Red Velvet Whoopie Pies - for Canada Day, or any summer celebration

I originally wrote this post suggesting making Red Velvet Whoopie Pies for Canada Day in July, but it recently occurred to me that these would also be a terrific treat to make during the Christmas holiday season, with its red and white colours. - Mandy Higgins, Dec. 1, 2011


With Canada Day coming up on Friday, July 1, my patriotic self thought it was necessary to make a dessert that reflected the colors of the Canadian flag – white and red.
   I turned to a recipe I had my eye on to try ever since I saw it, Red Velvet Whoopie Pies from Gourmet Live.*
   These whoopie pies are a variation on the classic version of marshmallow filling sandwiched by chocolate cookies. In this case, puffy red cookies sandwich a white cream cheese filling, so they fit the Canadian flag color requirements perfectly.
   I thanked my patriotic self for stepping forward when we first tried these whoopie pies, because they were absolutely amazing.
   The whole family will love them, guaranteed. They are an absolutely perfect finish to a family backyard barbecue.
   Anyone who has eaten Red Velvet Cake will also appreciate how close these whoopie pies come to the flavor of the cake that inspired them.
   *Unfortunately, I was unable to find online exactly the same recipe I used. The recipe I used is in a Gourmet magazine Grilling special edition, on newsstands now.
   However, I did find a recipe online that was reasonably close to the one I used. Click for the recipe on the blog Tracey's Culinary Adventures. The recipe is for heart-shaped Red Velvet Whoopie Pies. Skip the step of making the cookies heart-shaped to make regular round whoopie pies like I did.
   In the recipe I used, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt are whisked together.
   Butter, vegetable oil, sugar, an egg, vanilla, white vinegar and two tablespoons of red food coloring are mixed together.
   The flour mixture and buttermilk are added alternately and beaten into the red butter and sugar mixture.
   The batter is dropped onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper and the cookies baked for eight to 10 minutes.
   The cookies are cooled on wire racks. I let the cookies cool completely, making the application of the filling much easier.
   The filling is made by combining cream cheese, butter, fresh lemon juice, vanilla, salt and confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar) with an electric mixer.
   To assemble the whoopie pies, the filling is spread onto the flat side of one cookie, and the flat side of another cookie is placed on top. The two cookies are pressed toward each other gently.
   Because of the cream cheese filling, the whoopie pies need to be stored in the fridge, then brought to room temperature before serving.

Frozen Strawberry Margaritas - serve without a straw

In my books, it’s firmly margarita time.
   I like my margaritas frozen and slushy, with the taste of good tequila present but not to a point that is overwhelming.
   Frozen Strawberry Margaritas (click for the recipe) from Cook’s Country magazine fits this order perfectly.
   My tip to make this drink its absolute best is to skip serving it with a straw.
   While margaritas, especially frozen ones, are often served with straws, in this case it takes away from the whole delicious experience of drinking the margarita.
   Putting your lips on the salted- and sugared-rim is a perfect way to start each lovely sip. Be sure, then, to put a salt and sugar mixture on the rims as the recipe directs!
   The recipe calls for silver tequila, which is generally considered the best grade of this spirit, but my husband and I have always been fans of Sauza brand Gold tequila.
   The margaritas are very easy to make. The recipe I linked to above is on a recipe-sharing site, but it’s the same one I used from Cook’s Country.
   Frozen strawberries, sugar, and salt are heated until the berries begin to release their juices (the recipe says this will take about five minutes, but it took barely two minutes for me.) The strawberries are mashed with a potato masher until the fruit breaks down, then the mixture is simmered until it is reduced and syrupy, about five minutes.
   Off heat, frozen limeade concentrate is stirred in, and the mixture is covered and refrigerated until well chilled, at least one hour (you can make this strawberry mixture up to one day in advance.)
   After chilling, the mixture is transferred to a blender. More frozen strawberries, some ice, tequila and Triple Sec are added and the whole thing is blended until it’s smooth (divide this up into batches if you have a less-than-awesome blender like I do.)
   Sugar and kosher salt are combined on a plate. The rims of serving glasses are dipped in water, then in the salt and sugar mixture.
  The strawberry margaritas are poured into the glasses and served.

