What I'll be making this long weekend
While I'm packing! And moving to a house with no stove yet. Pray for me.
Hi friends! I know we’re an international team here, but Happy Memorial Day Weekend to everyone who lives in the States! I hope you have a lot of plans that involve SPF, fun cold drinks, and R&R.
This week was a really fun week for me, I got to film a collab recipe with one of my favorite shops, Big Night, whose owner Katherine Lewin is coming out with her new book! So keep an eye out for that, soon. Then Friday was my pizza pop-up with Leland Eating & Drinking House, which after months of developing the pies with them in back-of-house, they basically shoved me out of the kitchen to party with you all. So thank you to everyone who came. I hope you enjoyed the spicy spritzes! (And if you are feeling FOMO over spicy spritzes, scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter).
Now the newsletter is going to be a little different today. There’s the weekly round-up of course, but then a few ideas for what you can make this holiday weekend, too! Basically, what I’ll be making this holiday weekend, and you can decide if they fit your table.
And lastly, a bonus recipe! I’m not sure I’ll have time to film it while I’m packing to move (we move on Monday!), but I wanted to make sure you all got the recipe for Spicy Spritzes ASAP. Think: a spicy margarita and an Aperol spritz had a baby. That’s really all you need to know.
But now, the weekly round-up!
Sticky Tofu & Fairytale Eggplant - Fairytale eggplant are popping up all over the place, and all I ever want to do is cook them down into this sticky, spicy sauce inspired by nasu dengaku. A serrano + cucumber salad brings some nice coolness to balance it all out. And if you aren’t an eggplant person, don’t worry, this works with any vegetable.
Rhubarb Salad with Little Gems, Hazelnuts & Parmesan - Rhubarb in dessert? Heaven. Rhubarb in salad dressing? Also heaven. This is a great starter salad for any summer dinner party you may be throwing.
And some long-weekend favorites!
Off the top of my head, these are just a few of the things that I would love to make this weekend:
Lychee Spritz - Last year’s drink of the summer, may she live on forever.
Aleppo Pepper Pasta Salad - This pasta salad goes a little nuts, but the fruity spice of Aleppo pepper deserves to go all-out, right? This pasta salad is loaded with herbs, but what makes it stand out compared to your regular pasta salad is the marinated olives and jammy tomatoes. Serve it super chilled and it’ll be the star of any party.
Grilled Swordfish with Basil Pistachio Relish and Tomato Salad - Break out the grill (I don’t have one) and let’s party (I’ll live through you). This swordfish + summer salad is like signaling to the world that summer produce is HERE and we are ready to use it.
Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Ginger Sugar - You are simply not patriotic if you do not make a blueberry muffin SOMETIME during the summer. It’s a weird rule but I stand by it!!
And a bonus recipe!
Spicy Sicilian Spritzes
For the pop-up that I did this Friday, I told the restaurant’s owner I wanted to make a spicy apéro drink that had a hint of chili to counter all the sweetness. I was playing around with a Calabrian chili syrup…and it just wasn’t it. He took over and made a Fresno pepper syrup that absolutely blew my mind (and created one of the best spritzes I’ve had at a restaurant…maybe ever?)
Now, we can’t all produce a restaurant-level pepper syrup at home (but we are still serving it the next two days of the pop-up on May 31st and June 7th!) so when I made the at-home version of this drink, I kept it simple. One Fresno pepper, one really good vermouth, and you get a beautiful spritz. Here’s how to make it.
SERVES 2
INGREDIENTS
1 large Fresno pepper, quartered lengthwise
4 ounces Aperol, Campari, or Naturale Rosso (which is what we used at the restaurant)
6 ounces any dry Cava or Prosecco
Sparkling water, for topping
2 lemon twists, optional
METHOD
Add the quartered Fresno pepper (seeds included) and Naturale Rosso to a cocktail shaker. Seal it well and shake for 30 seconds. Let this sit in the fridge for 15 minutes. You can chill it for longer if you prefer more spice, but I wouldn’t go longer than an hour, because after that it gets quite hot.
Fill two glasses with ice and evenly strain the Naturale Rosso into the glasses. Top with the cava and finish with sparkling water. Garnish with a twist of lemon and enjoy.
I hope this gives you a few ideas for your weekend, but even if you’re just relaxing and ordering in, that makes me just as happy. Summer energy is HERE and I hope you’re internalizing it and getting the rest you need <3
Enjoy the sun, and I’ll see you next week!
Xoxo,
Spritz_Snacks
Tofu eggplant looks so yummy with the kick of the cucumber salad, can’t wait to try!
Mmmm delish, I'm definitely trying out the tofu and eggplant recipe. :)