Like a lot of people, I try really hard to avoid buying single-purpose kitchen gadgets or appliances — especially the ones that take up a lot of space. (I did once make an exception for a cherry pitter, because I had a full bucket of Bings and $15 is a small price to pay for sanity.)
But then summer arrives, and all I want is an ice-cream maker because, you know, ice cream. Specifically for this, the only ice cream recipe you’ll ever need, the aptly titled, five-star summertime slam from Melissa Clark. It’s a silky, tongue-coating classic custard base that’s ready for all of your flavors and mix-ins — fresh mint or basil, Nutella or chopped chocolate, puréed peaches or cherries. (Get a pitter.) This might be the year I give in to myself and get an ice-cream maker so I can churn out the scoops of my dreams. I’ll start with perfect vanilla, to be sure, but then maybe fresh strawberry, or coconut and lime with a splash of rum, definitely something with the pandan leaves in my freezer. Oh! Maybe some mango and ube halaya for halo-halo vibes?
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The Only Ice Cream Recipe You’ll Ever Need
Sorry, where was I? Oh right, dinner, that thing you eat before ice cream. Rick Martínez’s Tajín grilled chicken boosts and balances the tangy-spicy-sour flavors of the Mexican seasoning blend with orange juice and zest, garlic and honey to yield incredibly bright chicken to tuck into buns or eat alongside grilled scallions and fresh pineapple. I’d also be very happy for Farideh Sadeghin’s kabab koobideh, tender ground meat skewers flavored “simply but impactfully” with grated onion, sumac and salt and served with lavash, grilled tomatoes and fresh herbs.
You can make Yewande Komolafe’s coconut-dill salmon with green beans and corn on a grill or in the oven; the foil packet that all those goodies are wrapped in ensures luscious fish and easy cleanup. And it’s delicious served warm or cold (read: excellent leftovers).
Let’s continue moving backward through the day’s meals, to breakfast. I’m not always in the mood to make a big breakfast, but something about these late-May mornings makes the idea more enticing. (Maybe it’s because I can throw open my blinds and windows for blue skies and fresh air without yet being blasted by heat.) Zainab Shah’s aloo anday — potatoes and scrambled eggs with sautéed onions, tomatoes and garnished with garam masala — is just the sort of dish I’d like to putter around making while I nurse my comically big coffee. For extra Sunday satisfaction I’ll make Meera Sodha’s naan, first to pair with the morning’s aloo anday and then to scoop up the evening’s chicken curry.
Finally: watermelon margaritas. I don’t have anything particularly clever to say about these, only that it’s the weekend and it’s warm out and we deserve Alexa Weibel’s watermelon margaritas.