I beg your pardon, I like my lovely little herb garden

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I planted our herb “garden.”
   It's really herbs planted in individual pots and placed in our backyard.
   One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to go outside in bare feet in the grass and raid our beautiful garden, picking sprigs of herbs to use in summer dishes.
   This year we planted basil, oregano, tarragon, chives, rosemary, thyme, sage, flat-leaf parsley and mint.
   We find ourselves using these fresh herbs in dishes all summer long. (In cold months, we buy our herbs from the supermarket.)
   Here are some summertime dishes that put the fresh herbs we plant to marvellous use:

Basil
Cucumber, Mint and Basil Soda
Zucchini Basil Soup
Summer Garden Tortellini
Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta and Green Onions
Ray's Cafe Salmon Burger with Basil Mayonnaise
Penne with Zucchini, Fresh Herbs and Lemon Zest
Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Chives
Strawberry and Spring Onion Salad
Warm Bread with Garlic-Herb Butter
Soft Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Ricotta and Chives
Herb Pita Crisps
Shrimp Salad Rolls with Tarragon and Chives

Mint
Limoncello and Mint Sparklers
Mojitos
Mintade
Penne with Zucchini, Fresh Herbs and Lemon Zest
Cucumber, Mint and Basil Soda

Oregano
Grilled Lemon-Oregano Chicken Drumsticks

Parsley
Chorizo and Tomato Salad
Antipasto Pasta Salad
Penne with Zucchini, Fresh Herbs and Lemon Zest
Warm Bread with Garlic-Herb Butter

Rosemary, Thyme and Tarragon
Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Tarragon
Shrimp Salad Rolls with Tarragon and Chives
Tuscan Potato Salad
Thyme Lemonade

Tilapia is simple to grill, and sensational

One night last week my husband grilled tilapia, a type of fish.
   It was delicious.
   We were both very impressed with its slightly salty taste and firm but flaky texture.
   The recipe we were used is Grilled Tilapia with Cherry Salsa (click for the recipe from Everyday Food), but the tilapia could easily have been served on its own without any extra toppings, it was that good.
   However, this time of year, big, juicy cherries are at their best, and this recipe puts them to good use.
   I’m so enthused about grilled tilapia that I’m going to be looking for other recipes that put it in the spotlight.
   For this recipe, the salsa is made by combining cherries, onion, (we skipped the cilantro), a jalapeno chile and lime juice. It doesn’t hurt to let this sit for a bit to let the cherries release a bit of juice.
   Ground coriander, salt and pepper are stirred together, then sprinkled over tilapia fillets that have been rubbed with olive oil.
   The tilapia is grilled until opaque around the edges and the underside loosens from grate, and is then flipped. My husband used a fish grilling basket with a handle to easy turn the fillets.
   The tilapia is served topped with the cherry salsa.

Tuscan Potato Salad = good potato salad

Upon hearing the words “potato salad,” some people rightly recoil in horror, thinking of the mayo-soaked, bland concoctions they’ve been served in the past.
   If you’re one of those people, I’ve got just the thing for you – Tuscan Potato Salad (click for the recipe) has no mayo, and it’s anything but bland.
   Roasted red peppers, fresh rosemary, Dijon mustard and Parmesan cheese makes this potato salad fresh and lively, a worthy accompaniment to grilled meat or poultry. Even though it’s got some zesty ingredients, it’s still very family-friendly.
   My husband, who isn’t a fan of regular mayo-style potato salads, really liked this one.
   The recipe I linked to above is on a blog, but it’s the same one I used from Cook’s Country magazine.
   The salad is very easy to make.
   Red wine vinegar, minced garlic, minced fresh rosemary, salt and pepper are combined in a bowl.
   Two pounds of small red potatoes are scrubbed, sliced 1/4-inch thick, and brought to a boil in a large saucepan with two tablespoons of salt.
   The potatoes are simmered for about five minutes, then drained and spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Half of the red wine vinegar mixture is drizzled over, and the potatoes are left to stand until cool.
   Dijon mustard is stirred into the remaining vinegar mixture.
   Parsley, chopped jarred roasted red peppers and grated Parmesan cheese are scattered evenly over the potatoes, which are then transferred to a bowl with the Dijon vinaigrette and tossed gently until combined.
   The salad can now be served, or refrigerated for up to two days.

