Nothing puts a smile on people’s faces faster while at the same time setting their tongues ablaze, like these grilled jalapeño poppers. Sans cheese, and debuting with a snazzy new look, these Shiny Happy Poppers are every bit a modern twist on what still remains a classic firebrand when it comes to pregame appetizers. However, a word to the wise: Having an ice-cold beer nearby is highly recommended, should this blaze get out of control.
Life doesn’t get much sweeter than a grill surrounded by good friends and laughter, and topped with these Italian inspired focaccia burgers. Here, fresh mushrooms, red onion, bell pepper, garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, sundried tomatoes, and other ingredients belt out an opera of flavors we can all sink our teeth into.
We're big fans of chicken thighs because they're very tasty and easy to prepare, and they have just enough fat to stay moist on the grill. This is a deliciously sweet, sticky, old-school treatment most often used with wings, but we like it even better with thighs. These are not only great hot off the grill, but when they're cold, too, making them perfect for picnics.
We have no idea if this dish comes from France, but its clever simplicity feels utterly French to us.
Instant Iced Tea:
This big, dramatic, open-face fruit tart looks like it just came off the set of an Italian country magazine shoot. Better yet, it’s nearly no work. Bake the crust ahead when summer temperatures are cool. Whenever you feel like serving the dessert, slather it with the ricotta-mascarpone cream (done ahead as well) and top it with the fruit and herbs. Any single fruit or combo works, but ripe melons and stone fruits with berries are a favorite.
My kids cannot resist these tender, juicy Asian-inspired chicken skewers. The combination of ginger, cardamom, and curry, sweetened by brown sugar, is sweet, savory, and bold! Serve them with a side of peanut coconut sauce and your taste buds will thank you.
If there were ever a recipe that represented the whole Adam Perry Lang Playbook, this is it: active and aggressive with scruffing, mucho basting, tempering, the Maillard reaction, board dressing. I split the bones apart a bit to create more surface area for the heat to penetrate. Then I pound the meat. It has a similar effect to pounding a veal cutlet or a chicken breast, except in this case my goal is not to flatten a rib roast to a 2 1/2-inch scaloppine. My intention in pounding is to compress the meat, adding density and creating more surface area for the crust to develop and incorporate flavor. When I demonstrated this technique to the guys in my butcher shop, they thought I was crazy -- that is, until they shared one with me.
Popsicle molds are inexpensive, but don’t hesitate to turn the whole batch into a large container and serve it as sorbet. Let’s keep this short and sweet: these frozen pops are indecently delicious and easy. The angels had to be on Sally’s shoulders when she conjured this one up. There’s such an intense hit of chocolate you won’t believe there’s not a jot of fat in them, and they’re just the comic relief needed at the end of an impressive meal.
Once you have tasted a homemade version of classic American BBQ sauce, you will never go back. Most BBQ sauces are essentially a simmered tomato sauce, redolent with spices and vinegar and given the sticky lip-smacking addition of something sweet. A small amount of prep brings this sauce together in a snap. Riff off it however you please. Maybe you’ll end up bottling your own.