Want some extra insurance that tonight’s dinner from the grill will be packed with big, bold flavor in every bite? The solution is simple: sauces and dry rubs. Whether you’re firing up the grill for burgers, brats, chicken, or a juicy steak, the secret to really great grilled meat is as simple as a medley of spices from the pantry or a vibrant sauce to match the smoky char.
From classic barbecue sauce to a Southwestern dry rub, these are the 10 essential sauces and dry rubs for grilling season.
If you’ve eaten cherries in the winter, when fruit from the southern hemisphere makes its way north, you know that cherries are sweetest in season, gobbled down by the handful as close to the orchard as your luck can take you. For cherry-lovers, July is the sweetest month. And because of the discovery of a new cherry varietal, it just got even sweeter.
When you think of Maine, what comes to mind? Maybe you think of lobster rolls and the rocky coastline. Maybe you think of cabins in the woods and flannel. Chances are, you think of L.L. Bean — are we right?
Well, one of the people responsible for putting those images of rustic simplicity in your head is Meredith Brockington. As the former photo art director for the iconic Maine brand, Meredith oversaw photo shoots for the company’s catalog and brand campaigns. So, of course, she knows all the best places to shop for wares to make your home magazine-worthy.
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)
Making fresh summer corn into crisp corn fritters is one of the fastest ways to turn corn on the cob into a hearty dinner (or breakfast or a snack, really). Corn fritters are essentially a quick corn cake batter studded with fresh corn, jalapeños, and chives that’s gently fried in a slick of oil. The resulting fritters have a thin, crispy exterior with a soft and moist center that’s full of crisp-tender vegetables.
This classic recipe also makes a fine fritter from frozen corn too. These corn cakes can serve as a meal on their own with a sauce for dipping, as a side for grilled or roasted meats, or as a vehicle for fried eggs for breakfast. What I’m saying here is that this corn fritter recipe is one you’ll want to know by heart so you can make it any time the craving strikes.
(Image credit: Christine Han)
Here’s the secret no Southern cook wants you to know: As much pride as we have for our state’s peaches, we all have a bag (or more) of frozen peaches hidden away in the deep freeze. Yes, a peak-season peach is worthy of songs and stories of longing, but frozen peaches are a steadfast staple of Southern cooks in the know.
Take three basic ingredients (you get pasta water and salt as freebies), plus some comfort-food inspiration, and you’ve got a grown-up version of buttered noodles that’s light with just a hint of indulgence. Dry white wine, a pat of butter, and nutty Parmesan come together for a light summery sauce for any pasta you’re cooking up. It’s a no-fuss homemade sauce you can call on any night of the week, and it doesn’t need much more time or effort than it would take to heat up the jarred stuff.
“How do you store fresh summer rolls, though?” This is the question I most often get when I profess my love of these rice paper-rolled treats to anyone who will listen. It’s a genuinely great question, as summer rolls are often best just after rolling, but the answer depends on how long your summer rolls need storing. Here are two smart ways to store summer rolls, whether you’re making them ahead for a party or stashing leftovers in the fridge.
We love subway tile as much as the next home cook, but it’s not the end all be all when it comes to kitchen backsplash options. If you’re looking for some inspiration for your soon-to-be renovated space, or you just want to ogle some pretty kitchens, check out these beautiful subway tile alternatives — in real kitchens! — and prepare to swoon.
Amazon is the Jack of all trades: It’s an online marketplace, has its own video and music streaming service, owns upscale organic retailer Whole Foods, and has a popular home assistant (Hi, Alexa!). Now the company is slowly dipping its toes into the meal kit market.
(Image credit: kate pugsley)
Fruit will always be ripe for children’s literature — “A is for apple” graces the first page of almost any self-respecting alphabet book, after all — but a peach is a particularly rich fruit for this job, conveying a sense of sweetness around its dark stone center, or its regional and cultural connections. It’s just unusual enough to be slightly left of the more typical fruits.
Take, for example, Roald Dahl’s fantastical novel James and the Giant Peach. With Roald Dahl’s talent for storytelling, there’s no question that James and the Giant Cherry (actually a real consideration according to Dahl’s private diaries) would have been successful, but there’s something about James and the Giant Peach that evokes the story itself — the kind that will leave juice running down your chin, the kind with a hard center that will surprise you if you’re not careful.
This is Dahl’s trademark, after all — mixing the sweet with the sour and the downright dark. What else besides a peach, with its complexities and contradictions — a fuzzy exterior, juicy interior, and hard stone in the middle — would suffice as the vehicle for magical and twisted adventures with a cast of fantastically large insects?
