the first supper

Readers, we made it. Barely.

We arrived at our new apartment while it was still under construction. Surprise! A day and a half later -- and two gas leaks in the kitchen (surprise!) -- we started getting settled in. I forgot how utterly exhausting it is to move. Everyone knows moving's not fun, not something you want to do every year, or even every seven years, but the physicality of it! The lifting and bending and reaching and scrubbing and shoving a too-big clothing rack down three flights of stairs. Whew!

goodbye, kitchen

Goodbye, kitchen.

Goodbye, countertops. You measure a little less than two feet across but were just wide enough. (Okay, not quite.)

Goodbye, pitifully small Modern Chef gas oven that produced slanted cakes, countless meals and on one occasion, stopped working right before a dinner party. Modern Chef, I wish I knew how old you were. At what point in time were you considered modern? How many meals have you cooked in your lifetime? You seem as permanent as our apartment’s crown molding and wood floors; an old fixture that should never be changed. Sorry, new tenants.

summer drinking

In the summertime, all around New York City, you'll see happy people drinking on sidewalk cafes, front stoops and in restaurants that have flung open their doors and windows. Just seeing a cold glass of rosé in someone's hands makes my mouth water. It's so Pavlovian, it's downright scary.

Maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel better, but it's also the social aspect of summer drinking that's so appealing. The idea of shrugging off your day in the early evening or late afternoon, meeting a friend or two somewhere and wrapping your hot palms around a glass of something cold and refreshing. Now, that thing could be a soda, but more likely I am fantasizing about a glass of white or a tall, Belgian-style beer.

With that in mind, here's some links from around the web to make summer drinking more interesting and enjoyable.

Bon Appetit's 12 rules to drink (wine) by this summer. Some highlights: make white sangria with Savignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or Gruner Veltliner (my favorite white), drink vermouth on ice and chill that Beaujolais.

Also, BA editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport drinks his beer on ice. Thoughts?

Quite possibly the girliest drink ever, this strawberry rosé spritzer from Food52 has my name written all over it.

How pretty are these frozen fruit skewers? Now imagine them in a glass of champagne. 

Food + Wine rounds up 25 affordable wines for summer grilling.

And for your drinking and viewing pleasure, I have compiled 50 summer drink recipes (both hard and soft) over at iVillage.

Photo from the bar at Husk in Charleston, where we drank very well, on a recent vacation.

deviled chicken drumsticks

Some foods are just made for summer. Like these deviled chicken drumsticks. They deserve a spot at your next picnic, barbecue or alfresco fire escape dinner, right next to the giant pitcher of mojitos.

The chicken is perfect fresh out of the oven, when the savory-spicy breadcrumb coating is hot and extra crispy. But it's also a winner eaten at room temperature or even the next day, if you're lucky enough to have leftovers.

Yes, call me a hypocrite. One day I'm telling you to walk away from your stove, the next I am telling you to make these awesome drumsticks. But they only need 30 minutes in the oven, so crank up that AC and get it done. Or at least wait until the temperature isn't in the 90s.

the no-cook dinner party

Now is the time of year when our oven goes into hibernation. As much as I love homemade pizza for dinner, I don’t like cranking the entire apartment up to 500 degrees.

And nothing’s worse than going to someone’s house for a dinner party and finding a sweaty, harried cook rushing around a hot kitchen. Don’t be that person. Keep a cold drink close by, wear something breezy that’s made of cotton and use your stove as little as possible. (No roasted chicken unless you have an industrial strength air-conditioner.)

But what should I serve that doesn't require cooking, you ask? I’ve rounded up some heat-free recipes that are more assembled than cooked. All you have to do is mix and match these recipes to put together your own no-cook dinner party menu. These dishes are all on the lighter side, but isn’t that what you want when it’s sweltering outside?

Appetizers
Tuna-stuffed peppadew peppers
Mango with spicy, salty sugar
Pineapple salsa
Spiced yogurt dip
 
Salads
Butter lettuce with oranges, fennel, and olives
Kitchen sink salad
Simple tomato salad
Melon with cucumber, feta and basil

Main dishes
Martha’s chicken salad with herbs (with store-bought rotisserie chicken)
Chicken tacos (with store-bought rotisserie chicken)
Shrimp rolls (use pre-cooked shrimp)
Pan bagnat

Desserts
Mini frozen key lime pies
Framboise ice cream floats
A nice cheese plate
Fresh fruit, cookies and a broken-up chocolate bar
Ice cream!

the rules of salad

As soon as the weather turns warm, my mind turns to salads. (And cute sandals.)

You might not think a salad is special or substantial enough for a dinner party, but I want to change your mind about that. Look at this salad, it served four people generously and isn't it pretty? It made a beautiful centerpiece. Which was handy because I was lazy and didn't buy flowers at the bodega.

A big salad is an excellent thing to serve company, if you keep a few things in mind. After the jump: Lisa's Dinner Party Salad Recommendations. (Aren't you curious?)

chocolate puddle cookies

We all have our strengths in the kitchen, and mine does not involve sugar, flour and butter. Sure, I can make a good batch of brownies and sweet, sturdy quick breads. And I have been known to brag about my Key lime pie (regular and frozen), which is awesome, but I think it's also my birthright as a Floridian. Beyond that, my desserts often fall into the "ugly but tasty" category. And Dan and I eat them anyway.

We had some friends over for lunch about a month ago (more on that later) and I wanted to make something homemade for dessert. In this case, the issue was not my lack of baking skillz, it was that one of the guests was gluten-intolerant. So I decided to pull out my trusty flourless peanut butter cookie recipe, which never, ever fails me. (And is only five ingredients!) Then I decided to make a second cookie in case one of our friends didn't like peanut butter. And because I can't leave well enough alone.