On the heels of Memorial Day barbecues and picnics, we have a ton of leftovers in the fridge. Not wanting to waste any of it — and hoping to cut myself some slack on meal prep this week — I’m basing my meal plan on what’s left in the fridge this week.

Not to worry — most of my leftovers are classic Memorial Day fare. Things like grilled chicken, salsa from a poolside picnic, and leftover hard-boiled eggs from a batch of a potato salad are things you might have on hand any given week this summer, so here are five meals that make the most of barbecue leftovers for the week ahead.

READ MORE »

(Image credit: Leela Cyd)

Fruit chaat, a spiced fruit salad, is a ubiquitous iftar fruit dish, present on pretty much every South Asian iftar table. You could argue that there really is no recipe for chaat and if there was, the variations would number in the hundreds if not thousands, as it changes with the seasons and according to each family’s taste. Traditionally, in India and Pakistan, fruit chaat, a type of spiced fruit salad, is made with apples, oranges, bananas, and guava, if they are in season. But the vital part of what makes chaat is the chaat masala.

READ MORE »

From Apartment Therapy → Alice, I Don’t Want My Friend to Stay in My House While I’m Away

READ MORE »

(Image credit: Christine Han)

A creamy, comforting bowl of risotto can be yours for the eating even on a weeknight. Add grated zucchini for a healthy helping of summer vegetables; chop some fresh, fragrant basil; and, of course, throw in a few handfuls of Parmesan cheese and you have a delicious vegetarian dinner to enjoy. Yes, there’s some stirring involved, but pour yourself a glass of wine and put on a podcast or some music, and let the repetition be a relaxing meditation on the deliciousness to come.

READ MORE »

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Just about every recipe for homemade ice cream calls for an ice cream maker, but what if you don’t have one?

Well, it certainly doesn’t mean that homemade ice cream is out of the question for you! You don’t actually need an ice cream maker to make a cool and creamy treat at home. Here are five ways to make ice cream without an ice cream maker.

READ MORE »

Our wedding photographer insisted that we needed a wedding cake, despite our insistence that the very small, non-traditional event didn’t need one. You see, even as a trained pastry professional, I didn’t want to add a cake to my to-do list for our handmade wedding. When our photographer persisted that we’d need something to cut into — he swore we’d regret not having photos of it later — my soon-to-be husband had the perfect solution: Let’s throw a wedding dessert potluck and make other people do the work.

READ MORE »

I really don’t know who designates days to be all about a certain food. The industry? Intensely enthusiastic fans of Nutella, Fig Newtons, and Peach Melba? Well, whomever decided that today is National Burger Day seems right on time. Memorial Day is here and the holiday kicks off a whole summer of burgers — are they in your menu plans?

From a tutorial on grilling the juiciest burger ever to lots of vegetarian burgers (including my own favorite, black bean and edamame burgers — yum!), we have 10 recipes to get National Burger Day off to a good start!

READ MORE »

(Image credit: Maria Siriano)

Pasta salad, when assembled correctly, is sublime. A great pasta salad is the star of any backyard barbecue or picnic potluck. All too often, though, it is subject to mediocrity, thanks to too much mayo, squishy pasta, and not enough salt. Don’t make these common mistakes! Let this be the year you master the perfect pasta salad.

READ MORE »

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Bringing a side dish to cookouts (and really any potluck) always feels a little bit like Thanksgiving dinner for me. I’m itching to go off-script, to prepare something new, exciting, and adventurous, while the rest of the family wants nothing but the classics. This slaw is the compromise where everybody wins. It ditches the standard shredded cabbage for a duo of crunchy chopped florets for a fresh spin. It’s an instant hit with this broccoli- and cauliflower-loving crowd! The creamy tang of the lightened-up classic dressing will satisfy even the most ardent coleslaw devotees.

READ MORE »

Potato chips are usually subjected to being served alongside sandwiches or eaten by the bagful at pool parties, but they actually can be one heck of a fancy snack to feature at your party — so much so that I guarantee guests will be raving about them. All the chips need are these five quick and easy upgrades.

READ MORE »