so into that: 5 quick things
a fresh take on sloppy Joes, my snacky Susan, an excellent beach read, and more
Hi, guys! What’s the most delicious thing you’ve cooked lately? I want to know. Last week’s slow-cooked pork tacos were such a huge hit with every single one of my kids that I’ve been serving them the many leftovers I had from developing and testing the recipe for dinner for about a week straight. Last night, my 3-year-old, Cashel, looked at his dinner plate, looked up at me, and declared: “No! No more meat! It’s not mine favorite anymore!” Proof, once again, that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
Molly from What To Cook, Jillian from What to Cook, and I have been together all week, conspiring about the next few months of recipes (if you’re new here, every Saturday we send paid subscribers a new complete-meal dinner recipe that takes minimal effort and minimal cleanup and is written in a really easy-to-follow, easy-to-execute format) and a lot of new ways to make it easier for you to cook, even when you don’t feel like it. Book tour planning for Make It Fast is also underway, and I’ll share all of the dates as soon as they’re nailed down!
Today, and in So Into That going forward, I’ll be sharing a handful of things I’m into this week, both in and out of the kitchen. I’ve kept it brief because I know you’re busy people! Further down, we have our usual weekly round up of seasonal WTC recipes from the archives, and don’t miss the end of this post — we’re sending 10 of you a copy of the new-release novel that I’ve been obsessing over and that Elin Hildebrand described as having, “everything I want in a beach read.” I love getting to send you guys books! What a job perk.
I can’t get over Adeena Sussman’s new cookbook, Zariz: 100 Easy, Breezy, Tel Aviv-y Recipes. It has a ton of 30-minute meals that are in the same spirit of What To Cook recipes (fast, easy, flavorful), but that also have a special ingredient or two that, if you’re up for it, will level things up and add delicious complexity with minimal effort. We’re excited to get to share a recipe from her book with you today! Sloppy Yossi Sandwiches, Adeena’s Mediterranean spin on Sloppy Joes, a classic I-don’t-wanna-cook-dinner dinner. The level-up ingredient here is preserved lemon, which is actually quite easy to find (like here) and makes a great shelf-stable sub for lemon zest in the future. On the other hand, if you don’t have preserved lemons but you do have fresh lemons, you could swap them out for 2 teaspoons of lemon zest. You’ll also use harissa, which perhaps you already have in the fridge from my honey harissa chicken bowls?! Adeena Sussman, thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us!
The salmon Caesar I had at lunch yesterday was so delightful. More evidence (not that I needed it) that the no-seafood-and-cheese stigma is nothing but a stubborn culinary myth. If you need a Caesar with salmon, this superfood Caesar is an excellent one. Add lots of extra Parm to stick it to the man.
I always have so much fun (at the last minute, sprinting around in the moments before their car pulls into the driveway…) filling up my snacky Susan for guests. I love hosting, but feeling personally responsible for the hunger levels of my guests at all times isn’t something I can manage right now, so I load this lazy Susan up with meat sticks, granola from this great new plant-based book, fruit, crackers, nuts or nut butter, and cookies.
Eric Church gave the commencement speech at my alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill, last weekend and it’s very much worth the watch.
I just finished reading June Baby, the debut novel from Shannon Garvey, and couldn’t put it down! While I love a light and breezy summer romance… June Baby is not that. It covers grief and loss and the all too familiar feeling of being stuck and having no idea how to unstick oneself. And also: love. Young, tormented love that takes place across 10 years worth of summers on Block Island. It’s so beautiful, and I need you all to read it so we can discuss.
Every week, we dig into the What To Cook archives to see what we were cooking this time in years past — the recipes worth bringing back into your rotation. Here’s this week’s lineup.
1. tropical shrimp (or chicken, salmon, or steak!) bowls, 2025
This recipe is worth it for the sauce alone! The citrus-cilantro green sauce is the kind of thing you’ll want to put on everything — it’s bright, garlicky, a little spicy, with just enough honey to balance it out. It marinates the shrimp, dresses the slaw, flavors the salsa, and gets drizzled over the whole bowl at the end. Served over sticky coconut rice with a fresh pineapple-avocado salsa, this one tastes like vacation.
2. black pepper pork chops, 2024
Deeply savory, a little sweet, and with a spiced hit of black pepper, these pork chops come off the grill glossy and caramelized. We pair them with a quick ramen noodle salad loaded with crunchy slaw, radishes, and fresh herbs for a truly delightful dinner.
3. lamb pita with dilly minty yogurt sauce, 2023
Warmly spiced ground lamb gets served on a soft, golden, two-ingredient homemade pita with crunchy iceberg, juicy tomatoes, and a cool, herby yogurt sauce that ties it all together. The contrast of warm spiced meat against that cold creamy sauce is everything. If you’re on the fence about making homemade pitas, take it from WTCer Ani: “I think this is my favorite! It is not only delicious but it also made me feel like a real chef. I mean who makes homemade pita? Me. I do now! And it was not as scary as it sounds.”
4. cacio e pepe primavera, 2022
This pasta is silky, peppery, and ready in 20 minutes. Two types of cheese melt into a creamy sauce that clings to every piece of orecchiette, with bright pops of lemon, tender asparagus, and sweet peas woven throughout.
5. chicken parm burgers, 2021
Everything you love about chicken Parm — the savory Parm, the herbs, the rich tomato flavor — packed into a juicy burger patty and topped with a sun-dried tomato mayo that you’ll want to put on everything. Served with crispy baked sweet potato fries and a toasted burger bun, it’s a WTC hall-of-famer for a reason!
We’re teaming with Jenna Bush Hager’s Thousand Voices to send 10 of you a copy of June Baby for your summer reading pleasure! We’ll randomly select six WTC Insiders to send a copy to (Insider crew, you’re already “entered” just for being an Insider!), and another four people from the comments section of this post. Comment between now and 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, May 19 to be in the running — I’d love to hear something you’re into this week, like what you’re most excited about this summer, the best thing you’ve cooked lately, a store-bought ingredient that surpassed your expectations, or a book you loved. Winners will be randomly selected on May 20 and contacted via Substack DM.
So into prepping nourishing breakfasts and lunches for myself instead of it being an afterthought. Oh and I just finished Demon Copperhead, and wow, such good writing.
I’m having fun planning my first ever birthday party for our 5 yo! I’ve been reading the Dungeon Crawler Carl series at the same time as my brother (he’s currently deployed) and talking through them when we finish each one 🐱