What I'm cooking for my husband's birthday and Father's Day

On Saturday, I'll be cooking all day for a party in the evening.
   It’s not a big party, just four of us: Me, my husband, my mom and dad.
   We’re going to be celebrating my husband’s birthday and Father’s Day.
   My husband’s birthday was on Thursday, and Father’s Day is on Sunday, so we decided to combine the two occurrences into one celebration. We have done this in past years as the two occasions fall so close together.
   I’m going to be cooking up a storm of favorites that day.
   Here’s what I plan to serve. All the recipes would work terrifically for your Father’s Day barbecue, too!

Rum Punch with Passion Fruit and Lime - You can do no wrong with this delicious hot-weather cocktail. It’s a snap to make and is easily doubled and tripled.

Ray's Cafe Salmon Burger with Basil Mayonnaise - This is absolutely the best homemade grilled burger we’ve ever made. And it’s so amazingly simple to prepare!

Creamy Dill Cucumber Salad - My husband hates watery cucumber salads, and last summer I found a recipe that solves that icky problem. This is it.

Zucchini pickles - This crunchy, pleasing side is ready in just 10 minutes!

Tunnel of Fudge Cake - This is one of my husband’s favorite dessert recipes. I made it for his birthday last year, and I am again this year. I’m sure my Dad will like it too.

Cherries and raspberries buckle down to flavor in moist, delicious cake

Cherries and raspberries are at their peak right now, and the two have a beautiful friendship in a dessert from Eating Well magazine.
   Cherry-Raspberry Buckle (click for the recipe) is a moist homestyle cake, studded with berries and a crisp sugared top.
   It’s delicious, and would do well with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
   The recipe says it can be made with any fruit combination, such as a suggested blueberries and apricots combo. I’m guessing that would be terrific, too.
   When I first took the cake out of the oven, I worried the top had browned too much.
   My worries were quickly dissipated when we tried the cake. The well-browned top was a sign that the cake had baked to a moist texture, not a soggy one, which is always a danger with fruit-filled cake.
   The recipe calls for white whole-wheat flour. Since I didn’t have the time to look for this, I simply used white flour.
   The recipe also says to use a “nine-inch baking dish or springform pan” – I used a nine-inch square baking pan.
   The cake is very easy to make.
   Flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt are mixed together. In another bowl, milk, applesauce, olive or canola oil, sugar, egg and vanilla are whisked together.
   The wet ingredients are poured into the dry and the two are gently folded together until blended. Raspberries and cherries are added and folded in, then the batter is spooned into a prepared baking dish or pan. The batter is sprinkled with sliced almonds and raw cane sugar.
   The cake is baked until golden brown, about 45 to 55 minutes (I baked mine for 45 minutes), then cooled for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Brining creates juicy, delicious chicken perfect for a family barbecue

