So . . . guess whose son is graduating from high school this week? I will be making Disbelief Casserole with a side of Mashed Denial and a lovely Sustained Moderate Weeping Sauce to top it all off. But all self-indulgent thoughts aside, I am super proud of this kid, and excited for what’s coming (any Northwestern alums out there? Go Wildcats!), even though I can’t imagine the house without him. (Oh, wait . . . it will be quieter. I guess I kind of can.)
But guess what is happening in my house right at this very moment? Jack and his longtime friend Ben are putting together ingredients to make a small collection of recipes to culminate their Senior Initiative project—which has consisted of traveling to different cultural enclaves around the five boroughs of NYC and trying out all kinds of different cuisines, from Sri Lankan to Korean. Pretty cool, right?
Now they are cooking various foods to make for their presentation tonight, and I am listening to two eighteen-year-old boys discuss how to use a Microplane and whether Indian cottage cheese is different from American cottage cheese. I will not tell you which one just looked up quizzically and said, “I need two cups of warm water.”
But there is still a whole summer left of cooking for Jack and his hungry friends, not to mention his brother, Charlie, and his hungry friends—and I get to cook for the latter crew for a few more years yet. And I have a sneaking suspicion that Jack and Co. will circle back home with some frequency—at dinner a few weeks back he said, “Oh wait, oh my god, I’m not going to have this next year! I’m just going to be eating cafeteria food!” In the words of the poet Dr. Seuss, my heart grew three sizes that day.
Here’s a slew of meals to tee up the week.
|
|
|
A good fish taco is in a class by itself. My kids tried their first in a beachside restaurant in Florida, and suddenly the world of tacos had a new category, and as any mother will tell you, when fish finds a new embraceable form for your kids, that’s a beautiful thing.
Click here for the recipe.
|
|
|
My darlings, I have looked at that package of chicken breasts with the same staticky blend of fatigue and frustration as you. I know what it’s like to try and mentally will the raw cutlets to cook themselves in an interesting way and put themselves on the table. This is a delicious weeknight warrior dinner. Roasted fingerlings or mashed potatoes would be perfect on the side.
Click here for the recipe.
|
|
|
The unfailing, timeless, season-less appeal of teriyaki sauce is inarguable. It’s not at all hard to make, and you can, in fact, put it on almost anything. Pick your protein, and grill these babies up. On the side: rice rice baby.
Click here for the recipe.
|
|
|
I need something make-ahead because the in-laws are a coming, and this weekend is going to be BUSY. This pork main manages to be light, substantial, and healthy at the same time, not to mention really attractive. You could make it ahead and serve it at room temperature, which is also a big old plus, especially for summer entertaining. The melon in the rice salad is a refreshing and lush surprise.
Click here for the recipe.
|
|
|
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE . . .
|
|
Thanks for reading! If you like this newsletter, forward it to a friend, and come hang out with me on Instagram or Facebook!
If you’re seeing this newsletter for the first time, hello and welcome, and you can subscribe here.
No, you hang up first,
 
|
|
|
|
