What to Cook This Weekend

Let's eat outside!

May 27, 2022

Hi and welcome to Susanality, a newsletter by me, Susan Spungen, that celebrates seasonal cooking. If you enjoy today’s recipe round up, please help spread the word by forwarding this email to others who may like it too. And if you want additional recipes, technique + styling tips, and video tutorials to land in your inbox, consider investing in a paid subscription (for less than the cost of a latte per month!). Either way — thank you so much for being here.

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Grilled Pizzettes with Whipped Ricotta and Roasted Radishes

I am in the final push for the first draft of my forthcoming cookbook. I shared a bit about the inspiration and angle for it in the introduction to my most recent newsletter for full-access subscribers. To sum it up: It is a plant-forward cookbook that I’ve been developing and photographing (on my iPhone!) in real time using seasonal produce. It will help you use up your CSA boxes and inspire you to shop with abandon at your local farmer’s market. Click here to read more about it.

I also shared a sneak-peek recipe and photo from the book in last week’s newsletter. Here’s a look! Little Gem Salad with Buttermilk-Feta Dressing

While I am focused on the deadline at hand, I wanted to share some recipes to cook this Memorial Day Weekend — or all late spring and early summer long. These are some of the top recipes from the Susanality archives; they are also uniquely well suited for outdoor entertaining, which I suspect some of you will be doing in the coming days, or at least weeks. We hosted friends for an deckside cocktail hour and it was such a treat. I have a renewed appreciation for get-togethers after being without them for so long.

One of my favorite elements of my current cookbook, Open Kitchen, is the menu section at the back, which gives well balanced menu ideas for all manner of occasions. I want to riff off that here from time to time, starting with: A Collection of Recipes for Alfresco Entertaining

Now that grill-friendly weather is (finally) upon us, I’ve incorporated two grilled entrees: Grilled Chicken Thighs with Tamarind Glaze and Grilled Pizzettes. Tamarind is a flavorful glaze that’s ubiquitous in India and Thailand. My friend Maya Kaimal, who is an expert Indian cook and has an amazing product line you have likely seen at your local grocery store, calls tamarind “the lemon of South India.” Not only is it delicious and a little tart, it also browns so nicely on the grill and would be an unexpected pop of flavor at any dinner party. On the other hand, you could go with mini pizzettes, which look impressive, taste delicious, and are actually quite simple when you break down the steps (especially if you opt for the store-bought dough shortcut!).

Next you’ll find some of my favorite side dishes shared on Susanality and on my website, including a Strawberry Soba Noodle Salad that would be excellent served alongside the tamarind grilled chicken. I’ve also included two dips from my website, Beet Hummus with Hazelnut Pistachio Dukkah and a fresh Tomatillo-Poblano Guacamole, for appetizers.

Finally, my favorite part of any dinner party: the dessert. Strawberry-Basil Sherbet would be my top pick for this particular time of year, with juicy strawberries starting to come into their peak season. Other sweets to consider are Lemon Sponge Pudding and Peach and Almond Galette. Or perhaps you like to have a few options and make two or three?

I hope this recipe roundup prompts you to explore — and cook from! — the archives. With so many new subscribers, this may very well be your first time through these recipes I shared back in 2021.

Happy hosting, whether it’s this weekend or beyond!