of good eats mixed with fun content from that one above to his newer series “From Scratch" and “Restaurant for a Day”. One day we’ll get there. For now, we’re starting right here… with more forms to come.

If there’s one thing that helps me BEAR the heat of the summer, it’s some good ice cream on a summer night, which a friend recently said is a requirement, not a choice. No arguing that. Signing off with The (literal) Bear from this weekend’s mountain trip.

Stay comfortable 🤘