May has the distinct advantage of bringing with it a return to more typical spring temperatures. There may be a few cool days here and there, but the terrible cold is nowhere to be found. When it came to our food, it was evident that hope and produce go hand-in-hand. New York Times Food and Cooking went crazy in the face of vivid flavours, preferring herbs and greens to the slightly more staid flavours of cold-weather cooking in favour of luscious, juicy fruits. These are a few of the dishes we prepared in May.
It seems like there are more and more reasons to rejoice these days, and I’ve been preparing pies with fresh summer strawberries and rhubarb or balsamic vinegar. Slice by little slice, I eat the rest of the loaf for breakfast, a mid-afternoon snack, or an appetiser while I reheat leftovers.
My favourite recipes are from the Four and Twenty Blackbirds bakery in Brooklyn, but Florence Fabricant’s recipe and this Times classic can get you there, too. KRYSTEN CHAMBROT is an actress.
Strawberry Lattice-Top Pie
A excellent burger doesn’t require much more than salt, pepper, a basic bun, and a slice of American cheese, as in the case of the 5-8 Club and Matt’s Bar’s legendary Juicy Lucy. I was drawn to Kay Chun’s Korean cheeseburgers by the promise of Korean BBQ flavours, heavy quantities of soy sauce, onions and sugar along with sweet-and-sour, sesame-oil slicked fast pickles. I was not disappointed. Even though they take a little more time and work, the flavour and brightness they provide will have me craving — and cooking — them repeatedly in the near future. WEIBEL, ALEXA
Sesame-Cucumber Pickle Burgers are a Korean take on the hamburger.
One of my favourite dinners is Salade Niçoise throughout the summer months. I made Jacques Pépin’s version one afternoon, replacing arugula and romaine for the red lettuce and it was delicious. This variation utilises fresh tuna instead of canned tuna, however I used oil-packed jarred tuna. Finally, I cooked Gena Hamshaw’s delicious, fluffy, and really simple vegan pancakes to round out the month. These people smacked each other, dear reader. KASIA PILAT is the name
Having an abundance of fresh herbs in my fridge, I decided to make Melissa Clark’s Greek goddess dip for our Memorial Day picnic because it was so amazing! Delicious to the point where I’d happily eat it all on my own. Sarah DiGregorio’s slow cooker lemony chicken soup, a lighter and warmer-weather variation of the traditional, was one I made earlier in the month. It’s the perfect dish for a dreary spring afternoon. MARGAUX LASKEY
A Greek Goddess Dip Recipe
However, according to my camera roll, last month did occur and I presumably cooked Darun Kwak’s gilgeori toast several times. It’s the ideal meal for working from home because it’s full of taste, texture, and can be customised in a variety of ways. When ketchup and mayonnaise join the party, you know it’s going to be a good time. VREELAND, VAUGHN VAUGHN
Gilgeori Toast, a traditional Japanese bread, can be found here (Korean Street Toast With Cabbage and Egg)
To say I cooked anything in the previous month would be a lie. If I say that I made this michelada, I’m exaggerating. All I did was squeeze the juice of one lime into a glass filled with ice, add one light lager, then top it off with kosher salt. After that, I had pizza for supper. She is EMILY FLEISCHAKER
Recipe for Michelada
I bought a pound of fat, sparkling scallops one day at the market to prepare a large amount of brown butter, capers, and lemon sea scallops. They were seared on one side only because I used high heat and quickly removed them from the flame to let them rest. Scallops should not be overcooked. Avoid getting too near. After that, I simmered the sauce and served it with the meats, and it was so excellent that I prepared it again the next night with only butter and a squeeze of lemon. Pure scallop flavour was exactly what I needed. It was there. SAMANTHA SIFTON
Sea Scallops with Capers and Lemon in Brown Butter
To create Eric Kim’s kimchi jjigae, I had practically all of the ingredients I needed on hand — except for the watercress and the maesil cheong (green plum syrup). The watercress was easy to come by, but the syrup was a little trickier to locate. If you’re looking for a sugar substitute, Eric wrote back soon away to let me know it’d be fine. It tasted great and was a snap to put together. CLARK MELISSA
Kimchi Jjigae with Ribs (Recipe)
Samin Nosrat’s adaptation of the insalata verde recipe from the five-star Via Carota restaurant is the ultimate salad. You may make a light, bright, and crisp salad with some textural greens and pantry staples such as sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, and whole-grain mustard, garlic, and so on. My favourite part of making this salad is layering the greens, seasoning them with salt and pepper, spooning on the dressing, and then repeating the process to build a tower of greens where no leaf goes unseasoned. CHRISTOPHER BROWN
Over the Memorial Day weekend, I was feeling nostalgic for my suburban Detroit background, so I opted for Sam Sifton’s grilled chicken. In addition to the cayenne, I add chicken thighs and breasts to the sauce mixture; this is done by cooking the dish on an electric grill rather than a charcoal one. However, I harness my inner suburban dad and grill using his same method. KIM SEVERSON
Barbecued Chicken Recipe
One of our friends is Canadian, so I brought butter tarts, one of my favourite delicacies, when we saw each other for the first time since the epidemic began. To find out his favourite butter tart flavour, I inquired ahead of time. Currants, raisins, or nothing at all? Plain. Is it too runny or too solid? I didn’t get a response, so I opted for a runny tart baked slightly on the hard side. New York Times Cooking’s recipe provides instructions for all tastes. Because these are so quick and simple to cook, I had them out of the oven well before we needed to go. It’s all sweetness in a few nibbles. The author is Sara Bonisteel.
a recipe for butter tarts
I’m a big fan of having a sweet treat on hand at all times because I have a strong sweet tooth. To fulfil my yearning for cranberries, I made Florence Fabricant’s quick and easy cranberry nut bread using frozen cranberries I hadn’t yet decided what to do with. Rather than using pecans in this recipe, I used hazelnuts. It goes well with a cup of coffee in the morning or, if you’re like me, as a mid-afternoon snack. FRANKIE MILLER
This Cranberry Nut Bread recipe is a keeper!
My mother’s favourite dessert is crème brûlée, so when we were reunited for Mother’s Day, I baked this Jerrelle Guy crème brûlée pie for her. The caramelised sugar on top of the creamy custard is a real treat. Initially, we ate it hot from the oven, but later discovered that it was even better cold from the fridge. CHRISTOPHER BROWN
Pie Made with Crème Brûlée as the Filling
During this month’s unprecedented heat wave in New York, I stayed away from the stove and oven at all costs. A simple no-cook dip served with crusty bread (or crackers, or pita) and crudités is my ideal “Alone Dinner” when it’s that hot outside. Always and forever, Yossy Arefi’s sumac-flavored feta and yoghurt dip is one of my all-time favourite dishes. Rebecca Hughes
Feta and Yogurt Dip With Sumac Herbs
When I worked at Chelsea Market in my early twenties, I ate many Jacques Torres Chocolate cookies from a now-closed shop (R.I.P.). An insider’s trick: Ask for the cookies “in the back.”‘ The vendor would raise an eyebrow and proceed to the back of the booth where a plate of fresh cookies was hidden from view under a towel, skipping the cookies on display. It was the combination of gooey chocolate, crisp edges, and a chewy inside that made those cookies so memorable for me. Because of this, we have a recipe. The name of ERIC KIM