Although I hate to point readers to recipes that they can’t immediately see without obtaining a log-in and password for the website, this is one of the times I’ve got to do it.
   Other than on the Cook's Illustrated website, I was unable to find Barbecued Chicken Parts on a Charcoal (or Gas) Grill (click for the recipe) anywhere online.
   But it’s such an amazingly delicious recipe, you may want to entertain the idea of signing up for the free trial if you don’t already have a website log-in and password.
   You can also find the recipe in the Cook’s Illustrated 2011 Summer Entertaining special issue, on newsstands now.
   This is an outstanding grilling recipe that's perfect for a summertime backyard barbecue. The juicy chicken will please everyone, even young ones and picky eaters.
   Serve it with a couple of summer salads, and you’ve got the makings of a family-and-friends get-together to remember.
   My husband absolutely loved the chicken. He was silent when eating it (although he’s not a big talker to begin with), picking up the pieces and eating the flesh off right to the bone.
   The recipe is surprisingly easy to make, too. The most effort comes in the grilling itself.
   Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and breasts and skin-on chicken legs are the chicken parts in the recipe. My husband and I gave the chicken thighs a whirl and were very pleased with the results.
   Barbecue sauce is called for in the recipe, to slather on the chicken and serve alongside. We used America’s Test Kitchen’s preferred brand of barbecue sauce, Bull’s-Eye Bold Original, and it worked very well.
   However, we had no desire to have more sauce with the chicken after it was grilled and served – it was juicy and flavorful enough on its own.
   The recipe I linked to is the charcoal grill version, but the website also offers a gas grill version.
   The recipe makes enough for eight people, so be sure to dial down the ingredient amounts if you’re making it for fewer people. The recipe also has slightly different directions for how to grill the thighs, legs and breasts.
   Sugar and salt are dissolved in cold water in gallon-sized zipper-lock plastic bag(s), and chicken parts are put inside. The bag(s) are refrigerated until chicken is fully seasoned, about 1 ½ hours. (Although the recipe doesn’t say to do this, I put the bag on its side in the fridge, and turned it after 45 minutes).
   The chicken is removed from the brine, rinsed well, dried, and seasoned with pepper.
   The parts are grilled according to the recipe’s directions, with barbecue sauce being brushed on liberally during the final two minutes of cooking.

Strawberries and green onions are pals in easy summer salad

One might not immediately think of strawberries and onions as a tasty pair, but they certainly become so in Strawberry and Spring Onion Salad (click for the recipe).
   The two main ingredients play off one another – the sweetness of the strawberries tempers the bite of the spring onions (also called green onions or scallions.) The Dijon mustard adds a bit more zing.
   The recipe calls for two bunches of green onions, thinly sliced. I thought this seemed like a lot, so I stuck with one bunch of bigger-than-usual green onions. I found it was about right – just enough oniony bite.
   The key to the recipe’s success, I think, is slicing the green onions thinly. If they are big pieces, they are far more noticeable to the palate and to the eye. Thinly-sliced, small pieces of green onions make for a lighter-tasting and more visually appealing salad.
   This is a superb salad to go alongside grilled meat or poultry.
   I encountered this recipe in the cookbook Better Homes and Gardens Garden Fresh Meals. The recipe I linked to above is on another site, for Country Home magazine, but it is exactly the same one I used.
   The salad is very easy to make.
   Strawberries, hulled and sliced ¼ inch thick, and thinly-sliced green onions, are combined in a large bowl.
   White wine or champagne vinegar, fresh chives, Dijon mustard, salt, fresh dill, salt and pepper are mixed in a bowl, then olive oil is whisked in.
   The dressing is poured over the strawberries and onions and the salad tossed.
   I skipped the garnish of edible flowers.

