(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)
Last year, in my quest to uncover all the most delicious and somewhat unexpected ways to use leftover buttermilk, I stumbled on a dessert sauce to top all dessert sauces. I reworked my favorite classic caramel sauce to put buttermilk at the helm, and the result is one that’s sure to win your heart. It starts with nutty notes of butterscotch and the rich sweetness of caramel, and then surprises your tastebuds with a tangy twist that leaves you wanting more.
(Image credit: Library of Congress)
Waking this morning and walking across the Manhattan Bridge to the office, it was remarkable how quiet the city is. It is a particularly unique thing to have a peaceful day in New York City, so I’m savoring it and using it to bring back something we haven’t done in years: wishing you a happy holiday.
When our sites began in 2004, we used to start an open thread after linking to some good thoughts by others on each national holiday. It was never a huge viral sensation, but that was not the reason it started. It started just to step back and observe our shared circumstance, and, in that way, reinforce our community here on the web.
On July 4th, 1826, the day of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams passed away within hours of one another. Both had been presidents as well as founding fathers, and both had become close friends during their lives (their collected letters to one another over 50 years is a classic).
Jefferson was 83 and Adams 90. With their passing it was generally felt that the Revolutionary period was over.
In this morning’s Washington Post there is a great article on Jefferson’s last written letter to the Mayor of Washington in June of that year, thanking him for the invitation to the festivities and declining for health reasons. His writing is inspiring:
I should, indeed, with peculiar delight, have met and exchanged there congratulations personally with the small band, the remnant of that host of worthies, who joined with us on that day, in the bold and doubtful election we were to make for our country, between submission or the sword; and to have enjoyed with them the consolatory fact, that our fellow citizens, after half a century of experience and prosperity, continue to approve the choice we made.
May it be to the world, what I believe it will be, (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all,) the Signal of arousing men to burst the chains, under which monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the blessings & security of self-government. that form which we have substituted, restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. all eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man.
Thomas Jefferson was both a great mind, who helped to shape the thoughts on which our country is founded and also a complicated man who was very much a product of his time. But it is his name that will always be associated the closest with this holiday for the work he put into writing the document on which is it based.
For more on this I also recommend reading today’s Writer’s Almanac, which is always good. Keillor always finds the humanity and the humor behind the scenes. It includes:
Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the Declaration of Independence; everyone else in the room thought he was the most eloquent and the best writer and he offered no dissent. It’s said that John Hancock wrote his name in extra large script so that King George would be sure to see it; the king suffered from cataracts. Fifty-six men from 13 colonies signed the document. One out of eight of them had gone to Harvard. Two would go on to become presidents of the United States.
The signing actually took place on July 2, not the 4th, and this fact always irked John Adams, who decided to protest the date of the new celebration by never, not once, attending a July Fourth celebration as long as he lived.
And even though he protested the event, John Adams wrote movingly to his wife, Abigail: “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”
I hope you all have a celebratory and peaceful fourth of July and feel free to share your thoughts about what this day means to you.
Best, Maxwell Ryan
Founder of Apartment Therapy Media
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)
Come summer, there’s really nothing I want more in my meal plan than simple, light dinners that come together with a very minimal amount of cooking and taste like they’re bursting at the seams with freshness. I can’t think of anything that fits the bill better than summer rolls. Packed with juicy seared chicken, ribbons of lightly pickled veggies, creamy avocado, and a layer of fresh herbs all rolled up in a chewy wrapper, these summer rolls call for more prep and assembly than actual cooking. They know how to hit the spot for a totally satisfying summer supper.
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)
The unofficial cocktail of last summer was frosé (frozen, slushy-like rosé wine), and while we still love it dearly, this year it seems only fitting to give it a refresh and dress it up for summer 2017. That’s why we are declaring this the summer of the frosé Popsicle, an icy-cold treat speckled with honey-sweetened berries. It’s best enjoyed on a front porch or with your feet dipped into a pool, ideally with good friends by your side.
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)
A glass of cold lemonade never seems to be beyond arm’s reach during some of the very best moments of summer — whether that is lounging on a front porch, running around the backyard, or dipping into your friend’s pool. Enjoying the classic is near perfect, but it doesn’t hurt to make it a little more adult-friendly and fit for 5 o’clock. Spike it with a little white rum and sweeten it with a handful of muddled strawberries and suddenly it is ready for happy hour.
(Image credit: Life, Love and Sugar)
It’s summer! Hello, outdoor BBQs, twilight reaching into almost the wee hours of the morning, and all the strawberries you can handle.
Like tomatoes, corn, and freckles, strawberries reach their peak in summer. They are tart, sweet, ruby-hued jewels that tastes unmistakably of June, July, and August. Although they are absolutely perfect straight from the farmers market, sometimes you want something a little fancier — something to serve at parties, to savor after dinner, and, quite frankly, to dig into for a decadent midnight snack. Lucky for you, Pinterest has you covered.
Socca is a popular street food in Nice, France, and is often enjoyed as an appetizer with a glass of crisp rosé. In our own kitchens, this classic dish can be a go-to, any-time-of-day recipe. Learn how to make it by heart and it might just be one of those recipes that comes close to changing your life.
This week I’m traveling to New York for a photo shoot with the Kitchn team and my husband is in charge of feeding the kids. My husband is a great cook, even though he doesn’t do it regularly, but he isn’t very confident in the kitchen so he chooses simple, easy dishes plus a few things I won’t normally cook that he and the kids love.
Here’s what our family’s meal plan looks like when my husband is in charge of dinner for the week.
(Image credit: Jerrelle Guy)
The duo of ham and cheese makes regular appearances during lunch in numerous parts of the world. In Spain, the ham and cheese croquette is a mash-up of Manchego and Serrano. Here in the States, it’s traditionally the lunchbox staple of deli ham, American cheese, and mayo on soft white bread. And in France, it’s a baguette, layered with thinly sliced ham, Gruyère cheese, and cornichons.
