so into that: 5 quick things
award-winning groceries, my go-to kids’ lunch, a great swimsuit, and more
Hi! I’m hosting a video crew at my house this week for a project coming to Substack soon — I can’t wait to share it with you! And my boys are officially out of school, so it’s full-on summer chaos over here.
It’s also peak Kings Hawaiian roll slider season, and will be for the foreseeable future. Ham, mayo, pickles, and havarti on repeat for the boys. I made a 24-pack on Sunday and have been feeding them to my kids for lunch since. Not having to make a new lunch every day is a beautiful thing. I feel like a total genius every time I hand them out. Before you ask — no, the mayo really doesn’t make them soggy!
As for me, so far this summer break I’ve been eating a lot of tomato pie toast, grilled corn (I shuck it, rub it all over with oil, grill over medium-high heat, rub with good butter, then hit it with salt and lime juice), the many recipes I’m testing and shooting right now, and chocolate chip cookies from Ad Astra Atelier, a local coffee shop with great CCCs.
What’s your go-to lunch right now, whether for your kids or yourself? Let’s get some summer lunch inspo going!
I’ll randomly select two commenters1 to send my favorite sunscreen to, because summertime, yay!
Father’s Day is coming up (June 21!) and if your dad or partner is a big grilling guy or the cook of the fam, I cannot think of a better gift than a subscription to ButcherBox. You can fill a box with any combo of meat — filet mignon, burgers, ribeye, salmon, bacon, any cut of chicken out there, chicken sausages… whatever he’s into — and have it delivered however often you choose. Having a fridge and freezer stocked with top-quality protein makes weeknight cooking so much more doable, especially right now during grilling season! ButcherBox gives incredible freebies with new subscription sign-ups — right now you can choose from free sirloin tips, chicken wings, or ground beef in every order FOR LIFE. And if you use code WTC, you’ll also get $60 off ($20 off your first 3 boxes).
PEOPLE’s food awards are always fun to click through. I couldn’t agree more that Firehook crackers continue to be the best on the market, and I too am obsessed with Tillamook’s Mint Chocolate Chip bars. Sonal Dutt, who helped compile this year’s list, shared two of her favorites with us: Fishwife’s Smoked Salmon and Di Fara’s Vodka Sauce Pizza. She said the pizza “earned a perfect score from our testers across the board” (!!), so I’ll be stocking my freezer with some for nights I actually cannot cook.
I made melty zucchini pasta, a recipe from my new book, this week for friends and, guys, it’s soooo good. I can’t wait for you to have this book in your kitchens in two months!!! Remember if you order it on Amazon you’ll automatically get the cheapest sale price that happens between now and pub day on August 11. But you should order through your local bookshop if you can! Thank you for pre-ordering!
My son Tavish, who’s 11 months old, is really into splashing around in the splash pad I found at TJ Maxx (similar one here). I’m a big believer in the “just add water” theory of parenting — it almost always saves the day. Cranky baby, bored 7-year old, feisty 3-year old? Just add water.
From Molly from What To Cook: This linen dress from Athleta (currently half off!) is my new summer uniform. It’s easy to dress up or down, has deep pockets, and is fully lined. I’m 5’2” and ordered it in petite. It’s definitely short — I wear a pair of biker shorts underneath so I can chase my toddler around without worrying about flashing people. I also got a new swimsuit (top, bottom) while shopping their sale and love it. Great price, full coverage, and stays in place! From Caro: Oh, I have this Quince dress that is so similar! I love it.
This made us chuckle. There will be signs!!
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. creamy corn pasta, 2025
In-season corn is one of my favorite foods out there, and this creamy pasta celebrates it! Sweet corn gets simmered with shallots, garlic, butter, and red pepper flakes, then blended into a silky, sunshine-y sauce with Parmesan and plenty of lemon for brightness. Serve it as is for a meatless meal (you could use Banza noodles for extra protein!), or pair it with any grilled protein. Heads up for our dairy-free friends: This sauce is absolutely delicious using DF butter and no Parm and really scratches the creamy pasta itch!
2. tandoori chicken bowls, 2024
Oooh, this chicken. It’s perfectly spiced and also very flexible — I give you full permission to do your own thing with the spices. Pair it with yellow rice (boxed is FINE), a garlicky white sauce, and whatever vegetables your fridge may hold. I cooked this chicken weekly the summer I developed it and never grew tired of it.
3. weeknight vongole, 2023
Any time I see linguine vongole (aka linguine with clam sauce, aka heaven in a bowl) on a menu, that’s my order. Briny clams, a rich garlicky olive oil sauce, pasta — what’s not to love? But… cleaning, soaking, and cooking clams fresh from the fishmonger is just never going to happen on a busy weeknight, SO, I wrote us a recipe that turns linguine vongole into a 10-ingredient, 20-minute weeknight meal!
4. grilled steak caprese, 2022
If you love caprese salad (and who doesn’t?), meet your new favorite rendition of it. Many of you have added this dry-rubbed steak and grilled corn and tomato caprese to your regular summer rotation, including Koren, who says: “I have made this more times than I can count. It is summer produce perfection.” And Sally: “I made this for my father-in-law, who only likes the blandest foods and he not only ate it but LOVED it! Thanks for widening the horizons of an 83 year old!”
5. one-pot sausage and corn pasta, 2021
This is one of those voodoo magic-like pasta recipes where everything cooks together in one pot, no draining noodles required. In 20 minutes, you’ll have a creamy tomato sauce wrapped around corn, sausage, and rigatoni (or whatever) noodles — a filling bowl of summer comfort.
If you check out ButcherBox — as a gift for a dad in your life or to keep your own fridge and freezer stocked with high-quality proteins — use code WTC to get $60 off ($20 off your first 3 boxes).
We use affiliate links when sharing product recs, which means WTC may earn a small commission off of purchases you make through those links. This does not cost you anything extra and is a way to support the production of and team behind What To Cook. Sponsorships are another way we partner with brands that we authentically love and can personally vouch for.
We’ll contact two randomly selected commenters next Tuesday, June 16!
My grocery delivery order changes the minute it gets warm here in Ohio! As soon as that summer heat hits my body CRAVES deli turkey sandwiches. On whatever bread we have, with sweet hot mustard, a slice of cheese, and tons of baby butter lettuce. Served with SALT & VINEGAR KETTLE CHIPS (obsessed) and a sliced baby cucumber to feel slightly more virtuous, plus some of the summer's freshest fruit (ideally cherries, my fav).
I also get obsessed with fresh pasta salads or veg salads - tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, red onion, chickpeas, some type of greek or Italian style vinaigrette. And if I'm feeling fancy, I'm adding salami and provolone, mob-wife salad style.
PS, this is my first-ever comment because I finally subscribed and am allowed to comment! YAY!
My current fav lunch is a simple little chickpea salad: canned chickpeas, grape tomatoes, avocado, a little red onion, with feta on top. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and some balsamic if you feel like it, refrigerate for 20 min. Boom, lunch!