Better Homes & Gardens Garden Fresh Meals at amazon.ca

If you like to bake, buy this book: Cook's Country Blue Ribbon Desserts

It’s time I told you about a wonderful cookbook I bought recently: Cook's Country Blue Ribbon Desserts.
   Produced by the popular magazine, the book is full of recipes inspired by desserts from years past. But these recipes have been revamped to be refreshing, new and foolproof.
   That’s essentially the mission of Cook’s Country magazine – to find America’s classic, favorite dishes and desserts and retool them for today’s home cooks.
   For those of you who love baking, especially homestyle treats that please the family, I highly recommend the book to you.
   I’ve already made several desserts from the book that are outstanding: Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies, Icebox Strawberry Pie, 7Up Pound Cake, Pecan-Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Tunnel of Fudge Cake and Mississippi Mud Brownies.
   Nearly every recipe has caught my eye to try, for every season of the year.
   This summer, if I have the time, I hope to make Icebox Key Lime Pie, Raspberry Chiffon Pie, Peach Brown Betty and Icebox Oreo Cheesecake.
   Just take a look at some of the recipes you can find in this book, many of which also have an explanation of the interesting history behind the final product:
- Pies: Fresh Blueberry, Lemon Chess, Mile-High Lemon Meringue, Pumpkin-Praline, Jefferson Davis, Millionaire, French Silk Chocolate
- Cakes: Wacky Cake, Wellesley Fudge, Chocolate Blackout, Lady Baltimore, Strawberry Cream (looks like an absolute stunner), Tennessee Stack Cake, Lemon Buttermilk Sheet, Tres Leches Cake, Southern Caramel, Bold and Spicy Gingerbread
- Breakfast, brunch and coffee treats: Blueberry Boy Bait, Cherry-Almond Coffee Cake, St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake, Blackberry Roly-Poly, Tick Tock Orange Sticky Rolls
- Cupcakes: Red Velvet, Boston Cream, Chocolate Cream, Black-Bottom
- Cookies and bars: Raspberry Mini Cheesecakes, Peanut Blossom Cookies, Brown Sugar Cookies, Whoopie Pies, Turtle Brownies, Seven-Layer Bars, Raspberry Streusel Bars, Cherry Cheesecake Cookies, Raspberry-Almond Sandwich Cookies, Hazelnut Chewies, Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Cook's Country Blue Ribbon Desserts at amazon.ca

Press-in crust and brown butter make this raspberry tart a terrific treat

Recently on Recipes That Worked I revelled on the glory of making my first pastry pie crust, a feat I was able to achieve because I could press the pie dough into the pan and not have to roll it.
   This notion of a press-in dough is the reason I’ve always liked making tarts, which typically have a crust made of a soft, pliable press-in dough.
   Brown Butter Raspberry Tart (click for the recipe) from Bon Appetit magazine has one of these easy tart crusts.
   This recipe is also the first place I encountered the wonders of browning butter (cooking butter until it’s a deep nutty brown color) to add intense, deep flavor to baked goods. It’s a technique I’ve since seen used in other recipes for baked goods.
   Whenever I’ve made Brown Butter Raspberry Tart, people have loved it. The crust is a comforting cookie-like base to the lovely, slight tartness of the raspberries.
   The tart would be a terrific ending to a summer dinner party, but it also has grab-and-go appeal. The wedges are firm enough to eat with your hands like a cookie, and can be packed into lunches.
   The tart is easy to make, and you don’t even need to use an electric mixer.
   To prepare the crust, melted butter, sugar, vanilla, flour and salt are stirred until incorporated, and the resulting dough is pressed into the bottom and sides of a nine-inch diameter tart pan with a removable bottom.
   The crust is baked until golden, about 18 minutes.
   For the filling, sugar, eggs, salt, flour and vanilla are whisked together until blended.
   Unsalted butter is cooked in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until a deep nutty brown, about six minutes. The browned butter is poured into a glass measuring cup and gradually whisked into the sugar-egg mixture.
   Raspberries are arranged in the bottom of the cooled crust, and the browned-butter mixture is poured over.
   The tart is baked, then cooled completely on a rack.

Blueberry search is rewarding for terrific summer salad

One summer a few years ago, my husband’s sister and her husband came to visit.
   After a long day of touring around, I dragged them around even more as I searched for blueberries, the key ingredient in a salad I wanted to make for supper.
   For some bizarre reason, only one local supermarket had them in stock, and of course, it was the last one we visited.
   But one bite into the salad, my sister- and brother-in-law knew why I considered blueberries essential, and why I wanted them to try Mixed Greens with Feta, Almonds and Blueberries (click for the recipe) from Bon Appetit magazine.
   They agreed it is a simply amazing salad, fresh and delicious. When they went home, they started making the salad themselves.
   It’s so simple to make, and is a brilliant side dish for any grilled meat or fish in the summer.
   One interesting thing, which has existed since the recipe was first posted on epicurious.com about five years ago: Despite having the word “almonds” in the title, and almonds was also the listed ingredient in the original magazine recipe, the one online says pine nuts instead.
   I’m sure pine nuts would be OK, but I always make the salad with ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted, instead.
   For the salad dressing, red wine vinegar, olive oil and honey are whisked together in a small bowl.
   A five-ounce bag of baby salad greens, crumbled feta cheese and fresh blueberries are combined in a large bowl. The dressing is poured over top and tossed to coat.
   Before serving, the almonds are sprinkled on the salad.

Tapenade filling makes for quick and delicious burger

Our first grilled burger of the 2011 summer season was absolutely sensational.
   My husband and I made Tapenade-Filled Burgers (click for the recipe) for the first time last week, and were blown away with how delicious they were.
   The inner layer of store-bought green olive tapenade provided a perfect level of pickly saltiness to the moist meat.
   The lipsmacking goodness of the burgers was even more amazing considering they were a breeze to make.
   The recipe I linked to above on epicurious.com, the site of recipes from the former Gourmet magazine, says lean ground beef can be used for the burgers. However, the recipe I used, from a special edition of Gourmet magazine about grilling, says to use ground beef that is not lean (*See also below a difference in cooking time between the two recipes).
   While it’s obviously going to add more fat, I would strongly recommend going with the full-fat beef. It creates an amazing flavor, and makes the patties easier to form.
   Definitely go with the recipe’s recommendations for accompaniments of mayonnaise, coarse-grain mustard, thinly-sliced pickles (we used sandwich-stacker pickles) and lettuce. These condiments and toppings complete the burger, particularly the grainy mustard. We skipped the thinly-sliced red onion as we prefer them cooked instead of raw.
   In Canada, we found green olive tapenade at a Sobeys supermarket. The recipe says green or black olive tapenade is sometimes also labelled olive paste.
   To make the burgers, the beef is divided into six equal portions. Each portion is in turn divided in half, and each half flattened to form a thin four-inch-wide patty.
   Tapenade is spread onto one patty, the other is placed on top, and the edges are pinched together to seal.
   The burgers are grilled. The recipe I linked to says to turn the burger over once, three minutes total for medium-rare. *The recipe I used from the magazine said to cook the burgers five to six minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 160 F on an instant read thermometer. I would highly recommend using the longer grilling times instead.
   Mayonnaise and mustard is spread on hamburger buns, then the burgers are assembled with the patties, pickles and lettuce.

Sorbet is sandwiched by soft, delicious gingerbread cookies

I first made Ginger Cookie-Sorbet Sandwiches (click for the recipe) about four years ago after spotting them in Martha Stewart Living magazine.
   Not only was I impressed with the final product – icy sorbet sandwiched between homemade ginger cookies – I was impressed with the cookies themselves.
   They’re the best gingerbread cookies I’ve ever made.
   The cookies are the soft ginger variety – slightly spongy, slighty salty, and all delicious.
   You could absolutely serve them on their own without the sorbet.
   However, the store-bought mango and raspberry sorbet fillings push the cookies right into summertime weather, and make the final product look gorgeous with pastel yellows and pinks.
   Because these sandwiches are assembled right before they’re served, they’re ideal for a quick weeknight treat. Pull out a couple of cookies, spread some sorbet in between and voilà – an ice-cream sandwich.
   The sandwiches are also ideal for a casual backyard party, and in this case they can also be assembled right before serving.
   To make the cookies, flour, ground ginger, salt, baking soda, ground cinnamon and ground cloves are mixed together.
   In a different bowl, room temperature butter, sugar, egg, molasses and chopped candied ginger are beaten with an electric mixer, then the flour mixture is gradually mixed in. The resulting dough is refrigerated for a short time.
   Balls of dough are rolled in sugar, dropped on baking sheets, flattened using the bottom of a glass and baked. The cookies are left to cool completely.
   To serve, a scoop of sorbet is put on one cookie, and another put on top of the sorbet to form a sandwich.

Great summer recipe ideas from food mags

I love to read food and cooking magazines -- obvious, since I write this blog.
   I like to imagine the dynamite secrets a lovely-looking recipe will reveal.
   Recently I perused a stack of magazines with terrific-looking recipes I'd like to try this summer (although there are so many nice ones I doubt highly that's possible.)
   If you're looking for some good magazines with recipes for the hot weather ahead, here are four I recommend. All are on sale now on newsstands.
   Under each is the recipes I have my eye on to try.

Summer Entertaining from Cook’s Illustrated – Summer 2011 (pulled pork sandwich on cover)
- Barbecued Chicken Parts – Chicken thighs and legs are kept in a brine of salt, sugar and water before being grilled.
- Charcoal-Grilled Stuffed Flank Steak – These look like beef lollipops. A spread of herbs and garlic and a layer of prosciutto is put on flank steak before it’s rolled up and tied. Skewers are put in evenly through each section of meat between ties, and then the rolled steak is sliced into pinwheels before grilling.
- Minted Sugar Snap Pea Salad
- Tuscan Potato Salad – Red wine vinegar, rosemary, Dijon mustard and Parmesan cheese provide the coating for new red potatoes.
- Lemon Potatoes – Lemon zest and juice, along with minced garlic and chicken broth, is tossed with boiled new red potatoes.
- Basic Creamy Coleslaw
- Quick Summer Pickles and Quick Bread-and-Butter Pickles
- Gazpacho – the iconic summer tomato soup, created here with fresh tomatoes, red bell peppers, cucumbers, sweet onion, garlic, sherry vinegar and tomato juice.
- Magic Chocolate Ice Cream – A no-machine ice cream using espresso powder, bittersweet chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream.

Gourmet Grilling: 96 All-Time Favorite Cookout Classics – Special edition summer 2011 (burger on cover)
Tapenade-Filled Burgers, Asian Steak and Noodle Salad, Turkey Cheddar Burgers, Dominican Chimichurri Burgers, Porterhouse Steak with Pan-Seared Cherry Tomatoes, Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Smoked-Paprika Mayonnaise, Barbecued Pork Burgers with Slaw, Chipotle-Lime Chicken, Buffalo Grilled Shrimp with Blue Cheese Dip and Celery, Grilled Salmon with Lime-Butter Sauce, Panna Cotta with Lemon-Thyme Peaches, Peach Ice Cream, Lemon-Herbed Potatoes, Perfect Strawberry Ice Cream, Red Velvet Whoopie Pies.

America’s Test Kitchen 30-Minute Suppers Summer 2011 (chicken skewers on cover)
Grilled Italian Sausage Subs, Grilled Herbed Chicken and Zucchini Salad, Vietnamese-Style Noodle Salad with Chicken, Grilled Spice-Rubbed Chicken Thighs, Glazed Grilled Chicken Skewers, Greek Burgers, Hoisin Pork with Garlic Noodles, Mustard-Glazed Brats with Sweet and Sour Slaw, Wasabi Crab Salad Rolls with Ginger Coleslaw; Chicken, Goat Cheese, and Cherry Salad.

Cook’s Country – July 2011 (peaches and cream pie on cover)
- Dill Potato Salad: Chopped dill is put in a sachet and boiled with the potatoes, and more dill is put in the vinegar that goes on the potatoes.
- Peaches and Cream Pie: Peaches are baked, put in a pie crust, and heavy cream is poured over before baking.
- Grilled Steakhouse Steak Tips: Beef flap steak is cut into small pieces and marinated in brown sugar, garlic, paprika and cayenne pepper before grilling.
- Strawberry Dream Cake: A luscious two-layer strawberry cake that looks perfect for a summertime birthday.